Chapter 44: Farewell (Two-in-One)

“Crackle.”

Dark green thorns writhed as if alive under the flames’ scorching heat, black scorch marks laced with embers spreading rapidly across their surface.

Wood yanked his dagger from the chest of an enemy, his expression cold and weary.

Before him were several humanoid thorn creatures gradually consumed by fire.

As if possessing some corrosive effect on plants, even the surrounding grass turned an eerie dark green.

“Rustle.”

The tall oak branches swayed behind him, and the half-elf, holding a longbow, landed lightly.

The two had just endured a fierce skirmish.

Their enemies were five “Withered Needle Monsters” disguised as bushes.

Truth be told, these creatures’ combat strength wasn’t impressive, not even matching the rust monsters we faced days ago.

But in the Mist Forest, filled with thorns and tall grass, their slight ability to manipulate plants made them exceptionally troublesome.

In the end, Wood used his last few incendiary bombs to barely end the fight.

And this was just one of the more common creatures encountered after leaving the “outskirts” of the Mist Forest.

“Young master, we should leave.”

Wood’s chest heaved as he spoke, panting.

Even for a “rogue” with a professional level, staying in the depths of the Mist Forest for long wasn’t easy, especially while protecting the half-elf.

Hai’an understood this well.

In such a dangerous area, searching aimlessly for a missing companion like a headless fly would only drag them both into peril.

It was time to give up.

A flicker of struggle crossed his face before he nodded to Wood and said:

“Then let’s retreat to the outskirts first, and then…”

Screech—

Before he could finish, a noise came from nearby, startling birds and beasts in the forest.

It seemed to come from where Xia Nan’s trail had last been.

The two exchanged a glance, then moved swiftly toward the sound.

…

As the crystalline dewdrop merged into my body, I felt a cool, gentle stream flow from my palms through my entire being.

It was as if I were floating among clouds, weightless, my toes nearly leaving the ground.

My muscles, nearly overloaded from intense exertion, recovered under the stream’s nourishment, becoming firmer and more resilient in silence;

my heart seemed to beat with greater force, hot blood pumping under the stream’s influence, brimming with vibrant vitality.

The petrified residue on my fingertips crumbled into ash and scattered in the wind, revealing unblemished skin beneath;

the bones in my right forearm were realigned by an invisible force within, the pain in my ribs vanished, and even the scabbed scratches on my legs seemed erased, leaving only smooth skin.

At the same time, a string of translucent text flashed before my eyes:

“Constitution +3”

“Feat [Iron Sinews, Steel Bones] Unlocked”

…

[Iron Sinews, Steel Bones]

Category: Feat

Effects:

10% Physical Damage Reduction

0.5% Chance to Nullify Received Physical Damage

Description:

Having absorbed the essence of an otherworldly plant, your body has become tougher and gained a touch of the rules’ blessing.

Note:

“Grandfather…”

…

Standing in the forest, I gazed at my fully restored right arm, my face thoughtful.

I felt like I had in my previous life after staying up all night for work, then sleeping twelve hours straight the next day.

My body felt utterly refreshed, fatigue and pain swept away, replaced by boundless energy and peak stamina.

This was, without a doubt, the best physical condition I’d been in since transmigrating.

“So, what exactly was that thing?”

I recalled the dewdrop that merged into my body, puzzled.

Though it shared the same otherworldly style, unlike the other objects, the dewdrop gave me an indescribable sense of reality.

It felt as if it were the source that brought all those buildings to this world.

As if confirming my guess, after I absorbed the golden dewdrop, the cave I was in vanished like an illusion.

Before me were only the familiar trees and grass of the Mist Forest.

I instinctively reached back to touch the wooden sword, feeling the solid texture under my fingertips.

I let out a small breath of relief.

Though still confused, the outcome was favorable.

The dewdrop not only healed my injuries and granted an impressive 3 Constitution points, but also gave me a defensive feat called “Iron Sinews, Steel Bones,” which seemed quite powerful based on the panel’s description.

I even acquired a rare blue-quality piece of equipment from the cave.

The gains were substantial.

Now, my only concern was safely escaping the depths of the Mist Forest and returning to River Valley Town.

“I wonder how Hai’an’s doing. With Wood there, they should be fine.”

I pondered, scanning my surroundings to discern a direction.

Suddenly, a rustling came from the dense bushes nearby.

I instantly drew my beheading longsword, on guard.

But upon seeing it was Hai’an and Wood, I relaxed.

“Are you both alright?”

I sheathed my sword, eyeing the grass and combat traces on their bodies.

“We’re fine. For some reason, the petrifying lizard didn’t pursue,” Hai’an said, his silver-gray eyes studying me with concern and a hint of confusion. “But you…”

To be honest, compared to the two, who looked battle-worn, I didn’t look much better.

My back armor was shattered, my pants torn in several places, my body speckled with dirt, my hair dusted with grime, and bloodied bandages and a splint lay scattered on the ground nearby.

One could easily believe I was a gravely injured soldier fresh off the battlefield.

Yet I showed no signs of weakness or injury.

My dark eyes gleamed with vitality, clearly brimming with energy.

So, at a glance, the half-elf noticed the discrepancy.

After all, he had seen me get struck in the back by the petrifying lizard, clinging to life with a healing potion to escape.

His words carried a trace of hesitation.

“Oh…”

Noticing his gaze, I paused, realizing he’d noticed the change.

The sudden event and my abrupt exit from the cave left me no time to conceal the changes in my body or prepare a plausible explanation.

Though Wood said nothing, his glance at the wooden sword on my back and the unblemished skin beneath my tattered clothes showed he’d noticed something too.

After a moment’s thought, I organized my words.

Omitting details like the “dewdrop” and “giant serpent” that might cause trouble, I gave a half-true account of my experience.

Surprisingly, after hearing my explanation, neither Hai’an nor Wood showed the shock I expected.

They even, with true adventurer’s decorum, refrained from prying about the wooden sword on my back.

“You likely entered a ‘secret realm,’” Wood said, rubbing his chin.

“Secret realm?” I asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

“Yes,” Wood nodded, explaining.

“You’re a native of the Servia Kingdom, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’ve probably heard of the ‘Twin Feather Harp’ story.”

“Twin Feather Harp…” I furrowed my brow, sifting through the memories left by my predecessor.

Then I recalled the tale I’d heard countless times as a child from the village elder.

“You mean the legendary bard who traveled the world, even to other realms?”

“Exactly,” the rogue nodded lightly.

“But what does that have to do with a ‘secret realm’?”

“Well… what if I told you the abysses, hells, astral heavens, and divine kingdoms in the Twin Feather Harp’s stories are real?”

Wood suddenly looked up, fixing his gaze on me.

“The material world we live in is just a layered space. Surrounding it are countless realms, large and small, of varying magnitudes.”

His gaze swept over the drifting mist around us.

“For instance, an area with extremely dense magical energy.”

Digesting his words, I followed his logic and said:

“So you’re saying the ‘secret realm’ I entered was created by the high magical density in the Mist Forest.”

“Correct,” Wood said, glancing again at the wooden sword on my back.

“These naturally formed secret realms, due to their unique nature, often house powerful creatures or hide precious treasures.”

“On this continent, such spaces aren’t rare. Though they’re hard to find and usually form in monster-infested wilds, every year you hear of some lucky adventurer stumbling into a secret realm.”

“Some powerful spellcasters can even create their own secret realms by bending space and time.”

He glanced up at the sky obscured by the treetops, lowering his voice:

“You should know, to some extent, ‘divine kingdoms’ are a type of secret realm.”

At that, we all fell silent.

I mentally compared the characteristics of Wood’s “secret realm” to the cave I’d been in.

I frowned inwardly.

“It feels… somewhat different.”

Unexpectedly, Wood, who had just been explaining the world’s mechanics, now looked perplexed.

“That’s not right,” he said, stepping forward to where I stood.

He crouched, examining my footprints, then stomped the ground.

“If it was a secret realm, why didn’t we enter it earlier? And if it closed before we arrived, you shouldn’t have gotten out.”

“Besides, secret realms are just folded spaces. In most cases, they don’t affect the surrounding terrain.”

“All those buildings we saw along the way don’t seem like something a secret realm could cause.”

Wood stood there, growing more confused.

I could almost see steam rising from his head.

And as he said, I too vaguely sensed that the vanished cave shared some similarities with this world’s “secret realms” but was fundamentally something else entirely.

At that moment, Hai’an, who had been silent, suddenly spoke:

“Xia Nan, I hope this doesn’t offend, as it’s somewhat taboo among adventurers, but…”

His words carried hesitation, yet his grass-stained face showed a glimmer of hope.

“Was there anything in the cave with an elven style?”

I was taken aback.

I began meticulously recalling everything I saw from entering the cave to being teleported out.

Then, I slowly shook my head, answering solemnly:

“No.”

Not overly disappointed, Hai’an was already prepared.

He clapped his hands toward his guard:

“We really should go now, Wood.”

“This place isn’t safe.”

…

Compared to the perilous journey in, our return was remarkably calm.

Not only did we avoid dangerous creatures, but even the bothersome snakes and scorpions were fewer, no longer clustered densely in one area—

I suspected absorbing the dewdrop and the cave’s disappearance had an effect.

Unlike the outbound trip, which required frequent stops for rest, navigation, or combat, taking two full days,

we reached the outskirts of the Mist Forest in just one day.

Gazing at the distant lights of River Valley Town on the horizon and the nearby lit cottages,

Hai’an visibly relaxed, stopping to turn and bid me farewell:

“Thanks to you, we wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“I won’t return to River Valley Town just yet. Wood and I have a carriage stored at the relay station. Come to Nyum if you get the chance.”

“About Larry and Doris…” Hai’an’s expression faltered, his face obscured by the night’s shadows, hiding his emotions. “When I get back to Nyum, I’ll personally explain to their parents.”

I had assumed they’d return to River Valley Town with me to rest a few days, so this sudden farewell caught me off guard.

But since he’d said so, I didn’t press.

I spoke tentatively:

“If you ever need help, just write. I might be able to lend a hand.”

They saved me from the petrifying lizard, and I’d gleaned from our journey that Hai’an’s family was facing some trouble.

Within my ability, I didn’t mind helping.

Hai’an smiled lightly, declining, and pulled a glossy black card from his chest.

“This crystal card holds 70 gold, plus the 30 gold from before, for your mission reward.”

“Also, once I’m back in town, I’ll start looking for a suitable combat skill mentor, but it might take some time. I’ll write to you with details.”

In the enveloping night, Hai’an’s silver-gray eyes twinkled as he waved with a smile, his shadow-like guard nodding lightly.

“May the stars light your path, and the forest bless you.”

“Goodbye, my friend.”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.