This dark forest was even creepier than Erich had imagined. From the very first step he took inside, he felt as if something was staring at him from the shadows. A chill repeatedly ran down the back of his neck, his scalp tightened, and he felt goosebumps all over his body.
In less than a hundred meters of progress, Erich had looked back no fewer than ten times.
Each time he turned around, he saw nothing but the swirling darkness behind him.
Erich shivered, suppressing the creepy sensation, and continued forward. It was just a forest, after all. He had run through it countless times in the game; what was there to be afraid of?
The forest on the second floor didn't actually have that many twists and turns. As long as he headed in the right direction, he could find the entrance to the third floor. Erich originally thought it would be simple—in the game, he could have run through it with his eyes closed, just holding down the forward key, and he'd reach the end in no time.
Reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.
Leaving aside the pitch-black darkness—since he had planned to navigate in the dark anyway—the real trouble was the withered trees. Heaven knew how the trees in this forest grew. Their roots were twisted and tangled, and their branches wound around one another, virtually blocking the path. The gaps between the trees were too narrow for a person to squeeze through, not to mention the branches protruding at all sorts of bizarre angles. They were like a living wall that he could neither climb over nor bypass.
Erich could only grope his way forward. When he encountered a spot that was truly impassable, he used wind magic to lift himself up, briefly taking to the air to clear the tangled branches.
His level two elementary wind magic mastery was only enough for a temporary liftoff. Relying on it to fly across the entire forest was nothing but a pipe dream.
Taking to the air once more, he cleared a cluster of dead branches. The moment Erich landed, before he even had time to observe his surroundings, a rustling sound echoed from the darkness.
The sound came from all directions, rising and falling, making it seem as though Erich was completely surrounded.
At the same time, the feeling of being watched suddenly intensified, becoming so overwhelming that it felt as though he were pinned to the spot by countless invisible, departed souls.
Were there ghosts in this world?
The answer was yes; there certainly were ghosts in this world.
Specter-type monsters were among the most widely distributed. From first-tier specters to ninth-tier Lamenting Lords of the Underworld, their shadows could be seen everywhere. The reasons for their birth were also diverse: those who died with deep obsessions, leaving their souls lingering in the mortal realm, or places where too many people died in a short period, forcefully birthing them...
The Gravekeeper skill, Touch of Rest, could lower the probability of a person turning into an undead after death, ensuring peace for an area. Unfortunately, that skill only worked on unformed souls; once they had already taken shape, it was far too late.
But then again, the things surrounding Erich were not undead at all.
Pairs of dull yellow eyes lit up in the darkness, forming a dense circle that blocked Erich in completely.
A ball of fire appeared out of thin air beside Erich. It circled around him once before suddenly expanding, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
Towering, withered trees surrounded him. Embedded in their trunks were eyes, some open and some closed, staring straight at him.
Branches on either side twisted into the shape of arms, either stretching out or curling up. The entire forest looked like a crowd of motionless, living creatures, as creepy as could be.
Vine Treants, second-tier monsters.
Erich had read about this kind of monster in books. They looked terrifying, but they were actually exceptionally gentle. Normally, they just stood in place acting as trees; if you didn't provoke them, they wouldn't provoke you.
Some players used to squat by the edge of this kind of forest just to watch them slowly move around, saying they looked exactly like grandpas taking a stroll.
Judging by the current situation, however, this group of grandpas didn't seem to have any intention of peaceful coexistence.
The fireball swirling around Erich began to expand. Within a single breath, it grew from the size of a fist into a massive sphere large enough to swallow a person whole. Scorching light and heat poured from the center of the fireball, causing the surrounding withered wood to crackle under the heat. A miniature sun had appeared out of nowhere in the dark subterranean world, blindingly bright.
The surrounding treants became restless, and a rough, grating friction sound echoed from their trunks.
That was their way of communicating; Vine Treants relied on vibrating their branches and bark to convey messages.
Listening to the noise, Erich felt as though they were afraid.
Then again, anyone would be afraid if a sun suddenly popped up right in front of them.
Erich was already completely immersed in his magic. Mana flowed continuously from his fingertips into the fireball, causing it to grow even larger.
Just as he was about to raise his hand and hurl the fireball—
The Vine Treants closest to him suddenly moved with urgency. Their branches surged forward like crazy, rapidly weaving together to form two large words in front of Erich:
【Don't Attack】
Erich was stunned.
Rate on N.U.
