Chapter 2: The Spirit World

Amuche and Nedu stood at the edge of a dense forest, where three rivers converged in a majestic union. The water sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. Behind them, a towering mountain rose into the sky, its peak shrouded in mist.

"This is it," Nedu said, his voice filled with awe. "The confluence of the three rivers, and the gateway to the Spirit World."

Amuche's eyes widened as she took in the breathtaking view. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

Nedu nodded. "Yes, but beware, for the Spirit World is full of wonders and dangers. We must be cautious and brave if we are to succeed."

The forest floor was covered in a thick, soft grass that felt like silk beneath their feet. The trees grew closer together here, forming a canopy overhead that filtered the sunlight and cast the forest floor in a warm, emerald green glow. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the soft chirping of birds.

As they walked, the forest grew more majestic, the trees growing taller and their trunks thicker. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the soft chirping of birds. Amuche could feel the energy of the Spirit World pulsing through her veins, calling to her.

Suddenly, Nedu stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that?" he asked, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.

Amuche listened closely, and soon she heard it too - a faint humming noise, like the buzzing of a thousand bees. The humming grew louder, and the air began to vibrate with an otherworldly energy.

"What is it?" Amuche asked, her heart racing with excitement and a hint of fear.

"It's the guardian of the Spirit World," Nedu replied, his voice filled with awe. "They are warning us to turn back."

Amuche's eyes locked onto Nedu's. "We can't turn back now," she said, her voice firm. "We have to find Jidenna."

Nedu nodded, his eyes shining with determination. "Then let us proceed, but with caution. But you must know that you can't enter the Spirit World with a physical body. Your physical body will be stripped, which is a painful process you must endure."

Amuche muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth. "I'm ready."

They advanced further, and soon they were surrounded by a mist. Then, the power of the Spirit World enveloped them, and Amuche was assaulted by a powerful force that tore into the deep of her soul, bringing unimaginable pain. She tried to endure the pain, but it was too much. She screamed, but she couldn't hear her own voice. And to her surprise, Nedu was nowhere to be found. She screamed again and soon passed out.

When Amuche woke up, she found herself lying down in a strange world. The sky was a deep purple, and the ground was covered in a thick, iridescent mist. Strange, glowing plants surrounded her, casting an ethereal light over the landscape.

She sat up, her head spinning. What happened? Where was Nedu? She looked around, but there was no sign of her companion.

As she stood up, a gentle breeze caressed her skin, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. The air was filled with the soft chirping of birds, and the mist seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Amuche felt a sense of wonder and awe wash over her. This was the Spirit World, and it was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

"Nedu," she called out after some time.

"I'm here," a voice replied above her.

Amuche looked up and was startled by what she saw - a young dragon was standing on a tree branch.

"You're a dragon," she asked, terrified.

"Yes," Nedu explained. "I didn't remember my lifeform when I ventured out of the Spirit World, but now that I have returned, I can remember everything. But I was bigger than this before, and I can already change form. However, due to traveling through different worlds, I lost my cultivation and will now have to start from the beginning again, which is no problem."

"Okay," Amuche said, curious. "But how are you able to communicate with me directly in my mind?"

"As I'm still a young dragon, I have not developed the ability to speak yet," Nedu explained. "And can only communicate with you through divine sense, which is just one of the multiple abilities of the Spirit World."

Nedu explained and flew down from the branch of the tree and landed on Amuche's shoulder.

"Wow, interesting," Amuche wondered, gazing at the sky and the scenery around her, feeling really good about how wonderful this world was.

"Very soon, you will find out other amazing things about this world," Nedu said, "but first, we must leave this place and find a town or village to settle down in. This is a huge forest, and fierce beasts roam around here. Besides, we can't afford to meet with dark spirits at night if we remain in this place."

Amuche picked a path and began to travel steadily. After about an hour of traveling, Nedu alerted her to stop and hide, as he felt the aura of a fierce beast. Amuche dodged behind a bush and concealed herself. Soon enough, a large wolf appeared in her sight; it was very huge and was emitting a strong pressure. It had a very ferocious look, and when it turned to the spot Amuche was hiding, it released a loud roar that startled Amuche, revealing her hiding place.

"Run!" shouted Nedu in her mind.

And Amuche broke into a run through the woods. The wolf gave chase and was very fast, catching up to Amuche in no time. But Nedu, who was standing on Amuche's shoulder, kept telling her when to dodge and occasionally spat flames at the wolf to buy time for Amuche to flee. So the chase continued, one party running while the other kept pursuing relentlessly.

Amuche soon ran out of stamina, and in a slight second of losing concentration, the wolf pounced on her mistake and struck her back with its paws, immediately sending her flying through the woods. She landed on a tree and fell down. If not for Nedu, who neutralized most of the attack, who knows if Amuche could have met an early demise before she even started her journey.

The shockwaves from the attack shook the area, and dust and leaves flew into the air. The wolf didn't give Amuche a second to catch her breath, as it attacked again. But Nedu was able to react in time and spit out large flames at the wolf, buying time for Amuche to crawl away from the area.

The wolf dismissed the attack and roared again, flinging its palm at Nedu. The young dragon was sent flying, and the wolf immediately launched another attack, howling at Amuche and aiming for her neck.

Amuche was terrified and could only bring her hands to cover her face. The wolf landed on her body, and blood flew madly, but it wasn't Amuche's blood. Instead, it was the wolf's, which was spurting blood from its head, pierced by a long spear from the side. It struggled for a while, released a soft roar, and collapsed to the ground, dead.

Amuche was gripped by shock, but then she heard noise nearby and saw four men appearing from the woods opposite her. Amuche released a sigh of relief and rose up slowly as the four men approached from the distance.