Rupture

"They're... from the fleet?"

Linsey had even prepared to set off alone to continue exploring the forest.

The scene that appeared on the map at this moment was truly unexpected for him.

He stood there stunned for a moment before walking toward the green dot, not forgetting to cancel his treant state when he was near the edge of the poisonous fog.

"Drake, what's the situation inside?"

"Any new discoveries?"

As soon as Linsey stepped out of the poisonous fog, she heard a familiar shout.

Reze brought his fleet members here, and there were quite a few of them, a total of more than ten people.

And unlike the last exploration.

In addition to the Awakened Ones on the ship, there were also a few ordinary people in the group!

Among them was Weikena, who was on the ship with Linsey.

Leading ordinary people to explore the forest... Linsey stepped forward, her expression somewhat subtle:

"Reze, so many people, are they all preparing to enter the forest?"

Reze nodded:

"That's right, everyone discussed and reached a conclusion by the river."

"The fact that someone else got there first is indeed suspicious, and there's no reason not to investigate further; but at the same time, we can't leave this secret place unattended, and the entire fleet is planning to develop it properly."

Linsey pressed further, "Does 'development' mean...?"

Reze immediately explained, "Let's try to establish a camp here and set up a base."

The explorer then pointed to the group behind him. "Everyone here came because they felt the need to continue investigating the situation."

Hearing this, Linsey finally understood.

The disagreements within the fleet are very serious.

Given the clear reward of a secret realm, ordinary people also gave up supporting Reze's adventure plan.

The final result, naturally, was that they went their separate ways.

Reze phrased his words rather tactfully, but the people in front of him were likely the crew members who still chose to support him.

Since we are all companions who came here after making our own choices.

Linsey immediately and without reservation said:

"I have some good news. I did make some discoveries inside."

"The person who damaged the mycelium left traces, which I just confirmed; they went due east."

Reze looked overjoyed:

"As expected of you, you can even spot clues in this kind of environment!"

Next, the team of more than ten people was reorganized.

Linsey was quite surprised that the merchants, who had also organized fleets, were not so fixated on the secret realm before them.

The other party abandoned the secret realm before them and decided to continue exploring the forest.

They also used their skills to help carry luggage, solving many problems related to carrying supplies for the team.

The new team bypassed the Poison Mist Secret Realm.

Weikena followed Linsey as if they were on a boat, but he would still occasionally turn his head curiously to look behind him:

"Mr. Drake, is it dangerous inside that poisonous fog?"

Linsey nodded in reply:

"For ordinary people, going in means certain death."

"Even if you protect your mouth and nose, the toxic fumes in the air can still penetrate your body through your skin, and ordinary awakened individuals cannot even cope with it."

Weikena looked somewhat uneasy.

But then, more of my emotions were consumed by anticipation.

His previous experience on the ship made him yearn for the opportunity to become an Awakened One, and this adventure was vaguely related to that.

Weikena couldn't help but ask:

"Besides the poisonous fog, there must be many other wondrous things inside, right? After all, it's a secret realm!"

Linsey didn't hide this point:

"Yes, but its products are all fungi, and most of them are poisonous. For example, I picked a kind of mushroom that can make your body swell after eating it, but it also has corresponding toxic side effects..."

Following the directions Linsey pointed out, the group began their journey into the forest.

A full week has passed.

However, without strong intervention to suppress it, the forest disturbances continued, and people inevitably got disturbed when camping at night.

Linsey asked the 'locals' in the group.

When the Courtyard in the Forest was first developed, no one addressed this problem.

But they will only last for about 10 days at most, and then they will naturally dissipate. The current situation is clearly beyond normal.

Until mid-September.

Linsey and his friends climbed a hill in the forest.

Looking out from this vantage point, one can see that the surrounding mountains form a rather complex and overlapping pattern.

As luck would have it, it was located directly to the east.

The terrain is most severely layered, like the wrinkles on a Shar Pei's face piled up, creating valleys that are difficult for outsiders to see.

"These valleys..."

"The direction perfectly matches the route."

To confirm the situation more clearly, Linsey even unfolded a map to take a closer look.

Draw a straight line eastward from the Poison Mist Secret Realm, and you'll pass right through the mountain range in front of you!

"In that case, it would be unreasonable not to go and see."

Linsey informed her companions, and the route was adjusted accordingly.

They put in a lot of effort.

Finally, we climbed to the Mountain Peak and followed the narrow, solitary path along the summit, eventually turning onto a small path hidden among the Mountain Peak.

When they arrived at the valley surrounded by mountains.

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

The mountains gently embrace this paradise.

The area is lush and vibrant, with towering ancient trees forming a vast canopy. Clear springs flow down from the mountaintop, creating waterfalls that converge into a mirror-like blue lake.

What greeted us was a wondrous and mysterious landscape.

The environment is filled with the Essence energy that nourishes life; just breathing the air makes one feel refreshed.

To put it bluntly...

If no one forcibly extracts or consumes the Essence here.

Ordinary people who live here long-term will have a higher probability of becoming Awakened during the Source Material Tide that occurs every 10 years! "This... is another secret realm?"

"If I could retire in a place like this, my life would be complete."

"..."

A surprised voice came from behind Linsey.

Among the crowd, it was Reze seemed somewhat incredulous.

In the past 10 years, only three secret places have been discovered in the Courtyard in the Forest. Excluding those that are kept secret, there are probably not many left.

As a result, their team ventured deep into the forest.

In just over a month, he'd already encountered two? Reze's expression revealed unease and vigilance.

In the experience of explorers, it is normal to gain rewards from adventures. But if huge rewards follow one after another, even beyond common sense, it often means danger.

Reze cautiously asked Linsey:

"Drake, can you scout out the situation ahead?"

Linsey naturally nodded in agreement.

He employed two reconnaissance methods simultaneously.

On one hand, he directly administered the Hawk Eye Potion, climbed to the high point of the nearby Mountain Peak, and used his enhanced vision to look into the valley.

Unfortunately, even though this is a secret place, it cannot escape the interference of the forest's state.

The bodies of countless plants are twisting and rubbing against each other, and it is impossible to discern any details by sight alone.

But on the opened map.

Linsey, however, discovered something unusual.

Besides the green dots surrounding his companions, there were also some Red Marker symbolizing hostility inside this Life Secret Realm!

They were the humans who dug out the core of the mycelium in the Poison Mist Secret Realm.

Or is it that this secret realm is inhabited by Devil Beast that are hostile to humans?

"..."

Linsey frowned.

He took out his Bat Staff, summoned two bats, and flew deeper into the forest under the cover of the trees.

Linsey jumped off the cliff and returned to her companions. "This secret place doesn't seem to have any problems on the surface."

"However, there seems to be something hostile to us inside it."

Upon hearing Linsey's description, her teammates nodded in agreement.

Next, we should have delved deeper into it and explored it further.

There is a high probability that a battle will be fought with the enemy.

But just as they were fully prepared to enter the secret realm,

The merchant in charge of transporting the luggage suddenly stopped and called out to the group in a subtle and peculiar tone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I must remind you of something."

"I sensed a dramatic fluctuation in value here!"

Reze Ze asked, "You said the treasures inside are very valuable?"

The businessman shook his head. After a moment of careful consideration, he replied somewhat awkwardly, "What I mean is—my colleagues may have visited this place."