The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 92: Misty Forest

Sylutia stepped forward with the others, drawing a wooden stick, then boarded the black-cloth-covered carriage according to the number on it, heading towards the departure point.

Today, she wore a beige-gray robe, simply tied at the waist with a belt, which cinched the garment, revealing a somewhat slender and delicate waistline. Inside the robe, hanging from her waist, were a lantern and two swords.

The other students were also dressed in various styles, carrying their own prepared weapons and creations.

According to the assessment rules, apart from weapons and some armor which could be purchased or crafted by others, all other combat consumables had to be made by oneself.

Limited by personal rank and family background and strength, the weapons and equipment prepared by the vast majority did not exceed the First Tier. Higher-tier creations were also currently difficult for the students to control and utilize effectively.

"We're here," came the voice of the rider from outside the carriage. Simultaneously, the carriage cloth was lifted, allowing Sylutia inside to disembark.

The black-haired girl lifted the curtain, stepped lightly down from the carriage, and then thanked the accompanying rider.

"Thank you."

The rider glanced at her with slight surprise before spurring his horse to leave.

"Be careful at night." Just as Sylutia thought the other had gone far, a voice came from the direction the rider had left, making her turn her head."I understand," she bowed in thanks once more.

Will it be very dangerous here at night? Sylutia looked up, gazing at the mist-shrouded mountains ahead, and then stepped into them.

...

The forest was very quiet, likely because it had just rained. The fallen leaves on the ground were also damp, making no sound when stepped on.

Not long after starting to walk, Sylutia found a branch among the trees to use as a pathfinder, pushing aside the thick, damp bushes and grass.

This mountain forest was vast. The 'Sweetwater Spring' mentioned by the Instructor provided no clues; she had to find a way to locate it herself. The only thing she remembered was that the Instructor had mentioned the spring possessed a faint 'Mist Shadow' Aspect.

After walking a distance, Sylutia stopped, retrieving a small vial of potion from the pocket at her waist within her robe. This was the 'Verdant Eye' potion she had brewed herself, and it was currently the only potion she had mastered. Probably due to her 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect and her [Dew Prayer·Branch Grooming] ability, she found brewing this potion very easy, not requiring much effort to learn.

Dripping a drop of the potion into her eye, her originally cornflower-like light blue iris gradually took on a verdant green hue. Then, everything before her eyes became bizarre and kaleidoscopic.

Because the 'Verdant Eye' potion was specifically designed for observing plants, when she stood in the forest, her vision was flooded with the 'spectra' emitted by various plants. This massive influx of information made Sylutia feel a slight ache in her eyes.

She had to close her eyes first, rest for a moment, and then slowly open them again. At this moment, her heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one green, simultaneously shimmered with light, giving the girl in the forest a peculiar charm.

Blue Stream Grass... Blackwater Mushroom... Flaming Red Grapefruit... Perilla Moon Grass...

She murmured softly, tallying the discovered rare and precious plants. Unfortunately, she did not find any trace of the 'Mist Shadow' Aspect spring.

It probably isn't in this area. The girl closed her eyes again, resting her overworked eyes. The verdant green in her eyes slowly faded away, returning to the soft light blue.

Keep moving forward. She re-planned her route, preparing to gather the rare plants she had just discovered, then proceed step by step deeper into the mountains.

...

On another path, Komea carefully hopped and skipped through the forest shade, holding a basket, looking around. A bell hung at her waist, occasionally emitting crisp sounds.

"Has Doughball arrived yet or not? If it could follow along, this assessment would be much easier," Komea whispered to herself.

After learning the assessment location that day, she had pointed the direction to that white Tili Wolf, telling it to go there first and wait for her. However, she didn't know if 'Doughball' had understood. If it did, that would be best.

...

Solyn walked through the mountains, holding a peculiar copper pendant in his hand. Its shape resembled a chicken, connected by a structure that could rotate automatically.

Mist Shadow Aspect... This 'Wind-Seeking Chicken' dad gave me should be able to detect it. But it can also be interfered with by other 'Mist Shadow' things, so I need to hurry and try multiple times.

Having secretly resolved himself, Solyn quickened his pace once more.

...

The noble youth Baren was also walking through the mountains at this moment, holding a small cage. He looked at the white sparrow inside, muttering from time to time.

"If you find any trace of the Mist Shadow spring, chirp a few times, understand?" This bird was something his dad had spent a lot of money to buy from a specialized bird trainer; it could detect manifested 'Aspects'.

Unfortunately, if he were a professional who had mastered bird training skills, he could simply release this bird and let it search on its own.

...

Other students also used various strange methods to search. The least prepared simply walked through the mountains on foot, relying purely on luck.

For the entire morning, everything was normal. As time gradually passed noon and many students ventured deep into the forest interior, some situations began to occur.

"Strange, this tree always looks like it has a human face," one student said as he passed a large tree, seeing the distorted bark and trunk, feeling a chill.

"This one too..." Not long after, he encountered another tree that was the same. Looking deeper into the forest, it seemed everywhere was filled with such twisted branches, some even withered and blackened, with leaves fallen and scattered.

Around 2 PM, the first battle occurred in the assessment forest.

"Grrr..."

A black-red Tili Wolf wrinkled the fur on its nose, revealing sharp teeth, its front paws anxiously scraping the ground. Before it stood a student who was extremely tense.

"Don't come any closer. I know the Breathing Technique. It might just be a fight to the death." This student gripped his sword with both hands, eyes fixed on the Tili Wolf, stammering intermittently.

He had participated in many training sessions in the past, but truly facing an enemy alone still made him somewhat timid and uneasy.

However, the Tili Wolf before him wouldn't have much patience. It charged out at an extremely fast speed, rushing towards the student's legs.

In a moment of panic, he swung his sword and missed. Then, pain shot through his left foot. Looking down, he saw the Tili Wolf biting his trouser leg, its teeth probably embedded in his flesh.

Stimulated by intense pain and fear, he raised his sword and stabbed fiercely at the Tili Wolf, immediately drawing a spurt of blood.

"Ahhh—!" As if to embolden himself, he continuously stabbed and slashed at the Tili Wolf before him until it was dead beyond doubt, only then gradually calming down.

Even though Tili Wolves were fierce, for a student who had undergone months of training and mastered the two-stage Breathing Technique, relying on physical stats alone could suppress it. He was just too inexperienced and had lost his composure first.

After this battle, this student matured and became more decisive, gaining a bit of confidence. He bandaged his calf and continued advancing deeper into the forest.

...

Of course, not all students were this green.

In another corner of the forest, the golden-haired Iona advanced swiftly. Any beast or monster she encountered along the way was easily sliced apart by the twin swords she wielded, blood spilling on the spot, while she herself remained neat and tidy, not a drop of blood on her.

Because she had a father who was a general, Iona had followed adults hunting from a very young age and had witnessed many combat scenes. She was experienced; she wouldn't be timid and hesitant like ordinary girls.

Although she didn't know the exact direction of the spring, she was familiar with the assessment process. Such a spring would inevitably be placed deep in the forest, not near the starting point, and there would definitely be special beasts lingering and guarding around the spring.

Therefore, she only needed to find the area in this region where large numbers of beasts gathered to find clues about the spring.

...

At the starting point closest to the main road, Mick followed the marks along the path, moving quickly, a sense of unease in his heart.

These were marks left by the adventuring team Jello's big brother belonged to. Could it be they just happened to enter here as well?

This wasn't a safe place. Many team members hadn't even condensed a 'First Tier' Aspect yet. Facing those powerful monsters used for the assessment would be very dangerous.

Naturally, he thought of the giant wild boar he had encountered during hunting before, his heart filled with worry.

I need to be faster. I hope Jello's big brother and the others are okay.

Yes, Jello's big brother is stronger and braver than me, and more experienced. He definitely won't be in trouble.

The youth silently recited this as he rushed into the depths of the forest marked by the signs.