Erik wasted no ti once they reached the hilltop. Mana flowed through his neural links as he began reshaping the environnt.
First ca the trees—hundreds of them sprouting from the earth, filling the area.
The trees ford a thick cover that kept them hidden from anything flying above or watching from the ground.
At the hill's center, Erik channeled his mana to create sothing more ambitious. Another one of his customary massive trees.
It burst from the ground, its trunk wider than a house and stretching hundreds of ters into the sky. The tree would not only be a signal for Rick to know Erik was okay but also a landmark visible for kiloters to guide the group around the area, a lookout tower that would help whoever was standing guard to see if there was danger, and most importantly, their new base of operation on Mur, at least for the ti being.
Erik hollowed out sections of the trunk, creating chambers. Stairs spiraled up through the wood, connecting multiple levels of rooms, which he furnished with beds, tables, chairs, and whatever they needed, ford directly from the wood.
He made windows at strategic points, draping them with thick curtains of vines to hide them and provide shade during warr periods.
However, the lower sections of the tree remained free of branches. There was no sense in making them, even if they could help during fights or allow a better scouting position. They would just be used by thaids to make their nests, and Erik wanted to avoid that.
The shelter took shape quickly, and so did Erik's personal farm. Around the tree's base, he grew smaller fruit trees—apple, pear, and other varieties that would provide food for a group so large as this one—but he also grew carrots, potatoes, and other similar vegetables.
There were 500 Chimaeric demons, after all, plus him, Emily, Mira, Amber, and June. Of course, he was going to provide other vegetables, but that would have to wait.
After their harrowing journey through Mur, the only thing Erik wanted was to rest. The food would give that extra to really make them relax a little and would give everyone the nutrients they needed.
Erik wasn't sure how well the others had been eating. They didn't look starved, but they also weren't as healthy as they had been before leaving Mannard. Giving them a proper al was bound to lift their spirits.
The group settled into their new shelter as afternoon light started fading. It actually took so ti for Erik to grow the plants, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Everyone enjoyed eating sothing sweet for a while, instead of just at and whatever wild vegetable they found.
The food helped them forget the day's horrors—the swarms of bug-like thaids that chased them, the terrifying queen, the result of the experints of the Silver Line Corporation, and the flying thaids that had attacked after Erik's stunt.
But at least that stunt saved their lives.
With full stomachs and a safe place to rest, everyone felt better—even the clones relaxed despite being focused on protecting Erik now that they found him.
As the night approached, Erik found Amber sitting near one of the western windows, watching the last rays of the sun co down.
Her color had returned to her face, and her mana levels were at their full capacity again. She looked worlds better than the pale, exhausted figure he'd found that morning.
Erik hesitated as he approached her. What should he say? What should he do? His steps were uncertain. They hadn't seen each other since he sent her and the others away on the sea, and that whole situation was basically his fault.
Seeing her alive and well stirred a lot of emotions—relief, a deep longing that caught in his throat.
He wanted to reach out, to hug her and confirm she was really there. He wanted to know she was not just another illusion born of hope and exhaustion.
He just wanted to kiss her, Mira, Emily. He just didn't know if that was the right mont.
And he held back, his hands clenching briefly at his sides before relaxing.
After all, the group went through sothing horrific for weeks. The clones were few and not strong enough to protect them against the horrors this continent hid. The day's horrors and what he knew they had to do in the following days.
He didn't know if approaching them would be seen as inappropriate. So, he stopped.
"I thought you were dead," Erik said, sitting beside her, keeping his distance.
Amber turned to him, a mix of emotions crossing her face, but happiness was the most predominant one.
"We thought the sa about you. When you sent us away..." She glanced at the Chimaeric Demons moving through the shelter. "We didn't know if they would stay alive if sothing happened to you. We still don't."
Erik understood her concern.
"Well, it's not like we can test this."
The Chimaeric Demons were his creations, born from his brain crystal powers. Though they had independent thought and weren't re temporary creatures born purely out of mana, their connection to him was unclear. His death might have ant their end as well, but at the sa ti, it could have not.
He paused for a second.
"So, what happened after I sent you away?" Erik asked. "When you reached Mur?"
Amber's fingers traced patterns on the wooden windowsill. "It was... hard. We landed on a nearby beach. Luckily, nothing spotted us there, but it took so ti to rest enough for us to be able to leave."
"I know. I was able to find you because I spotted the traces you left on the sand."
However, there was sothing in Amber's expression that told him whatever happened after they left the beach wasn't pleasant.
"You have been attacked, haven't you?"
"Of course. How could it be any different?" There was a look of resignation mixed with fear in those words.
"How did you survive?" That was Erik's most pressing question. Of course, it must have been because they fought, but he wanted to know more.
Erik's question wasn't just born from concern or curiosity. He needed to understand what they'd encountered, how they'd survived, what tactics worked, and which didn't, in case they t it again.
Every detail could be important for their survival. Besides, understanding how the clones had perford here and what the groups' limits against Mur's thaids were, would help him co up new strategies and refine the ones he already made.
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