"Just as I suspected; I can read parts of the blank pages."
Flipping through the pages rapidly with one hand, Mel found himself unable to stand still, pacing restlessly across the martial chamber. His eyes widened and narrowed in concentration, until—for reasons only he knew—he calmly walked to the edge of the stream and sat at the foot of the tree.
"My friend, I have news for you!"
He paused, remaining silent for a time, as though waiting for the tree to ask about his news.
"Our days in this forest are coming to an end, but do not worry; you can come with me if you want. We might never have to be apart again; the choice is yours!"
Mel lapsed into silence once more. In contrast, the tree he leaned against offered its answer by gently wrapping its branches around the young man.
"Ever since I stepped into the Deep Legacy, I earned the right to merge this cave into my Energy Palace. We have to start getting ready now!"
When Mel returned his gaze to the tome, he beheld the instructions for refining the cavern. The requirements were not complex, and he possessed the most vital element of all.
"Having the Dragon Bloodline is the main requirement; the rest are just materials needed to provide the energy!"
Over the span of two and a half years, Mel had amassed nearly a thousand beast cores, storing them as he remained ignorant of their purpose. Now was the time to harness them. Stepping outside the cavern, he began to construct a formation.
It was a five-pointed star formation, and at every juncture where two lines intersected, a small mound of beast cores was placed. Mel, positioning himself at the very center of the ten-mounded formation, sat cross-legged. A few moments later, he slit his wrists, allowing his blood to drip upon the mound of beast cores closest to him.
From that moment forth, the lines shaping the formation began to tremble, and before five seconds had elapsed, they released their stored energy straight into the heavens.
An exact replica of the symbol upon the earth manifested above the cavern; arcs of volatile energy began to bridge the two formations.
Mel maintained his composed posture, the wounds upon his wrists having already sealed. Judging by his demeanor, he was focusing his will on refining the cavern and assimilating it into his Energy Palace.
As the minutes passed, the energy arcs evolved into a tempest; within a ten-kilometer radius centered upon the cavern, the laws of nature were rewritten, and all natural order was inverted.
Mel was bare. To perform the ritual, the vessel representing the sacred dragon's physique had to be free of all impurities. The young man opened his eyes; a beam of coral-green light shot forth, merging with the tempest.
At that moment, profound changes occurred upon his back; beneath his shoulders, the intricate illustration of two dragon claws began to manifest. They appeared vibrantly alive; a keen observer would notice them shifting subtly.
"Return," Mel commanded with a roar.
A vortex materialized in the center of his chest, and the cavern, rapidly drawn into its pull, entered Mel's body and vanished.
As it faded into the void along with the tattoo upon his back, the formations blazing upon the earth and in the sky slowly dissipated.
Mel continued to stare blankly at the empty space where the cavern had once stood. He had spent the pivotal years of his life in this sanctuary. It was the haven he had cast himself into after countless brushes with death; while within its embrace, he always believed no harm could ever reach him.
"It's time to go. I have to follow Grandpa's instructions to reach the Profound Legacy!"
Donning a simple robe, he began to walk, turning his back to the setting sun and leaving the dense woods behind.
His physical cultivation had transcended the limits of mortal men. Though nearing his fourteenth year, Mel appeared no younger than seventeen. Resting a mere two hours each day, he pressed onward without pause.
On the night of the second day, he breached the borders of the forest, descending a sheer cliff to set foot upon a boundless plain.
Turning to gaze back, he realized that no one without a profound purpose would ever dare scale that precipitous ascent. Though he had scarcely noticed while descending, its peak seemed high enough to brush the clouds.
"My village, Grandpa, and my whole past are behind that giant cliff now; it's time to stay on the path in front of me. Wait for me, Green Shadow Academy!"
"Green Shadow Academy—the place Grandpa wanted me to find. He marked it on the map; I'm guessing I have a two-month journey ahead of me!"
When the young man opened the tome, a map spanning two pages revealed itself. Aside from the Green Shadow Academy encircled upon it, numerous names and symbols were etched across the parchment. In the bottom left corner, the words Forsaken Realm were inscribed in bold letters; the towering precipice he had just descended was depicted in the bottom right.
Observing this, he discovered that the village of his birth was located far from any other settlements. It was possible that mortals were oblivious to the existence of such a place. His grandfather must have chosen their village for that very reason; he was hiding, far away from everyone and the rest of humanity.
When night fell, he did not lose his way; the tome detailed the positions of the stars and the methods to read them. Near dawn, he sought to rest by entering a cavern. Every day, at the exact moment the night surrendered to the light, he observed his two hours of rest.
He stood at the cavern's entrance for a time; only after ensuring no draft of air flowed from within did he step inside. He walked, glancing about to find a flat wall to rest his back against, but the encompassing darkness hindered his search.
Suddenly, a glint caught his eye, and he threw himself to the right; Mel recognized this was no natural occurrence. A guttural snarl echoed immediately after, and he caught sight of a massive maw lunging toward his head.
Before his eyes could even acclimate to the darkness, he found himself under assault, evading the strikes by a hair's breadth relying upon his instincts.
"Ahhh!"
Mel groaned in pain as a colossal claw descended upon his arm. Throwing himself to the ground, he rolled until he struck a wall, but it was not merely solid stone he collided with. He felt something softer against his back; spinning around in panic, he could scarcely believe his eyes.
"So this is why!"
There were four cubs; with bodies the size of a one-year-old child, they stared up at him. Mel realized what had transpired; he had unwittingly intruded upon someone's domain.
"Don't worry; I won't hurt your cubs!"
A pitch-black shadow, foaming at the mouth, materialized merely a step before him. Its fur-clad frame towered over three meters high, and the claw that had wounded him moments ago was four times the size of a mortal's hand.
The beast unleashed a roar brimming with lethal intent; its massive jaws gaped wide, coiled to rip Mel's head from his shoulders at any given breath.
"I said, I won't hurt your cubs!"
Seeing that the peril had not subsided, the young man repeated his words, but this time, he unleashed his own martial intent. The fur-clad beast took a step back; the energy radiating from the human—who was but half its size—triggered its primal instincts.
Observing his adversary yield, Mel slowly rose to his feet, stepping away from the cubs and retreating toward the cavern's entrance. Upon stepping outside, he saw that the garment covering his right arm was torn to shreds; the laceration had sliced through his flesh and reached the muscle.
"We entered the Killing Cycle, but you had a good reason. I'll spare you today!"
Descending from the rocky terrain to the plains, he cast off his ruined upper garment, retrieved one of the restorative herbal brews from his Spatial Ring, and poured it over his open wound. Merely two seconds later, wisps of vapor began to rise from his arm. Flesh rapidly mended the fissure, and the tissue surrounding the wound returned to its natural hue.
Binding the laceration, he donned a light tunic. The sun was approaching its zenith, and upon the vast plains, there was nowhere left to hide from its gaze.