Princess Kelani inwardly sighed as she nodded in understanding. She would have felt uncomfortable if Orion had decided to stay any longer.
Just as Orion was about to move forward, he halted, sensing the uneasiness around Princess Morgana, prompting him to frown. He instantly discerned that it might have something to do with Princess Kelani's presence.
Initially, he considered ignoring it and continuing forward, as he wasn't aware of the cause of her uneasiness or any underlying tension between them. However, from his brief conversation with her, he could tell she was a calm and gentle girl, so he offered her some assistance.
"Princess Morgana, I would appreciate it if you could help me deliver this to the Gardeners Guild's Vice Guildmaster. Simply tell her she should share it among those who have spent some amount of their wealth treating that issue, and she will understand," Orion said, detaching the several bulky sacks attached to his waist and handing them to Princess Morgana.
Of course, since the stones contain traces of nature energy, he kept a few to give to Anara, Grace, and the others as gifts.
Princess Morgana's eyes widened briefly before she nodded fiercely. "Don't worry, Mr Orion; I'll do my best to deliver this to Vice Guildmaster Maeve as quickly as possible," she responded, receiving the sacks from Orion.
She looked at Orion gratefully before turning around and flying off into the air.
Witnessing Princess Morgana's swift departure, Orion redirected his attention towards Princess Kelani and nodded again before walking away.
Meanwhile, observing the scene that had just transpired before her, Princess Kelani narrowed her eyes to where Princess Morgana had just flown off to before redirecting her gaze towards Orion's direction and doing the same.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it," Princess Kelani muttered, shaking her head.
She decided to stay for a while and receive updates on how High Prince Kael was faring in his current condition.
…....….
Outside The Borders Of Third Border City
Dead forest
Various warriors scoured all corners of the dead forest, leaving no stone or branch unturned as they searched for traces of a potential four-star Vylkr vine.
Meanwhile, tens of Orion's Skies, each filled with a designated warrior, surveyed the ground with keen eyes. They looked for any strange oddity or movement that might catch their attention.
Although Orion had wanted to search the various areas where he had trained in the past, he was currently busy. So they couldn't afford to sit back and wait with such a horrible abnormality on the loose.
Instead, they would conduct a thorough search through the dead forest, and when Orion returned, he would lead a search of the places he wanted to investigate. This way, they could be sure they had covered every inch of the dead forest before contemplating whether to burn it down.
"WE FOUND SOMETHING!" a loud voice echoed from below, catching the attention of the Village Chief, who was soaring through the air in his Giant Green owl form.
The Village Chief swiftly changed his course, heading toward the source of the commotion.
Nearby warriors also rushed toward the voice, while those farther away continued their search, confident that the others could handle whatever was found.
As the Village Chief deactivated his gift and landed before them, he frowned at the unfolding scene.
There were about five tiny, bizarre Vylkr vines resembling hand-
sized three-star Vylkr vines. They controlled the one-star and two-star Vylkr vines around them, shielding themselves from the warriors' attacks and attempting to escape.
However, facing a group of three-star warriors, they were swiftly dealt with, and the battle lasted only a few seconds before each Vylkr vine was destroyed.
Also, no matter how much he wanted to take a few of these bizarre vines back to the Prismerions for further research, he immediately dismissed the idea when he remembered their destructive potential.
So he merely observed as the warriors dealt with them until they were nothing but ashes and scattered pieces, ready to be contained.
"Over here!" Another voice called out in the distance.
"Continue searching! The rest of you, follow me!" The Village Chief ordered.
Without shifting back into his Giant Green owl form, he dashed toward the source of the voice with the accompanying warriors. As they arrived, the Village Chief's eyes widened at the sight of a twisted mass formed by a mixture of one-star and two-star Vylkr vines converging in a single area.
Just as a warrior was ready to attack the bizarre Vylkr vine and destroy them, the Village Chief shouted, "WAIT! Stand down. I want to see what it does."
It was already obvious that the scene before them was the handiwork of the potential four-star Vylkr vine. Seeing it take on a form he hadn't encountered before aroused his curiosity. He also needed to confirm his assumptions about them.
As the one-star and two-star Vylkr vines combined, they began to take on a shape, growing from one meter to two, three, and beyond. As the form became more familiar, the eyes of the Village Chief and all the warriors widened in astonishment.
A three-star Vylkr vine!
It took several weeks or months for various one-star and two-
star Vylkr vines to merge and form a single entity, as the Vylkr vines around the village were constantly tended to, leaving little chance for growth.
The three-star Vylkr vines they usually encountered were deep within the Dead Forest, beyond the warriors' reach, always drawn towards the village. Thus, the rapid formation of a three-
star Vylkr vine before them, which would be completed in minutes, was an inconceivable sight.
"Chief!" An anxious voice called out from the warriors.
The Village Chief snapped out of his daze and nodded in response.
They had to destroy all of them, no matter what. A Vylkr vine capable of accelerating the growth of a three-star Vylkr vine within minutes and being able to fend for itself should not be allowed to survive.
At this point, he was already considering that the best course of action might be to listen to Orion's suggestion and burn the dead forest, ensuring that everything within it was reduced to ashes.
