Chapter 44: Farewell (Combined)

“Crackle.”

The dark green thorns writhed and curled as the flames burned them, as if they possessed a life of their own. Black scorch marks dotted with sparks quickly spread across their surfaces.

Wood forcefully pulled the dagger from the enemy’s chest, his expression cold and weary.

Before him stood several humanoid thorn creatures, slowly being consumed by fire.

They seemed to possess some corrosive effect against plants, causing even the surrounding grass to turn an eerie dark green.

“Rustle, rustle.”

The towering oak branches swayed as the half-elf, holding a longbow, lightly descended.

The two had just endured a fierce skirmish.

Their opponents had been five “Needlewither” monsters disguised as bushes.

Frankly, these creatures were not particularly strong in combat—less so than the Rustborn they had faced days earlier.

But within the Mistveil Forest, tangled with thorns and dense grass, their slight ability to manipulate plants made them especially troublesome.

In the end, Wood had to expend the last of their fire bombs to barely put an end to the fight.

And this was only one of the more common monsters found on the “outer edge” of the Mistveil Forest.

“Master, we should leave now,” Wood panted, his chest rising and falling noticeably.

Even as a seasoned Wanderer with professional rank, staying long in the forest’s depths was no easy task—especially when he had to split his focus to protect the half-elf.

Haian was acutely aware of this.

In such a perilous area, blindly searching for lost companions like headless flies would only drag them both into danger.

It was time to give up.

A flicker of struggle crossed his face as he nodded to Wood and said, “Then let’s retreat to the outskirts first, and then…”

Creak—

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

That was the last place Shanan’s trail had appeared.

The two exchanged a knowing glance and then sprinted toward the source of the sound.

…

As the crystal-clear dew drops seeped into his body, Shanan felt a cool, gentle stream flowing from his palms throughout his entire being.

He felt as if he were floating amidst clouds and mist, light and airy, his toes barely touching the ground.

His overstrained muscles, pushed nearly beyond their limits by intense exertion, were soothed by the nourishing current, silently becoming more compact and resilient;

His heart seemed to beat stronger, hot blood pulsing with renewed vitality as the flow coursed through him.

The petrification residue on his fingertips turned to scattered gray ash, blown away by the wind, revealing perfectly intact fingertips beneath.

The bones of his right forearm were corrected and restored by an unseen power within; the sharp pain in his rib cage disappeared, and even the small wounds on his lower legs, which had stopped bleeding and begun to scab over, were as if erased by an eraser, leaving smooth skin.

Simultaneously, a long sequence of translucent characters flashed before Shanan’s eyes:

“Constitution +3”

“Specialty [Bronze-Muscle Iron-Bone] unlocked”

…

[Bronze-Muscle Iron-Bone]

Type: Specialty

Effect:

10% physical damage reduction

0.5% chance to completely negate physical damage

Description:

Having absorbed the essence of otherworldly plants, your body has grown sturdier and gained a measure of rule-based blessing.

Note:

“Grandfather…”

…

Standing in the forest, Shanan gazed at his fully restored right arm, a thoughtful expression on his face.

At this moment, he felt as if, like in his previous life after a night of overtime work, he had just slept twelve full hours.

His entire body was incredibly light, all fatigue and pain swept away, replaced by boundless energy and abundant strength.

It was arguably the peak physical condition since he had arrived in this world.

“So, what exactly was that thing?”

He pondered the dew drop that had merged into his body, curious.

Though it had the familiar alien style, unlike other things, the dew seemed somehow undeniably real.

It felt as if it were the very root from which countless surrounding structures had come into existence in this world.

And seemingly confirming his suspicion, after absorbing the golden dew drop, the cave where he had been also vanished like a mirage.

The familiar trees and grass of Mistveil Forest remained before his eyes.

Instinctively, he reached back to touch the wooden sword strapped behind him, feeling its solid touch at his fingertips.

Shanan let out a slight sigh of relief.

Though still puzzled, the outcome was satisfying.

That dew drop not only healed his wounds but granted him an absurd 3-point boost to constitution and bestowed upon him a defensive specialty called “Bronze-Muscle Iron-Bone,” whose effects on his status panel looked quite powerful.

He had even retrieved a rare blue-quality weapon from the cave.

The gains were considerable.

Now, the only thing left to consider was how to safely exit the depths of Mistveil Forest and return to River Valley Town.

“I wonder how Haian is doing. With Wood around, there shouldn’t be much trouble.”

Shanan mused inwardly, scanning his surroundings to discern direction.

Suddenly, the dense bushes beside him rustled loudly.

He immediately drew his decapitating longsword and grew alert.

But upon seeing the half-elf and Wood emerging, he relaxed.

“How are you both? Are you alright?”

Shanan asked, eyeing the two who were covered in grass bits and bore faint signs of battle.

“We’re fine. That petrified lizard didn’t chase us for some reason,” Haian’s silver-gray eyes looked at Shanan with a mix of concern and confusion. “But you…”

If anything, compared to the two bedraggled figures just out of combat, Shanan himself looked no better.

His leather armor was torn on the back, his pants slashed in several places, mud splattered all over, even dust in his hair, with blood-stained bandages and splints scattered nearby.

If he claimed to be a severely wounded soldier fresh from the battlefield, no one would doubt it.

Yet Shanan showed no sign of weakness or injury.

His black eyes were sharp and lively, clearly brimming with energy.

The half-elf immediately noticed this contradiction.

After all, he had personally seen Shanan barely escape after being rammed by the petrified lizard, clinging to life thanks to healing potions.

His voice faltered slightly.

“Oh…”

Sensing the gaze, Shanan’s expression faltered too, realizing the half-elf had perceptively noticed something.

The sudden turn of events, his recent escape from the cave, and the changes to his body he had no time to hide or explain plausibly.

Wood remained silent, but his glance at the wooden sword behind Shanan and the unblemished skin beneath the torn clothes suggested he too had noticed something.

After a moment of thought, Shanan carefully chose his words.

Concealing potentially troublesome details like “dew drop” and “giant serpent,” he half-truthfully recounted his experience to the two.

Unexpectedly, neither the half-elf nor Wood showed the surprise Shanan had anticipated.

They even upheld the adventurers’ code by refraining from probing into the wooden sword he carried.

“You might have entered a ‘Secret Realm,’” Wood said slowly, stroking his chin.

“A Secret Realm?”

The unfamiliar term puzzled Shanan.

“Hmm,” Wood nodded, explaining.

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

“Yes.”

“Then you should have heard the tale of the ‘Twin Feather Harp.’”

“The Twin Feather Harp…” Shanan frowned slightly, sifting through memories left by his former self.

He finally recalled the story, one he had heard many times as a child from the old village elder.

“The legendary bard who traveled the entire world, even venturing into other realms?”

“Exactly,” the Wanderer affirmed gently.

“But what does that have to do with the so-called ‘Secret Realm’?”

“Connection… What if I told you that the abyssal hells and astral heavens the Twin Feather Harp visited truly exist?”

Wood suddenly lifted his gaze, fixing Shanan with a steady look.

“The physical plane we live in is but a layered space. Around it exist numerous realms, varying in size and nature.”

“These overlapping spaces intertwine, and the barriers between realms are not always stable. Under certain conditions, space can fold or contract.”

His eyes swept over the mist drifting around them.

“For example, an area extraordinarily saturated with magical energy.”

Digesting Wood’s words, Shanan followed his line of thought.

“You mean the ‘Secret Realm’ I entered formed because of the Mistveil Forest’s high concentration of magic?”

“Exactly.” Wood glanced again at the wooden sword on Shanan’s back.

“These naturally formed Secret Realms often harbor powerful monsters and may conceal precious treasures.”

“There aren’t few such spaces on this continent. So, though difficult to find and mostly forming in monster-dense wilds, every year there are rumors of lucky adventurers stumbling upon new Secret Realms.”

“Some powerful spellcasters even create their own Secret Realms by warping space-time.”

“Small ones can be the size of a warehouse, and larger ones…”

Wood glanced up at the canopy sky, lowering his voice.

“You should know, in some sense, ‘divine kingdoms’ are also a kind of Secret Realm.”

With that, silence fell over them.

Shanan compared Wood’s description of Secret Realms with the cave he had entered.

He frowned.

“It feels… somewhat different,” he thought.

Unexpectedly, Wood, who had just been explaining the worldview to Shanan, now looked troubled and conflicted.

“That’s odd,” Wood took two steps forward to where Shanan stood.

He bent down to examine Shanan’s footprints, then stomped the ground hard.

“If it truly were a Secret Realm, why couldn’t we enter it earlier? And if it had closed before we arrived, you couldn’t have gotten out either.”

“Besides, Secret Realms are folded spaces that usually don’t alter the surrounding terrain.”

“The buildings we saw along the way don’t look like something a Secret Realm would create.”

Wood stood still, increasingly confused.

Shanan could almost see smoke rising faintly above his head.

As the Wanderer said, Shanan himself had sensed that the vanished cave shared some similarities with a Secret Realm on certain levels but was fundamentally a completely different entity.

At that moment, the half-elf, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

“Shanan, I hope you don’t mind me asking—this is somewhat taboo among adventurers, but…”

He hesitated, his dust-speckled face showing a glimmer of hope.

“Did you see anything of elven style inside the cave?”

Shanan was taken aback.

He carefully and thoroughly recalled everything he had seen from entering the cave to being transported out.

Then he slowly shook his head, answering solemnly:

“No.”

The half-elf was not overly disappointed; he had already braced himself.

He patted the guard beside him.

“This really means it’s time for us to leave, Wood.”

“This place is indeed unsafe,” Wood agreed.

…

Compared to the trials and dangers on their way in, the return journey was remarkably calm.

They encountered no dangerous monsters, and even the troublesome snakes and scorpions were far fewer, no longer concentrated in any particular area—

Shanan suspected this was due to his absorption of the dew drop causing the cave space to vanish.

Whereas on the way in they had to frequently stop to rest, track targets, or fight, the two-day journey back took only a single daylight period to reach the forest’s outer edge.

Gazing toward the distant twinkling lights of River Valley Town on the horizon and several lit cottages nearby,

the half-elf visibly relaxed, stopping and turning to bid Shanan farewell:

“This time, thanks to you, we managed to get this far.”

“We won’t return to River Valley Town just yet. Wood and I have a carriage at the inn in Newm. If you ever have the chance, you’re welcome to visit.”

“As for Larry and Doris…” Haian’s expression suddenly stiffened, his features shadowed by the night, making it hard to read, “Once I return to Newm, I’ll explain everything personally to their parents.”

Shanan had expected the two to join him in River Valley Town for a few days’ rest before parting, so their sudden goodbye surprised him.

But since they insisted, he did not press further.

Tentatively, he offered:

“If you need anything, just write to me. I might be able to help.”

They had saved him once from the petrified lizard, and he had sensed some trouble at the half-elf’s home during their journey.

Within his ability, Shanan was willing to lend aid.

Haian smiled gently in refusal and produced a pitch-black card from his pocket.

“This crystal card holds 100 gold—your reward for this mission.”

“Also, when I return to the city, I’ll arrange a suitable combat skill instructor for you, though it might take some time. I’ll contact you by letter.”

Night thickened as the half-elf blinked his distinctive silver-gray eyes, smiling and waving at Shanan.

Wood, like a shadow beside him, nodded lightly.

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

“Farewell, my friend.”