A dense, overgrown, deep forest.
The sunlight is blocked by large trees, making it dim even during the daytime.
Occasionally, a ray of light shines through a gap in the leaves and falls down.
It is no longer a forest, but more like a dense jungle.
Unlike the Earth's Amazon, there is hardly any humidity.
(...... Sea of Trees?)
Helian, fed up with the unchanging landscape, continues on his way in silence.
At the beginning of their departure, they tried to send a covert soldier belonging to the 6th Legion - a demon race specializing in stealth called the Invisible Demon - ahead of them as a scout, but the distance between them was too great and the soldiers were too far away from each other. When we left the space between us, we almost lost sight of each other's position.
No doubt, it was due to the disorienting effect of this mysterious forest.
Therefore, we decided to deploy the cloaked soldiers in a very close proximity in a latent state with the cloaking technique activated.
The existence concealment--a technique that completely conceals not only the five senses (sight, hearing, etc.) but also the presence of others--is of a fairly high level of difficulty, and they may not have the strength to engage in battle while the technique is deployed, but this is not a problem at this time.
It would be better to operate them as liaison and information-gathering personnel in case of emergencies.
(By the way, the scenery really hasn't changed.)
I have already been walking for nearly 30 minutes since I went through the big gate into the forest.
However, no matter where we looked, our vision was tinted with a deep green, and we felt as if we were losing our sense of direction.
The group is now moving toward the northeast, where they have observed something that looks like an artifact. However, if Helian had been alone, he would have gone in the wrong direction by now.
The fact that the scenery remains the same means that there are no significant landmarks. It is surprisingly difficult to just walk straight ahead in the absence of any landmarks.
Nevertheless, the group was able to walk straight toward the northeast because of the excellent companions.
"It looks like it's completely untouched by human hands.
"Yes. Yes, but it's strange. I can hardly hear the forest.
Eltina, with waist-length blonde hair, answered Levee's murmur.
Her beautiful golden locks glistened in the scarce sunlight.
Eltina, the leader of the Third Legion, is an Ancient Elf. Her terrain suitability for the forest is extremely high.
She is also an expert in the art of healing, as she is the head of the Third Legion, which is in charge of healing and support in times of war. His wide range of supportive magic skills will be of great help to you in your exploration missions.
On the other hand, Rieve, the Moon Wolf Managarum, also has a good aptitude for forest terrain. He also boasts the highest overall level among the [Archimyra].
"There are very few signs of life. Even birds and insects are almost non-existent. ......
"Yeah, it's crazy. Even with my nose I can't detect the presence of any major organisms."
Rieve and Eltina are right, the group has not seen anyone so far.
Not a person, not even a beast, has been seen so far.
What kind of remote area had they been transported to?
Helian is already eager to go home, but there is no way he can return now. If the king, who had gone to the trouble of gathering honor guards to see him off, were to return after just a short walk in the woods, his dignity and all that would die.
Besides, it is not meaningless that the king himself is risking his life to accompany the investigation.
The player has the ability to improve the status of his subordinates within a proximity of about 50 meters by one level.
Do not be fooled to think that it is only one step. The difference in performance often makes a decisive difference in the strength of a force. In a situation where you do not know what kind of danger is lurking, it is better to deal with the situation by increasing your capability as much as possible.
However, if there is an enemy that can only be defeated by further raising the status of a corps leader who is already powerful, Helian, who is only a human being in terms of physical ability, may die in the aftermath of the battle alone. I will.
It was Helian's honest and sincere feeling that he could not do without thinking positively.
"...... hmm?"
"Herian-sama."
"This is ......."
The three of them shouted at almost the same time.
As they continued walking, there was a distinct change in the air at one point.
Even Hellian could tell.
It had been quite dark earlier, but now the amount of light shining into the forest had clearly increased.
The visibility has improved by only a few meters. It was dramatic.
"Your Majesty, the forest's illusory effect has weakened considerably.
Helian ponders for a moment after receiving Ertina's report.
"...... is this corner out of range of the illusory effect? Or is this the boundary line and the forest is normal from here on?"
The latter would be appreciated.
I don't want to walk around with my nerves on edge any more without sufficient visibility.
The former is fine.
At least we can catch our breath here.
Walking for 30 minutes was hard for me as an indoor person. And the march in the unpaved jukai (sea of trees) was nerve-wracking for me. The feeling of fatigue is tremendous.
In ...... game [Tactics Chronicle], there was no such thing as player fatigue, and the player could have continued walking forever, but I dare not think about that.
"--, Mr. Helian..."
Rieve turned her face in the wrong direction, as if she had noticed something.
Her nose was twitching. As a wolf-like beastman, she had the ability to detect and track invisible enemies through her sense of smell. It seems that she sensed the presence of something through her sense of smell.
Immediately, Helian calls up the Tactical Window and opens a