Elijah nearly stumbled as he stepped through the portal and back into the real world, largely due to the incredibly sparse ethera in the area. The sharp decrease in ethereal density stole his breath, leaving him feeling like a fish out of water. It was like someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the atmosphere.

And it only took Elijah a few moments to recognize the cause, though he did pause to question why he’d never noticed it before. When he asked for Oscar’s opinion, the answer was both obvious and a little esoteric.

The wild man said, “You weren’t strong enough to feel it before. Even now, it affects you more than me. You’re changing. Becoming dependent on ethera.”

Elijah nodded. It made sense, though with every passing moment, he grew more accustomed to the thin atmosphere. Eventually, he would barely even notice it – though that would likely take some time. By then, the ethera would have recovered to previous levels – at least until someone ventured in and reconquered the Primal Realm, repeating the cycle.

In any case, with that taken care of, Elijah took a moment to look around. The entrance to the Primal Realm looked much the same as it had when they’d entered, meaning that it presented as a temple made of colorful geodes surrounding a pair of stout pillars that looked like natural rock formations. Above was a dome that, in retrospect, appearing much like those Elijah had seen in Stillstone. Rough and asymmetrical, looking like an outgrowth of the nearby mountains, it toed the line between artificial and natural.

But Elijah wasn’t really concerned with that. For once, he didn’t care about the architecture on display. Rather, he was far more interested in the thirty-or-so people fighting a pair of powerful giants nearby. They’d surrounded the pair, and with obvious teamwork, had very nearly whittled the creatures down.

Both were fire giants, and the lights in their eyes had very nearly guttered out. Still, they fought on. Meanwhile, a group of shield-bearing Warriors advanced. Some were armed with long spears, while others used swords or axes. Behind them was a line of archers – assuredly Ranger archetypes – who peppered the giants with one flight of arrows after another. Each projectile glittered with ethereal power.

Finally, a line of Sorcerers filled the air with spells. None were particularly powerful, but when they hit, they did so with resounding impacts that dug craters in the fire giants’ coal-black skin.

Elijah didn’t fail to notice a few Healers lingering in the back, ready to assist should someone be injured.

It was like watching a well-oiled machine, and it told Elijah all he needed to know about the guilds. The members of that group might not have been individually strong – each person was below level one hundred – but together, they could accomplish great things.

Still, he stepped forward to help, but he was brought up short by a shake of Chelsea’s head. When he hesitated, the leader of the expedition that had been sent into the Primal Realm said, “Let them work. This is training for them. If you jump in and help them, they won’t get anything out of it. No experience means a bunch of wasted time.”

“They’ll still get some credit.”

“Not the experience I’m talking about,” Chelsea said, though there was a slight quiver in her voice that broke the façade she’d struggled to keep active while talking to Elijah. She was terrified of him. Certainly, she tried to keep that hidden, but she knew better than most just how easily he could end her.

And it seemed that most people knew that he would do it, too. Bloodrock Bay had proved that, and in a public way that no one could ignore.

Did Elijah regret it?

No. Not really. He’d killed so many people, but by that point, he was accustomed to that kind of thing. A sad realization, but an unavoidable one. And as far as he was concerned, they’d all earned it. Maybe not directly, but the second those pirates had assaulted his grove and killed the creatures who depended on him for safety, violating the sanctity of his home – well, that action signed their death warrant.

And that of everyone in their orbit.

Even so, Elijah did hate that Chelsea, who seemed like a decent person, likely saw him as an unrepentant killer. Or a bomb on the verge of exploding. One wrong move, and he might kill them all.

Not that he was going to correct that line of thinking. That was one of the reasons he’d made such a show out of Bloodrock Bay, throwing those corpses on Isaiah’s proverbial doorstep in the process. It was a warning. And warnings weren’t any use if he went around telling people not to heed them.

So, he accepted that some people – maybe even most – would see him much as Chelsea did. The only solace was that she’d proven that, even in the face of such a threat, she was willing to work with him. Most people would have fled the second they were free of the Primal Realm, but she’d stuck around.

Of course, that was because she wanted something from him, but Elijah could accept that as a caveat.

Those thoughts flitted through his mind as he watched the guild group take down the giants. Once they were finished, Chelsea sent someone to approach them, probably to see if they needed any assistance. When it became clear that they were okay, she asked Elijah to join her at their fort.

“Fort?” he asked.

She gave him a sly smirk. “You didn’t think we’ve been camping out here all this time, did you? We’re not uncivilized,” she revealed. “Besides, we needed a base of operations closer than Bogota. We’re even trying to get spires here, though the Conclave has refused so far. Not certain why.”

“Ley lines,” Elijah said. “Primal Realms tend to tangle and redirect them, especially when they fluctuate as the Primal Realms wax and wane with conquering.”

He could sense enough about the area to know that Bogota was probably the closest the Conclave could place a set of spires. Even if they were willing, the world was not. Elijah was one of the few people in the world who could sense such a thing, mostly because his dolmens connected to those same ley lines. Though they didn’t need quite as much power, which in his opinion, made them superior.

As Elijah followed the raiders away from the Primal Realm, Oscar asked, “What is it?”

“Huh?” Elijah asked, blinking.

“You were lost in thought. Is there something wrong? Do you expect a trap?”

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“No. Just thinking about different types of Druids,” he admitted. He knew his class, which focused on adopting bestial forms in combat, was rare. His evolution, Primal Lord, was even less common. However, he’d seen some of his other options back at level one-twenty-five, so he had a few ideas about what other sorts of Druids were out there. And his recent line of thought had prompted questions of whether or not there were Druids who focused on transportation. Probably. “I’m just beginning to realize that the options out there are nearly infinite. It kind of makes me feel small.”

Oscar let out a soft chuckle.

“What?” Elijah asked.

“If you feel small, then the rest of us are microscopic.”

Elijah opened his mouth to dispute that, but then he thought better of it. The fact was that, while the gap between him and Oscar was much narrower than the gulf separating him from everyone else, it was still pretty wide. Twenty levels – especially when they took as much experience to progress as they currently did – was a lot.

And with his cultivation, Elijah knew that he had more than just levels on the rest of the world.

So, after Oscar’s comment, he just kept to himself until, a little more than an hour later, the fort came into view. In some ways, it reminded Elijah of the fort that had been built on Chimera Island. Not in design. Ironshore’s Architects and Builders tended to favor a blockier, almost brutalist style when it came to their defensive buildings. Certainly, they let their creativity flow when they worked on the city itself, but the fort was basically a bunker, with most of its square footage underground.

The guild fort was different, and it clearly took inspiration from medieval castles. There were nods to modernity – like the addition of floodlights all around – and it had clearly been enchanted for durability. But it still looked like a European castle, though a new one rather than the weathered creations of centuries before.

As they approached, Elijah was struck by the sheer size of the place. In the old world, it would have taken a year or more to build such a structure. However, from what Chelsea had revealed in the Primal Realm, the fortress had been constructed over the course of a couple of months. She’d also complained that the ethereal defenses weren’t as extensive as they’d hoped to implement, referring to them as a work-in-progress. Still, it was an impressive achievement that would not have been possible without skills and abilities from non-combat classes.

Of course, the guilds that had come together to form the Four Corners Accord had invested in plenty of Tradesmen, Administrators, and other non-fighter archetypes. They weren’t just built for battle. They were organizations that required quite a lot of support, and they had chosen to nurture their own rather than hire it out.

Eventually, they reached the stout gate, which was absolutely covered in runic script. Even without those enchantments, the wood seemed unnaturally strong to Elijah’s senses. Almost on par with a natural treasure and just as durable as the surrounding stone, all of which bore enchantments as well. They weren’t as extensive, but that was probably what Chelsea meant when she’d referred to the fortress as an ongoing project.

The gates swung open without a sound, revealing a courtyard that played host to quite a few people. Some were off to the side training against one another, while others moved about their daily activities, hauling goods or hurrying from one place to another on normal errands. The sound of a blacksmith’s hammer rang through the bailey, evidence that the fort wasn’t just there as a military outpost.

It was that, certainly – as evidenced by the preponderance of fighters in the area. However, it only took a glimpse at Soul of the Wild to know that the guilds were also using it as a hub for gathering local natural resources and putting them to use.

All in all, even that short glance left Elijah impressed at their industriousness, and it made him a little less wary of the upcoming truce he’d already pledged to sign. The state of the fort gave him hope that they would live up to their end of the bargain and perhaps fill a void that he’d recently come to realize that Ironshore just wasn’t equipped to address.

Perhaps one day, they could protect his trees, but right now, they just didn’t have the martial power. The guilds could fill that role, though. The only problem would be if they stepped out of line. Hopefully, the threat he personally represented would hold them in check even if honor fell short.

Across the bailey stood the main compound, though there were dozens of outbuildings nestled against the interior walls. It was practically a small city, though one where everyone seemed to move with unerring purpose. Like the military facility it was.

After entering, Chelsea’s raiders all scattered. Most went to sell the items they’d looted in Stillstone, but a few went straight toward the castle, hurrying ahead to presumably settle in and get some rest after the Primal Realm.

Or maybe they were all eager to look at their rewards, just like Elijah. He glanced at the notification he’d received upon exiting:

He’d yet to claim his reward, largely because he didn’t want to reveal anything to the raiders. He wanted to trust them, but they’d yet to earn that. Perhaps they never would.

Chelsea eventually passed them off to a steward, saying that she would meet with them later. Once she’d departed, presumably to report to her superiors or deal with her own rewards, Elijah, Oscar, and the pack were led deeper into the compound. As they were, Elijah felt a deep sense of wariness envelop him, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why.

“Are your senses suppressed here too?” he asked, once the steward had left them in a suite on the third level. The rooms were sparsely decorated, but everything looked comfortable enough – especially after sleeping on the ground for the past few months. Still, Elijah felt entirely uncomfortable, and he knew precisely what the problem was.

Oscar nodded. “It is…unpleasant.”

“Domain,” Elijah guessed. “Not a strong one, but it’s there.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d been subjected to a domain, and certainly not the most powerful one he’d experienced. A quick look at his status told him that his attributes had taken a small but noticeable hit.

“Is it hostile?” Oscar asked as one of the dogs let out a bark. A second later, he added, “Freddy says it’s not. It’s part of the castle, though she thinks there’s someone here who can flare its power. Dangerous, but not overly aggressive.”

Elijah nodded. “Well, I’m going to take a shower, then look at my reward before getting some sleep. I’ve been looking forward to a real bed.”

Soon enough, Elijah embarked on a quest to do just that, eventually ending the sequence by sitting on a thin-mattressed bed and finally accepting his reward. A second later, a silvery chest decorated with gold filigree appeared at his feet. He didn’t hesitate to open it, prompting another notification:

Inside were two rolls of fabric that reminded him a little of the Ace bandages he used to use when he’d had a sprained ankle. However, it only took a brief inspection for him to recognize the differences. First, they were made of supple leather that was lined by what looked like felt on one side. Second, the grey leather was inscribed with subtly engraved runes that decorated every single inch.

Elijah could feel the power in them. What’s more, he knew precisely what to do with them. So, without any hesitation – after all, they were already bound – he wrapped them around his bare feet, using the same method he’d used with the aforementioned Ace bandages. As it turned out, they fit perfectly, leaving his heels and toes exposed but covering the rest of his foot and going up to mid-calf.

A quick look at his status told him that his strength and constitution had risen by fifteen points, with his dexterity gaining an astounding fifty-point buff. Given the name, Elijah expected that the footwraps also came with an ability or two. After all, the Antlers of the Wild Revenant had come with three abilities. So, he was eager to have someone identify the item and give him specifics.

For now, though, the bed was calling to him.

So, he removed the Footwraps of the Wild Revenant, dismissing them into his Arcane Loop, then settled into the first real bed he’d experienced in months. He was asleep in moments.