Colin watched his step carefully, trying not to trip over the tree roots.

After a night’s sleep, the point he’d added to his Strength Attribute had fully kicked in. He still wasn’t used to this sudden increase in strength; he felt a little floaty when he walked.

The path he was on was also in terrible condition; it could hardly be called a "path" at all. A few scattered flagstones struggled for purchase amidst a dense web of roots. Even these signs of civilization were mostly covered in moss.

The smell of rotting leaves and damp earth filled his nostrils.

While not quite suffocating, the air was far from pleasant.

Colin held out his hand to look at his palm.

The green sunlight filtering through the canopy cast a fluorescent green glow on his skin.

He took another deep breath and looked up.

Layers of leaves formed a canopy overhead, entwined with vines that grew between the branches to create a sky of verdant green.

Needle-shaped, fan-shaped, heart-shaped... every kind of leaf imaginable was here. Trees that should have lived in different worlds grew side-by-side, and most of them were at least three to five meters thick.

In a way, this place was a true Garden of Eden for trees.

Just then, a beetle the size of a human head resting on a birch tree caught Colin’s eye. The creature’s orange-glowing abdomen suddenly twitched, as if it had sensed his gaze from below.

Suddenly, Colin’s foot caught on something, and he stumbled.

Three hands immediately shot out to steady him.

Kase caught his shoulder, while Ale and Orelia grabbed him by the waist.

Colin steadied himself. "Thanks," he said.

"Don’t stare at the sky while you’re walking. The roots here grow right over the path, so watch your step." The Half-Orc patted Colin’s shoulder in warning.

Colin coughed lightly. "This place feels... a little creepy."

"Same thing when I came through here before," Kase said. "Was coming from the north, but the villages wouldn’t let me in, so I had to cut through this way. Nearly starved to death in these woods."

"You’re very lucky, then, Mr. Half-Orc," Aidan said. "Getting lost here is a terrible fate. This forest is full of stories about those who’ve gone astray."

"What kind of stories?" Ale asked eagerly.

"There’s one about a woodcutter."

Aidan began slowly, "There was a woodcutter named Tony who lived on the edge of the woods. He was a skilled woodsman and knew the rules: ’Only cut the deadwood, never touch a sapling.’ One day, as usual, he picked out an old oak tree that had been struck by lightning.

"But as he worked, he noticed the sound of the stream wasn’t quite right, as if it were laced with laughter. When he’d bundled his firewood and started for home, he suddenly saw that the houses at the village entrance were covered in vines he’d never seen before. Gentlemen, what do you suppose happened next?"

Kase declared confidently, "He realized someone had used Cantrips to make the vines grow!"

"In the time it took him to chop down the tree, decades had passed outside the forest?" Colin chimed in.

"You’ve heard this story before, sir?" Aidan asked in surprise.

’I’ve probably just heard a similar version,’ Colin thought, but he answered, "No, I haven’t."

"Our Mage here is a smart one, you see."

Kase looked proud, as if he’d been the one to guess correctly.

Aidan continued his story. "The first person to see him was the blacksmith’s son, who was now a hunchbacked old man, leading his own grandson by the hand—a boy who’d never met Tony.

"All the while, the firewood on Tony’s back was still damp, and his axe blade was still flecked with wood chips.

"Tony put down his firewood and sat at the entrance to the village for a day and a night. The next day, people found the pile of wood still there, but he was gone.

"Some said they saw him dragging his Axe back into the woods. Others said Tony died of old age the very next day and had dug his own grave. But no one could say for sure which patch of fog he walked into, or which stream he crossed." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"An interesting little story," Ale commented.

Colin murmured, "Speaking of which, I’ve read that parts of the Supreme Forest resonate with the Fairy Wilderness. Time distortions like that are actually considered normal."

At his words, the party came to a halt.

Kase and Orelia turned to look back at Colin, waiting for him to explain.

"The Fairy Wilderness is a reflection of the real world, born from the Magic Energy of life and the untamed power of Nature. It’s like a mirror image; though it looks similar, the flow of time and the nature of space are vastly different."

Colin continued, "Remember that Half-Sheepman, Salin? His people’s homeland is the Fairy Wilderness."

"Also," Ale added, "if you stay too long in an area influenced by the Fairy Wilderness, you can be corrupted by its Magic Energy. It can cause a victim’s bloodline to become fey, which is one of the more significant dangers."

’It’s similar to what Donkexes said about how a Teleportation Array being destroyed mid-use can corrupt one’s bloodline,’ Colin added mentally. ’Except he was talking about Demons and the like.’

The group continued along the path, chatting as they went.

The path was in such a wretched state that having to constantly clear away vines meant they couldn’t make much speed. Even after walking for an entire day, it didn’t feel like they had gotten very far.

They camped beside the path for the night.

By the afternoon of the second day, as the group trudged on in silence, the trees ahead suddenly gave way to a clearing.

"We’re here, esteemed gentlemen," Aidan said, sighing in relief.

Colin looked up.

The clearing was small, with a few scattered residents. They had built small huts of stone, nestled against trees and earthen slopes.

Outside the huts were racks for drying herbs. A few flagstones laid between the dwellings served as a path. It all looked quite primitive.

Seeing Colin and his party approach, the locals who had been busy outside their homes hurried inside, shut their doors, and began sizing up the uninvited guests from their windows.

’This must be Oakville,’ Colin thought. He took a closer look, guessing there weren’t even fifty households in the entire village.

Aidan glanced at the expressions on their faces.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no trace of disgust or contempt on their faces. As a resident, he had been afraid they would look down on his home.

"There are no inns here, gentlemen," Aidan said. "If you wish to stay the night, you’ll have to make arrangements with the residents. However, Mr. Kase and this Tiefling Lady... that might be a bit troublesome. The people here are much more stubborn than in Moss Stone Village."

"That’s fine," Colin said with a shrug. "Have you made up your mind? Will you guide us and help track that bear?"

Aidan’s expression suddenly grew conflicted.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well... I recommend my father. He’s stubborn and suspicious, but he’s also a fantastic Forester. His skills won’t disappoint you."

"So... shall we go to your home now?" Colin asked.

Aidan’s voice was still laced with uncertainty. "If you’re willing, I can try."

Just then, several men in Leather Armor holding Short Bows poked their heads out of their windows and yelled, "What’s your business here?!"

"It’s me, Aidan! I’m just bringing some friends home!"

Just as Colin was about to explain, Aidan shouted back before he could. Then, without waiting for the men to reply, he quickly pulled Colin and the others away.