Chapter 268: Garden of Self-Reflection.

Cain lay on his back, his stomach completely filled to the brim with monster meat. A satisfied silent burp escaped his mouth as he shifted comfortably as the heat radiating from his stomach spread to all corners of his body.

'So comfortable...'

The sensation was a brand new one for him. The warmth was warlike a current that glazed over his bones, flesh, and skin, filling his cells with relaxation. It was like his body was slowly changing to accommodate the different energies flowing within.

'So comfortable...'

Cain felt his eyes dropping as the desire to sleep overwhelmed him. He had been awake for a long time and realized he needed to get some rest. Sleep was still necessary for him, but it wasn't needed frequently...

However, for some reason, he just couldn't fall asleep. His mind was filled with thoughts about everything.

The light, consistent breathing coming from the other side of the hollow tree made Cain realize that the tree girls had fallen asleep.

They had all been pulling their weight, helping out in more ways than one. Susan had been an excellent guide and had done wonders in keeping the group safe, while Ignis was a powerhouse in her own right. She also possesses a surprising amount of wisdom and foresight that made their lives easier.

Jenny was deviously smart despite how friendly and welcoming she looked. Cain sometimes forgot that she had once fired a bullet at him at point-blank range. Every time he remembered his first encounter with the devilish beauty, he would always pause to stare at her for a few moments...

Seeing her turn and smile at him every time always filled him with a little bit of dread...

'So scary...'

However, she was also a very vital member of the group. Her bullets could cross vast distances and embedded themselves deep into the skulls of unsuspecting enemies. Cain had lost count of the number of victims she had claimed in such a manner.

And then there was him. The main powerhouse of the group with no real area of specialization. If Cain wanted to classify himself, he would put himself under the 'meat shield' and 'battering ram' categories.

He received damage and dealt damage to the team. He could do other things, but his energy was best spent doing those two. If not for him, then the three girls would have died ages ago.

'How long can I keep this up?'

Cain's brows furrowed in the still darkness as he tried to organize his thoughts.

'It's been what, close to a month since we arrived in this god-forsaken place.' Cain thought to himself as he tried dating their arrival at the 'Aether Realm' to almost a month ago.

'Thirty minutes, huh... Sorry, Steve.' Cain muttered a silent apology to Steve before continuing on his train of thought.

'What exactly do I have to do? If this forest is like a box or a never-ending circle, then there has to be a breach somewhere, right?'

Cain thought hard for a long while, but he still couldn't make heads or tails of their situation.

Tormented with these thoughts, he stood up quietly so as not to wake any of the others, and moved closer to the hole in the tree trunk.

Jumping down the relatively high tree, he listened to the silence of the forest. Then, his feet began moving. Soon, he had turned into a dark shadow, streaming across the forest.

Darkness flowed around him liberated as he cut through it as though it was a physical entity.

Cain's thoughts were jumbled. However, he believed that he couldn't simply sit and wait.

'Think... What exactly am I missing? First, we passed through the Marsh plains. We needed to avoid the really deep pits, but it was generally safe. Now, we are trapped inside a forest that has no end. What do we do?

Turning back is not an option either...'

'So do we just mow the trees down with enough force so that they do not grow back? No... I doubt I dare to approach whatever is behind this forest's madness.'

Cain stopped behind a tree abruptly when he noticed a fairly large group of {Forest Lynx} passing through the path he wanted to take originally.

The group of creatures truly excelled in the darkness. Their eyes radiated an effervescent green glow in the darkness created by the trees, giving them clear sight even in the thick darkness.

Their long, feline ears made it so that they would pick up the slightest alien noises. Hence, he had to try his best not to make any sounds.

Cain watched them move in the darkness, the {Dark Soul} attached to his shadow. Once the group of creatures was gone, Cain continued.

Eventually, after a considerable amount of time avoiding large packs of Aether beasts, he arrived at his destination. The only spot in the entire forest where light from the outside could penetrate.

A gap in the leaves of the trees let in a single stream of light that cut through the darkness like a sharp knife. The light spread and illuminated the surface of a small pool of water that sat auspiciously within the forest and the trees that surrounded it.

Cain had seen it earlier in the day, but he had been running from the group of {Forest Lynx}, so he didn't approach it. Seeing it up close filled him with awe and hope.

'Finally...'

Although he wasn't quite sure, this pool and the light shining on its surface broke the status quo in the forest. This was his best bet.

'Now, reveal your secrets to me...'

Cain licked his dry lips as he approached the pool of water. Although he was nervous, he still pushed on. Despite the obvious danger involved with going to an illuminated place in the dark forest, he had to take the risk. If any creatures notified him, he had many ways to escape.

As soon as he stepped foot in the circle of light, his eyes were drawn to the surrounding trees. All of them were bent in awkward shapes, making them seem slightly unnerving and a bit humanoid in the dim lighting.

Getting rid of his unease, he took another step forward. Then another...

Until he was standing right before the pool of water. Cain tried to gaze into the pool, but what he saw made him flinch in terror.

Well, it was actually what he didn't see that made him feel deep terror churn within his innards.

The surface of a pool of water was like a mirror, and as such, he should have been able to see his reflection. However, there was no reflection on the surface of the water.

Instead, only the hole in the tree canopy and the weirdly shaped trees could be seen.

'What the hell?!' Cain frowned as he tried to take a step backward.

However, much to his amazement and horror, he found out that he couldn't move an inch.

'Shit!'

Cain suddenly felt something. It was an eerie feeling, and somewhat familiar at the same time. It was the feeling of having someone stare at you blatantly without trying to hide it. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Could it be an Aether beast?' Cain thought to himself as he prepared to summon his weapons.

Raising his head, he was greeted with a sight he never in a million years would have expected.

Standing right before him was him. Or in more detail a perfect caricature of him. This 'him' didn't do anything, merely stared at him with a small smile on its face. Its eyes were like deep, dark pools of water, just like his own, and the expression, as well as the scar that ran from its left eye all the way to its right cheek really let the realization settle in.

'What in the world is going on?!' Cain thought to himself as he slowly straightened his posture. If a fight between him and this beast was to break out, he needed to be as prepared as he could be.

Suddenly, the mirror image let out a sigh and spoke in a voice that wasn't different from his in any way.

"Ha... Free at last."

When Cain heard its words, the terror gripping at his heart transformed into primal fear. Something told him that the only way for him to escape this place with his life would be to run as fast as possible. However, even that option had been taken away from him.

However, Cain was still a little bit curious.

"Who are you? No... What are you? What is this place?" Cain said with as much false bravado as he could muster.

The mirror image stared at him intently for a few more seconds before it grinned. The way the smile on its face contorted his facial features made Cain want to forget all his previous plans and run so fast, his heels would touch the back of his head.

However, he couldn't give up here,

"Welcome to the Forest of Dreams, human." The mirror image said, taking a step forward.

"You still haven't answered the other questions." Cain said, clenching his fists as he watched the creature approach him.

The creature shook its head, "You wouldn't be able to comprehend who I am, human, so it is best you remain ignorant. However, as for what I am, I think that is quite obvious, don't you think?"

Cain shivered as a chill ran down his spine.

As though it was reading his mind, the creature nodded with an expression of glee.

"Yes... I am you."

Cain paled, "Y, you..."

"Perhaps you might not understand yet, but you will in due time. Although I figure it will be too late by then. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, human. Your efforts and life will not be wasted." The mirror image said with gratitude as it inched closer.

Cain immediately tried to summon how weapons from his inventory and was mortified when he realized he couldn't.

His despair didn't last for long when he realized that his mana was still flowing within his body. Almost immediately, his violently trembling heart quickly calmed down.

Slowly closing his eyes, he took a deep breath through his mouth, then exhaled through his nostrils.

'Calm down. Assess the situation. It is probably stalling for time. If it could really kill me so quickly, it would have done so ages ago.'

Cain forced himself to rationalize his situation. The sheer amount of fear and terror he experienced when facing this evil entity that looked exactly like him simply didn't conform to common sense.

And so, Cain decided to humor the entity a little,

"If I really am going to die, it wouldn't hurt telling me a few more things, right?" Cain said carefully.

The creature had laughter and excitement in its eyes, "Well, I suppose you are right. It seems the rumors are indeed true. Despite being very weak, humans are quite the intellectual creatures."

Cain breathed a sigh of relief, "If so then I'd like for you to answer my questions honestly this time."

His eyes became sharper,

"Who are you and where the hell is this place?!"

"But I do not lie, human. However, I do admit I wasn't being completely honest. This place goes by many names, including the Forest of Dreams. However, the first name it ever received..."

The creature paused as it took another step toward Cain...

"Its true name, is The Garden of Self-Reflection."