It was not that monsters with specific postures appeared in the dense forest. It was more like the entire woods called the "Lost Forest" came alive. The malice that was like the "narrow gap between life and death" was completely out of control made Shade run faster and faster in the forest.
He felt that his physical strength was draining away at an abnormal rate, and his body temperature was dropping rapidly. What was even more abnormal was that he actually felt thirsty and hungry, even though he had adjusted his condition before setting off.
"It's such a bad environment again. Why do you always make me run a distance first?"
But fortunately, just like before, he kept running forward. As hunger and fatigue became more and more serious, a fire appeared between the trees with corpses nailed to them and the mist. It was as if a lost traveler saw hope. The desire at that moment forced Shade to run forward faster. When he finally entered the range of the fire, he found that it was a small camp in the forest.
The crackling bonfire seemed to be able to shield all the malice in the foggy forest, and the light was so reassuring. But the smallness of the camp still surprised Shade after he walked in.
The bonfire and a shabby little tent were the only landmarks in the camp. The area covered by the bonfire was probably only the size of the Shade family's bed, and the shabby little tent stood alone on the edge of the bonfire, which could probably only be used as a decoration.
Although it was small, compared to the foggy woodland, it still looked very reassuring, as if it were a shelter in the apocalypse, the only safe house in a haunted manor.
At this time, four people, two men and two women, were resting around the bonfire. When Shade looked at them, they all looked at Shade because they heard footsteps. The eyes of the four people were a little empty and numb, just like dead bodies looking at Shade, and even the crackling bonfire could not dispel the feeling that the soul was about to leave the body.
Fortunately, Shad's arrival seemed to have broken a certain balance in this small camp. After the four people looked at him, they gradually "came alive", and the fire of the living soul jumped in their eyes again.
However, although only 20 years have passed since Shade met the witch Chloe Yin, his companions this time obviously do not include the petite and cute lady with silver hair.
"Yeah, but it's not always possible to run into someone you know by chance."
Shade didn't recognize any of the four companions, but it was worth mentioning that although there were two women present, only one of them was a witch. The witch was the girl who looked about the same age as Dorothy and Lesia. She had light brown hair and covered her legs with her skirt while sitting on the cushions on the ground. The other ordinary girl who looked younger than her was wearing a black long skirt like a nun's robe. She was probably the witch's servant.
The other party was not wearing a maid outfit, and Xia De could tell from their positions and temperament. After all, he knew the witch's maid too well.
The remaining two men with numb eyes were, of course, ordinary people.
The older one had half white hair, but his gradually recovered temperament was very sharp. He was wearing a silver-gray full body armor, so it was not very convenient to sit cross-legged. There was an iris pattern on the chest of his armor, and he also had a long sword and a crossbow in his hands. Although he was a little old, he could be seen at a glance that he was a skilled knight.
The remaining man was about 30 years old, and he was dressed quite colorfully. The colorful satin coat, tasseled boots, feathered hat, red nail polish on all ten fingers, and the lute beside him all reminded people that he had extraordinary taste. However, this did not make him look feminine, but it just seemed a little strange to Shade.
"This is the nobility of this era."
Xia De guessed in his heart, and then walked over from the edge of the fire. However, he did not greet the four people because he did not know what language they used.
The witch looked at him in a daze, and after a sudden pause, her eyes recovered completely. She looked at Xia De in astonishment, not only because someone else came here, but also because she found Xia De's abnormality:
"Are you a man or a woman?"
This statement did not surprise Shade at all.
The strange ability of knowing languages allowed Shade to understand her words, and then he obtained some knowledge about the use of words by witches from the knowledge of the witch's resounding Kloyin. Unfortunately, this was not the more common language of this era taught by Saint Byrons, and Shade could only rely on the witch's resounding to give a reluctant answer:
"male."
As he spoke, he stretched out his finger, and the silver moonlight bloomed at his fingertips:
"But I can also use supernatural powers."
As the witch looked more and more surprised, he explained:
"I am not an ordinary human being. There won't be another one like me, so you don't have to worry."
Approaching the witch, Shade could barely sense that she was around level 11 or 12.
The young witch looked at him suspiciously, obviously not fully accepting his statement. So Shade took the initiative to stretch out his right hand. The witch didn't expect him to be so proactive, but she still grabbed his wrist, let go after a moment, and then looked at her palm.
Fortunately, this strange place didn't give her time to explore Xia De's secrets. She shook her head suddenly:
"Damn it, I can't tell whether this is an illusion or reality. Sit down first, it would be good to have a helper who can cast a spell. I'm Aleila Andriana from the Zalas Academy, and this is my maid Clara."
Shade then sat down between the two ladies and the two men. In the firelight, hunger and fatigue disappeared. The men sat on the opposite side of the campfire, away from the witch's position. This was also a way for people in this era to protect themselves.
"You belong to the Zaras Academy? May I ask if you know the witch Chloe Yin Marcus Marcus?"
Xia De asked curiously in simple sentences. The other three ordinary people were still recovering from the numbness of their souls.
He didn't know many witches from the Zaras Academy in the Fifth Era. Among them, Miss Samuel, who appeared in the "Dead Valley" with Miss Orlanod and Fiona, was probably not born yet, so he could only mention Chloe Yin.
"Yes."
Hearing this name, the young witch nodded immediately:
"This lady went to the northern continent alone 20 years ago to explore her own path to becoming a demigod. She is well-known in the academy. We thought she would never come back, or would not appear again for a long time, but she was only gone for a few months and returned with the power of a demigod witch. I bet that Miss Marquez is definitely the witch who has been promoted to a demigod most smoothly since this era... Do you know her?"
“I’ve heard of it.”
Xia De answered simply, then looked at the maid behind her. The maid was dazed for a moment, then greeted softly:
"Hello, sir."
So Xia De looked at the two men again. The man in armor and with gray hair recovered faster and spoke first:
"What's going on now... Sorry, let me introduce myself first. I'm Zafir Yelen, a knight from the Kingdom of Nabus. I don't know exactly where this place is. I just remember that I got lost on my way home, and I walked a long way in the forest, feeling hungry and tired, before I finally saw this place. I wanted to take a rest, but I forgot about it... With my vigilance, I normally wouldn't be rashly attracted by this strange fire in the dark forest... By the way, where's my horse?"
He became more and more confused about his decision at that time, and became even more confused when talking about the mount that should have been by his side.
But fortunately, he is still alive, not a lost soul after death.
The man dressed up in fancy clothes also spoke. He frowned and covered his forehead, using the same language as the witch, maid, and knight:
"Hello, my lady witch, sir. I am Baron Dika Enriques of the United Kingdom of Mohor in the southern continent. Of course, I prefer my identity as a bard."
He wanted to brag about the awards he had won, but because of the witch's presence and the danger here, he didn't dare to say too much:
"Some time ago, I spent a large sum of gold to buy a ritual from a weird witch. The witch said that by using the ritual, I could experience a great adventure and find a treasure. After I followed the map and entered the Black Forest belonging to the kingdom, I accidentally got lost. My servants were separated from me, and I didn't know where the hired adventurers went. Then... Yes, I fell to the ground and passed out due to hunger. When I woke up, I saw the light here, so I entered this camp. The fire was really warm... Speaking of which, how long has it been since I entered here? Why was I staring at the fire in a daze just now?"
He also fell into doubts about his memory, and his last name caught Shad's attention. It was consistent with the protagonist of Enriquez's love story he met in the Randall River Valley, but it must be just a coincidence.
"Ma'am, you should know the situation here, right?"
Xia De asked the witch again. The witch also noticed that he didn't seem to be very good at speaking, but she didn't care too much:
"I don't know if there is treasure here, but there is definitely danger."
Her golden eyes looked at the bonfire in front of her, and the flow of spirit in her soul revived her numb soul.
"I've heard of the legend of this place - the Lost Forest. Legend has it that time and space are confused, and it is a place that awaits adventurers and travelers before death. If you get lost in any corner of the material world, you may come here before you die. And the Great One - the God of Travelers, listens to people's stories of their journeys here. If you can please this god, lost travelers will be able to find their way home, but for most people, this is just a rest stop before death."