Chapter 50

In the heart of the forest, where the rays of light from the last hours of sunset struggled to filter through the canopy of green leaves, there existed a clearing that seemed to have been designed by the very spirits of the forest to welcome travelers or adventurers. The terrain was unusually flat for a forest, with the grass soft and lush underfoot, like a natural carpet inviting to be trodden upon.

The trees, tall and majestic, stood like living pillars around the clearing, their thick and firm trunks offering protection against the winds and structural support for any shelter that might be decided to build. On the perimeter, bushes and lower plants created a natural barrier, providing privacy and security, as well as resources like berries and herbs that could be useful for food or medicine.

A stream meandered nearby, its crystal-clear water murmuring tranquil melodies, ensuring a source of fresh water. Small fish flashed among the stones polished by the water, and the footprints on its shore told stories of animals that came to drink in the stillness of dawn and dusk.

The air was pure, imbued with the scent of pine and moist earth, and along with the singing of the birds, it wove a symphony that calmed the soul and encouraged rest and peace. Erik looked at the place with a satisfied smile on his face, as the place turned out to be even better than what the map had led him to anticipate.

"A good place, don't you think?" Erik asked with a small smile as he contemplated his next dwelling place, to which Kaiser jumped off his shoulder and began to explore the place while Erik dismounted from Tiberius, who joined Kaiser shortly after.

"It looks pretty good, will you build a cabin?" Ebonique asked as she rose into the air from Erik's head to look around.

"It could be interesting to make one after so long, but maybe another time, for now let's use this"

In Erik's hand appeared a small sphere of no more than 30 centimeters of a bright silver color, which possessed various runes of different types carved all over its surface. Erik threw the sphere to the ground, where it lit up and rose in the air while growing in size and changing shape.

Not long after, in the midst of the gigantic trees that covered the place, an object defied reality, showing off. Suspended in the air, a majestic sphere of intricate design floats gracefully. Its structure, reminiscent of Gothic cathedrals, is adorned with pointed arches and ornaments that shine with multicolored lights. Iridescent gems and crystals sparkle from within, emitting flashes that seem to communicate a secret language.

Beside it, smaller domes, like crystal bubbles, reflected the world around them, while luminous filaments spilled from its base, like cascades of shooting stars. Erik nodded, satisfied with the functioning of the magical artifact that he shamelessly and unpunishedly copied from one that Chen had given him a long time ago, although he made his own inspired by Sigrún's Victorian-style mansion because he did not like the oriental style of the one Chen gave him.

(image)

"Pretty, isn't it?" Erik asked Ebonique, with evident pride in his creation.

"It looks very good, but isn't such a complex artifact against the rules?" Ebonique asked while closely analyzing the beautiful spherical shelter.

"Although it is certainly complex and quite expensive to make, it doesn't even have an integrated weapon system, so it can only be considered an artifact for daily life and as for its defense, this baby will be lucky to withstand a couple of attacks from an illuminated one before its structure completely collapses, so even if it were considered a specialized artifact, it would be classified as a maximum revealed level artifact at best."

Erik explained as he climbed into the beautiful floating sphere via a beautifully carved staircase with all kinds of runes, made from some type of magical metal, which unfolded from the sphere as if it were some kind of spaceship, while Ebonique and the wolves followed closely.

Upon entering, the visitors were greeted by a floor of emerald green marble reflecting soft golden sparkles. The curved walls, formed by translucent crystals, allowed outside light to filter through, creating a play of light and shadows that danced to the rhythm of the day.

In the center of the shelter, a small pond emitted a bluish glow, and over it floated delicate luminescent flowers that released relaxing essences into the air. The soft singing of birds and the murmur of a hidden waterfall echoed in the background, adding an ethereal melody to the ambiance.

On one side, a beautiful library with shelves carved in ancient wood with intricate runes, housed all kinds of books and magical scrolls organized meticulously and with great attention to detail, dividing them by categories and subcategories allowing one to easily find a specific one. In front of the library, a fireplace burned incessantly, but its fire, instead of being hot, emitted a cool breeze that balanced the temperature of the shelter, making it cool and pleasant, leaving behind the humid and hot environment of the forest.

The furniture, though sparse, was designed with an elegant and minimalist style that complemented the shelter's style very well, showcasing all kinds of woods and precious metals, which always caused a small pang in Erik's heart every time he thought about how expensive they were. But thanks to them, the interior of the shelter emitted an elegant, almost aristocratic aura.

On the ceiling, crystals shaped like droplets hung like tears, reflecting the outside world and projecting changing colors on the walls. Looking up, one could swear they were observing the cosmos, with twinkling stars and moving constellations, giving a mystical and ethereal atmosphere to the entire shelter.

(image)

"Your maid is really very talented," Ebonique commented as she looked around the interior of the shelter.

"Hey, although Seraphina did the design, I was the one who made it a reality, I at least deserve half the credit," Erik commented 'offended' as he jumped onto a beautiful bed at the edge of the shelter.

"Please, you blatantly copied another magical artifact and didn't even do the design, I'll give you 30% of the credit just for our relationship," Ebonique followed Erik and lay down on the bed next to him, commenting in a playful voice.

"Then I humbly take the credit that belongs to me, hehehe," Erik commented cheekily as the wolves jumped on him after 'investigating' the entire shelter.

"Fufufufu, you do well..."

"Hehehehe, I know, but seriously, Seraphina is really talented in design and I had no idea, she's even been helping me redesign several of my projects lately and they look much better now,"

"How could you not have noticed if she spends all day by your side?"

"Well, because she had never shown any particular interest in doing something like that before, but lately it seems her artistic vein awoke and she's been helping me a lot, which I appreciate because I'm quite bad at the artistic side of things,"

"That's quite curious, why did her 'artistic vein' awaken so recently?"

"Who knows... but I'm not complaining, now most of what I produce looks much better thanks to her."

"Then you are lucky."

"I really can't complain."