"Seems like some group has definitely confronted a lower beast, and an aggressive one at that," remarked the bandit in Finn's group as they strolled along the forest's edge, heading toward the path of flowers.
Creambell, who couldn't shake off the intuition that Orochi was involved, felt an underlying anxiety that Moonlight might also be present. Anxiously, he inquired, "In your earlier expeditions, has anyone managed to survive a confrontation with a lower beast?"
"Fighting a lower beast head-on is a death sentence. Those who survived previous expeditions evaded them; that's their only chance," the bandit explained.
"Is there truly no one capable of facing these beasts head-on?" asked Creambell.
"There are a few individuals in Central Island who can handle lower beasts. Even a skilled group of hunters could take them on, but unfortunately, we have neither here," clarified the bandit.
Creambell paused, staring in the direction of the ominous screech. He sighed, acknowledging, "Seems like the population of lower beasts is going to diminish today."
Finn, incapable of speech or facial expressions, communicated his agreement to Creambell by joining his hands together and looking up, as if offering a brief prayer. Creambell understood the gesture, interpreting it as a silent plea for the souls of the impending casualties. Smirking in response, he accepted Finn's unspoken sentiment.
Unaware of Creambell's muttered comment, the bandit, who had forged ahead, turned around and asked, "Did you say something?"
"Nothing," replied Creambell, and he and Finn resumed their journey, the group advancing toward the path of flowers. As they walked, Creambell couldn't help but wonder if emotions could truly be spared for the creatures that lurked ahead, waiting for their inevitable clash.
Meanwhile, Kestrel and Crow were steadily closing in on the location of the path of flowers. As they walked, Kestrel inquired, "Can you give me the map for a moment?"
Crow handed over the map without hesitation, and Kestrel examined it. "Seems like you've made quite a few additions to the map," she observed.
"Yes. We've been here a couple of more times since your last visit," Crow explained.
"I see," responded Kestrel as she browsed through the map.
Among the markings of sector numbers, there were tick marks and crosses scattered across the map. The tick marks came in two colors – dark green and light green. A dark green tick was placed on the path of flowers, and another marked the center of the forest where the artifact was located. Two light green ticks were scattered in random locations within the forest.
Then there were crosses, distinguished by three colors – yellow, orange, and red. Three yellow crosses, two orange, and one red were dispersed across the map.
Out of curiosity, Kestrel remarked, "There was no red cross the last time I saw the map. Why is it labeled as 'Deceiving Lawn'? Did you explore a new area?"
"Yes. Two years ago, we ventured into the forest with a level C hunter. One of bandits and the hunter spawned in sector 4. The problem with sector 4 is that the entire region was unexplored until then, and those who ventured in never returned to tell the tales. So, whoever spawned in sector 4 usually took routes through a different sector. But when the bandit suggested the hunter to take a different route, the hunter denied, and they ventured deeper into sector 4.
After traversing the woods for some time, they reached a vast grassland. The green grasses were only a few inches tall, and there were no other flora. It seemed safe, with clear visibility across the open space.
Under that naïve assumption, they set foot on the grassland. It felt like any regular lawn, with real grass. However, as they reached the middle, things took a bizarre turn. They started seeing people, even some old friends who never returned from sector 4. Surprised, the bandit tried to communicate, but they were all emotionless, staring at the duo. Soon, strange creatures appeared, mimicking the behavior of the people. They surrounded the bandit and the hunter from all directions.
The hunter, growing anxious, lashed out and cut one of the creatures, triggering a more dangerous response. They attacked ruthlessly from all sides, overwhelming the duo. Attempting to escape, they reached the edge, but the grasses grew and tied together, forming the lower jaw of a massive creature. It resembled a canine's jaws with a small trunk to smell, hairless and menacing. It approached the bandit first, smelled him, then turned to the hunter. But, when he smelled him, it grew agitated. It attacked the hunter. The bandit escaped while the hunter struggled against the creature, only to be devoured in the end."
"Whatever it is, it sounds far more terrifying than a lower beast," remarked Kestrel.
"It's not a lower beast," informed Crow.
"It's not!" exclaimed Kestrel.
"No, it's not even an upper beast, I guess. We don't know what it is."
"It cannot be a supreme beast, that's for sure. Because there are always 12 or fewer than 12 supreme beasts," said Kestrel.
"I know. Moreover, supreme beasts have very high intellect, but that creature seemed to have the intellect of a wild beast. So, there's no way it could be a supreme beast," added Crow.
"Hope no one takes that path," said Kestrel, a shiver running down her spine at the thought of the mysterious and perilous Deceiving Lawn.
Meanwhile, the bandit in Finn's group took the lead as they ventured through the edge of the forest. After a while, the bandit halted beside a massive trunk of a tree.
"What happened?" asked Creambell.
"We have reached the path of flowers," replied the bandit.
Upon hearing this, Creambell and Finn scanned their surroundings, but only a sparse scattering of flowers adorned the ground.
"Neither can I see flowers nor can I see a path," remarked Creambell, turning to Finn. "Can you see them, Finn?"
Finn subtly moved his head sideways to indicate a negative response.
"The path of flowers is up there," the bandit clarified, pointing skyward. "We need to climb this tree to reach there."
Creambell and Finn gazed upward. The tree stood at least 40 feet high, with numerous branches that could aid a climber.
"How are we going to reach the top?" queried Creambell.
"A rope would have been nice, but the tree trunk is very wide. With a bit of effort, we can reach the top," explained the bandit.
Suddenly, a thread materialized out of nowhere and snagged on a branch 10 feet above. The bandit and Creambell turned to its source and discovered it was Finn; the other end of the thread was attached to him. Finn had utilized his sticky thread ability to facilitate climbing.
"Your golem can shoot threads!" exclaimed the bandit. "You should have let me know earlier."
Seizing the thread, the bandit began ascending the tree. Creambell followed suit, climbing with the assistance of the thread. Together, they pulled Finn to their level. Finn continued utilizing his sticky thread ability, and the trio ascended the tree.
On the other side, Moonlight navigated the forest without encountering any dangerous creatures. After walking for a while, she glimpsed the end of the forest. A smile adorned her face as she hastened toward the forest's conclusion. Upon reaching the edge, she was met with the sight of a vast green lawn.
She carefully surveyed both sides of the lawn, a sense of caution lingering in the air, before gingerly taking a step onto the Deceiving Lawn.