37th of Trian Month, Trian Ruins.
A forest stood bordering vast black plain and mountain ranges that resembled a snake.
The trees in the forest were tall enough to rival a ten-storey building. The leaves of the trees were violet. Some of them were light violet, while others were extremely dark.
The shading of the leaves corresponded to their levels. The darker the leaves, the closer they were to peak level 7.
As Plantae morphers, these trees might seem peaceful from a distance. But they would turn into terrifying enemies once you trespass their perimeter.
Poison, steel-breaking thorns, adamantium bending vines—the attacks would simply overwhelm anyone with the guts to enter the forest.
So, while Violet Woods was the official name of the forest, its infamous title was Violet Kennel—Once you get in, there's no way to get out.
That was true for all level 7s. The only ones who could venture in were level 8s. Even for level 8s, it was a dangerous area.
'The real danger for me is from other awakeners.' Sia's eyes glittered with a strange light.
As she kicked the ground, her gravity power reversed the gravity from the ground to repulsion.
In the next instant, Sia was a few hundred meters above the ground. If she let the current repulsive gravity remain, she'd continue going up.
At this height, she was able to see at least half of the forest. The thick canopy of the trees covered the forest like an umbrella and blocked her from peeking inside.
'I can make an approximate guess.' Sia narrowed her eyes and let the repulsion push her even higher before she stretched her hand towards the ground.
With the clench of her fist, the gravity's direction changed.
The gravity until now was repulsive and acted in a straight line. So, she went up in a straight line.
But with the application of her power, the gravity titled. Instead of repelling her in a straight line, the earth ruins' started repelling her at an angle.
To Sia, it was like someone was pushing her in the direction she wanted. So, she reached a position right above the center of the forest, albeit nearly a mile above the ground level.
Since she was able to view the whole forest from this height, she roughly determined the center of the forest.
'Tempering Lake…' Sia's eyes shone with a strange light.
Varian's first path was Body. Then, he was an Enhanced awakener. She didn't know whether he would be a Superhuman awakener or an extreme awakener after reaching level 7.
'I don't even know if he reached level 7…' Sia smiled wryly.
She felt that she deserved the pain she was feeling. The condition she set for him was to meet her in the Ruler's Abode.
When he entered the Earth Ruins, Varian was only a peak level 6.
So, her condition was ridiculous. Even if he had the confidence to reach level 7, how could she expect him to get a key when so many talented princes and princesses failed?
'It's almost like I want him not to meet me.' Sia's shoulders slumped as she felt a weight pressing down on her.
It wasn't incorrect.
She didn't want him to meet her. She had already broken him.
She wanted her memory of him to be a bright young man whose eyes were full of hope, but even if she tried to, she couldn't forget the blank gaze devoid of any hope he had that day.
Whenever she recalled that sight, her heart ached.
If they meet now, instead of a gaze devoid of hope, she'd see something worse.
A gaze filled with hatred.
What really worried her more was that such hatred would ruin Varian's life, which he barely managed to get together after a lot of effort.
She'd be destroying his peace, his happiness, and his past.
The more eager he turned, the more scared she was.
So, Sia's rational mindset a ridiculous condition for that very reason despite her feelings urging her to meet him.
Now that she took care of her rational mind, she was acting on her feelings and preparing for their reunion.
'I know there's a very low possibility for him to make it, but if we do meet, then I want to at least give him a gift.'
It was a bit childish, but Sia didn't mind.
If it was a year ago, she'd have tried her best to get him special potions that could help in his awakening. Or even better, she'd have tried to earn enough money to hire an adventurer team to escort him into a dungeon.
Only a single year passed and everything changed.
Varian was no longer the boy who trained to awaken and was held back by his family's financial conditions.
He's a peak level 6 at the age of 18, arguably the strongest of his generation, and undoubtedly the best genius of the entire federation.
It wasn't just that.
He was also the Dreamer. A man whose actions redrew the power structure of the entire federation.
So, the gift she had to give was naturally different.
What he needed the most now was strength. And strength she'd provide.
Sia looked down and her gravity sense locked the center of the forest.
Then, the gravity of the ground towards her reversed. Instead of repelling her, the ground attracted her. And it with force way higher than normal.
As a result, Sia descended into the forest in the blink of an eye.
If she landed at that high speed, there'd be an explosion in the forest and all the trees would try to kill her regardless of the cost.
Sia wasn't afraid of the trees, but she didn't want a large commotion that could disturb her goal.
So, before she landed, she reversed the gravity again, and using the repulsion, she reduced her speed before turning gravity to normal and landed without much noise.
Sia landed in a rather plain area. Compared to the rest of the forest filled with trees, this area had none.
"What's your title, princess?"
"Verify your identity!"
Two voices rang out as two young men looked at her in surprise and caution.
Instead of answering, Sia observed the area carefully.
There were no usual trees, but there was only a red lake with a single tree at its center. The tree's long branches extended out and its thick leaves spread out evenly.
These leaves released a drop of blue liquid every few seconds. This blue liquid fell into the red lake. It remained blue for a few minutes before turning red.
The red liquid from this lake flowed throughout the forest in small streams and reached all the trees. The trees absorbed the liquid and grew stronger.
To protect such a useful resource, the trees acted fiercely if anyone entered the forbidden region.
"What did you do something to stop the trees from attacking?" Sia asked, her sweet voice laced with a touch of authority.
"You think we'll give away our secrets?" The first young man sneered and his arms turned into branches.
"This resource is ours." The second young man pointed to the tree. "Since you covet it, I'll need to teach you a lesson."
With those words, he raised a red hammer engraved with runes.
"…Very well." With a snap of her finger, a hundred spears appeared behind Sia.
With another snap, gravity between the bodies of the young men and the spears rose to a terrifying level.
Whoosh!
The spears tore through the air and reached the pale princes in the blink of an eye.
