"What?"
"If obtaining Elarith and the Core of Power is an impossibility, then the only way is to create them. Elarith itself is something Vey'zareth are born with, but that doesn't mean it can't be forged. If I can discover or create my own talent, it's not impossible to gain Elarith and the Core of Power again," Kaelen explained. From his fervent tone, Vaerloch clearly knew how great the spirit of the man, standing at 190 cm, was.
A tall height for a child, yet one of the most striking differences that set the Vey'zareth race apart from ordinary humans was their size. On average, adult Vey'zareth reached around 230 cm in height.
"You mean you intend to reforge your talent and create a new Elarith and Core of Power?" Vaerloch paused, watching Kaelen nod, "But that would take an incredibly long time. And you don't have that much time—not even to keep yourself alive."
"That's why I need your help."
"I cannot lend you my power again. The consequences you must already bear are heavy enough, and I'm not even sure you can fulfill the promise you made before."
The corners of Kaelen's lips lifted faintly. Vaerloch wasn't even sure if it was a smile, but the man looked calm, as though there was no chaos inside him. "I'm not someone who easily breaks a promise, even to those who deliberately cast me aside and made me into the trash I am now. But this time, I don't need your power. I only want to know if there is a place with the Void element that you know of?"
"A place with the Void element?" Vaerloch fell silent for a moment. Even though Kaelen couldn't see Vaerloch's shadowy form, he knew his Vaerloch was thinking.
"I don't know of such a place. But I know of a place called the Land of the Void," Vaerloch continued.
Kaelen's brows knitted together. "Isn't that exactly what we're talking about?"
"It's not as simple as it sounds. I don't know exactly what it is, but I can give you information about that place. Only rough information, and I'll need an equivalent exchange."
Without hesitation, Kaelen quickly nodded. "I'll make sure you get everything you desire."
"I'll tell you when I truly want it." After saying that, Vaerloch's mass of shadows darted about restlessly, before finally speaking again.
"The Land of the Void lies about 27 kilometers east from the mouth of the Alarys Cave. The exact point is the place where it all began—that's where the Land of the Void lies. I cannot access its element. But I know its danger level ranges from moderate to high. You'll need thorough preparation if you really plan to go there. Another piece of information: the longer you remain in that place, the slimmer your chances of ever returning alive."
The violet light that had been surrounding Vaerloch's form slowly faded with the end of the information he provided.
After hearing that, Kaelen frowned deeper, his confusion only growing. "There's no clear information at all about this Land of the Void. It seems that those who go there are reluctant to spread any knowledge about it."
"Or perhaps no one has ever returned from there," Vaerloch added.
"If that's the case, then I'll be the first one to go."
"I won't forbid you. But remember one thing: you must not die before fulfilling your promise to bring me a fire-elemental Thren. Otherwise, you'll rot even faster once I perish inside your body."
"Don't worry, I won't die before uncovering the secrets of Zyretheil."
When Kaelen's foot suddenly stumbled against something hard beneath him, he stopped recalling his conversation from earlier. He was surprised to see that what had tripped him was a rock rather large for a pebble.
Kaelen turned his head left and right, scanning his surroundings, then looked up at the sky. "Seems I've been walking for nearly six hours, judging from the stars shifting. With my current pace, I must've traveled about 24 kilometers. That means I only have 3 kilometers left before reaching my destination."
After his monologue, Kaelen continued with brisk steps. But he soon halted when the bushes around him began to rustle. He immediately put on a guarded expression, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness around him. But under the moonless night, he couldn't see clearly.
"Damn it! I can't even hear the warning whispers anymore. Who knows what danger is stalking me now?" Kaelen muttered, turning in circles to search for the threat drawing closer.
Fear rose inside him, but he forced himself to suppress it. He had already dropped into a fighting stance. Kaelen believed fear never yielded anything except failure. That belief was one he constantly planted in his mind.
Since nothing appeared, Kaelen resumed his steps. But moments later, his pointed elf-like ears picked up something again.
He swiftly turned, both hands raised, ready for battle. Strangely, when he faced back, it was as if nothing had ever been there at all.
Just as he was about to continue onward, a long root suddenly wrapped around his body from behind. Kaelen was hoisted up, suspended off the ground.
"For someone who's already lost their Elarith, you're quite impressive. But no one has ever escaped Elyndor—unless they satisfied the hunger of Vazyrath Mudrienne," the figure declared.
At the mention of Vazyrath Mudrienne, Kaelen immediately knew the figure capturing him was one of the Drae'vanyth race. A being he'd been trying to avoid, for they were troublesome. "Is that so? Then I'll be the first to escape from here alive."
Kaelen yanked his arms free from the roots' grip. With all his strength, he drove his iron claws into the roots binding him. The figure let out a thunderous roar, "ARGHHH!!!"
Within seconds, the figure released him, dropping Kaelen onto the ground. Without wasting the chance, Kaelen scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, even if staggering. His long legs served him well, letting him run faster.
"For now, I have no power at all. So I must avoid every danger I can," Kaelen muttered as he ran.
But as Kaelen expected, the Drae'vanyth wouldn't give up easily. He saw the massive figure, over three meters tall, still pursuing him. It became even more terrifying when Kaelen realized the Drae'vanyth was running with dozens of root-like legs, making it even faster.
"Damn it! I can't get caught again by that ugly Zorgathr!" Kaelen kept pushing his pace, weaving through the tall grasses and massive trees.
He zigzagged deliberately between the trunks, making it harder for the Zorgathr to snare him.
Glancing back, his breath ragged, Kaelen saw tendrils of roots stretching toward him. With quick reflexes, he leapt sideways, sliding through the gap between the lunging vines.
He didn't linger. Kaelen darted forward again, dodging between trees, the Drae'vanyth still hot on his heels.
"If this keeps up, I might get caught. I can't possibly face it with just iron claws."
At that moment, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled, cracking wide open. If Kaelen hadn't driven his claws into the trunk of a massive tree, he would've been swallowed by the earth.
Dangling there, he was an easy target. But before the roots could strike, Kaelen swung himself upward, landing firmly on the ground. With a swift motion, he drove his claws into the vines that had mistakenly coiled around the very tree he clung to.
"Ahhh!" the figure roared again.