Chương 41: The Living Forest

"What do you mean Arthur?" Susanne asked.

"I guess we have become stuck in something like a prison. The Skeletons could not understand this phenomenon because there was a lot of residue on these vines and vegetation," Arthur speculated after intently observing their actions. If Brog were to act the way it was currently acting, he would not have come to this conclusion. However, Coburn's actions were exactly the same.

"Prison? Does that mean we got stuck in this clearing?" Nickolas asked, looking at the Skeletons that were still pacing back and forth without entering the vegetation.

"What should we do now? How are we going to escape?" Finola asked, her body growing tense.

"I think we may have to exit the clearing and enter into the forest. I believe those researchers also did the same and disappeared. That is, if what you said about this clearing being a prison is true," Susanne said.

"Oh god, what should we do now? We don't know what will happen if we were to enter. What if we were strangled to death by these vines?" Finola became agitated, thinking about how the previous researchers were absorbed the moment they touched the vines, ultimately being killed by them. However, before they could decide what to do, Arthur suddenly saw the vines starting to move within the dim darkness. Without hesitation, he summoned Maan and Dolph. Both Skeletons exited from a magic diagram.

The others were startled by this sudden action.

"What happened?" Nickolas quickly picked his round shield from his back, readying himself for defense.

"I guess we are being attacked," Arthur said. Soon, what he told them became reality. Everyone watched as the vines started to grow around the edges of the clearing, moving towards them.

"Let's try to fight," Arthur said as he commanded the Skeletons. He swiftly dismissed Brog, since its usage was over, and he commanded the other three combat-type Skeletons to stand before them in a triangle. That way, they could form the first layer of defense.

"Let us circle up," he instructed the party members. If something were to get past the Skeletons, they were to destroy it. Soon, the party stood in a circle; before them, the Skeletons stood ready to fight. Within the dim darkness, the vines slowly crawled towards them. The Skeletons were ready, and everyone else was also ready. However, the attacking vines were slow. They moved like snails. Currently, Arthur and Finola were standing at the center.

Since they were not combat-type Awakeners, they had no choice but to stand there. Arthur looked up; the sun had fully set, and night had descended. The next second, Arthur summoned Bathory. The Blacksmith Skeleton came out of the ground holding a package. It was the provisions Arthur had bought earlier when they stopped for lunch. Food, water, blankets, a torch, and a few more necessary items he had bought just in case they were to get stuck in the forest at night.

He quickly unwrapped the package and rummaged through it, taking out a two-battery torch that would last for four hours of battery life. Once he turned on the switch, the darkness went away, and they could clearly see the vines had reached just feet away from the Skeletons' position. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Shink! Coburn cut the vines that were about to touch its bony feet. Boom! Maan slammed its door shield down onto the vines, crushing them beneath its weight.

Beside it, Dolph spun its iron spear in a wide arc, slicing through the creeping tendrils before they could wrap around its legs. Arthur lowered the torch toward the severed vines. His eyes widened. The cut ends twitched. Before anyone could react, fresh vines burst from the severed stumps, writhing across the ground as if nothing had happened. A heavy silence fell over the group. They stared in disbelief, shaken to the core by the impossible sight.

They were currently standing in the middle of the vine forest; there was nothing but vines in this forest. If it were not going to die when cut down, then how were they going to fight and win this battle? Arthur somewhat had hope when he thought about his Skeletons, who knew nothing about stamina and energy. Since they could slash their swords endlessly, smash their shields forever, and rotate their spears without stop, he thought they could escape this wretched situation.

However, seeing that these vines were not dying but instead regrowing instantly, his confidence plunged to the bottom. Did I make a huge mistake taking this Quest? A thought arose in his heart. Not only himself, but he had dragged these people into it. The thought weighed heavily on Arthur's mind. He quickly glanced at the others. They weren't faring any better. They had followed him without asking a single question, trusting him completely. And now, they might die alongside him. Without hesitation, he spoke.

"Everyone, listen to me. You are all going to run now. Coburn will lead you all out. I want you to trust him and follow him. Maan will protect you from behind. Dolph and I will take care of these vines."

"Coburn, lead these people out of the forest, now!" After hearing its master's command, Coburn started to run to its left, slashing its sword forward. However, only Coburn was running. The others did not even take a step away from the circle.

"Everyone, follow Coburn!" Arthur cried out again.

"Hey, come on. We cannot escape from here and leave you alone," Susanne said as she readied her Fireball sent towards the incoming vines.

"Come on man, what are you doing! Are you trying to be a hero and sacrifice yourself by saving us?" Nickolas nudged a vine with his round shield. Seeing their faces under the torchlight, Arthur was embarrassed by his grand speech. He quickly called Coburn back to its position.

"Moreover, we do not know if we could survive after entering the vines. There is a chance that we will die instantly if we get stuck. I suggest we stand and fight without running," Nickolas explained what was on his mind.

"Sorry, everyone. I am the one who dragged you all into this mess," Arthur said.

"I suggested you all escape while I stay here. In that case, we may have a chance to get help. If these vines do not kill me instantly, you will have a chance to save me by informing the Awakeners at the Head Office about this phenomenon." This was also a thought that had occurred to him before. He himself did not want to die here and leave his family behind. So, if they were to escape quickly to inform the Awakening Head Office, there were chances to live.

But now, seeing these people's actions, they were all going to get stuck here and eventually die.

"It's not you who asked us to follow you, but we are the ones who decided to follow you. So don't feel guilty about it," Susanne said.

"Finola, do you want to escape from here?" Arthur looked towards the healer, who was terrified of the current situation. When suddenly asked, Finola looked at Arthur, not knowing what to say. She wanted to escape, but after hearing Nickolas state that one would die instantly by being strangled if they were to touch the vines, she became uncertain whether she would even survive after leaving this place.

"You said you would protect me, so I will stay behind you," she finally said. Hearing Finola's words, Arthur was genuinely surprised. Indeed, he had said he would protect her. However, the question was, would he fulfill the promise!