Everyone looked in the direction of Vincent's finger and could easily see that a thick fog was now rising in the dormant forest. But the sun was still hanging high above their heads , and although it was a little lifeless, it was indeed afternoon.

Shelley jumped out of the car, patted the mage on the back and disappeared into the grass. Knight Mond's eyes widened, hoping to be the first team member to discover the enemy. But he still didn't believe that there would be anything harmful to them in this area.

"What is there in there that makes you so nervous?" Newton stood in front of the mage, using his broad body to block the route between the forest and the mage: "Are the orcs playing tricks?"

"No, there are a lot of undead creatures there, at least they look like undead creatures." Vincent's words surprised the Mond knight. The mage said: "But as long as everyone is careful, I can make all those things prisoners."

As soon as the mage finished speaking, the ever-changing mist condensed into a human-like form. Their faces became clearer and clearer, and their pale beards were swaying in the wind. In their sunken eye sockets, golden or silver pupils exude a soft light. Most of the guys looked like old human beings. They folded their withered old hands on their chests and said nothing. Vincent summons the power of the Undead Orb and asks it to take all undead creatures around him as prisoners. But the mighty staff just shook and did not react in any way.

"Vincent, I feel very strange." Knight Mond drew his sword, but did not attack forward. He said: "If those things are undead, why don't I feel any cold feeling? And there is no darkness behind those things."

"Who are you?" Newton shouted loudly: "Just standing there, neither talking nor fighting! What are you waiting for? I don't have the patience or interest to look at your faces!"

"Don't be impatient, gentlemen." A voice came from among the group of things, but Vincent didn't see anyone move their lips. "Maybe you have many questions, but we can't understand you either. In your team, darkness and light are mixed, and the brightest place is close to the deepest darkness."

"We don't have time to play riddles with you." Vincent confirmed again that the group of people did not show any signs of "survival", but the undead magic beads still did not work. Although as long as we understand this new ethnic group, it is possible for the mage's status in the association to rise further, Vincent does not miss those false reputations. He just wants to avoid possible dangers. "Are you going to block our path? If not, please leave quickly."

"Young gentlemen. It seems that we have scared you." The voice is still coming out, "After countless time, the sun has passed here countless times, and now we have finally waited for the next one from the church. Knight. This gray-haired old man, please come forward. We have something important to talk to you about."

A moment of surprise flashed across Knight Mond's face. He shook his head and said, "I have been expelled from the Holy Knights and am no longer a living creature fighting under the glory. I think you have found the wrong person."

After hearing these words, the group of ghostly guys began to whisper among themselves. Chaotic sounds flooded into the mage's head. Until this time. Vincent finally figured out that they used psychic powers to communicate, and their mouths might just be decorations. This group of people is very powerful. Being able to easily break through Vincent's mental defense was beyond the mage's expectations.

"Before asking others to talk to you, you should at least identify yourself." Vincent said: "Or have you experienced so much that you have forgotten the basic courtesy?"

"Mr. Mage, we cannot meet your request." An old voice said: "I still remember how the mages dragged this land into the flames of war. The scene of people being devastated is the most miserable memory I have ever seen. Don't talk about you, no one from the Mage Association will know our names." Then, he turned to Mond: "Mr. Paladin, we still ask you to come with us."

"Vincent. I think I need to go take a look with them." Mond said: "It's not because of anything else, but they used gestures that only members of the Paladin Order know. I don't think they have any malicious intent, even if there is , I can also protect myself.”

Before Vincent could answer, Soka suddenly said: "Brother Vincent, they also asked me to come with them. Do you want me to..."

"No!" Vincent pointed at the group of guys and said: "Even the evil lich and the powerful dragon will not be so rude! Let alone be so self-aggrandizing that they think they are the master of everything! Maybe your words I can convince my companions, but there is still a huge gap compared to convincing me. So far, I am still commanding this northward movement, and I am responsible for everyone's safety. Especially Sokka. I don't I agree to your request!"

"Mage, we have no ill intentions, I can assure you of this."

"Your guarantee doesn't explain anything, and I won't even accept your oath." Vincent said: "I judge a person's behavior only by what he has done. No matter how good his words are, it is useless. What's more, unless Sokka's parents are here, I will have to take on the responsibility of taking care of this little girl. She already suffered a lot when she was taken away last time, and I won't let this happen again."

"Mr. Master, although your words are full of suspicion, we understand how you feel now." The voice said: "We have the ability to protect her safety. It only takes a while to say everything we want to say." , and at that time, the angel will immediately return to your side, unscathed."

"Since you can designate the person to have spiritual conversations with you, talk to Sokka without my hearing, and quietly sign to the Mond knight, why don't you clarify the situation now?" Vincent's voice became more and more intense. The higher he got, there was a thunderous power mixed in. He waved his arms, and a rainbow-like light band surrounded the carriage, surrounding everyone. The group of people frowned and found that they could no longer talk to any of them through spiritual communication. The mage pointed the power staff at the group of people and said in a voice that could not be refuted: "If you have something to say, say it now! Any ability that directly affects the will is now prohibited, and any further actions will be banned. Treat it as hostility!”

"Vincent. Isn't that necessary?" Knight Mond looked at the situation and said, "Since there is a certain misunderstanding among you, let's just leave. Besides, I am no longer a member of the Knights. I'm afraid they have the wrong person."

"Mr. Mage, you are a little too cautious." The hoarse and hollow voice came intermittently, like the whimpering of a strong wind blowing through a rotten tree hole, which made people feel very uncomfortable. "Because we have an important mission, we cannot reveal our identity to you. This helplessness has only earned you suspicion. If everyone on the continent no longer trusts others, kindness will eventually fall."

"If kindness becomes what you say, then let him fall. Because we don't need stupid things." Vincent finally said: "We have wasted too much time here. Shelley came back to the car, Let’s get going now.”

While the mage was talking, he was still watching the actions of the group of guys, always being cautious. But when they left the mage's sight, they didn't take any further action.

"Those people are not undead, nor are they illusions." Shelley once sneaked around behind them to observe: "According to my feeling, those guys should exist between death and survival. Vincent, what do you think they are?"

"I don't know. The world of Blasares still hides a lot of secrets, and she has never unveiled her veil." The mage said, "Did they come after her?"

"I've been waiting for them!" Newton said: "The mysterious guy talks evasively and is not happy at all."

This incident left a deep impression on them. But there was no further discussion after the dwarf's words. Sokka was not allowed to leave the carriage, but she still happily rolled around inside with the tiger. Knight Mond said nothing, apparently he had at least given up on exploring the story of those mysterious creatures.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

But things are not that simple to solve. When dawn arrives the next day, everyone suddenly cannot recognize the environment in front of them. Originally walking in the open space between the river and the forest, a simple dirt road in the grass showed their direction. But now they seemed to be in the heart of the forest, surrounded by golden trees. It was impossible to see far into the dense jungle, and a layer of milky white smoke covered the space above them. There was only a winding gap leading to the depths of the forest, where bright light seemed to shine through.

"I really don't understand what's going on," Newton said. "I didn't close my eyes for the rest of the night, just looking at the stars in the sky or counting the number of rocks under my feet. But it seemed like in the blink of an eye. Here. This is what our surroundings look like."

"This doesn't seem to be caused by magic. The roots of those trees are firmly rooted in the soil, and it doesn't seem like they moved out of thin air." Vincent said: "Although I have heard of legends about walking wise trees, it is very rare. Obviously, the plants here are still the most common ones."

Shelley picked up a stone from the ground and threw it toward the woods. With the echo of snapping, the stone did not fly very far. She said: "Vincent, how should we act now? The current choice seems to be to move towards the light. But there is a kind of giant beast in the underground world, they rely on light to lure prey and hunt."

Since Vincent doesn't know what the clouds above his head are made of, he doesn't agree to anyone's proposal to conduct aerial reconnaissance. According to the density of the woods here, if a fire is ignited, the group of people will most likely be suffocated to death inside. The mage didn't like this feeling, especially when he felt the surveillance eyes scanning his back.

He released many ghosts and ordered them to find a road that could be used to travel through the woods as soon as possible. It would be best to get the carriage to the river. But not far into the woods, the ghost turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared as if it had been injured by the priest's dispersing power.

"It seems that this should be our only option, to move forward from that road." Vincent said helplessly: "Even if we use weapons to carve a road through the woods, we can't determine the direction. This milky white mist changes the characteristics of the sun. Everything is hidden. Unless you are a ranger or druid in the wild, you will not be able to find the direction. What I am most worried about is that even if there is such a road, it may change back to the forest in an instant, hiding all traces again. stand up."

"It's really annoying!" Newton said: "It must be those people. I really can't think of any other answer. In this area, there are a group of people I don't want to associate with. But all roads lead to them. direction. It would be strange if it wasn’t a trap!”

"I don't think it's a trap." Knight Mond said: "If you feel it carefully, this forest exudes powerful sacred power, which is the kind of feeling that can only be felt in the temple of Greafury City, the capital. There is even Perhaps, the positive energy here is much greater than anywhere else in Blasares . Even if the other party always conceals their purpose, I still won't believe that they will harm us."

Vincent wanted to use the example of Archmage Thomas to refute Mond's remarks. After all, Thomas was a kind ally and wise counselor in the hearts of all Moon Harbor City residents. But the conspiracy hidden in his heart plunged the entire city into disaster. The mage hesitated. Still giving up mentioning this past event that was too sad for the knight, he just said: "They have repeatedly used various methods to set up obstacles to prevent us from traveling to the north, without explaining the reasons at all. Now they are using the woods to create a maze, They have a face of 'forcing you to submit'. To be honest, there is no difference between them and the gangsters on the streets."

Knight Mond was silent for a moment, unable to find anything to say to excuse them. He just asked: "Vincent, what kind of mission do you have in going to the north? I always thought you just wanted to travel around."

The mage put the camping things into the space bag, and then explained the elf queen's commission to Mond and Newton. After listening, Newton seemed eager to give it a try. He said that he finally found an opportunity to repay the elf queen for her warm reception to him. Knight Mond just nodded. Didn't say much. A very religious thing like the "Savior" actually appeared outside the borders of the Holy Greafury , and the entire temple system did not receive any revelation. According to Vincent, that person is not a paladin. Just an ordinary young warrior. This makes Mond Knight, who has always believed that the God of Light will always save the world from evil, a little disappointed.

"Okay, it's all said and done, it's time for us to hit the road." Vincent said: "Everyone should cheer up, be on high alert, and pay attention to the plants and trees around you. No matter where this road leads, we Try to finish it as safely as possible. From now on, all food and drinking water can only use the portion that has been stored in the space bag. Do not pick things in this forest, and do not drink the food accumulated on the leaves and flowers. Dewdrops. To put it more clearly, think of the road in front of us as a place cursed by the devil."

The mage's scaremongering had its intended effect. The group of people became a bit intimidated. Time passed slowly, but they were still wandering in the forest. The road underfoot became more rugged, and I often had to turn to one side after walking only five or six meters. Only the mage's eyes could see farther, but the thick woods severely shortened the limit of his vision, and Vincent had to close his eyes to rest frequently.

“The roads here are more complicated than anywhere I have ever seen.” Vincent said, and he still insists on recording the maps he has traveled: “Look at the winding lines on this paper, there are so many things on it. times crossing. This means that we have gone back and forth many times."

"But I don't see any repeated scenery." Knight Mond said: "Are we going in circles all the time?"

"Yes. If they want to use this method to starve us to death and exhaust us to death, they have done a good job." Vincent traced another corner on the drawing paper in front of him: "But from the picture, we are still here. We are heading in a specific general direction, and we are already more than three miles away from the starting point in a straight line. That means that this direction must not be the direction leading to the St. Hector River , otherwise, we would have already reached the bottom of the river. ”

"You mean, as long as we walk in the opposite direction, we can leave here?" Shelley asked: "It should be easy to clear a path with my rapier."

"I also have this plan, but it is difficult for us to keep moving forward in a straight line, at least not at night." Vincent said: " Everyone, stop the car. We will camp here today. Tomorrow we will have a whole day to do this work. . We only need a length of ten miles at most, and we can return to the river. I think their ability is not enough to change the direction of the river."

In the evening, everyone just ate some smoked and dried meat and drank a few water from the pot. Sokka didn't eat anything. She didn't like livestock meat, so she gave her share to the pet tiger. In the evening, we decided to set up double posts, with Vincent and Shelley working the first shift, and Newton and Mond taking charge of the second half of the night.

A bonfire was lit in the clearing, which was their only source of light now. The stars above the head have disappeared, it seems that this is also caused by the clouds and mist. Vincent 's follower floats quietly above the flames, pointing with a tentacle the direction to go the next day. For a structure that has not yet been equipped with a head, it cannot be affected by any psychic spells, let alone illusions. After using this method, Vincent can at least ensure that he will not have to lose his direction tomorrow.

Shelley walked around the camp, then returned to sit next to Vincent. The night here seems to be particularly peaceful, without even the chirping of insects. Apart from the crackling and crackling of firewood , only Newton's snoring could break through the night sky. Shelley touched Vincent with her elbow and said, "You said that the so-called savior we are going to the north to find is a half-elf, right?"

"Yes, in addition to that, he is also a tribal leader in the North and a strong warrior." Vincent said: "Actually, I don't really believe in such similar legends: One person can save the world?"

"That's not important, I have other questions to ask." Shelley thought for a moment, and then said: "I have the blood of both dark elves and angels, but I also have the ability of elves at the deepest level.

If I have a child with you, what should I name it? Half-elf? Half human? Half angel? What a troublesome thing. "

"If you take me as an example, then this question is easier to answer." Vincent said: "Compared to those mentioned above, human bloodline is a bit weak. Under the influence of heavenly bloodline and drow bloodline, the most children It can only show some facial features, and it may be more like a human than an elf. But in terms of abilities, it should be almost the same as you. But why do you suddenly ask this?"

"I just want to know the answer. According to what you said, it is to keep the spirit of research." Shelley said: "Sometimes you are very smart, but sometimes you seem a bit slow. Have you not thought about what happened that night? what's going on?"

"If I couldn't see any clues from other people's performance, I would no longer be a mage." Vincent looked at Shelley's face, and the light from the bonfire cast a blush on it: "I just think, if you don't want to If you say it, I don’t have to mention it. Anyway, I won’t get drunk again, because it seems that I will accidentally hurt you.”

"A smart head is full of evil ideas." Shelley laughed, and she patted Vincent's face gently with her hand, as if she was using this method to express punishment. "I don't understand your human customs, and this poor common language cannot express all my meaning. There is a word in the Drow language that reflects the weakest thoughts of surface creatures, I miss you I also know what that word is. So Vincent, will you become weak in front of me for once?"

"Maybe not, because I am not good at mastering emotions; or, in other words, I am not sure of the full explanation of that word." The mage replied: "However, I will make you feel that you can get all the feelings you want. "

"Haha, your sophistry reflects your wisdom. At the same time, your evasive answer shows the pressure you feel in front of me." Shelley said, "But this makes me satisfied. The less you can find this problem, The more persistent you will be in searching for the answer. Now, my young man, the night is already deep..."