3.1
'Sherwood Forest (recommended Rank: A)
Legend says that a long time ago, during one of the great god-demon wars, we were on the verge of complete annihilation. The demons had conquered all of our territories until only one last god race city remained, our Capital the Holy Land... At the time, it seems that not only the Demon Lord, but also the Four Heavenly Knights were far stronger than the norm. And the helpless heroes continued to be slain one after the other by their hands, without being able to do anything to change the situation...
It was in those conditions that the last two heroes, Sherwood, the forest martyr, and Pluto, the survivor, had to stop the demons final attack at the plains right next to the Capital. In case they failed, god race's odds of survival would fall to even more despairing levels...
A fierce battle ensued, in which a single slip up could mean the demise of god race, as we know it. The last two heroes and what was left of the Goddesses' army; against the Demon Queen Alvarosa, her Four Heavenly Knights and the demon's army elite!
Our warriors fought bravely, but the gap in their war potential could not be met with bravery alone. As such, the balance of the war shifted for the demons side more and more with each brandish of their weapons...
Even so, hope remained. Sherwood too was known for being one of the greatest heroes that ever existed. The pair of heroes was just barely being able to hold their own against the Demon Queen and her Heavenly Knights.
However, that was not enough. As for each passing moment, the more the difference between god race's last forces and the demons elites was revealed...
The end drew near, as our tired warriors continued to be slain, succumbing before the might of the demons. And even worse, before such disadvantage, Pluto suffered great wounds to both his arms during his combat against the Heavenly Knights! Such wounds incapacitated him, and forced his retreat, leaving Sherwood alone to face the might of the demon's army five greatest.
Sherwood knew that in case things remained this way, both the people and Sherwood's fate would be set in stone. As such, with gathered resolve, all was bet on one single last resort…
Sherwood used every bit of mana, any last ounce of strength, and even burned through life itself, all to conjure the greatest wood conversion ever seen! An entire forest was instantly created, greater than any god race's city ever built, even at present times!
Of course, even Sherwood wouldn't have been able to manage such a feat alone. It was only made possible by using the life and Mana of the Demon Queen herself, as well as all of the mana of the demons elite forces.
The cost for such conversion proved to be exceedingly heavy, as both Sherwood and Alvarosa had to pay with their lives.
Even so, it's effectiveness also proved to be astounding, as the forest remains unaltered up to present days.
At the time, it was said to be so impressive that, aside from emptying the demons mana, it was also able to heal and restore the mana of the Goddesses' army! Such an effect remains even at present days, but in a much smaller scale, weakening the demons and strengthening the people who venture inside its woods.
After that, the last hero alive, Pluto, healed and recovered, took command of the army against the weakened demons, repaying in kind for all of the suffering caused by the war. The Four Heavenly Knights and the elite of the demon's army perished in the ensuing battle. After, the Goddesses' army slowly recovered their strength and recaptured their lost territory. Meanwhile, the demons, without a ruler, fell into chaos…'
Translation of an excerpt of the 'Starting Adventurers Guide' by Kanade Aki.
…
Well then, that said, we've reached the woods after about half a day's walk.
We came here after buying some equipment at Fennigam's store.
I ended up buying an intermediary set for each of us... I hope she'll pay me back some day…
I chose a two handed longsword as a weapon, a pair of gauntlets as an accessory and a metal armor; meanwhile, Akane chose a short sword, a buckler and an armor.
For some reason, the storeowner kept calling me Marcellus's successor… And that I had his same eye for choosing my companions. He even offered red hair a free rapier, saying it was 'calling for her'… But she refused, saying she wanted to test different fighting styles or something.
I had no idea swords could talk… Nor that Marcellus desperately needed some glasses…
Anyways, we began to look like actual adventurers, instead of just otherworldly city folks... We also bought some basic items and other supplies at the bazaar.
Oh! And we also bought some general antidotes at the potion shop, because of the snakes. I hope that we won't need them, but you never know...
Back to the forest. It looks like one of those tropical forests, with huge trees and large leafs, hot and humid. Also, I shouldn't even have to mention its overall size. You can't see its end, even from uphill. The book ('SAG') said it would take about ten days to go around it, and that's only half of its total circumference... Five days if we hurry while crossing it directly from the inside. Besides the monsters, we should also be careful not to get lost inside it... For newbies, it seems that walking during the night would be close to impossible, so we should travel during the day, when the forest is well illuminated and we are able to determinate our positions by the sun. We do have a compass, but it's also easier to look out for monsters.
The book also warned we should prepare antidotes, not just because of the snakes, but also the other beasts such as small frogs and spiders, that also have a poison attribute. It said that it is ideal to always carry a general antidote around either way, independently of what kind of region you might be exploring. We have this part properly handled at least.
I just hope I don't end up seeing any spiders…
Anyways, now that we've arrived at the woods, there's just one thing to be done…
Gotta find a bathroom!!! Damn it!!! Why am I feeling this much nausea!? I'm barely holding on my urge to vomit! My stomach is making so many strange noises that I'm left wondering if there isn't a television inside showing a war movie or something...
Is this Sherwood's magic affecting my guts, is it my lunch coming back to haunt me, or is it just plain old nervousness!?
"Faster! We need to head deeper before nightfall!"
Meanwhile, a certain red hair, oblivious to my suffering, seems even more motivated than usual…
"W-wait… Just give me five…"
"Hurry up! We still have so much to try out at the monsters! Walk properly or I will leave you behind!"
She says while quickening her pace... Damn it, grumpy is excited for some reason... Cats are usually cute psychopaths who like to play with their prey... By the way she's jumping so excitedly, she even looks like one…
I don't even want to know what might happen if that excitement ends up turning against me...
I try to quicken my pace--- Ugh!
*Bleeeh!*
...
It was then that Sherwood Forest became known as Vomit Forest instead…
As if! Damn it, Akane!
…
…
…
Rebooornnn!!!!
Whew, who could have known I would feel so much better after just spewing a few rainbows from my mouth!
Now I think I can even feel that nice power-up this forest should be giving! I should thank Akane for helping me like this! But isn't it odd that she starts to walk faster every time I try to approach her? Now, why would that be?
"Disgusting! Don't you dare come any closer!"
"It's your fault, damn it! I asked you not to hurry me up!"
Truthfully, I do feel better now. Except for this barf aftertaste in my mouth...
Crap, there's some in my boots too…