Northern Region, Green Wind Forest—
As the last echoes of battle faded, the forest fell silent…
The bodies of hundreds of magical beasts were strewn across the torn ground, broken and dismembered. Blood soaked into the grass, while lingering traces of magic drifted through the air.
A group of roughly twenty figures stood amid the aftermath, their armor worn and their weapons damaged. Heavy breaths filled the clearing as they remained vigilant, their eyes fixed on the surrounding forest.
Upon closer examination, they were clearly very vigilant.
One of them, a small man with hawk-like features, calmly flicked the blood from his blade. His face, despite his terrifying appearance, was strangely innocent as he looked around.
Beside him, Oka, a much larger man whose body seemed to overflow with muscle, moved with heavy steps, and a massive axe gripped in his hands.
"Enough," he said, lowering his weapon.
The large man's voice was loud and steady, carrying a clarity that was disproportionate to his size.
"Let's move, we should almost be there," reminded Neran, the small birdman.
These two were small leaders in the new mercenary alliance. The group stirred, reforming without hesitation before continuing their journey into the depths of the dark forest.
The Dark Forest was the most dangerous part of the Green Wind Forest, rivaling the Green Abyss!
Light was scarce, and the creatures lurking in the depths of the forest would instinctively target any source of illumination. Because of that, they couldn't risk lighting campfires or lanterns. Instead, they were forced to press forward and rely solely on their innate abilities to navigate the darkness. To make matters worse, the number of poisonous insects inhabiting the area was nearly uncountable. Not just on the Cross Continent, but perhaps across all of Pillomal, the Dark Forest of the Green Wind Forest was infamous as the single most dangerous region for venomous creatures in the world!
Eating, drinking, sleeping, and even walking, every simple action carried a monumental risk!
Not to mention any lunatic crazy enough to live here, simply passing through was a death sentence!
This group had been traversing the Green Wind Forest for weeks.
Now, they were close to the destination of their journey.
One of the scouts wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "Does anyone know what caused it? The 'quake', I mean."
The leader, Oka, shook his head. "No. That's why we're here. We're the first team cleared to investigate this deeply."
Neran nodded at the young girl.
She was one of the slaves that had been taken in by the Mercenary Alliance and joined the Silver Eye!
Neran explained with some pride, "According to my sister, that 'quake' aligned with the movement of a treasured land, although I find it hard to believe, from what 'that guy' said, it should be related to some legendary tree or something." He peeked towards the rear, where a handsome young master stood in white robes embroidered with green clouds and held a flute.
The small scout nodded, her hands clasped together, "If it's Lady Pillia, it must be true!"
Neran snorted!
He thought, of course it was true! How could his wonderful little sister ever be wrong!
Another member clicked his tongue. "It's been too long. Has no one else managed to reach the area?"
"Not alive," Neran muttered out loud, shoulders slumping.
Oka nodded, glancing back briefly. "This region's saturated with powerful magical beasts, deadly insects, and an extremely poisonous atmosphere. That's the reason we had to take those antidote pills before coming here. This place is filled with too many unknowns that shouldn't even coexist, and every scouting party that entered before us was wiped out or forced to retreat." He paused. "To make matters worse, many have traced the recent changes in the Green Wind Forest's beasts to something deep within the Dark Forest, so it's possible that it is related to our mission."
"That's why we were formed," the young scout said, adjusting the emblem on her sleeve with a snort. "We're a super specialized team filled with experts!"
Someone grumbled quietly from the rear, "Experts? More like professional cannon fodder…"
-
As they pressed on, the forest ahead seemed to shift.
The air grew heavy—
Spiritual energy pressed down on them like a dense fog, thick enough to soak into their clothes. Whispers spread through the group, some speculating about the presence of a Spirit Stone mine, an extremely high-level one, while others started to believe the rumors about the treasure land.
Trees covered in luminous insects leaned at unnatural angles, their roots half-exposed, catching what little light there was, as though the land itself was guiding them deeper. Cracks in the ground glowed faintly, leaking residual elemental energy from whatever had passed through this place not too long ago.
One of the older members swallowed hard. "So… what exactly are we expecting to find?"
Oka slowed down, raising a hand to signal the others.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "But whatever caused that earthquake was strong enough to be felt all the way in Sevensen, so it can't be too small..."
Neran nodded.
If it was a beast and not a treasure, then they had to be ready for the worst.
The group fell silent.
Somewhere ahead—
Something suddenly moved.
Oka drew his axe again, eyes narrowing. "Stay sharp," he roared. "There's another wave approaching!"
They all prepared themselves as a large wave of unseen enemies slowly emerged from the darkness of the Dark Forest, their eyes sharp and gleaming in the shadows.
And soon—
A battle unfolded…
-
Time passed—
And with it, they advanced deeper into the forest, pressing onwards one careful step at a time.
At some point, Neran, looking around, couldn't help but frown. In his head, he thought, 'Why does this feel like the place that Old Lady Barbell described seeing Vellina?'
'How odd'. He thought—
But it was impossible…
* * *
This was a circular clearing in the forest, enclosed on all sides by dense greenery.
With the sweetest smile she could possibly muster, Petra clasped her hands behind her back and called out sweetly, "Grandpa~ it's not nice to follow little girls into the forest. Why don't you come out?"
There was a long silence.
Then—
Tap, tap, tap…
An elderly man emerged from the shadows.
He wore a simple beige robe, its long black collar trailing close to the ground. A dark brown mantle lay draped over his shoulders, ending in twin ribbons, while a black artifact hung from his neck, resting against his chest. His appearance was plain, almost forgettable at first glance, with long white eyebrows drooping over keen eyes, one open and one closed, and a long white beard flowing down his chest, split into three thin tufts that swayed lightly in the wind.
Petra tilted her head.
"Grandpa, did you get separated from your family?" she asked innocently.
"Do you need a hand getting back home?"
"Hahaha," the old man laughed, his hands behind his back. "What a kind young lady. It's hard to believe, considering your reputation."
"Grandpa~ I don't know what you're talking about," Petra replied, blinking rapidly with a naive expression.
"Hehehe, don't try to trick me just because I'm old," he said calmly. "Old men like me live a long time, so we've seen plenty. It doesn't take a genius to realize you're definitely not a little girl."
He said these words, but in his mind, he was still examining Petra.
From his point of view, it was difficult to reconcile what he knew with what he saw. She really did look just like a small child, standing quietly in the clearing, as if she were simply playing in the grass.
But—
He wouldn't be fooled.
Petra pressed her lips together.
Her eyes flashed, then darkened. "Is there something I can help you with, old man?"
The man genuinely smiled. "Don't you mean 'Grandpa?' Why is it 'old man' now? Tsk, tsk. I don't suppose you'd be willing to come back with me? Quite a few people are looking for you, after all."
"I'm sorry," Petra replied flatly. "I'm quite busy."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," he said, switching his open eye. His gaze sharpened, piercing straight towards Petra.
Petra frowned as she felt the shift. "Aren't you underestimating me a little too much, Grandpa ~? I'm quite strong, you know~"
The old man stepped forward, closing the distance slightly. "Yes. I know you're very strong. I've done my research. Perhaps I even know more about you than those guys from the Sky Tower."
At the mention of the 'Sky Tower', Petra frowned.
This old man was going to be troublesome…
He began casually listing names—
"The 'green-haired bandit' of the northern region, the 'green alchemist' of the western region, the 'world criminal' designated by the Sky Tower of the central region, oh, and of course, the 'kidnapper' of the eastern region's Heaven's Chosen, hmm, also—"
His smile widened.
"Did you know the Barak Family of the southern region is looking for you as well? Quite the list of achievements for someone your age, don't you think?"
He gave her a knowing look.
"That's kind of creepy," Petra muttered out loud.
In her mind, she seemed to be struggling to reconcile with her name getting around to such a large degree. Petra really did think that she was careful enough… but it would seem that she wasn't…
"Is it normal for old men in the south to stalk little girls like this?"
"Hahaha! No, I suppose not!" he laughed. "Sorry, sorry, but seriously… do your parents know you've been so naughty?"
"My parents are both ninth-tier big shots," Petra replied flatly. "They don't have time for me..."
That was nonsense…
They weren't…
"It's not good to lie, little girl," the old man said, shaking his head. "If that were true, would they really have abandoned you in such a remote place like Evergreen Town?"
Petra puffed out her cheeks.
This old man knew quite a lot!
"I also looked into your origins," he continued. "Evergreen Town, yes… but your appearance there was strange. The townsfolk all agree that you simply appeared one day. I wonder… Do you even know where you came from?"
Petra frowned.
Indeed, she didn't...
"Old man," she said coldly, "if that's all, I'm leaving."
The old man chuckled. "Well, when researching, I actually went to Evergreen Town. I quite literally found the skeletons in your closet. Does your sister know? Oh, and what about your friends? You don't seriously think I'd let them go just because you split up, do you? If I'm not mistaken, they also carry quite the bounty, right?"
- Darkness—
Petra's eyes flashed as she quickly checked.
It was a bluff.
But a bluff or not, it still irritated her that he would try it...
Using her family crossed the line, no, using anything to coerce her crossed the line.
"Grandpa," she said softly, "I'm very young, can't you let me go?"
"Sorry," he replied. "Your bounty is simply too tempting. It's exactly what old men like me need to break through to the fifth realm. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."
"I'll fight!" Petra snapped. "You'll die!"
The old man shook his head. "You can't beat me. Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My apologies. I am Otan the Earth Eater. I'm quite famous in the southern region! You've reached the Golden Core Realm, which is impressive for your age… but I stand at the pinnacle of the fourth realm. You have no chance."
Petra's gaze drifted for a moment.
Then she grinned.
"Okay," she said lightly. "Let's see if you can beat me."
Otan stiffened, sensing the change in her aura.
He chuckled and relaxed his arms. "Just so you know," he added slowly, "your poison won't work on me. I spent many years developing an immunity. I dare say my resistance almost rivals that of a young dragon! Hahaha!"
"Good!"
Boom! Swoosh—! Petra burst forward!