Once we entered the Portal, we found ourselves still surrounded by thick and massive trees as well as the lush vegetation. We were around a few hundred kilometers from the city, so we were so far from where we came from. I could sense that they were powerful monsters lurking around the vicinity, so we gotta be careful.
It was almost as similar as before, but it was noticeable that the mana concentration here was way thicker. Actually, this was the most suffocating concentration of mana I had been through, which could be fatal for weaker beings. It meant that we were at the very center of the forest.
"It is my first time going here."
"Me too." I agreed with my sister's words.
Then almost immediately, right after we got here, my sister and I sensed that something was rushing its way toward our direction. It was a monster. The tree spirits sensed it too, and we all subtly agreed to deal with it.
The nearer it got, the more the ground trembled and the louder the rumbling echoed. In a matter of seconds, the monster snapped the last tree and revealed itself before us.
The monster was a Canis Kaiser, a massive wolf monster known for its extremely durable fur that covered its tought skin. It was an S-ranked monster of a ruling class; it meant it could be a leader of a pack. The one in front of us was around five meters tall and was probably a sigma.
Canis Kaiser evolved from a Wolf Sovereign and a step below the Fenrirs, the enemies of Inari and the spirit foxes on the Southern Continent. But from what I had observed so far, the wolves' enemies here in the forest were the big cats like a Felis Emperor.
"Woah! A Canis Kaiser! And that's a big one!"
"Yeah! It's about Level 800 after all!"
Running straight toward us, the swift monster tried to snap my sister with its huge fangs. Big Sis then immediately drew her adamantine sword out, and with a fast and fluid swipe, her blade easily cut through its mouth and successfully cleaved its jaw.
WHIMPER!!!
When its severed jaw dropped to the earth, the Canis Kaiser let out a sharp whimper in response to the pain. It was now on a rampage, and we stepped back to avoid its claws and tail.
After that, the wolf shifted its attention to the tree spirits, and it decided to attack them instead. The ladies were probably so used to this that they did not flinch. I was about to help them, but I forgot that they were powerful individuals themselves.
"Stop right there, monster."
"I see."
After our encounter with the Canis Kaiser, my sister and I scanned the surroundings looking for other threats, but we failed to detect any hostile entities. However, other than the monsters, I could sense the presence of something gigantic just a kilometer from us, even though there was nothing of the sort that could be seen.
"That thing right there..." I muttered as I was looking up. "Is that the World Treant, right?"
"Your senses are sure sharp, Your Highness. You can even see through our best illusion. You are right, that is indeed the World Treant."
"I can't see or sense anything, but I sensed a faint amount of magic," my sister intoned.
"Shall I guide you to the entrance of our place?" Aesfen offered.
"That's better."
Afterwards, Aesfen and her sisters walked toward a nearby large tree and stopped in front of it. She touched its trunk with her palm, and a bright, green, rectangular door-like panel appeared on the surface of its bark.
(So that is the Arboreal Bound, huh?)
"Since we are within the area of the mirage, we can summon an Arboreal Bound portal that will lead us to the hidden place of the World Treant. Please follow me."
Immediately after she said that, Aesfen entered the portal, and then her sisters followed suit, leaving me and my sister behind.
"You want me to go in first, Sis?"
"Lead the way."
"Very well, let's venture to a new world."
With bare knowledge of what we would stumble upon the other side, my sister and I leaped into the portal.