Chapter 147: Tranquil Soul & Dryad Forest’s Core

Unlike the somewhat untrustworthy name of Goblin Mountains, the outer layers of the Dryad Forest had indeed been a real forest.

Although many monsters resided within it, the beautiful vegetation made this monster habitat look not terrifying but strangely serene.

Yet once someone stepped into its core area, that illusion would quickly vanish.

The true nature of the forest would be revealed!

--

Aurelius felt as though he had entered another world.

He lowered his head to look at the ground beneath his feet.

What entered his sight was an imaginary line.

On one side was lush grass surrounded by tiny insects that was filled with vitality.

On the other side, however, was a desolate, black land devoid of any signs of life. It was as though everything "lively" about it had been swallowed away.

That was already alarming.

The faint wailing echoing in Aurelius’ ears only made the scene even more eerie.

Aurelius had already expected such a situation based on his conversation with Edward. Even so, despite being mentally prepared, his expression couldn’t help but turn more serious.

He could tell that the noise in his ears was not a mere illusion nor his imagination.

He felt its impact on his soul clearly, as though an invisible power permeated the entire area and was trying to influence him.

An ordinary person would have been instantly affected. Countless chaotic thoughts would have been born inside their minds.

At best, they would fall unconscious in order to deal with the impact. At worst, they would be driven insane, completely losing their minds.

Thankfully, Aurelius did not face such a threat.

Not only because of his high Intelligence and power, but also due to one of the two abilities he had just obtained from the Mutated Silverheart Lotus.

...

[Tranquil Soul Lv. 1 (Talent): Due to the influence of long-term exposure to high-level powers, your soul has been tempered. You are immune to most soul attacks. Your resistance to illusions and charms has increased significantly.]

[Spirit +200]

...

Surprisingly, the ability was not a skill, but a Talent.

This was both a good and a bad thing.

Bad because Aurelius would be unable to consume Skill Points to upgrade it any further in the future.

Good because Talents did not consume Spirit to cast. They were activated at all times without any consumption, being similar to passive skills.

With that thought, Aurelius faced the unknown power more calmly.

He took one last glance at the forest behind him and stepped beyond the imaginary line.

The moment his entire body crossed the line, the wailing in his ears grew even stronger.

At the same time, dense white mist appeared out of nowhere and rushed toward him from every direction, as though threatening to wipe him out.

Aurelius was surprised but not shocked.

He was prepared to cast Solar Manifestation to protect himself against any potential danger.

But just then, his expression changed.

Originally, the closer the mist got, the louder the alarm bells in his heart rang.

Yet when the dense mist had drawn close enough to threaten him, it suddenly halted.

Under Aurelius’ surprised gaze, it hurriedly retreated, returning to its previous position.

It didn’t disappear completely, though. It merely stayed a few feet away from him, as though waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Aurelius raised his eyebrows.

Upon seeing the mist retreat, he had already made a guess. Seeing that it had not fully disappeared but remained here, his suspicion only grew stronger.

Aurelius glanced at the unconscious Edward in his hand.

Then, he unceremoniously pushed him forward, as if ready to toss him into the mist.

Something unexpected happened as a result.

The mist in front of Aurelius swiftly backed away. On the other hand, the mist behind him drew closer.

’Sure enough!’ Aurelius realized.

’This Thief is indeed related to the Dryad Forest!’

The dense mist was not afraid of Aurelius. Its true fear was the unconscious, powerless Edward!

’His teacher in the Thieves’ Order might know something. It’s no wonder he sent him here.’

’Unfortunately, there is no way to communicate with him.’

While sighing inwardly, using the "object" in his hand to drive away the mist, Aurelius reached into the System Inventory and retrieved an item.

A map soon materialized in his mind.

Several lights emerged, with one occupying the central position.

After Aurelius judged his current spot, he immediately moved toward it.

On the illusory map, the two lights representing the opportunity and his current location drew increasingly closer. It was only a matter of time before they completely overlapped.

At that time, the two would meet.

--

Aurelius had to admit it.

Strength could not always overcome every problem. Sometimes, one had to rely on external means to deal with them.

In the core of the Dryad Forest, this had become particularly obvious.

’This guy is quite unfortunate. Had he not met me, his journey to obtain the so-called treasure would have been smooth sailing. Nothing would have been able to stop him.’

’Most likely, he would have obtained the opportunity here,’ he judged, glancing at the rapidly retreating mist as he continued diving deeper into the forest.

The "domain" around Edward was clearly still active, driving away the mist.

Even so, Aurelius was not truly happy.

Although the dangerous mist had been contained, it was only one of the bizarre aspects in the forest.

Whether it was the constant wailing in his mind or the lack of visibility, they were both enough to inconvenience him.

What weighed most heavily on his mind, however, was neither of these.

Instead, it was the total lack of monsters!

Aurelius’ expression grew heavy.

He didn’t know how long he had walked.

He could tell, though, that he had walked for several miles since passing the imaginary line.

Despite this, no monster had appeared. In fact, let alone a monster, he hadn’t even been able to sense any monster traces.

Under normal circumstances, this should have been a cause for celebration.

But given the circumstances of the Dryad Forest, it only made him become even more serious.

’Let’s hope nothing goes wrong...’ he whispered inwardly.

Unfortunately, his thoughts seemed to carry a strange power.

The moment that idea formed in his mind, the temperature around him suddenly dropped.

Then...

"Shrieeek!" A high-pitched cry echoed in his ears while a blur of motion entered his sight.

It rapidly moved toward him!