Chapter 307: Beginning to Move

Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Beginning to Move

After a moment’s thought, she laid out her plan for the day.

The Sunflower was currently sunbathing and couldn’t be moved. It was the perfect opportunity to spend some time in meditation.

Although the damage to her Spirit was invisible, its effect on her body was very real.

A sore body and a tired mind would be a huge liability in a fight. This was especially true when facing high-level monsters or dangerous people.

But today was already the fifth day in the Misty Forest. If the path’s boss didn’t appear today, the chances of it showing up at all were slim. There was a dungeon on Saturday, and on Sunday, the system always liked to throw in strange things, like special events.

’As for Artemis...’

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t think she would attack suddenly, but she had to be on guard nonetheless.

All these potential battles hinged on her being in peak physical condition, which showed just how important meditation was.

Seraphina stopped thinking about these messy complications. Holding her breath to focus, she sat cross-legged on the thickly padded floor and gently closed her eyes.

The faint rustling of the Sunflower, the occasional scrape of the Gloom Hatchling’s scales as it shifted in the corner, the barely perceptible surge of the black fog outside the cabin—all of it faded from her Perception like waves appearing and disappearing on the shore.

Seraphina could clearly feel her consciousness sharpening. Following the techniques of meditation, it began to explore outward, bit by bit. Her consciousness spread like a tide, and before she knew it, it had enveloped the entire mobile cabin.

The next logical step was to expand further, but outside was only the endless black fog. Crossing it was practically impossible.

For a moment, Seraphina didn’t know what to do. Maintaining her current state was still a form of meditation, but the results wouldn’t be as good as when she was actively exploring.

She was at a loss for a moment, then a sudden inspiration struck.

’If I can’t go outward, then I’ll explore inward.’

As soon as the thought formed, her consciousness, which had been spreading outward like tentacles, instantly retracted, rushing back into her like a receding tide.

All external noise vanished completely. Even her own breathing and heartbeat seemed to grow distant.

A deeper, purer silence descended.

The sensation wasn’t that different from before, yet Seraphina felt a subtle change.

The difference was like someone who had always walked suddenly getting on a bicycle. It might take a long time to push down on the pedal, but the speed and efficiency were far beyond what walking could achieve.

And after pushing down, watching the distance the bicycle traveled brought a genuine, heartfelt joy.

Time passed without her noticing. When Seraphina opened her eyes again, it was already three in the afternoon.

She didn’t get up immediately, but remained seated cross-legged, quietly observing the changes in her body.

The dull ache in her head had indeed lessened. While it hadn’t disappeared completely, the grating pain, like her brain was being scrubbed with coarse sandpaper, had transformed into a negligible soreness.

The fatigue in her body had also eased. Her limbs no longer felt as if they were filled with lead. Instead, there was a sense of relaxation that comes after exercise, tinged with a slight exhaustion.

Most importantly, while the worries that had plagued her mind still existed, they no longer brought with them that heavy, burdensome anxiety.

She could face these risks more calmly and devise contingency plans with a clear head.

It was a return of her sense of control.

Seraphina slowly exhaled a long, cloudy breath, feeling that even her breathing had become much smoother.

She pushed herself up from the floor and stretched her stiff neck and wrists, her bones making a faint CLICK.

The Gloom Hatchling in the corner seemed to sense her waking. Its small body stirred, and it lifted its head, looking over with moist, timid eyes.

This time, Seraphina didn’t look away. Instead, she met its gaze calmly for a moment.

She had taken its spot, forcing it to huddle on the cold Stone floor.

Upon meeting her gaze, the little creature seemed to flinch, then tucked its head back between its forepaws with a pout.

Seraphina didn’t dwell on it either. She withdrew her gaze and looked at the Sunflower nearby.

The Sunflower had stopped swaying its head at some point, and its two large leaves were now hanging neatly by its side. Its Hunger Level had clearly run out.

Seraphina stretched where she stood, then, full of energy, took out the room card.

’Hmm, today is another hopeful day,’ she thought, ’even if it’s a bit late to be saying that at three in the afternoon.’

But Seraphina said it anyway. "Begin moving."

Amid a series of noises, the cabin set off once more, breaking through the stagnant black fog and sliding into the unknown.

The last few times the black fog had surged in, the monsters had been of a high caliber, but Seraphina’s own strength was also considerable.

The two factors canceled each other out, making these E-level and even D-level monsters feel no different from F-level ones.

Seraphina flicked the multicolored monster blood from her longsword and struck a cool pose, waiting for the next surge of black fog.

This time, the black fog had barely filled the cabin when Seraphina realized something was wrong.

The Sunflower was trembling with what seemed to be terror, repeating over and over in her mind: ’Scared... Scared...’

The feeling wasn’t the tension or vigilance it displayed when facing powerful monsters before. It was a primal, almost shattering shudder rooted in its plant-like instincts.

At the same time, the Gloom Hatchling, which had been curled up in the corner, snapped its head up.

In its moist eyes, the timidity was replaced by extreme alertness and... a trace of unconcealable excitement. As if preparing to attack, its slender body arched slightly, its scales RASPING against the Stone Tablet floor.

’Something’s wrong!’

Her mind raced. Seraphina immediately dropped her cool pose and retreated rapidly, instantly putting distance between herself and the doorway. She brought her longsword up in a defensive stance, her eyes scanning the black fog.

The monster appeared very slowly, only beginning to materialize as the black fog was about to recede.

Unlike other monsters that were swept into the cabin by the fog or that entered slowly through the door, this one seemed to be slowly disgorged from a fold in space, its entire being exuding a viscous, sluggish quality.

The first thing that came into view was a mass of countless, writhing, dark green vines and withered branches.

They were gnarled together, twisted and coiled into a throne-like base with a discernible silhouette.

Then came the thing sitting in the center of that twisted throne, the sight of which nearly made Seraphina’s blood run cold.

She had seen an image of this thing before, but how could a 2D, even beautified, picture be the same as the real thing appearing before her?

The impact on her vision and Perception was worlds apart!

The image had only struck her as bizarre. But the monster standing before her in the flesh emanated a terror and profanity sufficient to freeze the soul.