Chương 69: Moving Forward

Joe sat outside the city border, in a small clearing surrounded by forest. He had been asked to leave by the elders of Clan Relashra. Fear of his strength and of his unstable emotional state had put much of the population on edge. Combine that with the tense relationship between Humans and Voldura, and his presence inside the city had simply become untenable. He hadn't protested. He understood. He was a stranger to them, after all. He couldn't blame them.

[There are only a few more things to fix; I should be ready by tomorrow.] - Corel. [That's fine, dear. There is no rush. Joe is going to level his profession until you're finished. Isn't that right?] - Veda. [Yep.] - Joe. Joe stood and wandered deeper into the forest surrounding the city. With every step, he activated Nature's Paradise, spreading vibrant growth in his wake. Trees flourished. Flowers bloomed. The ground beneath his feet came alive, as if earth itself was welcoming his touch.

Veda lay curled on his shoulder, quietly snoozing, her breathing slow and steady. It took Corel two more days to finish helping stabilize the city. During that time, Joe threw himself into his levelling, pushing himself hard, trying to drown the lingering sorrow in sheer effort. He levelled his profession five times, reaching level seventy-two, an astonishing jump in such a short span. And with that leap came a new skill: Nature's Rage - Through hardship, you have endured.

As Nature's Guardian, it is your job to protect, so what better way to do that than by harnessing the Rage of the world around you? While active, this skill will drain your mana, but in return, it will boost your physical stats tremendously for a short time. Joe almost chuckled at the skill description. The system really was always watching. A light slap from Veda's tail broke him from his thoughts. He jumped slightly, startled.

"It's okay to laugh," she said softly.

"Don't hold back the good." He reached up and scratched under Veda's chin, earning a low, rumbling purr. He smiled. He needed to remember that he wasn't alone.

"Sorry. It's been a long week." Corel joined them a moment later, leaping into the air. Veda shifted easily, wrapping her tail around Joe's torso and settling against his chest as Corel landed perfectly atop his shoulders, her legs dangling in front of him.

"Ready to go?" she asked, grinning down at him. Joe looked up, sighed, and started to walk, the Voldura perched merrily on his shoulders like a queen carried by her royal steed.

"Are you sure you want to leave your clan behind? We went to all that effort for them," Joe asked as they made their way through the trees.

"I'm sure," Corel replied without hesitation.

"They're safe now. The city is secure and self-sustaining. Plus, they can contact us any time if Pathfinder shows up. They're even in communication with Heliopolis and a pillar called Kunlun." Her voice was light and full of confidence. The trio emerged into a small clearing and were greeted by two familiar smiling faces, Esha and Samira.

"Is the Farmer finally ready?" Esha called out, grinning.

"I miss; I mean, we should go find the other pillars," she corrected, her eyes drifting to the sight of Corel perched atop Joe.

"I didn't know rides were an option. Can I go next? My legs are still really…"

"Stop it, you," Samira laughed, slapping Esha lightly on the back.

"All that talk of a taken woman, and now you fold. Pah." Corel laughed, shaking her head at the pair's antics.

"Hey, I mean, if he's offering," Esha added with a smirk.

"What else is a man better for than carrying women?" Joe groaned under his breath.

"I really need to get some male friends."

"I heard that." Before they boarded his new skyboat, Joe had a nagging question he needed answered.

"What happened to the boy? Alan? Isn't he coming with us?" Samira chuckled as she waved away his concern.

"He's smitten with one of the young Volduran girls he met in the city. So he's staying behind."

"Oh," Joe said, a little surprised.

"Guess that answers that."

"Let's go; time's ticking," Esha called as she was the first to climb aboard the skyboat.

"Wait," Joe said, raising a hand.

"We need to name the ship, boat, skyboat first. It gets boring just thinking of it as a vehicle all the time." He stood there, pondering while the others waited, no one offering any suggestions.

"Clark," Joe declared finally, a proud look on his face.

"I thought boats all had female names?" Samira teased as she joined Esha on the deck.

"Not this one," Joe replied with a grin.

"From henceforth, his name is Clark." He patted the side of the skyboat fondly.

"Samira, can you fly him? Keep it low, I'll run alongside," Joe added.

"What. Why are you doing that?" Samira asked, perplexed.

"I need to level my profession. And this feels like the perfect time." Plus, it gives me some alone time, Joe thought.

"I'm staying here," Corel shouted.

"I can do some alchemy while you run, so don't drop me," Joe stared up at her, incredulous.

"I'll go keep Esha company," Veda announced, disappearing onto Clark in a flash. Joe took a last look at Clark and at his friends. He was happy they were back. He was starting to feel… better. Esha and Samira stared down at him with a slight frown. As Joe stared back, something struck him. Samira had gone through the E-grade transformation… and she looked shorter. He tilted his head.

"Samira, did you get shorter?" Esha burst out laughing and didn't stop for a very, very long time. __"Preparations are complete, my lord," a thin-robed man said with a bow. Devotion nodded and sat down calmly.

"Begin the teleportation," he ordered, a huge smile spreading across his face. News had reached him only a few days ago, the object he had searched for since the world fusion had finally been found. He then set his plan into motion. It had cost every credit he and his citizens possessed, but it would all be worth it… in about five minutes. He could no longer suppress his excitement. He started laughing, low at first, then building into a maniacal euphoria. He stopped abruptly, remembering he wasn't alone.

Four of his followers sat around him, watching. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He'd have to erase their memories later. Even the tiniest slip could spell disaster. He had a facade to maintain; his Seer had warned him of that. Every step had to be taken with utmost care if he wanted to survive the ambitions he dared chase. The palace began to tremble as the teleportation arrays activated. The entire city was flooded with more mana than he had ever felt before.

It was overwhelming, so much so that all four followers slumped unconscious in their seats. They would survive. No one would die today. Devotion simply closed his eyes and smiled, letting the world around him shake. He felt the moment it happened, the entire city of Rarohenga was tugged into the void and then deposited back onto World Ranked 27, in a brand-new location. Devotion shot to his feet, the unconscious followers forgotten. Nothing else mattered now. He had to see for himself if it had worked.

He made his way to the northern exit of his palace. As he reached the towering doors, he paused to compose himself. He brushed away invisible dust from his pristine white robes, patted his cleanly shaven face, and uncorked a vial of exotic fragrance, misting himself lightly. With a deep breath, he pushed open the doors and stepped into the light. Before him lay the central clearing of his city, or what had once been an empty clearing, now it had transformed.

His eyes widened, and tears welled as joy surged through him. It worked. It was done. There, in the very heart of Rarohenga, stood a new, young World Tree. Growing, alive, and hidden from the gaze of those who would seek to steal it. Devotion dropped to his knees and raised his hands high.

"Thank you, Father. Your child thanks thee with all his heart. I will not fail you. Not ever," he vowed, tears streaming freely down his face. He bowed low, forehead touching the ground, completely unconcerned for the state of his robes. Slowly, he rose to his feet. Eyes fixed on the World Tree, Devotion smiled once more. __"Report," Pathfinder commanded as he stormed into the pillar control room, his piercing gaze sweeping across the five Voldura waiting for him.

His Diviner, Gos to Relashra, was the first to step forward.

"The Seeker and Feormere were last seen two days ago, north of Pillar Cartheno. They were heading in the direction of Kunlun. Two more scout teams trailing them were wiped out," Gos reported in a calm, monotone voice. Pathfinder regarded Gos with rare respect. Of all the Voldura under him, Gos ranked highest in his esteem, smart, efficient, and, most importantly, quiet. His divining skill was unmatched, and Pathfinder had relied on him heavily since the loss of his Seeker.

Her capture had enraged him, and for a long time, he couldn't understand how Gos hadn't seen it coming. Then came the revelation at the Empire Meeting: Feormere was an anomaly. That changed everything. No wonder Gos had failed to foresee her escape. Anomalies didn't have a future to see. They simply existed, untethered from the threads of prophecy. The thought still irritated him.

"Thank you, Gos. Recall all scouting teams. Leave the Seeker alone for now," Pathfinder ordered. Gos bowed and departed in silence. Pathfinder turned his attention to one of the two Vor Clan members in the room.

"Dorth, what of the fallen pillar?" he asked, settling into his seat. Only once he was fully comfortable did the others dare sit.

"We have been monitoring the pillar bubble for the last seven days. There was no movement outside. They are fully locked down, no signs of farms or animals outside the bubble. We can only assume they are fully self-sufficient and have no plans to open up any time soon," Dorth reported. The loss of one pillar was a severe blow. Pathfinder didn't yet have full control of all the Clans, and losing so many in a single stroke had left him in a tenuous position during the ongoing negotiations.

He cursed loudly and slammed his fist onto the desk, splitting it in two. With a flick of his wrist, it reformed.

"Can we confirm it's the Relashra remnants who now control the pillar?" he asked.

"The voice was identified as Varaiya. We have reports from when she and twenty other elders escaped the culling. We can only assume what she said over communication was true," Dorth replied. Pathfinder cursed again, louder this time. Clan Relashra. Of all the Clans that could have survived his wrath. He despised them. If not for that wretched Clan, he would have already claimed dominion over this entire world.

"Keep monitoring. They'll have to leave eventually. Scout the area and report the gates that form immediately. That will be our opening." He turned then to the remaining three in the room, his most crucial pieces on the board: his pillar owners.

"How long until all pillars reach level ten?"

"No more than fourteen multiversal days," Kinso Vor replied.

"Good. The sooner we activate the pillar teleportation arrays, the tighter our grip becomes." Pathfinder exhaled, his eyes drifting to the shattered jug he had broken during his earlier outburst. Regret flickered briefly across his face.

"Patriarch," Kinso said carefully, "Gecko and Clors have again requested permission to hunt down Feormere and retrieve the Seeker. They believe they are up to the task." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Sweat beaded on his brow. Pathfinder gazed into Kinso's eyes, causing him to flinch. This wasn't the first time Kinso had made the request, not since the moment word of Geckvo's death had reached them.

"They crave blood." Pathfinder understood. He truly did. Vengeance burned hot, but it had to wait; he had to deal with the Clans first. Then the Human.

"Tell them this: once they complete the missions I assigned and reach the levels I demanded, they're free to do as they wish." Kinso's face lit up with relief.

"Thank you, Patriarch. They will not disappoint." He saluted and vanished from the room. Pathfinder dismissed the remaining Voldura and was left alone. He pulled out a slim packet of information, intelligence from the Grosii detailing everything they'd compiled on Feormere's battle capabilities. There was very little so far, but one thing stood out. The human possessed an almost impossible-to-stop movement skill, making any attempt to trap him a nightmare. Nothing short of a skill-blocker would suffice.

Unfortunately, his only one had been destroyed during the Seeker's escape. Acquiring a new one from the Integration shop would take time, and time was not on his side. If he wanted to eliminate this anomaly that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, he'd need a perfect plan. No mistakes. No mercy. __ Fourteen days had passed since Joe and his group had left the new Relashra Clan pillar.

During this time, Joe spent most of the journey running beneath Clark, his newly named skyboat, mapping out the surrounding world and levelling his profession. They discovered three more pillar city locations over the two weeks. Two were Voldura-controlled, though they hadn't yet confirmed their names. The third, however, was New Eden.

Their stop at New Eden had been brief, just enough for Joe to plant some crops, before they were forced to leave in a hurry when Esha nearly murdered a few women who tried to flirt with Joe. Still, they managed to gather valuable intel before moving on toward the location they'd been given for Kunlun. During their two-week journey, they were attacked multiple times by Voldura hunting parties, most of them targeting Corel specifically.

Fortunately, none of the hunters had been particularly strong, so Joe had managed to subdue them without killing anyone. His overwhelming stat advantage made it easy to incapacitate them and leave them tied to trees. Corel, however, had pried some interesting information from some of the hunters. From one captured group, she learned the name of the diviner tracking them, a familiar name from her past. Gos to Relashra. He had once belonged to a minor branch of Clan Relashra but had defected to Pathfinder's side.

The betrayal stung, and during one particularly fierce ambush, it was Corel who unleashed her fury. She cut down multiple Voldura in a rare fit of rage, with Joe, for once, the voice of calm. The attacks stopped entirely after the seventh day. It seemed Pathfinder had begun to understand that his tactics and weak hunters would not suffice. On the fourteenth day, Joe finally took a break from his relentless running. He sat aboard Clark, as it soared forward at full speed. The journey had been productive.

His profession had gained ten levels, bringing it up to level 82. This time, he poured all his free points into intellect. With his agility now above 2, 500 thanks to his title buffs, he focused fully on maximizing his primary offensive stat. Nearly all of his power came from Intellect-boosted mana attacks. Mana-coating activated almost instinctively now, and even when wielding his quarterstaff, his attack strength scaled heavily with his Intellect, which now more than doubled his strength stat.

Joe was, at last, living up to the name of his class: Magical Farmer. He had also unlocked a new skill upon reaching level 80 in his profession: Nature's Whisper. According to the system, it allowed him to communicate with plants and trees. What exactly that meant, he had no idea. The skill description had been maddeningly vague, so he'd have to figure it out the old-fashioned way, through trial and error. Corel, too, had seen massive progress in her profession.

She had pushed her Profession all the way to level 90, almost solely by doing Alchemy. This was due in part to her ability to create pills a full grade above what Joe could currently manage. He'd since replaced his entire stockpile with her magic-grade versions, a huge boost for future battles and levelling. She didn't just brew mana and healing pills.

She also crafted stamina-enhancing pills, toughness pills that temporarily increased his damage resistance, and even sight-enhancement pills that boosted his vision-based skills for an hour. Her repertoire was growing rapidly. One evening, as Clark floated half a mile above the ground under a blanket of stars, the group settled in for some rest. Samira lay curled up in a thick sleeping bag, fast asleep. Esha and Joe sat beside Corel, watching her bubbling cauldron as it finalized another new pill.

When it finished, Corel plucked the glowing pill from the liquid and examined it with a small, satisfied smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"So… what is this one for?" Joe asked, curious. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Esha's hands flashing in a strange, deliberate pattern. He turned to catch her quickly, pretending to inspect her clothing, very exaggeratedly. He turned back just in time to see Corel crawling toward him, eyes glimmering in the moonlight as she locked onto him as he sat cross-legged.

"Corel… what kind of…" he didn't get to finish his question. Corel suddenly pounced, shoving the pill into his mouth before he could react. The sudden burst of speed happened so fast that he had no time to stop her. The pill dissolved instantly on his tongue, and he let out a startled cough as she sat back down in front of him, gazing into his eyes.

"Really? Was that necessary?" he grumbled, already feeling the effects kick in. A warm sensation spread through his mind, and a slow realization dawned.

"Wait… This isn't what I think it is?" It was exactly what he thought it was. His thoughts began to fog as the hallucinogen kicked in. Corel's grin widened, her face just inches from his.

"What does it feel like? Tell me everything," she said, her words slurring with a strange mix of amusement and curiosity. Joe blinked. Why was her voice slurred? And why were butterflies sprouting from her head? Pink, green, orange, and blue butterflies flitted around them in lazy arcs. He tried waving them away, but they ignored him.

"What are you seeing?"

"Butterflies. Lots of them. Oh… and a giant centipede in the sky," Joe said, pointing upward at the surreal creature undulating across the stars. The centipede turned toward him and sprayed him with a glistening mist. Joe sputtered and flailed, rolling on the deck in confusion. Around him, laughter echoed, distant, overlapping, and thoroughly amused. Something on Joe's chest pulsed hot. What was that? He clutched at his tattoos, the two burning marks across his skin.

One pulsed with what felt like irritation, while the other was… laughing? He frowned in confusion, then promptly forgot about them. It was suddenly so hot.

"I'm hot. Help me take these clothes off," he said aloud to no one in particular. He was surrounded by rainbows and frogs. As he began unbuttoning his shirt, four pairs of disembodied hands appeared to assist him. He beamed.

"Thanks." A long tail joined the effort, and within moments, he was entirely naked. Cool air hit his skin, and he sighed in bliss. He stumbled upright, then toppled forward onto one of the rainbows. It was soft, so fluffy and inviting. He snuggled into it with a contented sigh, wrapping it around himself like a cosy blanket. Someone cursed nearby. He ignored it. Swinging the rainbow over his shoulder like a scarf, Joe began to dance, slowly spinning, feet shuffling, limbs swaying.

The world tilted unexpectedly as he bumped into something solid. The deck lurched, and he fell to the floor, giggling. Two fat frogs hopped into view and sat before him, puffing their cheeks in debate. The croaky voice filled his head with unexpected clarity.

"I'm telling you, Rupert. Pink swans are the most beautiful!"

"Pink? Are you absolutely mad? Green swans are the best. More, muscular meat! Perfect for consumption!"

"Bah! More meat isn't always better meat. Slim, supple meat is the finest!" Joe nodded sagely. This was clearly an important discussion. Though something nagged at the back of his mind. A gentleman did not discuss meat so. He appreciated all meat equally. Why bicker over the difference between perfection one and perfection two? Bah! Stupid frogs. Something tugged him to his feet. Panic fluttered in his chest until he realized it was his right arm being pulled, not his left.

"Careful of my left arm," he warned.

"It might eat you." He squinted, trying to make sense of the blobs before him, a brown one and a green one. He smiled. Swans! He plucked the green one up with his good arm. It perched on his bicep, feather-light, giggling as it swung its legs. The brown one suddenly appeared on his shoulders, legs dangling down his chest like a scarf made of laughter.

"Dance!" the brown swan commanded. Naturally, Joe obeyed. He danced and danced until his legs gave out and all three of them collapsed in a heap, giggling into the night. One of the swans slapped his chest, and he laughed with it. The rest of the night passed in a colourful blur. The green swan kept placing small swirling orbs into his mouth, each one unlocking a new world of colour and strange hallucinations. He remembered, vaguely, chasing a tiny red snake across the boat.

No matter how fast he ran, it always slipped away. Next time, he thought. Next time, I'll catch it. At some point during the night, Joe was surrounded by three blobs. They cursed and swore at him while wrapping his bad, naughty, mana-annihilating arm in something, to stop the annihilation, they said. Afterwards, the blobs climbed onto his back and made him roam the forest as their personal mount. He had no idea why he let them. He must have been completely out of his mind. Ah well.

Eventually, they returned to the flying blob in the sky, where he gently laid down the three… no, four, now sleeping blobs in thick blankets, all curled together like a nest of chaos. He tried to turn and leave them be… but blacked out. No other memories surfaced. Joe awoke the next morning, buried under a pile of four sleeping bodies. He blinked, trying to scrub the fog from his mind, piecing together what had happened. His limbs ached, and his mouth tasted faintly of sugar and regret.

Something twitched on top of him. He reached up, brushing purple hair from his face. Corel's sleeping features came into view, her head resting softly on his chest, drool crawling down his side. He groaned.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, memories slotting slowly back into place. Corel had drugged him. Again! They were going to have a serious conversation about that someday. He gently rolled her off him, careful not to wake her. As he did, he caught sight of Samira, half-naked and snoring quietly beside him. He winced and shifted Corel to lie beside her. Instantly, Corel curled against her in her sleep, arms wrapping around her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Joe turned the other way and sighed, already dreading what he'd find. Of course, it was Esha, wrapped around his side and legs like a vine with a vengeance. And Veda, naturally, coiled loosely over them both like a cool, scaly blanket. It took him five full minutes to pry himself free, manoeuvring like a thief disarming a sleeping trap. Somehow, miraculously, they slept through it all. He stood… and immediately recoiled in horror at the sight of his nearly naked form.

The only thing covering him was a crude strip of cloth wrapped around his arm. It looked like a toga… He leapt off the boat and Space-Jumped to the nearest body of water, plunging in to wash away the sweat clinging to him. Most of it wasn't even his. Joe was fast approaching level 100 and itching to push his profession into the high 90s so he could return his focus to his Classes.

Corel had taken over flying Clark, so Joe sat down with Esha, Samira, and Veda for a break and to address a shocking change in Esha's appearance.

"Long hair? I never thought I'd ever see you with long hair," Joe said, eyeing her curiously.

"It is time for a change. Plus… someone told me I'd look good with it," Esha replied, unusually shy.

"Love can change a person," Samira said with a smile. Esha shot her a glare.

"Oh, come on. Don't be shy; we're all friends here," Samira teased. Esha turned her glare on Joe, as though it were somehow his fault.

"So, I'm guessing we are talking about Gao?" Joe asked.

"Obviously, it's Gao, Farmer. Who else would be good enough for me?" Esha said, tossing her hair proudly. Joe shook his head.

"She must be mad." The moment the words left his mouth, he ducked instinctively as an arrow flew past his cheek. He stared at Esha in mock shock.

"Hey! I was joking, sheesh. Don't damage Clark!"

"Then don't dodge next time," Esha replied coolly.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Forgive me, oh great, Esha."

"Much better," she said, smugly.

"You are forgiven. But I get a free ride." Joe paled.

"Sorry, Esh, but only Corel and Veda get shoulder privileges."

"But last night…" Joe stood abruptly, planting his foot down with finality.

"We are never to speak about what happened last night. Drug-addled nights are sacred and must remain unspoken." He swept a stern glare across the group. All three women, Corel included, nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Great," Joe said, satisfied. He sat back down. Veda, curled up in his lap, let out a giggle.

"Anyway," Samira began, smoothly redirecting the conversation, "it's about time we had a proper talk about you and Corel. You still haven't explained what this…" she pointed between Joe and Corel, "... is." Corel slowed the boat to a crawl and joined them, sitting beside Joe with a curious expression. She gestured for him to go ahead. Joe sighed and launched into the story of how they'd met, the jailbreak, the recapture, the bond forged through shared trials.

By the end, Samira and Esha exchanged a long, unreadable look. Joe was starting to suspect they had some kind of psychic link.

"Okay," Esha said at last.

"That explains a lot. I accept your relationship. It's about time the Farmer had someone to keep him in check. Just make sure to invite us to the wedding."

"Wedding?" Corel blinked.

"It's similar to that bond of rites you mentioned," Joe explained.

"Oh," Corel frowned slightly.

"Why does everyone assume we are mating partners?"

"I have no idea," Joe said, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm just going to ignore it from now on."

"So that's not what those bonds of fate represent?" Samira asked, genuinely confused.

"Nope," Joe replied simply.

"That's a shame. Well, Corel, you can have the Farmer anytime you want him. We give you our blessing," Esha said in the most serious tone Joe had ever heard from her. He laughed, more at the casual absurdity of them giving their "blessing" than anything else. Joe noticed Corel shoot him a curious look, but he chose to ignore it.

"Are we done with the confusion? Can we go back to talking about Esha's hair now?" he pleaded. Just then, a warm pulse of euphoria stirred in his chest. Rose. He wondered what she was up to and sent back a ripple of curiosity through their bond. A moment later, she returned with a pulse of pure mirth. He chuckled. When he blinked back to the present, he realized everyone was staring at him.

"What was that? Your eyes were glowing. When did you get stars in your eyes?" Esha asked, leaning in with a squint.

"They were?" Joe pulled a small mirror from his storage and removed his sunglasses. Sure enough, tiny star-like motes floated within his eyes, brighter and more defined than before. He watched them swirl slowly, gliding like drifting lights in a night sky. Esha and Samira were both mesmerized.

"Can you see them through the sunglasses?" Joe asked. Both women nodded.

"Our eyesight improved a lot after evolving to E-grade," Samira said.

"Now we can see your eyes, even when you wear those stupid glasses."

"Hey! I like them. They are not stupid," Joe huffed, scrunching his face in mock annoyance.

"Wait… what level are you now, Samira?"

"Didn't you identify me? I'm 102 now."

"I try not to Identify people I know. It feels rude. If I want to know your level, I'll just ask."

"See? This is why you cause so much trouble wherever you go," Samira replied, shaking her head.

"What does that mean?" Joe asked, confused. Samira and Esha burst into laughter, refusing to elaborate. Joe turned to Corel for help, but she only patted him gently on the head before looking away. Veda swung her tail and flicked him on the forehead.

"Foolish boy," she said as her only input.

"I see the city. We've arrived." Corel announced. Joe jumped up, startling Veda, who went tumbling into Esha's lap with a yelp. He rushed to the front of the boat and stared ahead, eyes locking onto the glowing blue dome in the distance. They had finally reached Kunlun.