The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 302: Arriving at Wrixia

Chapter 302: Arriving at Wrixia

The massive tree filled his vision. Nothing seemed to exist aside from it. No matter where he looked, all he could see was the tree.

Hex estimated a distance of ten or so kilometers between them and the tree. The outer layer of the tree to be precise. He didn’t spot the roots or the trunk of it, causing him to wonder whether the trunk lay at the center of the crown or not. And whether the width of the tree was actually its diameter. Thinking about the sheer size of the three made him whistle in awe.

The others remained unconscious. He believed they would wake up before they anchored at Wrixia. In the meanwhile, he enjoyed the sight before him.

He sat at the shore, feeling the cooling breeze brush against his face and rustle his hair. The pain didn’t disappear. The injuries to his inner space only became bearable after he applied the Ice element to it.

’I hope they have enough of nature elements to share. I am certain it will take a lot to heal.’

He used most of the crystals containing nature elements after his bout with the King and the Edune’s Monarchs. The little amount he had remaining wasn’t even enough to seal the wounds on the walls of the inner space. For now, applying a tremendous amount of Ice element sufficed.

"Hmmm?"

While inspecting his wounds, he noticed something. The wounds were healing. Slowly, others would not notice it. But Hex’s senses made him special. He sensed the blood dry and walls being nurtured.

The sight of regeneration left him dumbfounded for a second, forcing him to pay more attention to it.

’It’s my breath. No...it’s the air I am breathing in.’

So far, Hex sat enjoying the feeling of the breeze. But with this discovery, he sent his senses to analyze the air around him.

"The air is filled with nature elements!"

The content of nature elements in the air wasn’t just a little bit higher. Hex suspected a little more and it could coalesce. Following his exclamation, he heard the Saint chuckle.

You realized that rather quickly. It takes others a little more to discover it.

Hex looked around but didn’t see the Saint appear before him. It disappointed him a little but he didn’t take it to heart. He already met Him. It might have been due to his relationship with the Witch.

The World Tree has the most nature elements compared to the entire world. There is so much it fills the air and the streams around it. The deeper you enter Wrixia, the higher the concentration becomes. People all around the world come here to heal, rejuvenate, and regenerate. It is said that the leaves around the trunk are the most potent. Even nibbling at one helps someone regrow their limbs, regress their aging, and reverse defects people are born with.

"Is that true?" Hex asked, not concealing the fascination in his voice. He had his own goal in coming to Wrixia. One of which was seeing and experiencing the world he lived in. He envied the old men at the Square who always told exciting stories. Who knows, perhaps one day he will tell them too.

You will have to see for yourself.

He already planned on doing that. So, receiving a non-committal reply didn’t diminish his excitement. Having the attention of the Saint he asked a few more things.

"Is this the first tree to be born in this world?"

"How tall is it?"

"How deep are the roots?"

"How do people live in Wrixia?"

.

.

.

He fired the questions in one go. There was little chance of gaining all the answers but he hoped the Saint would answer at least a few.

Not only is it the first tree to be born, it’s the first living thing to exist in this world. I don’t even know how it came to be. It just did. As far as memories go, and as wide as tales are told, this tree existed.

How tall? I don’t know. It’s said that during the first two Ages Gods sat on the peak of its crown, overlooking the world while enjoying music and wine. I swam in these waters since I can remember, as did my Mother before me. Yet, no one ever reached its end.

How deep? I heard tales discussing that its roots enter the seabed and dig to the core of the world, extracting sustenance from it. Is it true? Dig and discover.

In a few moments, we will make land. Get to know the people of Wrixia yourself. They are like all the people everywhere. Some are good, some bad, and all frustratingly stupid.

Hex ignored the last remark. He realized a while ago that the Saint disliked every human in existence. It spoke of the level of genius the Witch had been to gain such compliments and adoration from the Saint.

He focused more on the information he gathered. Albeit not a lot and mostly myths by the sound of it, it still intrigued him. He looked forward to learning more about Wrixia. At the same time, he hoped to gather the information he was looking for.

Thud!

The distant sound of something splashing on the sea surface pulled his attention. He followed the direction the sound traveled from. The sound came from a ship. It was still far from him and seemed to be going toward Wrixia.

Thud!

Thud!

More and more ships broke through the Crack and appeared. Each ship seemed massive. They were easily a hundred meters in length and an equal measure high. Their blue and silver sails caught the breeze, pushing them forward.

All those ships belong to the main branch that brat is part of. They are the only ships in existence that can sail through a Crack.

"No wonder they are so rich. This gives them sole access to the riches of Wrixia. I wonder how they designed their ships."

Hex couldn’t help but feel a little envy at their fortune. Wrixia, the place said to be the origin of the world, had to possess riches beyond imagination. Hell, only the potent nature elements in the air made this place a mine of wealth.

It’s not the design. They are the only ones who have access to the broken branches and loose barks from the World Tree. It’s the material that helps them withstand an environment like the Crack. Every other material will rot or rust in that environment.

"But why are they the only ones who can get those? With how big the tree is, surely someone else can find a few drifting around?"

Haha. Sure, they can. But finding one doesn’t mean one can use it. The tree permits only the descendants of the Ancestor to use them. If someone else chances upon it, the branch turns to ashes.

That sounded so unfair. But Hex knew by now that even Gods favored some above others. So, why wouldn’t a tree? Just as he wished to ask more questions, a loud shrill cry sounded in the sky.

Lifting his head, he saw a bright speck flying toward the crown of the tree. It seemed like a bird but that wasn’t what drew Hex’s interest. The amazing thing was that even at such a distance he sensed the heat radiating from the bird.

The Red Phoenix, one of the few subspecies of the Phoenix that still are known to exist. They nest toward the peak of the crown.

Hex didn’t know phoenixes still existed. His anticipation toward Wrixia grew with each passing minute. They didn’t even reach the shore and he already saw things deemed rare anywhere else.

The distance between them and the shore decreased. When they were about five kilometers from the coast, the sea waves rose in the air.

Woosh!

The wave burst open and a large creature shot out, ascending into the sky. Its azure skin glistened in the sun. And its body coiled as it spiraled into the air.

Roar!

As it reached a height of a couple of hundred meters, it raised its head and roared. Its silvery horns shone and flickered as the beast moved through the air, before diving back into the sea.

Azure Dragon. It resides deep in the sea and comes to shore to feed. They only nest in these waters.

Hex drew a sharp breath, his body shaking with excitement. As they drifted forward, he could see the thin line of the coast appear in his vision. Wrixia, a place filled with wonders. This was a place of wonders and this was the place his mothers, the Witch and the baroness, came from.