43 – The Forest

Alan didn't expect Celia to stop pressuring him to explain the joke, but she did. When the two of them landed on the ground, the female fighter's eyes focused on observing the situation.

As far as their eyes could see, they only found large trees with small plants at the bottom. They didn't even hear anything, not even the sound of insects or birds.

Such an extremely uneasy atmosphere gave them a sense of uneasiness.

Alan tugged at the rope they had just used to get down. Shortly after, the rope went up, a sign Brunch was pushing their land to a safer height.

"Remember, Celia." Alan reminded his friend. "Look for a leaf with a golden tint. It's a leaf of life. That thing can grow on any plant in this forest."

Celia kept looking around. "You know why I haven't moved before, Al?"

Alan, who was just about to step over, frowned. "Huh? What did you say?"

"Please." Celia looked like she was about to cry. "Please check my feet."

Alan found a green vine entangling Celia's leg up to her thigh.

"Yeah, don't move, Celia." Alan took out his knife, about to cut that vine.

"Oh, I don't dare to move…. Argh!!!"

The tendrils tugged at Celia's leg, sending her tumbling down. Her body was then dragged hard by that thing.

"Arghhh!!! Ugh!!! Kyaaa!!! Eeek!!!" The female fighter screamed as her body bumped against the big tree roots.

Alan chased after the female fighter while shaping the dirt in his hand to resemble a sharp-edged frisbee. However, he couldn't aim properly because Celia's body kept bouncing around.

Then, the vine lifted Celia's body up. Alan gasped hard when he found a flower the size of a truck. It was this plant that pulled Celia's body with its vine.

If it was an ordinary flower, Alan wouldn't be this shocked. He was in a fantasy world, after all.

The problem is that the plant has a fanged mouth at its core. It has opened its mouth to eat the female fighter.

But that situation actually made it easier for Alan to aim. He fired his tiny earthen frisbee, cutting through the vine holding Celia.

"I'm not edible!" The female fighter got up after falling and immediately dodged the giant flower's attack.

Alan fired a combination of earth and water projectiles. The flower staggered. Celia took the opportunity to stab the plant monster's support rod with her glowing spear.

In just seconds, the giant flower fell, unable to move anymore.

Celia pulled her spear. Instead of blood, the tip of that weapon was soaked in a slightly viscous clear liquid from the plant.

"Shhhh…." Alan hissed as Celia was about to comment. His gaze moved to the right and to the left.

Flowers similar to the monster they defeated were popping up behind the trees. They used their roots to creep closer.

Alan and Celia walked backward while raising their weapons. As their backs touched, Celia spoke. "It seems they are angry we killed their mother. Do we need to apologize?"

Those plant monsters were only about the size of an average dog, but there were dozens of them.

And they had also moved their vines toward Alan and Celia slowly. Some of the vines even moved high up, looking like they were ready to catch Alan and Celia when they jumped.

As if those plants already know that two humans can jump high.

If Alan had fire magic, this would be easier. He just needs to burn those monsters. But with the ability he has, he must think hard.

"Do you think they have eyes?" he whispered. "They might know where we are from the smell or heat from our bodies."

"I don't know," Celia answered while frowning. "Why do you ask such a thing?"

Instead of answering, Alan stomped the ground with his staff. Then, a large chunk of earth rose up before him.

However, he didn't utilize that as a shield. The young man used his staff to launch a mixture of water and earth from the shield.

Mud Blast.

The attacks hit several plant monsters, leaving their bodies covered in mud.

Finding those monsters disoriented, Alan shouted. "Let's go!"

They ran away by jumping over those flowers. The vines pointing up from those monsters didn't really hinder Alan and Celia.

Alan's gamble paid off. Those moving flowers use their eyesight or other organs to detect the presence of other creatures around them.

And Alan blocks it with mud, even if it's only temporary.

"They're getting faster!" Celia screamed as she looked back from a large branch.

The plant monsters can keep up with Alan and Celia's speed, even though they can only be on the ground.

Alan was sure the vines would catch them if he and Celia let their guard down. The young man often saw those things almost entangle his legs.

"Don't stop!" Alan jumped and clung to another branch.

Both of them kept jumping from one big branch to another. Occasionally they land on the ground and run if there isn't a branch big enough.

And as usual, Celia often missed her landing. Alan had to shoot water blasts several times at the monsters that would entrap the female fighter.

"I hate my legs!" She cursed as she fell to the ground butt first, and Alan helped her to get up.

After those two fled for a long time, the flower monsters were nowhere to be seen. They stopped near a rock the size of a bus, caught their breath, and wiped off their sweat.

"They…. They are hideous flowers." Celia coughed with difficulty breathing. "I don't really like flowers, but what the fuck?"

"Yeah, they are vile and ugly." Alan drank from his leather jug. "They welcomed us wonderfully, even though we had just arrived."

After her breathing had slightly improved, Celia said. "I'll take the number one."

She refers to peeing. So, after getting a nod from Alan, she moved behind a big tree.

And it only lasted a second. She ran back to Alan.

"That's too fast." The young man stood up, feeling something was wrong with the female fighter's expression.

Celia's mouth opened and closed like a fish dying on land, but no words came out.

"Relax." Alan held that girl's shoulders. "Take a breath and tell me what's in there…."

Alan's words were cut off by slow footsteps from behind that tree.