The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 366: The core region (2)

Chapter 366: The core region (2)

"That makes sense, I guess," Hex mumbled.

Jonathan looked away from the grass as he steered the horses toward the ground. He looked bemused.

"You don’t think it’s harsh?" He asked with a raised brow.

"No, not at all." Hex shrugged at him. "It may sound harsh. Sure. But this isn’t just grass. It’s the foundation upon which Wrixians will build and live for generations. Looting this is akin to condemning an entire nation to starvation and regression. Death might even be too lenient for such a vile act."

Just imagining someone doing such a thing caused his blood to boil. He had met many people. Many who disliked or hated. But a few among them would stoop so low.

’But these things happen. There are people who would inflict such a future upon others,’ Hex seethed inwardly. How did he know such people existed? Simple. The mere fact that such a law existed proved such crimes were committed.

As he tried to calm himself down, his gaze caught something from the corner of his eyes. He turned. The land was empty. Only the grass moved with the wind.

’It couldn’t be an illusion.’

Illusions rarely affected him. His enhanced senses always picked up traces...like that.

Hex turned his head...and looked dumbfounded at the patch of grass blowing with the wind, waving at him.

He had no idea what it was but it looked alive, sentient even.

"What the hell was that?" He had seen many strange things but some still stumped him.

"Grassblowers," Jonathan replied once he noticed the green spots swirling with the wind.

"Are they creatures?" Hex continued to ask. All he could sense was the dense nature element they radiated. It was the main reason he had failed to spot them immediately.

"They are sentient grassroots. Once the nature elements exceed a certain limit – the exact number is still unknown in the research community – some grassess gain a limited amount of intelligence."

Grassblowers were the first of the many unique creatures he saw underway. There were sheeps that shed their wool with the help of plants that possessed flowers shaped like blades and whose nectars helped to pre-soak the thick, hardened mass.

There were birds that laid their eggs in the ground, effectively burying them. Hex saw one of these birds hatch. Well, he didn’t see them break out of their shells but a small burst in the ground attracted his attention. Out of the small hole, a bird clawed out.

"The birds add a little bit of compressed air into the shells just before laying them. Once the hatchling bird gets to a size the shell can’t take the pressure inside anymore, it bursts open. The power of the burst is enough to break the ground open."

Jonathan had eagerly explained. He genuinely loved the land and its creatures. His fascination with everything surpassed even Hex’s. And it seemed like no matter how many times he saw it all, it still wasn’t enough.

"Brace yourself," Jonathan shouted suddenly. "We are about to hit the ground. It will be a little...bumpy."

Only now did Hex realize they were less than twenty meters above the ground, and descending quickly toward it. He had been too enamored by the land, the elements, and the creatures.

Jonathan steered the horses toward the ground, pulling the reins just a meter above the ground. The horses retracted their outstretched wings, and started to make galloping-motion with their legs.

Then they touched the ground. Hex felt his innards shake. The bounce at the start caught him a little unprepared. His behind even lifted a little before being slammed down on the wooden seat. As strong as he was, he still felt the slap on his behind.

"The coach didn’t even shake, yet we took the brunt of this landing?" Hex growled in a grimace.

He hadn’t turned to observe the coach but he remembered how it had landed when it came with the Elders. The wind element had been used to cushion the impact. He had sensed a similar gust of wind behind him.

"The impact has to go somewhere," Jonathan smirked. He seemed unaffected by it. Hex had sensed some Earth elements flow. How and what he did, Hex didn’t know but he knew even the Enlightened Knight used his elements.

The horses seemed least affected. They galloped over the land with their wings furled against their back. They moved as if air and land were the same for them.

Quickly, the first humans came into sight. They looked like farmers and herders based on their attires and tools they carried. The appearance of a coach caught their interest. They gave way to the carriage with smiles on their faces. Smiles that quickly turned into shock.

They pointed, whispered, and shouted. The first shout caused Hex to look. He followed the horrified gaze of the elderly man and saw the source of their concern. The Elders.

Hex had completely forgotten about them. They looked bloodied and muddied. Their clothes turned into rags. They were being dragged through the mud and grass at high speed, bouncing and rattling against the ground.

From the weak pulse of life Hex perceived coming from their bodies, he could conclude that all of them had survived. Somehow. But none seemed to be conscious anymore. They would at least not experience the attention they received from the people living around them.

Jonathan didn’t stop though. He continued to move the coach toward the city. The closer they got, the more people appeared on the road. The shouts and trail of spectators warranted even more attention.

The Guardians around the area were alerted and came flying over but before they could recognize the Elders, they recognized Jonathan. Seeing their superior causing all the ruckus they choose to limit themselves to greeting him and shooing the spectators away.

Hex ignored them. No one had noticed him so far. He had wrapped a cloth around his head to hide his hair. It wouldn’t help against the Council and others but it helped from avoiding attention from the general public.

"We have arrived."

Jonathan motioned toward a building at the center of the city. It was giant. A single tower reaching the leaves at the top.

"The Council," Jonathan added.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.