He dared not move too fast, nor did he dare to make any waves, silently retreating five kilometers like a drop of water merging into the sea before daring to slightly increase his speed.
Then he turned upwards at a slant, beginning to ascend.
No matter what was on the surface, it was safer than approaching that sleeping presence.
A quarter of an hour later, Duke emerged from a dense thicket, standing back on the ground.
The sunlight was somewhat glaring; he squinted to adapt for a moment before seeing the surroundings clearly.
This was an undulating hilly area, with much sparser vegetation than the Wilderness Forest. The sky was azure, and several towering peaks were vaguely visible in the distance.
The air was dry, carrying a strange scent of wood and grass.
Duke stood still and closed his eyes to perceive for a moment.
The underground aura had completely vanished, as if it had never existed.
But he knew it was there, sleeping hundreds of meters deep underground.
