The central forest had awakened last night which meant whatever was inside as well. With the system’s quest hanging above his head, he really had no choice but to go deeper into the central region.

He wasn’t about to retreat when he had come too far. He had a power to test and learn to control.

Atheline’s gaze shifted to the entrance of the cave where the morning light had started to filter through the hanging roots.

A small sigh left him before he moved. He stood up while stretching his stiff body in the process. Sleeping outside and in a cave has never been a comfortable combination especially with the cold filtering in and the sounds of beasts roaring.

The stream he had heard during the night flowed deeper behind the cave through a narrow opening hidden by stone. Cold water rushed quietly over smooth black rock, clear enough to reflect fragments of light across the carven walls.

Atheline stepped into the water without hesitation. It was cold enough to sting against his skin but also refreshing.

For the first time since he entered the Spitting Harrows, he allowed himself to fully relax.

The water washed away dried blood and ash while steam rose slightly from the lingering fire Aether escaping from his skin. He leaned back against the stone wall near the edge of the underground spring, eyes half closed as the current flowed around him.

The quiet was almost therapeutic with how much had been going on. The roars and footsteps of monsters seemed to have stopped. The place was clearly fully isolated as though created for that purpose exactly. To rest.

The previous night replayed in his mind. The flaming spear, his perfect elemental control, his skill in battle. Atheline had learnt a few things from him.

Igrad was a far more intelligent fighter who didn’t rely purely on his skill. The fact that he started with hand-to-hand combat before using his spear showed he had probably planned himself and had also been studying his fighting technique.

If the battle had continued any longer, Atheline wasn’t sure what would have been the outcome.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping comfortably across the stream watching fish as small as his fingers swimming past him leisurely.

The bigger ones had stayed upstream clearly sensing something foreign in their waters.

His gaze shifted to his reflection in the stream. Water dripped from the white strands of his hair down his shoulder. The Aether around him felt denser as though it was attracted to his body.

The advancement had likely pushed him to peak SS-ranked combat capability despite him just being at the beginning of it.

A joyous realisation. Because he needed power, a lot of power. He had to try to get at least EX rank which was right below Lilith’s power level.

The moment he entered that rank, no one would contend with him except his own wife with wasn’t that big of a problem.

After several more quiet minutes, he finally stood up and stepped out of the spring.

By the time he emerged from the cave, fully dressed in clean robes, the morning mist had begun thinning.

The deeper parts of Spitting harrows looked much worse in daylight. Atheline finally came to terms with how much damage they had done.

Entire sections remained scorched from last night’s battle while gigantic creatures’ footsteps now marked the earth nearby. Some belonged to large creatures that he couldn’t identify.

Broken trees littered the ground everywhere. Something massive had definitely passed through last night.

Atheline adjusted his bow across his back before moving towards the centre once more.

The Aether density intensified surprisingly the deeper he went. The forest gradually changed again. The trees were much taller and healthier, and the air felt wrong, it was as though something was pressing down on him from every angle. Atheline was sure something was pressing down.

Then he stopped, feeling a familiar signature in the air. It wasn’t the usual beast readings he always got but a dark elf.

’What would someone be doing around these parts?’

He frowned and headed in the direction his curiosity getting the better of him.

Atheline slightly narrowed his eyes immediately as he stepped around a collapsed tree and saw her.

Several cleanly killed monster corpses surrounded her.

When she noticed him her eyes widened.

"Your highness, what a coincidence," she quietly said while bowing to him.

Atheline smiled, gesturing for her to straighten.

"Funny meeting you here Yander," he glanced around pointedly," where is Caius? "

She frowned, hesitating for a second. She looked like she was suffering from how to word it.

"We separated last night, I think he went to the centre."

His brows raised. " Why would he do something so reckless? "

Yander sighed. "He is determined to top the rankings your highness. He saw your results and decided to go for the highest-ranked. "

"How didn’t you not notice him leaving?" He curiously asked.

He wasn’t too worried about Caius, he was the protagonist, and there was no way he would die that easily.

"He escaped while I was asleep. "

She looked genuinely pained when she said this beneath all the calmness.

"You’ll find him."

She nodded. Her gaze lowered to the monsters she had killed. They were all high-ranking and she seemed to have killed multiple at once.

Silence lingered between them each lost in their thoughts.

"Your highness, if you don’t mind me asking..."

Atheline nodded.

"Why were you and the flame Prince fighting. Your fight seems to have woken up the monsters in the central region. "

Atheline could hear the chastisement hidden beneath her words. She was probably in the area when it happened and witnessed it.

"Nothing," he dismissed," just petty squabbling. "

Her eyes narrowed then a sigh escaped her.

"Well, your squabbling seems to have caused quite the damage. This is the first time the Forest lord has woken. No one know how it looks like since it has never left the centre but you seem to have disturbed it."

She was clearly not pleased at all but her eyes widened, suddenly catching how she spoke.

"I apologise for the outburst your highness, it’s just..."

"It’s okay, I don’t mind. I do know I am partially at fault for that."

She stared at him for a moment then her lips curved into a smile.

Before either could continue, the branches shifted nearby. Both reacted instantly.