The burnt part of the forest stretched further than August could see.
Every last tree had been scorched to the ground, turning the entirety of the visible forest into something of an expensive, ashen plain. It was devoid of any life from what he could tell, but even then, he didn't want to take any chances in this God forsaken hell.
So he walked through it with caution, not wanting to go too far away from the entrance of the cave in case danger was to come by it. Although, he got so lost in the scenery he seemed to forget about that notion soon after.
'I wonder if it's because that thing is gone, buy the air does seem to be…more fresh.'
Maybe that was the reason, he had killed an Apex predator, what more could he have to fear? So for the moment, he let himself enjoy the wonder he found here.
He squinted at the bright light of the sky, and prayed for a few giant birds to blot it out.
August suddenly recounted the description the organizer would give him for most items. He small explanation of gave whenever he wanted to know something, and he began to wonder just how much that applied to.
He looked down at his armor and called upon the organizer, within moments the lavender screen swirled into existence.
____
"Memory Of A Deceased Foe"
"Armor. "
"This piece was created by the collector after a battle with his first true enemy, in which he emerged victorious. Forged from the plates of a beast that relied on defense, this piece is truly unshakable, for for the most dangerous of expeditions."
"Skill"
"Passive skill: Unbreaking; this armor is incredibly sturdy and cannot be broken by many."
—---
August read the description then nodded slowly and raised an eyebrow.
'So my items can have skills too? So then what about the others.'
He quickly dismissed the lavender screen and called for one of his swords, snatching it by the hilt and asking the organizer to show him the description.
—----
"ERROR: No description found"
—----
August stared at the error message, too defeated to even punch the lavender screen.
'It's almost like… it enjoys this.'
Though he was immensely frustrated by it, these weapons lacking abilities wasn't all that surprising. Most were born from powerless beasts and people who failed the crossing.
The two legacy molds however, they were born from two extraordinary existences, Apex predators who ruled the land without equal.
Which made him wonder about what would come from the [White Lion's Legacy]
August had not wanted to use it for anything just yet, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to not. The thought of the blue flames that could burn miles of a forest and the overwhelming power that could come with it was almost too much to resist.
But, that was still only almost.
He returned the sword to the inventory and summoned a small handful of berries.
He had many, enough to feed both Alia and him for probably an entire month even without rationing them. Yet, that was only a month, only god knows how long they would be spending in the dark forest.
They had to leave, August knew it well. The forest was becoming more and more hospitable for the two of them, and that frightened him much more than anything else he could imagine.
He had never had the confidence to take a walk in this place, and now he was standing around without anything to provide him cover. August had not even been concerned with the thought of a few reptilian birds attacking him.
The fresh air and cool winds that blew through the forest were starting to feel like home. He was slowly becoming a part of this vast ecosystem, and growing father apart from his humanity.
He had not even concerned himself with looking for his brother, and that was what tore him up the most.
He found himself thinking about whether his brother was alright. He did not allow himself to linger on the worst case scenario, but even so….
"Hart, are you doing alright out there?"
He shook his head and chuckled, of course he was, Hart was his brother of course.
Suddenly, August saw a yellow screen pop up in front of him.
Then, without warning, there was an explosive sound coming from the cave.
By now, August had walked a mile or two away from the cave, a good enough distance that it would even take his weapon firing a few seconds to get across. So the sight before him was an outrageous one.
Alia had shot out from the cave mere seconds ago, yet she was already halfway across the distance, and that gap was closing, fast.
The red haired girl turned and skidded to a stop on the ashen black ground mere feet away from him. She had run two miles in less than ten seconds.
"Woah! That was almost slower than I thought it would be!" She smiled at him.
His jaw was almost on the floor at this point, not only because of the girl's speed, but the fact she claimed she thought she could go faster.
"Soooooooo, what do you think?" She asked him, still smiling.
August finally allowed his surprise to dissipate and regained his composure, looking at what Alia had created for herself.
She seemed to have made a full plate set of turquoise armor. From top to bottom, she was covered in glimmering blueish green metal with golden trim, making her look quite fearsome.
Or was the word he was looking for elegant?
If it wasn't covered in brown dirt and grime, the armor would have been quite the stark contrast with her fiery red hair. Not to mention a beautiful compliment to her fair skin.
Satisfied with what she had done with his Aura Mold, August nodded.
"Looks pretty good, seems very heavy though, with all that metal."
She looked at herself and shrugged then replied.
"Well, after recovering I got a really significant boost tp my physical ability, so I thought I could handle it, it is a bit stifling though, so I'll keep it like this instead."
Suddenly there was a flash of blue light, forcing August to look away.
When he looked back at her, Alia was wearing a turquoise cropped sweater with long sleeves, and a pair of baggy blue jeans.
He nodded understandingly, then stared at her blankly and said.
"You really like crop tops don't you?"
She smiled angrily and gave him a special finger in response.
He decided not to press the matter any further. Then turned to stare out into the distance.
"So," Alia started after dropping the finger "when do we leave?"
Be couldn't help but grin, she was already thinking about getting out of the dark forest, and honestly, he couldn't blame her. Even if this place was becoming more hospitable, there was no reason to believe that would last forever. There was also the matter of finding civilization– which they couldn't pull off whilst stuck in the forest.
Besides, there was no better time than the present, right?
He stared out into the distance, where the sun had begun to set, bathing the world in orange light. Then looked at his companion and grinned.
"I was thinking, no better time than now?"
She rolled her eyes at him.
"It's gonna be dangerous." she said.
"We can handle it." he replied.
"We might die." She responded to him, a smile budding on her face.
"Tch, we're living beings, those die all the time." He shrugged.
"Well then," she burst out into a full grin "catch me if you can August!"
And then the redhead took off into the distance.
He simply shook his head and summoned one of his lances in firing mode, grabbing it as it shot off.
It was time to go.