"Ahh, I want to drink some water so bad…"
Leaning on the tree, Kyson sat down on the ground, and complained. However, no matter what he says, there's no water for him to drink.
All their supplies for today were in the bag. But in order to run faster, Kyson actually dropped the bag, and left it there.
Sitting beside him, Chicky, is staring in front with a dazed look. Kyson can't help but envy.
"Hays, how good would it be if I'm like Chicky and got nothing to worry about."
Shaking his head, Kyson also turned his attention to his surroundings.
With the dense number of trees, Kyson can't see much around him. In this kind of place, it is really easy to get lost.
Thinking of that, Kyson picked up his molo knife and carved an arrow on the tree behind him. The arrow he drew points in the direction where they came from.
With this mark, he doesn't have to worry about losing his way back out of the forest.
After doing that, Kyson looked around and said, "Now then, where should we go next?"
Since the Goblin General might still be there, Kyson doesn't plan to go back immediately.
In the meantime, he will use this time to explore this forest since he's already here.
So, after picking a direction, Kyson once again started moving.
Now that he's deep into the forest, Kyson's alert is at an all time high. In the outer layer of the forest, most monsters that could be found there are the weak ones.
Like goblins, horned rabbits, slime, and others in the same spectrum.
As for why a Goblin General was there, that's something that Kyson also wants an answer for.
What's more, it wasn't just a normal Goblin General because it could even break Chicky. Chicky's defense is not something that a normal Goblin General can just break!
Anyway, unlike there, deep into the forest, the monsters are much stronger.
If divided by level, the outer later is for those level 1 to level 10. The middle layer, where Kyson is in, is filled with monsters around level 11 to level 30.
This is all general knowledge shared by the local government.
…
Kyson proceeded with caution. He's even holding Chicky in his arms, ready to use him as a shield if something appears.
Don't think that he's being ruthless to Chicky… well, maybe he is. But this is the only way that he can ensure his safety. Their safety.
After walking for some time, Kyson suddenly frowned.
"... Is it just me or is it getting hot?"
Kyson swallowed his saliva as he felt his throat getting dry. Fanning himself with his hand, as if that can alleviate the heat.
"What the hell is happening? Why is it so hot here in the forest?"
Kyson looked around and noticed some details around him.
The leaves on the trees that were green and vibrant before now look dry and yellowed.
Some of the leaves even fell to the ground, making it look like autumn.
Knowing how unusual this phenomenon is, Kyson stopped on his tracks.
"This… don't tell me this is the territory of a powerful monster."
When this thought came to him, the frown on his face deepened.
If a powerful monster is really around here, he might be in a dangerous situation.
However, Kyson can't help but think of another possibility for this phenomenon.
"What if it's a natural treasure though…"
That's right. The other possibility that can cause such a situation is the appearance of a natural treasure.
For some great natural treasures, their appearance could cause a variety of phenomena that may affect their surroundings.
The drying trees and the sudden heat around points suggest that whatever is causing this is related to the fire element.
If a treasure like that is sold, just how much will he get?
At the thought of this, Kyson's eyes started shining.
For Kyson, having a lot of money is great. With enough money, he will have sufficient confidence to face his family when he meets them again.
So, the possibility of earning a lot of money tempted Kyson to take a risk, and look for the source of this heat.
"Alright, I'll go and see. I just need to be more careful. If it's really a natural treasure, I'll probably regret it if I didn't even look."
"And if it's a powerful monster…"
Kyson didn't even continue the thought anymore. Because if a powerful monster is really causing this, he can only run as fast as he can.
With that decided, Kyson didn't waste anymore time and started moving forward.
The more he walks, the hotter the surroundings get. Sweat is already rolling down Kyson's body, and his shirt is even soaking wet by now.
"Hooo, it's really hot here."
The dryness in his throat made Kyson feel so uncomfortable. But despite this, he continued moving.
Only because of one reason. Kyson can feel that he's getting near the source of the heat.
Finally, after walking for 5 more minutes, Kyson found a cave.
Near the entrance of that cave, not a blade of grass could be seen. Even the entrance itself has lines of red that look like lava.
"Is it even possible to get near that place?"
Seeing the cave, Kyson knew with just one look at it was the source of the heat in this forest.
But Kyson was reluctant to continue moving forward. Because the heat from where he's standing is already so unbearable.
Just imagining himself stepping forward and even going inside that cave is already burning his brain.
"Should I go or should I not?"
Falling into a dilemma, Kyson strokes Chicky's soft and silky feathers, causing Chicky to close his eyes.
After thinking for a while, Kyson took a deep breath and determination grew inside him.
"Alright, I'm already here. What am I even still hesitating for?"
"Just go for it!"
With that said, Kyson stopped dilly-dallying and walked forward.