Cyrus' POV
After entering the Astral Realm in my fused-form body, I could instantly feel the difference—the drain on my core was much faster than when I was in just my astral form. Luckily, my core had grown several times larger since the last time I entered the Astral Realm in this form.
As we traversed the realm and finally found the route we needed to take, I informed my father about what had happened in the rift and everything I had experienced. I explained the phantom echoes, the situation with the Voidfang Basilisks, my encounter with a rift merger named Rava, and, of course, my battle with the Hydra.
My father was particularly interested in hearing about Rava and how it was a Starborn Entity—something he had only read about in ancient texts as a child. Back then, it had been nothing more than a theory, a conclusion scholars had drawn from fragments of lost knowledge. He couldn't believe that one had revealed itself to me—let alone taken a liking to me.
I didn't have the guts to tell him about the situation regarding my mother, though. I was still trying to process it myself. I couldn't tell if it had been a moment of pure delusion or if it was actually her. She looked like her, and her presence felt exactly as I remembered—but the rift made everything feel unreal. I couldn't be sure.
As we continued our trek, I began to take in the scenery. The landscape had started to change. The soft, cloud-like terrain gradually transitioned into an environment resembling a rainforest. Looking up at my father, whose face was buried in the map he had acquired from the merchant, I asked,
"Yo, Dad… where are we? And why did the environment change so suddenly?"
Folding up the map and placing it back into his bag, my father responded, "We are entering the region of the Astral Realm that the Syltharion Clan rules over."
"The Syltharion Clan? Wait… isn't that one of the Twelve Great Clans? And how can a clan rule territory in the Astral Realm? How is that even possible?"
"Yep, that's them," he confirmed. "Back in ancient times, when the first of their clan came into contact with Y'Vathun—the Pantheon that created their constellation—they dedicated a monument in the astral to it as a sign of gratitude for sharing its power with them. After the Pantheon was forced to leave the physical realm, that monument became blessed with its essence, creating a territory and home for all those who follow the Eldertree Sage Constellation. They were one of the first to establish something like this, and as a result, they've claimed a significant portion of this region. As long as that monument stands, they have control over this land, and their powers are doubled."
"Oh… so this is a big deal. Are we technically trespassing, then?"
"Kind of," my father admitted. "Under normal circumstances, we'd be fine, but the thing is, our clans haven't been on good terms for centuries. And in the war before you were born, I had to fight against them when they tried to take over neighboring cities and towns to expand their control of the continent. We have to be careful while traveling through the outskirts of their territory. If we're noticed, they have every right to attack us—at least until we reach the Astral Plaza within their borders."
"Plaza? What, like a strip mall?"
"In the Astral Realm, plazas are neutral zones where cultivators can gather. Fighting and violence of any kind are strictly forbidden." He suddenly tensed, his voice lowering. "Now keep quiet—I sense something coming."
His eyes began to glow as he scanned the terrain around us.
I immediately sealed my lips and tried to sense whatever he had detected. But I couldn't. My sensitivity to cosmic energy fluctuations wasn't as refined as an Astral Knight's. However, I had something else.
Calming my mind and breath, I expanded my senses using cosmic energy, searching for any distortions in the gravitational fields around us. Within moments, I noticed several large masses moving swiftly through the rainforest in our direction. Based on the distortions their movements caused, I estimated they were several meters tall and weighed several hundred pounds each.
"Dad, I think it's some kind of Astral Behemoth or another roaming creature, that's all," I whispered, careful not to give away our position.
My father gave me a curious glance before responding, "I think you're right. The pack doesn't seem that strong… But how did you know that? I can see them with my infrared vision, but how were you able to make them out so precisely?"
"You weren't paying attention, were you? When I was explaining my battle against the Hydra."
"I was… I was just still shocked about the rift merger, in all honesty." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Yeah, well, I can sense gravitational fields. I can't maintain it for long—it puts a great strain on my mind. But we should move; whatever they are, they're coming fast."
"Let them come. You'll need to recharge later anyway," my father said, setting his bag down. "I'll take the two on the right, and you handle the one on the left." With that, he darted forward at blinding speed.
"You know, after everything I just went through, I really should be relaxing right now," I muttered to myself as I shrugged off my bag and unsheathed my blade.
Dragging my blade through the dirt behind me, I sprinted toward my target. In just a few bounds, I was within striking range—only to realize that this creature was unlike anything I had ever seen before.
It was composed of interwoven vines and branches, its form humanoid yet alien. Cosmic energy shimmered across its leaves, pulsating in an ethereal glow.
From its energy signature, it didn't seem to be any higher than the Starspawn Rank. But when I tried to check its core to confirm, I noticed something strange.
It didn't have one.
Then, without warning, the creature raised its arm-like structure, sending a flurry of cosmic-infused vines whipping toward me.
I reacted at the last second, raising my blade to deflect the attack. With a swift counter, I slashed through the vines with a decisive downward strike.
Wasting no time, I imbued my legs with cosmic energy and launched myself toward the creature. In the blink of an eye, I was less than a foot away. I transitioned smoothly into a sweeping attack aimed at its legs, forcing it to lose balance.
Channeling more energy into my blade, I unleashed a series of precise strikes, bisecting the creature in an instant.
As the remains of the humanoid tree-like entity collapsed to the ground, I heard the faint crunch of leaves behind me.
"So… when did you get good with a blade? I don't remember ever teaching you those moves."
I turned to see my father standing there with a curious expression.
"Uncle taught me whenever he stopped by to check on me while you were away on diplomatic trips. I told you I was good with a blade, but nooo… you said I needed to 'learn to fight properly' first."
"Of course he would teach you," my father sighed deeply. "So… did you get its core?"
"Funny thing about that… this one didn't seem to have a core."
A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Interesting… So the rumors are true. The Syltharion Clan still holds the position of Guardians of the Celestial Grove."