The thirteenth entrance to the forest is a winding, twisting path.
It’s common for the same labyrinth to have multiple entrances, especially in an open terrain like a “forest.” The main paths are safer, having been trodden by many Adventurers, but the smaller paths… They walked into the forest under the setting sun, the twisted trees reaching skyward like ghostly figures dancing in the wind.
The hot, humid, and muddy environment of the Amana Forest makes it unsuitable for nighttime exploration.
Once night falls, those who haven’t left the forest immediately set up camp to avoid getting trapped in the mud.
Mosquitoes and poisonous insects become active at night, so they brought plenty of insect repellent and torches.
With Naji, the priest, not around, they had to be extra cautious.
“Hey, Milora? Didn’t the leader give you a lot of equipment? Why… did you switch back to your old gear?”
“…It’s nothing.
Her equipment is too luxurious for me to handle.”
“???” Ji Xue noticed Milora’s mood had worsened.
Did she and the leader… have a fight?
“By the way, is the leader’s information… reliable? About the lord’s location…”
“It’s confirmed to be in the swamp area…” Milora fully utilized her skills as a scout, avoiding all the monsters they encountered on the road as much as possible.
Ji Xue was also very careful, and when discovered by monsters, she quickly killed them with her high output and critical hits.
The sky grew darker, the orange sunset completely disappearing below the horizon, with the remaining light blocked by the dense, tall tree canopy.
Miasma began to spread in the forest, and swarms of flying insects increased, the air filled with a rotten, damp smell mixed with various unknown floral scents.
Without the miasma protection stones they prepared in advance, they couldn’t continue deeper.
After a long trek, when it was completely dark, they finally reached the edge of the swamp in the forest.
The swamp at night was a mix of water, mud, rocks, and large meadows, with various fungi and moss rotting in the mud, adding a pungent rotten smell to the night breeze.
Walking through this swamp at night was dangerous; if you fell into a mud pit, it would be hard to climb out.
Milora led the way, scouting ahead, with the system assisting through terrain scanning, while Ji Xue cautiously followed with her sword.
Their route deviated far from the paths most teams would take, heading in a direction no one usually went.
When Milora pushed aside a large patch of rotten reeds—
“…This is it.”
She raised her torch, pointing to a mud pit in front of them.
The mud pit was about thirty to forty square meters, vaguely forming an equilateral triangle, completely different from the irregularly shaped mud pits and ponds around it.
But because of the mud and reed cover, it was easy to overlook.
“Are you sure this is it?” Ji Xue asked worriedly.
“It has to be here.
The secret entrance is probably hidden below.
No normal person would want to jump in here, so it’s never been discovered.”
“Now that you mention it…” Ji Xue suddenly drew her sword and slashed, the wind from the blade cutting into the mud pit, but only causing some unreal ripples, with no expected mud splatter.
“Indeed… there’s something strange about this mud pit.
But do we really have to go down? If the leader’s information is wrong, and this isn’t an entrance but an undiscovered trap?”
“We have to try.”
【No need to hesitate, I can already detect it.
The lord is definitely below!】
Urged by the system, Milora took a deep breath and jumped directly into the mud pit, disappearing into the mud, startling Ji Xue—
But she emerged a few seconds later, her head popping out, saying:
“There are steps below.
This layer of mud must be some kind of illusion.
It’s just… a bit disgusting, so be prepared.”
Ji Xue also jumped into the mud pit, feeling a cold sensation all over as she passed through the mud—but it only lasted a moment.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a vertical shaft, with steps spiraling down the walls, leading into the depths.
The secret passage was real.
This should be good news—but Milora and Ji Xue couldn’t bring themselves to smile.
It was just too disgusting down here.
The shaft was extremely hot and humid, with the torch’s light barely reaching.
The sticky, hot air clung to them like jelly, accompanied by a pungent stench.
The walls and steps were covered in a slimy, decaying red-black substance, resembling melted rotten flesh on the ground, with many basketball-sized white pustules wriggling slightly, seemingly some kind of large… insect eggs? (Note: Readers who have played Dark Souls 3 can imagine the fly room in the DLC.) This place was enough to trigger a primal human discomfort.
“Milora, um… should we keep going?”
“Yeah, let’s continue.
If anything feels off, we’ll retreat immediately.”
“Okay…”
They cautiously stepped down the slippery steps, taking nearly half an hour to reach the bottom, stepping onto solid ground.
From here, the path led into a black cave, with more and more insect eggs on the ground, some pulsating like hearts, harboring who knows what disgusting things inside.
“This place is terrifying…”
“Indeed…”
“And don’t you think it’s too quiet?”
“Stay alert…”
Milora spoke while conversing with the system in her mind:
(Quickly scan the environment.
If there are enemies—)
【I’ve already scanned it.
Follow my instructions and raise the torch.】
(?)
Milora did as instructed, raising the torch—
Illuminating a pale, emaciated face.
It looked human, but the eyes were insect-like compound eyes, and tentacles with a chitinous layer extended from the mouth.
“What the hell—”
“Eek!?!”
Ji Xue was startled, almost reflexively attacking, her sword flashing, severing the grotesque face with a single strike! Foul black blood sprayed from the cut, and the thing fell to the ground with a thud—it had been clinging to the cave ceiling!
Upon closer inspection—
It was a bug, as large as an adult human.
The face resembled a human’s, but the body was insect-like, a mix of cricket, fly, and cockroach, with mold growing at the joints.
The Amana Forest had been blessed by the God of Mercy and Life, making the monsters particularly disgusting, but this monster—the human-faced bug—was among the most vile in the entire labyrinth.
【Continue forward.
There are many of them, but their combat strength isn’t high.
Just be careful.】
(I understand…)
The two of them tensed up, delving deeper into the cave, reaching a more open space where the insect eggs on the ground were as large as humans—just as they approached, many eggs shattered, and human-faced bugs covered in slime screeched as they emerged.
“Ji Xue, engage!”
“I know! Milora, be careful!”
Ji Xue immediately switched to combat mode, using agile movements to dodge the sharp mandibles and claws of the human-faced bugs, her sword slicing through their joints with each flash! Meanwhile, Milora followed the system’s guidance in battle, dealing with the stragglers that survived Ji Xue’s sword.
This time, the system was fully serious, analyzing the attack patterns of each human-faced bug to ensure Milora could strike first.
The two fought and advanced, facing more and more human-faced bugs, the battles growing increasingly perilous.
But thanks to the system’s detection and tactical arrangements, the two of them managed to hold their ground.
They sometimes charged through, sometimes maneuvered, and sometimes sneaked, delving deeper into the cave, leaving behind a trail of bug corpses.
And just then—
The human-faced bugs suddenly retreated.
They actively hid in the shadows, ceasing their ambushes and pursuits, as if fearing something.
【Be alert, you’ve reached the lord’s chamber.】
