[Frostwind Continent-North of Forbidden Forest]
The early ray from the morning sun cast a dense shadow on the Forbidden Forest. Looking at the beautiful landscape and mesmerizing scenery, who would believe that this was the most dangerous place around here?
However, no matter how dangerous it was, people wouldn't think twice before jumping into this chaos as it also held their hope.
In the periphery of the Forbidden Forest, Heizen looked at a large number of people. There were almost twenty of them in different attires carrying various weapons.
There were Warrior, Mage, Archer, and even dwarfs.
Heizen just arrived with Bernard, Bowen, and the two girls Sarah and Sophie, waiting for everyone from the Seeker Adventurer team to assemble.
He was actually lost in his thoughts. The earlier interaction of Bowen with his sister Elara was still lingering in his mind.
While he was touched by their love and support for each other, he was also particularly lost.
He seemed to be always lonely. Whether when he was on Earth or when he transmigrated into this world, there was no one whom he could return to after adventure.
Putting those thoughts aside, Heizen walked towards Bowen whose eyes carried weight he hadn't seen before.
"You really love her, huh? Is she sick from birth?" Heizen asked after tapping his shoulder.
Bowen turned to him with a brief surprise on his face. But he nodded, "Yes, she was sick from birth. I showed her to a healer before, but nothing worked. So, I can only go to the city for the cure."
Heizen nodded. He was also a healer. However, he didn't know if he could heal her with his power. But he could try after returning.
"Then be careful. Don't go too far from the team. I will save you if something happens." Heizen joked.
Bowen was now only at the level 10 while he was already at 14. So, it did make sense.
Bowen rolled his eyes but still said seriously, "You too be careful." Then he became silent.
Heizen was speechless. This man's words were like gold.
Just then, a group of adventures came in front of the team. The leader, a tall man in full armor with a long scar faintly visible on his cheek, stepped forward.
Bernard had already introduced them to him. His name was Garrick, the leader of the Seeker Adventurer team.
"I won't say much. Just don't leave the range of the team when we are in the inner layer. Follow the path we walked and you won't encounter any issues."
He continued.
"If there are any attacks, everyone should do their best. If I find someone deliberately fishing," Garrick glared at everyone but didn't finish his sentence.
"Ok, let's go." After saying this, he didn't pay attention and walked inside the forest with his team.
All the other adventurers also had their own small team. Heizen and his group were walking along the rear.
The journey through the periphery was uneventful and silent. Only the sound of the crunch of leaves underfoot and the distant growl of monsters were audible.
Maybe because there were many people, they didn't encounter any monsters along the way.
As they left the periphery of the Forbidden Forest, the light began to become dimmer. The dense trees and towering canopy made it very difficult for the rays of sunlight to pierce this place.
However, everyone was an adventurer, they had their means. Still, Heizen noticed that the people around them became more alert than before.
The team leader Garrick also started to send scouts. After changing their directions multiple times, they finally arrived at their destination.
Though they did encounter some monsters, they weren't that hard to kill for their team.
However, Heizen was skeptical about his System. Before, embarking on this journey, he thought he would hear many prompts. He had even prepared the countermeasure.
However, this dog System was silent throughout the journey. So, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Ok, that's as far as we go. A large group of people in a catacomb isn't good. So, you guys are on your own. As long as you aren't stupid enough to go deep, you won't encounter any problems." The leader said a few words.
"Assembled after a week and don't die." After saying that, his team chose a certain direction and walked away.
Other adventurers also had their own plans.
The place where they arrived was a large mountain riddled with holes. Each hole leads to a separate destination. Some may converge but that was very rare.
But it was confirmed that each direction led to the ruin of magic civilization. If you were lucky, you would probably get the rare treasure. Or sometimes, you may encounter a peerless monster. There were also traps and unverified things that were better left undisturbed.
However, since most of the outer layer of the catacomb had been explored, you wouldn't encounter risk if you were careful.
"Ok, let's also choose one," Sarah said in an excited mood. This was the first time going on an adventure, so she was looking forward to it.
"Don't get too excited. Don't make me save you again." Heizen also joked to lighten the atmosphere.
"Humph, you don't need to this time"
Looking at her expression, Heizen was sure that this prodigal had a treasure with her.
"Ok, let's not waste time. Also, whatever you do, don't get separated." Bernard warned.
They nodded and Bernard chose an entrance according to his intel. Though it was covered with a thick canopy of lines and moss, it looked better than others. The entrance was covered with a stone door that you could push inside.
Heizen saw many ancient runes and carvings on the door that was giving him eerie feelings. This atmosphere around the catacomb was really off.
Bernard pushed the stone inward and took the lead. The others also followed suit with serious expressions toward the narrow corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly into the abyss.
Unbeknownst to him, the insignia on his arm was also showing slight change as he entered the catacomb with his friends.