Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2262: Chapter 2263: Shrouded in Poisonous Mist

Since the existence of the World’s Harmony makes it almost impossible for Elemental Creatures to hide their energy fluctuations, this is why Leaf Groot speculated this way.

However, the premise of this speculation is because they saw Angel, this Alien visitor.

——Because in the Tidal World, the only Extraordinary Creatures are Elemental Creatures, and non-Elemental Creatures can only be Alien visitors.

If it weren’t for Angel as an example, it wouldn’t have linked it to Alien visitors.

After listening to Leaf Groot’s second speculation, although Lobal didn’t retort verbally, inwardly it also somewhat agreed. If it really isn’t an Elemental Creature, then it could only be from beyond the domain.

Including Dangross and Cubic, at this moment, they were also pondering this possibility.

However, as everyone was brainstorming, Angel shook his head and said: "It’s basically impossible."

"The passage to the Tidal World is in the Region of Fire. You’ll know the specific location in the future." Angel paused: "I left a special mark in that passage. As soon as any other creature steps in, I would immediately sense it. So far, I haven’t felt any movement in the mark, which means no other creatures have entered the Tidal World."

Leaf Groot: "Could there be a passage you don’t know about?"

Angel hesitated a little, then finally shook his head: "A direct passage between an auxiliary world and the main world typically exists singly. Although there are auxiliary worlds with multiple passages, those are special cases."

"Moreover, the Tidal World hasn’t shown any signs of being invaded by outside creatures for so many years. Personally, I tend to believe there’s only one passage."

The point is, after all these years, no other creature has entered the Tidal World, yet now that Angel has come, another creature follows, supposedly via a ’second passage’. This is a bit too dramatic.

Angel doesn’t believe such a coincidence could happen in the world.

Unless, such coincidences are also a part of Feng’s plan.

Since Angel said so, Leaf Groot no longer argued about it, but it was still curious about the situation of the Tidal World: "So, the only way for outsiders to enter the Tidal World is through the passage in the Region of Fire?"

To this question, Angel shook his head: "Even though there’s only one passage, you don’t necessarily have to go through it. If someone knows the void coordinates of the Tidal World, they can also come directly across the void."

For example, if Angel wanted to leave the Tidal World now, he could return through the Plane Corridor directly via the void path without going through the Region of Fire.

Because having come to the Tidal World, he naturally knew its coordinates.

For this reason, Angel had never thought of monopolizing the Tidal World, just letting the Barbarian Cave seize the opportunity to become the dominant force in the Tidal World.

Because it simply couldn’t be concealed.

As soon as outsiders enter the Tidal World, after leaving, they don’t have to go through the Region of Fire. They can flash into the Tidal World via the void. How can this be protected against? How can this be hidden?

Even if the Barbarian Cave kept the information of the Tidal World a secret and didn’t let anyone know, it couldn’t be hidden for long. Firstly, Witcher Organizations are not monolithic; there are spies within various organizations, and even sacrificing spies wouldn’t be spared for such a big event; secondly, the existence of Prophet Wizards makes it basically impossible to hide such a significant issue. Unless, no one from the Barbarian Cave comes to the Tidal World... but leaving such a big piece of cake unconsumed doesn’t make sense.

Even if everything is done perfectly, the existence of the Tidal World might not be hidden for long. Because the state of the current Tidal World is very wrong, it’s a bit like a leech clinging to the main world.

It consumes the Elemental Power of the main world, develops its unique Law rampantly, yet provides little benefit back to the main world.

This blatant inequality, continually taking without giving, can’t last long.

Previously, it might have been Feng’s manipulation, disguising the existence of the Tidal World. But such a situation can’t continue for long. Before too long, even if the Barbarian Cave doesn’t expose the existence of the Tidal World, the World Will of the Wizards’ Realm will actively reveal the Tidal World.

So, no matter what, the Tidal World can’t be hidden.

"So you can really come across the void?" Leaf Groot expressed surprise: "Could it be that someone came this way?"

Angel shook his head: "Currently, the coordinates of the Tidal World haven’t been exposed. No one would come across the void."

Unless, the other party is a Lucky One, wandering randomly in the void, and stumbled upon the Tidal World by chance. ——Such a scenario, as previously mentioned, is too dramatically coincidental. No one has discovered it in three thousand years, now suddenly it appears, Angel doesn’t quite believe it.

"Then I don’t know." Leaf Groot’s two guesses were denied, and it couldn’t think of other possibilities.

After a moment of silent air, Cubic, usually quiet and just observing, suddenly spoke: "Actually, there’s one more possibility."

Cubic’s words attracted everyone’s attention.

Cubic: "Leaf’s Highness neglected one situation, that is, you know the identity of the other party, but you subconsciously ignored it."

Leaf Groot: "You mean?"

Cubic: "From Mr. Pat’s description, if the hidden presence is not naturally gifted, then its strength is undoubtedly considerable."

"Suppose, if the hidden presence is indeed an Elemental Creature, it would breathe during the World’s Harmony, and its strength is extremely high, even surpassing all the Monarchs; all the Element Lords actually know it, but subconsciously overlook it."

"Leaf’s Highness, who do you think this presence might be?"

With Cubic saying so much, how could Leaf Groot not understand its meaning, after a moment of silence, it slowly said: "You mean to say, that the hidden presence is... Teacher Nami Midori?"

Cubic fluttered its pure white little wings: "Is there any other possibility?"

Leaf Groot frowned: "But the means of the hidden presence, aren’t the same as the teacher’s capabilities."

Cubic: "How many years has it been since the Highness last saw Lady Nami Midori?"

Leaf Groot remained silent.

"And how many years since the Highness last saw Lady Nami Midori’s capabilities?"

"Since the Highness hadn’t seen Lady Nami Midori act over the years, on what grounds do you assume her methods remain stagnant?"

Cubic: "Lady Nami Midori is powerful, stronger than Element Lords, so we don’t know what methods she may have. Perhaps she really can hide and observe undetected?"

Cubic’s words, for the most part, are conjecture and lack concrete evidence.

Whether Angel agrees with its viewpoint, is set aside for now. However, connecting the hidden presence’s shadow with Nami Midori gradually seems to explain some suspicions.

The first suspicion is that Angel hasn’t been spied on in other domains, yet after leaving Malaya Ice Mountain and heading towards Green Forest Domain, he was being spied on. Furthermore, near Green Forest Domain, the presence’s probing became more evident.

The second suspicion is that the observer is only interested in him and Toby. Since the observer clearly knows him and Toby are outsiders, not Elemental Creatures, only someone who has long been in contact with outsiders can easily discern this.

If the hidden presence is Nami Midori, these two doubts can be explained.

However, if it is Nami Midori, why doesn’t it straightforwardly show up? Moreover, Angel couldn’t find any reason for Nami Midori to spy on them in the dark.

A flood of speculation poured into his mind, but in the end, it was all a muddle.

"Perhaps, I’ll know once I meet with Lord Nami Midori," Angel said, "If it truly is Lord Nami Midori, I believe it won’t refuse to see me."

Cubic nodded upon hearing this and said no more.

...

Though they were walking to the Lost Forest, it didn’t mean they were slow. With Speedy swirling around them, they saved energy, and with each step, they could leap several meters, even dozens of meters.

It took them only half an hour to move from the sunlit lakeshore on the mountain peak to the shady side of another mountain.

Initially, they encountered all sorts of wood creatures along the way, chattering as they leaped through the forest, weaving around their feet, full of vitality.

But when they reached the shaded area, perhaps due to the lack of sunshine or being near the Lost Forest, wood creatures became increasingly scarce.

Those occasionally seen were either massive in size or decayed relics that had lived for God knows how many years.

The closer they got to the Lost Forest, the fewer wood creatures there were.

As they moved from the shady mountain path to the valley bottom, only ordinary trees remained around them. Each of these trees was exceptionally large, shading the already scarce sunlight, making the path even darker.

A damp, rotten smell permeated the air.

This eerie atmosphere persisted all the way to the Lost Forest.

The eeriness of the Lost Forest not only failed to abate but seemed to intensify. At a glance, its canopy was shrouded in a mist, different from the vibrant mist elsewhere. The mist over the Lost Forest was dark gray, just looking at it gave one a feeling of gloom.

As they drew closer, Angel felt as if his chest was churning with blood.

A nausea-inducing metallic taste rose from his throat.

Angel paused for a moment, quickly constructing a trick structure in his Mind Space, and a refreshing sensation swept through his body. The previous discomfort vanished rapidly.

"What happened?" Leaf Groot noticed Angel’s pause and asked in confusion.

"It’s nothing." Angel shook his head on the outside but secretly added in his heart: It’s just the effect of the toxic mist.

The mist lingering near the Lost Forest is a toxic vapor rising from years of decay, possibly enhanced by certain extraordinary factors, making the mist quite potent. Even Angel’s body as an Official Wizard was mildly affected, which spoke volumes. Ordinary people or apprentices coming here would likely face death.

However, as these toxic mists had existed for a long time and were not deliberately targeted at them, Angel expelled the toxins and didn’t delve further into it.

They continued walking several hundred meters forward and stopped at a discernible boundary.

Where they stood was a sinister forest, beyond the boundary lay a forest enshrouded in layers of toxic mist.

"Ahead is the Lost Forest," Leaf Groot said softly, looking at the mist-laden, sinister woods.

Without Leaf Groot saying, Angel could also tell, not just because of the swirling toxic mist, but the hidden and tenacious aura within the Lost Forest was asserting its presence.

Perhaps seeing no reaction from Angel, Leaf Groot added: "You may not feel the aura’s pressure here, but once you step into the Lost Forest, the pressure will hit you. And the deeper you go, the greater the pressure, even I can’t walk too far in there."

"You’re at ease now, but it might not be the same later."

Angel knew Leaf Groot wasn’t lying. Even if he hadn’t entered the Lost Forest yet, feedback from the triangulation spatial energy method suggested that the pressure inside would be terrifying, possibly reaching the level of a Third Level True Knowledge Wizard at the center if it increased endlessly.

This immense aura pressure was rare, even in the outside world.

It’s no wonder that even an Elemental Lord like Leaf Groot couldn’t venture into the Lost Forest.

"Maybe you should consider resting in the Green Forest Domain for a while, and I can try reaching out to Teacher Nami Midori through the Mu Ye transmission?" Leaf Groot sincerely suggested.

Angel: "Before I arrived, you contacted Lord Nami Midori too, right? Did you receive any response?"

Leaf Groot hesitated for a moment and shook its head.

Before, it had been periodically sending transmissions to its teacher, but never received a response. Even recently, when information about the Shadow Box trilogy was brought by The Sage of the Canyon Stone Forest, Leaf Groot sent messages to the Lost Forest, yet there was no feedback.

"Since that’s the case, why bother trying again? Let me go in and have a look myself."

"But..." Leaf Groot wanted to say something, but looking at Angel’s confident eyes, it didn’t speak further.

If Angel wants to try, let him try, at worst he’d get slightly hurt.

Seeing Leaf Groot not objecting anymore, Angel had no intention to linger, quickly heading towards the Lost Forest ahead.

However, just as he was about to step into the mist of the Lost Forest, Angel paused for a moment.

"Almost forgot, you should stay outside, lest you’re injured by the aura’s pressure." Angel summoned the Hand of Magic to take Dangross off the Blood Night Shelter.

"I could go with you too," Dangross said in a low voice, with a hint of worry in its eyes.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You stay outside with His Highness Groot and wait for me." Before Dangross could refuse, Angel gently tossed it onto Leaf Groot’s branches.

Next, Angel looked at Lobal: "You, Speedy, and Cubic, also wait outside. I’ll be back soon."

After arranging all this, Angel looked at Toby. The latter yawned, flew up from his shoulder, spun in the air, and finally snuggled into Angel’s chest pocket.

Obviously, Toby didn’t plan to stay outside and prepared to enter the Lost Forest with Angel.

Angel chuckled, not stopping Toby.

He lifted his foot and headed toward the toxic mist-enveloped Lost Forest.