Talks proceeded smoothly from there.
Damien coordinated with the Overseer to understand what kind of artifact he wanted, putting in a little more effort to form a positive relationship with the bird that'd come in handy later.
And while this transaction took place, somewhere at the boundary between the Perilous Sanctuary and the third layer…
"Hot damn! We finally made it!"
The voice of a large bald man resounded through the forest.
"Calm down, Marcus! We're still too far from the goal to be celebrating!"
Another man calmed his excitement soon after.
This group was none other than Virgil's party that Damien met in Ghost King's Valley.
They had much more trouble escaping than Damien and his group, and faced the brunt of the Ghost King's hatred, but they were somehow able to survive and make their way up the cliffside.
After spending a few days in the Perilous Sanctuary, they were ready to continue on.
"Virgil, are you sure about this? We don't know anything about this place. Why would we…"
"Haha, it's about being a good person, Diana! Besides, don't you remember what we were promised?"
"That's true…"
The mage named Diana glanced to the side.
There, a woman who wasn't originally part of their party stood without a word, apathetically staring into the third layer.
They found this woman being attacked by a beast while exploring the second layer, and because Virgil thought himself a hero, they ended up saving her.
Unexpectedly, she was someone from some rich influence, because she rewarded their help with an amount of resources they never could've imagined.
Afterward, the woman recruited them for a quest.
She said she wanted to go to the central region where Skyrend Mountain was located.
And if their group was able to take her there, she'd give them ten times the reward for saving her!
With that amount of resources, not just them, but everyone they knew would be set for a very long time.
They'd be able to raise their families into practitioners with longer lifespans so they didn't have to part, and they'd be able to gain high status in their sects for the contributions they could bring.
With such a tempting offer, how could they refuse?
Only, Virgil's reasoning seemed astray.
The way he looked at this woman was not like a contractor addressing their client, but a servant addressing their lord!
He was utterly infatuated from the first glance!
'What does she have that I don't?'
Diana had this thought, but she couldn't really dispute that she didn't compare to this woman.
She had unassuming black hair and eyes, and a cute appearance, but more than anything, her aura that melded in with nature was extremely alluring for some reason.
'And those honkers!'
…her chest was quite voluptuous as well, but that was beside the point.
Diana was definitely nonplussed by this woman's presence, but she couldn't win over the temptation of rewards.
"By the way, we never got your name," Marcus said, turning to the woman.
Unlike Virgil, he didn't seem subservient to her, but he was far more respectful than usual.
The woman glanced at him for a second before turning away.
"You may call me Sia."
"Hehe, what a pretty name…"
The woman named Sia ignored Virgil's quiet yet extremely loud remark and turned to the rest of the group.
"We should move now. We must arrive in the central region in three days at most."
They nodded in agreement and entered the third layer, moving similarly to Damien and the rest when they first entered the area.
But Diana couldn't get her mind off that woman named Sia.
She could've sworn she saw it.
Whenever that woman looked at them, there was an almost indiscernible glint in her eyes, not from emotion, but from something else entirely.
Whatever that thing was, it didn't make her feel good at all!
Sia continued on as if she was unaware of the woman's feelings.
Truly, she didn't care at all.
This group only served one purpose, and that was to shuttle her to where she wanted to go.
Because in this rainforest, there was currently someone she was very much looking forward to seeing!
***
In another part of the third layer…
Damien and his group were currently taking rest.
Now that they had assurance they wouldn't be attacked through the night, they took time for themselves and explored the third layer to the fullest, not worrying about battle or threats.
Other than the Messenger Birds, there weren't many immediately hostile beasts in the third layer.
It was an ecosystem formed by collective hatred for their tormentors.
This time might've seemed wasted to the observing eye, but it was more important than anything they'd done so far to Damien.
All he was doing was sitting still.
He was at the base of the great tree on which the Overseer rested, seated in meditative posture with his eyes closed.
Their deal was established several hours ago and Damien already sent the materials to the Sanctuary along with a rough blueprint of what he wanted.
He trusted Elvira to get it done when he needed it and paid it no more mind.
The reason he came to the Severed World was mainly for the mission Iris gave him, but his personal goal was something else.
He wanted to understand the laws of this place so he could improve himself.
His Law Controller trait was currently sealed, but its effects on his connection with nature hadn't faded.
Now that he had the time to calmly perceive the environment, how could he waste it?
His perception was no longer tethered to his body at this point.
The Void acted as a medium, connecting him to the world at a fundamental level and giving him the ability to spread his senses through the world's natural pathways.
He saw the Perilous Sanctuary, he saw Ghost King's valley, he saw Rose and the rest exploring the third layer, and he saw Virgil's group making their entrance.
He noticed the odd woman traveling with them but didn't pay too much attention to her.
Instead, Damien's vision was filled with the sight of a heaven-piercing mountain.
It was an incredibly steep formation, almost comparable to a cliff if one was willing to exaggerate.
It made sense why flying up the side was such a difficult task. Vertical flight was far more taxing than ascending gradually, and when this effect was combined with the area's natural suppression, reaching its peak felt nigh impossible.
But the central region was more than just Skyrend Mountain. It was beautiful and luscious, with great vibrant green trees everywhere one looked and a plethora of beasts far outstripping anything the third layer could produce.
Damien smiled. Somewhat understanding the ecosystem before charging in was an advantage he was very happy to possess.
And more than that, the longer his senses remained in the air, the more clearly he could feel the world itself.
It was suffocating, these laws so complete yet so unfinished. To someone who pursued them, it was one of the most painful feelings in existence.
Damien had the unquenchable urge to influence these laws and try to complete them, but he neither had the ability nor the fundamentals to accomplish such a daunting task.
'For now, I'm content with just comprehending their nature. If I do that and create a foundation for Law Controller, I have confidence I can bring more out of the trait than Hassan ever could.'
It was a bold ambition, but he wasn't afraid to hold it.
Nowadays, huge ambition was exactly what he needed.
He couldn't keep being a passerby anymore.
When the 2-year ceasefire ended, Damien was going to become the definition of purgatory to the Nox.
This was his conviction!
