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THE CELESTIAL MONOLITH
Silence gradually blanketed the forest after the fierce battle concluded. Their breathing steadied as spiritual energy replenished their respective meridians. Wasting no time, Suta and Andin sat cross-legged, preparing to absorb the Tier 3 Demonic Tiger Star Monster Cores to condense their sixth Star Seals.
”Very well, commence the core absorption process immediately. Once you are finished, we shall push directly through the boundaries of the forest’s core,” Ken instructed, overseeing his academy disciples.
”But… since these monsters are at Tier 3, their energy density is astronomically high. It might consume a considerable amount of time for us to absorb them safely. Do we truly have that much time, My Lord?” Suta asked, his visage etched with anxiety.
”Indeed, My Lord! This process cannot be rushed,” Andin chimed in, echoing his concern.
”It matters not, absorb them tranquilly,” Ken answered flatly. “Furthermore, as we plunge deeper into the core of the forest, you will likely only encounter Heaven-Tier or even King-Tier Star Monsters. This is your absolute sole, safe opportunity to absorb a fitting foundation.”
”Very well, we understand. We shall begin the assimilation at once,” Andin acknowledged, closing her eyes and concentrating her Qi.
Ken then shifted his gaze to Diyah. “Princess, prepare yourself. Fill the slot of your fifth Star Seal using that Tier 5 Star Monster Core.” He pointed to the colossal tiger carcass he had just slain.
”Hah! Th-that…” Diyah gasped in hesitation. “But that monster is at Tier 5, Brother Ken! Meanwhile, my previous Star Seal foundation only stems from a Tier 1 Core, which produced this silver seal. Wouldn’t leaping directly to absorb a Tier 5 core be tantamount to suicide, Brother Ken?!” Diyah explained, outlining the cultivation theories she knew.
”Yes, according to conventional theory, you are correct. However, you can still absorb it safely. I will personally intervene to stabilize the current for you. Place your absolute trust in me,” Ken coaxed, his gaze radiating an unquestionable, absolute conviction.
Witnessing the certainty in Ken’s eyes, the doubts in Diyah’s heart evaporated like mist. “Truly…? Very well, Brother Ken. I shall entrust my survival to your guidance,” Diyah nodded obediently.
Overhearing the reckless directive, Julia and the others exchanged horrified glances. “Is it truly safe to allow her to absorb that, Lord Ken?” Julia asked worriedly.
”This may be the first time you witness this technique. Simply sit and watch,” Ken replied tranquilly.
They dispersed to absorb their respective cores. Diyah strode slowly toward the carcass of the Tier 5 Star Monster. She activated the resonance of the Star Seal upon her arm, then plunged the tip of her silver spear into the monster’s chest. A brilliant light pulsed as a fist-sized Star Core levitated out from the corpse. Diyah sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began drawing threads of energy from the colossal core.
Ken stood a short distance away, meticulously monitoring every fluctuation in Diyah’s body temperature. Sure enough, mere minutes later, Diyah’s beautiful visage paled; cold sweat poured profusely. The savage energy from the core began to rebel, attempting to launch a lethal backlash into her meridians.
Realizing the critical threshold had been breached, Ken moved with lightning speed. He unsheathed his sword and drove it into the earth, directly between the levitating core and Diyah’s mortal shell.
SWOOSH! Ken channeled his aura into the blade, manifesting an invisible filtering seal. The pulsating energy from the core was now violently forced to pass through Ken’s blade before entering Diyah’s body.
With this filtration method, the entirety of the monster soul’s killing intent and feral energy will be suppressed. You shall only absorb its purest spiritual essence, Ken mused inwardly, watching Diyah’s visage return to a state of relaxed tranquility as she resumed the assimilation.
What kind of profound magic is he performing? Julia thought, having observed from afar. Propelled by curiosity, she gathered her courage and approached Ken, who had now casually leaned back against a colossal tree trunk.
”Lord Ken, will Diyah truly be alright?” Julia asked, taking a seat a short distance from the youth.
”Yes, she has bypassed the critical phase. I am aiding her absorption process by neutralizing the vile energy of the core. My sword functions as a valve, regulating the energy entering her body to flow gently, perfectly matching the capacity of her meridians,” Ken explained without tearing his gaze away from Diyah.
”That is a profound relief! In all my life, I have never heard of a filtration manipulation technique for absorbing Star Monster Cores. Lord Ken is truly extraordinary,” Julia praised, her awe multiplying. She fell silent for a moment, wringing the hem of her gown before continuing. “Lord Ken… previously, I wished to offer my deepest apologies for my insolence in the throne room. When I lost my senses and pointed my blade at your throat…” Julia spoke, lowering her head deeply, acutely aware of her own foolishness.
”Oh, that incident,” Ken chuckled softly. “Rest assured, I have long forgotten it. Besides, Diyah already informed me that your reckless action was born purely out of a panicked desire to de-escalate and prevent the situation from turning into a bloodbath before your father.”
”Thank you for your magnanimity in understanding my plight, My Lord,” Julia expressed, feeling a mountainous burden lift from her chest.
”Do not overthink it. And you also need not address me so stiffly as ‘My Lord’. Judging by our age, do we not appear to be peers?” Ken clarified with a casual tone.
”Yes… you are correct. Very well, Ken,” Julia replied, a small smile gracing her beautiful visage. “According to your estimation, how much time will they require to finalize the core absorption?” she subsequently asked.
”It is highly probable Suta and Andin will conclude by late afternoon. However, for Diyah, the process will consume slightly more time due to the disparity in the core’s tier. Thus, you may utilize this time to sleep and rest.” Ken snapped a small twig and slipped it between his lips. “Let me handle the duty of guarding you all.”
”Ummm… I am uncertain. This Star Monster Forest now feels a hundred times more terrifying than I ever imagined. You see, Ken… truthfully, I harbor a profoundly dark trauma regarding Star Monsters,” Julia explained, her gaze suddenly turning hollow.
Hearing that, Ken furrowed his brows. A trauma? “Why is that? What exactly transpired in your past?” Ken probed, suppressing the violent churning in his heart.
”Yes… because in the past, Star Monsters devoured the life of my precious best friend and butchered nearly the entire populace of his village,” Julia recounted, tilting her head back to stare at the forest canopy, her eyes beginning to glisten.
Ken’s heart hammered wildly. He knew precisely where this conversation was heading.
”His name was Aruk,” Julia continued, uttering Ken’s true name, completely oblivious that the owner of that name was sitting right beside her. “He was an incredibly kindhearted boy, overflowing with extraordinary talent. Even though he was born without the grace of a Star Seal, he possessed the iron guts to wander in and out of this Monster Forest all by himself.”
Julia drew a trembling breath. “Initially, the village where he resided was besieged by military forces from the Fire Kingdom. But… the official royal report stated that the total annihilation and the loss of the villagers’ lives that night were caused by a rampage of feral Star Monsters.”
Hearing that confession, Ken’s jaw clenched. Lethal emotions detonated within his soul. Bastards… So that fabricated narrative was disseminated by the Fire Kingdom and confirmed by my own grandfather?! Those political demons! I swear I will not spare a single one of your lives! Ken cursed inwardly, burying his wrath deep.
Ken stared intently at Julia. “How could they be so absolutely certain that it was Star Monsters who devoured them?” he asked, attempting to unearth just how deeply the lie had been planted.
”I relentlessly pressured Royal Father to dispatch a specialized search vanguard to track his traces. Father tried his hardest… yet the intelligence forces brought back evidence confirming that narrative was indeed the truth. So, in the end, I could only weep and try to make my peace with it,” Julia explained, a single tear breaching her defenses. “Even though… at that time, we had forged a sacred vow to reunite every single year. And he promised he would grow strong enough to catch up with me in the Ice Kingdom.”
”Based on my instincts, it is an absolute impossibility for Star Monsters to execute a genocide that cleanly within a human settlement,” Ken countered softly, planting logical seeds of doubt. “Pure Star Monsters would never be able to bypass the Sky Barrier unless a supreme existence deliberately tamed them and brought them out.”
”Oh, you’re right… your deduction is extremely logical,” Julia murmured, as if just realizing the gaping hole in the narrative. “However, when I was that young, I had yet to comprehend the magical laws of this continent. But let it be… regardless of how he departed, I can only pray he has found happiness in the afterlife,” Julia concluded with a bitter smile.
Ken swallowed hard, his throat stinging. “Then… what about your engagement status with that Prince from the Water Kingdom? Does he know your tale of Aruk?” Ken asked, shifting the subject.
”Yes, he knows everything,” Julia nodded. “Initially, I hermetically sealed the doors to my heart and refused to forge any relationships. However, he is an incredibly patient man. He tried relentlessly to convince me and stood by my side through years of mourning. Until finally, two years ago, we both decided to officially get engaged. The plan is, our grand royal wedding will be held immediately after the Cultivator Tournament concludes,” she explained, a flush of relief and future hope gracing her visage.
”You made an exceptionally wise decision. And judging from your tale, that Water Prince sounds like a man worthy of guarding you,” Ken stated, offering a sincere blessing from the absolute depths of his heart.
”Yes… he is indeed a very kind man. Sometimes I feel a tinge of regret and guilt for neglecting his sincerity for such a long time. The reason being, in a small corner of my heart, I kept desperately hoping a miracle would bring Aruk back to me. I was terrified that if Aruk ever returned one day, he would blame and despise me for breaking our vow to live together,” Julia looked down sadly, her fingers clutching the grass as she reminisced about the purity of her past.
Ken’s heart trembled violently. It turns out… you still remember me and locked my vow within your heart for all this time, Ken mused, overwhelmed by profound emotion.
‘I promise I will keep waiting for you in the palace until you come see me and take me away to live together!’ ‘Truly? Are you certain you can keep that promise, My Ice Princess?’ ‘Yes, of course! I have even placed the jewel of my heart around your neck. So I will definitely keep my promise!’ The fragmented memories of his childhood with his “Ice Princess” spun like a disc of time within Ken’s mind.
Ken drew a long, deep breath, then smiled gently at Julia. “I do not know with absolute certainty how profound the vow you forged with your childhood friend was. And yes, perhaps if he returned, there would be a sting of disappointment that you could not wait for him forever. However… if he is a man who truly cares for you, I am one hundred percent certain he would forgive and comprehend your choice of happiness if you explained it to him. Place your absolute trust in me,” Ken explained, delivering absolution and absolute closure from “Aruk” to his first love.
Hearing that affirmation from the perspective of a man as formidable as Ken, the mountainous burden upon Julia’s heart seemed to lift entirely. “Truly…? I pray that is the case.” Julia looked at Ken, her teary eyes now refracting a relieved smile. “Thank you, Ken. Thank you for being willing to listen to my dark ramblings.”
”Think nothing of it. Rest now,” Ken replied.
Julia lay down, using a tree root covered by her cloak as a pillow, and closed her eyes to rest. Ken remained seated, leaning against the tree trunk, maintaining the flames of his vigilance while continuously monitoring the cultivation process of Diyah, Andin, and Suta.
Hmmm… How incredibly bizarre. For some reason, confiding in him made the entirety of my burdens over the past dozen years evaporate into thin air. Thank you, Lord Ken, Julia mused, a peaceful smile curving her lips in her slumber.
Four hours drifted by. Suta and Andin finally opened their eyes synchronously after successfully assimilating the Tier 3 Demonic Tiger Star Monster Cores into their cultivation foundations.
”Finally, this hellish process is concluded! I can feel the ocean of energy within my veins surging drastically!” Andin exclaimed with profound satisfaction. She stared at the back of her right hand. There, the third row of her Star Seal formation had been fully occupied by two stars radiating an oceanic blue luminescence.
”Hahhh… yes, we have finally ascended a tier!” Suta added, standing up and stretching his stiffened muscles with a satisfying crack.
”Wah, look at Diyah! It turns out she was truly reckless enough to absorb that Tier 5 monster core! Incredible, she is still holding on without detonating!” Andin exclaimed in awe, noticing her best friend was still enveloped in a dense vortex of energy.
”It is a relief you two have awakened. Replenish your stamina while you rest,” Julia, who had already woken up, said as she walked toward Andin and Suta.
The three of them sat in a circle in absolute silence, waiting anxiously for Diyah’s god-tier assimilation process to conclude.
After an hour had passed, the spiritual wind vortex surrounding Diyah gradually subsided. A blinding light detonated for a fleeting second before sinking back into her pores. Diyah finally parted her eyelids, radiating a gaze infinitely clearer and sharper than ever before.
Heavens… I actually succeeded in absorbing energy this ferocious! And… this sword! This is Brother Ken’s heirloom sword obstructing the energy current. So, it is no wonder I didn’t feel the agony that should have shredded my meridians. Brother Ken secretly helped me filter its power! Diyah’s soul trembled with emotion. She stared at the back of her right hand. Her fifth Star Seal was now clearly engraved, radiating an unimaginably pure Golden luminescence.
”How do you feel now, Princess?” Ken’s voice snapped Diyah from her reverie. The youth strode closer, plucking his sword from the earth with a light pull, then retrieved Diyah’s silver spear.
”Brother Ken! Thank you for your intervention,” Diyah expressed, hurriedly standing up and approaching Ken with her sweetest smile.
”Here is your weapon, sheath it,” Ken handed her the spear. “Your energy circulation has stabilized. We must resume our journey immediately.”
”Mm-hmm, let’s go,” Diyah replied, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Ken’s frigid visage.
”Wahh! Diyah! Do not tell me you just condensed a Golden Star Seal?!” Julia shrieked, having just noticed the color shift in Diyah’s aura. Suta and Andin also held their breath in awe, witnessing the impossible achievement.
”Everyone, shelve your awe. We must move as swiftly as the wind to breach the boundary of the forest’s core before the sky turns completely dark,” Ken decreed, cutting their petty celebration short.
The vanguard resumed their rapid advance, tearing through the forest of colossal trees.
”Diyah, with this golden power you just acquired, I guarantee there will no longer be any ancient elders or rotten generals who dare to belittle your status in the palace,” Andin whispered, matching Diyah’s pace mid-air.
”Hahaha! Andin, you are exaggerating too much!” Diyah replied with a hearty laugh, the burdens upon her shoulders feeling phenomenally lighter.
”Yes! Especially that flock of arrogant princes from the Earth, Wind, and Fire Kingdoms! Their condescending attitudes are utterly infuriating,” Andin added, her visage turning sour recalling academy intrigues.
”Naturally!… If they dare to court death, I will personally crush them to dust, Hahaha,” Diyah concluded with absolute confidence.
However, amidst their joyous transit, Ken’s footsteps at the absolute vanguard abruptly halted. His eyes narrowed sharply, piercing the darkness of the forest canopy. The instincts of his Divine Eyes detected a horrifying gravitational anomaly from a distance.
Hah! What is this killing intent?! What exactly is transpiring within the depths of this forest?… This is no ordinary monster, Ken tensed, realizing an apocalypse-level threat was approaching.
”Everyone, cease your chattering! Follow my lead, right now!” Ken commanded with absolute urgency, instantaneously shifting his trajectory toward a cliffside.
”What is it, Brother Ken?!” Diyah asked in bewilderment, her tone panicked yet her feet remained obedient, following Ken’s every directive alongside the others.
”Cease your questions, move faster! I will explain later if we survive this!” Ken pumped his velocity to its absolute maximum.
Question after question thundered in their minds. Why would a god of war as mighty as Ken suddenly pale and choose to evade?
Bastards, their movements are astronomically fast! What entity is pursuing them?! If I recklessly cast the radius of my Divine Eyes to scan, the wave of my aura will undoubtedly attract the attention of that apex-tier monster. There is no time left to run! I must lead them into hiding, Ken calculated the probabilities of survival.
”Quickly! Hide in this crevice!” Ken urged, pointing to a massive depression behind the colossal roots of a mound of fallen, crisscrossing ancient trees.
”What exactly is hunting us?” Julia whispered in terror, her breaths ragged as they crawled into the root hollow.
”Shut your mouths. Suppress and extinguish all luminescence of your Star Seals this very second,” Ken whispered with heavy emphasis. “Whatever apocalypse unfolds out there shortly, no one is to panic. Remain perfectly still and do not breathe too loudly.”
Shortly after they suppressed their auras of existence, the earth beneath their hiding spot began to quake. The deafening thunder of massive footfalls shattered their eardrums. Through the narrow gaps in the foliage, they witnessed a sight that shook their very sanity.
Hundreds of Star Monsters of varying species—from iron-plated boars and winged wolves to lightning-horned elephants—were stampeding frantically without direction. These monsters, which typically preyed upon one another, were now fleeing in the same direction in a brutal, mass wave of absolute panic.
”Th-those fleeing monsters… they are all Tier 4 and 5 sovereigns! I even see a Tier 6 colony king among them! What kind of entity of death could possess the power to make king-level monsters flee in such terror?!” Andin whispered, her lips trembling violently. Despair began to creep into the minds of the four young nobles.
”Remember my edict. No matter what transpires, do not panic,” Ken hissed once more, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the epicenter of the earthquake.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Ancient trees with diameters spanning dozens of meters before them were obliterated and swept aside like mere weeds. From behind the curtain of dust, the architect of that nightmare emerged. A colossal, humanoid-shaped Star Monster. Its mortal shell was a repulsive moss-green, with a facial structure resembling a demonic tiger sporting four elongated fangs jutting all the way down to its chest. It swung its stone mace, chasing and chewing alive a Tier 6 Star Monster that had failed to escape.
Exactly as the colossal monster was engrossed in chewing its prey, its footsteps halted. Its gargantuan head slowly turned, sniffing the air, as if its demonic instincts had detected an anomaly of life aura behind the pile of fallen trees where Ken and his comrades were hiding.
”Great Heavens… What is that green monster?! Judging by the thickness of its aura halo… th-that is a Tier 10 Star Monster!” Julia whispered in sheer despair, tears beginning to pool from pure terror. Everyone’s hearts felt as though they had stopped beating. The monster discarded the carcass from its maw and began to take slow, deliberate steps toward their hiding spot.
Dammit! How could this beast’s instincts pierce my concealment seal?! Ken cursed vehemently. Ken’s eyes darted a fleeting glance at Diyah, and he instantaneously realized the point of leakage. Ah, no wonder! The Princess just acquired her Golden Star Seal. She is unaccustomed to it and failed to completely suppress her pure energy radiance, causing a microscopic leak into the air. The colossal green monster halted directly above them. With a single swing of its muscular arm, it lifted the colossal chunk of ancient tree trunk shielding them and hurled it hundreds of meters away like tossing a tiny twig.
The roof of their sanctuary vanished. The five humans were now completely exposed, face-to-face with a demon as tall as a three-story building, with absolutely no barrier between them. The stench of death oozed from the monster’s maw.
However, before the green monster could raise its stone mace to pulverize them, a roar a hundred times more devastating detonated from behind the beast. The soundwave was so brutal it uprooted the surrounding trees.
Another phantom of nightmare manifested. A Star Monster in the visage of a Colossal Gorilla, bulging with wire-like muscles. Unlike an ordinary gorilla, this monster possessed four lethally muscular arms, alongside a pair of stacked bone wings upon its back that radiated the energy of absolute annihilation.
The colossal gorilla stepped forward, puffing its chest in a challenging posture, and roared continuously, warning the green monster to vacate its sovereign territory.
”Our history ends here… Heavens, we are truly going to be torn into minced meat by these two Tier 11 Star Monsters,” Suta whimpered in absolute resignation amidst the blood-freezing tension. Everyone sobbed soundlessly, shivering as they awaited the grim reaper.
Miraculously, beneath the crushing aura pressure of the Ashura Gorilla, the Tier 10 Green Monster lowered its head, snorted in annoyance, then slowly stepped backward in surrender, retreating far away from the perimeter.
Once its territorial rival departed, the Colossal Gorilla was about to turn around and return to the forest’s core. Yet before flapping its wings, the primordial monster lowered its gaze and stared intently at the cluster of tiny humans beneath its feet, specifically locking onto Ken’s eyes.
Recognizing the highly intelligent gaze from the monster, Ken immediately placed his right palm over his left chest, then lowered his head slowly, offering a gesture of absolute respect between two god-level existences. Witnessing Ken’s gesture, Diyah and the others tremblingly followed suit and bowed deeply.
As if accepting the tribute, the Star Gorilla snorted softly, flapped its bone wings, and shot into the sky, flying away without displaying even a microscopic sliver of killing intent toward them. Their lives had been miraculously spared by the sovereign of the forest.
”Hah! Wh-what just transpired? That apocalypse… did they truly just leave us alive?!” Suta asked, collapsing limply onto the earth, his remaining energy evaporating.
”What just happened, Brother Ken? Did you happen to recognize that Gorilla Monster species?! It… it seemed to perfectly comprehend your gesture of respect!” Diyah asked, still clutching her wildly hammering chest.
”Yes, that exalted creature is a Four-Armed Ashura Gorilla Star Monster with stacked wings. He is one of the sacred entities known as the Guardians of this Star Forest. In the past, I had crossed paths with him several times at his territorial borders without bloodshed, so I assume his instincts still recognize the aura of my existence,” Ken explained tranquilly. “And the other colossal monster… that was a Green Ogre Star Monster. It is an entity of pure demonic origin driven by insatiable greed; it will not hesitate to chew on weaker fellow Star Monsters, let alone human flesh,” Ken continued, obliterating his comrades’ confusion regarding the monster hierarchy.
”Ugh, thank the heavens miracles favored us today! Are we truly still reckless enough to continue this lunatic journey?” Andin exhaled a massively long breath and asked with a hesitant tone.
”Absolutely, we are continuing! Get up. We must arrive at the boundary of the core ecosystem before the sun is completely swallowed by the earth,” Ken decreed, leading the vanguard back into the dense wilderness.
”Those monsters earlier… haven’t their cultivation levels breached Tier 11? That means their lifespan has reached the legendary mark of… One Million Years?!” Suta mumbled hollowly, his brain still refusing to process the mortal spectacle earlier. “Exactly how many more monster gods like that are slumbering at the bottom of this forest?” He stared at the sky with a horrified gaze, fearing for his remaining lifespan.
”It is an absolute certainty there are still countless prehistoric monsters slumbering! Drag your feet quickly, Suta! If you keep complaining, we will genuinely leave you behind as bait!” Andin urged, grabbing Suta’s collar to yank the youth forward so he would catch up with them.
They hastened their marching rhythm toward the forest’s core before the darkness of night invited the emergence of far more lethal demonic monsters.
That Green Ogre is a Star Monster race that has been extinct since the primordial era. In my entire life, I have never seen that demonic species roaming about. From which dimensional fracture did it crawl out? This Star Forest clearly still locks away countless profound mysteries… But my instincts scream that all these anomalies possess a red thread connecting to the architect of this barrier in the past—the God of Nature, Sailendra! Ken wove the cosmic conspiracies hidden behind the cultivation realm’s history within his mind.
As dusk approached, the boundary of the dark foliage finally parted. They had arrived at the Core of the Star Forest—a hidden garden of Eden where the Colo Herb deigned to grow.
The moment they stepped out of the forest’s shadows, their breaths were synchronously snatched away. They were absolutely mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the paradise before them. Rivers flowing with spiritual energy ran crystal clear, carving through the meadows; luminous waterfalls reflected eternal rainbows, and ancient flora radiated a magical luminescence.
After cresting an emerald hill, the primary landscape sprawled massively before them. Beyond that colossal valley, tens of thousands of Star Monsters from myriad races gathered peacefully without a single microscopic drop of killing intent. And at the absolute epicenter of that landscape stood three Colossal Trees piercing the horizon.
The trunks of those trees skyrocketed, piercing the boundaries of the sky’s atmosphere, radiating an unbelievably dense aura of life. The distance separating the three spanned thousands of meters, yet their sheer magnitude, a hundred times more massive than any mountain, made them stand out remarkably, dominating the entirety of the Forest Core.
”Wahh… this place is illogically beautiful, Brother Ken!” Diyah spoke softly. Her eyes sparkled, mesmerized as she witnessed the golden reflection of the sinking sun illuminating the colossal crowns of those trees.
”You are absolutely correct, Diyah. This scenery feels as though it’s pulling my soul into a heavenly dimension… a realm entirely pure of bloodshed and overflowing with mystical miracles,” Julia added. She drew a deep breath, spreading her arms as if wanting to embrace the spiritual breeze.
”I never fathomed that behind the terror of this forest lay a paradise this tranquil,” Andin chimed in, incapable of veiling her profound awe.
”Yes, welcome to the Core of the Star Forest. The beating heart of this ecosystem, the sanctuary where tens of thousands of Star Monsters evolve. And those three ancient, colossal pillars propping up the heavens in the center… those are what is known as the Star Trees,” Ken enlightened his vanguard.
”Hah! S-so… those colossal pillars propping up the clouds are individual Star Trees?!” Suta flinched in shock. His eyes widened as if his ocular muscles were about to tear, rejecting the sheer scale of such insane flora.
”Yes, your deduction is spot on!” Ken answered. “The energy from the Heart of its roots, the miracles of its leaves, down to its fruits, are immortal-level alchemical materials capable of curing the afflictions of any god. And the luminous fruits from the branches of those trees serve as the primary source of sustenance for the evolution of the high-tier Star Monsters here,” Ken explained, dissecting the encyclopedia of nature.
Suta swallowed hard. “Incredible. It aligns perfectly with the historical legends of the past… Finally, after gambling my life and surviving terrifying horrors, I have attained this invaluable milestone and beheld the true visage of a Star Tree with my own eyes! Thank you immensely, Lord Ken.” Suta genuinely offered a deep bow of absolute respect toward Ken.
Witnessing the gesture, Diyah and the others also smiled and bowed in reverence to express their profound gratitude to their god-like guide.
”A-ah, you are all exaggerating too much! I advise you to shelve those tributes for now. Was not our primary, blood-soaked objective for coming here to harvest? Furthermore, we still must descend and walk toward the roots of the Star Tree positioned precisely in the center over there,” Ken stated, pointing toward the grandest tree in the epicenter of the valley. “Because fields of Colo Herbs boasting the absolute highest purity bloom exclusively around the primary roots of that tree. Come, let us not waste time, we descend immediately.”
Ken began strolling casually down the slope of the emerald hill. The maidens hastily trailed behind him. Suta, who was about to take a step, abruptly froze as his brain re-processed Ken’s sentence.
Wait a minute… Isn’t the area down there the resting ground for TENS OF THOUSANDS of Star Monsters?! Suta’s soul quaked, cold sweat drenching his back as he recalled the lethal radius.
”Hah! W-wait a minute, Lord Ken! Wouldn’t traversing that valley be tantamount to willingly marching into the maws of thousands of savage Star Monsters?! A-are you completely insane and genuinely serious about this plan?!” Suta broke into a light jog to catch up with the vanguard, his knees trembling violently once more.
”Hahaha, yes, I am dead serious! Relax, friend,” Ken glanced back and offered a sadistic jest. “To the refined palates of the monsters here, the sweet fruits from the branches of the Star Tree are exponentially more delectable and juicy than your scrawny flesh. However… if you are careless, trip, and disturb their afternoon slumber, well… at most, you will merely be utilized as a playball tossed back and forth by those giants.” Ken terrified Suta with an incredibly infuriating smirk.
”Hah! Great Heavens… Lord Ken, I beg of you, please do not twist my sanity like that,” Suta whimpered, wrapping his arms around himself once more as terror crept in.
However, Suta’s terrors proved unfounded. Throughout the remainder of their descent into the valley, the path they traversed cut straight through massive herds of Star Monsters from myriad races, all of whom were either sound asleep or leisurely resting. Miraculously, although those ancient monsters registered the presence of the human vanguard, they merely cast fleeting, lazy glances, as if Ken’s group was nothing more than passing ants that held zero predatory appeal. Ken led the vanguard with absolute confidence, guiding them tranquilly past the colossal beasts without a single blood-soaked incident.
These Star Monsters… They are not the least bit disturbed by the scent of human blood, and display absolutely no defensive posture regarding the presence of our armaments, Julia noted in profound bewilderment, sheathing her sword.
”Brother Ken, it turns out the myths were flawed. The Star Monsters in this sector are not excessively lethal or savage, are they,” Diyah remarked, finally able to regulate her breathing with immense relief upon realizing the absolute peace.
”This is not a matter of flawed myths, Diyah,” Ken corrected her. “The Star Monsters that successfully permeate this sacred zone have had their souls awakened and purified by the vortex of pure energy from the Star Trees. Because they are liberated from the exposure to demonic energy, they possess the intellect to subjugate their primordial, feral instincts. This is a stark contrast to the lowly hordes you encountered at the outer perimeter earlier. The minds of those outer monsters have been poisoned by demonic energy and blood pollution, causing them to view weaker cultivating existences purely as a source of sustenance to propel their evolution.”
That highly logical exposition caused Diyah and the others to nod in profound comprehension, recognizing the abyssal chasm differentiating the classifications of Star Monsters.
After penetrating the peaceful ocean of monsters, they finally set foot upon the courtyard formed by the colossal roots of the central Star Tree.
”Very well, we have arrived. Within the crevices of the colossal root sprawl behind this tree, you will discover fields of Colo Herbs blooming abundantly. Establish a bivouac to rest briefly, and then you may harvest its flowers to the absolute capacity of your spatial rings. While you harvest, I shall venture into the outskirts of the forest for a moment to hunt a few fat hares for our dinner menu,” Ken stated, delegating tasks and preparing to take his leave momentarily.
”D-do I need to accompany you on the hunt, My Lord?” Suta asked nervously, offering assistance purely for the sake of male pleasantries.
”Do not feign false bravado. You stay huddled right here and utilize your logic to guard the maidens,” Ken rejected him outright, completely disregarding Suta’s pride.
Huft… Thank the Heavens the Gods answered my prayers. I absolutely do not have to accompany him sneaking into that pitch-black domain. This forest makes my heart palpitate far too wildly. Forgive my utter cowardice, Lord Ken. May you return safely bearing meat, Suta exhaled a sigh of astronomical relief inwardly.
”Brother Ken! Are the surroundings of these roots truly absolutely safe if you leave?” Diyah asked, scanning the perimeter with anxiety.
”Impeccably safe; no savage monster would dare provoke chaos within this sacred radius. Relax, Garu will remain on high alert, monitoring your perimeter from the branches above,” Ken assured, pointing to the silhouette of his colossal eagle atop the canopy to pacify Diyah. “Now, I believe that is sufficient. I must depart to procure dinner immediately.” Ken stood tall after igniting a small vortex of a campfire with a mere flick of his finger.
”Brother Ken! Tread carefully out there,” Diyah stared at Ken’s broad back, the glimmer in her eyes radiating an undeniably pure, absolute concern.
”Yes, do not worry. I am an absolute master of concealment. Wait by this hearth,” Ken looked back and offered a faint smile. He waved his hand in a signaling gesture. “Garu, descend and absolutely safeguard their lives while I am gone,” Ken commanded telepathically to his monster mount.
”Engrave my edict into your minds: you are to pluck solely the petals of the flowers, leave the roots alive to regenerate!” Ken delivered his final warning before his silhouette flickered rapidly, slowly melting into a shadow that drifted away from the campfire’s illuminating boundary.
Tread carefully, my Hero… Diyah thought, her gaze relentlessly anchored upon Ken’s back until the man was completely swallowed by the descending darkness of the forest.
Diyah and her three comrades sat encircling the hearth to replenish their stamina, fully prepared to plunge in and harvest the incredibly rare Colo Herb flowers the absolute moment their vitality was fully restored.