Chapter 121: Akara, the Forest Sage

The sage whom Pine Needle introduced to Liu Zong, capable of seeing through everything in the forest, was named Akara. She was a rare female shaman among the Kurast clan. Since Kurast dwarf women could not become rulers, upon reaching Level 3, Akara chose to merge herself into a sea of flowers, becoming a part of the forest itself.

Although this was also a form of merging with plants, it differed from the way of the Ancestral Spirits. Ancestral Spirits were a path taken by shamans who had lost their way and were near death. Akara, however, performed this integration while at the peak of her power as a ruler and in the prime of her vitality. Consequently, she attained strength equal to that of a ruler and a near-permanent lifespan. The only difference was that she could no longer move; she was destined to stay in one place, communing with the forest.

After finishing his account of Akara, Pine Needle departed directly. He could tell that Liu Zong was not truly there to help them; Liu Zong had other motives within this forest. Now that Pine Needle had shared everything he could, whether they would remain friends, mere passersby, or enemies depended entirely on Liu Zong’s future choices.

That night, Liu Zong summoned Xu Ying and the others to discuss Akara. They deliberated for a long time, only stopping as dawn approached. After the discussion, Liu Zong did not sleep; instead, he sat in meditation. As the sun began to rise, he sought out Pine Needle.

"I am certain that your expulsion from the Ancestral Camp is a conspiracy. But the scheme is too vast, and we do not know how it was orchestrated or whom it targets. We need a sage to guide us. Do you have any recommendations?"

Liu Zong’s words left Pine Needle bewildered. He had just told Liu Zong about Akara the day before; how could Liu Zong suddenly act as if he knew nothing? Before Pine Needle could respond, Acorn, who was standing nearby, heard the question and nodded affirmatively. "Indeed. We cannot figure this out on our own. We must seek out Akara. She will not stand by and watch a conspiracy shroud the forest."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zong acted as if he were hearing the name Akara for the first time, asking Acorn for details about her. As Pine Needle prepared to speak, he felt someone tugging at him. Turning around, he saw the servant he had assigned to Liu Zong signaling to him. Pine Needle immediately understood and held his tongue, watching as Acorn began to describe Akara nearby.

Once the introduction was complete, Liu Zong did not hesitate as he had the night before. He immediately made the "decision" to seek out Akara and uncover the nature of the conspiracy. As soon as Liu Zong moved, Acorn prepared to depart, and the rest of the Kurast warriors in the camp began to stir.

At that moment, Lu Shang approached Pine Needle and whispered, "Lord Pine Needle, you are quite familiar with the Kurast people. Observe them as they prepare to leave—is anyone dragging their feet?"

Pine Needle was no fool; he understood Liu Zong’s intent. He glanced over the camp and shook his head. "Kurast servants are the finest servants. Once an order is given, they do not delay."

Lu Shang nodded and added, "Then, if someone were to target Lord Acorn during the journey, could you identify them?"

"That is no problem. To survive in this forest, one must rely on perception and instinct. As long as someone harbors ill intent toward Acorn, I will surely discover it," Pine Needle replied, patting his chest with conviction. Lu Shang smiled, said nothing more, and retreated to Liu Zong’s side.

With a clear objective and the guidance of the Kurast dwarves who had lived in the forest for years, their progress was swift. Soon, the dwarves led Liu Zong toward a specific part of the forest. According to Pine Needle’s earlier explanation, Akara did not reside in the center of the forest, as that was the location of the Ancestral Camp. In her time, she had been a marginalized shaman. Because she had many enemies, she chose a path far from the camp.

Over the next hundred years, Akara used her wisdom to help many Kurast dwarves, and several shamans even attained Level 2 under her guidance. For this reason, she earned the recognition of the clan and became a symbol of wisdom on the continent. In the last hundred years, however, Akara had rarely seen anyone. A thick white mist had risen around her dwelling; without her acknowledgment, any Kurast dwarf who entered the mist would soon find themselves walking back to the very spot where they had entered.

As for the beasts that wandered into the mist, they never emerged, presumably becoming Akara's sustenance. Therefore, the method for finding her was simple: walk in that direction until the white mist appeared, indicating one was close.

Because they were accompanied by Liu Zong, the Kurast dwarves did not rush into the mist but watched it from a distance. The mist seemed contained by some unseen force, stopping abruptly at a specific line. Before this line, there was not a trace of fog; beyond it, the mist was as thick as milk.

Seeing the mist, Pine Needle approached Lu Shang and whispered, "Mixed Vine seems reluctant to see Akara, though he has no intention of harming Acorn. However, Black Paulownia has shown intent to strike several times. If not for the crowd of servants, he might have already acted."

"Black Paulownia?" Lu Shang quickly recalled the information on him. This warrior had not come from the Ancestral Camp but had arrived independently after hearing the news. He hadn't arrived very early, but shortly after he did, Mixed Vine and his men had followed. Lu Shang lacked complete information on his relationships with the others, but he had heard that Black Paulownia had migrated back to the forest from the outside world a year ago.

Nodding to Pine Needle, Lu Shang prepared to relay this information to Liu Zong. Suddenly, the Kurast dwarves began to walk into the mist. They seemed drawn by some irresistible force. Leaving their servants behind, they entered alone. Some of the warriors even left their weapons outside, looking for all the world like pilgrims.

At the same time, a voice echoed in Liu Zong’s ear: "Outsider, if you have the courage to aid the Kurast, come into the mist."