Perhaps due to having cleared the area earlier, their journey to the back mountain went smoothly without any hindrance.
Isabella and Amelia had been waiting there for quite some time.
Isabella's tone remained indifferent, betraying no sign of anything amiss, while Amelia always felt incredibly anxious.
After all.
They didn't know what exactly was going on this time, and this secret realm presented many unfamiliar elements to them.
Upon reaching the back mountain, John realized that this place was nothing like what they had imagined.
The area was densely wooded, and the undergrowth looked as though it had rarely been disturbed by humans.
Logically, this seemed impossible; no matter how lazy a village's inhabitants might be, they would at least maintain the area where they lived to some degree.
The back mountain was only a dozen meters away from their village, yet it was strikingly different.
It appeared that the villagers were extremely wary of this area, unwilling even to venture here.
What exactly was hidden behind?
Following the map, they eventually located Isabella and Amelia.
The two women were hiding behind a hill, shielded only by some trees, with no other cover.
Yet, no one seemed to be pursuing them, which was the most peculiar part of all.
"Who goes there?"
Isabella was the first to hear footsteps, her keen gaze shifting toward John's direction.
"It's us."
John stepped forward, but Isabella did not lower her guard; instead, she gripped her staff tightly.
Boom!
A fireball exploded right in front of John!
"Stop, if you come any closer, don't blame me for being rude!"
The expressions on both Isabella and Amelia's faces were very stern, puzzling John and his companions.
"Miss Isabella, what's going on? We've come all this way to find you, why are you behaving like this?"
Leopold was instantly baffled.
What was happening?
Could it be like the big brother had said, that they were contaminated? But that shouldn't be, these two ladies were so steadfast, how could this be?
Isabella and Amelia exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with wariness as they looked at John.
"Password!"
Huh?
Archibald was also stunned, turning instinctively to John.
A password?
They really didn't know about any password.
Leopold shuddered suddenly.
If that was indeed the case, it was terrifying!
They didn't possess such keen observational skills to notice something was amiss immediately.
And once there was even a slight discrepancy, it would provide a perfect opportunity for the adversary, surely resulting in a fatal blow.
"This is indeed a bit troublesome."
John also frowned slightly, realizing that there truly was something eerie in the woods capable of replicating the memories in their minds.
Yet, it seemed particularly averse to everything about that room.
So even if they set up a so-called password, it would be useless because that thing could replicate their memories.
Whatever password they agreed upon, those entities would know it too.
So the best strategy is not to split up!
If they absolutely must separate, they would need to carefully think about some things that happened in the room.
Thanks to his system backpack, John could carry the fragments of the wedding dress without any issue; he wouldn't be contaminated.
But it would be different if he gave them to Isabella and the others.
The contaminative power of these objects was immense; one slip could completely ensnare them.
"What should we do next?"
Amelia looked at John with a gaze full of questions, but now it seemed all five of them were together.
Whatever they needed to do next, it would be somewhat easier and more convenient to have each other's support.
John pondered carefully; it seemed that if they wanted to leave this place, the most crucial event would be the ceremonial ritual tomorrow night.
Right now, they knew nothing, and there weren't even any monsters around!
If anything, there were only the bewitched villagers and so-called followers.
But there were too many of them; with a rock each, they could crush them to death.
A direct confrontation was absolutely impossible.
And...
John had another thought.
Rosie couldn't possibly be unaware of the secret realm hidden within that wooden carving.
When Rosie mentioned the welcome gift, he had initially thought it referred to the bewitched followers.
But now, he wondered if the gift was actually this secret realm!
What exactly was in here? Was it worth Rosie going to such lengths to make sure he entered?
"Let's quickly scout the back mountain. They'll soon notice we're missing, and they might start searching the mountains; that's when we'll head back to the village."
"Back to the village?"
Archibald raised his voice in surprise.
"We've just managed to get out, and now we're going back?"