Days later, deep within the Dark Forest, near the mist-covered little wooden cabin.
Lynch sat cross-legged on a gnarled ancient tree root, his aura calm as water. He was not engaged in traditional magic power gathering or spell casting practice but had immersed his consciousness entirely within, cultivating the Soul Law.
This was not reliant on the accumulation of knowledge or the brute force of spiritual power, but a more abstract and difficult inner exploration. His mind seemed to transform into the most exacting craftsman, repeatedly scrutinizing and honing the essence of his soul.
Past fragments flashed back and forth in his mind.
Avery's worried face, Adam's hollow shell, even the more distant entanglement with Lanice, the indebtedness to the Yuri Family… these memories and emotions, clear or vague, were scrutinized and dissected by him calmly, as if under a magnifying glass.
