The train-like vehicle was suddenly illuminated as it began to rise. Passengers began to buckle their belts as Kharon did the same. Kharon listened as a voice counted down from three. He braced himself, as the vehicle moved at supersonic speeds.
'I was expecting it to be faster. At this rate, we should be arriving in less than ten seconds... if I am right about our destination. Once I go into the Heartlands Forest... I am not fully sure what I will do. I can follow the map, but the area I marked is quite wide. Plus there is the threat of a tier 4 beast attacking me.'
Kharon watched as several lights flashed by. The dark runes inscribed gave off a faint shimmer as Kharon analysed them. Their various shapes and formations caught his eye as he was reminded of something familiar.
'These runic formations look somewhat familiar. Was it in the Hollow Syndicate or somewhere else that I saw them? A lot of concealment and illusion runes. The Arcane Association would struggle to find this place, but it wouldn't be impossible. They really aren't interested in finding the Underground. Maybe they already have.'
A faint tap took Kharon from his thoughts as he turned towards Luke. The young man was going through his bag as he stood up. He looked down at Kharon as he said, "We are here. Aren't you getting off?"
Hearing this, Kharon sprung up as he thanked Luke. He slowly followed Luke as they stepped out of the vehicle and into a dark space. A few meters ahead, was the end of the tunnel. It had a massive sigil which contained hundreds of runes, each one playing a seemingly small, yet vital role.
'That is... beautiful. The time and effort put into this is quite commendable. And the precision... down to the smallest millimeter. My work is far from being this detailed or as precise. But I am sure I can get to this level.'
Noticing Kharon's gaze, Luke approached as he said, "Are you familiar with the workings of arcana?"
"I am. I had a few lessons with a teacher who showed me quite a few things. So I can understand how much work was put into this. Do you understand the basic usages of arcana as well?"
Luke scratched his head as his eyes darted around the tunnel. His face turned a bit red as he said, "Not at all. I have never gotten to learn arcana. Let alone see it being used. At least I still get to admire works such as this. Maybe in the future, arcana will be more accessible. It can be quite dangerous, and there are people who may use it for harm. But it doesn't mean everyone will misuse it."
'I understand where he is coming from... But arcana is a tricky and very dangerous power. One wrong move is all it takes. And there are many people who wouldn't hesitate to use it for evil. It should be more accessible to those who work hard and show a natural aptitude for it. Their family's wallet shouldn't matter.'
Kharon tapped Luke on the back as they walked up to a queue. The hunters were all let out as they stepped into a wide platform. After everyone had boarded it, the platform quickly began to ascend. They slowly moved upwards for over a minute before the platform came to a sudden halt.
Everyone stepped off as they all marched towards a wide opening like an orderly army. Seeing this, Kharon whispered, "It's like they share a mind. How are they so orderly?! Aren't they all from different guilds and factions?"
Luke chuckled as he replied, "They are just very experienced. It's second nature to them. When you spend most of your day hunting and need to use the Underground's exit, you get used to it. As for what you mean by guilds and factions is beyond me. There are guilds which pay illegal hunters for any beasts or creatures they bring back. But it doesn't mean that hunters are loyal to one."
"Then what is the point of these guilds in the first place? Why not have a main governing body like the Association who pay for essence beasts and arcane creatures...?"
"This is the Underground. People try to lie and cheat their way into being rich. Unless you are very powerful and people find you to be trustworthy; then uniting the different factions would be difficult. The guilds are owned by either people with money or power. They tend to use the material for things such as armour and weapons. Or they sell it to the Association through under the table deals."
'So the Arcane Association isn't incorruptible. I thought they were somehow unable of making mistakes.'
Kharon laughed, receiving strange looks from a few hunters. But as they looked at him, they quickly turned back. Seeing this, Luke gave Kharon an inquisitive look. Noticing Luke's curiosity, Kharon explained, "I was the one who caused a commotion back in the Underground."
Luke's face remained blank for a few seconds as they realisation set in. His eyes began to widen as he looked at Kharon and blurted out, "Y-you are the Hollow Scion?!"
"Not anymore no. That title is dead."
"So are the rumours true...? You left the Hollow Syndicate and took half of its members with you?"
Kharon facepalmed as he said, "I did leave the Syndicate. But I only took a single member with me! Only one... Yet they whisper like I emptied the Syndicate."
The air turned a little colder as some people began to shiver. Kharon quickly restrained his emotions as the temperature returned to normal. Luke slightly nudged Kharon as he said, "Regardless of if you took one member, or a hundred it's still impressive. The Hollow Syndicate is notorious for not letting its members leave. The only way was to die on a mission. And even then most members are quite loyal to the Hollow King."
"You are right about that. He is quite a fearsome leader. Most people tend to faint in his presence. Standing next to him is a mission on its own. Especially when he had his armour on."
'Even now I don't know why he had his armour on. He didn't look tired on that day. A fight might have broken out, but with who? Only a tier 3 wielder or someone stronger can challenge the Hollow King. Why did I only think of this now though? Is my mind still being tampered with? The Hollow King, my winged self, the lady in my dream, all these people. Has their influence permanently damaged my mind?!'
A bright light caught Kharon's attention as he saw a door. It was vast and outside of it, was a lush, green clearing. All the hunters stepped out as the sun engulfed their bodies. Some covered themselves while others welcomed the sun's presence.
Taking note of the time, Kharon looked toward Luke as he said, "I guess our paths diverge here. We will definitely see each other later. I wish you luck."
Saying this, Kharon began to walk away when Luke held his hand. The familiar feeling of being stopped made Kharon turn around quickly as he heard Luke say, "Just so you know, you should try to arrive back before sunset. Security is a lot higher during the night and members of the Association always patrol the edge of the forest. Good luck with your mission. And I am certain we will meet once more."
He smiled brightly at Kharon as they went their separate ways. Kharon immediately looked at his bracelet as an image of a map came up. He looked around as he noticed he was alone save from a small group who seemed to be reviewing a plan.
Kharon's body quickly turned incorporeal as he lifted himself with Hidden Hand. He flew through the forest as his body phased through trees. A steady stream of aether surrounded him as he activated True Sight.
'Being able to phase through things with weaker aether signatures is useful; fully assimilating with your essence core seems to allow you to break minor rules. And using True Sight while simultaneously flying isn't as hard, I can even keep my eyes open. Limiting my range won't alert any beasts. And it is a lot easier to maintain in a small radius. It will take some time before I can truly master this technique. But I still have some time. Even if it isn't long.'
The images of countless trees zoomed past Kharon's view as his purple eyes pierced through the forest. He watched as beasts roamed around the forest in search of prey. Their heads quickly rolled off as their carcasses flew up. Kharon stored them into his bag as he continued.
'Hidden Hand works on even more objects now. But I could already use it on multiple targets after reaching tier 4... It doesn't make a difference. I just need to remain focused. The entrance should be close by. I can sense it. This area feels familiar.'
Kharon slowed down as he descended. His legs reached the ground as he looked around. Suddenly a vine shot towards him. He watched as it approached, inch by inch. A smile crept onto his face as he caught it in his hands and said excitedly.
"You have grown since the last time I was here. Haven't you...?"