012 – Forest of Mist (2)
The Forest of Fog is a tree forest that blocks the mysterious magic and spirit that flows from the mysterious land.
Without this arboretum, it is also predicted that the mysterious phenomenon would have been observed every year because of the magical power that flowed from the mysterious land to the imperial capital.
Mysterious phenomena had the power to warp time and space.
Some were able to experience the past and the future, and others could come to see the extinct areas or volcanic areas located at the northern tip of the continent.
It may seem like a good thing from the outside, but there is a price to be paid for everything.
For humans, the price was time.
All those who experienced the mystery grew old.
5 or 10 years is ridiculous, and if you make a mistake, you will die of old age.
The Forest of Fog was full of greedy human skeletons who entered the forest with curiosity and aim for quick succession.
The Forest of Fog is a place where such mysterious phenomena often occur, and it was a playground for only spirits that could cross the past, future, and space without restrictions.
– The next station is the final stop, Fog Wood. We ask all customers to drop off without omission.
Tigris opened his eyes.
Lenny was nodding at the sound of the flight attendant’s alarm.
Last night, I was so excited that a ghost might come out, and in the end, I didn’t seem to be able to sleep.
Tigris pulled the curtain.
Even the splendor of the sun could not penetrate the fog of Fogwood, and the sky was cloudy gray.
Only the thick old trees that had climbed to face the sun directly from the fear of the fog were blurred.
When the train stopped, Lenny opened her eyes with a wink.
“ah···. oh! already···.”
When Lenny sleeps, she always holds the sleeping rabbit doll tight! hugged
It looked very frightening to see her body shivering again.
“There is nothing to be afraid of.”
“Aren’t you scared of Tigris? I heard that there are ghosts with their mouths torn out here.”
Lenny pointed to her ear with a trembling hand.
“Don’t worry about evil spirits that harm people, as long as you have a talisman to drive away evil spirits. Without that amulet, I have no intention of entering the Forest of Mist.”
“That… is it? You wouldn’t go in without that amulet, would you?”
“But it will be saved soon. Because there are a lot of spirit magicians here.”
Spirit magicians live near the Forest of Mist.
If you do well, you can make a contract with a powerful spirit, and since the Forest of Mist itself is an area rich in spirit and mana, it is good to train.
“Is that… is it?”
Lenny shrugged at the thought that the talisman would be available soon.
The ghosts were really scary.
Tigris got off the train with a simple bag.
Other than that, there was no other luggage.
This bag was an artifact that contained subspace magic, the 7th circle magic.
Originally, the T-Christ is a rare piece of equipment that is difficult to purchase.
However, as a result of Baiton’s hard work, he was able to borrow for 3 weeks for 5 gold.
Thanks to this, Tigris’ wallet was dieting instead of Lenny.
But Tigris was not worried about money.
‘Later, we can climb the Gaul Mountains to find a gold mine.’
There were still undiscovered veins in Gaul, and he knew the location of the gold veins to be discovered five years later.
Besides that, he knew the location of various dungeons and labyrinths where he could earn a lot of money, so money was not a big problem for Tigris.
Fogwood was the largest city bordering the Forest of Fog.
I thought it was a complete village, but there was nothing that Fogwood didn’t have.
Starting with banks, bars and restaurants, the organization is very well-organized.
The Forest of Fog is dangerous, but the fog is full of high concentration of mana, so it was a very good place to train.
So, some nobles came to Fogwood, which is close to the Forest of Mist, to practice.
Evil spirits from the Forest of Mist could be a problem, but thanks to the Blue Lantern enchantment, developed 150 years ago, there was no threat from evil spirits.
The blue lamp had the same effect as a talisman to chase away evil spirits, but the blue lamp’s light never allowed evil spirits to come, so it was very safe inside the Fogwood.
Upon leaving Fogwood Station, blue flames that drive out evil spirits replaced the street lamps.
The whole city of Fog Wood looked gloomy because it was all blue.
Some people called Fog Wood the Blue City because of this sight.
Tigris checked the map to find the house of a spirit shaman who sells amulets to ward off evil spirits.
Tigris searched through memories of the past to find the house of a high-trust ghost magician.
＜The Old Lady’s House＞
‘It’s not far from here.’
＜The Old Lady’s House＞ was located in the Blue Lighthouse Square where the Adventurer’s Office was located.
This was the general store and the house of a spirit magician that I stopped by several times even before my return.
Tigris opened the [Old Lady’s House] door and entered.
“Hey profit…!”
Lenny held her breath about to burst.
[The Old Woman’s House] was like a haunted house.
It was full of dried human arms, long frizzy wigs, eyeballs in a barrel, and glass bottles of spirits screaming silently.
It was like a little hell to the cowardly Lenny.
An old woman smoking a teddy bear on the counter looked at Lenny and smiled.
“Little girl. Don’t be too scared. They are all for sale.”
Lenny covered her mouth with one hand and shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
With the other hand, he unwittingly grabbed Tigris’ collar tightly.
Tigris handed Lenny a handkerchief and said,
“Lenny, go out for a while. This seems to be a burdensome place for you.”
“Oh, no. I···.”
“It is not dangerous as long as you are not chasing people or animals. Whatever happens, just wait at the door of the house.”
Lenny was startled, but she was so scared of this place that she finally went outside.
The old woman exhaled white smoke and laughed.
“Looking at the horsetail, it doesn’t seem like this is the first time you’ve been here?”
“It’s just enough to know how to choose a talisman that is effective.”
“I was too lazy to eat this. drag.”
Tigris searched for the amulet.
There were amulets made of paper, but what Tigris was looking for was a charm made of a lucky bag, not an amulet made of tear-resistant paper.
Tigris looked at the lucky bags and picked two suitable ones.
And I also picked a compass for the spirit (靈气).
The aura compass was the only compass that pointed the right direction in the misty forest where everything was jumbled up.
The old woman placed the bear and looked at the amulet that Tigris had picked.
“Both are fresh grains wrapped in virgin hair, stored under a magical tree, and then roasted on the night of New Year’s Eve the following year. It’s expensive, but it’s definitely worth it. I have eyes to see.”
“How much?”
“Amulets are 30 silver each. The compass is 10 silver”
Tigris gave 1 gold, and the old woman gave 30 silver.
The old woman gently stroked the back of Tigris’ hand.
Even though those wrinkled palms ran across the back of her hand, Tigris remained still.
Spirit magicians do not touch other people’s bodies recklessly.
Because the spirits he manages can ride into the body of the spirit magician and enter the opponent.
So it meant that there was a reason for the old woman to touch Tigris’ hand like this.
The old woman grinned as if it was fun when Tigris wasn’t surprised.
“Since you’re handsome, I’ll tell you an interesting story through service. That child deserves to carry a ghost.”
“I didn’t know that a spirit magician could see divination, did you?”
“There are things you see when you do business here for 80 years. That kid has very warm hands. When you enter the misty forest, make sure you don’t give any affection to the nefarious demons. Hopefully, you can get a really good Guardian Spirit here.”
“Not to mention.”
The old woman smoked a teddy bear and said.
“But you are very strange. You have such pale hands and a strong soul. You don’t need a talisman against evil spirits.”
“Know. The amulet is not mine.”
“Then why did you buy two?”
“Because it’s always good to buy an emergency kit.”
Tigris had been to the Forest of Mist before returning.
At first, the evil spirit of Tichrist was attached, but after completing the ‘Devil Spirit Slash’, the evil spirits evaded the Tigris.
It was because Tigris had the ability to cut souls, and it had the effect of warding off evil.
It was the same logic as demons running around the demon hunter.
Of course, if you enter a labyrinth or dungeon with strong T-Christ aura, you must use the amulet, but this time, it was okay because the place to go was not such a labyrinth or dungeon.
Tigris suddenly remembered the words of a demon hunter who had taught him the magic of killing evil spirits in the past.
– All technologies work as one, but this is too much. Bringing the amulet into the realm of swordsmanship.
The demon hunter taught Tigris magic, not swordsmanship.
However, with his amazing talent, Tigris transformed it into a sword that cuts through evil spirits and used it in battle.
The reason was simple.
This was because the preparation period for witchcraft was too long, and the lifespan of witchcraft tools such as amulets and spells was not eternal.
However, it was not a very versatile swordsmanship.
It was because it was a completely useless sword, except that it could cut souls.
And the difficulty was very high.
Even Irene, a swordsman genius comparable to Tigris, did not fully understand witchcraft and could not fully use the evil spirit slash.
Only the demon hunter Zio, who taught Tigris how to hunt evil spirits, could use it properly.
The old woman watched Tigris, who had been thinking for a moment, then smiled and exhaled white smoke.
“It’s fun. fun. Take this.”
The old woman gave Tigris small earplugs.
“It looks like you’re going into the misty forest, but with these earplugs you won’t be able to hear the voices of spirits. It will be a must-have for that child.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s me, it’s nice to be able to dazzle in such a dreary place. I hope you will keep that funny face for a long time.”
After saying those words, Tigris opened the door to leave [The Old Woman’s House].
“Oh, and what you’re looking for is found by following ‘Daegil’.”
“Not to mention.”
Tigris went out with those words.
“uh···. Are you hungry? I can’t cook rice right now…”
Lenny was talking to an unknown man.
The unknown man was very skinny, but there was no strength around his eyes.
“I… Then even this…”
When Lenny tried to give the bread he was holding in his personal bag, Tigris silently hung the lucky bag around Lenny’s neck.
– Kyaaaaaa!
Then the man screamed and ran away, then disappeared in white smoke.
“uh···? uh?”
“Don’t talk to the devil. If you do it wrong, you will be possessed.”
“That…then I hope it’s until now…”
Lenny sat down, shocked that she had spoken to the ghost.
* * *
Tigris and Lenny entered the Forest of Mist.
There was no specific area in the forest of fog.
If you can’t see the treekeeper who takes care of the old tree and the blue lamp that drives out evil spirits, you have entered the forest of fog.
The forest was generally flat.
There were no gorges, no large rocks, and only a sticky fog obscured the view.
“I… Tigris, where are we going now?”
“I go to the Fountain of the Lost.”
“A fountain of the lost?”
Tigris explained as he walked because all he had left was time.
“The forest of fog is like a labyrinth. You never know which is the front and which is the back. This is because there is a gap in time and space in this misty forest due to an indirect effect on the land of mystery.”
“Then how do we know where we are going right now?”
“I can not know. Just walking.”
“So are we lost now?”
Tigris nodded.
“right. No matter how good a demon hunter you are, you will always get lost in the Forest of Mist.”
Lenny held the amulet around her neck strongly.
“Then…then we can’t go back, can we?”
“You can go back. That’s why the Fountain of the Lost is so important.”
The location of the oasis does not change even though the desert changes its shape every time due to the strong wind.
The Fountain of the Lost, like an oasis in the vast desert, is located in a fixed location that does not deviate from a fixed place.
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Just as merchants in the desert use a compass to find oasis, Tigris will use the aura compass to find the Fountain of the Lost.Tigris took out the aura compass.
Unlike a normal compass, the Reiki compass was composed of 6 needles.
There was no dial pointing east, west, north, south, and there were letters written on the needle.
Great Gil, Gil, Pyeong
At first glance, it looked like a fortune teller, but it did not have the same meaning as the word used in fortune telling.
Gil (吉) means that good things will happen in the future in fortune-telling, but to a spirit magician, Gil (吉) refers to the place where the spirit energy of good spirits is emitted.
Conversely, hyeong (凶) means the place where the spirit energy of evil spirits is emitted.
Therefore, adventurers and demon hunters pursued the evil (凶), and the monks followed the path (吉).
Tigris didn’t come to hunt labyrinths, dungeons, or evil spirits, so all he had to do was look at the main road or the road and walk.
Among them, Tigris walked towards the Great Road.
It was better to listen to the advice of the spirit magician.
“The problem is that I don’t know how far to walk in the foggy forest. If you follow the compass, you will surely return to the Fountain of the Lost or Fogwood, but the distance and time are unknown.”
Lenny clasped her hands.
“Do not worry. Mr Tigris. I can walk long.”
* * *
Before long, Lenny’s legs were wobbly.
He was not short of breath, but his muscles were strained and his feet felt like blisters.
But Lenny persevered.
Tigris could not be a nuisance.
At that moment, Tigris stopped.
“Mr Tigris. I’m really fine…”
“It was good to hear from the spirit wizard.”
“yes?”
“You have reached your destination.”
Lenny thought Tigris had stopped because he was worried about his condition, but that wasn’t the case.
“Well? It’s been a long time traveler. If you are tired, you can rest here for a while.”
A translucent spirit pointed to a nearby rock with a languid expression.
Spirits floated in the middle of the spring like mountain spirits or gods that appeared only in fairy tales.
Lenny, who had caused the game just by seeing ghosts, became more reassured than scared.
It was because the spirit was beautiful and the good energy flowed out.
“ah···. that···. Are you the owner of this spring?”
The spirit is put! said with a smile.
“It’s like that. You are so cute~ My name is Jane. What’s your name?”
“My name is Lenny.”
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Jane said, pointing to Lenny’s feet.“Are your feet feeling a little uncomfortable? It looks like you’ve been walking for quite some time. Soak your feet in the spring a little and you’ll feel better.”
“yes? Is that okay?”
“Originally, it’s water that people drink, so if you put your feet in it, it would hurt you, but I’ll give you special permission. I can clean it up.”
“No. I···”
As they were having a little brawl, Tigris looked at his watch.
“It’s only two hours a day.”
In the forest of fog, the concept of time and space is twisted.
Time passed quickly even if I walked a short distance, and even if I slept three times, less than 10 minutes could pass.
Tigris took about a week to arrive at ‘Jane’s Fountain’, but he was able to save a lot of time.
‘···After all, that old woman has something.’
When I listened to the old woman’s advice before returning, I was able to quickly find Rota’s Chimera Lab.
It was clear that the old woman was hiding something.
rumbling-
At that moment, the navel clock rang in Lenny’s stomach.
After a long walk, I was very hungry.
“Lenny. Don’t prepare meals.”
“Ah, yes!”
Tigris handed the Aspace bag to Lenny.
Various household items came out of the subspace bag.
From simple lathes to portable burners operated with knives, chopping boards, and magic stones.
Lenny said as she greased the old cast iron pan that her grandmother used to use.
“Mr Tigris. What would you like to eat today?”
“Leave it to you.”
“All right!”
Lenny glanced at Tigris.
It seems that you are not physically exhausted, but you must have lost a bit of appetite after walking in the forest of fog for a long time.
‘In such a case, it would be good to start with a refreshing salad that stimulates the taste buds, mushroom beef soup, warm bread, and finally, stir-fried pork and vegetables that can be eaten with bread.’
Lenny skillfully started cooking.
In the meantime, Tigris took firewood out of his subspace bag, made a bonfire, pitched a tent, and had long water.
If Rakan saw this, he might have turned over in surprise.
Tigris did not even come to the Forest of Mist and light a bonfire.
I just entered meditation on the pretext of being on the outside.
However, Tigris, who cast off his arrogance, has changed a lot.
It was because he knew that the authority of the nobility would not be diminished by doing such chores.
By the end of the cooking, the tent was completely set up.
Don’t forget to hang an extra talisman at the entrance of the tent to avoid evil spirits entering the tent.
“Tigris-sama! Please eat!”
Tigris sat down on a small chair.
The meal was very plentiful.
From colorful salads, toasted bread, to warm mushroom soup and stir-fried meat rich in protein.
It was a luxurious diet that could not be found in the Forest of Mist.
“Bon appetite!”
“okay. You suffered.”
“Hehe···.”
Lenny laughed bashfully as to whether Tigris’ praise was good.
gulp-!
At that moment, Jane, who had been watching Lenny’s cooking in the lake, spit in an unlikely way.
“I···”
Lenny, who was eating bread dipped in mushroom soup, tilted her head.
“Why?”
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Jane cautiously approached the table.“I want to eat too, can you give me some?”
Tigris thought as he put the salad in his mouth.
‘Something has come.’