The Kind of Evil
Chapter 302 - 302: Spirits of nature.

‎Rasmus and Aris went into the Spring Forest, a forest with its famous and amazing scenery where two big waterfalls meet on the Spring Lake below. People believed that whoever dared to jump from one of the waterfalls to the Spring Lake during the spring season, any wish they wanted would be granted. However, because of the tall and the strong waterfall, whoever tried to do that ended up dead from the fall or drowned to death.

‎They went into Spring Forest to watch the people do the challenge. It was Aris who wanted to see it, and Rasmus didn't mind it since taking the forest was the fastest route to the Refenus kingdom.

‎"How many that are still following us?" Rasmus asked as he rode his horse beside Aris.

‎"Still two people, but they're different from a few days ago," Aris answered as she looked around at the tall trees around her with the ray of light trying to pierce through the trees. "What does that mean?" She looked at Rasmus with her brows raised.

‎"They might replace the scouts since the previous ones had been following us for five days straight. However, it could be just a coincidence," Rasmus answered as he closed his eyes and listened to the echoes of birds chirping in the distance. "We still have weeks to reach the Refenus kingdom. Let's wait a bit more," he continued.

‎Aris nodded and gently caressed her horse, and the horse neighed softly as if it felt happy by her touch.

‎They were on top of a cliff across from where Spring Lake and the two massive waterfalls were. Aris with her draconic eyes could see ants on the branches from miles away. She saw hundreds of people gathered around the Spring Lake, swimming and watching people standing on the edges of the waterfalls.

‎"Do you want to give it a try?" Aris asked as she tried to find the path to the top of the waterfalls.

‎"No, I don't believe in superstitions. We have seen demons and an angel. This is nothing more than just a myth for people to believe in, quite the irony to waste your life for a simple hope," Rasmus shook his head, realizing how tall the waterfalls were. They were at least 300 meters tall, and whoever jumped from that high, they would end up dead.

‎"What if it's true? You don't know this, but spirits exist in this world. They're powerful beings, the second oldest being in this world after Orthias. They're not the protectors, but they're the observers, distancing and hiding themselves from mortals because they learned from the mistakes that Orthias did," Aris revealed as she looked at the vast forest from the high ground.

‎Rasmus had heard anything about spirits in the Neva world, but back on Earth people believed in them, unlike here. He was interested in spirits since they were believed to be protectors of nature and punishers of humans based on his knowledge but there was barely any information about them here in this world. However there were different types of spirits back on Earth, and he wondered if they were similar here in Neva.

"Why did you only mention this now?" Rasmus asked.

"You never asked," Aris tilted her head, staring into Rasmus eyes.

Aris's words caught Rasmus off guard because he didn't expect that kind of answer from her. He felt like Aris had learned a lot from him, especially in the way she pointed the mirror back at him.

"I mentioned it now because I realized there are still a few spirits here in this place. Back when we were in South Neva, spirits didn't exist as if they had abandoned that continent a long time ago," Aris said as she looked at the forest. "It must have something to do with the wars and how they killed a Saint. The spirits might had enough of that place and chose to abandon it. Those evil spirits that we encountered back then, they were from humans' souls, not purely spirit of nature," she continued.

‎"And you feel them here?" Rasmus raised his brows.

‎"Yes, over there," Aris pointed at the waterfalls in the distance. "They're gathering in between two waterfalls, and I can feel a strong presence there, which can be a great spirit," she added.

‎Rasmus looked at the distance and wondered if he could see them since. He then continued his journey toward the waterfalls with Aris.

‎It took them two hours by horse to reach the waterfalls by following the river. They saw a few adventurers hunting for beasts to sell, herbalists looking for herbs, and florists hunting for rare flowers. The forest looked so lively, and Aris didn't feel any demonic energy in the forest, which surprised them.

‎"Are you sure about this, Sen? There are only a handful of people who could do this, and they're either extremely lucky or extremely strong," a man looked at his friend stretched his arms.

‎"I have been waiting for this moment for years. I know the risk, and I don't have anyone who would cry for me if I died. I want to do this," the friend answered as he slowly removed his clothes, revealing his muscular torso with a few scars on his back and arms.

‎"What about us? Do you think we won't cry for you if you die? Please rethink your decision, Sen," a woman looked at the man called Sen with a worried expression.

‎Rasmus and Aris listened to those three while the others were waiting for that man to jump off the waterfall. Rasmus looked down at the cliff toward Spring Lake and realized the height of the waterfalls were at least 300 meters from the lake. It would be impossible for anyone to survive without proper technique.

‎"That man..." Aris approached Rasmus as she stared at the man called Sen. "The spirits are rooting for him, they're watching from the trees," she pointed out.

‎"They do?" Rasmus asked as he looked at the trees and couldn't see anything but trees.

‎"Yes, they want to see him jump and die," Aris answered with a straight face.

‎Rasmus raised his brows, quite surprised by Aris's words and how the spirits sounded so mischievous. He then looked at the man, wiggling his arms as he stretched his neck, preparing himself to jump off the cliff.

‎"So, those spirits... they're mischievous?" Rasmus asked as he stood by the edge, showing no fear of falling down.

‎"They are... they loved to play with us Orthias, and sometimes they brought us into the unknown and made us lost in a deep forest. In a human term, spirits are like naughty children. They're innocent, adorable, small, and yet they're annoying," Aris answered as she looked around.

‎Rasmus hummed as he looked down at the people in the lake, swimming and enjoying the refreshing cold water. He then heard people cheering around him, and when he looked to his left, he saw Sen jump off the waterfall with a loud scream of excitement.

‎A strong gust of wind was coming from below, brushing Rasmus's face. The gush of wind that felt and seemed unnatural went upward, and it made Rasmus look up. However, he looked down again to check if the man survived, even though he knew it would be close to impossible.

‎Rasmus saw the man jump right into the plunge pool where the waterfall hit the lake. He knew that the man would drown if he got unlucky and got stuck in the current with no chance of survival.

‎"Is he alive..." Sen's friend asked as he looked down at the cliff.

‎Rasmus couldn't see because of the strong current of the waterfall. He then saw people swimming toward the waterfall, surrounding it and waiting.

‎"He didn't make it," Aris muttered as she looked down the cliff. "Some mischievous spirits tried to help him slow down the fall, but what they did was actually kill him," she revealed.

‎Rasmus began to understand what kind of beings the spirits were. It was exactly like how Aris described it, an innocent and yet mischievous little being. He realized that the sudden gush of wind was the spirits' doing, and found it quite ironic that they tried to help but ended up leading the man to his death.

‎The people from the lake began to shout, and they tried to tell everyone on top of the cliff that the man had died. After knowing that, Sen's friends began to collapse and lowered their heads. It was as Sen said, they couldn't even shed a single tear, realizing that they weren't that affected by his death, making them feel even more guilty.

‎"I found them, the great spirit," Aris said as she looked at the trees. "Let's meet them," she added and began to walk away, ignoring the situation around her.

‎Rasmus followed Aris and watched how his and her horses were following them from behind without having him drag them. He took a glance at the lake below, and wondered if he could survive the jump once his body had recovered.

‎Once they entered the woods, Rasmus noticed the complete silence. It was supposed to be loud because of the waterfall, but he couldn't hear anything at all. He narrowed his eyes and looked at his surroundings as if he was being isolated in the woods, preventing the outside world from interfering.

‎"They're welcoming us. They know that we are Orthias, and they are curious about both of us," Aris said as she kept walking forward. "The great spirit commands them to guide us toward where they live," she continued, looking at the trees where the spirits sneakily stole glances at her and Rasmus.

‎"As long as they're not being mischievous, and don't try to help me with anything, I don't mind being watched," Rasmus responded as he walked with his cane to support his body weight.

‎Aris chuckled softly as she kept walking ahead of Rasmus.

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