Chapter 1544: Lost Forest

It was not that monsters with specific postures appeared in the dense forest; at this moment, it was more like this forest area known as the "Lost Forest" had come alive as a whole. That malice, which was almost like the complete loss of control of the "Boundary of Life and Death," made Xia De run faster and faster in the forest.

He perceived that his physical strength was draining at an abnormal speed, and at the same time, his body surface temperature was dropping rapidly. And even more abnormally, he actually felt thirsty and hungry, but he had clearly adjusted his state before setting off.

"This kind of terrible environment again. Why do I always have to run a distance first?"

But fortunately, just like before, as he kept running forward, while the hunger and fatigue became more and more severe, firelight actually appeared between the trees nailed with corpses and the thin fog. This was as if a lost traveler had seen hope, and the longing at that moment forced Xia De to run forward faster. When he finally entered the range of the firelight, he realized 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 this camp, after Xia De walked in completely, still surprised him a little.

The bonfire and a tattered small single-person tent were the only landmarks in the camp. The range covered by the bonfire was about the size of Xia De's bed at home, and that tattered small tent stood alone on the edge of the bonfire, which could probably only be used as a decoration.

Although small, compared to the foggy forest, it still looked very reassuring, as if it were a sanctuary 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 Xia De looked at them, they all looked at Xia De because they heard footsteps. The eyes of the four people were all a bit hollow and numb, almost like dead bodies looking at Xia De, and even the crackling bonfire could not dispel the feeling that their souls were about to leave their bodies.

Fortunately, Xia De's arrival seemed to break some kind of balance in this small camp. After the four people looked at him, they gradually "came alive," and the fire of living souls jumped in their eyes again.

Only, although it had only been 20 years since Xia De met the witch Chloe, this time the companions clearly did not include that petite and cute silver-haired lady.

"Yeah, it can't always be such a coincidence to meet someone you know."

Xia De did not know any of the four companions, but it is 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 Lei Qianya. She had light brown hair and used her skirt to cover her legs while sitting on a cushion on the ground. The other ordinary girl, who looked younger than her, wore a black long skirt that looked like a nun's robe; this was probably the witch's maid.

The other party was not wearing a maid outfit; Xia De could tell from their positions and temperament. After all, he knew witch maids too well.

And the remaining two numb-eyed men were, of course, ordinary people.

The older one had half-white hair, but his gradually recovering temperament was quite sharp. He was wearing silver-gray full-body armor, so his movements while sitting cross-legged were not very convenient. There was a painted iris pattern on the chest of his armor, and a long sword and a hand crossbow were placed beside his hand. Although he was a bit old, one could tell at a glance that he was a skilled knight.

The remaining man was about thirty years old, and his attire was quite gorgeous. The brightly colored silk coat, tassel boots, hat with feathers, red nail polish on ten fingers, and the lute placed beside him all reminded people that his taste was extraordinary. However, this did not make him look feminine, it just seemed a bit strange to Xia De.

"This must be a noble of this era."

Xia De guessed in his heart, and then walked over from the edge of the firelight. However, he did not greet the four people because he did not know what language they were using for the time being.

The witch looked at him in a trance, and after a sudden pause, her eyes completely recovered. She looked at Xia De in astonishment, astonishment not only because someone else had come here, but also because she discovered Xia De's abnormality:

"Are you a man or a woman?"

Xia De was not surprised by this sentence at all.

The peculiar ability of language comprehension allowed Xia De to understand her words, and then he obtained some knowledge about the witch's use of characters from the knowledge of 【Witch Echo · Chloe】. Unfortunately, this was not the language commonly used in this era taught by Saint Byron, so Xia De could only rely on 【Witch Echo】 to barely give an answer:

"Male."

Saying this, he stretched out his finger, and silver moonlight bloomed at his fingertip:

"But I can also use supernatural abilities."

While the witch showed an increasingly astonished expression, he explained again:

"I am not an ordinary human, and it is impossible for a second existence like me to appear, so you don't have to worry."

Approaching the witch, Xia De barely felt that the other party should be around the eleventh or twelfth tier.

The young witch looked at him suspiciously, clearly not fully accepting his statement. So Xia De took the initiative to stretch out his right hand. The witch did not expect him to be so proactive, but she still grabbed his wrist, let go after a moment, and then looked at her own palm.

Fortunately, there was no time for her to explore Xia De's secrets in such a strange place. She shook her head violently:

"Damn it, I can't tell whether it's an illusion or reality now. You sit down first, it's good to have a helper who can cast spells. I am Arera Andreana of the Zalas Academy, and this is my maid Clara."

Xia De then sat down between the two ladies and the two men. The hunger and fatigue in the firelight actually disappeared. The men were all sitting opposite the bonfire, away from the witch's position, which was also a way for people of this era to protect themselves.

"You belong to the Zalas Academy? May I ask if you know the witch Chloe Marcus Marquez?"

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

He did not know many witches from the Zalas Academy in the Fifth Era, among whom Miss Samuel, who appeared in the "Valley of Dead Silence" with Miss Olanod and Fiona, probably had not been born yet, so the only one he could mention was Chloe.

"Yes."

Hearing this name, the young witch nodded immediately:

"This lady went to the Northern Continent alone twenty years ago to explore her path to becoming a demigod, which is also very famous in the academy. We thought she would never return, or would only appear again after a long time, but she only went for a few months before returning with the power of a demigod witch. I bet Miss Marquez is definitely the witch who has ascended to demigodhood most smoothly since this era... Do you know her?"

"I've heard of her."

Xia De answered simply, then looked at the maid behind her, who was in a trance for a moment, and then greeted softly:

"Hello, sir."

So Xia De looked at the two men again. The man wearing armor with half-white hair recovered faster and spoke first:

"What is the situation now... Sorry, let me introduce myself first. I am Zafir Yellen, a knight of the Nabus Kingdom. I don't know what this place is. I only remember that I got lost on the way home, walked a long way in the forest, and was hungry and tired, so I finally saw this place. I originally wanted to rest for a while, and then I forgot... With my vigilance, under normal circumstances, I shouldn't have been rashly attracted by such strange firelight in the gloomy forest... Speaking of which, where is my horse?"

He was increasingly confused about his decision at that time, and even more confused when talking about the mount that should have been by his side.

But fortunately, he was indeed still a living person, not some lost soul after death.

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

"Witch, sir, hello. I am Dika Enriques, a baron of the Mohol United Kingdom in the Southern Continent. Of course, I prefer my identity as a bard."

He wanted to boast 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 strange witch. That witch said that using the ritual could experience great adventures and find a treasure. After I entered the Black Forest belonging to the kingdom according to the map, I accidentally got lost. My servants were separated from me, and the hired adventurers didn't know where they went, and then... Yes, I fell to the ground hungry and fainted. When I woke up and saw the light here, I entered this camp. This fire is really warm... Speaking of which, how long has it been since I entered here? Just now, why was I staring at the firelight?"

He also fell into doubt about his memory, and his surname made Xia De pay attention. This was consistent with the protagonist of the Enriques love story he encountered in the Randall Valley, but it must be a coincidence.

"Lady, you should know the situation here, right?"

Xia De asked the witch again. The witch also noticed that he seemed to be not very good at speaking, but did not care too much:

"Whether there is treasure here, I don't know, but there is definitely danger."

Her golden eyes looked at the bonfire in front of her, and the flow of spirit in her soul made her numb soul cheer up again.

"I have heard the legend here—Lost Forest, legend says it confuses time and space, a place waiting for adventurers and travelers before death. Getting lost in any corner of the material world, one may come here before death. And the Great One - God of Journeys, listens to people's travel stories here. If one can please this god, the lost traveler can find the way home, but for most people, this is just a rest stop before death." ===== CHAPTER 1545 =====