The deeper we pushed into the Second Circle, the more the forest seemed to bleed into the unnatural. The trees here didn't grow toward the sky; they twisted and coiled around each other like petrified snakes, their bark weeping a thick, luminescent sap that glowed with a faint, sickly violet light.
[Warning: Environmental Mana Density is rising. Physical strain: +15%.]
I wiped a smear of black wolf blood from my cheek, keeping my head down. My breath was shallow, controlled. Behind me, the royal party was in a state of high-alert. The guards were sweating despite the chill, their eyes darting toward every rustle in the ferns. Marcus was silent, his jaw tight, his golden bow gripped so hard his knuckles were white.
He was rattled. He had expected to be stepping over my corpse by now. Instead, he was forced to endure my presence, a living reminder that his "perfect" plan had failed.
"We're nearing the clearing," Commander Valerius whispered, signaling the scouts to slow down. "The signature is strong. Stay sharp."
The "signature" they were tracking was a decoy—a residual mana leak I knew Marcus's scholars had identified months ago. It led toward a massive, ancient oak tree that looked important but was ultimately hollow.
The real prize was five hundred meters to the Northwest, buried in a sunless grotto that appeared, to the untrained eye, as a pile of rubble.
Now.
As the party moved through a particularly thick patch of "Gallows-Vine"—a plant known for its hallucinogenic spores—I saw my opening. The mist from the vines was thick, a pea-soup fog that obscured everything beyond arm's reach.
I didn't run. I simply stepped sideways into the shadow of a massive redwood and activated [Shadow-Step].
Vroom.
The world blurred, the sounds of clanking armor and Marcus's muffled orders fading into a dull hum. I reappeared thirty meters away, deep in a cluster of thorn-bushes that would have shredded a normal man's skin.
[Notice: You have successfully deserted the Royal Party.]
[Detection Risk: Moderate. 'Observer's Eye' suggests you have 12 minutes before Marcus notices your absence.]
Twelve minutes. It was more than enough.
I moved with a predatory grace I hadn't possessed in years. My new body felt like a well-oiled machine, navigating the treacherous terrain with silent precision. I wasn't just walking; I was flowing through the forest, a ghost reclaimed by the dark.
I reached the grotto in less than four minutes. It looked like nothing—a collapsed cave entrance covered in grey moss and jagged stones. But as I touched the central rock, the [Seal of the Void Sovereign] on my finger began to burn.
"Open," I whispered in the ancient tongue of the First Era.
The rocks didn't move. They dissolved. The illusion shimmered and broke, revealing a hidden chamber carved directly into the bedrock. At the center, floating atop a pedestal of living roots, was a pulsing emerald crystal the size of a human heart.
[Alert! You have discovered the 'Heart of the Forest' (Relic Grade).]
[Context: In the original timeline, Marcus used this to ascend to Rank 5 in a single day.]
The air in the chamber was so thick with mana it felt like water. My lungs burned as I inhaled the pure, unfiltered energy. I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly. This was it. The moment I truly began to rewrite history.
"Forgive me, Marcus," I murmured, a cold smirk touching my lips. "But you were always better at spending power than earning it."
I grabbed the crystal.
[BOOM.]
A shockwave of green light erupted from the pedestal, knocking me backward. The forest outside let out a collective, mournful wail. The trees shivered, and for a moment, the very earth seemed to groan in protest.
[Notice: Relic 'Heart of the Forest' has been bound to your soul.]
[Fate Altered: A Core Pillar of the Emperor's Rise has been demolished.]
[Calculating Reward... +2,500 Karma Points!]
[System Update: Your Mana Core is undergoing rapid evolution. Current Progress: 12%...]
The pain was sharp, like needles being driven into my chest, but I welcomed it. This wasn't the agonizing restructuring of the Marrow Cleansing; this was the feeling of filling up. My mana capacity, already expanded, was being pushed to the absolute limit.
But I didn't have time to savor the growth.
"VOSS!"
The roar echoed through the trees, miles away but amplified by Marcus's rage. He had felt it. Even without the artifact, he could feel the shift in the forest's energy.
I shoved the now-dormant crystal into my storage ring and scrambled out of the grotto. I had to get back. I had to be "lost" and "scared" by the time they found me.
I ran back toward the trail, using [Shadow-Step] to bridge the gaps. As I neared the area where I had vanished, I saw the golden glow of Marcus's lantern through the trees.
I dove into a muddy ditch, rolling until I was covered in filth and dead leaves. I tore a small hole in my tunic and scratched my own forearm until it bled.
"Help!" I cried out, my voice cracking with feigned terror. "Somebody! Help me!"
Within seconds, the brush exploded. Marcus led the way, his face twisted in a mask of pure fury, followed by the guards and a very confused-looking Seraphina.
"You!" Marcus snarled, grabbing me by the collar and hoisting me up. He didn't care about my "injuries." "Where did you go? What was that light?"
"I... I tripped," I sobbed, my eyes wide and frantic. "The vines... they grabbed me! I saw a flash of green and then a giant blast... I thought I was dead, Your Highness! Please, don't leave me!"
Marcus stared at me, his eyes searching mine for any hint of a lie. Behind him, Valerius was already sprinting toward the Northwest, toward the empty grotto.
"If I find out you had anything to do with this," Marcus whispered, his voice vibrating with a promise of torture, "I will peel the skin from your bones myself."
[Notice: 'Eye of the Abyss' confirms: Marcus is blinded by rage. He suspects you, but cannot fathom how a 'trash' commoner could steal a relic.]
Seraphina stepped forward, her eyes scanning the mud on my boots and the "fresh" scratches on my arms. She leaned in close, her voice a ghost of a whisper that only I could hear.
"Nicely played, Kaelen," she murmured, a glint of pure mischief in her eyes. "But you're bleeding from the wrong side of your arm for a 'trip'."
She didn't tell Marcus. Instead, she turned to the Prince with a look of feigned annoyance. "Marcus, let the boy go. He's covered in filth and clearly useless. We have more important things to worry about—like why the artifact we came for is gone."
Marcus shoved me back into the dirt, his eyes fixed on the Northwest. "Search everything!" he screamed at his guards. "Whoever took it couldn't have gone far!"
I lay in the mud, breathing heavily, watching them scramble like ants in a disturbed nest.
The Heart of the Forest was mine. The Karma was mine. And the look of utter defeat on Marcus's face?
That was the best reward of all.