The Herb King



After pulling the beauty out of the ice coffin, Aethelwolf hurriedly deactivated the Seal Weakening Rune. It consumed a lot of their world essence and some people even felt groggy after the ordeal.

"Ancestor Xymera!" Estes cried out in surprise and joy as he stared at the beautiful woman in Aethelwolf's embrace. She had a long golden hair that fell freely like a waterfall. Her skin was as white as snow and her cherry-red lips were enchanting. There was a pair of transparent wings on her back that glowed like a rainbow in the rain. She was so beautiful that even with the [Demon's Heart], Aethelwolf still felt his heart stirring in agitation. 

He quickly noticed that the dress she was wearing was thin so he quickly grabbed a robe inside his storage space and draped it over her body. 

Soon, everyone crowded over to look at the unconscious woman. Her figure was very tempting, but no one dared to harbor any indecent thoughts toward her. After all, this captivating beauty was a true Transcendent being! She could squash a Level 5 Esper with her palms and decimate an entire empire with her power! No one wanted to offend such a strong expert. 

"She is still recovering her energy. Escaping from the seal used up almost everything she had. Just give her some time to rest." Aethelwolf said while looking at Estes.

"You're right. I was too anxious." Estes nodded his head. 

"We should stay here for the time being while your ancestor is recovering. We can use this time to gather the resources of this Frigid Snow Dimension. I also want to learn more about those Ice Demons you mentioned." Aethelwolf did not meet an Ice Demon when he last entered the pocket dimension. He wanted to make use of this opportunity to observe them. Who knows? He might even find some clues about why the Frigid Snow Dimension was called the 'Glacial Breeding Ground'. 

"Alright. I will make some arrangements for the ancestors first. I will leave her in your care for a moment, Sir Aethelwolf." Estes immediately left after saying those words. He also summoned the four Holy Generals to follow him.

After he left, Aethelwolf stared at the unconscious golden-haired beauty. He couldn't feel a trace of world essence in her body. She looked like a fragile woman on the surface, but after seeing her power back then, he knew that she was a top powerhouse. 

"Is she the ancestor of the Ancient Fairies?" A curious voice echoed behind him. 

Even without looking back, Aethelwolf knew that it was Empress Shiphra. He nodded his head at her inquiry. "That's right. She had exhausted her energy to break free from the seals. She will recover after some rest." The recovery of a Transcendent being was a lot faster than Level 5 Espers like them. She only needed to rest for a few days for something that would normally take a Level 5 Esper a few months to recover. That was how powerful their recovery rate was. 

Some people were also looking curiously at the unconscious Xymera, but they didn't dare to go near her. They were afraid that she would wake up and misunderstand them. Only Aethelwolf was brave enough to hold her in his arms.

Not long later, Estes and the four Holy Generals came back. "Sir Aethelwolf, we've prepared a room for the ancestor." Estes said. 

Aethelwolf nodded and carried Xymera. "I'll bring her there." He spread out his spiritual perception earlier so he knew where the room they were talking about was located. 

"Eliazar, bring Sir Aethelwolf to the room." Estes patted Eliazar's shoulder.

"Yes, Island Master!" Eliazar acknowledged the command with a nod of his head. He then glanced at Aethelwolf and said. "Sir Aethelwolf, I'll take you there. Please follow me." 

Aethelwolf followed Eliazar, while Empress Shiphra also decided to follow them. As for the others, they stayed inside the chamber and studied the runes. 

"It's here." Eliazar pushed a door open, revealing a clean room with a huge bed at the center. There were no furniture or lavish decorations, but there were some herbal potted plants inside. They exuded the unique medicinal scent of herbs that could make one feel refreshed and energized. 

Aethelwolf was quite surprised by their efficiency.

He gently placed Xymera on the bed and covered her body from the neck down with a thick fur blanket. He then took out some Defensive Runes from his storage space and placed them all over the room. "It might be safe here, but we should leave some form of protection for her. No one must enter this room while Ancestor Xymera is recovering. Don't let anyone disturb her." His words were directed to Eliazar who was standing behind him. 

"Don't worry, Sir Aethelwolf! I won't let anything happen to the ancestor." Eliazar nodded his head seriously. 

"Alright. We will take our leave first. I want to explore this pocket dimension while your ancestor is still recovering. Who knows? We might even encounter some precious items and medicinal herbs." Aethelwolf chuckled. 

"Take care, Sir Aethelwolf." Eliazar said as he left the room with them. He stood outside the room and watched Aethwlwolf and Empress Shiphra walk away. 

"Are you really going out to find herbs? Why do I feel like you are looking for something else?" Empress Shiphra stared at him inquisitively.

Aethelwolf was inwardly shocked by her sharp instincts, but he didn't show it to his face. He looked calm on the surface as he replied indifferently. "What is there to see in this pocket dimension anyway? I'll just find some herbs for my subordinates." 

"Is that so?" Empress Shiphra looked at him with narrowed eyes. "In that case, I'll go with you." She added playfully. 

Aethelwolf's expression was still calm, but he was inwardly cursing this troublesome woman. "Suit yourself." He muttered.

Aethelwolf and Shiphra went back to the chamber to inform the others about his intentions. When they heard his words, they also expressed their desire to explore the pocket dimension. After all, some of them managed to find some precious herbs and fruits along the way so if they explore the dimension, they might find something more.

"You guys already have the upgraded Communication Rune so if you encounter a dangerous situation, you should immediately tell us. We are now allies so we have to work together." Aethelwolf reminded them.

"Don't worry, Sir Aethelwolf. Even if we encounter those high level Ice Demons, we are still confident that we can escape from them."

"Fine, but you guys should move in groups of three or more." Aethelwolf didn't want anything to happen to them. These people were important fighting forces against the Underworlders and losing one of them would have a huge impact on the coming war against the Underworlders. 

The others didn't disagree with his suggestion. They also thought that it was dangerous inside the Frigid Snow Dimension so they quickly formed groups with their friends. 

"What about you, Argus? Do you want to go with us?" Aethelwolf stared at the serious-looking man. This guy has been silent the entire time and he only spoke when someone asked him something.

Argus furrowed his eyebrows as he thought for a moment. In the end, he shook his head and said. "I'll stay here and recuperate. Looking for herbs isn't a hobby of mine." 

Hearing this, Aethelwolf smiled and shook his head. "Alright then." He then left the ice palace after saying goodbye to Estes and the Holy Generals. 

"Sir Aethelwolf, wait for us!" 

Aethelwolf and Empress Shiphra halted. They stared at the two old men who were running towards them. They were Gilbert Holt and General Trevor. 

"You two want to come with us?" Aethelwolf asked the two old men. 

They nodded their heads. "Yes!" 

"Alright. Having more people would be safer." He didn't have high hopes about finding clues related to the Glacial Breeding Ground so he didn't mind bringing them. 

"Great!" Gilbert Holt and General Trevor were happy that he didn't reject them. 

"Before we leave, we have to make some rules first." It was better to have some rules to prevent discord in the group. "Whoever finds something will keep it, but you must take it by yourself. If you seek help from us, you must divide the spoils accordingly. Next, if we encounter a strong enemy, everyone must give their all." 

After hearing the rules he suggested, Empress Shiphra and the two old men nodded their heads in agreement. 

"Good! Now off we go!" Aethelwolf looked at his [Virtual Map] while releasing his spiritual perception. He didn't want to go around blindly since they might get lost. He placed some marks in his [Virtual Map] and he also left some Tracking Runes along the way. 

The three people behind him were doing the same thing. They also placed some markings on their path in case they had to move separately. By doing this, they would be able to find their way back even if they ended up getting lost.