Liam stored the meat and the souls of the thunder wolves before proceeding to move away from the area. He ventured a mile further inside but after that, he did not proceed forward.
"We will be setting up camp here," Liam informed Elira.
The elven girl nodded in agreement.
There was a small river not too far from them which provided a water source and the thick and dense trees all around them were more than enough to provide shelter for the two of them.
"This place should be relatively safer but don't let your guard down. Stay close to me at all times." Liam warned the young girl.
He then closed his eyes and started meditating, inhaling the abundant mana all around him.
From the basic information Elira had gathered from here and there back in the small elven establishment, Liam learned a few ways to use the abundant nature essence all around them to heal his body little by little.
Liam had never tried this before but it wasn't that difficult to comprehend. While nether reeked of death and decay, nature essence reeked of life force.
His senses pulsed in rhythm with the natural world, reaching out to tap into the life force that ebbed and flowed through the forest.
His skin felt as if kissed by a warm, gentle breeze, his tired muscles rejuvenated and his broken body breathed with ease.
The essence seemed to find his points of weakness, his injuries, and his drained energies, wrapping them in an almost maternal cocoon of vitality. It did not heal him in any way but it provided a momentary relief before the stinging pain returned.
By now the pain of mana and nether clashing against each other in his body had already become something dull like background noise.
Perhaps for someone else, it would have been an unbearable pain but thanks to the constant obstacles in his path, every single one of them breaking him down, Liam's mental strength had evolved far beyond something a normal human being should possess.
As Liam continued indulging himself in silent meditation, Elira sat next to him and watched him in awe. At times, she tried to imitate him but mostly she stayed awake to keep an eye on everything around him.
Though Liam already informed her that it was not necessary for her to keep a watch, she still did it anyway.
Time passed by just like this and soon hours became days.
Liam continued to patiently meditate and Elira sat by his side enjoying the slow days.
Well, it couldn't entirely be called slow because there was the occasional beast onslaught every now and then, but every single time Liam took care of it with relative ease.
It looked like his prediction was indeed correct. The outer areas were not that dangerous. Whatever came at them, they were able to handle it.
However, as the days went by the strength of the beasts were also increasing. It was clear that they couldn't camp out here forever even though it was still on the outskirts of the forbidden forests.
"Master…" Elira tried to reason.
But Liam only said. "Soon." He continued with his training afterward.
Days continued to pass by and Elira only became more nervous. What was her master waiting for? Why were they camped out in this dangerous place?
Maybe right now it was just beasts but this could change in the blink of an eye. What if more powerful elven clan members arrived here?
Soon just like that two entire months flew by and then suddenly Elira's worst fears came true. Another elf had sniffed them out and arrived in front of their doorstep.
Elira shuddered as he stared at the enemy. His aura was strong and powerful. Even for someone like her, it was painfully obvious that the enemy was several times stronger than her master.
"Master! I will hold him back with my life on the line! Please escape!"
Liam shook his head helplessly and patted her. "Sigh. You need to learn to stay calm. First of all, how long do you think someone like you can hold him back?"
Elira tensed up.
"First think before you act." Liam chuckled and he slowly walked forward to welcome the newly arrived guest. "And don't worry. This one is not our enemy."
"Hello again, Lord?" Liam smiled at the familiar face. Just like he had expected the elf had arrived at his doorstep. "You took your own sweet time? Did your tracker not work well in the forbidden area?"
Eldrin Silverthorn winced. It looked like the human knew after all. "Hello, Liam Chang. I am happy that you are still alive and well."
"Mmmm. Likewise." Liam chuckled. "If I am being honest, I only half-expected you to arrive here."
Eldrin bitterly smiled. "Yes. I also only half-expected to make this decision, but times are tough. I did not have much of an option left." He paused and added with a shrug, "When my own clan members are after me, I cannot help but align with a human being."
"Heh. Who said anything about forming an alliance?" Liam's gaze was cold and indifferent. Though he was exchanging pleasantries with the elf as if they were old friends, he was already clear where each one of them stood.
They were neither friends nor enemies. As for being allies?
"Why are you here, my Lord? I am only a weak human being. I have nothing to offer you." Liam broached the main topic.
"Ha Ha. You want to get straight to the business, huh? Fine by me, human." Eldrin laughed.
"I know that you are from a newly awakened world. Your knowledge about everything should be extremely limited and your skill set should be non-existent. I am proposing to help you in this aspect."
"I can guide you through our world and whatever other worlds that you intend to visit as long as it is within my capacity." Eldrin Silverthorne stared Liam right into his eyes as he spoke, clearly implying that this time he meant business.
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