At the same time, Seris and Sera were moving quickly through the Forest of Giants.
Seris was moving ahead, her steps seemed calm, but each time she covered a great distance.
Sera had to keep her speed high to not fall behind. They passed through tall roots, thick moss, and narrow paths.
Seris asked no questions about the path, she already knew the Varkesh’s route.
The silence between the two was heavy. Sera repeatedly looked at the sword at her waist.
Each time, the image of her father’s severed hands came alive in her mind. Finally, she could not bear it anymore.
"Don’t you regret what you did to my father at all?"
"No." Seris answered without looking back.
Sera had expected a cold answer, but its directness still made her angry.
"You could have killed him!"
"But I didn’t."
"That’s not going to make me thank you."
"I didn’t ask you to."
Sera looked at her back with anger for a few moments. Arguing with Seris was like hitting a wall.
She neither defended herself, nor explained, nor even tried to show herself in a better light. For her, Averian had been in her way.
She had defeated him, and that was the end of it.
When they reached the Varkesh territory, a few guards on the stone towers raised their weapons.
But only a moment later, they recognized Seris. Their faces changed, and a few lowered their heads.
"Why did you come back?" one of the guards asked with a trembling voice. They could not understand why this hellish demon had returned!
"The map." Seris said.
The guard was confused for a moment.
"The piece of the map you obtained from the ruin near the Giants’ Graveyard." Sera explained impatiently.
"We need permission from the new leader." the guard said.
Seris only took one step forward, her hand did not even go near her sword, but that small movement was enough to make all the guards step back.
"Bring it." Her tone was cold, emotionless, and extremely warning.
The soldiers panicked and immediately went to inform.
A few minutes later, Veyra appeared. Kharvek’s eldest daughter and the new leader of the Varkesh.
She had dark red scales and heavy armor tied on her shoulders and chest.
Her body was burly, and controlled anger could be seen in her gaze. She was upset about her father’s death but was not a fool.
She knew attacking Seris was no different from suicide.
"I want the map piece."
"If I don’t give it?" Veyra looked at her for a few moments.
"I’ll take it." Seris placed her hand on her sword’s hilt.
A brief silence formed, no additional threat was needed. Veyra took a deep breath and turned to one of the guards.
"Bring it."
A few minutes later, the second map piece was brought in a thick cloth.
Veyra personally handed it to Seris, but before letting go, she said.
"One day, I will find the power to not be afraid of you."
"Then become stronger." Seris took the piece from her hand. There was no mockery in her voice, nor humiliation, only a direct recommendation.
But this answer wounded Veyra’s pride more than any other sentence.
"Let’s go." Taking the second piece did not even require a minute of real negotiation.
The Varkesh’s fear had done the work before it even started. After leaving their territory, Sera took over as the guide.
The next destination was somewhere Seris did not know, and a guide was needed.
The path gradually changed. The bright green moss decreased, and dark and purple plants grew around.
The ground became softer, each step sank slightly into the soil, and the roots lowered from the surface and disappeared into the black swamp water.
Large bubbles rose from the water’s surface, and upon bursting, they released yellow or purple gas.
"Don’t step on the light-colored parts." Sera said, pointing at a yellow spot on the ground.
"Some of them are mushroom skin, not ground."
Seris followed the given path without answering. Sera noticed that despite her coldness and indifference, she did not ignore useful instructions.
She only eliminated unnecessary words.
In one section of the path, the swamp’s surface suddenly exploded. A crocodile-like creature jumped out of the water.
Its body was over ten meters long, and it had a black and slimy shell on its back. Its massive jaw opened directly toward Sera.
Sera raised her weapon, but before she could strike, Seris drew her sword.
One move.
Only one line formed in the air, and the creature was still moving through the air for a moment.
Then its body split from head to the end of its belly. The two halves of the corpse fell into the swamp on both sides of them.
The black water and dark blood splashed around.
Seris, without looking at the corpse, sheathed her sword and continued moving.
Sera remained motionless for a few moments. This was the first time she saw Seris’s power up close, without the chaos, blood, and fear of her father’s battle.
The move was so fast and precise that the monster did not even have time to complete its attack.
At that moment, Sera understood that Averian really had had no chance.
The Mireclaws’ territory appeared a few hours later. The houses were built on suspended platforms above the swamp.
Some were carved into sunken roots. Narrow rope bridges connected the platforms, and dark green mist covered the entire area.
Purple lights shone inside lanterns made of insect skin.
The Mireclaws had thinner bodies, their scales were dark green, purple, or black. Their clothes were made of plant fibers, snake skin, and parts of swamp creatures.
Their weapons were also different. Short spears with green tips, blow tubes, curved blades, and bags full of powder and gas.
Even poisonous insects were kept in small cages on some platforms. When Sera announced her identity, the guards allowed limited entry.
But their gaze on Seris was full of suspicion. They were taken to a hall on a hollow root.
Maelith, the leader of the Mireclaws, was waiting there. An elderly woman with dark purple scales and very thin antennae.
Her body seemed weak, but her eyes were sharp and alert.
"We need the map piece." Sera explained the request.
"Our piece has been with the tribe for generations." Maelith answered without haste, giving her gaze to Seris.
"We have no reason to give it to two strangers."
"They need it to leave the Forest of Giants." Sera said.
"That is not our problem." the tribe leader answered.
"Where is it?" Seris asked briefly.
The hall’s atmosphere cooled. A few guards placed their hands on their weapons, and Maelith gave a thin smile.
"You are in my territory, Otherworldly girl." It was clear she had recognized Seris’s species.
In fact, this was not the first time they had seen an Otherworldly... just a few days ago, they had hunted two of them...
That was why they were not afraid at all.
"I know." Seris said.
"Then you should know that power is not the only thing that matters here." the tribe leader added sarcastically.
"For me, it is." the young Pendragon added.
Maelith’s smile faded, but she clearly did not order an attack. Instead, she said.
"The map is kept in the inner section." She stood up.
"Follow me."
Sera hesitated for a moment, but Seris followed her without worry.
They passed through a narrow corridor, then entered a larger space.
At that same moment, the doors behind them closed with a heavy sound, but the tribe leader had not entered with them!
"Haha, you fools really thought we would give you anything?"
"You brainless idiots! Didn’t anyone tell you not to follow strangers?"
"This will be the grave for both of you! Especially you, wild and predatory Otherworldly!"
Suddenly, green gas came out from the cracks in the walls. Several Mireclaws appeared on the upper platforms, aiming blow tubes and short spears at them.
Sera smelled the poison sooner and shouted.
"Hold your breath!" A rain of poison needles was shot at them.
Seris did not rush. A dense dark aura formed around her body, and her sword came out of its sheath.
The first move was only a horizontal cut.
[Silent Divide]
An invisible wave passed through the hall. No warrior was wounded.
But all the poison tubes, spears, trap ropes, and tools in front of them were cut in half in one line.
For a few seconds, the Mireclaws still did not understand what had happened.
Then half of the weapons fell on the ground.
Seris took a step forward, the poisonous mist swirled around her.
Her body did not disappear, but split into short, dark shadows. Each shadow covered part of the path.
And every time one of the shadows faded, a warrior fell on the ground.
The tendon behind the first person’s foot was cut, and he fell on his knee with a scream.
The second one’s wrist was severed, and the weapon fell from his hand. The third one wanted to step back, but the hilt of Seris’s sword hit his temple, and he lost consciousness.
The fourth one did not even see her move, only when he fell on the ground did he realize his knees could no longer bear his weight.
Seris did not kill most of them, there was no need. With ruthless precision, she incapacitated them.
A second wave of needles was shot from the upper platforms.
[Severed Rain]
Seris’s sword moved several times in an instant. To Sera’s eyes, the blade turned into dozens of silver lines.
All the poison needles were cut in half in the air. The bone and metal pieces fell around Seris like rain on the ground.
None of them even reached her armor.
"Release the swamp guardian!" one of the guards shouted in terror.
A large hatch at the end of the hall opened. The sound of a moist and heavy roar was heard.
A multi-headed creature crawled out of the darkness. Its body resembled a massive snake, but thick armor plates were on its back.
Four heads came out of a wide neck. Green and swollen glands were trembling on both sides of its jaws.
The panel appeared before Seris’s view for a moment.
[Venom-Crowned Marsh Hydra]
[Rank: Normal]
[Level: 25]