"How is this in a place like this?"

  Tyre tracks were the last thing Aurel expected to see in a remote place like this. Back in his Edora Kingdom, vehicles were not common enough for everyone to afford. Most people commute by train for long distances and by bus for short distances. Even so, there were not that many.

  Aurel did not like what he saw. Because if his creations had become so common that a vehicle could be found in a place like this, then he feared just how many years had passed.

  The tyre tracks disappeared into the eerie forest ahead. With a path clearly laid out for him, all he needed to do was follow it. He had already made a decision to journey out at first light. The tracks merely provided a direction.

  Aurel returned to the stone floor, finding a relatively clean surface to sit on. Now that he was out of the underground throne room, he could go over a few things on his mind. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

  The first thing on his mind was his regressed strength. Aurel had not attained the pinnacle of power back then, but he was close. He had touched upon a level that did not exist, a level beyond the unattainable World Master and even past the fabled Transcendent level.

  He had touched upon a level he termed Sovereign.

  And yet, here he was, his strength reduced to the Arcane Consolidation realm. While undoubtedly impressive, it would not be enough to deal with those greedy rulers and schemers.

  The only consolation he could take from this was the fact that his essence levels were at the World Master level. But what was the point of that when his physical body was capped at Arcane Consolidation?

  Aurel needed to recultivate to attain his former strength. That damage, as it seemed, had done more than just injure his physical body and soul. It had forced him back to the mortal level. Such a vicious weapon could not be allowed to exist.

  He assessed his body and mind, finding no hidden injuries. He had no doubt. He was fully healed. His current regressed strength might be related to the damage [Will].

  'Getting to the World Master level should be my target for now. It should be easy enough. I've done it before; I can do it again. It's only a matter of time.' He evaluated. 'For the time being, it's best to move with caution.'

  Putting the issue of his regressed strength aside, he thought back to the fragmented conversations he picked up during his semi-comatose state. He still had no idea how he could hear conversations from far away.

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  Perhaps it was an unintended consequence of his injuries. Whatever it was, it gave Aurel a few things to think about. Although he could not make out much of the fragmented conversations, the little he heard painted quite a picture.

  His enemies had attacked his kingdom shortly after he went into forced slumber. The cry of mothers as they begged for their children to be spared. The wail of children who witnessed their parents fall without understanding why.

  The talks about treason.

  Aurel could think of a few of his retainers who would fold without much effort. Ambitions and thirst for greater power were something even he could not control. Offer the right price, and almost everyone would do the unthinkable. In his absence, backdoor deals could have been made, alliances forged.

  Then there were the attacks on his life during his slumber. Somehow, assassins had found a way into his hidden space to attempt to take his life. Fortunately for him, he never cut corners when it came to crafting for himself.

  'The attempts might have been why Sebastian decided to move me out of his castle and probably the kingdom.'

  From the fragmented pieces he picked up from Sebastian and his subordinates, things had taken a turn for the worse, forcing Sebastian's hand. Reaching this point, Aurel realised he did not have to bother thinking. The journal in his possession should have the answers he needed.

  But then, recalling the glitching storage space, Aurel was not very willing. He had a vast collection of items in his storage space. Everything he had ever used, created and would ever use was in there.

  Had it not been for the cases left behind for him, he might have ended up creating a new shopping centre in that collapsed throne room. Then again, he was not in a rush.

  Aurel opened his eyes when he felt the atmosphere shift around him. The sun was rising from the east. He turned to face the rising sun and just observed, silently appreciating the warmth the light brought.

  He stood up a few minutes later and looked around. The fog was retreating as the sun rose, finally shedding light on how vast the forest really was. Calling it a forest did not quite do it justice.

  It was more like a jungle.

  "I really am in the middle of nowhere." Aurel thought and then furrowed his brow. "Have jungles ever been the silent type?"

  Leaping off the stone floor, he landed on the soil and approached the area that had the tyre tracks. From where the tracks disappeared into the jungle, there was hardly a carved-out path.

  "How did they even know a place like this existed out here?"

  Now was not the time to ponder unnecessary questions. Aurel silently circulated his essence and took off, kicking up a bit of soil. He disappeared into the jungle in a flash.

  Aurel barely covered a hundred meters when he was forced to come to a stop. Sunlight could not penetrate the overgrown vegetation, and vines covered almost everything his eyes fell on.

  The ground was also overrun with shrubbery and weeds. The tyre tracks were no more, but that was not an issue. A path had been roughly created by those intruders.

  But none of that was the reason for his abrupt stop. He had just been thinking about how to regain his strength. Who knew he would stumble on something this good?

  Aurel flashed a small, knowing grin. "Must be my wakeup package."