Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Chapter 808 - 746: Ancient Fairy Tribe (2)

Selman quickly found a hidden spot nearby, a natural recess under a large rock that slanted into the ground.

The recess was shielded on three sides by rocks, with only one opening, and several giant ferns covered the entrance, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

"Here it is." Vera nodded.

Marcus took out several sets of Witch Arrays from his Space Ring and began setting them around the recess.

The first was a concealment type Witch Array, which could obscure scents and energy fluctuations within a hundred-meter radius.

He buried it under the soil at the entrance. Once activated, a faint light barrier slowly rose, enveloping the entire recess.

The second was an alert type Witch Array that could lay a warning net within a two-thousand-meter radius.

He secured the array disk on top of the rock, and once activated, an invisible wave spread outwards and vanished into the air.

Besides this, Vera also casually tossed a few sets of Witch Arrays around, making the security defenses around the place tight as a drum.

Ely took a large pot from her Space Ring and placed it in the center of the recess.

She then took out a pile of dry wood and lit it with Fire Magic—there was no risk of revealing their position from the smoke, as the concealment array could even obscure smells.

Vera retrieved a few items from her Space Ring: washed carrots, potatoes, and an unknown dried vegetable.

Leon contributed a package of jerky, Edmond pulled out a bag of salt and various spices, and even Selman took out a small bottle of seasoning.

Duke watched them busily, and after a moment of silence, took out a large piece of smoked meat from his Space Ring, which he had bought at the Central Islands.

Ely accepted the meat, her eyes curving into crescents: "Smoked Fire Rock Beast meat, this is good stuff!"

She cut the smoked meat into small pieces, tossed it into the pot with the vegetables and jerky, added water, and sprinkled in the spices.

Soon, the rich aroma wafted from the pot.

The soup bubbled in the pot, the firelight reflecting on everyone’s faces, dispelling the cold of the night.

The seven of them sat around the campfire, each holding a wooden bowl. In the bowls was steaming meat soup, topped with oil and spices.

Edmond took a sip, sighing contentedly: "So comforting... We’ve been eating only dry rations these past days, my mouth was about to forget flavor."

Leon nodded in agreement: "Indeed, this soup is great. Ely’s cooking is impressive."

Ely smiled but said nothing, quietly drinking her soup.

Vera took a few sips of the soup, set down her bowl, and took out the map from her chest, spreading it on the rock before her.

The firelight flickered, casting shadows on the map’s lines.

"Let’s discuss tomorrow’s direction," she said.

The group leaned in, their eyes falling upon the map.

Vera pointed to the red dot’s position: "We are here now, in the southwest. Heading west is the way we came, so going back is meaningless; north, east, and south are unknown territories."

"What about the south?" Edmond asked.

"To the south is a swamp," Vera replied. "According to previous Explorer notes, there may be Ancient Fairy ruins deep in the swamp, but it’s highly dangerous. There are several space rifts at the swamp’s edges, making it hard to traverse."

Everyone fell silent.

"And the north?" Leon asked.

Vera shook her head: "Information on the north is even scarcer. It’s only known that several hundred miles north is a hilly area. Beyond the hills, no one knows."

Her finger moved across the map, eventually stopping on the east.

"East—" She paused. "According to some scattered notes, the east was once one of the central areas of Ancient Fairy civilization. Although many years have passed, there should still be remnants there."

The group exchanged glances, and after some discussion, they all decided to head east, with Duke naturally having no objections.

Currently, there’s too little information; it doesn’t really matter which direction they choose.

The only difference is whether the danger is visible or hidden.

The campfire crackled, and the aroma of the soup filled the air.

Outside the recess, the night was deep, the silhouettes of giant trees hidden in darkness, with occasional glimmers escaping through the bark’s cracks, like a sleeping giant beast breathing.

...

Seven days later.

The team had delved quite a distance eastward. For safety’s sake, Vera consistently kept the pace under control.

They traveled only eight or nine hours per day, spending the remaining time resting or exploring and gathering nearby.

As she put it: "We’re not here to rush; we’re here to find yields. Moving too quickly might mean missing more than we find."

In these seven days, the group gathered quite a few more items.

Duke’s Space Ring now contained dozens of plant samples and a few rocks suspected to contain faint energy.

Others had their own finds; Ely collected a type of glowing moss which, she claimed, could be used to concoct a rare Healing Potion.

Marcus discovered a fist-sized metal ore that, though he didn’t know what it was, felt incredibly heavy, which made him joyfully stash it away.

Leon and Edmond together captured a half-human-height beetle—its shell was astonishingly tough, taking Leon three sword cuts to break it open.

Vera didn’t collect anything. She only occasionally stopped at certain spots to jot down notes and continued forward.

In the afternoon of the seventh day, the team stopped to rest in a sparse woodland.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The trees here were much smaller than before; their trunks had only a few meters in diameter, considered small trees.

The air remained fresh, carrying a faint, sweet scent.

The group sat by tree roots, taking out dry rations and water to replenish their strength.

Duke was about to bite into some dry rations when he saw Selman emerging from the bushes ahead.

His pace was quicker than usual, and there was something different in his expression.

"There’s a discovery." He spoke in a low voice.

Everyone immediately put down what they were holding and stood up.

Vera stepped forward: "What’s the discovery?"

Selman came in front of her, raising his hand to point eastward: "About two kilometers ahead, there’s an open area where, most likely, there’s activity from an Ancient Fairy tribe."

Their spirits invigorated.

"What level?" Vera inquired.

"Level 1," Selman replied. "I observed for a quarter of an hour and saw only one, shaped like a strawberry. Its head is a big strawberry, wearing some plant-woven clothes, and holding something like a Magic Wand."

Strawberry Goblin.

The group exchanged glances, a gleam flashing in their eyes.

A Level 1 Ancient Fairy isn’t immensely valuable on its own.

The Life Essence within it has limited effects on a Level 2 Mage, and its body isn’t top-tier research material.

But crucially, if there’s one, there might be a group.

An Ancient Fairy settlement.

This idea rose simultaneously in everyone’s minds.

Vera was silent for a few moments, her gaze sweeping over the group.

"The value of an Ancient Fairy tribe needs no elaboration," her voice was low, but each word was clear. "Life Essence, research materials, slave trade, any of these could justify action."

Leon licked his lips: "Let’s do it."

Edmond nodded as well: "We’re here already; we can’t just go back with nothing."

Nobody had any objections, considering the undeniable value represented by an Ancient Fairy tribe; it was an opportunity they wouldn’t miss.

Duke had already stood up, brushing off crumbs from his rations.

"Let’s go take a look first." He said, "We still need to gather enough information, determine if there truly is an Ancient Fairy tribe, and learn about its top fighting capabilities."

Vera nodded, agreeing with Duke: "Right, better to be cautious."

She looked at Selman: "Lead the way. We’ll circle around from the side, observe closely before acting."

Selman nodded, turning to dive back into the bushes.

The seven immediately followed, their footsteps muffled by the soft humus, silent.

Sunlight filtered through overlapping leaves and spilled dapples on the open ground in the Southeast region of the Wilderness Forest.