"Jin, let's go."
The little bird took flight and began heading in a different direction from the one Myth usually followed during his training sessions.
Myth walked after her.
At first, there was nothing unusual.
The area was still part of the mountains near the castle. The trees were familiar, the terrain posed no major difficulties, and from time to time, the distant sound of the waterfall could still be heard.
Jin flew a few meters ahead, always slowing down whenever she noticed Myth falling behind.
"You really want to take me somewhere..."
Myth continued walking.
After some time, the trail became less distinct.
The traces left by other people gradually disappeared, replaced by a path naturally formed between the trees.
Myth didn't pay much attention to it.
That mountain region was quite vast, and it was normal to find areas that very few people visited.
He continued following Jin.
Minutes passed.
The trees began growing larger.
Where there had once been wide gaps between them, their trunks now stood increasingly closer together.
The sunlight also began to change.
The canopy overhead grew denser, causing the rays of light to reach the ground unevenly.
Some spots remained brightly illuminated, while others were covered by the shadows of leaves.
Myth looked up.
"We've come pretty far."
Jin didn't respond.
She simply continued flying.
Myth quickened his pace.
As more time passed, the undergrowth became thicker.
Small plants covered parts of the path, vines hung between branches, and thick roots crossed the ground.
The terrain had begun to change as well.
Previously, Myth had walked mostly on solid ground and relatively flat trails.
Now he had to climb small rises, move around boulders, and cross sections where tree roots formed natural obstacles.
None of it was dangerous.
But it was different from the environment behind the castle mountain.
Myth continued onward.
The sound of the waterfall, which had still been faintly audible, disappeared completely.
He stopped for a moment.
Then looked back.
The forest had completely hidden the path he had taken.
The castle was no longer visible.
Myth remained silent for several seconds.
Then he turned his gaze toward Jin.
The little bird was perched on a branch, waiting for him.
"We're getting farther and farther away."
Jin tilted her head.
Myth smiled bitterly.
"Is this really safe?"
Jin let out a small cry.
"Fine. Lead the way."
He resumed walking.
The changes continued little by little.
The trees were now even taller.
Their trunks were thick, with moss covering parts of their surfaces.
The vegetation on the ground had become denser, and the spaces between the trees smaller.
Even the air felt different.
More humid.
Cooler.
Myth took a deep breath.
There was nothing extraordinary about the feeling, but it was different from the environment around the castle.
He continued following Jin.
Several small animals appeared among the bushes.
One of them darted away the moment it noticed Myth approaching.
Another remained motionless for several seconds before disappearing into the leaves.
Myth merely observed.
The farther he went, the fewer signs of human presence he found.
No trails.
No buildings.
No wagon tracks.
Only the forest.
Jin continued guiding the way.
Myth began to realize that he no longer knew exactly where he was.
Even so, he felt no need to turn back.
He trusted Jin.
After a while, the two reached a small rise.
Myth climbed it slowly and looked ahead.
The landscape had changed completely.
Where there had once been open mountains and familiar terrain, there was now an immense sea of trees.
The forest stretched far beyond the limits of his vision.
Myth stood still for several seconds.
"Jin..."
The little bird landed on a nearby branch.
Myth stared at the vast forest before him.
Only then did he realize just how far they had come.
This was no longer simply the mountain region behind the castle.
This was the outer perimeter of the Magical Beasts Forest.
Myth hadn't noticed exactly when the scenery had changed.
There had been no clear border.
No wall.
No marker indicating where the forest began.
Only a gradual transformation.
Little by little, the trails vanished.
The trees grew larger.
The vegetation became denser.
Human sounds disappeared.
And now, before him, stood a region inhabited by Magical Beasts.
Myth silently observed the forest.
They were still only in the outer area.
Rank 1, Rank 2, and Rank 3 Magical Beasts could appear here.
He looked at Jin.
The little bird remained completely calm.
Myth let out a small smile.
"So this is where you wanted to bring me."
Jin spread her wings.
Then once again flew deeper into the forest.
---
After some time, Jin slowed down.
Myth noticed a small opening between the trees.
A rocky formation rose before them.
At its center was a small cave.
Jin entered.
Myth stopped at the entrance.
"Jin, is this what you wanted to show me?"
The little bird turned her head.
Myth stared into the darkness.
"We're inside the Magical Beasts Forest. This cave could be the lair of some Magical Beast."
"Skreee!"
Jin replied.
Myth sighed.
"Yes, yes. Let's take a look."
He spent several seconds examining the entrance.
"If there's danger, we run."
Jin entered first.
Myth followed.
The deeper they went, the darker the cave became.
However, after some time, small fluorescent plants began appearing along the walls.
Their faint glow illuminated the path, allowing Myth to see several meters ahead.
He continued forward.
Then he noticed something strange.
The sounds of the forest had disappeared.
No birds.
No animals.
No sounds from outside.
Only silence.
A silence so complete that even Myth's footsteps seemed too loud.
He became more alert.
"This is strange."
Jin continued flying.
Myth followed her.
Soon, a different sensation began to emerge.
Pressure.
It was faint at first.
Almost imperceptible.
But the farther they advanced, the stronger it became.
Myth narrowed his eyes.
What is in this place?
The pressure continued to grow.
Until they finally reached the end of the cave.
Myth stopped.
Before him was a cliff.
The cave ended abruptly, but far below lay an enormous hidden chamber inside the mountain.
Myth looked down.
His eyes widened.
There was a platform at the bottom.
And surrounding it...
A barrier.
Even from a distance, it was obvious that the barrier had become extremely weak.
Inside it stood an altar.
Resting atop the altar was an egg covered in strange patterns.
Surrounding the egg were ten glowing green spheres.
Myth stared at the scene.
"Jin..."
He turned his head.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?"
"Skreee."
Jin nodded.
Myth looked back down.
"Before we go in, we need to take some precautions."
Dense Earth elemental essence began circulating around his body.
The energy slowly condensed.
Stones and elemental essence formed armor around him.
The armor's surface resembled jade, while powerful Earth elemental energy radiated from it.
"Seventh-Rank Earth-Style Magic — Earth Guardian Armor."
Earth Guardian Armor was a basic defensive Earth-element spell.
At the Fifth Rank, it could cover the body in stone.
At the Seventh Rank, the stone transformed into jade.
At the Eighth Rank, it became crystal jade.
At the Ninth Rank, it could take the form of platinum.
And at the Saint level, it could supposedly reach the diamond stage.
Myth did not know whether the old tales about the divine version were true.
But that did not matter right now.
He only needed to be prepared.
"Wind Scout."
A gentle gust of wind gathered around Myth.
He closed his eyes.
His perception expanded through the flow of air.
For several moments, it was as though he could observe the cave from an entirely different perspective.
The walls.
The ground.
The cliff.
The platform.
Everything became visible through the wind.
However, the moment his perception reached the barrier, it was blocked.
Myth opened his eyes.
"Hmm..."
He looked at the barrier.
"Perhaps that's why this place remained undiscovered."
The barrier prevented his perception from reaching what lay beyond.
Myth took a deep breath.
"Let's go, Jin."
He glanced at the cliff.
"So far, I haven't detected any danger."
His expression became serious.
"But we need to be cautious."
Myth jumped.
His body dropped toward the vast chamber below.
"Wind-Style Magic — Levitation Technique!"
Wind immediately wrapped around his body.
His falling speed slowed.
Myth descended gently toward the platform.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he looked once more at the barrier.
Now that he was closer, he could clearly sense the enormous vitality contained inside.
Myth stepped forward.
"Interesting..."
He touched the barrier.
His spiritual power spread outward.
Myth didn't attempt to destroy it by force.
Instead, he focused his mind on the structure before him.
The barrier was already extremely weakened.
He could vaguely sense the mysteries hidden within it.
There was something there beyond his current understanding.
Myth remained motionless.
Time passed.
One hour.
Then another.
Two hours went by.
Then...
Myth opened his eyes.
The barrier before him began to tremble.
Crack!
Tiny fissures appeared across its surface.
Crack!
The next instant, the entire barrier shattered like a broken mirror.
Myth watched as the fragments of energy vanished.
His face filled with excitement.
"I understand now!"
He clenched his fists.
"A Saint created this barrier."
Myth took a deep breath.
"It was designed to disappear once its energy was exhausted."
He looked at the empty space where the barrier had stood.
"That gave me the opportunity to interfere with it and break it apart."
A smile appeared on his face.
"If a Saint truly wanted to, a barrier like this could last forever."
Myth closed his eyes for a moment.
"This wasn't a bad outcome at all..."
He sensed his mind.
"I can already feel my mental power increasing."
Then he opened his eyes and walked toward the altar.
The closer he got, the more clearly he could see the ten green spheres.
They were translucent and emitted a soft green glow.
Myth froze.
His eyes widened.
"What?!"
He hurried forward.
"Life Pearls?"
Myth had read about them in the family's books.
They were incredibly rare spiritual treasures.
Each Life Pearl contained an enormous amount of life energy.
For non-divine beings, their effects were extraordinary.
They could grant nearly instantaneous regeneration.
As long as the soul remained intact, it would be extremely difficult for the user to die.
Even severe injuries could be repaired with the pearl's life energy.
The only truly reliable way to kill someone using a Life Pearl would be to completely destroy their body before regeneration could take effect.
Furthermore, the treasure did not work on Deities, whose bodies were composed of divine energy.
Myth looked at the ten pearls.
His heart raced.
This is an incredibly rare treasure.
He didn't hesitate.
He reached out.
And picked up the first Life Pearl.
The moment he removed it from the altar—
Rumble!
The platform trembled slightly.
Myth immediately turned his head.
His eyes fell upon the egg.
But nothing happened.
He turned back to the pearls.
One by one, he stored them away.
Just as he was about to take the last one—
Crack!
Crack!
Myth froze.
His eyes slowly shifted toward the egg.
A small crack had appeared on its shell.
Crack!
Another crack spread across its surface.
Then the shell opened.
A tiny snake emerged from inside.
It slowly slithered out.
Myth stared in surprise.
The little snake didn't even look at him.
Instead, it began swallowing pieces of its own shell.
After finishing, its eyes immediately locked onto the final Life Pearl.
Before Myth could react—
The little snake lunged.
It swallowed the pearl whole.
Myth's eyes widened.
"Hey!"
He pointed at it.
"My pearl!"
The little snake tried to flee.
Myth pounced and managed to catch it.
The creature twisted and struggled.
But it had only just been born.
It wasn't strong enough to fight Myth.
Myth held it carefully, though his face was filled with irritation.
"Listen here, little thing."
The tiny snake stared at him.
"You ate my treasure."
Myth narrowed his eyes.
"So you're either signing a contract with me, or I'm skinning you alive!"
At that moment—
Jin flew over.
"Chirp!"
She landed beside Myth and pecked his hand.
"Ow!"
Myth released the little snake for an instant.
A drop of blood appeared on his skin.
Jin then spat a drop of her own blood onto it.
Golden light began radiating from the little bird.
The blood transformed into two interconnected golden triangles.
The brilliant golden light merged with the patterns, forming a strange magical formation suspended in the air.
Myth was completely stunned.
"This..."
He looked at Jin.
"Are you sure about this?"
The formation continued glowing.
"This is an Equal Partnership Contract."
Myth stared at Jin.
"You really want to form a contract with me?"
Then a gentle voice echoed directly within his mind.
"Master, forgive my impulsive actions, but if someone was going to form a contract with Master, I wanted to be the first."
Myth stood frozen.
"Jin..."
He looked at the little bird.
"Telepathy?"
Jin tilted her head.
Myth rubbed his forehead.
"This is a little strange."
He sighed.
"We'll talk later."
His gaze returned to the little snake.
"Right now, we need to deal with you."
The tiny creature remained still.
Myth extended a finger.
"So, little snake..."
A tiny drop of blood formed at its tip.
"I already gave you a choice."
The little snake stared at the blood.
After several seconds, it crawled forward.
Its tiny tongue touched the droplet.
A red light emerged.
The same patterns appeared around the two of them.
The contract was formed.
Myth looked at the little snake.
"So, little snake..."
He smiled.
"What's your name?"
The tiny snake opened its mouth.
"Tsss..."
Myth fell silent.
"Well..."
He thought for several seconds.
"Then you'll be Teresa from now on."
The little snake curled slightly.
Myth then looked at Jin.
"Jin, take that Life Pearl and swallow it."
Jin immediately flew toward the place where the pearl had been.
Myth picked up one of the remaining Life Pearls.
He placed a drop of his blood upon it.
Then focused his mind.
The pearl vanished from his hand.
The next instant, it appeared within his dantian.
Myth felt the enormous vitality contained inside it.
His expression became serious.
At least we're much safer now.
He looked at Teresa.
"I still can't understand how you ended up here."
The little snake merely stared at him.
"Your past is probably not simple."
Myth looked at the now-empty altar.
"Ten Life Pearls alongside an egg protected by a barrier created by a Saint..."
He shook his head.
"There's definitely a story behind all of this."
Myth didn't try to uncover it right then.
It was still too early.
"Let's head home."
Jin landed on his shoulder.
Teresa wrapped herself comfortably around his arm.
Myth cast one final glance at the altar.
There was nothing left there.
He began walking.
The three of them left the platform and headed back through the cave.
"Gliding Flight Technique."
A Seventh-Rank Wind-Style spell that allowed the caster to truly fly through the air.
Using the spell, Myth ascended back up to the cave entrance.
The forest was still waiting for them outside.