Lys did not push deeper into the forest. He just stayed near the edge where the light still reached. The trees here were thinner, and the ground stayed mostly flat.
His work was simple. Cut the rare herbs, store them in his bag, and move on. Cut, store, and move again. He kept at it without stopping. His hands moved steadily. The bag on his back grew heavier little by little.
But something was wrong, and that was making him sweat even more than the work itself. He wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and kept going.
After searching almost the whole area shown on the small map drawn on the quest paper, he finally straightened up and looked at the paper again.
By now, he had found almost everything on the list. Blue-leaf herbs filled most of his bag. He had picked up the other common ones, too. But two kinds of rare herbs from the list were still missing. He had walked almost every spot marked on the paper for it. He had checked under rocks, near streams, and around old trees. Nothing. Not even a single leaf of the two missing herbs was found.
He frowned and checked the drawings once more with his still on the basic herb knowledge skills system screen.
<< Basic Herb Knowledge (Tier 1) --- Active Scan >>
Silver-leaf moss ( Rorok Fever Remedy ) : Grows near moisture.
Ironbark Fungus ( Rorok Fever Remedy ) : Grows at the base of old oak tree.
Once again, the skill specifically told him that these two herbs were needed for Rorok fever, and where he could find them, too. But he still hasn't found them.
He had checked every damp spot near the small streams. He had walked around every old oak he could see, but still, there was no trace of them. And as time was passing by, his tension was getting higher with it.
And that's not the end of it. The fact that these herbs are used for Rorok fever, the way his skill was slapping that fact in his face wasn't helping his case, either.
It meant that these two herbs were the main reason that the woman had placed the quest for an experienced adventurer to do in the first place.
So, basically, it just means Lys can't go back without these herbs. She needed these exact herbs, and he was the only one capable of getting them for her before her daughter dies or something.
And why was that only he was capable of doing it?
Because not only was he the only one right now who would take a simple herb-collecting job from the quest board, but he was also the only one who had a cheat like a system skill helping him search for these rare herbs in this dense forest with this much efficiency.
So, he has to get them before it gets dark.
-----
Even though he was determined to find them before, it wasn't as easy as it seemed like back then. It had been almost 2 hours, and he was still yet to find a single trace of those herbs.
He once even thought about turning around and heading back to the village. He already had more than enough of the other herbs to tell Vessa that he tried his best.
But every time he considered it, that poor woman's face came back to him. The way she had covered her mouth when she saw the quest paper in his hand. The way her eyes had filled with tears.
He could not return without these herbs she needed. Not after he had promised her he'd get them for her.
So, he kept searching, even though it was close to evening now. He moved a little farther along the edge, moving past the map provided in the quest paper.
The skill stayed active all the way. It pulled on his mana the whole time. He felt it draining lower and lower with each hour that passed.
By now, a light dizziness has started in his head. His steps felt heavier. He knew keeping the skill on for so long was taking its toll, but he did not turn it off. He needed it to find the right plants, and he can't do that without this skill.
The sky above was getting a little dark. The sun was nowhere to be seen from inside the forest. The forest seemed to be getting dark sooner than the open road outside. Shadows stretched longer between the trees.
Lys looked up through the leaves. He had to find the last two herbs fast, before it got too dark to see. If he waited any longer, he might have to return empty-handed, and that was not an option. So, with each minute, his worry about not finding the herbs on time was getting higher.
He kept moving. His eyes scanned the ground. The skill highlighted every plant in his vision, but most of them were common weeds or herbs he had already collected.
He had started to ignore every other herb other than those two herbs from a long time ago. Every minute was precious now. Because collecting rare herbs and making money might have been important to him if there was no life on the line.
-----
He checked near a small stream where the ground looked damp. The skill said the silver-leaf herb liked moisture. So, he had to search for them according to it.
He crouched down and pushed aside some tall grass. But there was nothing. Just wet moss and small white flowers that were not on his list.
He stood up and moved to the next spot. An old oak tree stood a few paces away. Its bark looked thick and rough. The skill said ironbark fungus grew at the base of old oaks. So, he walked around the old tree and checked every side. He even knelt down and brushed away some fallen leaves. But there was still nothing. Just dirt and a few mushrooms that were the wrong color.
Lys wiped sweat from his forehead. His mana felt very low now. The dizziness sat heavier in his head. He leaned one hand on the oak tree for a second and breathed slowly. The morning drills had already tired his legs. And now this long search on top of that made everything feel heavier. Still, he did not stop. He couldn't.
He thought about the woman again. She had bet everything on this quest. Fifty copper pieces were all she had. For him, it might have started as a simple job to pass the time and try out his first guild quest. But now it felt like something much heavier.
He realized even this easy-sounding quest was harder than he had thought. The forest did not give up its rare herbs easily. And he was feeling every aspect of it.
He pushed forward a few more steps. The light under the trees was getting weaker. He had to hurry. He knew it. Otherwise, by this pace, he won't make it in time.
He checked another damp patch near the stream. The skill screen pinged again. A small group of silver-leaf moss showed up right at the edge of the water. The leaves matched the drawing from the paper exactly. Relief washed through him.
He crouched down fast and started cutting. His hands moved carefully. He took every plant he could see without damaging the roots. When the patch was clean, he stood up and checked the paper once more. Only one herb left now. The ironbark fungus.
But before he could take one step, the dizziness from mana-depletion came back stronger. He shook his head and kept moving.
The sky was darker now. The forest felt quieter and a little scary, too. But he still walked along the stream and checked every old tree as he passed. He knelt down at the base of one oak after another, then brushed away leaves and dirt with his hands. But there was nothing. The skill kept showing him the right conditions for that fungus to be here, but it was just not there.
He stood up and looked deeper between the trees. The light was almost gone. He knew he should turn back soon. But the woman's face stayed in his mind. He could not let her down. Not when he had taken her only chance and given her hope.
He took another step forward. His foot landed near the main big stream. The skill pinged one last time. A small patch of something caught his eye right at the water's edge. The leaves looked silver in the fading light. He crouched down fast. This was it. One of the missing herbs. And he reached out to cut it.
But then he heard it.
A low growling sound came from behind him.
Lys turned around fast. His hand went straight to the sword at his side.
A large goblin stood there, only ten paces away from him. It was bigger than any he had seen in the anime or manga he used to read back on Earth. Its skin looked rough and gray. Its eyes glowed yellow in the fading light. It held a crude club in one hand.
The moment Lys turned to face it, the goblin bared its teeth and started to increase its speed toward him. Its heavy feet pounded the ground as it charged straight at him.