Whispering Verse

It was not that a monster with a specific posture appeared in the dense forest, but it was more like the forest land known as the "Lost Forest" came to life as a whole. The malice that was almost like when the "narrow space between life and death" was completely out of control made Shade ran faster and faster through the forest.

He felt that his physical strength was losing at an abnormal rate, and his body surface temperature was also dropping rapidly. What was even more abnormal was that he actually felt thirsty and hungry, but he had clearly adjusted his condition before setting off.

"It's such a bad environment again, why do I have to run a little way first every time?"

But fortunately, as before, he kept running forward. As hunger and fatigue became more and more serious, firelight actually appeared between the trees where the corpses were nailed and the mist. It was as if a lost traveler saw hope, and the desire at that moment forced Shade to run forward faster. When he finally entered the range of the fire, he discovered that it was a small camp in the forest.

The crackling bonfire seems to be able to block out all the malice in the foggy forest, and the light is so reassuring. However, the smallness of this camp still surprised Shade after he walked in completely.

A campfire and a dilapidated one-person tent are the only symbols in the camp. The area covered by the bonfire was probably only the size of Shade's bed, and the shabby small tent stood alone at the edge of the bonfire, which could only be used as a decoration.

Although it is small, it still looks very reassuring compared to the foggy woodland. It is like a shelter in the doomsday, the only safe house in the 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 hollow and numb, as if a dead body was looking at Shade. Even the crackling bonfire could not dispel the feeling that the soul was about to leave the body.

Fortunately, Shade's arrival seemed to have broken a certain balance in this small camp. After the four people looked at him, they gradually "alive", and the fire of the soul of a living person once again jumped in their eyes.

However, although it had only been 20 years since Shade met the witch Cloyin, the petite and lovely lady with silver hair was obviously not among his companions this time.

"Yeah, it can't be such a coincidence that we meet someone we know well every time."

Shade did not 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 is a girl who looks about the same age as Dorothy and Lesia. She has light brown hair and covers her legs with a skirt when she sits on a cushion on the ground. Another ordinary girl who looked younger than her was wearing a black nun-like dress. She was probably a servant of the witch.

The other party was not wearing a maid uniform. Shade could tell from their position 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's hair was half white, but his gradually recovering temperament was very sharp. He wears silver-gray full-body armor, so it is not very convenient to move when sitting cross-legged. There is a painted iris pattern on his chest, and he also has a long sword and a crossbow in his hand. Although he is a bit old, he can tell at a glance that he is a skilled knight.

The remaining man was about thirty years old, and his clothes were quite colorful. The brightly colored satin coat, tasseled boots, feathered hat, red nail polish on his fingers, and the lute beside him all remind people of his extraordinary taste. However, this didn't make him look feminine, it just seemed a little strange to Shade.

"This is the nobility of this era."

Shade guessed in his mind, and then walked over from the edge of the fire. However, he did not say hello to the four people because he was not sure what language they used.

The witch looked at him vaguely, and after being stunned for a moment, her eyes completely recovered. She looked at Shade in shock. She was shocked not only because someone else came here, but also because she discovered something unusual about Shade:

"Are you a man or a woman?"

Shade was not surprised at all by this statement.

Shade's strange ability to understand languages ​​allowed Shade to understand her words, and then he obtained part of the knowledge about the witch's use of words from the knowledge of [Witch Reverberation - Cloyin]. Unfortunately, this is not the more common language of this era taught by St. Byrons. Shade could only rely on [Witch Reverberation] to barely give an answer:

"male."

As he spoke, he stretched out his fingers, and the silver moonlight bloomed on his fingertips:

"But I can also use extraordinary powers."

While the witch looked more and more shocked, he explained:

"I'm not an ordinary human being, and there won't be another existence like me, so you don't have to worry."

Approaching the witch, Shade barely felt that the opponent should be around the eleventh to twelfth level.

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, there was no time for her to explore Shade's secrets in such a weird place. She shook her head violently:

"Damn it, I can't tell whether it's an illusion or reality now. Sit down first, it's good to have a helper who can cast spells. I am Arela Andriana from Zarath Academy, this is My maid Clara.”

Shade then sat down between the two ladies and the two men, his hunger and fatigue disappearing in the light of the fire. The men all sat across from the bonfire, away from the witch. This was also a way for people in this era to protect themselves.

"You belong to the Zarath Academy? Do you know the witch Cloyin Marcus Marquez?"

Shade curiously asked in simple sentences, while the other three ordinary people were still recovering from the numbness of their souls.

He didn't know many witches from Zaras Academy in the Fifth Era. Among them, Miss Samuel, who appeared in the "Valley of Death" with Miss Olanode and Fiona, was probably not born yet, so He could only mention Chloe Yin.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this name, the young witch nodded immediately:

"This lady went to the Northern Continent alone twenty years ago to explore her own path to being a demigod. She is also very famous in the academy. We thought she would never return, or that she would not appear again until a long time later. , but she only left for a few months before she came back with the power of a demigod witch. I bet Miss Marquez is definitely the witch who has been promoted to demigod most smoothly in this era... You know her ?”

"heard about it."

Shade simply replied, then looked at the maid behind her. The latter was in a daze for a moment, and then said hello softly:

"Hello, sir."

So Shade looked at the two men again. The man wearing armor and gray hair recovered faster and spoke first:

"What's going on now... Sorry, let me introduce myself first. I am Zafir Yellen, a knight from the Kingdom of Naboos. I don't know exactly where this is. I just remember that I am in I got lost on the way back to my hometown. I was hungry and tired after walking a long way in the forest, and finally saw this place. I originally wanted to take a rest, but I forgot about it without realizing it... With my vigilance , Under normal circumstances, you shouldn’t be rashly attracted by this strange fire in the dark forest... Speaking of which, where is my horse?"

He became more and more confused about his decision at that time, and even more confused when he talked about the mount that was supposed to be by his side.

But fortunately, he is indeed still alive, not some lost soul after death.

The well-dressed man also spoke. He frowned and covered his forehead, using the same language as the witch, maid, and knight:

"Your Majesty the Witch, sir, hello. I am Baron Dika Enriquez 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 due to the presence of the witch and the danger here, he did not dare to say too much:

"I spent a lot of gold some time ago to buy a ritual from a weird witch. The witch said that using the ritual, I could experience a great adventure and find a treasure. After I followed the map and entered the black forest where the kingdom belongs, I accidentally lost my way. My servants were separated from me, and the hired adventurers didn’t know where they went, and then...yes, I fell to the ground and fainted because of hunger, When I woke up, I saw the light here and 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 surname attracted Shade's attention. It was consistent with the protagonist of Enriquez's love story he met in the Randall Valley, but it must be just a coincidence.

"Ma'am, you should know what's going on here, right?"

Shade asked the witch again, and the witch also noticed that he didn't seem to be very good at talking, but she didn't pay too much attention:

"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 the numb soul.

"I have heard the legend here - the Lost Forest. The legend confuses time and space. It is a place waiting for 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, is here to listen to the stories of people's journeys. If this god can be pleased, lost travelers can find their way home, but for most people, this is just a place before death. Just a rest stop.”