Aghh, forget it.
After thinking about it for a while, I realized that there was nothing that could be done either way.
There was no point in me feeling guilty towards the deaths of those people; I had no control over it. Not to mention, it even can't be confirmed I was the cause, so I just brushed it off. Better not to lose sleep over something out of my hand.
Standing back, I saw the changes in my body.
My skin had become paler, adding to my unsettling beauty. Also, the cuts on my body had vanished courtesy of my new vampiric healing I presume.
Hmm, that's right. I should test my enhanced physical capabilities.
Following a brief deliberation, I decided to link my botched mirror in the mirror realm to the outside world. Inside, there was really no way to test my gains besides doing like 300 push-ups which I thought would be boring.
Around a few minutes later, the portal was formed as the mirror stopped reflecting my visage and showed the expanse of a dense forest.
Taking a deep breath, I put a foot through the portal.
The sensation was strange in its absence. No pressure, no resistance. Just the feel of stone beneath my boot, as if I'd stepped through an ordinary doorway rather than another dimension.
I poked my head through and quickly glanced at the surroundings, wary of possible beings on the other side.
Unfortunately, my Echoed Vision didn't come in handy at this moment. I could only share vision from the reflection on the lake, which looked straight up, telling me nothing.
Wait… the fact the water is the only reflection I can see through means there's nothing on the other side!
If there were, I'd be able to see through their eyes.
With the way cleared, I entered back to the real world.
The portal soon disappeared behind me, and I immediately felt weak under the rays of the setting sunlight.
It wasn't severely debilitating. Rather, it was extremely uncomfortable, like I had a light constant fever mixed with muscle weakness.
Quickly, I stepped under the cool shade of a tree and the effects alleviated just as swiftly as it came.
Then, I was met with a difficult decision: do I create an umbrella to shield me from the sunlight or just tank it?
You may think it should be obvious for me to hide away from the sun, but will I always have that luxury?
If a fight under the sun is inevitable and I'm still like a cat in water to the sun, what will I do?
Thus, I believe it was wiser for me right now to just endure the sun as is to build up my tolerance. It was just the fading rays, so it was a good starting point.
Taking a glance at the sky, a stark observation struck my mind.
Where is the smoke?!
The sky was empty.
I was going to use it to make my way back to the remains of the caravan, but it seemed too much time had passed. The smoke had already faded.
…What the hell should I do?
The question plagued me again, but I was calmer than before. Back then, I'd been cornered, weak, and alone in monster territory.
Now, I had greater strength and plenty of tools to help me survive; however, what would be my overarching goal?
I pondered while looking at the sky and lake. Then, my eyes lit up.
The sun!
The sun always sets to the west, the direction back to the Vance Empire, and rises in the east, the way to the Etern Empire.
I can use it to find my way to either empire!
Hmm… Do I go back?
That was probably the smarter choice, even as a Spiritbound with a Primordial spirit, I don't have much faith I can make it to Etern by my lonesome— wait… didn't the Reflection Primordial warn me against going back?
Ah, it's probably because of the wolf pack I realized.
There's no telling whether they're still off migrating or settled in their new territory behind me, blocking my way to Edgelorn.
If I trek back, by the time I spot them, it might be too late to turn back around.
Although, that may just be some mental gymnastics on my end because the more I think about journeying to Etern, the more it excites me.
I've always wanted to do this kind of thing after all.
The only thing shackling me was confidence towards making the journey from doubt in my abilities.
Walking in circles around a tree, I eventually convinced myself of the decision: I was going to trek towards Etern.
Currently, I was in a forest with hills ahead. Then, there would be mountains followed by plains before eventually reaching the Estern Empire.
I would use the time now in the forest and hills to gather sufficient food and water for the march through the mountains. There should be plenty of Awakened beasts in these areas to hunt for food and I was right by a lake.
Clothes weren't an issue as I had packed a lot of all types in my ring.
The routing also shouldn't be an issue.
Once I get to the hills, I can use the vantage point to find my way back to the main route used by the caravan and other adventurers.
And that was another point—I may possibly meet fellow travelers who I could borrow the strength of.
It wouldn't be unlikely to stumble upon some. After all, it was the middle of May, perfect weather for a several week trip.
With my Echoed Vision, I was an incredible scout. And not to mention, I had a storage ring which would greatly help with… well, storage. I'm sure it'll come in handy.
So, I'm confident some may allow me to tag along.
There was also my access to the Mirror Realm, which was the absolute perfect shelter during turbulent weather or just to spend the night, but, I fear showing an ability like that was too catching; I doubt many abilities of that nature have appeared through history thus, I believe it'd be wiser for me to just conceal it.
Inhaling a deep breath, I stretched once more, preparing to set off.
A/N: Okay, I just realized that the compass app on phones works offline; lets just forget about that for now!