Chương 339: -335- No such experience
"..."
Walking side by side on the quiet streets of Mishe, Rozen and Silica shared an indescribable atmosphere of awkwardness. Though it seemed awkward, the source of this atmosphere was entirely Silica.
Rozen was as carefree as before, his face showing laziness and unconcern. He strolled down the street, amusing Pina and eliciting the pleasant chirps from the familiar. However, Silica was different.
(What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do...!?)
Silica silently walked next to Rozen, her mind screaming in anxious desperation. Even though she had ultimately decided to team up with Rozen due to Pina, Silica realized she had never been alone with a male stranger before.
In other words, at this moment, Silica had no idea what actions to take or what topics to bring up.
(I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I realize this before...!?)
Silica chastised herself internally.
(Ugh... It's all Pina's fault...)
Silica could only follow along beside Rozen, maintaining her silence.
Until...
"By the way." Rozen suddenly spoke to Silica. "Can I just call you Silica?"
Rozen's sudden words startled Silica.
But she quickly replied.
"Y-Yes! Please feel free to!"
Silica responded hastily.
"Well then, Silica, can I ask you a question?" Rozen asked with curiosity. "When did you tame this little fellow?"
"When...you say?" Silica tilted her head and answered truthfully. "It was about a year ago, I think? I encountered Pina while I was taking a stroll on a lower floor. Pina approached me on its own, so I fed it some nuts I had with me. After that, Pina followed me back to town."
"I see." Rozen nodded and said, "You're really lucky."
Generally, small animal-type monsters wouldn't attack players and might approach them instead. If you fed them something they liked, you could potentially tame them as familiars. However, encountering a creature like this was already very fortunate, and carrying their favorite food with you was even luckier.
So, Silica really had great luck.
Silica also nodded with a candid smile.
"Yes." Silica responded without hesitation. "Being able to meet Pina is truly the luckiest thing I've experienced in this world."
With these words, a smile emerged on Silica's face. It wasn't a smile born from the joy of having tamed a familiar, but rather the happiness of having encountered a friend named Pina.
As a familiar expert, Rozen could easily see from this smile how much Silica valued Pina. Clearly, what Silica treasured wasn't just the familiar's abilities but Pina's presence itself.
"Chu!"
Pina once again let out a melodious sound, as if echoing Silica's words.
From this, it was clear that the bond between Silica and Pina went beyond the typical relationship between a beast tamer and her familiar.
Rozen could understand this.
(If Silica's age truly matches her appearance, then it's quite cruel for a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl to live alone in a world where death is always a possibility.)
In such circumstances, meeting Pina wasn't just an opportunity for Silica, but the fortuitous encounter with a cherished friend and companion.
Silica undoubtedly regarded Pina as a source of emotional support, a means for her to keep surviving in this world. This was evident in how she chose Rozen, a lone player, over other parties, driven by her concern for Pina's well-being.
Precisely because of this, Rozen genuinely decided to team up with Silica.
In truth, when he initially raised his hand, Rozen's goal wasn't just to join parties with Silica. He had a different motive, but that's another story.
"Alright." Rozen addressed Silica. "Are you ready to leave the town, or do you need to restock on supplies or repair your equipment first?"
"No, I'm all set." Silica shook her head and then tentatively asked, "Where should we go? How about the Forest of Wandering?"
To the north of the 35th floor was a forest composed of dense, giant trees. The forest was divided like a chessboard into hundreds of segments, and a mechanism was set in place that changed the surrounding segments randomly when someone stepped into one segment for a minute. Thus, it was called the Forest of Wandering.
There were two methods to leave this forest.
The first involved continuously breaking through each segment within a minute, moving to the next segment before changes occurred. By doing this, players could eventually escape before the one-minute time limit for structural changes took effect.
The second method was to use a high-priced map item available in the main street's item shops. This would help players navigate the connections between various segments and progress forward.
These were the only two ways to leave the forest. Even using a teleport crystal within the Forest of Wandering was ineffective, as it would randomly transport players to another segment within the forest.
However, thanks to this structure, the Forest of Wandering housed many undiscovered treasure chests and higher-level monsters compared to other training areas. After hunting here, players could gain more experience, money, and dropped items. It was a great location for mid-level players.
Since arriving on the 35th floor, Silica had also spent time hunting in the Forest of Wandering.
"Forest of Wandering?" Rozen stroked his chin and then suddenly asked, "Isn't that like another kind of Labyrinth?"
Another kind of Labyrinth?
What did he mean?
Silica looked at Rozen with confusion.
Rozen merely waved his hand dismissively.
"Nothing, just thinking out loud. Don't worry about it. Alright, let's head to the Forest of Wandering."
"O-Okay." Despite her lingering curiosity, Silica nodded.
After that, the two of them went to a nearby item shop, where they purchased the high-priced map item unique to the Labyrinth Forest. Then, they left Mishe and headed to the Forest of Wandering.
However, they didn't realize that after leaving the town, someone had immediately begun following them.
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