Free Web NovelChapter 130: Crimson Forest Explained
Before anyone could question what Aelric meant, the green-eyed youth continued as though he had already anticipated every question that was about to be thrown at him...
"Now, I’m not saying this to scare you or discourage you..." He began. "But trust me when I say there are things out there that even I am not qualified to deal with, let alone all of you."
Veyrath’s amber eyes narrowed skeptically.
"You said it yourself that the distance between the Crimson Forest and the Sanctuary is only a few weeks’ journey, right?" he asked. "Then how could such a short distance possibly contain so many dangers?"
Before Aelric could answer that, Regaleon spoke first. The silver-haired Knight slowly shook his head before glancing toward the auburn-haired Alchemist.
"Don’t be naive, Veyrath." He said. "The time it takes to cover a distance doesn’t necessarily indicate the level of danger that lies along the way."
Perhaps among everyone present, only a select few truly understood what Aelric was trying to warn them about, and Regaleon was one of them.
After all, the Forgotten Knight himself had spent much of his childhood hunting wild beasts simply to survive the challenges of his first Chivalry.
Though those forests were nowhere near as dangerous as the Nether Lands, they had been unforgiving enough. And as a boy, especially a young one, every hunt had been harrowing, demanding absolute concentration from beginning to end.
This was bcause just one careless mistake or a single moment of distraction was all it took for the position of hunter and prey to exchange places...
Therefore, it was because of those experiences that Regaleon could clearly understand where Aelric was coming from.
Seeing Regaleon grasp his point so quickly, Aelric nodded.
"He is very right."
He folded his arms.
"You see, distance doesn’t necessarily imply safety. As a matter of fact, there are places even within the Crimson Forest where none of you would survive unless you had already become full-fledged Etheryeans."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on!"
Valmyr’s eyes widened in utter disbelief, his voice filled with incredulity.
"Are you talking about the same Crimson Forest we’ve been living in for an entire week?"
Aelric looked at him with an amused smile.
"You keep talking about surviving for a week..." He said. "But have you ever stopped to consider whether your survival was simply because you never wandered into the truly dangerous parts of the forest?"
Valmyr fell silent. Although the Breeding Nest and the crypt of angry Terracottas could be considered as dangerous places on their own, that was actually from his viewpoint and not from Aelric’s.
Besides, Aelric already said it himself. He knew what they’ve been through so if he could still say that despite all this, there are places that they couldn’t survive without becoming Etheryeans, then it could only indicate that those areas are seriously harrowing...
Aelric continued.
"You see, your entire survival depended on the fact that you never truly ventured beyond the safety of your cave. Forget about the Breeding Nest for a moment and think about the countless other places hidden within the Crimson Forest."
His expression gradually became solemn as he looked around the circle.
"You know what? Let me blow your minds." Would you believe me if I told you that despite being considered the outermost region of the Nether Lands and therefore one of its safest, the Crimson Forest alone is more than capable of wiping every single one of you out?"
No one answered his question and for a brief moment, a tense silence settled over the nine of them...
Eventually, Aureleah lifted her silver eyes toward him, her expression penetrating, as though she intended to dissect every word that came out of his mouth.
"And why would you say that?"
"I’ll show you." Aelric replied.
He then picked up the stick that had earlier served as a skewer. Spreading his legs slightly, he began drawing upon the bare earth before him.
First, he traced a large circle... Then he added several markings throughout its interior. Once he was finished, he looked up.
"Take a look at this."
Everyone instinctively leaned forward. Kaeloris even shifted closer from the opposite side of the campfire to get a better view.
Aelric tapped the large circle with the stick and began analysing the diagram he drew.
"Let’s assume this circle represents the entire Crimson Forest. Obviously, it’s far larger than this, but that’s beside the point."
He then pointed toward two winding lines running diagonally through the circle, both surrounded by tiny sketches of trees.
"This area is known as the Sanguine Mire."
After saying that, he glanced up before adding.
"And no, before any of you think I just invented that name, I didn’t. You see, the Sanguine Mire lies much deeper within the Crimson Forest. Personally, I classify it as a death zone."
His lips curved into a faint smile. "At least... For people like you."
He paused. " However, truthfully, if I’m careless, even I could lose my life there."
"What exactly is it?" Sylveris asked, her silver eyes shimmering with uneasy fascination.
Aelric looked at her.
"The Sanguine Mire is home to some of the deadliest swamps you’ll ever encounter. But the swamps themselves aren’t the greatest danger. Instead, it’s what lives inside them. There, you won’t encounter massive Animas charging at you with claws and fangs..."
He slowly shook his head.
"No, no, no... Those creatures there hunt differently. And their methods are subtle, insidious, and utterly merciless."
He smiled faintly. "But I’ll save those stories for another day. Or for when you might need it."
Shifting the stick, he pointed toward another section of the circle. This one was represented by a smaller circle filled with dozens of crude X-shaped markings.
"Now you see this region is called the Thornwild Expanse. Unlike the Sanguine Mire, which is dominated by marshland, the Thornwild Expanse consists of vast crimson plains covered in thorn shrubs, carnivorous vines, and countless hidden sinkholes."
He tapped one particular mark and added almost casually. "And somewhere within it lies a place called the Drag Pit."
He chuckled. "Again, I won’t explain what that is. When we get there you’ll see it for yourselves."
He shifted the stick once more, pointing toward another heavily shaded portion of the circle.
"This is where you currently are. A place called the Scarlet Canopy. Actually, you can probably guess why it’s called that simply by looking at the crimson trees surrounding us."
He rested the stick across his knees.
"In actuality, the reason you’ve convinced yourselves that the Crimson Forest isn’t so difficult to survive is because you’ve spent the entire week inside the Scarlet Canopy."
He looked around the group.
"And truly, when compared to the other regions, this place is relatively safe. However, make no mistake because there are several more regions scattered throughout the Crimson Forest. But those are also lessons for another time."
Silence settled over the clearing once more with the only sound in the atmosphere being the roar of the waterfall.
Finally, Aelric leaned back.
"Now perhaps you can finally understand why I called the journey to the Sanctuary a death sentence. If even this relatively safe region can kill you without warning..."
His emerald eyes swept slowly across each member of the group.
"Then I challenge you to imagine just what awaits in the places beyond it."
He smiled faintly. "So forgive me for saying this. But right now, you’re still nothing more than greenhorns who have absolutely no idea what it truly means to survive in the Nether Lands..."
