Heretics

"Two pieces of Everlasting Moss!"

"That kid must be from the Bremen Family." People started to murmur.

"Brave young man."

"Lucky guy!"

Amidst everyone's envious gazes, the young man in the mage robe returned to the Bremen Family's camp.

Greeting him were family members and elders with beaming smiles, as well as the Church priest who walked over from not far away.

Gagnor noticed from afar that, after some haggling, the Bremen Family's lucky young mage seemed to have sold the two pieces of Everlasting Moss to the Church.

The Church seemed to have a great need for Everlasting Moss.

This couldn't help but stir Gagnor's imagination...

After the excitement of the first round of adventure, most of the people outside the Serpent's Cut Line were somewhat excited, all staring at the tranquil Tidal Lands, eager to try their luck.

The moon rose again.

Immediately, the exact same scene as last night played out again. Along with the shifting scenery of the Tidal Lands, people realized that the level restriction of the Serpent's Cut Line had changed from Tier 1 to Tier 2.

"Tier 2 soldiers can go in now. Same as before, remember to come back before the moon rises next time!" the captain shouted. "You, who went in last night, go in again tonight and lead the way for the others. I'll give you a war merit for when you return!"

He assigned a tall, thin recruit wearing leather armor as a guide for the second round of adventure.

The assigned recruit seemed a little reluctant, but eventually obeyed the order.

Gagnor didn't go in immediately, but looked at a piece of paper in his hand, on which he was using tally marks to count the number of people entering and returning.

Two people hadn't returned...

Considering that more than a hundred people went in last night, the mortality rate was about 2%.

One person brought back two pieces of Everlasting Moss, tentatively valued at ten thousand silver coins, which is one hundred gold coins, roughly equivalent to the money an ordinary worker would save for two lifetimes without eating or drinking.

There was a 97% chance of going for nothing, a 2% chance of dying, and a 1% chance of finding two lifetimes' worth of wages.

From an economic point of view, the risk and reward were fairly balanced, at least enough to show that adventuring in the Tidal Lands wasn't a foolish endeavor.

"So, have you decided?" John glanced at the strange symbols Gagnor had written on the paper, obviously not understanding what they meant.

Gagnor nodded, "I've decided to go in."

"Then let's set off!" John was already fully equipped, and the other Tier 2 members of the mercenary group were also by the Serpent's Cut Line, ready to go in at any time.

Gagnor, with his weapons, potions, and other items ready, followed John and the other Gray Eagle Soldiers, preparing to enter the Tidal Lands.

At this moment, Ryan walked over and said in his ear, "Be careful of those Heretics."

"Heretics?" Gagnor followed the direction Ryan indicated with his eyes, only to see a few hunters heading towards the Tidal Lands together, seemingly no different from the others.

"Based on my experience, they are almost certainly Heretics who sneaked in from the west," Ryan said in a low voice. "You grew up in the Church. You shouldn't need me to teach you how to treat Heretics."

"Take this." He stuffed a small gray bottle into Gagnor's hand. "Smear it on your weapon, and you can easily poison Tier 2 Demon Beasts. Tier 3 Demon Beasts will also be significantly affected."

"Thank you, I'll be careful."

Gagnor thanked him, and then crossed the Serpent's Cut Line with John and a few other Gray Eagle Soldiers.

As he crossed the Serpent's Cut Line, a dense, mysterious power combed through every pore of his skin, feeling like passing through a curtain of water.

Considering its ebb and flow and its similarity to the tide, "Tidal Lands" was indeed an apt name.

"Why does it look different from the outside?" Someone asked in surprise. Inside the Tidal Lands, the height of the trees, the distribution of the grass, and other details were indeed different from what they looked like from the outside.

Gagnor recalled the information he had recently gathered: "When we look from the outside in, only the scenery near the Serpent's Cut Line is real. As for the scenery deep in the Tidal Lands, it's just a solidified illusion from the last time it was closed."

The others noticed the apothecary robe he was wearing, and felt a bit more trust and closeness in their hearts. They asked, "Where do you think we should go to find Everlasting Moss?"

"The most likely place to find Everlasting Moss is of course the center of the Tidal Lands. It's likely that no one has reached it yet, and there's a high probability that we can find it. But we also have to consider the routes of other people and try to avoid repeating them," said a middle-aged hunter in the team.

He was also the captain of this temporary team, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to indicate that he was reliable.

While speaking, the hunter captain observed the footprints around him, and also asked the tall, thin recruit who was acting as a guide. After a brief discussion, the group reached an agreement and quickly moved forward in a southeasterly direction.

Whenever they found fresh footprints on the road, they would immediately adjust their direction, trying to find places that no one had passed through.

This was not only to avoid conflict, but also a requirement for finding Everlasting Moss plants.

The biggest characteristic of Everlasting Moss plants is that once they are perceived by intelligent beings in any way—even if they are only glanced at—they will immediately stop growing, and will disappear into the growing ground within a day at most.

Therefore, it is impossible for there to be Everlasting Moss plants near any area that people have passed through.

Strictly speaking, Everlasting Moss plants grow randomly anywhere, but most places are under the dense gaze of humans, and even if Everlasting Moss plants grow, they will quickly disappear, which is equivalent to not growing at all.

Only in isolated places like the Tidal Lands is it possible for some Everlasting Moss plants to grow that can be harvested.

As dawn approached, someone suggested taking a break. The group made a fire, took out dry food and water, and replenished their strength.

"I feel a little sleepy..." A square-faced warrior yawned.

Hunter Captain: "We basically only have one day. Sleeping in the Tidal Lands is not a good idea."

"You're right." The square-faced warrior yawned. "But I was so excited last night that I couldn't sleep. I'm really too sleepy. Let me sleep for a while. Wake me up when you're ready to leave..."

As he spoke, he fell asleep against a large tree.

The group exchanged glances. The hunter captain said, "We'll set off in half an hour."

However, before he could finish speaking, a faint rustling sound could be heard.

"What's that sound?" More than one person noticed it, but they couldn't immediately pinpoint its source.

"Hiss!" Immediately afterward, a thick, long, green figure suddenly shot out from the trees. Hissing, it instantly coiled around the square-faced warrior who had been sleeping.

"Forest Python!"

"Ah—" The square-faced warrior was dragged into the trees by the python, his scream echoing through the forest.