The tree line swallowed Nero whole...

The temperature plummeted instantly...

The change was immediate and severe, at least twenty degrees colder than the killing ground behind him. His breath misted in front of his face as he pushed deeper into the canopy, the grey twilight filtering through the large, dark leaves.

Past the first line of treasure, the air grew thick with moisture that clung to his skin like clawing fingers.

The trees here were different. Instead of the massive trunks he remembered from the northern approaches and the swampy Southern Bogs, these were thinner but far more numerous, packed together in clusters that created maze-like passages through the undergrowth. Their bark was darker, almost black in the fading light, covered in fungi that glowed with bioluminescent blues, greens, pink, and yellows, creating a rather beautiful ethereal picture.

Nero moved quickly but carefully, barely denting the dirt ground beneath his feet.

Malady's Garden was the realm of danger, where every step could lead to an early grave.

Caution was the modus operandi...

The light croaks and buzzing of insects turned into a rush of sounds as he flew through the ocean of trees. The sensation was incredibly.

Nero decided to pick up speed in his rush.

He had been moving for perhaps an hour when a sound broke through the rush, prompting him to stop and quickly take cover.

A low rumble, deep and resonant, coming from general direction to his left. It vibrated through the ground beneath his feet, making the roots of the trees tremble. Nero froze, his hand tightening on the spear shaft. The sound continued for several seconds, then cut off abruptly.

He waited and counted to thirty in his head.

Nothing moved in the shadows between the trees...

Nero adjusted his path to angle away from the source of the sound and kept moving. His enhanced vision helped in the darkness, allowing him to make out shapes and obstacles that would have been invisible to normal human eyes. The glowing spores provided just enough light to navigate by, their glow creating constellations of alien illumination that mapped the forest in a myriad of colors.

Another hour passed. The darkness deepened as full night settled over the Garden. The temperature continued to drop until Nero was sure he could see his breath with every exhalation.

Something moved in the canopy overhead.

Nero stopped and looked up slowly. A shadow detached from one of the higher branches and glided silently to another tree. It was too large to be a mere bird and its movements eerie and unsettling. He could not make out details, only the suggestion of wings or something that resembled them.

The shadow settled on a branch perhaps fifty feet up and went still. Nero could feel its attention wrapped around his general vicinity, a weight pressing against his very soul. He did not activate his Heretic Eyes, shutting his regular eyes as well.

Covertly, he let his body be enveloped in the dark shadows. As he had not yet felt any killing intent, he was keen on keeping it that way. Attracting any attention at the moment was not something he sought after all.

He waited. The shadow waited as well, its keen, crimson eyes scanning the darkness.

Minutes stretched out in the cold darkness.

Finally, the shadow moved again, gliding deeper into the canopy and disappearing from view. Nero released a breath he had not realized he was holding. Biting back a curse, he continued forward.

The terrain began to change after another hour of walking. The clustered trees thinned slightly, creating more open spaces between their trunks. The ground became rockier, with large boulders jutting up from the earth at irregular intervals. Some of the rocks were covered in the same glowing fungi, creating islands of light in the darkness.

Nero found what he was looking for near one of the larger boulder formations.

A hollow beneath an overhanging stone, perhaps six feet deep and four feet high. The entrance was partially concealed by hanging vines and a curtain of moss that had grown down from the rock face above. He approached carefully, checking the ground for tracks or signs of recent habitation. The dirt showed no footprints and the moss was undisturbed.

He knelt at the entrance and peered inside, letting his eyes adjust to the deeper darkness within. The hollow extended back further than he had initially thought, creating a small cave-like space. The air inside smelled of damp earth and old stone, but not of rot or carrion. There were no signs of corruption.

Nero crawled inside, careful not to disturb the hanging moss. The space was cramped but adequate. He could sit upright without hitting his head on the stone ceiling, and there was room enough to stretch out if he needed to sleep. The entrance was narrow enough that nothing large could enter without making significant noise.

He set the spear within easy reach and unslung the waterskin from his shoulder.

'It's cold.' Nero thought to himself as he took a swig.

He shoved a strip of dried meat into his mouth, chewing ravenously as he peeked his head out the hole in the boulder.

Outside, the forest continued its relative silence.

If one was not wiser, the calm would have been mistaken for peace and serenity.

In reality, death was the currency amongst the trees. The light scent of blood was carried on the wind, and only those keen enough would smell its aroma.

Nero leaned back against the stone wall and allowed himself to relax slightly. His muscles didn't ache despite the hours of consistent running.

In fact, he felt no fatigue at all. It was rather impressive.

'I'm much stronger than before.'

Although the conditioning from Lyon was soul crushing, filled with agony and despair... It did a lot of wonders.

His muscles and bones were denser. He felt full of energy.

His brows wrinkled,

'The only problem is...'

He was running out of Ein Sof.

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