The Martial Unity

1961 Departure

The two quickly packed up all their essential needs, restocking their supply of high-quality food pills from the Elder Tree, taking everything they needed for a long journey to the Mellow.

His stoic eyes slowly returned to the Elder Tree. "Once again, thank you for saving our lives."

What should have been a pleasant, warm expression of gratitude turned into what was almost an intense face-off.

"Thank you for telling us where the Divine Doctor went," Rui continued, devoid of warmth. "Thank you for bequeathing a millennium's worth of knowledge and experience with the biosphere of the Beast Domain."

…Thank you for knowledge from another world. The Elder Tree returned his gratitude. I look forward to you keeping your word in regard to aid from the Kandrian Empire.

"I will." Rui nodded slowly. "You know that."

I do. Be sure to plant a grove of connector tree species in the Kandrian Empire.

Rui nodded. "Well then. It's been…enlightening."

"Bye-bye!" Kane waved at the enormous tree. Good luck finding the Divine Doctor, and goodbye.

Kane's eyes widened as the Elder Tree transmitted a private message to him just before they were teleported out of the Garden of Salvation.

Look after him, Kane. He needs you. He needs you more than you realize.

WHOOSH!

magically shifted

of the Garden of Salvation. Rui narrowed his eyes sharply as his expression grew

message close to heart. He didn't fully understand what

understand what he could do to fix his friend. Or whether something could even

that he could be there

need to

North took three months. Wouldn't that mean

because I sucked as a

navigation skills

"Yes."

bother elaborating. However,

given him a map of the Beast Domain that

Adventurer Guild's map was not only useless, it was downright dangerous. Rui was hardly surprised that adventurers had the highest mortality rates among

Elder Tree's knowledge and his grandmother's prophecies, two extraordinary trump cards to not feel like he would die in the Beast Domain at

the journey was a lot safer than Kane had expected. They didn't run into countless ambushes or attacks and were rarely caught off-guard. For the first

and paths that efficiently avoided danger in the Beast Domain. They traveled at a far greater pace than Kane had ever imagined possible. Rui didn't talk much during the journey.

had yet to crack even a smile at anything not related to his Martial Art or his Martial Path. Not for lack of trying, Kane had tried his damndest to make

had undergone. Unsurprisingly, Rui became significantly more effective against beasts

BAM BAM BAM!

SPLAT!

contact with Rui's attacks,