Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

"When are we going to go explore the Golden Sap Forest? Didn't we come here for that in the first place?"

A woman with auburn hair and stormy grey eyes sat on a chair with her legs crossed and placed on top of a table. She was slumped on the chair, and her tone was bored and whiny. 

A black-haired woman answered by her side while sipping the nectar drink served in the restaurant they were in. "Isolde, be less rude. You are part of the <Sacred Water Lily Sect>. We should act more elegant and reserved."

Isolde looked over to her senior sister and sighed. Then, she sat up and took the cup she had left at the side. "Sure, sure. So, can you answer my question now?"

"Hm. From what I've heard, going there right now is quite dangerous." The black-haired woman took out a stack of papers and showed it to Isolde. "It seems that very high-level creatures have suddenly appeared. Several Level 12 groups have disappeared. The rescue groups formed of Level 15s have also disappeared."

Isolde blinked and sat up slightly. That kind of thing was completely abnormal for a place that was sub-Level-10 until recently. 

Isolde read the information the woman shared with her as the woman spoke. "It appears that Lady Verena Liferoot entered the forest around a month ago to investigate. She returned around two weeks ago and told the Explorer Association to wait a few months before sending anyone to the central area of the forest. Here is a map of available, dangerous, and certain death areas for people below Level 24." 

Isolde asked, incredulous. "People on the first sub-cycle died?"

The woman nodded seriously. "The corpse of a Level 21 was found together with a Level 18 and a Level 19."

Isolde hummed and looked at the information again. Pointing at the available zones marked on the map, she asked. "So… We should be able to go and patrol this area, right? Felia, we have nothing better to do, to be honest. I've looked around the Academy, and the information they have is really not worth the trouble. Our Sect has much more information than the Academy's library."

The black-haired woman, Felia, nodded. "That's not surprising. This place is more of a place to grow World Tree Fortuna. While the society here is good, if they had true support from anyone, they wouldn't have just sent Eila Neoflora. She is enough of a deterrent for nearby powers but not for sects like ours."

Isolde hummed, and Felia asked. "Speaking of powers… How is that cousin of yours? Eldric, was it? I heard he had quite a rough year; he even insulted… Stone… No, Ironheart. The Ironheart family, right?"

Isolde looked at her with a sigh. "You are as bad at names as ever." 

Felia snorted. "I just don't pay attention to small powers." 

Then, she pondered and answered. "I heard that recently, he has managed to increase his strength quite a bit, reaching Level 15 as well. It seems that he has been going into hunts deep into the Wall Forest." Isolde hummed. "Speaking of which… Mother told me that my uncle is seemingly using his connections to increase the Stormrider family's strength."

Felia tilted her head. "Isn't that something he always does?"

Isolde nodded. "But, he is doing it more actively. Of course, Uncle Stormrider has little enemies because he has always been quite calm. So, many are curious what pushed him to restart his active days."

Felia shrugged. "Not our problem. Your Stormbringer family and their Stormrider families formally separated a while ago, right?"

Isolde snorted. "But, we didn't do it in bad terms. I even go visit often, and Uncle and Aunt Stormrider always welcome me!" Isolde smirked. "I even get to mock Eldric sometimes, so it is pretty fun. Tsk, tsk, he is a skirt-chaser."

Felia remembered the look he gave her in the past, and her face grimaced as if she had swallowed a fly. "Well, I can't deny that." She sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, let's go to check the surroundings. We lose nothing for doing that anyway. If we feel like something is dangerous, we flee."

Isolde stood up and ran off. "I'll go tell the others!"

Felia sighed, and when Isolde left, she took an information sheet that she hadn't shared with Isolde. It had the certified stamp of the sect, so someone at the top of the sect probably wrote it. "There is a high chance for powerful plantlife to have appeared in the Golden Sap Forest, bringing change to the local fauna and flora…" 

Felia hummed. "Powerful plant life… Well, we'll see a bit later. Also, the dangerous places on the map are quite strange. The center being the most dangerous is not strange, but what about this lake area around here?"

She shook her head. "Well, let's prepare. We can investigate more once we are there. Other people have already sent their groups, so we can't really delay too much more."

A few hours later, she arrived at the Explorer Association and saw that quite a few people were around. Many groups had tidy, quality robes or uniforms, showing the several powers that had prepared a group of juniors to send to investigate. 

While it was a strange development, it wasn't large enough to send high levels. More so when Verena had already entered and confirmed a few things. Moreover, the Golden Sap Forest was a place without unique resources to everyone's knowledge. The golden sap was good, but nothing out of the norm. It just had very mild healing and mind-clearing qualities. 

"Felia! Over here!" 

Looking over, she saw Isolde and another three women waiting for her. She walked and asked. "Has anyone left already?"

Isolde shook her head. "Nop. But, look over there."

Following Isolde's finger, she saw a group from the Academy. "Hm? If I remember correctly, their names are Verdantia, Cin… Can… Cen… Cinderale? And… Tam…" Feila frowned. "Why do they have such difficult names? Like, couldn't they be called Anna, Rosa, Lia, or something?"

Isolde and the other four laughed. "Big Sister Felia, are you sure you don't want to go to that memorization class? It could make that problem go away."

Felia snorted. "I don't have memory problems! I am just bad with unimportant people's names."

Isolde commented. "Cinderielle, Tempestria, and, of course, the Liferoot family's Miss, Verdantia." 

"Isolde! I didn't know you were here!" 

Hearing the handsome, deep male voice, none of the five women became happy. Looking over, they saw Eldric approaching with a wide, attractive smile, accompanied by a group of ten people.

Isolde was going to mock him, but her words got stuck when he realized that those behind Eldric were all Level 20. Her face changed, and she asked. "Eldric, who are they?"

Eldric laughed. "Oh, they are my friends. We've been hunting together for a while. It was thanks to them that I reached Level 16 so quickly."

Isolde blinked. "Sixteen? Weren't you Level 15 a month ago?"

Eldric shrugged. "What can I say? I am talented, and it shows now that I am training with eagerness." 

Isolde rolled her eyes and asked. "So… Are you going to the Golden Sap Forest as well?"

Eldric frowned angrily and glared toward Cinderielle's group, but he covered up quickly. Still, everyone noticed. "I am not. I am not strong enough to go there for now. I need to reach Level 20… Level 25, if possible."

"That's quite a statement," Feila spoke, looking at Eldric with a curious gaze. "To reach Level 20 or Level 25 quickly, you must slaughter tens of thousands of creatures around your level. Are you really going to do that? You know it is not accepted by the grand majority of the World to do that, right? You should focus on slowly Leveling Up with the energy-gathering skills."

Eldric looked at Feila and hummed. "You, like me, are human. Why would you waste your life away following that kind of rule? The higher level, the longer you live, the stronger you can get and continue to earn experience, making you stronger, and further lengthening your life-span."

Feila squinted dangerously. "That's too selfish. If everyone did that, the world would end. Only people affiliated with "That" cursed power think like you, and that's why they are hated everywhere." 

Eldric snorted, his eyes looking strangely determined. "I care not about that. Moreover, not everyone can kill as they please. So, there won't be any problems for Leveling Up or harm to anyone who is important."

Felia crossed her arms. "Nature's Cycle is important. Disruptive behavior like yours is taboo! If you continue like this, you will step on several bottom lines. Didn't you learn when you were little about how Experience must not be forcefully harvested? It will curse you! Titles like <Slaughter>, <Slayer>, <Maddened Life Ender>, and other similar ones can appear, and once they do, they won't go away." 

She looked up at the tall man and tapped his chest, right where his heart was. "You will get lost like all those who did the same you want to do now. It's a path with no exit. A path of no return. A path where regret is not possible." Feila stated. "I am telling you this much because you are my friend's cousin. Stop before it is too late. Or, you will fail to become what you aim for due to unending greed. You know how powerful human greed is, so don't give in."

Eldric frowned and looked down for a few moments. He then crossed his arms and sighed. "Thanks for that, but I can't really do that."

Felia looked at Eldric with a disappointed expression and shook her head. "Whatever. You will one day understand how big of a mistake it was. How, today, you had a chance, and a hand tried to stop your free-fall into the unending void that greed creates, yet you decided to reject it." Looking at the girls, she walked away. "Let's go."

Isolde looked at Felia's back and sighed. "Cousin. Although she looks serious and cold, she is one of the most gentle women I've ever known. Hearing her advice will do you no harm."

Eldric looked at Isolde and sighed. "I know, Isolde. It's not like I haven't had time to think about my actions. However, I really can't stop. I am now determined to succeed and get what I want or die trying."

Isolde looked at Cinderielle and asked. "Is it that woman?"

Eldric looked over and snorted. "While it did start because I wanted her, I've already gotten over that. I want another thing, much more important. If I get it, I become king. If I don't, I lose everything. That's it." 

Isolde looked at the Level 20s behind Eldric and sighed. She patted his shoulder and said. "Your attitude is a bit better, but… Your direction is worse than before. While you were a skirtchaser in the past, at least, you were just a stupid brat. Now…" Isolde shook her head and walked away.

Eldric looked speechless at Isolde's back. "Skirtchaser?" While he wanted to deny it, he swallowed his words. 'Well, it's not wrong… Anyway, there is nothing wrong with that… Also.' Becoming serious, he looked toward the Golden Sap Forest. His eyes clouded with desire and greed. 'I'll eventually get that World Tree. She will be mine and serve my family. With her miracle fruits, we can step into the next stage.'