"Direct disciple Erik, we're close to where I took that bark."
In the midst of the dense jungle, Frank spoke in a serious tone as he guided Erik, who was followed only by Ebonique, a little over a meter tall, flying protectively over his head, made cautious by Erik's earlier warning.
Meanwhile, Elara had stayed behind at the camp with Tiberius to finish the second shelter, protect it, and gather as much charcoal and other supplies as possible. Zoe had gone to the river with Kaiser, and Hiyori had taken a giant barrel made by Erik, intending to collect large amounts of water.
"Just call me Erik. All that 'direct disciple' stuff gets annoying."
Already a bit irritated by the way Frank addressed him, Erik spoke in a casual tone, which slightly surprised the young student. He quickly turned to look at him and responded while bowing respectfully.
"That's something I can't do, direct disciple Erik. The status of a direct disciple isn't something a simple student like me can overlook. It wouldn't just reflect poorly on you—it would also make me seem arrogant and could cause problems for me. So, to avoid trouble, there are lines best not crossed."
"I see." Upon hearing Frank's sincere explanation, Erik couldn't help but respond casually. But at that moment, an idea occurred to him, and he spoke calmly.
"Then call me Boss. That's what my assistants call me."
Hearing Erik, Frank's eyes widened again—perhaps even more surprised than before—but he quickly composed himself and replied with a sincere tone, bowing once more.
"…Then I'll call you that. Boss, I'll be at your service."
"All right, let's go. We need to gather the ingredients quickly and get to work. We have to find out if it's possible to create the cauldron, try preparing the potions, and examine that basilisk carefully. We can't afford to waste time."
Erik quickly replied in a serious voice, to which Frank promptly nodded before picking up the pace and guiding Erik along the path indicated by Lirio, who was sitting on his head, seemingly drowsy.
…
"This is the tree, Boss."
After a few minutes, Frank stopped in front of a fallen trunk in the middle of the dense jungle. Erik nodded and, ignoring the tree on the ground, began searching the area until he finally found a tree about two meters tall, with a reddish-brown trunk speckled with black, emitting a scent similar to unfermented cacao.
Gazing at the tree, Erik couldn't help but marvel for a moment, rationalizing how impressive that 'garden' truly was. Although pocket dimensions weren't unknown to humanity—after all, storage rings were a type of pocket dimension—creating a pocket dimension in the form of a "garden" was something very few in the galaxy would ever attempt.
The reason for this was simple: it was incredibly expensive and inefficient—so much so that it would be cheaper and more practical to buy a plot of several hundred thousand square meters on a habitable planet and terraform it slightly to suit whatever one wanted to grow. But it was possible to do, so the surprising thing about the garden wasn't its existence per se.
What was truly astonishing was that, after who knows how long, the pocket dimension was still fully functional—capable of sustaining life and even relatively exotic plants like the Bitter Mahogany tree in front of him, which required very specific environmental conditions to grow properly.
Moreover, from what he could see, the tree looked exceptionally healthy—comparable to those carefully cultivated across the galaxy by specialists. And those specialists, in order to produce Bitter Mahogany trees of a similar quality to the one before him, had to terraform entire planets, nourish the trees with only the finest resources, and monitor them constantly with specialized equipment.
After inspecting the tree for a few seconds, Erik shook his head, dismissing his useless thoughts. With a swift motion, he drew his machete from his waist and unleashed a flying slash at the tree, cutting it down in a single strike. At that moment, Ebonique quickly grew in size and grabbed it in her claws, speaking in a more serious tone than usual.
"Let me carry it."
"I'll leave it to you then." Erik nodded, then adjusted what seemed to be wooden containers hanging from braided ropes, turned to look at Frank, and said.
"Now let's get the second one."
"Right away, Boss—this way."
Frank quickly responded in a serious tone and pointed south, then took the lead with Erik close behind. After about twenty minutes, they arrived in front of a tree about ten meters tall and fifty centimeters thick, with smooth bark of a greenish-gray color streaked with pearlescent veins. At that moment, Erik spoke in a serious tone.
"Frank, doesn't it seem strange to you that this Auravida tree is so close to the Bitter Mahogany trees…"
"Boss, the truth is I've focused mostly on magic and spells, so I don't know much about plants and things like that." Frank replied in a slightly embarrassed tone. Erik nodded in understanding, then began to explain as he took one of the wooden containers he carried to tie it to the tree.
"Well, then let me explain. The Auravida tree is quite valuable, mainly because of its sap, which has various uses in alchemy. But it comes from a completely different environment than Bitter Mahogany, another ingredient commonly used in both alchemy and artificery—so much so that they're usually grown on different planets. That makes it very unusual to find them so close to each other.
"Also, I didn't notice any major environmental changes. Interestingly, Bitter Mahogany bark and Auravida sap are often used together—for example, in the potion we're planning to create. And if we take into account that the reason this place was called a 'garden' comes from inscriptions found in the temples…"
"This was a cultivation field in ancient times…?"
Upon hearing the explanation, Frank quickly grasped the implications and couldn't help but speak in a surprised voice. Erik replied in a serious tone as he carved grooves into the tree trunk to connect to the wooden bowl.
"The trees are practically identical to the ones found outside, with no significant differences."
"Someone is using this place as a cultivation field even now…?" Frank muttered to himself, realizing that was the most likely option—especially considering they had even prepared a trap for them.
"That's what I think."
Erik said calmly, as he treated the Auravida tree like a rubber tree, carving grooves at different heights and placing wooden bowls to collect the sap. Then he added in a thoughtful tone.
"It's likely that whoever set this trap discovered this place who knows how long ago, and upon noticing the strange properties of the area—which allow two trees from completely different environments to coexist—they turned it into their cultivation field.
"But there's something that doesn't add up. Why are these trees, which are usually used together, so close to an entrance that the ones who set the trap weren't even watching?"
"Could it be because of the basilisk? It's also really close by." Frank asked curiously, to which Erik replied in a calm tone.
"Could be. But among the samples you brought, I saw several types of valuable ingredients. And as we walked here, I noticed this jungle seems untouched—there's no sign of active harvesting of those resources.
"That's strange. Normally, you cultivate to harvest, and knowing there's a basilisk, the logical thing would be to kill it or, at least, take the valuable things so you don't lose them."
"What if it's a collection?" At that moment, Ebonique spoke while looking at Erik, who turned to her with a hint of surprise and asked.
"What do you mean, Ebonique?"
"That this place might be a collection left behind in ancient times." Ebonique replied in a calm tone and explained further.
"A collection capable of automatically updating itself to always contain samples of all the plants and similar things from across the galaxy, or something like that. And it organizes them by properties, usefulness, or similar criteria. A collection so vast that even those who set the trap don't fully understand it."
Ebonique finished speaking as she looked at the tree she was carrying, a passive light on her face, imagining that this might truly be the case. After all, she personally knew the Eternal who had left his aura in this place—and she knew he had been an obsessive collector, fascinated by gathering all kinds of things.
"Is something like that even possible? To automatically acquire samples of all the plants in the galaxy just to keep them in a collection?" Frank couldn't help but ask in disbelief, prompting Erik to respond in a thoughtful tone.
"This place is a mystery that not even Legend-level individuals have been able to solve, so it checks all the boxes for being a true ancient ruin. And it's well known that absurd things can be found in those." Erik dipped the tip of his little finger in sap and tested it, confirming that it was of high quality.
"For example, before the discovery of the technology to create artificial Warp tunnels from an ancient ruin, it was believed they were impossible, and people had to travel using natural ones. But that's not the important part." Erik paused briefly and turned to look at Ebonique and Frank, his glowing green eyes intense.
"What is important is that, if Ebonique's speculation turns out to be correct, this place is literally a treasure chest filled with everything we could possibly need. Also—think about it.
"Who in their right mind would use something this invaluable as a trap for young people under 300 years old, no matter how talented they are? I believe only two kinds of people would: someone who doesn't know it's a treasure, or someone who's completely desperate.
"And I'd bet it's more likely the first than the second. If this place really holds a sample of everything, anyone—even facing death—would rather look for a solution inside here than risk revealing it to the Legend-levels. Even if they were a Legend-level themselves, the risk would be far too great.
"But either way, it works in our favor. That means the 'hunters' either don't know the true potential and details of this place, or they're so desperate they'll likely make mistakes out of haste—two highly exploitable weaknesses. We could even try to find something to deal with the basilisk. Nothing is impossible!"
"How can we confirm if it's really a collection?!" Frank asked, visibly excited, clenching his fists tightly, to which Erik quickly responded.
"The simplest way is to explore this place. If things are really grouped by properties or some other criteria, after observing how they're arranged, we can figure it out and search efficiently for what we need. And depending on what we find, we'll know whether it truly contains a sample of everything or not—and Lirio will be key to that."
"Understood, Boss! Lirio and I will do our best!"
Frank quickly replied, full of excitement. If they were right and really inside such a 'magical' place, and they managed to make it out alive, the rewards waiting for them outside would be astronomical—especially for someone like him, who wasn't even a disciple. At that moment, Erik spoke again in a serious tone.
"First, we need to prepare potions, gear, and examine the basilisk's condition—because I highly doubt this place is free of danger. Also, there's something very important we can't forget: there must be a reason why the exploration team didn't find any indication that this place was so special.
"Even if the explorers didn't know anything about botany or alchemy, they brought military exploration equipment—and unlike us, their gear never stopped working. That information would've been reviewed directly by the Master-levels, and they—especially my master—would've definitely realized that this place was hiding something big.
"But they didn't. My master never mentioned anything about it, so I can be sure they had no idea. That leaves two possibilities: either the 'door' we came through was special, or the 'hunters' somehow manipulated the initial exploration. And considering the golden chains, it's possible they have some degree of control over this place—so we need to be extremely careful."
"You're right, Boss. We need to prepare."
Frank replied in a solemn tone, to which Erik nodded before checking the wooden bowls. Realizing he had managed to collect a decent amount of sap—and noticing the sun was starting to set—he quickly transferred it into a bowl that wasn't tied to the tree. Then, in a serious tone, he gave the order.
"Let's head back to the girls."
After a nod from Frank, Erik cut what looked like bamboo and lifted it using phantom hands, then returned to the camp. There they found Zoe unloading one of the five giant barrels Erik had made, while Elara was about to light a campfire, as the sunlight was fading.
"Erik, Frank, welcome back."
Seeing them, Zoe greeted them with a calm smile, but upon noticing Frank's expression—somewhere between excited and worried—she quickly asked with a serious tone.
"Did something happen?"
"More than something happening, with Ebonique's help, we came to a rather crazy speculation. But first, let's gather everyone." Erik said quickly, glancing at Elara, who was waving from a distance. Zoe nodded immediately and followed Erik to join Elara.
…
"It would be insane if that hypothesis turns out to be true."
After Erik had explained everything, with everyone sitting around the campfire and the last rays of sunlight fading, Elara commented, visibly shaken. She then added in an analytical tone.
"But we need to confirm or disprove it as soon as possible. We need various resources for potions, magical artifacts, and matrix formations, so if it turns out to be true, we can't afford to waste a single second—we need to gather as much as we can, or that basilisk will devour it all when it wakes up."
"I completely agree. Gathering is our top priority."
Zoe quickly said, still visibly shaken but doing her best to stay firm and serious. Then she added, looking at Erik, who seemed to be staring into the campfire, lost in thought.
"Erik, I suggest that while you and Elara focus on the cauldron and the mana and healing recovery potions—which are our most urgent needs—Frank and I split up with your wolves to explore the area and bring you samples. That way, we make the most of our time. What do you think?"
Upon hearing Zoe, Erik looked at her with a hint of admiration in his eyes, realizing why she had been the leader before him—able to make quick, logical decisions. At the same time, she made a conscious effort not to undermine his position as the leader of the group, wanting to avoid hurt feelings or unnecessary conflict.
"It's a good idea, but instead of looking for samples like Frank did before, it's better if we focus." Erik said in a calm tone, catching the others a bit off guard, as they looked at him in confusion. He quickly explained.
"This is because, even though we already have the ingredients, we're still missing things—like, for example, a suitable material to make the cauldron, salt, and other similar items. So tonight, I'll make a small list of what we're missing, their properties, what they look like, my theories on how they might be grouped, and so on—so you can focus your search.
"On another note, I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up too much. Even though we haven't encountered any direct threats so far, during his first 'walk,' Frank came across a Devourer Basilisk on the verge of waking up—so who knows what else is hiding here. It's better if the two of you form one group and search with the help of the wolves."
"You're right. In our current situation, any fight could be fatal—we need to play it safe." Elara nodded in agreement at Erik's words, while Zoe's smile twisted slightly, though she quickly composed herself and responded in a serious tone.
"Understood. Then we'll do it that way. But setting that aside for now, how are we organizing the watch for tonight?"
"Simple." Erik replied calmly and began assigning the order.
"Frank goes first, then Elara, then me, and finally Zoe. Three hours each. Also, Elara and Zoe will stay in the first shelter, and Frank and I will stay in the storage hut."
After a few more words, the group began planning how they would move the next day, then ate a bit more bear meat—finishing it completely. After all, they were all Ascended-level, with natural brute strength capable of lifting at least a hundred tons without much difficulty. The amount of nutrients their bodies required was immense.
…
…
…
Lying on a freshly made bamboo mat, Erik slept peacefully with Tiberius at his side, while Ebonique remained awake on the young man's chest, completely lost in her thoughts—searching for a way to get her beloved contractor out of the danger he was in without drawing the attention of that bastard collector.
But no matter how much she thought, nothing came to mind. Every possible path ended either with Erik in serious danger or with her revealing her presence in that place.
At that moment, Ebonique sensed the blonde-haired, green-eyed girl—who was supposed to be on watch. She turned to look at the doorway, where she saw the girl standing still, silently watching Erik, almost as if unsure of what to do. Just then, the starry-haired boy opened his eyes.
As she was lifted into her contractor's hands, Ebonique saw the girl's face flush deeply, her expression practically screaming that she was torn between running away and facing the situation. At that moment, Erik got up from the mat and walked to the doorway, where he quietly asked.
"Is something wrong?"
***
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