I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 486
Chapter 486: The Black Forest Labyrinth
Under my suggestion, the team changed their “operation plan” from “finding the Black Forest according to the map” to “following Lulu’s perception ability to the areas with dense crimson energy.”
Even I don’t know why I have such a strong reaction to crimson energy. It’s like how I could clearly sense the coordinates of the Elf Tree and surrounding plants on Moon Orchid Island, just by being near them.
On the outskirts of the Nien Forest, there are occasionally areas with dense crimson energy, and these areas are usually surrounded by various strange magical creatures. These could be fiery roosters, wild boars with sharp tusks, or wolves enveloped in darkness.
It’s as if, in a game setting where “monsters gain level boosts when near crimson energy,” these strange energies give me a sense of unease while simultaneously evoking an inexplicable “longing.”
My inner self… seems to be quietly awakening.
“Everything around us feels increasingly eerie.”
After a few hours of leading Ewen and the others, we could clearly see that the number of small animals in the forest had noticeably decreased, the trees had become denser, and bizarre plants had become more common. For instance, there were plants resembling the “Oddish” from Pokémon, vines with thorns wrapped in purple mist, and pure black, oddly-shaped plants.
In most online games, plants with this color scheme would already be showing health bars. Moreover, in an RPG setting, such plants and environments would typically inflict several debuffs on the main character, such as poison or confusion, or cause health points to drop with each step.
“Let’s follow behind Lulu, it feels like something’s not right here.”
“Is the Black Forest really like this?”
“It’s a bit scary… Ewen, get ready with your Fireball spell. If there are monsters here, they’ll probably be much stronger than those outside.”
After following me to the area with dense crimson energy for several more hours, the tall black and purple trees had completely blocked out the sky. The bright, sunny surroundings had instantly turned into a very eerie environment, with extremely low visibility and almost no visible plants or cute animals around.
Even the occasional bird chirps and the sounds of rodents or insects and frogs were gone. The once expansive forest had suddenly become unnervingly quiet, with only the sound of our footsteps rustling through the grass.
“It looks like we were right. The Black Forest is indeed the area with the densest crimson energy in the Nien Forest.”
Reaching the base of a large tree with fewer bizarre plants around, I surveyed the environment and asked, “Are you all ready?”
In another world, the term “treasure” generally implies danger. This is true not only in fantasy realms but also in the real world.
In desolate places, even if you know there’s treasure, lacking the means to approach it can be a significant obstacle. On Earth, finding treasure is often even more challenging compared to another world.
Earth’s wilderness doesn’t offer as many edible fruits or beasts as another world does. Even if you can’t find treasure here, you can still survive in a forest as long as you’re not too lazy. On Earth, without magic, being bitten by a venomous snake or insect can be deadly, and at night, you must stay alert to prevent attacks from wild animals.
It’s similar to the Titanic, which was once the largest passenger ship in the world. Despite carrying many wealthy individuals and vast amounts of gold and priceless treasures, the ship sank thousands of meters underwater. Everyone knew the treasure was there, but no one dared to retrieve it.
The Black Forest and the “City in the Forest” are just like that.
Given the current situation, I can easily imagine how dangerous it will be when we finally reach the City in the Forest.
No wonder even ordinary girls like Ewen and Luni, who live in a small village, know that the City in the Forest in the Nien Forest holds treasure, yet no one dares to go in and retrieve it.
If the Black Forest is already this terrifying, how many more monsters and dangers await us in the City in the Forest?
“We don’t have much of a problem…”
Ewen glanced at her backpack: “We still have enough dried meat for at least three days, and there’s plenty of water and fruit.”
“My clothes and tent are also in good condition, but they might not withstand attacks from high-level magical beasts,” Weiying said, pointing to her own pack. “So we’ll probably have to rely on Lulu.”
This forest adventure has given me a lot of experience, with the most important lesson being—always bring a fire mage or tools like a lighter.
Cooking requires fire, driving away beasts needs fire, and even leftover food needs fire to dry and dehydrate for easy carrying.
If I were alone, I’d have to fight magical beasts to find food when I’m hungry, and might not even find a source of fire. Plus, I’m not sure if those strange fruits from the twisted vines are edible.
At least, I’m not inclined to try them… Purple, with black smoke rising from them—anyone would be wary of eating those.
“I should be fine with fighting.”
I touched the cat bell around my neck. “Safety-wise, it should… probably be guaranteed.”
If we really encounter a life-threatening danger, I’ll have to grasp this bell and shout—“Help me! Xiao Mo, my wife!”
“Hmm, everyone, please wait a moment.”
In the dark forest, I took out my phone, which had been off for several days, and switched to video mode, entering night mode.
When I bought this phone, Xiao Mo and I mainly considered its “large capacity” and “big battery,” which are proving useful now.
I usually keep it off when not in use, turning it on for ten minutes and then off for a day or two, and there’s still a good amount of battery left.
“Hello everyone, this is Nuo’er, Meow. I’ve arrived at the center of the forest, which the locals call the ‘Black Forest.’”
As I spoke, I gave myself a shot and then pointed the phone camera around.
“Aren’t these trees strange? They really have that ‘polluted forest’ vibe from games, don’t they?”
“So… there really is another world, huh? If you guys bully me, Xiao Mo will come to your door with a scythe, hmph!”
After filming a short video of the strange trees and plants for a few seconds, I felt it should shift the attention away from the online world. I saved the recording, put away my phone, and turned to Ewen and the others.
“Let’s go, it’s time to find the City in the Forest in the Black Forest.”
“……”
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