He asked a few more questions before he left. He also told him about the friend who saw the Ghost Fla clan.
He needed a guide who could tell exactly where he saw them; otherwise, it would be difficult to find the secret realm, as so secret realms are difficult to find if they are hidden in a deep void. It can be difficult even for him who understood the space rule.
Vallan nodded, reluctantly yet honestly. "Yes... I rember him. His na is Felrick Valeheart — a veteran ranger and explorer. Felrick stumbled upon the Ghostly Fla Clan’s traces nearly a year ago. He barely made it back alive."
He turned back toward Vallan. "Where can I find him?"
Vallan pressed his knuckles against the wooden armrest of his seat. "He lives in a small cabin near the base of the Twin Claws Peaks, just a half day’s ride west from here."
Apollo nodded. "Thank you for your candour. I will pay him a visit."
After that, they imdiately left, not wanting to waste more ti, as he wanted to quickly figure it out.
With a rush of power, he and his guardian disappeared from Seafork City, reappearing high above the barren slopes near the Twin Claws Peaks — where Felrick Valeheart, the solitary ranger, made his refuge.
There was a small town, and they quickly arrived there. After asking the people from town, they found the place where Felrick stayed.
It was a solitary cabin that stood — its windows shuttered, its wooden fence fallen in places, and its stones grown thick with moss.
The mont Apollo drew close, a pair of piercing yellow eyes glimred from a crack in the shutter, then disappeared. Felrick Valeheart knew soone had co.
Apollo paused, letting silence settle, as early on he had already noticed him. "Felrick Valeheart... I wish to speak with you."
Felrick didn’t imdiately co out, as he was alert and suspicious of their identity. But before he could say or figure out sothing, the space around him trembled.
And the next mont he was outside his place, standing right in front of Apollo.
"What the F**k!"
His grip tightened on the hilt of the short sword at his side — a reflex forged by years of paranoia — but he forced it to ease.
He turned slowly, reluctantly, until his piercing yellow eyes t Apollo’s calm, unfazed gaze.
Apollo stood with his hands casually at his back, his aura contained to a minimum, yet Felrick could feel its imnse pressure just beneath the surface — a pressure that made his knees weak and his pulse accelerate.
He swallowed, a nervous tremor creeping into his voice. "Who...who are you? How... "How did you do that?"
Apollo kept his tone calm, yet firm. "I co with no ill intent. I wish to speak with you... about the Ghostly Fla Clan. I hear you may know sothing that could aid in my search."
He paused, then added quietly, "Your cooperation might spare you needless trouble — or bring you rewards you hadn’t yet considered."
He had already seen through this Felrick guy’s strength; he was just a third-rank limit breaker. Any potion or natural treasure can be like divine help for soone like him.
"You just have to lead to the place where you saw the Ghostly Fla clan, and I will reward you greatly. And don’t think we had any other intention, as with your strength you wouldn’t have any chance if we wanted to hurt you."
Apollo’s words fell upon Felrick with the weight of a thunderclap, but he also knew this was the truth.
Felrick tightened his grip on his short sword, knuckles whitening, then slowly forced himself to ease up.
He drew in a shaky breath and nodded. "I... I appreciate your frankness."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I’m not a man who likes trouble. All I want is peace — a chance to survive in these barren lands. If you’re offering a reward and you spare ... I’ll show you the path to where I stumbled upon the Ghostly Fla Clan."
He turned reluctantly, retrieving a small leather pouch from his belt. Inside, a piece of a map — a scrap of parchnt with shaky lines and marked landmarks — fell into his grip. Felrick held it up.
"I made this after I... saw them. The way there is confusing — a labyrinth of canyons, caves, and runic formations. Without soone who’s been there, you may lose yourself."
He darted a nervous glance back at Apollo. "I will give it to you... but I want a reward of natural treasure that can help understand wind law. Anything less, and I’d be a fool."
Apollo naturally accepted the map and imdiately gave Felrick a natural treasure to improve his understanding. As for checking the map, he didn’t think much of it; if a third rank can limit a breaker and can fool a true god like himself, then he deserves it.
Felrick turned the shimring box over in his hands — its surface glimring faintly with elental traces of wind — and felt a rush of pure, elental understanding seep into his core. His grip tightened, knuckles whitening in disbelief.
A natural treasure related to the Wind Law — sothing he’d spent decades praying for — fell into his lap as casually as a rchant drops a copper coin.
He swallowed, forcing down the nervous lump in his throat. "I... I thank you, Lord."
He slipped the box safely into a pouch, close to his heart, then turned back, but the mont he looked back, the people had already disappeared.
Felrick drew a shaky breath. "Gone... just like that."
On the other side, Apollo and the leader of his guards already appeared at the place on the map. And the mont they appeared, they felt the peculiarities of this place.
It was indeed a tricky place, although it wasn’t dangerous for them, but they could feel a special power that seed to be covering the entire land, making even their spiritual sense disrupt.
"It’s... disrupted." Apollo spoke quietly, his voice firm yet cautious. "So kind of ancient formation. Or a manifestation of a powerful domain."
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