Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 924 Mild Exploration

Skullius was stunned.

The moment he, Darwel and Sevill exited the mansion and were met with the blissful night, he felt as though he had entered a Cluster.

The humidity and the shockingly soothing sound of the tall falls, dropping into the surrounding waters like pristine, sacred cloud, was all too abrupt of a change from the calm of the mansion.

Indeed, Skullius couldn\'t see it all, but that was the point.

His other keen senses hadn\'t noticed the sounds or a glimpse of the environment outside at all. His best guess had been that they were in the middle of lush forest, which was a stereotype that ended being... mostly untrue.

The three falls, called the Wonderfall Torrents by the Sif, were no ordinary geological features. The waters they carried had incredibly valuable properties such as the ability to heal, to ward away harmful intent in any objects or living creatures, and they influenced the minds and souls of whoever was contact with them.

Additionally, the falls were as noisy as Skullius expected, but while within the area of their effect, it was impossible to hear anything but a distinct, almost distant-sounding hum.

"Remarkable..." Skullius said.

Darwel wore a radiant smile.

As did Sevill.

From the entrance to the mansion, which was nothing but a large, arched frame made from tough, neatly woven roots, a platform of dry, straight stone led through the misty humidity, towards a distant destination that was, as of yet, obscured rather tenaciously.

Skullius\' [Greatest Mana Manipulation] couldn\'t penetrate the mist to see past it.

After a few more failed tries, he relented.

He might as well let Darwel lead and follow.

It wasn\'t a bad thing to sightsee in the meantime, was it?

The trio walked over the stone platform – much like bridge – which glinted with shine, though untouched by the moisture.

"This is the Wonderfall Torrents. It\'s my own little slice of Opungale. Honestly, the mansion is the least impressive highlight. I\'m sure you can already tell that there\'s rich mana here and the waters from above are not so ordinary," Darwel said proudly.

"Your own slice, huh? Interesting. It does seem relaxing and extravagant. Fitting for a princess..." Skullius said.

Darwel twisted her lips.

"I\'ve always tried to not appear as if I\'m some kind of spoiled brat. Your tone suggests that you still think of me as one," she said, pouting.

.cοm "Well, you are quite sheltered in my opinion. But that doesn\'t have to be a bad thing," Skullius chuckled. "By the way, is this water the equivalent of a healing potion?"

"It\'s better. More versatile, I should say. Rather than a potion, it\'d be more apt to say it is like blessed waters with a wide range of uses. It can better both living and non-living objects. We use it for cooking as well. You might want to have a meal cooked with it. It\'s delicious. Even someone like you would enjoy it."

Sevill recoiled at Darwel\'s playfully sharp look which accompanied her words.

"You\'re taking a crack at me now?" Skullius said.

Soon, the three saw the end of the white obscurity.

A wide path with rich, reddish-brown soil made a straight trail forward, with massive trees that made unending rows on either sight making their presence known with an absurd, nigh uniform, green vibrance.

The coos, caws, and crawls of animals were in abundance despite their sources being hidden behind collections of thick trunks. They made rhythmic noises that were almost as soothing as the bellows of falls, which, now that Sevill, Skullius and Darwel were out of the range, were annoyingly loud.

The vivaciousness of the animals living within the thick forest didn\'t inspire anything but appreciation.

It was an odd feeling to Skullius.

To him, forests were associated either with bandits or malicious beasts.

Because of that...

"Is this some kind of Sacred Forest?" he asked.

"No. It\'s just a normal kind of forest. I helped groom it. Many strong creatures do come to live within it though," Darwel replied. "I call it the Wicker Forest."

Skullius expanded his senses and felt the massive expanse and its inhabitants proudly boasting their mess of liveliness.

Yet...

No.

After the setting of the Royale, it was impossible for Skullius to completely relax around large bales of forestry.

Thankfully, the long road which didn\'t entertain many changes this night, slowly branched while the rows on either side of him thinned considerably.

The trees grew sparse, as did the grasses, but in no way did that suggest that the green came to end.

Skullius felt the presence of thousands of Sif in the area that opened up before them.

He frowned.

"What is this?" he asked curiously.

The things standing before him were oddly... odd.

Darwel was amused by his reaction.

"When I said we understand nature, I meant it," she said.

Perhaps the El Sif princess had truly described that well.

Tens of thousands of shelters were erected ahead, but instead of being built of processed wood, or brick, they were made of well... living, intact trees.

Absurdly thick trees wound themselves into feature shapes bloated enough to house tens of Sif in lower or upper decks; or perhaps in one grounded stretch of space.

The leaves and branches spun and grew to form decorative aspects on the exterior or to create bushy roofs that would protect or open when necessary to let more sun and air in.

The most impressive structure Skullius discovered was a great tower woven out of spiralling roots that had a beautiful tan to them, rock solid and with a consistent dotted pattern. Sorts of golden, glowing fruits were hung from each twist of root, casting an immense glow on the smaller houses around.

From the great presence of mana and other energies Skullius couldn\'t fully comprehend, he could tell that this stalwart structure, which featured Sif going in and out at its bottom, was a checkpoint of sorts with quite the impressive defensive functions.

The amount of activity surrounding it also suggested that the masses were not oblivious to the danger that was afoot.

While many could be seen interacting peacefully in their homes, or taking walks in the neatly demarcated pathways that seemed more like complex arrays from above, their unrest was palpable to Skullius.

"This is beautiful..." the Hybrid Luman said as he came to a stop.

Darwel smiled, following suit.

"It is. And it never changes. The people. The homes. It\'s so comforting to see it all continue like this," she said.

She quite liked coming down here to look at the people from afar or to interact with them. Over the years, she had explored every single house in this small settlement, getting to know everyone who lived within it.

"Hmmm," Skullius nodded. "What\'s that river?"

Cutting across a rather spacious, winding plot within the settlement was a great body of extraordinarily clear water. A great number of people converged towards it or sat beside it, some even bowing.

"It\'s no mere river. It\'s the presence of Listafelle herself," Darwel said heavily, with hints of reverence.

Skullius nodded once more.

Right.

Where there was the Purity was heavily involved in Feinheath, preaching the doctrine of three Deities, Opungale was devoted to one Deity in particular.

Listafelle of the oceans and seas.

Ah, but it made sense.

The figures looking gloomily and hopefully into the clear water which looked deceptively like that from a spring...

Their devotion was coming into play once again.

They hoped to be saved.