The journey was a silent one as Ballock struggled to contain his anger. He wouldn't let his friend be derided every time they crossed paths with that group.
He was also certain Blood now had the strength to put the entire group in their place, he wondered why he chose not to. To him, it would have been far better.
Their steps came to an abrupt halt at the sight before them.
The vast clearing of the forest was now covered with structures, with people moving about. The establishment had reshaped the terrain so greatly that it was almost unrecognizable to Blood, who had not returned here since waking.
Even Ballock, who had visited previously, was stunned then by the lively and bustling atmosphere. He had gathered information, and only afterward did he understood that all of this was tied to the strange phenomenon.
Stalls—both small and large—were raised across the region, while some buildings were in construction.
Blood was certain the place would soon surpass the nearby Runic Forge Market at this rate. After all, everything had unfolded in little more than a month.
It was clear that if the mayor had kept the city open, the population would have swelled to ponderous numbers.
"Should we bother renting a room?" Ballock finally broke the silence; his earlier fury having subsided.
"There's no need." Blood replied.
"Since we were the first to suffer from the phenomenon and are still tormented by it, we should be the ones to gain the most from it. A month is already long, and the gathering might disband at any moment." he added.
Once the enticing allure of the forest faded, people would no longer frequent it as before. In time, the forest would return to its former state.
There was no time to waste.
They continued, joining the crowd to pass through toward the forest. They rushed through the crowd and could see that even ordinary citizens had summoned the courage to venture into the forest.
So long as they didn't go too deep, it would be fine.
"When we return, I'll take you to the place where I exchanged the beast crystals I collected while you were unconscious. The owner is a gentleman." Ballock said with a light smirk.
Blood only nodded as they brushed past the people.
He had not forgotten his other reasons for coming to the forest. The Blood Book had stated he needed a certain amount of Exp to complete the mutation of the Blood Book World.
He checked the last notification again to confirm.
[Current and further Exp will be converted to Mutation Exp]
[Mutation Exp: 60 of 1000]
It was clear he had a long way to go.
Blood remembered that when he had killed the Earth-Spill Cobra at the cave, he had received 600 points, which were converted to only 60 mutation exp. The ratio was ten to one, meaning a sixth-stage beast of the Iron Realm was worth merely 60 points.
If that were true, he would have to kill less than twenty sixth‑stage beasts.
Without dwelling on other matters, Blood set this as his first priority—beast hunting. He was eager to uncover what the Blood Book World entailed.
Blood and Ballock advanced deeper into the forest, though he kept to the outer region as his foe had once 'advised'!
It was said that in the core region of the Sand-Scale Forest dwelled the king of beasts, suspected to be of the fifth realm—or at the very peak of the fourth.
Forests and similar places were ranked most often by three grades. Sand-Scale City's grading system was the same.
The outer region teemed with primitive beasts and those of the Iron Realm. The inner region, where Bronze and Silver Realm beasts prowled was very dangerous. Beasts in there were stronger, swifter, and more cunning, since the heaven and earth energy was denser there.
The final core region contained the most powerful beasts of all, the true rulers of the forest.
Blood dusted his shirt, drew his weapon from his spatial ring, and handed Ballock his own. They were in the jungle now, and carelessness would mean death—not only from beasts but also from other experts lurking with ill intent.
Blood did not wish to venture too deep just yet. He wanted to test his strength against the beasts of the Iron Realm. Though he possessed no secret skills or techniques, he relied solely on the simple technique common among cultivators: gathering energy to unleash in a strike or infusing it into a weapon before delivering a blow.
It was a crude way, but enough to preserve one's life.
Finding beasts in the outer region was easy, for primitive beasts roamed there in abundance.
Iron Realm beasts often attempted to cross into the inner region, seeking denser energy, but once they did, they faced trials against far stronger foes. Only a few would survive; most were either slain outright or driven back in defeat.
Blood spread his spiritual sense, instantly sweeping over Ballock, who jolted in surprise, casting a bewildered look at his companion.
He had grown very sensitive over the past month and instinctively sought to trace the source—until his eyes fell upon the wicked smirk playing across Blood's face.
Baffled, he asked solemnly, "Hey, have you actually broken through to the Bronze Realm, or was that just a fluke?" His brows rose in alarm.
He had thought Blood was only joking when he told the guard he had broken through—until this moment. Back then, he did not dare to believe him, but now…
This friend of his was leaving him behind.
Blood chuckled.
"Hehe, you didn't see that coming, did you?" Blood smiled, his gaze fixed on the bewildered Ballock.
"Anyway, don't give me that tense look. I'm still in the Iron Realm, as you can see." With that, he released his cultivation, radiating the aura of a peak Iron Realm cultivator—leaving Ballock utterly stunned.
Could someone in the Iron Realm use abilities belonging to a higher realm? He was left utterly speechless!