Somewhere far away from the planet—floating in the quiet embrace of another space—Eccaruss gazed into the void, watching John's antics from afar. His brows furrowed, and he slowly shook his head with a sigh.
"This little guy is truly strange... What kind of energy is he using? It's neither mana nor primordial mana. Even I can't see through it," Eccaruss muttered to himself, his voice soft and contemplative. "Could it be... because my final days are approaching?"
He exhaled deeply, a trace of resignation in his ancient eyes.
Just then, his gaze fell back on John—just in time to witness him turning a snow flower into ashes once again. Shaking his head slowly, Eccaruss pulled out an old, worn-out book out of thin air. Its leather cover was cracked, and faded runes glimmered faintly on its surface.
"This is the best I can do for you, little guy," he murmured with a faint smile. Then, with a flick of his finger, the book vanished into a glowing stream of energy and shot down toward the planet.
"If you are destined, you'll find it. If not... don't blame this old man."
With that, Eccaruss's figure began to glow, his form slowly breaking apart into countless specks of light. They drifted through the void like fireflies, disappearing one by one. The silent space once again returned to its eternal stillness, without another soul in sight.
---
On the Planet
Back in the secluded domain below, John stared in silence as the last snow flower before him turned into nothing but gray ashes. A hollow feeling welled up in his chest. His body trembled slightly, and his red, sleep-deprived eyes remained fixed on the spot.
All the snow flowers were gone.
His efforts… wasted.
"I was reckless…" he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. "Too impatient."
As regret filled his heart, footsteps echoed from the staircase. Tony descended from the second floor and paused, blinking at the chaotic sight in front of him.
"Whoa… what happened here?" Tony's eyes scanned the room. Ashes scattered all over the floor, John's hair messy, and exhaustion written all over his face.
"…Good morning, Red-Eye," Tony said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.
"Haha, very funny," John muttered as he walked past him, heading straight to the bathroom without another word.
Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Yup, definitely didn't sleep…"
Sighing softly, he moved to the kitchen and began preparing a simple breakfast—bread, dried meat, and heated nutrient soup from their supplies. An hour later, both of them emerged from the house, looking more refreshed and prepared to face the wild world outside.
John retrieved the portable house and stored it back inside his spatial ring. Meanwhile, Tony crouched down in front of a sleek black case. Opening it with a soft click, he pulled out a small silver briefcase from within.
"Time to meet my little friends," Tony said proudly.
He opened the briefcase, revealing several spider-like drones inside—each no larger than a palm, matte black with thin metallic legs and small rotating wings. The design was minimalist, but clearly high-tech.
"These drones are something else," John said, genuinely impressed. "What's the range?"
"Four kilometers max," Tony replied while syncing the drones to a controller. "No satellite needed for video feedback. But if they go out of range, the connection cuts off."
John nodded thoughtfully. "That'll do. Better than exhausting my spiritual sense on everything."
He watched as Tony handed him a pair of black goggles, identical to his own. They both slid them on, and the drone feeds lit up—multiple angles of the forest displayed in real-time.
Tony glanced up at the sky and raised a brow. "Can't we just fly high and scan everything from above? You know, cut the hassle?"
John gave him a sideways look. "And get shot down by some unknown flying beast? No thanks."
Tony laughed nervously. "Right… forgot this place is basically a death trap."
John's voice turned serious. "We can't be careless, brother. This is an alien world, full of things we don't understand. Remember what that old man said? Danger is everywhere. We have to stay alert at all times."
Tony sighed but nodded. "Alright, alright. Lead the way, Mr. Cautious."
With that, they began walking deeper into the dense forest.
---
The forest was unlike anything they had seen on Earth. Massive trees towered overhead, their bark an unnatural dark green hue, covered in veins that pulsed faintly with bioluminescent light. Leaves shimmered in the wind, producing a faint rustling sound that almost sounded like whispers.
Moss glowed dimly beneath their feet, and strange vines dangled from branches like sleepy serpents. Occasionally, a low hum would drift through the air—coming from glowing insects or perhaps from the forest itself.
Bird-like creatures cried in the distance, but their calls echoed unnaturally, as if they were mimicking something else entirely.
"I swear, if one of these trees starts moving, I'm done," Tony muttered while scanning the area through his drone feed.
John chuckled. "Stay focused. We're here for the plants, remember?"
"Right, right. Snow flowers or anything remotely similar," Tony replied, adjusting his goggles.
---
Far away, nearly 700 kilometers from their current location, lay a massive lake—approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. The water was dark, glassy, and unnervingly still. A dense fog clung to the surface, swirling with a greenish tint from the excess of wood-element energy saturating the area.
The fog was thick—so thick that even light struggled to pass through it. The air around the lake was heavy with the scent of life, damp earth, and something old… ancient.
Suddenly, the silence shattered.
A ripple disturbed the calm surface of the lake.
Then another.
Within moments, the water began to churn, as if something massive stirred below. The ripples grew larger… until a colossal head broke through the surface.
It was enormous—at least twenty meters wide. Covered in dark green scales with faint glowing lines running down its neck, the creature's head emerged slowly. Its eyes, glowing like molten emeralds, scanned the mist.
The rest of its body remained hidden beneath the lake, but the sheer scale was unmistakable.
It turned slowly in one direction—toward the forest where John and Tony were currently exploring.
Then, it let out a long, spine-chilling hiss.
The sound echoed like a thunderclap, sending ripples across the lake and beyond. Trees along the shoreline shook violently. Leaves blew away. Birds scattered from the treetops. The ground trembled.
Then, just as suddenly, the creature vanished beneath the surface, and the lake returned to silence—though the fog now moved faster, swirling as if agitated.
But that was only the beginning.
Moments later, from the lake's far side, the underbrush began to rustle.
Then, slithering shapes emerged—hundreds of them.
Snakes.
Some small, some the size of pythons, and some… as thick as tree trunks. Their scales gleamed with unnatural colors—violet, obsidian, crimson, jade—and their eyes glowed in eerie unison. They slithered swiftly through the forest, all heading in one direction.
The same direction.
Toward John and Tony.