Silence reigned over the place. I stood there, contemplating myself and the destiny that had brought me to where I am now. In the beginning, I didn't understand... why? Why was all of this happening to me? I never craved false heroics; all I wanted was to stay with my new family. I could no longer bear the thought of being alone again.
I was terrified while facing those monsters in the depths of the abyss. I didn't want to die alone, as I had in my previous life. I just wanted— hah...
Despite that fear, I knew for certain that in my current state, I wouldn't be able to protect them when they needed me most. So, I pressed forward, planting that thought firmly in my mind like a rooted stake; so that I would never despair, and so that I would never surrender.
The giant gate at the end of those ruins swung open, leaving behind clouds of dust and mechanical screeches, like the cries of metal that had reached its limit after long centuries. I emerged from that gate carrying the purple monster core, along with a few items I had scavenged: some clothes and a rusted sword—worn, but still retaining its edge. I walked through a dark tunnel, thinking for a moment that the trial hadn't ended yet, until a faint light appeared from afar. Upon seeing it, I ran with all my might, yearning to see the sunlight after such a long absence.
At first, I thought I would emerge back into the "Black Mist Forest" from which I had fallen. But it seemed I had greatly underestimated the dimensional nature of the ruins' cracks; I found myself in a place I knew nothing about!
"What is this? This isn't the Black Mist Forest... Where am I? And what are these strange trees?" I muttered in bewilderment.
The trees were gargantuan, and unusually, their trunks were a dark, purplish-black, pulsing with mana that held distinct lightning properties. It was a bizarre sight; why would trees possess such colors and specialized mana? I recalled then a book I had read at the age of four about the legends of spirits. It spoke of giants who could use mana naturally—more so than any other race—but not for combat; rather, for defense. I had wondered back then: how so? Aren't Elves and Spirits the creatures closest to natural mana? But I had dismissed the matter at the time, thinking it was just a fairy tale for children. Yet, it turned out that the "giants" were nothing but these towering trees. As for the matter of "protection," I still didn't understand its story.
I ventured into that forest, which resembled a "haunt for ghosts." Towering trees with almost no leaves and no roots connected to the ground—save for a single purple leaf perched atop the wooden shaft, which looked more like a pillar than a tree.
I tried to climb one of these trees, thinking it would be easy using Wind Mana. However, a surprise awaited me; the higher I tried to ascend, the mana would vanish from my body as if it were being repelled or absorbed! I had no choice but to climb manually without relying on magic. It was then that I remembered my father's lessons: how Aura could serve as physical support for the body, enhancing strength and agility without the need for mana.
I climbed that "Mana Pillar," a feat that took me about seven minutes of grueling effort, as the atmospheric and spiritual pressure increased the closer I got to the top. When I finally reached the highest point, I was stunned by a sight I never imagined I would behold again in this life...