An Adventure in the Main World (IV)

After telling the children their story, Fina reappeared before Fang Zheng, utterly exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fang Zheng. I don't know what happened either..."

Fina looked exhausted as well, seemingly at a loss for words. However, Omniscient Angel had already revealed that she had not been controlled, caught in an illusion, or dreaming, so Fang Zheng naturally did not make things difficult for her. He understood why she had reacted this way. After all, human nature was universal, and people often relied on their surroundings to form their judgments. Perhaps Fina had initially suspected this was some Cultist trap, but after talking with the children, her thoughts had begun to waver.

"Don't worry about it, Miss Fina."

Fang Zheng reached out and patted Fina on the shoulder, signaling for her to pull herself together.

"This place really is strange. Perhaps we should widen our search... By the way, you said you saw Cultists before?"

"That's right!"

Hearing Fang Zheng's question, Fina nodded vigorously, and her expression brightened again.

"Please follow me, Mr. Fang Zheng. I remember that Cultists' nest very clearly. It's on the mountain across from us!"

Thus, led by Fina, Fang Zheng's group set out once more. They left from the other side of the village, followed Fina up a mountain path, entered the dense forest, and then...

"What is it, Miss Fina?"

"This isn't it..."

Fina stared at the forest before her in astonishment, her face filled with disbelief.

"When did this forest appear? I clearly remember this being a slope, with a river below it and bushes all around... I almost tore my clothes here..."

Yet the scene before them was completely different from what Fina had described. Vast stretches of dense forest covered the mountains, with no trace of a river in sight. There were