For the next several hours, the group moved through the thick forest non-stop. They didn’t slow down at all unless they came across enemies which was a very common occurrence.
Creatures varying in size and numbers noticed their presence and tried to ambush them on several occasions. However, since they were still in a relatively easy area of the forest, these enemies were swiftly dealt with.
Arthur took his time killing every enemy that his senses caught. His speed and power made almost every confrontation a one-hit defeat. The others didn’t fare that far behind either, especially Isla who also was able to swiftly deal with every enemy that got close to her without wasting a single moment.
Everyone was very efficient and smart which made them cross a huge distance in mere several hours. Arthur’s map expanded several times during that.
No major problems happened on the first day and the sun swiftly descended into the horizon.
“I think we should stop here for the day and set camp,” Isla said as she looked over her shoulder. “The horses are exhausted.”
After pushing them for almost 12 hours straight, the horses were naturally tired. They had far more stamina than normal, but that still had its limit.
The group naturally stopped on the road and looked around them. The world wasn’t completely submerged in darkness yet so they could see clearly. Arthur’s night vision also passively activated so there wasn’t much difference between the day and the night for him.
“I think we should move out of the road a little and set camp somewhere in the forest.” He suggested as he kept looking around him, peering through the thick greenery as he searched for a suitable spot to camp.
Eventually, his eyes fell on a promising place.
“How about that?” He pointed in the direction. “I see an open area where we can settle.”
“We shouldn’t get into the forest and stay on the road,” Danny replied.
“Staying on the road means we are very exposed to everything around us including players that could potentially try to steal from us. Hiding in the forest is better.” Arthur retorted.
“Nobody will follow us for this long. We’re too far away from the village.”
“You underestimate how far people would go to gain something.” Arthur shook his head. “I know people who would go months doing one single thing simply to get what they want. A few hours of traveling won’t stop anybody.”
“Arthur is right, we can’t risk being attacked by players. Animals are more managable.” Isla said as she moved her horse. “Let’s do that.”
So, one by one, the group marched through the thick trees, leaving Danny behind who was struggling to stay calm. Sucking in a deep breath, he started moving after them.
The open area Arthur suggested was a patch of grass surrounded by the trees with some glimpses of light peeking through the gaps in the leaves above them. It looked very cozy and well-hidden.
“Seems good enough. Thank you for your help, Arthur.” Isla said as she jumped from her horse. “Let’s get to work. Herculia, set up the tents.”
“Right on it.”
“Emmy, make a fire.” She turned to her other friend.”
“I have some wood.” She replied.
“Danny, tie the horses and feed them.” Finally, she gave the last order to Danny who nodded his head and went to work immediately.
Seeing how the group got busy rather quickly, Arthur decided to do something useful too since he didn’t want to just idle around.
“I will scout the area and see if there are any threats.” He said.
“Wait,” Isla spoke to him. “I will come with you. Gathering sometimes is necessary.”
“…” The boy blinked a few times before nodding his head.
Then, the two left the camp as they walked deeper into the forest. At this point, the sun had completely set and the darkness of the night engulfed them. The forest was completely dim with some light coming from the moon above and the stars shining brightly in the sky.
‘This night vision is so useful. I can see very clearly.’
Arthur had been using ‘Wretched Crawler’s Eyes’ for a while now and they were as useful as he expected if not more. Having a clear vision in the darkness was crucial for survival and this was proving to be the case with every passing day.
The two walked in complete silence for a while until Isla noticed something as she changed direction and walked toward it. Reaching a nearby tree, she plucked one of the fruits hanging from its branches.
“What’s that?” Arthur asked curiously.
“A waving lime. It’s a sweet citrusy fruit. Doesn’t have any special effects, though.” She said as she inspected it and then stored it in her inventory. Then, she picked a few more and moved somewhere else. “Hmm, some purple berries. These are good against weak poison.”
“How do you know all of that?” Arthur asked. Although reading the description of the fruit can provide an explanation, Isla didn’t seem surprised by their effects.
“I have seen these before all across the forest. They are very common and very easy to acquire.” She explained. “I have memorized 50 different types of plants and fruits so far and hope to expand that more soon.”
“… 50?” Arthur blinked. “That’s… a lot.”
‘How did she even memorize that many in a few days? What kind of memory does she have?’ Arthur mused secretly. ‘I guess that’s what’s expected from a genius.’
Seeing how casually she was saying that Arthur realized that Isla was indeed a brilliant individual on so many fronts. Not only did she seem like she was a natural leader, but she also was very capable on many different fronts.
‘Sigh, what am I even doing here, man? I don’t fit at all.’ He sighed inwardly as he turned away from Isla.
“There doesn’t seem to be much activity around us. Animals don’t like to move in the dark for the most part, except for the nocturnal ones.”
“Yeah, it’s still very dangerous around here. Tell your friends to stay alert. You never know what you might come across.” As he was talking, Arthur kept moving around, checking the area for anything suspicious.
His senses were already aware that there weren’t any dangerous predators nearby, but he still didn’t trust it enough not to check with his own eyes.
“They know what to expect so they will be fine,” Isla said.
“I sure do hope so-” At that moment, Arthur pushed a huge tree branch out of his way, and what it revealed to him made him completely freeze.
Isla didn’t notice that at first as she was busy gathering fruits, but then she noticed the odd silence and turned around to check.
“Arthur?” She called his name when she saw him standing there silently.
“… Hey, Isla, you might need to come check this out.” He finally spoke.
“Did you find something?” She walked toward him curiously.
“Yeah, I would say this is one hell of a thing.” He said.
Peeking over his shoulder, she saw what he was looking at and she froze for a moment. “Is that…?”
“You know what this is?” Arthur raised an eyebrow. What he was staring at was a large stone pillar standing in the middle of the forest. The structure was at least 20 meters tall with weird engravings all around it.
It looked like an old remnant from a distant past, long forgotten by people. It stood there, in the middle of nowhere, battling time.
“I think I do.” She replied as she moved past him, approaching the pillar. Her eyes flashed with fascination at how beautiful it looked. Even though the stones were grey and cracked, it still carried a very profound presence. “This a ‘Lesser Beacon’, if I’m not wrong.”
“A lesser beacon?” Arthur asked as he walked next to her. “What the hell is that?”
“It’s an ancient relic from thousands of years set by unknown creators. Some players had found these scattered across the forest. Activating them expands your map automatically and reveals hidden areas if there are any.” She replied.
“Oh, a map beacon? That’s very interesting. I haven’t heard of them before.”
“Not many have been discovered so far, and I only heard some bits and pieces of information about them. This is a really good find.”
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3
