Lynn, Colin, and Sonya separated from the main group and continued forward through the vast Emerald Island Forest.
Surrounded by towering, dense trees, the overlapping canopy nearly blocked out the sky and sunlight completely.
Even though it was daytime, the depths of the forest remained shrouded in darkness.
As they moved forward, Lynn suddenly halted, scanning his surroundings. The scene reminded him of the trials he had faced when first entering the Furnace.
"Hold on a moment," Lynn said as he turned to Colin and Sonya.
He bent down, and picked up some leaves, dirt, and bits of bark, quickly mixing them before smearing the mixture onto his robe.
Colin and Sonya immediately understood his intentions.
This was a practical application of "Breath Concealment", a Zero-Circle spell included in the beginner-level meditation technique for wizard apprentices.
"He's cautious..."
Colin couldn't help but admire his junior's vigilance.
Sonya, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and said,
"You think everyone is like you? With your survival skills, unless a full-fledged wizard attacks, who could stop you?"
As she spoke, she refused to be outdone and picked up some dirt, leaves, and twigs, rubbing them onto her robe.
"Even if we don't have any advanced scent-masking spells, 'Breath Concealment' is better than nothing," Sonya said casually.
Seeing both of them take action, Colin had no choice but to follow suit.
He gently stroked his expensive enchanted robe and sighed, muttering to himself,
"My poor robe... It cost me so many points. The merchant even said it couldn't be washed with water only cleaned with a special solution... And now, look at this mess."
Despite his complaints, Colin still smeared dirt onto his robe.
While the robe was dustproof, it wasn't resistant to its owner's own creative "mud application techniques."
After making their preparations, the three resumed their journey.
By this point, their once-pristine robes were covered in grime, making them look more like wandering vagrants than wizard apprentices.
Emerald Island Forest was vast, and ever since they had left the main group, they hadn't encountered a single person.
Though their surroundings seemed quiet, their journey was far from peaceful.
The forest was home to a wide variety of magical creatures some massive, others small yet equally troublesome.
Snakes, bees, and spiders, in particular, had already cost them significant time and effort to fend off.
"Careful! Nightshadow Spiders!"
Sonya, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped, her expression shifting.
She pointed just a few meters ahead, where hundreds of black-and-yellow-striped spiders swarmed across the ground.
These were no ordinary spiders.
They were incredibly fast almost instantly, they lunged toward the trio.
Without hesitation, Sonya began casting a spell. Her lips moved quickly as she chanted, and a spell sigil took form in front of her.
A few seconds later, a transparent bubble-like shield enveloped her completely.
Colin reacted just as swiftly, pressing a button on his robe. The enchanted fabric expanded, wrapping around him from head to toe, sealing him off from external threats.
Lynn remained calm, channeling his Heart of Floral Language.
With a surge of mental energy, the pendant activated, causing delicate flowers to bloom along its chain.
These flowers quickly grew into vines, intertwining and forming a protective layer around him.
The swarm of Nightshadow Spiders rushed toward them like a black tide.
The creatures crawled all over Sonya's bubble shield, but despite their aggressive movements, they couldn't break through.
After realizing they couldn't penetrate the barrier, the spiders changed direction, scuttling past her to find new prey.
Meanwhile, both Lynn and Colin relied on their respective defensive measures to ward off the attack.
As the swarm finally moved on, the three of them gradually lowered their guard.
"It's over," Sonya finally exhaled, deactivating her shield.
But Lynn was frowning.
"Nightshadow Spiders... Do they have any connection to the Nightshadow Fortress?"
Their mission was to counter the Bitterheart Cult and Nightshadow Fortress alliance, and the name of these spiders was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
"You're right," Sonya nodded, confirming his suspicion.
"Nightshadow Spiders are a low-level magical beast bred by Nightshadow Fortress. In terms of direct lethality, they're not much different from regular spiders."
She paused before continuing, her tone serious.
"But if a Nightshadow Spider bites someone or dies, it releases a special pheromone mist.
This mist is designed to attract nearby Nightshadow Fortress forces.
So while they may seem harmless, killing even one of them will trigger a chain reaction as more spiders die, the mist concentration increases, effectively calling in reinforcements from Nightshadow Fortress."
Lynn's eyes widened as he realized the true danger.
If this had happened anywhere else, it might not have been a big deal.
But here, in the depths of Emerald Island Forest, a pheromone trail would mean endless waves of Nightshadow Fortress pursuers hunting them down.
"We need to be extra cautious," Sonya warned.
Lynn and Colin both nodded in agreement, their expressions turning grim.
It was now clear that Nightshadow Fortress had already set traps in the area using these spiders to track down Furnace apprentices.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, another apprentice team was in trouble.
A young apprentice stared at the swarm of Nightshadow Spiders approaching him, frowning.
He and his teammate didn't recognize what these creatures were.
Mistaking them for common forest beasts, they immediately retaliated with offensive spells.
"Firebird!"
"Ice Arrow!"
As the energy converged, a flaming bird materialized midair and dove toward the spiders, while ice arrows shot forward in rapid succession.
Sizzle!
The Nightshadow Spiders had weak defenses and were easily incinerated and frozen on the spot.
But the two apprentices did not realize in killing them, they had just activated the pheromone mist.
A strong, distinct fragrance rapidly spread through the air, leaving behind an unmistakable trail.
Elsewhere in the forest...
A squad of Nightshadow Fortress apprentices was patrolling the area, searching for Furnace apprentices.
Suddenly, they caught a familiar scent in the wind.
They halted in their tracks, exchanging knowing smiles.
"Looks like we've got prey on the hook," one of them sneered.
The moment those words were spoken, the scent thickened, and the Nightshadow Fortress squad increased their speed, swiftly closing in on the two unsuspecting apprentices...
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