Tirnanog was a vast world several times bigger than earth. Liam could tell that because days went by and he was still continuing his journey to the center of this world, to the so-called forbidden area.
It did not matter how many detours they had to take and how many near death experiences they had. Liam was persistent in his goal.
If he could reach this so-called forbidden area, then there was a chance that he might even evade any scanning or detection type techniques of even higher-leveled elves.
Soon, days became weeks and the two continued moving on their feet. The forests became denser and more dangerous as they approached their destination and their travel became even more slower.
Plants and animals took on increasingly surreal forms, glowing with arcane energy and vibrating with the hum of unfiltered mana. It was as if the essence of the world itself was becoming more concentrated as they ventured deeper towards the forbidden area.
Elira, too, understood more and more about her new master with every passing day. Any thoughts about escaping from the strange human being or betraying him to buy her own freedom disappeared.
She was an elf who was born from slave breeding and right from her birth no one had treated her better than this human being. She could also see that this mysterious master of hers was extremely powerful.
His level was quite high, despite his body showing several signs of weakness. And from the way he was experimenting with potions and pills, cursing and muttering while doing so, told her that he was searching for something. Perhaps a medicine to cure himself.
She could only guess just how strong her master would become if he managed to find this pill or potion.
However, more than all of this, there was something else which Elira respected.
All her life she had heard tales about slave masters and how they treated their slaves. But she had never heard about one concerned with the well being of their slave to the extent of wasting precious resources on her.
Until now, Liam had given her many pills and potions which were slowly improving her body's condition. Some of them gave her immense pain but some healed her body. She now was no longer the useless girl who couldn't use mana.
She could already cast some basic magic and this was also thanks to the human being who had taught her. This was the last straw that broke any reservations she had.
It did not matter that she was his slave and he was her slave master. In all sense of the word, Elira started seeing this strange human being as her true master, a master who teaches one things and guides their path.
This was also why she wore an expression of increasing concern.
"Master, we are getting close," she warned one evening, as they set up camp in a clearing surrounded by ancient, towering trees. "We must be cautious."
"Hmmm. I agree," Liam responded, looking towards the setting sun that took an unusually long time to give way to twilight in this world. Wondering if they would even continue to see this much sunlight, Liam gazed into the growing darkness of the forest.
"The stories say that the guardian of the forbidden area is not just a being, but a manifestation of Tirnanog itself. To trespass its domain is to challenge the very world."
Liam looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you believe these stories?"
"I used to think they were just that—stories. But now," she paused, "I am not so sure."
That night, neither of them got much sleep. The next morning, they broke camp early and resumed their journey, each step taking them further into the thick forest.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the edge of a dense cluster of trees. "Master, we are here." Elira stopped. "Master… she hesitated."
"Hmmm?" Liam asked absent-mindedly as he took a look around. He could feel that the mana in the air had suddenly become several times denser.
"Master… I have heard that some elves tried to enter the forbidden area hoping that there would be some treasures or opportunities here…" she paused.
"What happened to these elves?"
"None of them came back alive."
Liam gave a rueful smile on hearing that. He could also vaguely feel several powerful auras ahead of them. However, he did not believe that simply stepping over a boundary could kill them.
While he was thinking about it, all of a sudden the elf next to him dashed forward.
"Huh?" Liam was surprised because he could clearly see that the elf was scared, but still she dared to go ahead?
Elira stopped only after heading several miles inward. She then turned back and ran toward Liam once again.
"Master…" she panted. "I checked it myself. Nothing happens if we cross this boundary."
Liam's eyes widened as he now understood what she had done. She had poison tested the land for him. He chuckled and patted the young girl. "Thank you."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he then personally stepped into the boundary, Elira following hesitantly behind him.
She did not seem to notice anything out of the ordinary but the moment Liam crossed the invisible boundary, he felt it—an overwhelming presence.
A heavy pressure bore down on him, halting him in his steps. The next second he felt a shiver. Someone was examining him.
His very soul was scrutinized, every inch of him assessed and judged. However, surprisingly, the energy was not hostile.
Liam stood still waiting for the check to get done. Since the elf was not subjected to it, this was probably because he was a human being. But he refused to believe that this would matter.
He was probably an ant compared to this being and people seldom were concerned about ants. Irrespective, this was a risk he had to take.
Time ticked by and soon, the pressure pressing him down completely disappeared. It looks like he was given permission to enter after all.