Xia De still didn't understand the appearance of the note. Was it that the maid Clara's sister really left a clue, or was it that the gods deliberately gave clues that shouldn't appear in order to increase the fun of the journey
But just like what the gods said last time, they were just travelers, not detectives, so Shade knew that he didn't need to understand everything.
"The unexpected appearance of ice crystals has brought new challenges to the travelers. The angels have given guidance, the witch has left a key, and the key has opened a new map. The loyal dog is secretly saddened by the map, while the unicorn is full of hope. The travelers set up camp at noon, so what will you do in the afternoon? Continue to move forward to face new and unknown challenges, or climb the snow-capped mountains according to the guidance of the map to find that slim hope?"
The god asked everyone. According to convention, the bard had no say, so he was waiting for others to make a decision. Of course, the witch and the maid wanted to find their missing relatives, so the beautiful brown-haired lady looked at Shade:
"Keep going according to the map. After you leave here, I can give you whatever you want."
"You say that as if I'm some bad person."
Xia De stroked the well-behaved cat and asked the god again:
"Can travelers use that map to determine the approximate location of the destination and calculate the time it will take to get there?"
He did not forget that the seventh night was the end of the journey.
"Yes, no matter if it's a parrot, a unicorn, a loyal dog, or a traveler under the moon, they all have the ability to read the map. The end of the map is higher up in the snowy mountains, and if you want to reach it, you may have to witness two complete sunrises and sunsets. There will be other unknown stories waiting for you along the way. This is... the story of the journey."
The story has developed to the noon of the fifth day, which means that if they follow the map now, they can reach the destination before the end of the journey.
The witch pursed her lips and looked at Shade more eagerly. She knew that Shade also had someone to look for, but she didn't know if she would meet the person Shade was looking for once she followed the map, so she didn't know how to persuade Shade to agree.
"Well, let's follow the map."
Xia De nodded. As long as the demon in the bottle didn't lie, then Chloe Yin must be on the snowy mountain. If they can meet him, they can meet him no matter which road they take. Moreover, judging from the current situation, even if they can't meet him, the God of Journey will let them meet him.
God made an invitation gesture, and Shad reached out and turned over the next card on the top of the deck. But before his hand touched the back of the card, he looked down at the cat lying on his lap.
The last time the cat flipped the cards, although they encountered a terrible sandstorm in the desert and even glimpsed some indescribable thing as terrifying as the sun in the sandstorm, everyone benefited from it and Shad's Hiton Seal also made great progress.
So he thought about it, grabbed Mia's paw and pressed it on the deck. Amid the cat's dissatisfied cry, the card was turned over to the front, which was a hot spring with smoke in the snow.
"The traveler under the moon is as sharp as a cat in the snow. In the heavy snow, he actually led you to discover the Snow Mountain Hot Spring. That is not an ordinary hot spring. The equally sharp unicorn has sensed its extraordinary power. It is certainly a blessing to encounter a hot spring in the snowy mountains, but do you want to try its power?"
The dusty traveler asked, and the witch boldly asked:
"Excuse me, can we identify what it is without touching the hot spring?"
"Oh, yes, the unicorn's horn has the power to identify curses and poisons."
The god smiled and nodded, looking pleased that they were gradually finding the secret of the story.
"So the unicorn thrust its horn into the spring."
The witch spoke, and then an illusory golden horn grew out of her forehead again. She immediately turned her head slightly, not wanting anyone to look closely at her forehead.
"The warm power permeated the unicorn's soul. Although it was slight, it was indeed enough to heal the soul."
God gave the answer.
"After confirming safety, the travelers decided to receive the baptism of the hot spring in order. First was the most powerful unicorn, followed by her loyal hound, the traveler under the moon was third, and the parrot was the last."
Shad also said that this order was to prevent the men from entering the spring first—although Shad was the only man in the story, and the bard was a parrot.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt warm and comfortable. It was different from the warmth of the small fire next to the deck of cards. The warmth of the hot spring was more inclusive, and it completely eliminated the influence of the cold in an instant, and even made Xia De feel the comfort of his soul.
Shade and the witch Miss Aleila Andriana had powerful souls themselves, so they were less affected. However, the maid who had just become a witch and the bard who had always been an ordinary person groaned out loud.
It wasn't a very erotic moan, but a sigh of relief as if all the burdens in the heart had been put down. It wasn't obvious in the newborn witch, but in the bard Mr. Enriquez, he seemed to be at least five years younger.
If he wasn't only in his thirties, the effect would probably be even more obvious.
Stranger, your soul has been cleansed.
"She" also whispered a reminder in Xia De's ear, but did not go on to say what effect it would have, which means that the effect was not actually obvious to Xia De.
So the fifth day of the journey came to the night. Although Xiaomia's "luck" seemed good, Shad did not continue to let the cat touch the cards, but signaled the bard Mr. Enriquez to take action.
From the excitement and fear at the beginning, to the sadness and sorrow after the old knight's departure, to the calmness now, this ordinary man in the Fifth Age seems to be the one who has gained the most from this trip.
He put down the paper and pen in his hand and turned over the next card. The card was very familiar. It was the same scene that had appeared many times before, the small camp where everyone was currently located. But unlike before, this time there were pairs of red eyes surrounding the camp. No matter what era it was, these were not kind eyes.
"On the fifth night, the parrot selected a camping site for the travelers. The campfire and tents made you relax for a while, but you soon noticed the malicious intent emerging from the shadows of the snow-capped mountains."
Pairs of red eyes really appeared in the misty jungle outside the camp of the Lost Forest in reality. Those densely packed eyes were spying on people, and everyone was very alert, but the owners of those eyes did not really appear.
"The moon and the sun will protect you, so you are safe tonight. But malicious eyes will bring false illusions. Tonight everyone must face their own fears and insecurities. Although false, it is still terrible."
This time, after God finished speaking, the scene did not undergo that miraculous change. Everyone was still sitting in their original seats, but everyone saw a figure with red eyes walking out of the misty forest.
Holding the cat, Shad didn't know what others saw, but what he saw was the "self" he saw in the mirror at No. 6 Saint Teresa's Square when he first came into this world.
It is worth mentioning that after nearly a year in this world, although the stranger's height and weight have not changed much, his appearance has changed a lot. In short, it takes more than just strength to charm the witches.
According to "her", this change in appearance was due to the special nature of the stranger's soul and the powerful power of divinity, which made the originally ordinary face change to the true appearance of a stranger. Moreover, this subtle change could not be discovered by anyone, and they would only think that Shade had always looked like this. This was the peculiarity of divinity.
But the stranger himself, of course, still remembered the shock he felt when he first saw that face in the mirror, so he remembered exactly what the original body looked like.
He did not panic, but watched the man with "red light" in his eyes getting closer and closer. As the thing got closer and closer, Shade saw more details. Although the appearance was the same, its body seemed to be faded and appeared a strange gray-black color. It also carried a shadow as it walked, suppressing the light of the bonfire behind the god.
But this also proves that this is an illusion. If it is a real evil force, it is impossible for it to get so close to God.
So, Xia De grabbed Mia's waist with both hands and lifted her up:
"Meow~"
Even though the cat had seen the original appearance of the stranger's body, it still made a threatening sound at the first moment. Shade even felt that if he hadn't caught it, Mia would have rushed forward.
This cat is so timid, but every time Shade is in danger, it will "stand up". The stranger likes this cat and even wants to "snatch" it from Miss Mia Gold regardless of his principles. It's not just because this cat is good-looking... ... Of course, good-looking also accounts for a large proportion.
The strange creature with red eyes stopped under the intimidation of the cat, and then a voice exactly the same as Shade's was heard:
"You have taken over my body, don't you ever feel ashamed?"
Shade, who was in a good mood because of the cat's loyalty, looked at him with strange eyes:
"Guilt? I'm not even sure you ever really existed."
At first, I would occasionally think about this question, but as I encountered more and more things, I became more and more suspicious of this body, so Xia De stopped thinking about it:
"I called you in death, but you just didn't show up. All traces of your past are vague, and all the evidence that proves your existence is actually questionable. If you really want to question why I became 'me', then you should at least tell me, who was 'me' before?"