The Monarch
Chapter 654 654: The red sea

Even being guided by two experienced guides along the way, Kayden still took about five years to reach the sea. This time was due to the enormous number of detours caused by the war.There were many points that were impossible to cross, or places where there were a very large number of gods. At that moment, Kayden didn't want to risk his life just to gain a few months of time — it was too high a risk for a low return. During that time, his strength stabilized almost perfectly.He faced a few hundred battles during this period. Kayden did not flee from any confrontation where he was at least minimally confident in winning. Some battles he was able to win, others ended in a draw, and a few he had to run away from with his tail between his legs, but there were no deaths during this period. It was very difficult to kill a god, and Kayden also didn't want to enrage anyone at that moment.Some things became very clear to Kayden after all those years. Most gods were unable to maintain a high level of performance for long. Lux and Magnus were able to fight only one battle at full strength and had to rest for several weeks, sometimes even months, before they could do it again.

The amount of energy the gods used in battle was colossal, but that made them unable to maintain that pace without great wear. Kayden found that… pathetic. It was practically a blatant failure in every facet. That made his two companions feel even more frightened by Kayden's strength.It took a long time for them to reach the sea. Kayden expected a vast body of water, but… it was red liquid, which at the same time was dense and fluid. Kayden could feel some life forms moving through it. These life forms were stronger than normal, as they needed strength to push through the liquid.In addition, there were some solitary trees. These trees were immense, each easily spanning a few dozen kilometers. Their leaves were red and had entire cities living in them. Kayden could easily feel the presence of millions of mages in them.The roots descended into the depths of the sea. The further from the beach, the deeper the sea and the bigger the tree. It was a very beautiful view. Kayden was impressed by how nature was able to create landscapes that the rational mind could never match. It was a beauty beyond compare.

"What are the trees?" Kayden asked his guides."They are natural points that became independent cities. There are thousands of them that serve as stop points in the great sea. None of them have any organization," Lux began to explain as they flew toward one of them, "at least the smaller ones. There are some big ones in the center of the sea that are controlled by large groups."Kayden imagined it was something like that — extremely well organized. The entire great sea was probably documented in maps, or at least a good part of it, excluding the ghost points and areas.It took only a few minutes for them to reach one of the trees. They passed through it quickly and continued entering the sea. It took a few days at maximum speed before they began to slow down. With each kilometer Kayden advanced, he felt the life forms evolving. The number of mortals gradually decreased and was replaced by gods only, but the overwhelming majority were gods with little strength and no real threat.

Kayden landed on one of the immense branches, steady as if stepping on stone. The wood was dark and warm, alive in a strange way, as if it was watching back. The red leaves swayed gently, releasing a deep, low sound that felt like an ancient whisper. Above and below, constructions molded from the tree itself extended, mixing nature and civilization. It was impossible to tell where the forest ended and the city began.They didn't go deep into the city and went straight to the port at the roots of that tree. It was hundreds of kilometers long, and the ships at its base were kilometers long. Some even reached dozens of kilometers. Kayden vanished magically the moment he stepped onto the tree. Neither Lux nor Magnus were able to even feel his presence. Only one last message before he left was heard by the two."Good luck on your journeys. We part ways for now." Kayden would no longer travel with them. His purpose had already been fulfilled at that point. Besides, he didn't trust those gods enough to be placed on a ship with other strangers.

Kayden walked a bit on the tree while sensing the presence of people and understanding a bit of the dynamics of the place. He spent a few days just walking the entire path, learning as much as he could about everything and everyone in that place. It didn't take much for him to find public maps and easily accessible things."Merchandise and passenger ships are avoiding coming to these areas because of the war. Profit is very low, since there is no market to buy their products." That was the main information Kayden found. This tree was one of the first on the border line.They had stopped here because of safety. It was much safer to travel in a group because of pirates and even other gods with bad intentions. But here, there was also absolutely nothing. Kayden would have to take dozens of ships to cross a short distance to the more distant trees.After thinking a bit, he just flew out at high speed alone. It was a risk, but it was also easier. Besides, he didn't think he would be able to find other gods or pirates at that moment. This was a practically dead zone — and his thoughts were correct.

Kayden traveled for a few weeks without even finding a single god during the entire stretch, but something that became very evident was the increase in the average strength of the living beings beneath his feet. There were many gods at that moment, with almost no mortals among them. In addition, death was extremely common in the depths.He traveled to one of the large trees closest to him. It was a tree hundreds of thousands of kilometers tall. It was immense, a completely colossal structure. Its roots spanned millions of kilometers easily. The number of ships was absurdly higher — there were options everywhere.