He once again used the thaumaturgy Enhanced Space Perception to determine his current location. Then, keeping the thaumaturgy active, he transformed into a swarm of butterflies and flew through the woods. Before long, Shade stopped beside a woodland stream turned silver beneath the moonlight. Frowning, he looked up at the Moon again.
"What is going on?"
If the thaumaturgy was not malfunctioning, then according to Shade's senses, he seemed to be circling in place without stopping. Whenever he tried to correct his course based on the proper direction he sensed, his direction would shift again once he moved forward.
This was neither the effect of a relic nor the result of a Ring Arcanist using thaumaturgy, much less an abnormal spatial effect caused by distortions in the world. Rather, the forest itself was continuously preventing Shade from approaching the distant city.
"Does this place have a grudge against me?"
After thinking it over carefully, he tossed out the Crystal Shoes and vanished from beside the stream. Only after confirming that he had returned to the basement at home rather than remaining in that forest did Shade breathe a sigh of relief. He bent down to pick up the Source of Chaos by the wall, then used the Space Labyrinth to return to Vesta Woodland once more.
Stepping out of the Tree Hollow onto the floor tiles wrapped in soil, he released the bright yellow pearl he had been holding in hand.
"Source of Chaos, help me find the way."
Ochre moonlight spilled across the path ahead. Relying on Enhanced Space Perception and this Sage Level Relic, Shade set off again. But this time, he did not transform and fly. Instead, he obediently walked forward on foot.
Even so, after ten minutes of travel, Shade stopped again. This time, he had