These people accepted requests to earn gold coins and magical crystals, and they spent most of their time in the forest nearby. They either looked for unique magical plants, captured magical beasts with delicious meat, or investigated and explored certain areas. It didn't matter what they did. Everything they obtained by risking their lives and spilling their blood appeared in the labs of the adepts or on their dining tables eventually. All of it was in exchange for money.
…………
The party set off early in the morning.
They cut through the thin mists of dawn, wrapped in thick cloaks and mantles, passing through the narrow gates of Pinecone Town and disappearing into the woods.
The initial stretch of the forest was like any other woods.
A big brown cliff towered in the middle of the sea of green trees. The cliff stood alone amid the trees like a proud king looking down upon his subjects. White clouds and mists wandered around the cliff.
The top of the cliff was flat and covered with black and brown moss.
A breeze blew across the forest and caused the trees to wave in the wind. Twitters and chirps rang out in the air as a flock of bluebirds chased each other through the woods and flew into the distance.
Green was all you could see when walking through a forest like this. Green flowers, green grass, green vines, and ancient tree trunks that had grayed from age.
Life! The place pulsated with life!
It wasn't too bright in this silent forest. Overgrown branches, vines, and roots were everywhere. It was almost impossible to make progress through a forest like this without the help of a guide that was familiar with the geography.
Love the Swordsman was now in charge of opening a path for the party. He carried a round shield on his back as he swung a sharp hatchet. He cut through all the obstructing vines and thorns and barely managed to create a path. It allowed a person to walk through if they positioned their body sideways. The party slowly moved forward.
The soft and delicate clothes that adepts liked to wear the most were unsuited for traveling through primeval forests such as this. The branches and thorns that crossed their way could easily tear their clothes. Thus, even adepts and apprentices had no choice but to wear a thick cloak over their robes to avoid tripping from their clothes catching on a stray branch.
These adepts that always hid in their tall towers and secret labs had none of their usual arrogance and mystery when they ventured into the woods. Even an ordinary slope was a huge obstacle in their path.
They had to have someone pulling with a rope from above, while another person pushed from below to get the weak and frail Gargamel up a small cliff of three meters.
On the other hand, Greem exhibited a sturdy body that was no weaker than Love. Not only was he able to walk through the uneven paths as if it was flat, but he was also able to maneuver his way through cliffs and rocks swiftly. He was almost as agile as Rhodes, the Third Class Rogue.
Gargamel couldn't help but be envious of Greem's muscular body. More than once, Greem caught Gargamel salivating while staring at him!
In truth, any newly advanced adept possessed a body with a strength that could rival a fighter, agility that could beat a rogue, and swift reactions like those of an archer. However, extended periods neglecting their bodies, along with the corrosion of harmful magical materials, caused their bodies to deteriorate from peak condition quickly. There were very few adepts who managed to stay fit.
That was why Gargamel wasn't surprised by Greem's extraordinary Physique. In fact, he revealed an expression of contemplation and reminiscence.
Once upon a time, he had also possessed an exceptional body like that!
Back then, he was able to push through the night, fighting and working tirelessly without stopping. Sadly, the passage of time and the corrosion of magical energies had turned all this into an immutable past. Now, he was only an old man that looked no better than a starving ghost!
That said, his powerful magical energy still made him a respectable adept feared by mere mortals. If he decided to go all out, slaughtering Pinecone Town would be no difficult task.
Unfortunately, his impressive powers didn't count for much in the Black Forest!
It wasn't difficult for adepts to summon flying servants and spare themselves from the arduous and tiring task of trekking through the woods, especially with all the tricks they had at their command.
However, it was best to keep such thoughts in their mind and never attempt to carry them out in practice. Otherwise, a gruesome death awaited them!
Flying over the Black Forest might seem like a good idea, but even determining your location was nearly impossible.
Those who had never taken to the skies would never understand the pain of being lost in the Black Forest.
When flying in the blue skies with an endless stretch of mountains and forest beneath, you might have been able to determine the direction, but you would never be able to find your destination. The Black Forest was easily hundreds of thousands of kilometers wide. Trying to calculate your position with something like a landmark was a mere joke when the only thing that existed was an endless sea of trees.
The high-magic environment of the Black Forest also caused most detection and divination spells to become ineffective. Even the Wand of Prophecy was a liability in this place. Most of the time, it would bring you straight into a monster's den instead of a place of safety.
Moreover, flying in the sky was great, but it also made you an easy target for some powerful magical creatures.
The creatures of the Black Forest were remarkably territorial. It was okay if you managed to sneak past the edges of their territory without them finding out. But if you were foolish enough to fly above their heads…
The only outcome would be them using your bones to decorate their dens!
This five-kilometer stretch of woods was only a small trial compared to what was about to come.
The green of the forest slowly turned darker and darker as they walked deeper into the Black Forest. Once they passed the five-kilometer mark, everything in front of their eyes appeared to be completely different. It was almost as if they had entered an entirely different world.
Looking above, they found the skies to have been obscured by the darkened canopy, like the night sky filled with specks of stars.
The black leaves layered upon each other and hid the sky from view. It managed to create a curtain of darkness deeper than night. The shining stars were spots of faint blue light that glowed everywhere in the forest like fireflies. These lights were what gave the 'night sky' its strange and beautiful appearance.
Apart from the beautiful 'night sky,' the atmosphere of the Black Forest also appeared to be exceptionally elegant.
The fragrance of flowers filled the forest. Young green grass that went all the way up to the ankle covered the ground. Stepping on the grass felt like stepping on the most delicate of velvet carpets. It was so soft that it made you want to lie down on the ground and roll around.
Every stretch of the Black Forest had a unique style and atmosphere.
If the Black Forest reaching towards the Northern Lands was filled with darkness, malevolence, and chaos, then this stretch of the Black Forest contained fantasy, elegance, and wonder.
It was almost as if Greem and his party had stumbled into a magic forest. An aura of magic saturated the area around them. The whole place was unbelievably beautiful.
For most of the people in the party, this was the first time they had seen something so fantastical and pretty. For a moment, all of them were stunned by the brilliance of it all. Even Love and the adventurers who spent their days in the Black Forest couldn't help but straighten their bodies, relax, and take in this wondrous scene before their eyes.
Greem silently looked at everything in front of his eyes. His elementium sight presented him with a completely different world from what the others saw.
Traces and strands of magical energies flowed through the dark for
est.
It was nutrition that never ran out. A nutrient that continuously fed and nurtured the world before Greem's eyes.
In Greem's vision, every blade of grass, every flower petal, and every tiny creature in this magical place brimmed with magic. Elementium particles soaked their bodies.
In his sight, red represented fire, cyan was wind, brown was earth, green was wood, blue was water, and purple was soul and spirit. Layer after layer, patch after patch, pile after pile; the dense magical energies had practically submerged the entire forest in a sea of elementium.
In an environment like this, anything could happen. As long as it wasn't a rock, anything would be able to develop a consciousness of its own. Even intelligent lifeforms that could rival adepts weren't out of the question.
The Black Forest. In truth, it should have been known as the Magic Forest!
Chapter 391 Forest Spirit
Magic energies existed all over the world, but they still had unique traits of their own.
The energy in different places would exist in various forms and possess different traits.
Greem wasn't quite sure how magical energy looked in other places, but here, the energy was gentle and tame.
However, even docile energies were far too dangerous for an ordinary mortal.
Greem's elementium sight allowed him to see the forest for what it was. There were still plenty of dangers and hazards hiding underneath this strange and wondrous display.
Terrifying spotted tarantulas stalked the bushes of colorful flowers, waiting to strike the unsuspecting wanderer. Green toads sat in the middle of grass bushes. Anyone who stepped on them was bound to be greeted by a massive spray of acid. Bamboo snakes coiled around tall tree branches. Their bodies hung down from the trees as if they were harmless vines.
These hidden dangers were almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Even Greem had only realized their existence due to the unnatural concentration of magical energy in those areas. Love and the others had been able to survive in such a dangerous forest due to the experience and skills they had accumulated through the sacrifices of their companions' lives.
One by one, they lit up torches and held them in their hands. An odd smell spread throughout the woods.
It was a strange sight to behold.
All of the hidden creatures started to scurry out of the way when Love raised his torch and cut a path through the bushes.
For a moment, many critters crawled and slithered away from the nearby grass and branches.
Soon, an entirely 'clean' path appeared before the travelers.
"Repellant Powder!" Gargamel flashed his yellow teeth as he looked at Greem and tapped at a small pouch by his waist. It had the same odd smell that wafted from the torches.
Greem looked down at his waist. There was also a pouch like Gargamel's there. Love had explicitly requested that Greem wear it on the outside. He didn't expect it to have the ability to drive away small magical insects.
These pouches saved the party from plenty of unnecessary trouble!
The company continued to walk into the Black Forest.
Rhodes the Third Class rogue, despite his seemingly weak abilities, was having an easy time here. He moved about like a fish in water.
He gave Love a simple heads up, then dove headfirst into the thick forest. Love would only start walking forward once Rhodes gave him the all clear.
All the vines and thorns were cut down to ensure that the adepts and apprentices wouldn't be affected. Even so, every step forward was still an agonizing struggle for everyone.
Their clothes would catch on thorns, branches would hit their faces, and thick roots tripped their feet. The primal forest was a torturous place for spellcasters that lacked training.
That said, adepts and apprentices were not weaklings either!
Their bodies had been nurtured with magic and potions. Their Physique was still far beyond the ordinary person, even if it wasn't all that strong. Not to mention the fact that they could enhance themselves with magic. For example, summoning some wind elementium to surround their bodies would instantly grant them agility equal to rogues. The defensive forcefields around their bodies also kept them safe from sneak attacks.
Repellant Powder wasn't omnipotent.
There were always some strange creatures that were immune to its effects. These beings were able to hide from explorers and struck when they were finally in range.
Fila the Archer put away her longbow and drew two daggers instead. She used her sharp blades to split apart any poisonous snakes and bloodsucking leeches that dared to lunge at them. Neil the Fourth Class Hunter and the apprentice adepts were unharmed thanks to her.
Of course, the two adepts didn't need their help.
The decrepit Adept Gargamel was like a horrid source of poison himself. Any creature that came close to him instantly died of poison before melting into a puddle of acid.
Greem, who was walking at the rear of the formation, was even weirder of a sight to see.
A faint red barrier enveloped his body. It would reduce any creature that entered the field to ashes. Only a small pile of gray dust remained on the ground.
Ring of Fire!
The apprentices recognized the barrier. They couldn't help but cast gazes of envy at it.
If they had chosen to master fire spells, they might also have been able to possess this brilliant and powerful flame barrier after several years of rigorous study. While it might take a long time–sometimes as long as a dozen years–the Ring of Fire was a spell that possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities. It was well worth the effort. However, this required them to have exceptional talent with regards to their affinity for fire. Otherwise, they would have to prepare themselves to spend an eternity trying to master the secret of the Ring of Fire!
Sabrina turned back and took a look at Greem's ease in the situation. The envy in her heart was enough to drown her.
Greem had only been an intermediate apprentice back when they had gone on a mission in the Underground Cave together. Most of Sabrina's attention had been on the more eye-catching of the duo– Mary.
She had never expected this to happen in a matter of just ten years. Greem had turned into a terrifying adept that everyone had to fear and respect. Meanwhile, she was still stuck at the pseudo-adept level. Moreover, she was even involved in a conspiracy against her that might very well spell the end of her life.
The bizarre ways that things turned out were well worth lamenting!
Heavens. What was it that caused two individuals of different standings to have their fates, identities, and social status to be completely flipped on their heads? Was it because she wasn't stubborn enough in her pursuit of magic? Or was it a joke that fate was playing on her?
The bubbling thoughts upset Sabrina, and her wounds started to ache again.
Sabrina gloomily sighed as she pulled out a black water pouch and took a drink.
It wasn't water she drank, but a pungent and viscous organ reconciling agent!
Strange mechanical constructs had already replaced most of her human organs. Without a mechanical heart to synchronize and reconcile these mechanical parts with her original biological systems, they were bound to contradict and clash with each other.
Consequently, she had to drink this 'motor oil' that acted as a regulating agent on a daily basis. It was the only way to delay the conflict befalling her body.
That was also part of the pain of being an apprentice who walked on a mechanical adept's path!
After four tiring hours of trekking, the party stopped on a small cliff fifteen kilometers deep in the Black Forest. They started preparing a camp for tonight.
It was still two hours until nightfall, but it wasn't easy to find a sheltered place like this. To avoid the awkward situation of being unable to find shelter, Love decided to stop here. He asked for permission from Greem and proceeded to set up a tent.
After all, this was the first day of the expedition. Before the t
eam could get familiar with each other and learn how to cooperate, it was best to save some energy to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
The diversity of animal species in the Black Forest and the hordes of magical creatures was an eye-opening experience for Greem as well! This expedition was the first time he had ventured so deep into the Black Forest.
Hopping bunnies and guinea pigs were the favorite prey of hunters outside of the Black Forest. They were easy targets. However, here, it was almost as if a Berserking Spell had been cast upon these harmless creatures. They had dug out of holes in the ground and recklessly charged at the party.
Greem had personally seen how frightening they could be. The 'gentle' rabbits had been able to leave distinct claw marks on Love's metal shield with their every strike. The sharp fangs of the guinea pigs even left teeth marks on Love's longsword.
Greem had seen what was happening in their bodies. Their Spirits were chaotic and berserk, while a roiling mess of magical energy raged on within their bodies.
Once in a while, they even came across small critters that could release wind blades, fireballs, and earth spikes. It wasn't out of the question for them to evolve and grow into magical creatures with powerful magical powers if given enough time.
Still, most of these creatures would probably die from the combustion of chaotic energies within their bodies!
It was evident that the dense and ubiquitous magical energy of the Black Forest was influencing their behavior!
The Black Forest was like an extensive magical experimentation lab. Any creature that refused or was unable to be transformed by the magical energy would die from the excessive power. Only those magical creatures that had survived the surge of magic had the right to survive in this place.
The 'Speciology' and 'Magical Creature Handbook' stored in Greem's chip was in need of severe corrections and addendums. At every moment, there were more and more unique magical creatures unknown to the world being born in the vast and boundless Black Forest. They too were also returning to the embrace of the earth through their constant struggles and fights for survival.
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