When Xiao comes in contact with the fog, he feels an electric shock that runs through his body. Still, that doesn't stop him from entering the fog and pulling Iva along.
It only took a few steps before they ended up at the other side of the fog.
After running past the fog, Xiao immediately looks behind while activating his Gamer Eyes to analyze the situation.
Xiao detected that the fog contains a unique particle that masks the other side's presence, making it almost impossible for anyone or any living being to enter this place.
("Then how are we able to enter here? Is it pure luck?")
As Xiao went into analyze mode, Iva, on the other hand, was pathing heavily from all the running and nerve-wracking moments.
Xiao noticed her. He shakes off his deep thought and reassures her.
"We should be okay now."
Upon hearing Xiao's word, Iva lets out a sigh of relief and relief her nerve, so much that she almost sits on the ground as her leg suddenly loses strength. Xiao quickly grabs hold of her.
"By the way, I never asked this before, but what's the name of your village?" Xiao asked as he looked at the scenery in front, which differed from where they came from earlier.
The trees are alive and flourish with leaves and birds chirping between branches. The ground burst with lively green grass, and the air is what you expect in any nature forest, clean and fresh.
"Wayne Village."
Iva answered as simple and straight to the point as to how she usually does.
"Wayne Village. That's such a weird name from a Dark Elf village." Xiao voiced out his thought.
Though their surrounding appears peaceful, Xiao still senses animals and beasts lurking at the dark corner between the thick trees.
This is not where they can stop their feet and relax yet, and Xiao understands that they need to find shelter to rest and recover their strength.
So, the only way they have is to move forward since they couldn't return to where they came from, not when the man-eater is still lurking on the other side of the fog.
Xiao decided to press on immediately. He knew staying at one place for too long would easily expose them to danger.
On the way, Iva, who's keeping quiet for a while, finally says something in a soft tone.
"Wayne Village is not far from here."
Iva was gripping Xiao's hand tightly. Xiao felt her heart beating fast, even without putting his ear on her chest.
Sensing Iva uneasiness as they are nearing her village, Xiao stops and touches Iva's head, assuring her with a warm smile.
"Don't worry, whatever happens, I will always be by your side."
Iva relaxed her nerve a bit while nodding her head.
They continue the path until the end. Tall grasses block what is in front of them. Xiao pushes the grass aside, and what he saw that appeared in front of his eye got him in awe.
Giant trees appear in Xiao's eyes. The trees were so tall that they covered the entire sky, allowing only a tiny amount of sunlight to pass through.
Each tree has wooden houses and corridors built around it and bridges connected to other trees.
"Hold!"
Immediately right after Xiao and Iva stepped out from the tall grasses, they heard a warning shout coming from above.
Xiao trance the voice and found out that it belongs to a male Dark Elf standing at a wooden platform not far away from them. He has his arrow nocked and aim at them already.
Xiao reflectively reached out his arm to Iva while his other hand was about to take out his crossbow.
("Shit! Enemies!?")
Xiao has already planned his next move. He would pull a quick draw and immediately cover Iva from return fire.
A weapon drawn towards Xiao had already given him a thousand reasons why he should eliminate the threat as soon as possible, more than ever when Iva was behind him.
After a quick analysis of the surrounding, Xiao figured that the Dark Elf was the guardsman for the village, but that didn't prevent him from gripping his crossbow handle and eyeing the guardsman.
The guardsman identified the two strangers that approached their village. His expression changed when he saw Iva.
"Is that...Ivaru? The girl, it's Ivaru!" said the guardsman.
Shocked by Iva's presence, the guardsman calls out his comrades.
"Why is she back here?!" Another guardsman appear from one of the wooden platforms. He, too, was shocked and terrified.
"The cursed child is here! Inform the elder, quick!" Both the guardsmen relay the message to the back.
The guardsmen remained hostile and watchful towards Xiao and Iva as their arrow was still nocked on their bow.
Not long after, Xiao saw a group of Dark Elf with spears in their hand was walking towards them. The group's centre was an old Dark Elf with a long beard and wore a complex design headwear consisting of feathers and woods.
("The ridiculous headwear and how everyone was surrounding him scream I am the most important person in the village.")
Xiao smirked at the elder's appearance while Iva timidly hid behind his back and stayed very close to him. Her hand was shaking even more.
"Don't worry, I'm here with you," Xiao whispered to her while reassuring her as he gripped Iva's hand.
There's one thing that Xiao learnt by the appearance of so many Dark Elf, they all have silver hair, which is different from Iva, who has brilliant gold hair.
When the elder and his bodyguards finally stopped in front of them, he signalled the guardsmen to lower their bow. The elder then looked at Xiao first, followed by Iva, which he immediately shocked his head and sighed in disappointment.
"So it is REALLY you, Iva. Why? why do you return?" The elder expresses his disappointment towards Iva. It was not a question for Iva, yet the elder was saying out loud because he thought Iva was finally gone for good.
The elder's actions and words have Xiao raising his eyebrow and eyeing furiously at him.
Not noticing the rage building up from Xiao, the elder turns the attention to him.
"Human, why did you come to our village? and why did you bring back us the cursed child?"
Xiao smirked again, though no one could see his expression while wearing his combat mask.
"First of all, she was not a cursed child. Her name is Iva, Ivaru."
Xiao took a long pause before he continued. He wants the elder to acknowledge and respect that Iva has a name, not just a simple tag or a label.
"And secondly, we came here by accident, but since you asked, is it possible for us to rest at your village for a while?"
As far as Xiao hates to do so, he tried to talk to the elder in the most neutral tone possible.
Xiao was aware that the long chase and life-threatening situation they had gone through must have put a strain on them. Especially on Iva because she had never faced such a crisis before. So a good place to rest might be what Xiao and Iva need the most now.
"Absolutely not! And outsider like you is one thing, but allowing the almost mature cursed child to enter our village? You are out of your mind?!"
The elder raised his voice as he was madding upon hearing Xiao's request. He stomps his leg and also takes a few steps back as if he got frightened by the thought of allowing Iva to enter the village.
("Figure you will say something absurd like this.")
Xiao shakes his head upon seeing how the elder respond.
Not giving up on entering the village and feeling the need to educate the elder that Iva is not a danger, Xiao proceeds to counter the elder with a confident statement.
"What if I say that there's a way to make Iva's curse, or the right term, sickness, to go away? Would you allow us to enter then?"