The forest didn't return to normal.
Even after the creature had fallen… even after its corrupted body had dissolved into drifting black fragments… something lingered.
Leo could feel it.
The oppresive aura of the masked stranger still weighing on his mind as well as his swift exit .
Though he could still feel something else.
Not a presence.
Not a threat.
But a trace, miniscule but a trace non the less.
He crouched slightly, staring at the ground where the creature had collapsed. The soil was darker there, cracked in unnatural patterns, as if something had seeped into it and refused to leave.
"…This isn't right," he muttered.
Slowly, he reached out.
The moment his fingers hovered over the surface—
A faint pulse responded.
Leo's eyes sharpened.
"…Their still some traces of that energy here ..... Maybe I can track it ."
Carefully, he pressed his hand down.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A ripple.
Not outward.
Inward.
Like his body was reacting to the rouge energy , trying to fight it off.
" Thats weird whatever this energy is it usually integrates well with other forms of energy .. Could this be an advantage due to me being a transmigrator "
Leo immediately pulled back.
"…Tch so many unanswered questions."
This energy wasn't normal.
From what he'd seen in the the primordial alpha, It was unstable—wild, destructive, constantly breaking itself apart.
But this…
This was coherent.
It reacted.
It gathered.
It almost felt—
Leo exhaled slowly and stood the taught weighing on his mind like a physical weight .
"Refined…"
The word came out naturally.
And that was the problem.
****************************
Following the minute traces of energy Leo ventured deeper into the strange forest .
The deeper he went the more distorted the entire place became , the corrupting energy spreading and mutating everything like a sick viruse .
Though he met with a few mutated beasts non possed a significant treat to him .
Slowly he reached a normal looking large cave like structure.
Though it looked normal he could feel a mass amount of the corrupting energy coming from it .
Reaching forward he suddenly feels his scenes dulling bit he still kept going till he felt it a shifting barrier blocking his path.
Spatial energy flared round him and he reached out touching the barrier , his arm covered in blue energy .
Slowly he broke down the barrier careful not to reveal his presence . After an entire hour passed the barrier finally gave way letting him pass undetected.
What lay before him was a twisted cave structure covered in a black mist so thick it felt solid releasing an ominous , sickly energy .
" Hmm so this must the source.... shouldn't there be some kind of guard "
As if hearing him a large figure stepped out of the , its body covered in slick black fur, piercing red eyes , four clawed limbs , and mouth filled with razor sharp teeth .
" Me and my big mouth"
From the aura alone he could tell this was a primordial beast and with the corrupting energy empowering it he could tell it was most likely stronger than a typical peak world saint .
Before Leo can move forward the beast charged towards him at a blinding speed landing a hit that sends him flying back like a lone kite in a Strom .
Pain .
Vivid and burning crashed into Leo's mind like a wave as his nody breaks through into multiple trees before stopping in the side of a mountain , leaving a kilometer long trail of destruction from the cave like structure.
" Thats definitely not a normal primordial... Its power is at least at the limit of the primordial rank , thats equal to a world king "
Sighing softly, Leo stands up dusting himself though he took the hit head on he didn't have a significant injury .
Looking at the structure which now looks normal again another sigh escapes his mouth.
" Hmm so you won't come out .. or you can't "
Turning around he flys away towards the grand capital Amazon.
************************
" How dare this lowly human say such"
An angered voice thunders in a large hall where 11 elves are seated on a raised platform looking down at a black haired human wearing a gray jacket over a white shirt and gray trousers , the insignia of sky crest academy on his chest pokect.
" Are you so incompetent human that you make up stories "
" How can you claim to have seen such in our great Amazon "
" I knew trusting the humans was the wrong move"
Numerous other angry shouts echoed in the hall from 9 of the 10 elders as Leo gave his report of his findings In the forest .
At first they listened calmly then when he told them about the change in the behavior of the corrupting energy and the peak primordial beast most of them started berating his findings saying such could not happen in their glorious Amazon.
After a few minutes Leo's calm demeanor cracks and he finally replies.
" If you bunch of old racist monkeys would have done a better job at protecting your glorious Amazon I wouldn't be here , but since I am just let me do my job "
Silence .
A sharp,loud silence covers the hall like a wet blanket .
" What did you say!"
Boom.
The silence is broken by a shout from one of the elders followed by a bang as he releases his aura, a visible pressure shaking the building and the very air .
Leo at the center of this aura felt the weight of a planet crashing on his shoulders making his legs buckle but he didnt fall releasing his own aura he is barley able to stand straight as the pressure increases .
Griting his teeth Leo uses every ounce of energy in his body to keep standing could feel his body getting closer to the ground .
'No I'm not going to bpw to an old racist elf '
He shouts in his head and suddenly a silver glint passes his eyes and his aura explodes out with renewed vigor .
Purple flames round him becoming so hot it strained space at some parts it was even seen buring away the white aura on him , the spatial energy round him intensified and slowly small sparks of silver appear in his aura .
" Enough " the loud voice of Prince Aelion cuts through the tension as both auras die down .
Leo's breaths become rough as he glares at the elder who released his aura " What is wrong with you? , racist monkey "
His words cut deep at the elder but the fact that a mere beginner world saint resisted his aura , the aura of a middle world king was more humiliation than any of Leo's words . Worse still prince Aelion's cold glare sent shivers down his spine .
" leave " a similar situation as the last meeting played out as prince Aelion sent the elders away once again .
" So what is your plan now Leo?"
Sighing softly Leo answers his voice now calm " First we have to deal with that cave and then unto the next areas "
In his mind Leos taughts spiraled ' The council members are all acting weird, I can't trust any of them'