Besides, the beasts are naturally afraid of fire.
The two of them headed south through the dense forest. The end of the firelight revealed the Golan Region's common Black Pine Forest wherever you looked. Occasionally, some animals would flash by. As they crossed one or two mountain peaks, the terrain gradually became rugged. Strangely enough, the surrounding trees seemed to start wilting, and the surface protruded with jagged sharp stones, especially at the bottom of the valley which was littered with rocks.
"Brand?" Romantic opened her mouth to ask, the sudden change of environment making her somewhat afraid.
"Yes, it's nothing. Stay close to me."
Seeing this scene, Brand knew they were getting close to their destination.
He had been to Xavier Mountain Path in the game. It was a very famous place. The dangers there could be described as a death zone for characters below Level 20. But Brand knew there's an exception.
He couldn't help but recall some memories about that place:
Xavier Mountain Path is in the southern part of Belredo Forest, passing through Yusong River Valley in a lush forest. The path was originally developed to transport timber downstream to the Yu Song River, but as Madara's forces expanded, most timber factories declined.
Thus, Xavier Mountain Path fell into disuse, becoming a route for smugglers to bypass checkpoints. Later, a Golden Magic Tree took root there, draining the earth's nutrients, causing the forest in the area to wither and killing any creature that strayed into it. Gradually, Xavier Mountain Path became a death zone.
A Level 31 Golden Magic Tree leader, awakened to a second-level power, was on par in strength with Iron Rank Swordsmen and Middle-level Wizards. Even the regular army avoided provoking such a troublesome enemy. Moreover, it hadn't disrupted the connection between Ridenburg and Buqi, so the kingdom's knights left it alone.
In the game, this place was a famous instance zone, with the Golden Magic Tree leader dominating for the first three years of the game's launch. The NPCs' response was to erect a wooden sign at the entrance, inscribed with warnings in Dwarf, Elf, and Kruz common languages:
"Danger! Abandon all hope, you who enter here!"
At first, some unobservant players still wanted to test themselves, but those who went in alone didn't even get to see the Golden Magic Tree. About a year after the game launched, people began to explore it in groups, yet most only reached the Yusong River Valley area before being forced to retreat.
Even by the second half of the second year, news of entire player teams being wiped out still circulated in local bars, becoming topics of casual conversation. Then came the second Black Rose War period, with fewer but more professional teams exploring Xavier Mountain Path.
Brand remembered entering this valley in those days, with his in-game experience being mediocre, neither aggressive nor overly cautious. He recalled their team reaching the sandy banks of the Yu Song River, where they could even see the dense Black Forest on the southern bank and the shadowed mountains in the distance.
However, what left the deepest impression on him was not the scenery, which contrasted starkly with the Buqi area, but rather the intensity of the monsters and the frequency of encounters within the instance. Nearly every day, the team was pushed to their limits and had to retreat.
Yet, less than two months later, a guild named "Mutian" completely solved the area's problems. The guild gained considerable fame, though it was later revealed they weren't exceptionally strong; they just discovered a special strategy. This strategy was eventually shared online, sparking a solo farming craze for the Golden Magic Tree.
Back then, Brand was one of the beneficiaries of the video, farming for a Heart of the Golden Tree. Brand recalled being Level 27 when he entered the instance, which was also the average level for the Buqi area. Fortunately, this time he only needed to pass through Xavier Mountain Path, not defeat the Golden Magic Tree leader. He also had the Wind Queen's Ring and Azure Light Piercing with purification effects, highly effective against dark creatures, or he'd be at a loss.
Thinking back, he was grateful. The price of magic equipment remained high in the game until the end of the first year. When he first entered Xavier Mountain Path, he couldn't even think about equipment with power exceeding 10Oz, and items like the Wind Queen's Ring and Azure Light Piercing were nothing more than clouds.
But in this life, thanks to foreknowledge, he already possessed both items from the start, making him feel somewhat surreal. If he managed to escape this ordeal, thinking about the future made Brand's body heat up.
Nonetheless, he had to cherish the present opportunity even more. He tightened his grip on the sword and called out to Romantic to stay close. The future Miss Merchant seemed to indeed have some talent for adventure, deftly jumping left and right over jagged stones in the valley, quite flexible.
Dawn finally arrived, the stars fading away, and the surroundings plunged into a dark, deathly silence, with only the crackling torches flickering, casting deep shadows and crevices on the stacked rocks.
From afar, they resembled two sparks of fire in the mountain forest.
Brand remembered a sheltered nook nearby. Entering Xavier Mountain Path at this hour was too dangerous. It was safer to travel by day. By now, they had almost evaded the Madara Undead Army's activity range.
Historically, the earliest the Madara Army reached Ridenburg was on the morning of the third day. That meant he had a whole day to arrange his plans, with plenty of time.
He looked ahead and vaguely saw a signpost.
...