Chapter Eleven: Moments of Rest

Neo descended into the giant pit, where the root vines were exceptionally flexible and moist, glowing with a wet sheen that only heightened the resemblance to flesh-like creatures such as earthworms or intestines. Their thickness also increased significantly; walking on them was like stepping on inflated sheep skins, making it hard to sense the presence of the ground beneath.

Cautionfully approaching the strange tree at the center of the pit, Neo calmed himself down and examined it closely. As he had seen from the edge of the pit earlier, this plant was formed by twisted root vines, resembling a large bundle of tightly coiled ropes, densely arranged and overlapping to enclose a chalice-shaped stone platform within its “abdomen.” At the center of the platform’s top indeed floated an object, emitting a bright green light that shone brilliantly, yet Neo could sense no sign of life.

Taking another step forward, Neo could no longer make out much. Though he was now half a spellcaster, his understanding of energy remained superficial.

“Spirit of Bitter Thorns, answer my call. My name is Neo Daknis. Spirit of Bitter Thorns, respond…”

As Neo summoned it, a buzzing sound arose, and greenish light emanated from the strange tree, drifting together to form a wave-like mass of light. Within this light, faintly visible were extremely lively eyes, along with a somewhat indistinct nose and mouth—round and lacking sharp edges.

Iconicity was a fundamental characteristic of spirits, and this mass of light was the light of a spirit. To achieve such a level of visibility during the day meant it was at least a thousand years old. Here, “thousand years” was merely a standard measurement used by shamans and didn’t necessarily refer to an actual thousand years.

“Hello, Wayfarer Daknis,” the spirit began to speak to Neo. “Wayfarer” meant one who follows the way of heaven, that is, the way of nature—a term used historically to refer to shamans.

“Hello, Spirit of Bitter Thorns. I sense the pain of the earth, and it seems your unrestraint is the cause of this pain. What exactly happened here?”

“An anomaly. Something indescribable has occurred here,” the spirit replied, its expression sad, anxious, and urgent. “Wayfarer, only by making me your guardian spirit can you fully understand the truth.”

“Oh, is that so? What do I need to do?”

“Open your heart and let my power merge with your body, my will with your thoughts.”

“Then we will become closely connected partners, right?” Neo asked.

“Yes.”

“And we’ll remain free from each other as well, right?” Neo asked again.

“Of course.”

“Then let’s express our sincerity in another ancient way—a totemic pact.”

“That requires a very complicated ritual. We no longer have time, and I am already very weak,” the spirit said, its expression growing even more urgent and anxious.

“But from what I see now, the situation seems quite the opposite. Abnormally amplified power, a stable form of light, your summoning range exceeding 10 kilometers…”

“Wayfarer, you’re a bit smarter than I thought,” the spirit interrupted Neo, with a hint of mockery in its voice. “But only a little.”

As they spoke, a pile of sticky roots surged up from the ground, entwining and weaving together to form a humanoid monster that glowed with a faint green light. Neo didn’t rush to act; instead, he stared intently at the creature, which seemed to have countless maggots writhing on its body. “Hey! Greetings again. I’m Neo Daknis. You must be the culprit behind the abnormalities in this area,” Neo said, crossing his arms as he addressed the humanoid monster. “I really start to hate you now!” Ling’s expression showed traces of hatred. Neo smiled and cut off the mental connection, focusing entirely on the monster before him. A bright green light rippled across the monster’s body, and finally, a clear and vivid face appeared—its muscles made of roots, its skin composed of faint light, the face of a young woman. “You’re done!” The monster charged angrily, its roots stretching and contracting, enabling them to function like muscles. Its claw strike was swift and powerful, with a sharp, venomous glint at its tip. Screech… A harsh noise drowned out everything else—the sound of the monster’s claw scraping against Neo’s armor. Four dents appeared on Neo’s left arm guard, and at the ends of the dents, curled iron spikes could be seen, but that was all. Neo’s fierce counterattack stopped the monster’s attack dead in its tracks—beheading and piercing its skull. The monster’s last expression was fierce, but the moment Neo’s sword pierced its skull, he sensed a faint mental impulse—joy and gratitude. The headless body stopped moving completely, including the roots on its limbs, which no longer writhed as before. The head turned into a pile of severed roots on the ground, like a bunch of dead worms. Ling cursed angrily nearby, but Neo refused to engage in mental communication with her, so she could only act out her anger. The monster’s body glowed again, and the roots began to wriggle once more, a new head growing. Neo still didn’t move, holding his sword and watching. A bright green light appeared, revealing another face, completely different from the previous one. The moment it formed, Neo struck again—beheading and piercing! The monster moved only once in its tragedy before falling silent once more. Neo turned and grinned at Ling, revealing two rows of bright white teeth. Ling became even angrier. After cursing uselessly, she learned from her mistake and didn’t try to revive the monster with only a torso left. Instead, she created four new monsters at a distance. These four monsters were also humanoid, but much larger than the previous one in its normal form—like the difference between a skin-and-bones figure and a muscular man. Neo rushed over and took out one of them, while the other three took advantage of the moment it was unguarded and attacked Neo.

These three guys are clearly much harder to deal with than the previous one. They’re still fast, but much stronger, with each strike accompanied by a sharp sound as they cut through the air. Neo wouldn’t dare rely on his armor to withstand such attacks. Even if he could endure the sharpness of their massive claws, he couldn’t resist the force behind them. After all, such attacks were essentially variations of battle hammers—equally sharp and powerful.

Neo ran with these three monsters toward the edge of the pit. The monsters chased them to the edge but stopped further.

Bang! Neo suddenly shot an arrow from less than 10 meters away. The monster didn’t have time to dodge; the arrow hit it right in the forehead. The monster fell backward, sliding down the slope for a few meters before convulsing and remaining motionless.

“You damned bastard!” The remaining two monsters roared at Neo simultaneously. Their tone was very similar to that of the previous monster.

“Hate me that much? Then come out and chase me!” Neo said with a smile.

“You think I won’t dare?” The two monsters roared again and charged forward at great strides.

Neo didn’t run either; he just watched them approach.

“Trying to provoke me? That won’t work. I’m not falling for it!” As they reached the edge of the giant pit, the two monsters suddenly stopped.

Yet before those words faded, one of the monsters leaped suddenly, attacking Neo with tremendous force from above.

Bang! A dull sound echoed, and the roots on the ground rippled outward from the point of impact.

But that fierce punch missed its target. Moreover, Neo’s sword followed immediately, piercing the monster’s head.

Through verbal traps and sharp intellectual battles, Neo had slowed down his thinking processes from 1 to 4, giving rise to a sixth thought process that worked in conjunction with the fifth. Unaffected by words, he focused solely on the opponent’s actions. As the monster leaped, Neo quickly calculated its landing point, allowing him to dodge precisely and deliver a fatal strike.

Cough! Neo drew his sword and said to the remaining monster, “Look! You’re no good.”

“Ah!” The remaining monster let out a scream, rushed forward, and charged with a shoulder tackle. It seemed about to hit Neo, but Neo, who was prepared, stepped to the side. The monster crashed into a giant thorny plant with a bang, creating a large dent in it.

“Obviously, you’re just a wild boar, not a proper warrior!”

The monster couldn’t hear Neo’s last words. The moment its collision ended, Neo’s sword struck again, piercing its skull. Its face twisted and disappeared into blur, and the writhing roots on its body instantly stiffened.

By the time Neo returned to the edge of the pit, the monster whose head had been cut off earlier had grown a new head for the third time—still a woman.

“Hey, I think I know your name. Is it ‘neither male nor female’?” Neo said, tilting his head and looking down at the monster in the pit.

“Sharp-tongued!” the monster snarled. “But what good is that? I can be reborn countless times. What can you do to me?”

“Wow! Impressive. I guess the answer lies in that strange tree?”

“Really? Are you sure? Do you need me to tell you the truth? Come here, I’ll tell you.” The monster smiled and winked at Neo.
“Sure!” Neo said as he walked toward the monster.
Seeing that Neo had no bow or arrows, the monster’s smile grew even wider.
Swish! Bang!
Its smile froze as a flying knife pierced its forehead all the way to the handle.
“Stupid and naive!” Neo said to the monster, whose face was filled with shock and anger.
Swish swish swish! Neo’s actions finally angered his opponent, and in no time, over 40 vine monsters emerged from the large pit—some larger than the two already present, others smaller.
Neo seized the opportunity to kill two of them, then ran out of the pit without looking back, continuing to run further.
Behind him, the group of monsters roared and cursed in unison, chasing after him relentlessly.
Neo admitted he wasn’t a match for them. Unlike the monsters transformed from villagers before, these ones were restricted by their souls. As long as their souls were strong, they could obtain a corresponding “body.” Not to mention those largest ones, even the next tier was too strong for him to handle.
The smallest monsters were the most agile. They ran faster than Neo and could climb and swing around on the giant thorny plants like monkeys, blocking his path or pouncing on him from above. As long as their heads remained intact, they could regrow quickly, causing Neo quite a bit of trouble.
But the swarm of monsters still couldn’t catch up to Neo. Jungles or jungle-like terrain were Neo’s strongest domain. Making use of the environment, he had countless ways and tricks to outwit his opponents.
In one go, the monsters chased him out of the thorny jungle. During that time, Neo took several risks to counterattack, killing a total of 12 along the way. The rest were mostly the larger ones.
“No matter how far you run, it won’t help!” Repeated humiliations finally ignited the monsters’ anger—not only anger but also resentment, resentment that had been suppressed for many years.
“Is that so? I don’t believe it!” Neo leaped onto the Snow Plow. “Hey, no need to rush. Let’s have some fun killing these dumb pigs!”
White Socks pouted, “Watch me!” Then she pulled the Snow Plow into motion.
In fact, these monsters were all controlled by a single will, and the farther away from the large pit, the weaker the control became. Neo understood this, so he tricked White Socks into circling around the edge of the vine-covered area. The thorny forest covered a vast area, so White Socks didn’t have to worry about being cornered.
Thus, a chase ensued: if the monsters ran fast, he ran fast; if they slowed down, he did too. When the monsters stopped, White Socks stopped to rest. When the monsters pretended to turn back, Neo exploited their psychology and instructed White Socks not to fall for it…
Last night, Neo had brought a bag of arrows when he left. After killing four Blue Ghost scouts, he captured three more bags, all of which were on the Snow Plow. He had plenty of ammunition. Patiently waiting for an opportunity to shoot with his bow, after more than 20 minutes, there were fewer than 10 monsters left, and not a single one of the heaviest ones was in sight.

At that moment,Neo sent White Socks running far away while he himself dug through the snow to head toward the Thorny Bush Forest. Then, taking advantage of the terrain, he eliminated all those monsters. Without re-entering the giant pit, he turned back.Neo glanced at the sky and said to White Socks, “Once we’re out of the Thorny Bush Forest, stay close to the edge and head west and south. Once we see the forest, turn east. We should be able to find the team. Deliver a letter for me and bring back some supplies along the way.” “Okay. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Be careful yourself—your exhaustion has been severe since last night, and your healing power isn’t omnipotent.”Neo thought for a moment. “You’re right, buddy. I was too hasty. This is a very complex trap. I need to calm down and sort out my thoughts. Come on, let’s go together to find the team.” “Aren’t you worried someone else will get the benefits first?” “The Aemera continent is full of countless treasures. As long as we’re alive, we’ll always have a chance.” “Hmm, I remember what my mother said: Do your best and live proudly.”Neo repeated those words silently and said, “Your mother was wise.” “I think so too.” … And so, just as the heroic rescue was reaching its climax, it came to an end. White Socks tookNeo away from the world of thorny bushes, while the monsters in the giant pit waited anxiously forNeo’s return—only to be left in frustration. Around 3 p.m.,Neo successfully rejoined the team. By then, dark clouds had gathered low, signaling another snowstorm was approaching. “Captain, Tony found the path and temporary campsite created by the main group in the east.” “Hmm, let’s go take a look.” Led by Tony,Neo and Barret headed east for about 3 kilometers before reaching their destination. Based on clues left at the camp,Neo deduced, “It’s indeed the main group’s work. It seems they camped here the night before. The Thorny Bush Forest merges with the mountains, so they had to clear a path forward. With the snowstorm approaching, they must have set up camp already. I estimate they’re less than 30 kilometers away from here.” “Should we move our tents here?” Barret asked. Considering the team’s current location was too exposed and there was no natural shelter against the snowstorm,Neo agreed. By the time the team arrived, snowflakes were already falling. It took them nearly an hour to set up properly, by which time it was a heavy snowfall. The ten members, including Bier, had lost 10 sets of bedding and 3 tents. Fortunately, the team had captured plenty in Lanot Village, enough to replenish these supplies and even have some left over. Outside, it was bitterly cold, but inside the tents it was warm as spring. One of the two large tents obtained from Lanot Village had already been set up. Aside from the three sentries on duty, most of the team gathered there to learn how to make boots from Taylor. Even Lise found it interesting and joined in for fun. Everyone chatted while working, creating a lively atmosphere. In a separate tent,Neo and Barret discussed plans for the team’s activities the next day.

Not long after Neo returned to the team, he publicly announced a series of appointments: Barret was named the team’s second-in-command. The team was divided into two groups of 10 people each; the leader of Group 1 was Boglem, with Dick as his deputy, while Group 2 was led by Bichir, with no deputy yet appointed. Chebman handled logistics, Mah protected Miss Lais personally, and Hagen was responsible for the team’s meals but was not considered part of the group members.

After a series of events, Neo’s authority had been firmly established, so these appointments went smoothly. Especially for those who returned to the team later, such as Bichir, Neo’s appointment of him and his tolerance toward them deeply moved them. Additionally, since they had lost supplies and even weapons, there were corresponding punishments—besides the unforgettable iron bars, there were also labor penalties.

Neo intended to foster healthy competition within the team, so he did not split the two groups, keeping Bichir’s original team together. One of the labor penalties involved having Group 1 members wash underwear and feet for a week. Neo also told everyone that from now on, tasks and work would be carried out in groups, with evaluations done once a week; the losing group would have to wash the winning group’s underwear and feet…

The main topics Neo discussed with Barret aside from work were matters related to communication with the main group. According to Neo, if the weather was good, they should make full use of it to catch up with the migrating group; even if the weather was bad, someone should still be sent to contact them, as they had been separated for nearly a week and it was time to exchange information.

Barret agreed that it was indeed necessary to get in touch. The team now had surplus supplies, which could be given to the migrating group. He was well aware of the situation in the main group, especially the people under Mathuya’s leadership. Even though they had gathered some supplies from Tures, the people under Mathuya could barely set off on their journey. With such extreme cold, the supplies collected from Village of Ratno would be highly welcome.

After handling these administrative matters, Neo went straight to wash up and rest, not even having dinner. He woke up again at midnight, got dressed, made a round of inspections around the camp, and then ate the dinner that Hagen had kept warm over the fire. After that, he began his daily meditation routine. Once finished, he cleaned and maintained his weapons and armor, prepared everything needed for battle, as well as rations. After completing all these tasks, he made another round of inspections before going back to sleep—by then, it was 4 a.m.

It was the seventh day since they separated from the migrating group. It was a windy day, also the coldest day since winter began this year, with temperatures estimated to be below minus 30°.

At minus 30°, a cup of hot water sprayed into the air would form large clouds of ice mist before it fell. Coupled with winds over force 5, what landed was ice pellets. Although hot water indeed freezes more easily than cold water, the effect was still terrifying, especially for the people of Erdrit. Even the coldest days in previous winters had not reached such extremes.

None of the members of the Gale Squad could feel happy, as such weather would surely kill people. Those like Tures and Mathuya, who were better prepared and moved along the forested areas, were still in a difficult situation. As for those who acted in panic or were driven away by barbaric tribes, they were truly pitiable. The plains had few trees, with vast stretches of open land—no forests to shield them from snowstorms, no firewood to keep warm. How could anyone survive in such conditions?

“May the Archduke of Ensbass remember the suffering of the people in this land. May the rulers of the Frey Alliance realize that these people are on the brink of death. May the gods grant them mercy…” Someone took the lead, and early in the morning, the squad silently prayed for the people of Erdrit.

After breakfast,Neo went to Gladith and asked her to give him a ride to the migration group.

Gladith had no reason to stay with the Gale Squad, and Mah’s protection prevented her from doing anything, so she agreed gladly.

Not long after Mah and Boglem harnessed four horses, loaded a large cart full of supplies, and set off with Gladith toward the migration group,Neo also left the camp and headed back to the Giant Thorny Forest. He believed that this time, everything should come to an end.