Aboriginals...
Lucian mused as he looked at the footsteps and inhaled their scent.
Humanoid footsteps like these could either belong to humans, humanoid forest demons, barbarians, or apes.
However, Lucian knew the distinct smell of an aboriginal.
They were a humanoid group who didn't belong to any of the sects and had chosen to live in the forest instead of the city.
Commonly referred to as aboriginals in the Dmitriv Realm, Lucian had read about them in the sect's records.
He had also heard of a rumour from the sect that there was an aboriginal clan just behind the sect, but he hadn't believed it at the time.
Now, however, he was reminded of it.
The existence of an aboriginal clan could mean two things.
One, there was a river or, at least, a clean source of water nearby. Aboriginals only settled in forests where there was water.
This gave him some joy, as he currently stank and was covered in dirt.
A good bath would go a long way in helping him maintain the last vestiges of humanity he had left.
The second thing their presence signified was less danger and no anomalies in the area.
If there were, the aboriginals wouldn't be nearby.
Their presence gave Lucian a bit of security in the forest, and thankfully, the aboriginals didn't take all the fruit from the trees.
Enough was left for him to survive for a few days.
Quickly, he got to walk, wanting to move toward a branch of fruit, but his arms were too weak, and he had no weapons.
He didn't bend; he could only pluck them one by one.
After picking enough, he took a wild leaf and used it to wrap the fruit. Then, Lucian left the area as swiftly as he could.
Less than a few seconds later, a group of towering figures appeared in the area, their huge, hairy noses flaring as they sniffed the air.
"An invader has been here!" one of the men said in a thick voice.
Another one bent to the ground, his hand touching the small footsteps that were dwarfed by their own large footprints.
The hairy man picked up some dirt, brought it close to his nose, and sniffed. "It's a human! An ordinary one, and very young too..." he said, rising to his feet.
The trio looked in the direction where the footsteps disappeared into the distance.
"Should we follow?"
---
Less than an hour later, Lucian arrived before a humongous tree.
He had chosen this one among hundreds due to its wide branches, which would prevent anyone below from seeing the top.
That way, he would be able to avoid the gaze of predators.
With practiced precision, Lucian quickly raced up the tree, the large leaf of fruit wrapped around his back.
Although he was weak and had no cultivation, he had experience climbing trees.
It was part of his sect work, which required him to scale tree tops to retrieve important herbs.
That was his job in the sect, and it had made him familiar with the wildlife behind it.
Living like a monkey for the next few days didn't bother him.
He soon reached the top of the tree, balancing on a sturdy branch
He immediately grabbed five pieces of fruit and devoured them, satisfying his hunger.
A few minutes of silence helped him calm his mind as he reviewed the information he had read in the scrolls and learned from the sect about awakening.
With a loud exhale, Lucian began.
He took off his necklace, tore the chains off the stone, and placed it to the side. Then he put the stone in his right palm.
Silence reigned for a while before Lucian closed his eyes, his breathing pattern changing.
It was the breathing technique taught to him by the sect, designed to lower one's connection with the outside world and focus entirely on the ethereal.
The silence of the forest covered the area as Lucian went deeper and deeper into a half-conscious state, and soon, the feeling came—the ethereal sensation of his soul leaving his body.
One could compare the feeling to creating a special body with special eyes.
Lucian allowed the feeling to envelop him, using it to search for something within.
The process was slow and incredibly difficult, but he persisted.
His reward came when he finally found his Magus Core!
To Lucian's surprise, it was located in the last place he expected—his forehead!
The Magus Core was usually found in a person's dantian, a place just below the navel.
It was the first thing one must visualize before binding it to their artifact.
Lucian had spent close to seven hours trying to locate his core within his dantian but had found nothing.
All he saw was a pitch-black space, which he had no idea what to make of.
But he knew it wasn't his Magus Core.
Then, as he moved his awareness through his body, he reached his head.
"A Magus Core in the forehead? I've never heard of that before!" Lucian thought, but he had no time to dwell on it.
Right now, he was feeling a splitting headache and needed to awaken his core as fast as possible.
The moment he saw the core, he could make out a dull golden hue.
Lucian frowned at the strange color, but quickly moved forward and placed his ethereal hand on top of the ball.
Touching it, his face changed to horror and quickly he tried stopping the process but then...
VROOOOOOOMMM
Instantly, a bright flash of light pulsed forth from his Magus Core, shattering Lucian's perception.
The next thing he knew, he was falling from the tree, and then crashing into the ground—unmoving!
It had been less than a few minutes later when a total of three large legs appeared close to Lucian's head, casting large shadows over his Unconscious body.