The Whispering Verses Chapter 1589: The Lost Forest
It's not that a monster with a specific posture appeared in the dense forest. It's more like the entire forest called the "Lost Forest" has come to life. It's like the "narrow space between life and death" is completely out of control. Malice made Shade run faster and faster in 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.
The campfire and a dilapidated single-person tent are the only symbols in the camp. The area covered by the bonfire was only about 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, compared to the foggy woodland, it still looks very reassuring, 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 break a certain balance in this small camp. After the four people looked at him, they gradually "alive", and the souls of living people jumped again in their eyes. of fire.
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.
"Yes, it's not just a coincidence that we meet someone we know each other every time."
No one of the four companions Shade knew, but it is 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 are of course ordinary people.
The older one's hair is half white, but his gradually recovering temperament is very sharp. He wears silver-gray full-body armor, so it is not very convenient to move when sitting cross-legged. He has 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 is about thirty years old, and his clothes are 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."
Xia De 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 Sha De in shock, not only because someone else came here, but also because she discovered something unusual about Sha De:
"Are you a man or a woman?"
Xia De was not surprised at all by this statement.
The peculiar 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 Reverb and Cloyin]. Unfortunately, this is not the more common language of this era taught by St. Byrons. Shade can only rely on [Witch Reverberation] to barely give the answer:
"Male."
As he spoke, he stretched out his fingers, and the silver moonlight bloomed on the fingertips:
"But I can also use extraordinary powers."
While the witch showed an increasingly shocked expression, he explained:
"I am not an ordinary human being, and there will never be another existence like me, so you don't have to worry."
As he got closer to 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'm Arela Andriana from Zalas 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?"
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 Zarath Academy in the Fifth Era. Among them, Miss Samuel, who appeared in the “Valley of Death” with Miss Olanode and Fiona, probably didn’t exist at this time. Born, so he could mention only Chloe Yin.
"Yes."
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 demigods, which is also very famous in the academy. We thought she would never return, or that she would not return until a long time later will appear again, but she only left for a few months before returning with the power of a demigod. I bet that Miss Marquez is the most successful witch in this era... Do you know her?"
"I've heard of it."
Xia De simply replied, then looked at the maid behind her, who was dazed for a moment, and then said hello softly:
"Hello, sir."
So Shade 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 am Zafir Yellen, a knight from the Kingdom of Naboos. I don't know exactly where this place is. I just want to introduce myself." I remember that 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 I wanted to take a rest, but I forgot about it... Normally, I would not 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 he became even more confused when he talked about the mount that should have been by his side.
But fortunately, he is still alive, not a lost soul after death.
The handsomely dressed man also spoke. He frowned and covered his forehead, using the same language as the witch, maid and knight:
"Hello, Your Majesty the Witch, sir. I am Baron Deca Henriquez 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 large amount of gold some time ago to buy a ritual from a weird witch. The witch said that using the ritual, I could experience great adventures and find a treasure. I followed the map and entered the black kingdom where the kingdom belongs. After the forest, I accidentally lost my way. My servants were separated from me, and the hired adventurers didn’t know where they went. Then...yes, I fell to the ground and fainted due to hunger. When I woke up, I saw the light here and entered this camp. The fire was really warm... Speaking of which, how long had it passed since I entered here? Why did I look at it just now? Dazed by the firelight?"
He also fell into doubts about his memory, and his surname attracted Shade's attention. It was consistent with the protagonist of Henriquez's love story he met in the Randall Valley, but it must be just a coincidence. .
"Madam, you should know what's going on here, right?"
Xia De asked the witch again, and the witch also noticed that he seemed not very good at talking, but she didn’t pay 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 die before you die. Come here. The Great One, the God of Travelers, is here to listen to the stories of people's journeys. If you can please this god, the lost traveler can find his way home, but for most people, this is the place. Just a rest stop before death."