Chapter 42: The Menace in the Woods

His journey took him deeper into the world of Seraphia, each step resonating with a sense of purpose. As he walked, the landscape gradually shifted, and he realized that he was no longer in the mines. The environment around him changed dramatically, and Saad felt his breath catch in his throat.

Before him lay the entrance to the moon cave, its entrance adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. The stone was unlike any he had seen before – pure white, almost soft-looking, yet undeniably firm. The cave's entrance was a portal to a realm of whimsy and magic, a stark contrast to the fiery nature of the surrounding flame stone mines.

Four streams flowed out of the cave, each one sparkling with a silvery radiance that caught the light and fragmented it into a dazzling array of colors. The air around the entrance was cool and invigorating, a refreshing departure from the intense heat of the surrounding area.

Saad's heart swelled with a mixture of awe and excitement. He took a step forward, crossing the threshold into the moon cave. The interior was even more enchanting than he had anticipated. The walls seemed to emit a soft, luminous glow, casting ethereal patterns on the cave floor. The air was imbued with a serene energy, and Saad was struck by a sense of familiarity. It reminded him of the feeling he had experienced in the Ascendence Room.

His footsteps echoed through the cave as he walked deeper, following the meandering path illuminated by the glowing walls. Each step seemed to take him further into a world of dreams, and his excitement surged with every passing moment.

As he delved deeper into the cave, the landscape continued to evolve. The streams of water seemed to be originating from a central chamber, and Saad's intuition urged him to follow their path. With each step, he was drawn closer to the heart of the cave, the anticipation building within him like a crescendo.

And then, as if unveiled by the hands of fate itself, Saad stepped into a chamber bathed in the soft radiance of moonlight. Before him lay a breathtaking sight – a pool of sparkling water, its surface reflecting the moon's gentle glow. The water seemed to dance with a life of its own, an embodiment of serenity and mystique. It almost reminded Saad of the pond from the Nexus of Ascendance, and with that came the annoying memory of Aeorn. It was not a fond memory, and thinking about him still boiled his blood.

Saad's heart swelled with a mixture of wonder and astonishment. The sight before him was nothing short of magical. He had found the Sparkling Moon Water he had been searching for, and it was a treasure beyond his imagination. Saad decided that he would be taking a lot of moon water for himself too. Though he wondered, if it was so beneficial, why weren't more people here?

[Sparkling Moon Water]

Moon water infused with Moonlit. It has the ability to cancel low-rank debuffs.

As he approached the pond, he felt soothed. It was something that he had never seen. Even the river that passed near his village wasn't like this, nor the ocean. The water was something straight out of fantasy.

He knelt by the water's edge and brought out the ceramic bottles from his inventory, carefully filling them with the Sparkling Moon Water. The liquid shimmered with captivating brilliance, and Saad felt a surge of accomplishment. With this, he had a part of the quest fulfilled. He thought of what a smart move he had made by buying an extra bottle for himself. It was truly a brilliant move in his mind, since now, he would be able to use the water when he went to hunt the fiery flies.

As he sealed the vials and stored them away, he couldn't help but stare at the strange water with astonishment. Now that he was taking his time to really feel it, the fragrance of the water was subtle, reminiscent of a cool breeze on a moonlit night. It actually made him want to just spend his time here but Saad had more pressing matters to attend to. Like finishing his mountain of quests and not slow down on his earning. He really needed money or his armor would be taken away along with Rosarie's trust in him.

Though before leaving, he didn't forget to wash his head with the moon water that seemed almost as if it was evaporating from his fingertips, leaving a cool sensation on his head and fingertips and indeed- As expected his charm that had fallen to a negative status was now back to normal but looking at his measly charm, he did feel like he was lacking a little too much. Though it almost felt like he would be wasting his hard earned status points. But he was aware of just how important charm was- especially to save money with negotiating the original price.

Satisfied with his moonlit bath, Saad retraced his steps out of the enchanting cave and back into the surrounding area. Once outside, he opened up the map, hoping to locate the swamps for the Fiery Fly Essence. However, his search yielded no results. Frowning in frustration, he realized that the map didn't have detailed information about the locations that were outside the Seraphia city. While the forest was still part of the city, it had to be 'explored' since he could see fog on the map or he was sure that he could buy the whole map but then again, he would rather explore than spend his money.

Deciding that he needed more direct assistance, Saad turned to the miner NPCs working near the flame stone mines. Approaching them, he inquired, "Excuse me, do any of you know the location of swamps in this region?"

The miners paused in their work and regarded him with curious expressions. One of them, a rugged man with soot-streaked skin, nodded and spoke up, "Aye, lad. If you're lookin' for a swamp, head west from here. Keep walkin' for about 6 kilometers, and you'll come across a forest. That's where you'll find the swamp you're after."

Saad's brows furrowed as he processed the information. Walking 6 kilometers in a virtual world seemed like a considerable distance, but he had little choice if he wanted to gather the Fiery Fly Essence. Thanking the miners for their help, he turned his gaze to the western horizon. It was time to set out on another journey. Another thing that he realized that even after the miner had given him information, unlike how his quests would get updated and had information in the below, map didn't get updated just because you heard something.

With a determined but frustrated exhale, Saad began his trek towards the forest in the west using his high agility stat. Each step brought him closer to his destination, and as he covered the first 5 kilometers, his heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. All around him were thick trees and even though he didn't want, he almost felt slightly nervous.

But as nothing seemed to appear until yet, and then, just as he was beginning to feel more at ease, his heart skipped a beat. Standing before him were the creatures that seemed all too familiar – slime monsters, their gelatinous form undulating with a strange rhythm and moving in a strange pattern. Alongside it were shrieking grasshorus, their agile movements reminiscent of the real world grasshoppers. But that wasn't end of it. They seemed to be fighting.

[Transparent Slime]

Level: 5

Type: water

Description: Transparent slimes are docile creatures with a bouncy exterior. You can use them as pillows during your adventures. The water they produce is undrinkable.

Attributes:

HP: 50/50

ATK: 10 VIT: 22

AGI: 10 INT: 42

Abilities:

[Slam], [Bubbles] >>>Expand for Details<<<

Weaknesses: Fire, Slashing damage

[Shrieking Grasshorus]

Level: 6

Type: Earth

Description: Shrieking Grasshorus are vicious creature who can confuse the enemy with their loud sounds.

Attributes:

HP: 60/60

ATK: 13 VIT: 12

AGI: 29 INT: 11

Abilities:

[Shriek], [Kick] >>>Expand for Details<<<

Weaknesses: Earth Arcane Spells

The unfamiliarity of these creatures caught Saad off guard, and a wave of panic surged within him. It was a stark reminder that in this virtual world, new and unexpected challenges could arise at any moment. His breathing quickened, and his fingers tightened around the handle of his whip as he struggled to comprehend the situation before him.

The transparent slime's surface seemed to ripple with an almost eerie translucence, its abilities and attributes unknown to Saad. The shrieking grasshorus, on the other hand, exhibited a frenzied behavior, its high-pitched cries grating on his nerves. The scene unfolded in a strange, almost surreal manner, as if the creatures were engaged in a battle that transcended the boundaries of the game.

Especially the color and feel was too real to not feel repulsed. Not to mention while the slime was basely as big as casaba melon, the grasshorus was another story. He was as big as a four to five years old child. Just seeing an insect this big made him feel like ants were crawling on his skin.