Cornflower Witch

Chapter 304 Selection Ceremony: Palen's Labyrinth

Having accepted this precious fruit, there was nothing more valuable in the Bloodlimb Forest.

As the alluring fruit disappeared, the monsters that had been lingering around gradually dispersed.

"This secret realm has been explored almost completely," Hiltiya thought to herself.

Her body levitated, rising into the air. She surveyed the Bloodlimb Forest below before departing and flying towards another secret realm, the Howling Cave.

Compared to the flight capabilities of birds, the flight speed of 'astral floaters' is not fast, because the basic principles of the two are completely different.

However, this ability also has other advantages, namely that it is less affected by airflow and wind direction, and can float and move even in water.

After traveling for several hours, Hiltija gradually approached the distant black ridge, and the entrance to the Howling Cave was in a crevice in the rocks below the mountain.

After descending, Hilti didn't go in immediately. Instead, she checked the time. She had been exploring the Bloodlimb Forest for nearly 16 hours today. Although she wasn't sleepy yet, there were no safe places to rest in the Howling Cave. Considering that the adventure ahead would require a lot of energy, she decided to take a nap outside before setting off.

Reaching the other side of the ridge, she found a clean, sheltered spot. Hiltiya put down her small tent, then took out a small stove to grill her dinner for the night, which she then enjoyed with some delicious fruit.

At night, the slices of meat on the wire mesh sizzled softly, and a few drops of the seasonings sprinkled on them fell into the charcoal fire, emitting fragrant wisps of smoke.

Hiltiya stared blankly at the dark red charcoal, her fingers gently twirling the slices of meat.

Suddenly, she remembered something from a long time ago, when she longed for a carefree life where she could sleep whenever she wanted, eat whatever she liked, and not be governed or constrained by anyone.

Unexpectedly, she has already achieved this without even realizing it. Although she is not yet among the top superhumans, she no longer suffers from the anxiety of insecurity in the current environment. With a courtyard, she can carry all sorts of things with her, as well as delicious food. She can sleep whenever she wants without having to worry about alarm clocks or rushing.

This subtle sense of ease and freedom gradually relaxed her body and mind, and her state of mind became exceptionally calm.

"That's wonderful," she murmured softly.

Slowly snapping out of her reverie, Hiltiya removed the grilled meat slices and took small bites. The hot meat, mixed with cumin and spices, released its flavor between her teeth, stimulating her appetite.

After finishing this piece, Hiltiya skewered the meat again and slowly grilled it over charcoal, watching the pale pink meat gradually turn white, then turn golden brown, and release its aroma.

……

After a good night's rest, Hilti got up again.

After packing her things, she descended from the ridge and slowly fell into the dark, massive crevice in the rock.

This appears to be a fissure torn open after the landmass fractured, exposing the depths of the mountain's interior, which exudes a strong, twisted aura.

After observing for a while, the girl shook her head slightly.

The environment here is extremely harsh. If an ordinary student were to enter, they would likely be severely distorted and corrupted, and would have to leave after a short time.

I really don't know how those students explored it. Maybe they prepared special props. But she doesn't seem to be afraid of this kind of erosion.

Her black dress fluttered as Hilti floated in the air, her toes occasionally lightly touching the protruding rocks below as she traversed the dark cave. A peculiar, faint light shone in her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings.

【Dark Vision Lv.5】: Allows you to see in very dim light.

This ability is very simple, and generally very few people specifically learn it. However, some creatures are born with it, such as nocturnal owls.

As she floated along, Hilti occasionally noticed footprints on the ground and rocks, indicating that other trainees had already been there.

Continuing deeper into the cave, the environment becomes increasingly dark and complex, and one could easily get lost if not careful.

('Dim Vision' Proficiency +7)

('Dim Vision' Proficiency +5)

……

[Dark Vision Lv.5→Lv.6]: Able to see in extremely dim light.

After the upgrade, Hilti's vision in the dark became clearer and farther. She could now perceive more details in the dark, such as slight scratches on a stone, missing dust spots on a stone wall, and so on.

Based on these traces, Hilti guessed that the people who had taken this route before were probably a small team of three: one was physically weak and needed to rest against the wall from time to time, one was wearing heavy armor, and the last one was agile and left very faint traces.

After walking for about two hours through the winding cave, Hiltija finally heard voices coming from afar.

"Feiqi is dying." The voice that spoke was a woman's, and her tone was rather dry and harsh.

“He was attacked by the shadow monsters from the ground. Although the injuries are not fatal, most of his destiny card has been corrupted and eroded. I think it will be difficult to save him,” another gruff male voice replied.

"What should we do? Should we turn back now? But the mausoleum area is just ahead, and we've come this far." The woman's voice hesitated.

"Sigh, Lusa, I know you've planned a lot for this expedition, but Fitzgerald's life is more important," the man replied helplessly.

……

After a moment of silence, just as Hilti thought they had finished talking and was about to step forward, she heard the sound of fighting.

"What are you doing?" the man exclaimed in surprise.

“You shouldn’t have stopped me, Lando. Fitz is no longer alive. Look at his face, it’s darkened, and there are dark purple blood vessels in his eyes.”

“His destiny has been corrupted by nearly 70%, and we don’t have any means to isolate the corrosion. Even if we take him back to ‘Firestone Fortress’ as quickly as possible, his corruption level will be at least 80%, which is almost the same as that of a Twilight Monster.”

“At that time, no one could save him. It would be better to let him rest in peace, which would reduce the torment and prevent him from becoming a crazy monster that bites and goes mad.”

"But he's our teammate, how could you just do that?" the male voice responded, bewildered.

"That was true in the past, but what's the point of persisting with it now?"

"Fine, if you want to guard his body, then go ahead. I'll go ahead alone." The woman said, and then her footsteps disappeared into the distance.

As the sound faded into the distance, Hiltiya continued forward, turning several corners, until she finally saw the source of the sound.

A warrior clad in heavy black armor bent down and sat in front of his unconscious comrade, feeding him medicine.

"Who is it!" Hearing the noise, he stood up alertly, his heavy armor rustling as it rubbed against the ground.

"Wait a minute, I'm just here to explore." Hiltiya lit her lantern, illuminating herself and the surrounding environment.

"you are?"

Upon seeing that it was a living person, not a monster, the other party's tone softened slightly, but he remained wary. He put down the potion in his hand and gripped his shield and sword tightly.

“My name is Tia, and I’m a student from the Woodlands.” Hiltiya took out the badge she had received when she first arrived in the Woodlands.

Upon seeing the badge, the other person calmed down slightly, and their expression gradually softened.

"Did you come alone?" he still asked, puzzled.

“Yes, it’s much more convenient to be alone,” Hiltiya replied.

"Don't you know how dangerous this place is, and how severely it's corroded?" He was a heavily armored warrior of the castle type, with strong tolerance and resistance to corrosion.

“I know, but I also have ways to resist.” Hilti blinked, a faint silver moonlight covering her body, revealing the characteristics of ‘Radiant Moon’.

“Radiant Moon? Although Radiant Moon can purify, the consumption is also…” He shook his head, feeling that it wasn’t a worthwhile thing. After the two talked for a while, Hiltiya understood the general situation.

It turns out that Fizz, Lando, and Lusa were friends who teamed up half a year ago. They had gone through several secret realm adventures together and were all skilled veterans at the third tier. They had always cooperated very well, so this time they also went out as a group to explore the Howling Cave.

However, on their way, the three encountered shadowy creatures in a cave that could pass through walls. It took them a lot of effort to defeat the enemies, but one of their companions, Fezi, also collapsed due to his injuries.

“I wanted to save his life, but now it seems it’s all in vain.” He shook his head regretfully.

"Where is Lusa?" Hilti asked, then walked over to check on the unconscious Fezi.

"Lusa didn't want to wait any longer, so she went by herself."

“Lusa has been at the third tier for a long time, but she has had difficulty advancing and has failed several times before. The treasures that have been found in the ruins this time are very precious. If she can find one, she can try again.”

"What if we still fail this time?" Shiltiya asked curiously.

"She will probably be recalled to the surface by the Woodland Alliance to serve the organization she has joined."

"Isn't that great?"

“It’s good for some people, but not for those who want to climb higher,” Lando shook his head.

"The world in the shadows is rich in resources. With a few more explorations, you can earn the equivalent of five or six years' worth of income on the surface continent. Moreover, you can easily access all kinds of knowledge and secret techniques here, and even learn some things from different schools of thought."

“If we go back to the surface, only receive that portion of the benefits, and stay in a resource-poor region, it will be very difficult to advance in the future.” He shook his head.

“She can’t stand that state.” Lando sighed after saying that.

"Feiqi probably won't live to return to the surface continent this time."

"His hometown is in the remote Hufeng Mountains, a place where people find peace."

“It’s not time to give up yet. Maybe I can help.” Hilti crouched down and carefully examined the black-haired youth lying there. He had a small mustache and looked to be in his early thirties.

With her eyes closed in prayer, a humanoid silhouette formed by silvery light reappeared behind Hiltiah.

Soon the enlarged figure of the girl lifted the water bottle and poured out the purified spring water, which swept over Fei Qi's entire body and enveloped him.

After some time, the spring water evaporated and dissipated, and Fei Qi, who had been unconscious, regained some of his complexion.

"It actually works!" Lando stared in astonishment at the scene before approaching to check Ferzi's condition again.

"The current corrosion level is about 50%. Although it's still serious, it won't be fatal for the time being. I need to take him back immediately." After saying that, Lando picked up the other person and prepared to leave.

"Thank you for your help, Tia. I still have some 'Wolf Heart Blood Bags' that I haven't finished using. You can take them and use them to absorb the surrounding distortion and erosion on the way, reducing the pollution."

"Afterwards, Fei Qi and I will recuperate at Firestone Fortress for a while. If you return safely, you can find us at the Gray Rat Inn."

After that, he carried Fei Qi away excitedly, the copper lantern at his waist swaying back and forth, making a metallic clanging sound.

"They're moving so fast," Hiltiya thought to herself, then picked up the special leather bag, opened it, and a strange, pungent smell of blood wafted out.

After taking several steps back, Hiltiya finally got a good look at what was inside.

"Among them is a wolf's heart soaked in blood. The black heart beats slowly in the blood, absorbing the surrounding 'distorted' aspects as the driving force for its life to continue."

Judging from that heart, it must have been made recently, no more than a week ago. The blood inside is also black and murky, so it must have been used for several days.

This is probably a small item made based on the experience passed down among adventurers, which can slow down the distortion and erosion of the environment.

Compared to equipment that isolates and resists corrosion, this kind of thing is much simpler and cheaper to make, and most of it uses locally sourced materials.

Having learned how this thing was made and what it was used for, Hilti put down the 'Wolf Heart Blood Bag' and continued forward.

Three minutes later, as she walked past a stone wall, a strange dark shadow emerged from the stone behind her and rushed towards her.

The entire process was completely silent and without any disturbance of breath, and it took place in a dark cave environment, making it impossible for a normal person to perceive.

No wonder that third-tier wizard fell for it, Hilti thought, turning lightly with her feet, her skirt fluttering like a fan, and then slashing the shadow with a backhand arc of her blade.

【Undying Shadow】(Tier 3 Nightmare): A shadow life form that can hide in shadows and has no physical form.

Seconds later, the shadow creature, now split in two, launched another attack from different directions.

Hiltiya deftly flipped the golden longsword in her hand, and her figure moved around in the cave.

Slicing through the shadow life again and again, the separated parts of the opponent can still move, but their speed and strength will continue to decline.

It doesn't seem that powerful. She thought it could split infinitely.

Sheathing her longsword, Hilti held a lantern in one hand, and emerald dewdrops dripped into the spark stamen. Then, flames surged from the base, engulfing the long tunnel.

The shadowy lives that couldn't keep up slowly dissipated in the flames.

Unfortunately, the shadow creatures from before left no legacy or treasures, only some grayish ash.

Hilti was about to leave, but when she saw the gray fluff, she squatted down and carefully rubbed it between her fingers before collecting it.

Perhaps it will be useful, she thought, and continued.

After passing through a damp, cold crevice in the rocks, a makeshift pit appeared ahead. After descending several meters, Hiltiya landed on the cold, slate-paved road.

here?

She looked around and observed that the environment was no longer a natural stone wall, but a man-made structure, and its style indicated that it was a mausoleum.

Now she had finally arrived at the mausoleum that the adventurers had been talking about. She wondered what might be inside, and whether there were any records of the 'Stargazing School' that she was hoping to find.

However, even if she doesn't find anything else, it would be good to find other rare items. If she improves her skills during her adventure here, it won't be a loss. Everything else is an extra bonus.

Raising her lantern, bathed in its orange glow, Hilti walked step by step into the depths of the passage.

Not long after she entered, the entrance to the passage she had just come in gradually changed, being filled little by little by the restored stone walls, and then disappeared. The patterns throughout the passage were the same, and she could no longer find the place she had just entered.

As the view slowly rises, the entire mausoleum is constantly healing and changing; the entrances to passages shift, and the walls rotate, resembling a giant, moving maze.

"All seven trial participants have arrived."

On the stone platform in the center of the maze, a line of writing appeared.

"The Selection Ceremony: Palen's Labyrinth, is now open."

"We call upon the spirit of intrigue and doubt, the god of unbelief and lies, Palenmakov."

"Your will will be restored to the world."

On the wall behind the stone platform, the ancient murals, silent for thousands of years, revealed a faint light. They depicted a strange deity with bull horns and a snake's lower body. He waved a long flute, causing warriors from various tribes below to fight each other. An invisible force rose from the ground and gathered on his body.

(End of this chapter)