Chapter 62 - Jiran Forest
Diakar and Opril still didn't know exactly where they are going. They asked Rean and Roan, but neither one of them answered. Still, once they got far enough from the Tribe, Diakar finally decided to ask it again.
"It shouldn't be a problem to tell where we are going this time, right?"??
Rean looked at him before looking behind. They were indeed quite far from the Tribe, so it shouldn't be a problem now.
"We are going to Jiran Forest instead."
Diakar and Opril were taken aback.
"This... why would we go there?"
The Jiran Forest was much further away compared to the one their Tribe usually used to hunt. Not only that, but higher-level Demon Beasts could be easily found there too. Typically, only those at the Foundation Establishment would train in that place, but they have none. Diakar is in the Late Stage of the Energy Gathering Realm while Opril in the Middle Stage, so they were obviously worried about this decision.
Seeing that, Rean laughed out loud.
"Hahaha! Open the boxes I prepared."
Diakar and Opril looked at that box they had been carrying until now. Rean asked them to bring it over but not open in the Tribe, so they had been curious about it. They did as Rean said and opened it. Before them, four Swords appeared, and they were all the same. Diakar and Opril only had to look once to understand that those Swords were all Spiritual Equipments!
"This..."
Roan didn't ask and immediately grabbed one. Those are precisely the same as the one Rean had him test a few days ago. Steel Kaz Swords capable of gathering Light Element from the surroundings. Roan then handled it a bit and used some Spiritual Energy as well.
"It seems like you fixed the parts I told you."
Rean nodded.
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I even made more fo them! They are the pinnacle of the Spiritual Swords. Well, as far as the low-level Spiritual Equipments are concerned, that is."
Diakar and Opril eyes shined, and they immediately took one each. After putting Spiritual Energy inside and handling them, they could totally tell just how good they are.
"Are they for us?"
Rean nodded.
"You have been serving the two of us for so long already, so this is a little gift. Since I was already making one, I might as well make six."
"Six?"
Rean nodded.
"I passed one to Alanda and Juri each. Considering the level of Spiritual Equipments that I've seen so far, these Swords should be much better. They should be able to fight those a stage higher than them without any issues and have the advantage. If I'm not wrong, those two can even put up a fight against a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator now."
Diakar and Opril were surprised to know that these Swords were so powerful. But Roan didn't find it strange at all. Juri had let him test other Spiritual Sword before from another source. However, after he tested Rean's Sword too, he knew that they were simply not at the same level.
"With those Swords and Roan and my strength, we can also fight and kill Stage Two Demon Beasts, so you don't need to worry.
But there was one person in their group who seemed to be sulking at the moment. Obviously, it was the 8 years old Inna Malaka, who didn't get anything.
"What about me? I want one too!"
Rean couldn't help but laugh after seeing her expression. He patted Malaka's head and nodded.
"Of course, I prepared something for you too."
The box was much larger than it should be if it was only carrying swords. From the bottom, Rean took out a Staff that was slightly bigger than the wooden one Inna Malaka usually used. Inna's eyes immediately brightened, and she grabbed it as if it was her treasure.
"Thank you!"
She immediately started to play with the new one. However...
"It is too heavy."
Roan then explained.
"It is not. I was the one who asked Rean to make it like this. With your Initial Stage of the Energy Gathering Realm, the wooden staves couldn't properly show your power anymore. How many have you broken already while training, uh? The weight and length are perfect for you, considering your body stature."
Rean nodded.
"This is also a Spiritual Staff, so it will become a lot stronger once you put Spiritual Energy. Also, I used a different combination of metals to make a malleable alloy. I found out a Spiritual Ore called Rafrit that was just perfect for the job."
Inna Malaka then poured her Spiritual Energy inside, and sure enough, the Staff became a lot easier to handle. Not to mention that it was a lot stronger now.
"With that Staff, she should be able to fight a middle stage or even a late-stage cultivator. Their own weapons would probably break apart if they hit each other full force."
However...
Boom!
Inna Malaka hit the ground with her new Staff using her full might. A small crater instantly opened, and the ground trembled. Rean and the others were surprised to see such strength. She wasn't that strong a few days ago.
"Inna, did you breakthrough?"
The little girl looked back at them and showed a proud expression.
"Hmph! I'm not slow. I reached the Middle Stage of the Energy Gathering Realm yesterday!"
Rean and Roan nodded. No wonder her last strike carried so much Spiritual Energy. That was also a pleasant surprise in the end.
Their group then left the boxes behind and kept making their way to Jiran Forest. Because of the distance, they would take at least two days to arrive. Diakar and Opril aren't as strong as Rean and Roan anymore. But they were still adults. So that prevented a lot of problems. After all, if the three 'kids' were walking alone, it would definitely catch everyone's attention.
Close to the Outskirts of the Jiran Forest, there were a few small Tribes where they could prepare. Those tribes were used to receive warriors who wanted to train there, so they welcomed everyone and got quite a few Spirit Stones like that.
No one paid attention to Ran's group when they arrived. Rean had made Sword sheets that looked very ordinary, which entirely concealed the Spiritual Swords. Malaka also had her Staff covered with some clothes on her back, so no one thought it weird either.
However, there are always those who don't have good intentions to start with. Robbers were commonplace in places like these where so many cultivators gathered. They would follow them into the Forest and take everything they had with higher numbers.
Rean's group ended being marked by one of these groups.
As they looked at Rean and the others, one of them asked their small group leader.
"How is it?"
"The two adults seem to be in the Middle and Late stage of the Energy Gathering Realm. They also seem to be carrying a good amount of Spirit Stones. It shouldn't be much of a problem to take everything from them."
The other members' eyes lit up. From that point, they always had someone following them around.
Rean's team then stayed in the Tribe for the night, leaving when dawn came the next morning. Sure enough, the group of robbers followed them from a distance.
Roan looked at the corner of his eyes, and faintly smiled. From the very start, he knew that they were being observed. How many types of assassinations had 'Death' seen in his previous life? Such tricks were simply useless against him.