I still didn't know where my system had teleported me. The uncertainty gnawed at me; without knowing who owned this place, I could be in a lot of trouble. Yet, I felt a flicker of confidence, knowing I had reached the peak of the cultivation stage for someone my age.
While there wasn't a prescribed stage for ages, I meant the highest possible cultivation stage a person of my years could achieve. I'd heard of someone who, at just fifteen, had reached the Green Stage, but it appeared it was their bottleneck. A pitiful young prodigy who'd already met their limit.
As I left the cavern, I moved stealthily through the woods that greeted me. Every step was calculated, and every sound was suppressed. I cast a spell to make myself invisible and to cover myself with a soundproof barrier.
The woods were unfamiliar. Each direction seemed equally uncertain. I didn't know how to fly yet, or was it possible, so my only option to move faster was using the Boots of Aurora. However, even with a soundproof barrier, the rustling of grasses, leaves, and plants would still reveal my presence. So, I forgot the option of using the Boots of Aurora.
Running away outright wasn't an option. Despite the Boots of Aurora granting speed, they weren't the fastest artifact on record. And given that a prominent high noble likely owned this area—since only their likes had the capabilities to have cultivation grounds—I had to ensure I remained unnoticed.
The owner of this land could possess artifacts that far exceeded the speed of the Boots of Aurora. While the guards would be the first to notice me, there was no certainty the owner wouldn't join the chase. The thought of being caught in their web tightened my resolve. I needed to be invisible, a ghost moving through their domain.
After trekking through the woods for nearly an hour, I finally spotted a paved road ahead. Relief washed over me; I wouldn't be lost in an unknown forest anymore.
I still didn't know what I looked like, with no means to see my reflection, so venturing into a town or city without knowing my appearance would surely raise suspicion. Even though I wasn't a wanted person or a criminal, I still wanted to hide my existence.
Given my current condition, it was better to remain anonymous. My high cultivation stage and knowledge about cultivation bases could easily give me away. While detecting my mana core stage without artifacts was difficult, most trusted servants of high nobles had gauging artifacts as their cultivation base to support their master's family's cultivation. That could also give the possibility they used a different artifact as their cultivation base to see cultivation bases.
I might be overthinking, but it was for the best. Considering that a high noble owned this land and its cultivation grounds, there was a chance I could encounter their servants in the nearby town or city.
Minutes passed as I contemplated how to appear normal. I hadn't bathed for days, and my torn garments were a clear indication of my recent battles with my sister and the bird demi-human. Sighing, I realized my current attire, the Margaux Academy uniform, would draw attention. No guard would fail to recognize it.
After some thought, I finally devised a solution. I removed my uniform's coat, leaving only the basic white shirt underneath. It had some rips but wasn't as noticeable. My pants were still part of the Margaux Academy uniform, but without the coat, they were less conspicuous.
To avoid suspicion, I decided to pose as a victim of bandits who had joined a small group to reach the town. My story would be that I escaped from the bandits along with my group but got separated. My ruffled appearance would support this tale.
Now that I was free from the dense foliage, I could finally use the Boots of Aurora's ability. My only concern was how to activate it.
"Hey, system, how can I use the Boots of Aurora's ability if it's not my cultivation base but just something you're storing?"
[Storing it in your mana core, as I am your cultivation base, is akin to holding it. To activate the ability, you can use it with the same duration as a normal artifact, not as a cultivation base's ability.]
So, I could use the artifact's ability with limitations and a cooldown period since it wasn't truly part of my cultivation base, just stored within it. Not a bad deal.
The duration and cooldown of an artifact could be determined by using another artifact or manually by activating it to know its limits. Fortunately, I already knew the Boots of Aurora's stats: one minute of duration and a fifteen-minute cooldown. This was considered a decent balance for a unique artifact.
[You can visualize the activation of the artifact to use it.]
Following the system's guidance, I concentrated and felt the Boots of Aurora activating. As I followed the paved road, my speed increased dramatically. The surroundings blurred for a few seconds until my perspective adjusted, and I could see clearly again.
Using it as a stored artifact felt different compared to when it was my cultivation base. When it was a part of me, I could adjust instantly, as if stopping time. Now, it felt slower, but it was still impressive.
Artifacts as a cultivation base could draw out their full potential, though not a hundred percent, as extracting potential depended on the owner's innate ability or aptitude for the artifact. Nonetheless, owners would always receive the best offer from their artifacts.
After reaching top speed, a town came into view, forming at the end of the road ahead. Relief washed over me; I had reached a settlement with just one activation of the artifact. Although the artifact's ability had ended, and I wasn't quite at the town's gate, I could manage the rest on foot.
As I approached the gate, I recited the story I had concocted earlier. The guards bought it, allowing me to enter the town without suspicion. I didn't look too out of place, as being robbed by bandits was a common occurrence, especially for small groups.