We landed inside the overgrown forest, next to a walking tree. Ki'rai immediately escaped, climbing up, to get herself on a branch, out of range of the monster. She had no idea about the magic that thing could use. I send a fireball with chained explosions at it, to make sure she won't get hurt.

That worked like a charm, ripping the walking problem apart to shreds, but the noise for sure made other monsters in the vicinity alarmed. She then started to climb down.

- Stick to me, but avoid the trees and other vegetation, ok? Those creatures use them in their magic - I explained.

She, after landing on the ground, couldn't look me in the eyes, embarrassed.

- Ok.

With that out of the way, we could travel further, dealing with the trees thanks to my flames, and incredible strength, that I released, turning the seal off.

Eventually, we reached the pixies clearing, and I told her to keep the distance and hand with my shadows, as I send a carpet bombing of small firebirds that way. The inferno got unleashed, as the consecutive explosions shook the entire area decimating everything.

We had to wait for the immense heat to disperse before making it further. I used the time to send my minions to collect the crystals since they didn't really care bout stuff like heat or cold. We ate during the small break, and I replenished a bit of wasted mana, not much though.

Thanks to 'Mana weaver' and 'Fire magus' I had deep pockets in terms of this type of energy, so I still had plenty, even after using so much for the large-scale attacks.

If I was alone, I wouldn't have to waste the time, but with Ki'rai I had to since she could get hurt. Leaving her alone was also not an option in that place. Who knew if we weren't tailed by some of the monsters that survived the slaughter.

After around half an hour I tried crossing the torn apart landscape, but the blackened earth was still too hot for Ki'rai. I told her to stay and crossed further by myself to drop the anchor past the obstacle, and returned to take pick her up. There was a bit more of the clearing, undestroyed, and around a hundred meters past it a young, and dense forest.

Many small threes were decorated with vibrant green leaves. Mushrooms covered the ground, painting it with browns, yellows, and reds. A beautiful scenery, with a runic circle similar to famous Stonehenge in the middle. There was a tall man, turned with his back to us, playing with the first birds I've seen in a very long time.

He had deer antlers coming out of his head, a naked torso, and pants made of fur covering his legs. When he turned to face me I noticed a deer skull covering his face.

- Leshy - I told more to myself than to Ki'rai.

- What? - she asked.

- A creature from Slavic mythology... Never mind. Stay away, this boss might be very strong. You should go back as far as you can.

She nodded and started running, just to stop close to the edge of not destroyed clearing, as I walked between the young trees. Then, before my eyes, a pack of wolves, and bears appeared out of nowhere. They were blue and somewhat translucent. Their eyes were made of bright light. "Spirits of some kind", I thought immediately.

All the enemies patiently waited for me to make it past the stone formation and then attacked as one with no warning. I shadow walked past them, activating all my skills and setting the blade on fire, hoping I might end it quickly if I just manage to land a single blow.

My hopes were crushed almost immediately. Vines, emerging straight from the ground, caught my legs, but they couldn't hold me for more than a second, as I broke loose, and avoided even more spirits that appeared out of nowhere, charging straight at me.

In the meantime, Leshy started humming an incantation. The clouds above me darkened, and I could hear the crackling of lightning. I immediately repositioned, just as the place I was standing half a second before got decimated by electricity.

This started a crazy battle with undying spirits, I couldn't cut through with my blade, but for some reason, they could bite and claw me, and the lightning striking every few moments. I had no time to attack the boss directly.

I created some firebirds, but they would vanish just after flying in the air. In this place, I wasn't the one in charge of elements. To make the situation even worse, Leshy started another incantation. I needed to interrupt him, but my hands were busy with just avoiding everything else that was thrown my way.

I needed a solution, but thinking wasn't easy when I barely had time to breathe. Fortunately, an idea popped up in my mind, and I created a barrier in front of the boss. A very strong one. Then, after repositioning a few more times, and earning a bunch of new scratches, I used 'Telekinesis' to yeet the boss straight at the obstacle.

He hit it hard and got knocked down, which stopped his magic from being released and created a small opening for me, to shadow walk right next to him. I was about to pin him to the ground with my pudao, when a giant bear rammed straight into me from the side, like a moving train.

I was thrown into the air and bounced off the ground like a ping-pong ball, just to smash into the stone formation with my back.

- Fucking...historical

It wasn't painful, but so damn annoying. I had to reposition immediately, to avoid a bolt of lightning that tore the rock apart, throwing black pieces all around.

I needed a new, better idea on how to deal with my spiritual problems.. Very angry ones, that literally wanted to eat me.