Chapter 2678

Even with Danist Gustav's experience as a Thirteenth-Order, she still couldn't fully calm down at this moment:

"After waking up, we retreated immediately. I knew the danger in this, so I went to find Mr. Davis and the others for help. The hermits know this place."

Mr. Steve Davis, still shaken, clutched his chest and said:

"How on earth did you find this place? Although this lake is marked on the map, it's impossible to walk in even if you follow the map.

This is the legendary 'Love Lake', one of the most dangerous areas in the Vesta Woodlands. During the Fifth Era, couples believed that this heart-shaped lake could bring love, so many people came here to pray for love and marriage. But I don't know when it started, some kind of evil power descended here, and the missing couples in the town would sink to the bottom of this lake holding hands the next day..."

He recalled the terrible Fifth Era secrets he had seen in the cult's materials:

"No one knows what is here, and it is even rumored that the Witch Emperor of the Fifth Era feared the power here. But wasn't this place sealed? I originally thought that the so-called Love Lake was just one of the many secrets that this forest had already buried."

Although the hermits knew this place, they didn't dare to enter the water. After Miss Danist found them and they confirmed that this was the "Love Lake", the restless cat finally didn't want to wait and jumped into the lake.

Just at that time, Xia De's body, which was sinking into the lake holding hands with Flora Winslet, actually began to float up slightly, so the cat bit his clothes until it dragged him to the shore of the lake.

No one knew how this cat did it, but no one would think that a cat could do such a thing, so they could do it too.

Miss Danist, while telling Mr. Davis, the elder of the hermits, about what had just happened, hugged Xia De's body tightly, as if afraid that he would step into the lake again.

The evening wind blew, and the forest illuminated by the sunset made a rustling sound. Xia De, with his mind half-empty, recalled everything that had just happened. Having inexplicably sunk into the lake for a whole day, he, who had now woken up, suddenly asked in his heart:

"It should be reality now, right?"

【Of course.】

"She" answered gently, which proved that it was no longer an illusion, because no one had been able to imitate the ancient language "She" used until now.

"Just now, why didn't you wake me up in the dream? Can that power shield even you?"

"She" laughed softly, and Xia De also realized that he shouldn't have asked this question, but "She" still gave the answer:

【How do you think the fog you finally saw appeared?】

Little Mia continued to "roar" at the large lake, and flames had already ignited on the cat's tail. It noticed that Xia De turned to face the large lake, thinking that Xia De was going in again, so it immediately bit his trouser leg.

But Xia De just bent down to pick it up, gently stroking the cat that had saved his life. Only then did the cat meow gently, while Xia De's eyes kept staring at Flora Winslet sleeping at the bottom of the lake.

"I still have companions down there. Others can be ignored for the time being, but I want to save her."

He said to Mr. Davis, but this middle-aged hermit shook his head like leaves blown by a strong wind:

"Don't think about stepping into the water again. Although I don't know how your cat did it, you are definitely the only person in history who has been able to wake up and survive from the Love Lake. Don't go in, absolutely don't go in!"

"What will happen if they are not saved?"

The red-haired girl pointed at the lake, but still grabbed Xia De's arm and didn't let go.

"Sinking in the happy dream until their lifespan ends, and their bodies and souls melt into part of the lake water. Maybe you can let the cat go and save her again, just like the cat saved you just now."

The hermit gave the most feasible suggestion at present, but Xia De touched Little Mia, only to find that it was just baring its teeth at the lake and had no intention of going again.

Although he wanted to save Flora, he would absolutely not let the cat that had just saved his life take risks again because of this.

The history of the 【Hermits of the Forest】 can also be traced back to the ancient era, and although they know a lot about the secrets of the Vesta Woodlands, they don't know everything.

Regarding this heart-shaped "Love Lake", they only know its danger and terror, but have absolutely no means to deal with it. And when Xia De, who had recovered a little, asked who had sealed this place, Mr. Davis still shook his head:

"I only remember the book saying, don't come here alone or with only two people. Theoretically, the more people, the safer it should be."

The sunset also gradually faded in the sky, and the moon and stars were becoming clear in the dim sky little by little. The starlight seemed to be attracted by this lake, because when the color of the sunset disappeared, little dots of light appeared in the almost transparent lake water.

The wind blew the lake water to sway gently, and the starlight in the lake water also swayed in layers. This starlight emitted a stronger power to attract people to walk into the water, forcing the people by the lake to continue to move the camp backward after nightfall.

The hermits returned to their station temporarily to help find more documents to determine the situation here. Seeing that there was really no way, while the girls were preparing to set up camp, Xia De blew the Butterfly-Calling Flute.

In the melodious flute sound, large swarms of butterflies appeared around Xia De, and then the girls in black and white dresses appeared in front of Xia De together.

"Good evening, sir, the maintenance of that coffin hasn't..."

They were just about to lift their skirts to bow gracefully to Xia De, but suddenly "Ah~" cried out, and they all saw the lake:

"Sir, where is this? Why did you come to such a dangerous place?"

Although the twins had lived from the middle of the Fifth Era to the present, they had never been here either. But with their perception of top-tier angel-level relics, they could clearly recognize how terrible this place was:

"The desire for happiness, this lake water... Sir, what on earth happened?"

A brand new camp had been established. For safety, Grace and Helen personally cast protection on the camp to prevent anyone from accidentally walking into the lake.

Although Miss Danist had seen the two sisters before, she wasn't actually very familiar with them. She told the two sisters everything that happened today by the campfire again, and Xia De also told his experience.

"The power of this lake is stronger than our current power."

Grace finally gave the conclusion softly. They also didn't dare to touch the lake water rashly, because they also had a strong desire for happiness.

The only attempt the two sisters made was to use spatial power to try to bring Flora Winslet from the bottom of the water up. But obviously they failed. Spatial power interference was prohibited in the "Love Lake", and this restriction was imposed by an existence stronger than them.

Since Grace and Helen had no way either, Xia De could only continue to find people.

He first ordered Miss Bell to enter the Council to see if she could meet other Great Witches, then he ordered Grace and Helen to protect the camp well, and left Little Mia behind, then returned to Tobesk alone.

So twenty minutes later, Miss Sylvia opened a spatial tunnel with the help of Grace and Helen and arrived at the Vesta Woodlands, and joined the camp by the lake with Miss Danist and her party.

Ten minutes later, the portal was opened again by the Red Butterfly twins. Countess Bella Belindell, who happened to meet Miss Bell in the Association, brought her personal maid Matilda and five high-Order maids here.

At 7:10 PM, Grace and Helen were called by Xia De to leave here temporarily again, but they soon returned through the portal with Dorothy. Then the three merged and cooperated to open a new portal, allowing Grandma Cassandra and Miss Swift to come to the forest together.

Fifteen minutes later, as dense footsteps came from the forest, the "Chocobo Transport Team" carried Xia De, Luvia, Iluna, the Elf Miss, Tifa, Vanessa, and dozens of high-Order witch followers to the outskirts of the camp.

Luvia, Tifa, and Vanessa were sent directly to the Elf Miss's tree house by the portal opened by Dorothy and the others. After meeting Xia De and Iluna, they rode the Chocobos with the elf who lent the mounts and arrived here.

It could be seen that the Chocobos were also very afraid of this large lake. Even if they were led by the Elf Miss, they only dared to huddle in the camp at the furthest distance from the lake water.

Everyone got off the Chocobos. Iluna, holding the 【Night Watcher】 brought from St. Deran Square No. 6, had her different-colored eyes flash with light. Then she slashed forward fiercely with her sword, but the glowing long sword hit nothing:

"What kind of place is this? I actually feel that I also want to enter the lake."

She was leaving Tobesk tomorrow morning, but when Xia De went to find Luvia, the fortune-teller lady still let Xia De take her along to prevent accidents.

"Miss Belindell, Miss Sylvia, Grandma Cassandra, I'm really sorry to disturb you so late."

Xia De, whose clothes had become dry, went to greet the countess with a birthmark on her forehead, the black-haired spatial Great Witch, and the old witch in the camp. They all shook their heads:

"Flora had an accident, and since we know, we can't ignore it."

Grandma Cassandra was wearing a black dress and looked like she was traveling in a hurry:

"Deverin isn't in the 【Spirit Cult】, but I left her a letter. She will come over soon after seeing it."

Miss Sylvia saw Vanessa appear with Xia De and the others, so she asked again:

"Why didn't Galina come with you?"

It was Tifa, wearing a maid dress, who answered her. Her black hair was particularly conspicuous among the girls:

"Miss is currently attending a diplomatic banquet at the Yodel Palace. She originally wanted to come together, but Xia De said that if she was needed, he would have Miss White and Miss Black bring her."