CHAPTER 76: INTO THE WILD

Clayton stood in Verdis Hold’s bustling market, his Shedskin morphed into a scavenger’s cloak, masking his Verdant Lord aura.

Like this, he looked and seemed harmless, enabling him to blend into the market without attracting attention.

It was the perfect disguise that he wanted. And he grasped it after 3 months of experience, experimenting to find the best way to blend into Earth post the Genesis Protocols.

His Regalia of the Verdant Warden, currently in spear form rested against a vine-woven stall, while his new Artifact, the Thornshade Dagger, a venom-coated Artifact from a Luminous Seed Behemorph kill hung sheathed, its stealth-enhancing hum subtle.

His Heartseed Core pulsed steadily, Architect Aspect cloaked to blend among the Rootbound Clans’ pacifist townsfolk.

His Aphid Network, now over 50 minions strong, lurked beyond the Expanse, hunting under Veil of Verdant Shroud, while his Rootsite stood fortified, a distant bastion.

Verdis Hold’s 5 square kilometer sprawl glowed with Mycoglyphs, its Groveheart Bastion shielding Luminous Seed Awakened that protected the town, their pacifism a quiet strength.

Torren, the team’s Luminous Seed leader with Flamevine Wrath Aspect, haggled at a Verdant Relic (Artifact) stall, red-vined armor sparking.

The journey to Africa was a gargantuan marathon. But the journey first to the Scorchpaths was just as much a marathon.

Before the Genesis Protocols, the Scorchpath Outskirts was a southern fringe region near what used to be New Arizona District; a dust-choked, marginalized sprawl outside any megacity walls.

With cracked highways, rusty solar farms, and independent communes trying to survive off-grid, it was a proper outskirt.

And this... was where Clayton grew up.

From Verdis Hold to Arizona is 1810 miles, approximately 2890 kilometers of distance.

Before embarking on such a crazy journey, of course, Torren and his team already did their homework, working the calculations.

Awakened had a far better and enhanced physique than regular humans, enhancing strength and agility, but still, the journey won’t be a straightforward one.

Calculating with an average walking speed of 5 kilometer per hour, with an approximate daily walking hours of 10 hours a day, including interruption, deadly encounters in the wild, including battles, Torren and his team arrived at an estimate of roughly 60 days before they would get to the Scorchpaths.

It was going to be a rough and grueling journey. They needed supplies.

After getting the final member that they needed to complete their adventurer team for this new journey, they gathered supplies for the Scorchpaths, the ash-choked route to Africa’s Ashen Covenants a daunting challenge that they dared not underestimate.

Clayton, now accepted after his duel with Kaelin, kept his Architect power leashed, revealing only enough to pass as a capable wanderer.

Torren bartered a sack of Genesis Embers- external, harvested from Behemorphs, not his innate reserves.

After 3 months in Earthfall after Trial I, hunting and surviving, Clayton already learned so much about being an Awakened. Common terminologies no longer sounded alien to him.

One of these common terminologies was Genesis Embers, both internal and external.

The Genesis Embers that Awakened warriors utilize during combat is distinct from the Genesis Embers they absorb from killing Behemorphs, or other Awakened.

While both involve Genesis Embers, the former is a natural, personal resource, while the latter is external, often tied to a Soul Core, like Clayton’s Heartseed Core or Drayce’s Furnace Core.

Awakened warriors draw upon it to use their innate Aspect-given abilities and enhancements.

Also, it’s renewable. They can replenish it by absorbing Genesis Embers from the world or through their own internal reserves.

As for external Genesis Embers, it’s often found within Soul Shards of slain Behemorphs or Awakened, which are remnants of their Heartseed or Furnace Cores.

Awakened warriors absorb external Genesis Embers mainly to increase their Core capacity. And the more Genesis Embers contained in a core, the more natural enhancement an Awakened gain.

What Torren bartered was not Genesis Embers itself, but soul shards containing Genesis Embers.

He bartered for survival gear: spore-filter masks, Mycoglyph-etched water canteens, rootwoven packs, and five communication pagers, including palm-sized devices pulsing with Earthcore Nexus energy. Pagers are communication devices linking the team’s Aspects for long-range contact.

"Going into the wild without these is suicide," Torren said, tossing a pager to Clayton who caught it, Territorial Sentience synching its signal.

Veyra secured Thornstrike arrows, Lorn packed sap-vials, Kaelin and Soren hefted ash-resistant cloaks.

The market buzzed, Rootbound traders whispering of Africa’s Ember Witches, their Embers trade a lifeline against Behemorph surges.

Clayton fingered the pager, humor dark. ’Fancy tech for a world gone feral. Hope it screams louder than a Thorn Hound’.

His Hive-Sight pinged his Aphid Network, hunting afar, ensuring he’d cloak their presence on the journey.

Of course, he had no intentions of going on an adventure without his minions. He would let them follow in the shadows.

Afterall, no matter how powerful he felt, in a world of Verdant Warden Behemorphs, as a mere Initiate Ember Awakened warrior, Clayton knew that he could not be too safe.

The day passed in fevered preparation.

Since their first destination will be the Scorchpaths, Torren drilled the team, mapping Scorchpaths’ perils: ash storms, fungal quagmires, and the prowling Behemorphs in the ruined city.

Veyra sharpened her bow, Thornstrike Aspect humming.

Lorn tested sap-vials, Sapflow Healer ready to mend wounds.

Kaelin, pride stung from the duel, eyed Clayton warily but packed silently, Ashveil Cloak folded. Soren, gruff, tested his Emberblade Aspect, sparks dancing.

Clayton checked his Regalia, switching to bow form, testing its pull; bone arrows for precision, root arrows for impact, Embers channeling their form without draining his Core.

The Thornshade Dagger hummed, venom ready for close quarters.

As dawn broke, Verdis Hold’s Mycoglyphs dimmed, Earthcore Nexus’s pulse a distant drum.

The team gathered at the town’s edge, packs slung, pagers clipped, Verdant Relics glowing. Torren’s Flamevine Wrath flared, a beacon.

"Scorchpaths await," he said. "Africa’s our goal. Stay sharp, or we’re ash".

Clayton adjusted his cloak, Shedskin hiding his Verdant Lord power, Regalia bow slung, humor sharp. "Ash ain’t my style. Let’s burn a path".

The team stepped into the Expanse, Scorchpaths looming in the distance... ash-choked, fungal, a feral gauntlet to Africa’s Ashen Covenants.