Chapter 173: The Black Forest

As Helag walked, he felt something was off.

After pondering, he sensed his chest’s bloodline mark, realizing the suppression here was weaker.

He recalled the Death Swamp Ruins’ origin, once a planar rift, later repaired.

This meant the wizard plane’s world will exerted less force on other planar powers here.

Helag felt reassured; if he could use the bloodline mark of the Thunder God Ancestor here, his power would increase significantly.

Elder Karen, leading the group, suddenly stopped.

Her halt made everyone tense.

Helag sensed something unusual.

Ahead, particles floated in the air.

These particles seemed to be seeds from a plant, blown towards them by the wind.

“Shield up, these are Blood Dodder seeds. They’ll root in flesh. If they latch on, we can’t help you here,” Karen warned.

The group quickly shielded themselves and continued.

The Blood Dodder seeds soon surrounded them, tiny and numerous.

The seeds were drawn to their flesh, many attaching themselves.

Helag’s Absolute Defense was soon covered in seeds.

He noticed the seeds had tiny tendrils trying to penetrate the shield.

But Absolute Defense kept them out.

Helag used fire energy to scorch the shield’s surface, dropping charred seeds to the ground.

After passing through the city ruins, the seeds drifted away.

In the distance, a forest loomed, their destination.

The 1,000-meter stretch between the city and forest was black soil, soaked in blood.

The journey was uneventful, with no incidents.

They entered the Black Forest, and the light dimmed.

“Moonlight Grass!”

Helag spotted Moonlight Grass under a tree, its moon-white leaves distinctive.

Moonlight Grass is used in light spells.

Though rare, light spells are scarce too.

A single Moonlight Grass is worth fifty to sixty magic stones, quite valuable.

After Helag spoke, the others noticed the patch of Moonlight Grass.

There were fifty to sixty plants, worth thousands of magic stones.

But no one moved, waiting for Karen and Brack’s orders.

They’d been instructed to follow commands.

No one could act independently, even for potion or spell materials.

These were hard-learned lessons.

Karen glanced over and said, “No problem, you can harvest.”

With her permission, Helag and the others began harvesting.

Helag used a specialized spade, working quickly.

He was fast and careful, preserving the plants’ integrity.

The others were slower, less skilled.

Helag’s potion-making experience made him adept at handling materials.

He was more motivated, as the harvest was his.

The gaseous wizards had to surrender their finds, receiving only rewards.

They lacked Helag’s expertise, slowing them down.

After twenty minutes, Helag had eighteen Moonlight Grass in his space ring.

He’d harvested nearly half the patch.

Karen moved ahead, calling, “Time to go.”

She limited their harvesting time, requiring them to leave promptly.

Helag’s speed allowed him to gather more than the others.

Brack summoned everyone, “Come here, wear this on your wrist.”

He handed out wooden bracelets, their material unknown.

“These are Evil Spirit Bracelets. If spirits approach or attack, they’ll burn. Stay alert,” Brack explained, distributing them.

Brack continued, “Be cautious, and wary. Those around you might pose threats. Don’t trust anyone blindly. The Black Forest isn’t very dangerous, but it has its troubles.”

Though Helag had a more powerful Evil Spirit Crystal, he wore the bracelet for extra safety.

“Pair up, never lose sight of each other,” Karen instructed.

She paired Helag with Brack, the liquefied wizards together, and the gaseous wizards together.

“What about you, Lady Karen?” a gaseous wizard asked.

“Don’t worry about me,” Karen replied coolly.

The group continued through the Black Forest, finding high-grade potion and spell materials.

Helag’s haul alone was worth seven to eight thousand magic stones.

The Black Forest was a treasure trove, with valuable finds everywhere.

Two hours in, they encountered no major issues, and the mood lightened.

The wizard couple chatted, as if on a forest outing.

Helag frowned, staying vigilant.

The place couldn’t be this simple.

The calmer it seemed, the more cautious he became.

Whoosh!

A shadow flitted through the trees, rustling the leaves.

“What was that?” Helag, ever alert, sensed it with Karen and Brack.

The others approached, unaware of the disturbance.

“Something moved in the trees, very fast,” Helag explained.

Karen said, “Likely a magical creature, not undead. Ignore it, keep moving. We’re as much a threat to it as it is to us. Together, ordinary creatures won’t bother us.”