Some days later, Aether was climbing up the gargantuan spine after hunting several creatures to see how much he had improved. And apparentlym after forming the monster core his physical abilities had almost doubled. He could sever limbs of awakened creatures without as much resistance as before.
His mind had sharpened and his senses had grown vast. Zheshi could now analyze better than before, and [Ever Winter] had its enchantments improved slightly.
As he climbed on top of the huge spine, he straightened himself and took a look at the west. He had waited for a vaster labyrinth, but was met with a colorless one.
Some distance away, the labyrinth seemed to lose color. The crimson blades of coral stood grey and misshapen, as though struck by some unknown disease and drained of all life. The stone-like material looked brittle and fragile, ready to crumble to dust at any moment.
The patch of dead coral spread for as far as the eye could see. Further away, the walls of the labyrinth seemed to have collapsed into a sea of ash-grey sand.
The fact that he didn't notice even a single monster moving through the mud beneath made him feel even more disturbed.
There was only one visible high point to the west of him. Far away into the distance, the ground rose, forming a tall hill. The hill was probably the largest he had seen, easily capable of becoming a real island once the water rose in the night. Its shape reminded Aether of a colossal barrow.
Covered in the grey sand left behind by dead coral, the hill resembled a mountain of ash. That mountain was crowned by a giant tree.
The tree rose into the sky like a tower, its branches wide enough to cover the whole island in their shade. The bark of the giant tree was as black as the water of the dark sea, while its leaves were red as blood.
Contrasted against the grey sky, the crimson crown of the majestic tree looked incredibly vibrant and magnificent.
However Aether immediately felt a bad premotion as he looked at the tree.
That damn thing had a mind! It was a vast mind, unlike the awakened creatures he had been facing.
Just what rank was it?
Despite that Aether knew the tree must be dangerous, he felt attracted to it. Not because the tree was influencing his mind, no. Aether could see through mind attacks thanks to his aspect.
The desire to approach the tree came from deep within him. It was his own desire. Not a planted one.
'Am I losing my sense of preservation?'
Certainly not.
..Or yes.
Because some time later, he abandoned the remains of the giant sea monster and moved west, planning to check the situation inside the wasteland that lay between them and the Ashen Barrow.
Despite the fact that he had not seen any monster moving through this area from the top of the leviathan's Aether did not truly believe that no one was going to attack him in this strange region of the labyrinth.
Zheshi hovered above the skies too, scouting.
There were too many ways for the Nightmare Creatures to hide themselves, and if there was one thing he had learned during his time hunting on the Forgotten Shore, it was that everything here was either deadly or concealing something capable of killing him.
However, his common sense turned out to be wrong this time around. The wasteland was quiet and empty, completely void of any signs of life.
Zheshi retreated near him, hovering above him. Her appearance had not changed much. However the shapes she was constantly shifting into was more complex than before. She had also turned a lighter tone of green hue.
Soon, he reached the point where the walls of the labyrinth had crumbled into dust. Now, there was nothing but a vast expanse of grey sand between them and the hill crowned by the giant tree.
'Finally out of the labyrinth.'
Aether was climbing the hill to the tree. Once he reached the hill, he observed and saw the remains of a bigger version of a centurion. It was most likely an awakened demon.
However what he was gazing at was only the remains of that demon. It had been killed.
As he walked around, he started to notice signs of living. People had been here.
Most likely the same people that had left signs of living in the cave he had taken a shelter in.
After some observation, he turned to the tree and walked to it.
And at that moment, he felt it. The tree was trying to meddle with his mind. The insidious tree wanted Aether to protect it, and in return it promised to award him.
Of course, there was no way to influence Aether, unless he allowed the tree to do it.
And he did just that.
***
Aether felt his body's control slip out of his grip. He was immediately exiled to his own soul sea.
Standing on top of the silent waters, Aether summoned his runes. There was a new attribute.
[Enthralled]
Everything was going according to the plan.
He looked ahead of him.
The creature resembled a deer, yet no mortal forest could ever birth such a being. Its form was slender and poised, midnight-blue hide flowed across its frame like liquid twilight, split apart by streaks of obsidian that glowed faintly with veins of molten gold.
Its antlers were vast and jagged, rising like twin crescents of sharpened dusk, each adorned with golden leaves and blossoms that shimmered faintly, alive with their own quiet pulse.
Amethyst eyes glowed beneath the arch of its horns, piercing and luminous, holding both gentleness and the weight of unspoken power. Gold traced its body in elegant curves, draping its shoulders like ceremonial armor.
The deer was not attacking him. It was simply standing there under his two soul cores, staring at him with lifeless eyes, unmoving and cold.
Aether could tell the deer was powerful. Most likely an awakened terror planted into his soul by the Soul-devouring tree.
Aether had planned it out after reading the mind of the tree. The tree was thinking about planting this deer into his soul so that Aether could stay enthralled. So Aether had allowed it to do so.
At this point of time, if he faced the deer, he would most likely lose. So, why had he done this?
Simple. As the tree would force his body to protect and feed itself, Aether was going to grow stronger as the tree was continuously going to award him.
Additionally, the tree could not control Zheshi. So Aether could observe the outside world through her eyes.
Currently, he was sitting on the ground. His legs were crossed and the spear was lodged into the ground just next to him. He himself was eating juicy golden fruits that kept giving him ten soul fragments each.
However the look in his eyes was utterly lifeless. It was weird to see himself like this. His lips chewed mechanically, eyes empty, golden juice running down his chin like blood.
Aether looked back at the beautiful deer.
He told himself it was part of the plan. Yet a sliver of doubt remained ,what if he had simply handed the reins of his body to a being that never intended to give them back?
Had he become arrogant?
No.. his plan was most definitely going to succeed.
***
A week had passed since the enthrallment.
It seemed that Ashen barrow was not as silent as it seemed. Everyday, many creatures tried to climb up the hill to attack the soul-devouring tree.
However most of them were hunted down by Aether. It seemed that his lifeless vessel contained all his skills and intelligence, so he was not any weaker than before. He was actually stronger. The tree was giving his body some sort of physical augmentation.
This version of Aether could slay demons. And he had gained a memory from one. A memory he had been wanting for long since he had been trying to improve his hunting skills.
A bow. Its name was [Token of Vitality]. Bow was one of the weapons he had trained with when he was a mundane.
Its enchantment was rather unique. Aether could enhance the arrows shot from it. However the enhancement depended on his will to survive.
Another demon, Aether had hunted a shark like creature with arms and legs that had crawled to the hill during the night. It seemed to be an amphibious creature, so Aether drained his makeshift arrows in flammable liquid of the worms and shot them at the shark, delivering it a painful death.
Unfortunately, he was forced to deliver the shard to the soul-devouring tree. Who in return provided him with endless amount of golden fruits. He had already saturated quater of his monster core.
Other than hunting, his body trained too. Not forgetting to train with the spear.
Through Zheshi's eyes, he watched his own hands tighten the spear's grip, his muscles moving with perfect form. It was like watching a stranger wear his skin.
As for food, the fruits were enough. It somehow fulfilled his hunger and thirst.
All that happened without Aether's interference. Who was not sitting idly in his soul sea. He had actually decided to attack the deer to test its skills. Which had not ended up well.
The deer had a lot of skills to boast of. It could cast strong winds with its antlers, and even summon up an army of awakened beasts, which contained the enemies he faced in the forgotten shore.
Additionally the deer could summon 3 distinct branches, which had two from each.
One had golden fruits on it which caused enthrallment. Aether was not affected by it, so the deer had stopped using it.
Second was branches that could provide a weak amount of healing from a distance for the deer's army.
Third type of branch was that once it stabbed into the the ground, it could summon up piercing vines from the ground towards Aether.
In conclusion the deer was powerful as shit.
And Aether was utterly cooked!