“G-Garus?” It was no more than a whisper, but it echoed through the silence that followed.

  The beasts outside were silenced, and Thyria stood stunned. Or confused? Regardless, everything was better than a mad powerhouse with the intent to kill you.

  It was silent, almost peaceful, as Thyria stood there staring at Aureus.

  Garus? I latched onto the madwoman’s whisper. It was no more than a faint memory, but Volix and Thyria had mentioned that name earlier. Still, the reason she said that name while looking at Aureus was unclear.

  What are we going to do with her?

  Aureus asked, like we had a say in that matter.

  Kill!

  Nox hissed angrily.

  “That…is not very helpful, Nox.” I grimaced, my lip curling as I patted the Ferronox Mantis.

  What now? Did we really have to free her to escape from this place? No, that was not something I could accept responsibility for.

  As long as she was going to kill me or other humans, I could not free her. That was not an option.

  Did that really mean we had to stay here? I had enough Gates to fill to push my physique to an Emperor’s rank. If my constitution did not change all of a sudden, my physical strength would be at the very peak of the Emperor Rank, possibly beyond. But to use their power, I’d first need several times the amount of ether a regular Blessed would have to use. Even in this place overflowing with dense and perfectly purified ether, it would probably take decades, if not centuries, to fill all the Gates to the brim.

  Except… improving my ether control alongside the ether circulation system would change the timeline. Two years had passed since I gained access to ether, and my mastery of it had improved so much that I could fill 1-Star Ether Gates in a fraction of the time it took me at the beginning. This would be the same thing, just more intense.

  If Thyria was adamant about keeping me in her domicile, I might as well focus on my greatest weaknesses and my Soulkins. I had a library to study and a lot more things that required years of practice to master, and in a place like this, Nox and possibly even Resh could surpass their racial limitations as well.

  Surely, if they learned to absorb and form liquid ether, they’d grow stronger.

  As my mind drifted to the opportunities this place offered, I felt a lot better. However, I did not want to stay here for years, or even decades, when there was a war outside. My parents and the Zerogs would think I had died. They would mourn, maybe even bury an empty casket for me, even though I was still alive and well. Knowing my parents would suffer–or possibly were already suffering–thinking I was dead was painful.

  There had to be a way to escape this place!

  Just as the sentiment flashed through my mind, Thyria regained some composure.

  “Free me,” she whispered, her words filled with desire and hope – and power.

  Ether poured out of her mouth, amplifying her words and creating an effect that resembled the compelling force my Soulkins had felt earlier. It worked like Wesley’s charm, but it was much stronger and embraced me tightly. A protective membrane formed around my brain once more, and this time it wasn’t crushed right away.

  Aureus moved in front of me and let out a deep growl before using the strongest form of Paralyze.

  His eyes glowed vibrant gold as the effect impacted, yet it didn’t do anything to her. She repelled Paralyze easily…or should have. Paralyze shouldn’t have been powerful enough to stun a creature like Thyria, yet she stood there unmoving. Stunned, like someone had smacked her in the face just as Paralyze reached her.

  “You brainwashed Gar–another sacred beast. We are lost.” Thyria deflated, her voice no more than a whimper.

  “Brainwashed!?” No matter how hard I tried to understand the madwoman, she was beyond salvation. One moment, she was angry and ready to eat me, and the next she looked vulnerable. Like a breeze could fell her.

  Still, the accusation stung. I didn’t brainwash anyone!

  My lips parted for an angry reply, but Aureus was faster, increasing gravity around Thyria by tenfold. The sub-aspect was stronger than I had given it credit for, yet it drained the Earthheart without any real effect. Other than Thyria looking hurt, which may as well have been a farce meant to mock us.

  Let me show you something, Thyria.

  Volix spoke, gliding toward her.

  The vulnerability on her face was replaced with anger and something that could only be longing.

  Do not resist and witness as the truth unfolds.

  The Elemental Phoenix added, his fiery body burning brightly as it formed into a crown of fire. Thyria snatched the crown out of the air and glared daggers at it.

  “If you play a trick on me, I will personally tear you apart, even if the Essence Chains rip my soul apart!” She hissed, but placed the fiery crown on her head anyway.

  That was when I felt it. A connection formed through the bond. It was temporary and would sever the moment someone resisted, but it was not cut right away. It prevailed even as the Elemental Phoenix reached out to my memories through the soulshare. I hesitated, unsure if I was willing to reveal this much to him, but I let him be.

  Volix took my memories and shoved them through the temporary link toward the third party. In exchange, I was to see memories that didn’t belong to me or the Elemental Phoenix. It was a fragment of Thyria’s memories. Of her days as a…tree. No, she still was a tree, but one with the sentience and power needed to take on a humanoid form.

  As realization dawned, the memories changed, revealing a copper-skinned man. He too had long, pointed ears, his eyes brighter than the stars. Though his eyes were merely brown, it felt like his gaze meant the world. Like it was everything I needed to survive. To thrive. To be who I was.

  Those are not my memories. That is not how I think. The emotions and memories belong to Thyria. I realized this just as the memories were replaced by pain, anguish, and the death of Earth. The Spirit. His corpse lay unmoving, surrounded by thousands of beings that resembled humans.

  They looked… odd.

  Something was wrong with these humans. Their appearance was normal, if one ignored a few details; horns and pitch-black eyes, which could have been a Soulkin trait for all I knew. Yet their presence was different. It was as if they wielded a power that did not belong to them. Their lifeforce dwindled rapidly before my eyes – Thyria’s – as she stared at them in hatred. Then I–she–slaughtered them, even as the humans collapsed to the ground, their lifeforce already drained.

  She did not drain their lifeforce, yet it was her who ended their lives, seeking revenge for Garus. In the hope of rescuing him. But she came too late. Garus was dead, his sacrifice accepted by the Primal Spirit. Oh, how she hated the Primal Spirit. Sacrificing his own child ‘for the greater good.’ How could he!?

  Thyria’s memories blurred, and the connection severed.

  I didn’t realize I’d closed my eyes until they fluttered open again. They locked onto Thyria, who looked back immediately.

  “You created a sacred beast.” It was more a statement than a question.

  His World did.

  Volix clarified as the fiery crown reformed into an eagle-sized phoenix.

  To be fair, it was not yet proven that my World did all the work. Aureus had been amazing from the start: a Mutant Soilback with incredible intellect and the determination needed to acquire the power he now wielded. If not for his commitment, Aureus would never have become a proper sacred beast.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  You did it. Without you, I would have been nothing.

  Aureus commented decisively.

  A soulshare’s firmness often determined how much a World’s growth affected a Soulkin. There had been many stories of wild beasts acquiring traits and advancing to the Awakened Rank after years of stagnation. Most cases revolved around ordinary Blessed who stayed within the safety of the Bastions. They spent years with their Soulkins and only occasionally refined their Worlds. Regardless, some soulshares were strong enough to affect their Soulkins over the course of years, regardless of their World’s size. It was simply that a soulshare’s potency increased alongside the World’s growth.

  Stories like that were relatively common, in a way. I had read them often enough when I dreamed about binding a Soulkin. That was years ago, but the promise I made to myself remained unchanged: I would never neglect my Soulkins or my World. Nourishing both would inevitably lead to the growth of both Soulkin and self. Tending to soulshares would lead to bursts of growth.

  But to create a sacred beast through such a burst was… unlikely.

  Thyria was clearly not convinced either, though her anger softened and a pinch of curiosity flickered in her eyes.

  “I know you won’t free me. Neither do I want to see you again, not as long as–” She shook her head. “But I cannot release you just like that.”

  She waved her hand, and an acorn the size of her fingertip materialized. “Bind her to your World. Hurt her, and I will come to feast on your World the moment I regain my freedom.”

  Thyria’s voice was cold, her distrust unmistakable. Yet when her eyes shifted to Aureus, there was something else. Something she hadn’t shown even when she looked vulnerable. A ray of hope.

  Don’t think for a second that she’s not scheming something. If this is one of her saplings, she will be able to track you wherever you go. Thyria will be able to tell how strong your World is, and she might even be able to take control of it. Once you bind it, your strength will no longer be a secret to her. You won’t be able to hide your weakness either. Once she regains freedom and you are hurt, she may hunt you down.

  Volix explained, though none of it was new to me. Thyria’s energy signature was identical to the acorn’s.

  All that talk about tracking and sensing my power, strength, and weakness was, or could be, troublesome. But Volca could likely do the same, whether through the Elemental Phoenix or Volca’s mark. Having one more transcendent entity watching over me wouldn’t make much difference. Except that Thyria was insane. That was probably the only downside.

  However…

  You think I should do it?

  My eyes widened.

  By taking Thyria’s seedling outside, knowing she might be able to take control of it, we would essentially be freeing her. Most of her power would likely remain in her domicile, but freeing a murdering madwoman was not exactly on my to-do list. Still, she’d be bound by me, and my World had yet to betray me.

  Thyria is one of the oldest. She survived the destruction of worlds. Binding a World Tree’s sapling to your core will help you greatly.

  Volix informed me in a monotonous tone.

  That was not all. My World was highly compatible with just about every beast. I had never tried binding a sentient plant, nor was I even certain the sapling was sentient in the first place. But the way Thyria spoke about Volca and the others suggested she was likely on par with them. Her sapling should possess the same potential. By binding the sapling…

  “Can you sense the sapling, World Tree Thyria?” I asked, watching her every movement with hawk-like focus. “Will you be able to see everything I do through your sapling’s eyes?”

  Thyria’s head snapped toward Volix. “You told him?”

  The Elemental Phoenix looked back at her incredulously, as if it were the most obvious thing across Razarn.

  “I can,” the World Tree acknowledged through gritted teeth.

  “That’s good, then.” I smiled, taking Thyria by surprise as I strode forward, arm outstretched. “I will bind the sapling.”

  Her eyes widened for a brief moment before her poker face settled back into place.

  “I don’t know what you’re scheming or how deep your hatred for my kind runs. You hate me, distrust me, and you don’t even want to consider the possibility that a human could have befriended not only one but two sacred beasts. In your opinion, we must be mortal enemies. But do we? Really?”

  I shook my head.

  “Maybe I’m making a mistake by binding your sapling, but you should know that I will kill myself and shatter my World if you think you can regain freedom to annihilate humanity by binding your sapling to me.” Determination seeped deep into my body as I spoke. “By binding your sapling to my World, you will not find what you are looking for. Instead, you will learn who I am. You will learn to trust me and the rest of my family, and you will realize that humans are more than just livestock. That we–at least, some of us–deserve your trust and loyalty.”

  To be fair, I was scared shitless. The prospect of a human-eating World Tree hunting me for my World was even scarier than fighting an army of Bakureans. But by binding her sapling, I should be able to gain her trust. My World had never failed me until this point, and I doubted it would start now. If anything, I was confident in my chances.

  Thyria would probably be able to shake off the World Tree’s resonance, but could the same be said about her sapling? I didn’t sense much ether from it. At most, the sapling was Wild plant life. It wouldn’t be strong enough to block the resonance even if the World Tree tried to do something. Or so I hoped, sincerely.

  I meant no harm, either, and I wanted her to see that. Plus, I… honestly, I felt sorry for her. As scared as I was, she had been sealed in this place for more than a thousand years after losing her sanity at the loss of her lover. Garus and Thyria had been more than acquaintances. Her memories were clear.

  Still, she was dangerous. I should never underestimate the antics of a being at her level. Therefore, I remained vigilant as I reached out to her. My hand touched hers, which triggered my World right away.

  A resonance formed, alongside the desire to create a connection with the World Tree. Thyria’s eyes widened and she flinched as golden motes of soul energy poured out of me. But instead of reaching out to her, I took the acorn and placed it gently into my hand.

  Thyria stared at me, her sapling failing to resist my World as I reached out.

  “How is that possible? What even is that World of yours?”

  As the World resonated with the sapling, something more came to be. It formed, established, and extended. It reached out to an invisible thread connecting the World Tree with her sapling.

  “So potent,” she gasped, glancing at me, then at Volix, until her gaze landed on Aureus.

  “I will kill you. Feast on you,” Thyria declared, but her words were empty, and she knew it as well.

  “Just sit back on your throne and watch me intently. Scrutinize my every action and decide for yourself whether I am trustworthy or not. If you still think I’m not worthy of your trust when we meet again, you can kill me.” I asked, secretly hoping it would be a few more centuries before we’d see each other again. “Until then, give me the benefit of the doubt. And… please let me out of here.”

  The emerald ocean within her eyes flicked back to me, a faint smile blooming on her lips.

  Binding the World Tree’s sapling could be a mistake. It probably was. Still, the way my World reacted to the sapling, coupled with Thyria’s reaction, showed that there was more to it. The ill intent evaporated, leaving behind a frail soulshare that settled down.

  I didn’t have much soul energy to spare. To be precise, I had only a few units left, and even those were mostly from the inner World’s constant expansion–courtesy of the Aspect Ring. Anyway, I only needed one unit of soul energy to complete the bond.

  Once I was done, I stored the sapling away to fortify the bond. Thyria scrutinized me the whole time. Nothing seemed to escape her grasp.

  “I understand now. The Primal Spirit favors you.” She let out a soft, resounding chuckle as she sensed the bond and all it entailed. “It all makes sense now.”

  She shook her head. “He hates me. He has to, if he brings you to me.”

  That said, she snapped back to attention. “We wasted more than enough time. Remember: harm my sapling, and I will snap your neck!”

  I flinched, which only seemed to make Thyria happier.

  “Now, hold tight!”

  A torrent of gold-emerald energy shot out of the ground like a fountain. It pushed down hard on me, enveloped me, and forced my Soulkins back into my World.

  Seconds stretched infinitely as the world around us distorted. It twisted and ripped me out of the World Tree’s domicile. I couldn’t see anything, yet I felt it. The loss of ether. The dense ether mass of the World Tree was replaced by something else. Scarce trails of ether, almost too thin to be perceived.

  My eyes snapped open right as a nauseous wave assaulted me and tore through me. I emptied my stomach, ignoring the Silverwing Gryphons nestling around me. They stared at me and chirped frantically, but I went on and on, retching even when there was nothing left to vomit.

  “Fuck, that was nasty,” I cursed, looking up at a massive, three-meter-long Silverwing Gryphon puffing out his chest before me.

  “Can you leave me alone, please?” I croaked, looking around and realizing I was the invader. This was their nest, and I’d come without an invite.

  Did she know? Shaking my head, I turned around and summoned Aureus from the inner World.

  The Earthheart leaped out of my chest, his full size unfolding before the Silverwing Gryphon. He forced the beast to kneel, gravity multiplied by ten.

  “I’m terribly sorry about that. My driver was a little bit lost. She hasn’t been here for a while now.” I retrieved some beast meat from the onyx ring and leaped onto Aureus’ back.

  The Earthheart altered gravity once more and leaped into the air, revealing rocky mountains below. The structures looked oddly familiar, and so did the massive complex in the distance.

  “Is that for real? How did she know?” I couldn’t help but laugh. It was just too ridiculous.

  We were in an Awakened Zone, an area that had once been incredibly dangerous to me. It was also the region where my father had found the Soilback’s egg.

  This was the Oridon Mountains.

  “That’s crazy!” Not as crazy as the things I’d experienced in the last– It had only been a few weeks, hadn’t it?

  I laughed, my eyes darting to the edges of the Bastion, a brilliant smile blooming on my lips.

  Home.