Ten kilometers outside the Nofalark Forest, the light of a Teleportation Magic Circle flared to life atop a teleportation pillar, and a moment later, two people and one cat appeared within the glow.

  These teleportation pillars functioned as spatial anchors—coordinates fixed in space. Across the continent, many public teleportation points had been established, most of them placed by the Empire in open areas. This allowed the military to utilize these anchors for rapid deployment.

  Rumor had it that the most advanced teleportation circle could transfer an entire army of a hundred thousand in a single go. The sheer scale of that was hard to imagine.

  Some teleportation anchors were privately established as well, though only powerful or influential figures had the means to set up such private coordinates.

  After passing through the vast plains, they arrived before the great Nofalark Forest.

  Caius reviewed the mission details.

  Platinum-ranked Magic Beasts could be found within the Nofalark Forest. As for the ore collection, that required travel to another location. But that wasn’t an issue—the ore mission was a Guild assignment without a time limit. He could handle the Magic Beast task first.

  Up next was training Little Swan and the kitten in combat. Both he and Little Swan would serve as the kitten’s combat instructors.

  He was confident Little Swan would agree.

  “My designated investigation area is around Mirror Lake in the Nofalark Forest. What about you?” Hilda asked.

  “I’m not restricted to any area. Anywhere is fine,” Caius replied.

  “Then let’s check out the Mirror Lake region first,” Hilda said with a spark of excitement. “The scenery there is really beautiful, and the terrain is flat—perfect for sparring.”

  Caius chuckled and nodded.

  Others who came to the Nofalark Forest would be focused on the dangers—terrain, miasma, Magic Beasts. But Little Swan was focused on its beauty. That said a lot about the romantic and gentle soul she possessed.

  “Alright then, lead the way?” Caius said with a grin.

  Hilda instinctively nodded, but quickly seemed to remember something, puffing out her cheeks. “No way—you go ahead. Otherwise you’ll make fun of me again!”

  “Hahaha!” Caius laughed aloud, making Hilda stomp her foot in protest.

  “I’m just… not that good at directions!” she huffed, pouting.

  “Alright, alright. I’ll show you a few tricks for navigation later,” Caius said, walking ahead with a smile.

  He had already memorized the maps of the surrounding area—it was essential. These maps didn’t just have regional divisions, but also marked the locations where specific Magic Beasts appeared, as well as places to find herbs, ores, and other materials. Before heading to Ocean City, he’d bought several different types of maps to cross-reference.

  One map marked herb regions. Another was for Magic Beast sightings. Others detailed rivers, mountain ranges, and more. He committed them all to memory and combined them into a single comprehensive, highly practical map in his mind—making it nearly impossible to get lost or miss a target.

  In his past life, he relied on implants for map memory. Now, he relied solely on his brain.

  As they walked deeper into the forest, Caius dragged his fingers along the surface of trees. His fingers, like blades, left shallow marks behind.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “In the forest, you should leave signs as you move forward,” he said. “That way you can retrace your steps if needed.”

  “I get that much,” Hilda said, lifting her chin. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Caius nodded. “The most reliable method—look to the sky.”

  “The sky?” Hilda looked up in confusion. The sky above was a clear blue.

  “Watch the clouds. The tall, high ones usually drift west to east—that’s due to planetary rotation.”

  “What’s a planet?” Hilda asked curiously, and Kiki perked up her ears to listen.

  “It’s the name for our world. A general term,” Caius said. “But cloud movement isn’t always accurate. High-altitude winds can shift clouds in any direction, so only use this method in fair weather.”

  “A better method is watching the sun.”

  “You can determine direction using the sun and the shadow behind you.”

  “Once you’ve got your direction down, you’re unlikely to get lost.”

  “During the day, use the sun. At night, use the stars—identify a few recognizable constellations, and you’ll have your bearings.”

  “And look at the environment around you. See that moss?”

  “Moss always grows on the side that gets less light—north-facing. It prefers damp, shady spots. So if you see thick moss, it’s pointing north.”

  Caius continued sharing as they walked, and both Hilda and Kiki listened intently.

  They quickly realized Caius knew a lot—practical knowledge that wasn’t even covered in books. The more they listened, the more intrigued they became, their eyes shining as they absorbed every detail. It truly felt like they were learning.

  Mirror Lake was located in the central part of the Nofalark Forest. Following the river that connected to it, the distance was a little over eighty kilometers.

  So the trio kept a swift pace—roughly thirty to forty kilometers per hour. That would get them there in about two hours.

  Maintaining such speed in a forest was no small feat. It was akin to a fast sprinter pushing full speed on flat land. But for the three of them, it was barely a challenge—in fact, they found it rather easy.

  Caius jogged along, sharing more knowledge with Hilda and Kiki as they went. His breathing was steady, his thoughts clear as crystal.

  Even he was a bit surprised. His memories of his previous life were so vivid—even the data from his cybernetic implants seemed intact. It was as if the knowledge stored in those chips had crossed over with him. And with the exceptional memory granted by his Giant’s body, it felt like a subtle but valuable cheat.

  His old implant contained tons of useful info—combat tutorials, survival knowledge from the Wastelands, weapon mechanics, and more.

  Though he no longer had the chip software or direct combat-assist modules, all the downloaded knowledge remained, ready for recall at any moment.

  Sometimes, Caius even felt a strange illusion—as if the military-grade neural socket he’d once installed for over 200,000 credits, and the knowledge chip, two combat modules, and one utility module inside it, were still operating somewhere in his mind.

  Had the Wasteland Corporation's tech advanced so far that this world was just an illusion, and he was merely a brain in a vat?

  The thought was chilling.

  Better to focus on Little Swan and the kitten's adorable faces—they worked wonders as mental purifiers.

  And they were effective indeed. When Kiki looked up with an adorably proud expression after learning something new, and Hilda frowned thoughtfully, processing a tip—Caius’s mood instantly brightened.

  Before long, they arrived at Mirror Lake.

  It was called “Mirror” Lake because of its astonishingly still waters—like a polished glass surface.

  That vast mirror reflected the sky above, bathing the lake in a dreamlike blue hue.

  The shoreline was lined with Water-Willow trees, their azure-blue branches cascading like a maiden’s hair. When the breeze stirred, the leaves brushed the water’s surface, sending soft ripples across the lake.

  They say that overly clear water has no fish—Mirror Lake is a prime example. The water here was so clear that visibility reached over a dozen meters. Fish were almost nowhere to be seen, likely due to the lake’s high elevation. Melted snow from the surrounding mountains would flow down and feed into Mirror Lake, forming this serene body of water.

  As a result, fish from other rivers rarely ever appeared here either.

  Of course, there was another reason—Mirror Lake was cold. Now it was autumn, yet the lake’s water temperature had already dropped to single digits. Each morning and evening, as the air grew colder, a mist like fine gauze would rise from the surface of the lake, adding an ethereal beauty to the landscape.

  No wonder Hilda said this place was beautiful. Beautiful? That didn’t even begin to cover it. To Caius, it was breathtaking.

  Still, no matter how stunning the scenery, it could never outshine a beautiful person.

  "I wanted to come here last time already. It’s exactly as the books described—even more stunning than the illustrations!" Hilda exclaimed with delight as she skipped to the lake’s edge. She reached out a hand, gently stirring the water with her fingers.

  Caius gazed at her profile. Under the sunlight, her side profile and golden hair seemed to shimmer with a soft, golden halo, giving her an almost sacred appearance.

  And that smile on her face—Caius couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer beauty of the world.

  If the world weren’t beautiful, how could it give birth to something, someone, as lovely as this?