Page 143

(Derisha Teigitan)

It's probably morning right now, though I'm not entirely sure. The current situation makes it impossible to determine the time using the position of the sun. The thick fog surrounding us limits visibility to less than ten meters. Without relying on the compass, finding our direction would undoubtedly be time-consuming and challenging.

The Road of Yafan truly lives up to its reputation as a mysterious and dark road... even searching for the entrance took quite some time due to the dense fog.

As of now, I'm only wearing a black cotton vest for my upper body, walking in these desolate mountains.

Tsk, it's a bit cold here.

"I have to admit, this thing called [Compass] is so amazing. It can discern directions on its own without relying on any magic," Alice, who's walking behind me, said with interest as she studied the compass in her hands.

"Well, Walson gave it to me," I replied.

Back in the Labyrinth of Water, Walson handed me most of the items that are now resting in me, and I never thought it would come in handy here.

"Is it made by Walson... huh, Risha, I've been curious for a while. That weapon in your hand, looking at its sheen, could it be made from [Orichalcum steel]?" Alice asked.

"Yes, it is," I replied, not wanting to hide anything.

"Walson made a weapon from [Orichalcum steel]!?! That's something only legendary craftsmen can do, right? Is it the real one?"

"That's right. He's an extremely talented person," I said with a sense of pride.

"Still, forging a weapon from [Orichalcum steel]!? It's hard to believe that someone in this kingdom could do such a thing. Is it really made by Walson?"

"Yes, it is," I repeated, thinking of that smiling face in my mind. He might be short, but he's very reliable.

"Haaah... common sense is useless when it comes to that guy... but still, first, he gave you this weapon that supposedly was made from [Orichalcum steel], and then he gave you the compass to pursue him... was it a strategy of bait and chase?" Alice mumbled something, but I couldn't hear it clearly.

It's been the fourth day since we started walking the Road of Yafan, and during these four days, we've primarily relied on foot travel.

The reason for this situation is that the terrain of this road is too rugged. It's too dangerous to rely on horses. In this landscape, one small misstep could lead to rolling down a cliff, not to mention the frequent attacks from monsters.

Look, here comes another one.

"Roarrrrrr!!!" The fog ahead suddenly rippled, and the next moment, a giant creature lunged at us.

Before even making a sound, my body had already responded. The tip of [Anti-Melon Spear Prototype 1.0] pierced straight through the neck of the horned bear. With a pull and a swing, I sent the creature flying off the cliff.

"Be careful," I warned as I heard a dull thud below the valley.

"At times like this, shouldn't you ask if I'm alright instead?" Alice quipped.

"What about the little one?"

"She's sleeping on Mischievous Darkstar's back," Alice shrugged, pulling Mischievous Darkstar slightly to allow her to see the small figure.

On Mischievous Darkstar's back lay a petite girl with messy blue hair, wearing my coat. Her eyes were closed, and her body gently rose and fell with each breath. The distinctive feature on her forehead, a black horn, indicated she was from the Horned Demon tribe.

Horned Demon, huh? According to the information that I had when I was in Teigitan, the members of this particular race should only be found in the mountains to the southeast by the sea. I didn't expect to see one here.

Two days ago, we found her hiding in a cave, heavily injured. Since the situation was dire, we brought her along with us.

She wore a collar around her neck, indicating she was a slave... I disliked the slave system. Although there were people like Walson, who treated slaves kindly, most were heartless scoundrels. I used the method Walson taught me to break the collar and gave her a [Milk Potion].

But...

"Alice, you must have deliberately led us down this road, right?" I said to Alice as we continued walking.

The little girl had described the characteristics of those scoundrels and mentioned words like [Sacrament Wardens] and [Scythe].

"Who knows? I never expected to come across clues about the [Sacrament Wardens] so soon. Ah, by the way, judging by the scent, we'll encounter those guys up ahead in about ten minutes," Alice said with a smile, sticking out her forked tongue, something typical of the Lamia tribe.

Well, I think I know that without her telling me. I can already see shadowy figures in the fog ahead. It should be a team of five people.

"I'm already in battle mode," I said, undoing the strap of my eye patch.

A golden flame ignited in my right eye, and countless possibilities of the near future flowed into my mind.

"Since this is my first battle after leaving the Labyrinth of Water, don't disappoint me too much, eh?" I said with a smirk.