Chapter 302: Forest Gazing

The group had spent a week in the Scarlet Canopy, yet this was the first time they had seen this region of the Crimson Forest in its full glory and breathtaking splendour.

From their vantage point, the Scarlet Canopy stretched beneath them like an endless crimson ocean, its undulating surface broken only by the occasional rise of ancient trees whose enormous crowns towered above the surrounding vegetation.

Moreover, from their perch atop the cliff, the group could finally appreciate the true immensity of the forest. What had seemed an impenetrable wilderness while they travelled beneath its branches now revealed itself as an expansive region of scarlet vegetation, extending so far into the distance that its boundaries were swallowed by the horizon.

A peculiar crimson fog seeped through the forest floor, gathering in shallow depressions and winding between enormous trunks like sluggish streams. In some places, it rose barely above the roots, while in others, it thickened into dense patches that obscured the lower portions of the trees.

The tallest among them possessed trunks so broad that entire buildings could have been constructed within their circumference. Their branches stretched outward in immense, overlapping formations, supporting layers of dark red foliage that filtered the sunlight into a perpetual vermilion twilight.

Even from above, the canopy seemed to possess a rhythm of its own. The crowns shifted gently beneath the breeze, their leaves whispering against one another while the fog drifted through the spaces below.

Occasionally, shafts of vermilion light pierced the foliage, illuminating isolated patches of vegetation before disappearing beneath the overlapping branches. It was a landscape that appeared almost serene, were it not for the unsettling colour that bathed every living thing.

The crimson atmosphere lent the forest an otherworldly beauty, making it seem as though they were gazing upon a vast kingdom that belonged to another world entirely.

Beyond the forest, distant mountain ranges emerged through the haze, their jagged silhouettes resembling the backs of enormous beasts lying beneath a blood-red sky.

Some were little more than faint shadows, while others stood prominently against the horizon, their slopes descending into valleys concealed by mist.

The landscape was magnificent in its own unsettling fashion, possessing a grandeur that made the group feel remarkably insignificant.

Yet, amongst those distant mountain shapes, there was one formation that they recognized with an immediacy none of them particularly appreciated. It was the Sauryean’s Breeding Nest.

Even from such an extraordinary distance, the place remained unmistakable. Its grotesque mountain structure rose above the surrounding terrain, its irregular ridges and unnatural contours carrying the same dreadful appearance they remembered from their previous encounter.

The sight brought back memories of suffocating darkness, jagged stalactites, morbid Wights, monstrous creatures, and the desperate struggle that had nearly cost them their lives.

For several moments, nobody spoke and the little appreciation they had developed for the beauty of the Scarlet Canopy gradually diminished, replaced by the horrific memory of what had transpired the instant they had been exiled into the Nether Lands.

For a few moments, their minds could not help replaying the horrific scream of that boy who had yet to even acclimatise to the Nether Lands before he was torn apart by Wights.

The memory was so harrowing that the scene remained vivid and painfully fresh in their minds, despite the several days that had passed.

Even now, they could almost recall the terror in his voice, the suddenness of the attack, and the helplessness that had followed. It was the sort of memory that did not fade merely because one had travelled a considerable distance from the place where it occurred.

That experience alone had been enough to humble them. At the time, any one of them could have become a victim of the same fate; they had suddenly been reduced from nine exiles to eight in the space of a heartbeat.

Yet, thankfully, here they were, alive and well, able to look back on the ordeal rather than become another nameless casualty swallowed by that dreadful place.

Truthfully, the feeling was bittersweet: bitter because of their experiences and circumstances, and sweet because, despite everything, they remained hale and hearty, with the opportunity to witness the dreadful magnificence of the Scarlet Canopy after overcoming the myriad difficulties that had stood between them and this moment.

Their survival did not erase what they had endured, nor did it make the Nether Lands any less dangerous. Still, there was something quietly reassuring about standing together, breathing freely, and knowing that the horrors behind them had not yet claimed another of their number.

For several moments, nobody spoke as they maintained a contemplative silence while looking at the Breeding Nest.

The wind brushed across the ledge, stirring their hair and garments, but none seemed particularly inclined to turn away. For a heartbeat, Regaleon’s mind drifted towards the face of the robed Sauryean girl who had proven to be far more elusive than he had given her credit for.

The encounter at the Breeding Nest had left too many questions unanswered, and the sight of that dreadful place brought them all back with unwelcome clarity.

The whole ordeal had made the group forget about the existence of the Sauryeans, all except the Black Stalker. Apparently, Vael’zhur was the instrument the Nether Lands—or perhaps the Sauryean Domain—had chosen to use to cut them off.

Regaleon could not help wondering whether the creature’s pursuit had been a coincidence, or whether something more deliberate lay behind it. If the latter were true, then the robed girl might not have been the only Sauryean whose attention they had attracted.

He kept the thought to himself. There was little point burdening the others with another uncertainty when they already had enough dangers to consider. Besides, he had no concrete answers, and speculation would do little to improve their circumstances.

Nevertheless, he could not entirely dismiss the possibility. Their previous encounter had taught him that the Nether Lands contained more than mindless monsters and hostile creatures. There were beings capable of planning, observing, and pursuing objectives of their own. That alone made the thought considerably more troubling.

While Regaleon’s thoughts remained fixed on the Sauryeans and what their existence might mean for them in the future, Veyrath eventually broke the silence.

"It looks just as unpleasant as it did from here."

The auburn-haired Alchemist was evidently referring to the Breeding Nest. Amid the immense sweep of crimson vegetation and distant mountains, that particular structure was the one that held his attention, and he regarded it with undisguised disgust.

His nose wrinkled as though the mere sight had reminded him of the stench that had once clung to its interior.

"You know, one would have thought that distance might improve its appearance," Veyrath continued, folding his arms. "But apparently, even the landscape has given up trying to make that place tolerable."

"Considering what happened there, I doubt anyone would describe it as a pleasant destination," Caelestra replied.

Her gaze remained fixed on the distant structure, her composed expression offering little indication of what she was thinking. "Although, I suppose its appearance is rather fitting. It would be disappointing if a place responsible for such memories looked inviting."

"Pleasant?" Vaelorin shook his head, his red hair shifting in the breeze. "As a matter of fact, I would settle for somewhere that doesn’t make me reconsider every decision that led me into this forest. Honestly, the whole structure looks as though it was specially prepared to discourage visitors—and ensure that anyone foolish enough to enter never gets the opportunity to complain about the accommodations."

And perhaps, that was what the Sauryeans might have had in mind when they decided to use the mountain as their laboratory to concoct those abyssal creatures.

"I’m not sure a place like that has ever concerned itself with hospitality," Kaeloris observed, adjusting his spectacles.

His scholarly curiosity had not entirely disappeared, but even he seemed reluctant to examine the Breeding Nest too closely. "Its structure is hardly natural. Whatever purpose it had served, I doubt comfort was ever a consideration."

"Comfort would be a rather ambitious expectation," Caelestra remarked dryly.

Valmyr leaned forward slightly, his enormous frame casting a broad shadow across the rocky ledge as he spoke.

"Honestly, I still find it difficult to believe that something like that exists within the same forest we’ve been travelling through. From the ground, we barely understood how large this region was, but seeing it from here makes the whole place seem considerably more dangerous..."

He paused, taking in the endless scarlet canopy, the distant mountain ranges, and the crimson fog winding between the trees. His expression softened with reluctant admiration. "...and more majestic..."