Mystic forest

Constant gusts of wind pounded the flesh with frigid air, and the trickle of wetness in the air hinted that snowfall could begin at any time.

In an effort to keep the female body from further trembling, he wraped the animal hide around her even more snugly. Giving her a tight embrace, he hoped they'd soon find a warm spot to rest.

To get out of the harsh breeze, he headed straight for a nearby rock, whispering, "Let's rest here," he tucked the trembling female against the rock before he gathered the wood from the area for a campfire.

The setup of the campfire required only a few minutes. He lifted Keira and put her on his lap, where she could absorb some of his body heat. When he sensed Keira's temperature rising, he reached into the bag slung over his shoulder and offered her a piece of fruit.

Small hands reached out, plucked the fruit, and chewed while her eyes scanned the area. The dense fog made it difficult for human eyes to make out distant objects, and the fact that the trees here are now higher than a fifteen-story building made her wonder of the location.

She frowned, narrowing her eyes at him with doubt on her pallid face. "Where are we?" The whooshing breeze almost completely drowned out her words. Her lengthy hair was flying in every direction and tangled together. This time, she truly regretted letting her hair get so long.

He smoothed her hair away from her face so he could look into her fury eyes and respond to her question. "We are near the entrance to the Mystic Forest; a little further and we will arrive at a warm place," he said firmly, trying not to annoy the female, who, based on her expression, must be fuzzy.

The weather, which was rapidly dropping below freezing, left her with no choice but to wait calmly until she could find shelter. though she wasn't sure if she should stick with him or not. But the fact that he knew her secrets, he might as well know how to help her find a way back to her world, so let's give him another chance and see what he can tell her.

Once they were ready to go, Master picked her up and continued the journey.

The dense fog showed no signs of thinning or dissipating. Keira's cheeks felt icy from the cold air, so she snuggled closer to his chest and hugged him to get close to his body heat.

The male held his gaze on the female in his arms. The unexpected intensity of the embrace caused him to feel a warming in his heart that he had never felt before. He knew in that moment that he never wanted to let go of her and that he was willing to face any hardship as long as she was by his side. With a smile on his face, he tightened his embrace around her.

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He woke Keira up by saying, "We're here."

She slowly tore her face from his chest and turned to see where they had landed.

It was a broad valley, completely carpeted in lush, verdant grassland, with exotic flora growing in profusion.

The surrounding border was lined with uncountable trees as tall as a fifteen-story building. A lengthy stream of water flowed not too far from where they stood, It was crystal-clear, allowing eyes to see the colorful rocky pebbles that had been sprawled out on the stream bottom.

Those pebbles animatedly sparkled like precious gems, casting a vibrantly colored radiance in the surrounding radius. The sound of the water gushing through the stream was soothing, and the fresh air carried a sweet fragrance from blooming wildflowers that grew along the prairies.

"Whow.. is there a tribe that lives in this beautiful valley?" Keira questioned, her eyes gleaming as she took in the sight.

Master was delighted by her responses, knowing she enjoyed the place. "..It was a long time since I visited this place.. usually, there is no one here."

Keira tilted her head, perplexed by his response. "Why? It's such a lovely forest, why isn't anyone here"

For a moment he was silent, and then he said, "It had been prophesied that this forest is a forbidden land and if anyone not related to the prophecy enters, the fog will drain their soul and torture them to death." He explained, paced forward while firmly holding Keira.

Her expression shifted to one of shocked, and she yelled hastily, "So what are we doing here? hurry and leave!"

"No need, it's just an old prophecy. Don't overthink it. You're still fine, aren't you?" He seemed unbothered by the female's surprise and carried her to a treehouse in the valley's center.

On the way up to the tree house, a long flight of vines intertwined around the tree trunk formed a winding avenue up the tree's stem and halted at the lofty upper story.

The influx miracle in this place must flow eminently to make it achievable to build such a miraculous house. How the blooms unfurled from the climbing tendrils only added to the enigmatic excellence, making it seem as though the tree had evolved into a treehouse on its own, without any people intervention.

Master hauled her to the end of the vine walkway, opened the door with a swoop, and brought her inside.

Although the outside of the home has already stunned her with its grandeur, the inside was even more fascinating.

Three stories have been bored into this enormous trunk. The first level had been converted into a spacious living area, and off to the left was a fireplace with a tiny chimney that led outside.

Across from the fireplace was a long wooden bench cushioned in plush fur.

A round hardwood table and seats were placed in the center of the chamber, and a long wooden table covered in unidentifiable plants and flowers stood off to the right.

With the illuminating crystals mounted on all four walls, providing a warm and calming glow, creating a cozy atmosphere.

To keep the space from feeling too clamped, there were windows, and vines were hung as curtains, making it airy and pleasant.

On the far left of the room, was a ladder mounted on the wall leading up to the upper floor.

"This tree has three floors. Come, let's take a look. "He took her by the hand and brought her to the upper floor.

The appearance of the second floor was similar to the first, but there was a partition separating it into two rooms. Wooden shelves, stacks of fabric, and animal hides can be found in the first room. A large hardwood bathtub and a tiny table sit in a corner of the second room.

Later, she climbed up to the bedroom on the third floor. Where blooming flora and wild plants of various types were hanging from the ceiling.

In the center of the room was a bed with an oval base crafted from thick vines that had been twisted together into a circle shape. On top of it was a layer of soft white fur, and a stack of warm blankets.

The bed looked cozy and inviting, and the circular base gave it a unique and rustic feel.

The room was dimly lit by a crystal light, casting a warm glow over the bed and creating a peaceful atmosphere.

"Oh my god, it looks so cozy," she exclaimed. Her eyes were bright as she admired the interior in awe.

The master immediately spun around to face her after hearing her exclaim, "Who is your god?"

His quick question caught her off guard. She mumbled something under her breath, "Ah... it was just an expression, don't mind me," and gave him a sour chuckle. "Anyway.. Master, aren't you a god?"

That was the question she always wanted to ask him. His ethereal appearance and aura were beyond enchanting. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she was still dazed by his presence.

He declined with a flat "no," showing no emotion. but she detected a trace of dissatisfaction in his voice. After finishing his speech, he made his way down the ladders to the second floor.

"Hey, where are you going? master!" She dropped everything and went after him. His reply sounded suspect, and she got the impression that he was trying to avoid answering her question.

"Take some time to sleep. Later on, I will return." He then left the room to avoid any further questioning.

Keira realized that she was too exhausted to continue running after him, climbing back to the bedroom.

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The breeze accompanied the male pace, flustering the brilliant golden lengths. Discreetly, he made his way to the forest's edge and peered around. The fact that he wasn't alone in the forest meant that he needed to be particularly careful. It would be best if nobody knew who Keira was.

After making his way to the border of the mystic forest, he slashed a tiny gash in his arm, with the finger he had transformed into a claw, and watched as his golden blood dripped to the ground.

Soon after the blood had seeped into the soil, a golden glow had expanded into a barrier, covering the entire mystical forest. 'This unfortunate female doesn't know anything about herself.. maybe it's good this way,' he thought as he checked to make sure the barrier had reached every corner of the area.

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Keira woke up in the middle of the night to find a wooden plate at her bedside.

A piece of barbecued meat sat atop the platter. It was probably brought here by her master while she was asleep. Sitting up, she gulped down the meat.

After she was done, she moved toward the ladder, intended to climb down to wash her hands, but a sound from the second floor stopped her.

Lazily poking her head down, she avoided making her messy hair look even worse than it already was,

and found her beautiful master standing there with his hands clasped around a mysterious necklace.

When Master sensed Keira staring, he hid the necklace into his pocket and faced the poking head that was dangling from the ladder.

With a low chuckle, he asked, "Do you feel comfortable in that posture?"

"So... what are you doing?" Though her posture was awful, she was unwilling to suppress her natural inquisitiveness. Based on how high his eyebrows shot up, no doubt, she must look like those ghosts that stuck their heads down the ceiling.

He sighed, stepping over and pulling the naughty female down through the ladder hole.

"Ah!" She yelled out in surprise when he grabbed her and hurled her straight into the bathtub.

Instead of putting her down, he held her hands and washed them in the bathtub before drying them with an animal hide.

"Now, let's go back to sleep," he whispered as he lifted her up to the bedroom, still holding her in his arms, and lay down on the bed without taking his hands off her waist.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Keira asked as she rolled her body, facing him.

"It's something I have to repay," he calmly answered.

"Pay what? I've never lent money to God, and I have never met you before, and.. if I have met you, do you think I could forget this face of yours?" A lot of nonsense came out of her mouth.

Master lifted his fingertip and flicked on Keira's forehead, "Shut up, I want to sleep."

"..." Keira's mouth hung wide in disbelief. If she could see herself at this very moment, she was sure there must be smoke bursting out of her ears from all the rage she was feeling. This guy was really challenging her patience.

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