She looked away, as if utterly disinterested in fully recounting the intricate story of how she came to be secluded here for eternity.
Maximus, observing her silence, didn't pressure her for answers. Instead, he kept his gaze wandering around the seemingly endless, empty void that appeared to stretch in all directions. It was profoundly creepy, a silent testament to the even more terrifying and unknown things hidden deep within its vast expanse.
Then, the elf girl finally broke the silence, her voice soft but firm.
"Just... leave me be."
Maximus knew he couldn't simply abandon her.
He sympathized deeply with her palpable suffering, truly understanding what it meant to be utterly trapped within this strange 'Area' they found themselves in. As Maximus steadily walked closer to the elven girl, his voice lowered with a hint of regret, he spoke.
"Please forgive me for this."
With a swift, decisive chop to the back of her neck, he ensured she would be unconscious for a necessary period. He then carefully secured her to himself using a sturdy rope, and with a renewed sense of grim resolve, he continued their journey forward into the unknown.
'This place is... truly creepy. I'd undoubtedly be far more creeped out if I didn't have this reassuring sword by my side...'
He then heard a faint, distinct sound, followed by another. And then another, and another, the cadence growing steadily.
It was the unmistakable sound of footsteps splashing in shallow water, echoing ominously.
The sound alone was undeniably terrifying to him. Even with the formidable sword to protect him, it still gnawed at him, making him feel as though he wasn't fully shielded or secure in this eerie environment.
Then, a shadowy figure suddenly lunged towards them with alarming speed, its intent clearly focused on the elf girl who lay unconscious on Maximus's back. Fortunately, his sword reacted instinctively, deflecting the assailant's knife with a sharp clang and sending the attacker careening into the deeper, impenetrable shadows.
'Who the hell?!...' Maximus thought, his mind racing.
Another person immediately charged at them, but this time, he was wielding a long, glinting sword, striking and aiming with deadly precision to cut the girl from behind once more. It was, yet again, instinctively deflected by Maximus's ever-present sword. Seeing the relentless danger, Maximus immediately chose a direction without a moment's hesitation and bolted, running as fast as he could. As the others relentlessly pursued him from behind, he couldn't see anything at all in the profound darkness; he could only rely on the dim, ethereal glow of his mana orb to dimly illuminate their escape route.
Eventually, his desperate flight brought him to an abrupt halt before an immensely large, roaring waterfall, its thundering cascade stopping him dead in his tracks.
'This is bad!...' he cursed internally.
He risked a quick glance behind him to behold a terrifying array of weapons: an assortment of swords, daggers, a menacing spear, a heavy axe, and a cruel sickle.
Every single one of them was chillingly covered in fresh, dark blood, which made the already perilous situation even more terrifying than it could normally be. He was confronted with an agonizing and immediate choice: either plunge off the towering waterfall to an unknown death below, or risk his very life fighting against those murderous, shadowy figures who seemingly targeted only elves.
So, in a desperate attempt to gain some understanding, he began asking crucial, urgent questions into the oppressive silence.
"Who are you guys?! Why do you even bother attacking us?! What did we even do wrong?!"
But, true to their menacing nature, they only replied with an unsettling, profound silence.
...
'Dammit... It's utterly useless...' he concluded, his frustration mounting.
Then, without another word, they all finally charged towards them, a wave of silent, deadly intent. Maximus had absolutely no other choice but to make a desperate leap, plunging himself and the elf girl off the cliff edge.
'I will know everything I can learn about this perplexing world!' he vowed silently, as they plummeted into the abyss.
When he fell into the encompassing darkness, he was completely engulfed by it for a brief, unsettling while. These were treacherous anti-mana clouds, notorious for draining a person's vital mana or even shattering their precious mana core into countless pieces. However, since Maximus possessed no visible mana or a discernible mana core, he merely had to endure the continuous, suffocating smell of thick smoke as they fell.
Until finally, after what felt like an eternity, he was free once again, breaking through the dense clouds.
He immediately reached for a second rope, identical to the one he had been using, as the previous one had, predictably, snapped earlier. He made sure this new one was more than strong enough to bear their combined weight.
He gently but firmly placed a hand on the elf girl's back, continuing their rapid descent deep into the cavernous abyss. But far below him, a breathtaking sight began to emerge.
A staggering, luminous forest, bathed in an ethereal glow, with countless 'stars' seemingly strewn all around the cavern and the forest itself. However, since he was descending so incredibly fast, he didn't have the chance to touch one of these shimmering stars while still in mid-air. Yet, by some stroke of fate, he unexpectedly fell into one.
'What the?' he thought, utterly bewildered.
The star he inadvertently fell into enveloped him, granting him a peculiar, slow resistance to his fall for a couple of unexpected minutes. This was completely unprecedented and utterly surprising for him, as he had never once heard of such peculiar phenomena before, even when he diligently tried to read through some of the important, ancient books he'd come across in his past.
'What... are those?' he wondered, his mind brimming with questions.
There was a clearly visible sign below him that elegantly proclaimed:
The Moonlight Forest.
This, was the sacred homeland of the Moon Elves, an ancient race of elves who specialized profoundly in enhanced abilities and powerful, innate healing. They were widely known to be fundamentally and strikingly different from all other elven races, as they were uniquely born directly from their mother's very core.
They lived here in profound prosperity and unwavering peace, having deliberately chosen to separate themselves from the relentless chaos that had tragically engulfed the rest of the world.
Maximus, a mere beginner in this fantastical world, struggled to fully comprehend the truly majestic and elegant area around him. It was undoubtedly beautiful and captivating, yet it harbored countless enigmatic mysteries surrounding its very existence.
Then, he finally landed swiftly and gracefully, still benefiting from the lingering effects of his slow resistance. He then instinctively reached out and touched another shimmering star, which, to his surprise, granted him immediate regeneration for an entire hour. He didn't consciously feel any of these sudden, potent effects whatsoever: he could only perceive their presence when an action occurred that directly involved or tested his sudden, unexplained buff from the enigmatic stars.
'This... is absolutely amazing.'