Chapter 74 | The Woodlands

Meanwhile, in the Crowford Estate, a very different scene was unfolding between a father and his daughter.

"Stop being such a weakling and just go back to the First Layer already," Theodore Crowford shouted, his voice echoing through the grand halls of the estate. "You haven’t done anything for the past day even though you can enter the First Layer!"

"But father, I—"

"No buts," Theodore roared, cutting her off with a wave of his hand, his face red with frustration. "Tomorrow morning, I will wake you up at 9 a.m and transport you to one of the First Layer gates. We allowed you to grab some items, this should be more than enough for you to survive!"

Iris lowered her head, her fists trembling with barely concealed anger, her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to contain her emotions.

She was still level 10, but not because she had wanted to, after all, she was extremely strong, and was able to buy three items that could allow her to survive almost any encounter she might face normally.

But the problem was the location in which she had appeared when she first entered the First Layer, a cruel twist of fate that had doomed her from the start.

She had spawned in the Woodlands, an extremely dark and dangerous area of the First Layer which contained monsters with a level above 20 at least, far beyond her current capabilities and experience.

When she had first appeared, she had been attacked by a [Wood Stalker Lv.22] and forced to flee before disappearing thanks to the fact one could teleport away from the First Layer whenever they wanted the first time they entered.

But now, if Iris returned through a gate, she wouldn’t be able to return instantly and thus forced to fight her way through the dangerous territory without any escape route.

She knew it was suicide to face those monsters at her current level, with her limited experience and equipment.

The only reassuring thing was the fact she saw her [Six-Elements Affinity] skill level up multiple times, meaning that Alicar was doing well and growing stronger, which gave her some comfort.

But now, she had no choice but to face the Woodlands herself, with or without preparation.

"Ok," Iris said coldly, her voice flat and emotionless, devoid of any warmth. "I’ll go."

"Good," Theodore immediately cheered up, his anger evaporating as quickly as it had appeared. "Don’t take it wrong, we just don’t want you to be left behind, it’s been over a month after all!"

It took the average awakener a week to complete the Initial Stage, six months to complete the First Layer, and around three years for the Second Layer, a timeline that was well-established and used as a benchmark for progress.

Iris was already late by a long margin compared to her peers, so Theodore feared she would still continue being late at this rate, falling further behind and bringing shame to the family name.

Iris left the room, her footsteps heavy and her shoulders slumped, where Lucius was waiting for her in the hallway, his expression filled with genuine concern.

"Take this, sis," Lucius threw an item toward Iris, who grabbed it in midair with practiced ease. "It’s not much but... even a level 25 monster will die from it. Make good use, that’s all I can do for now."

She inspected it and realized it was a [Power Bomb (A-Rank)], a powerful explosive device that could turn the tide of any battle with a single detonation.

"Thanks," Iris smiled faintly as she stored it inside her storage ring, the weight of the item comforting. "This might be my only way to survive..."

"The Woodlands are harsh," Lucius agreed, his voice filled with genuine concern. "But more than anything, watch out for the Wendigo, it lives there and has killed countless awakeners who ventured too deep."

"I will," Iris replied, her voice steady despite her fear and uncertainty.

Just like that, she returned to her room, eager to rest because she knew tomorrow would be a big day that would test everything she had learned and everything she was.

...

Alicar woke up at 9 a.m, the morning sun streaming through his window.

He quickly ate a simple breakfast before heading to the gate where he found Leon waiting for him.

The two entered the gate together, and after a brief moment of disorientation, they reached the Ironhold Base at 9:50 a.m, just in time for the expedition to begin.

The crowd at the exit of the base was impressive, with Edwin, Levi, Daan, Mia and Alex as well as around a dozen veterans all standing at the exit of the base.

They were all eager to enter the Woodlands and defeat the Wendigo once and for all.

"Stick to the plan, and everything will be alright," Edwin shouted, his voice carrying across the gathered group. "I hate to admit it, but you kids are strong and will be the main damage dealers for the Wendigo!"

"Don’t worry, old man," Alex replied with a grin, his confidence unshaken. "We’ll have this done before lunch, just you wait."

Levi and Daan laughed, their arrogance on full display as they checked their weapons and exchanged smug glances.

Mia simply stood apart from them, her expression focused and serious, her hand resting on her blade, clearly not sharing their overconfidence.

Edwin continued to brief the veterans, going over the formation and contingency plans, his voice steady despite the tension in the air, making sure everyone knew their role.

The crowd of onlookers watched from a distance, whispering among themselves about whether this expedition would succeed where so many others had failed.

"What do you think will happen?" David asked.

He had also came at this time to see what would happen, and Lena and Alice were also beside him, their faces filled with curiosity.

"Who knows," Alicar replied with a faint smile, his eyes fixed on the gate. "but we’ll be going too," he said as he stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the forest beyond the gates. "To the Woodlands."

"Are you coming?" Leon asked the trio, his voice hopeful as he looked at them.

"Hell no," Alice scratched the back of her head, her expression sheepish. "The Woodlands are terrifying, I don’t feel confident enough to step foot in there. W-We’ll be rooting for you though!"

Leon simply nodded, understanding their decision and not pushing further.

As 10 a.m hit, Edwin raised his hand, and the expedition began to move forward, stepping through the gates and into the dark forest beyond.