Chapter 72 - Mist Forest Ebua

Wandering in a small forest in the eastern region of Foltian Great Dungeon, we continued to look for a gate or rather, an altar that became the gate to the Mist Forest Ebua.

The altar was quite large and it should have been easy to find but… we haven't found it yet.

On the other hand, we continued to find much of Leaf Hounds and some Tree Golems. Of course, we hunt them down. After all, we, or maybe I, need the Exp and materials from those monsters.

Then, suddenly, good news appeared!

< Acquired a skill! Water Magic |Lvl 1 >

[ Water Magic |Lvl - 1 ] [Passive]

[ + Gives access to World Memory to gain knowledge about Water Spell I. 

+ When using Water Spells increase the damage by 10% and decrease Mana consumption by 5%.]

< Level up! 3 to 4 >

Finally, I obtained the Magic Skill after repeatedly using Water Spells!

The good news became great news after Alan shouted, "I found it!"

The boy found the altar we were looking for! It's hidden behind thick bushes.

"Good job, Alan!" I said with excitement.

"Stop it, Sis Eclaite! I'm not a kid!" Alan took a few steps to get away from the head pat I was giving him.

If he doesn't want a head pat, I'll hug him. But, unfortunately, the boy had already escaped from my reach before I could hug him.

He was hiding behind Kimi's back.

Giving up, I decided to approach and check out the altar that Alan had found.

The Magic Stone carvings on the stone slabs were familiar to me, the position of the four stone pillars around the stone slab also matched the one I remembered, and the yellow gem in the middle of the altar was not easy to forget.

Undoubtedly, this altar was the gate to the Mist Forest Ebua.

"Can you tell us what kind of altar it is?" Ruciel asked me as I cleaned the altar from the vines.

I turned my head and said, "you can think of it as some kind of gate? And I'm not too sure how this altar works but I'm sure this altar will take us to a Secret Area."

Ruciel did not give any reply. She narrowed her eyes and looked at me sharply. The girl became ruder by giving me an expression of disbelief.

"Right… then how do we use it? Do we have to dance on this altar to open the gate to the Secret Area?"

"What are you saying?" I asked and blinked when I saw the Fallen Elf girl. "I believe no one is stupid enough to create such a ridiculous mechanism to open the gate to the Secret Area. And you're pretty much something because you can think of something like that. You're funny. Did you know that Ruciel?"

I made a small giggle while Ruciel opened her eyes wide. A moment later, the girl's eyes narrowed and she.

Duk!

"Gah!"

She used her elbow to attack my right rib. The attack give me an intolerable pain that made me kneel on the ground.

"Why are you attacking me?"

Ruciel simply replied with, "hmp!" Before joining Kimi, Chloe, and Alan. The kids gave me a gaze filled with disappointment.

Once again, I asked, "Why?"

And yes, I got no answer.

In the end, I prepared the altar so that it could be used without vitality.

I placed some Magic Stones at certain points of the Magic Circle engraved on the stone slab. Next, I sacrifice my blood to the Magic Circle. 

To end all these processes and for the gate to appear, I need to say the chant.

"Ancient Spirit that controls time and space, guide this lost soul to pass the right gate."

The Magic Circle shone, a moment later, a gate made of dark green roots constructed quickly. White curtains made of fo appeared to be the door.

"Oh..." Said the amazed kids.

Fallen Elf girl?

Ruciel opened her eyes wide and her mouth gaped slightly. From the expression she showed, I knew that she was surprised.

I nodded in satisfaction.

And now!

"Everyone ready? Let's go in for a thrilling adventure!" I shouted excitedly and walked in through the fog door.

"Wait! Ecla-"

I heard Ruciel say something. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear the complete words she was saying because I had already passed the fog door.

I intended to go back to hear her whole words but a moment later I threw away that intention.

I didn't want to go back because I was mesmerized by the sight of the Mist Forest Ebua.

A forest filled with trees without leaves and enveloped by a white mist greeted me. The cold wind that hit my body made me recalled the atmosphere of the forest in winter.

This scenery could be said to be mesmerizing if the blurry, human-shaped shadow that kept waving at me never existed.

About that shadow-

"Eclaite! You dumb woman!"

Ruciel's scream caught my attention. After I turn around, I saw the Fallen Elf girl approaching me at a rapid pace.

She slapped me on the cheek as soon as she stand in front of me.

Plak! 

"Ow! Why did you slap me?"

"Because you are so dumb! How did you get into the Secret Area just like that? Didn't you ever think that if we entered the Secret Area, we probably wouldn't be able to get out before we conquered it!" Ruciel explained with a yell. 

"Everything's fine, Ruciel. We can go in and out of this Secret Area at will, the gate lasts for twenty minutes " I told her. Then, I pulled the girl over to pass through the fog door.

A moment later, we returned to the 1st floor of the Foltian Great Dungeon.

"And if the gate was closed when we are the inside, we can do the same ritual to open the gate again!"

But still, after I explained all of that, Ruciel didn't let me go. She scolded me furiously.

Then, after a guidance session for Eclaite using a yell that lasted quite a long time was completed, we officially began exploring the Mist Forest Ebua. 

We left the altar and went into the forest. A few minutes later, I remembered one important thing about the Mist Forest Ebua. It's about the blurry shadow!

"Oh yes! I just remembered, before we-"

I stopped talking shortly after I looked back. The four people have disappeared.

"Oh no! I'm too late to give them the warning!"

I panicked and looked around.

I didn't find them!

In a hurry, I started looking for a fruit called Puppet Lemon that grew in this forest.

The mist in the Mist Forest Ebua can be said interesting. 

According to the story I read in Ark Fantasy Online, the mist in this forest will dig up someone's memory. Then, the mist will show a figure of someone so precious to the person who set foot in this forest.

Mist Forest Ebua became a wicked forest because the illusion created by the fog would guide people to danger.

That was a story about the Mist Forest Ebua.

But after a Player completed a Quest related to this forest, they will know, the mist that creates the illusion is not made by the forest itself. Instead, the mist was created by rare Plant-type Monsters called Decaying Illusion Peshrooms.

That rare monsters are not strong but dangerous. 

Why? 

Because the monster will stick to the body. At the same time, the monster did that, it let out the mist that creates an illusion to keep its prey always under its control and to hide its existence from the prey. And using the illusion, the monster instructs its prey to keep going to survive as the monster eats its prey slowly.

Long story short, the monster was a kind of parasite.

Since I know all that, I'm not fooled by the illusion, I don't follow the blurry shadow that keeps waving at me.

After successfully picking some Puppet Lemons, I started looking for Kimi and the others. When I walked, I ate one of the fruits. Thanks to that, the blurry shadow that keeps waving at me disappeared.

I'm relying on Heat Perception to look for them. The scope of detection that spread out over thirty meters, become a big help to me. With this ability, I knew where the four people are instantly.

And between the four of them, Chloe was the closest to me.

Kimi walked towards the north and Alan towards the northeast.

As for Ruciel, she walked southwards.

Knowing all that, I walked to where Chloe was. 

Why didn't I go after my sister, Alan, or the girl I like?

Because Chloe is the weakest among us. The girl was low leveled and she was a Healer! She wouldn't be able to last long if a monster attacked her.

So, I run to the little girl as quickly as possible. And when I found her, I was surprised by what I found!

The little girl was so unlucky!

And I feel so guilty for taking her to this dangerous place. Especially when I forgot to give her warnings and items she needed to protect herself.

A Decaying Illusion Peshrooms managed to capture Chloe! The monster that have a purple umbrella head wuth red stripes and ugly face was glued to the little girl's head!

At this time, the little girl was walking directionlessly, her eyes were unfocused! She's become a doll and food for the Decaying Illusion Peshrooms that got her.

"I have to be more careful in the future," I said. 

A moment later, I grabbed the Decaying Illusion Peshrooms in Chloe's head.

Then, I squeezed a Puppet Lemon and used its water to soak the roots of Decaying Illusion Peshrooms.

"SCREEE!"

"Woa..."

I never expected this kind of thing! I didn't know that this monster would make a loud wail when it was plucked!

"Ugh my ears are buzzing," I complained as I squeezed Decaying Illusion Peshrooms in my hand with all the strength I got.

Seconds later, the monster died. 

Then I ate it! 

Never did I expected, the monster was.

"Argh... spicy! Extremely spicy!"

The monster was extremely spicy! I'm feeling the hell! The spicy Peshrooms burned my tongue, throat, and nose!

My tears flowed profusely.

Full of suffering, I gulped down the drinking water I have.

< Mana Stat Up! MP + 5 >

< Acquired an Advanced Skill! Medium Mana |Lvl - 1 >

[Medium Mana |Lvl - 1] [Passive]

[+ Permanently give 35 points to MP.]

That spicy taste was hell but it gave me a precious gift. 

Although I've made a fuss that can be said so noisy, Chloe hasn't regained her consciousness. Because of that.

"PIKA BOO!" I shouted and smack the little girl on the shoulder at the same time.

"Kya~~," Chloe shouted and jumped up.

A moment later she turned to me. Frantically, she used her Staff to beat my body rapidly while shouting, "Monsters! Monsters! Monsters!"

"Ow ow ow, stop Chloe! It's me, Eclaite!"

"Huh?" She said after recognizing me. A moment later she approached and hugged me. The girl cried as she said "Sis Eclaite there is a terrifying monster! I-'

The girl fainted before she could finish her words. I hold her and started treating the wound on her head.

"[Healing Water Ball]"