"Rufus, do you remember where I passed out? My backpack might still be there, and I'd like to go look for it," Perry asked while waiting for Toto to return. Rufus was studying the map.
"You were... here," Rufus pointed to a spot. "That place is quite dangerous. A lot of poisonous mushrooms grow there."
"How did you end up there?" Larkin leaned in for a closer look. "We rarely go to that area. Even the forest animals avoid it. It's a mushroom region—specifically, a poisonous mushroom area."
Perry was fascinated by mushrooms and was curious about what kinds of mushrooms might grow in this otherworldly forest. Even though he knew they were poisonous, he didn't back down; instead, he felt a bit excited.
"I don't remember," Perry answered Larkin. He genuinely had no memory of it.
"...Right," Larkin said, remembering that Perry had amnesia.
At that moment, system detected Rufus and Larkin by touching their hands, and their information instantly appeared before his eyes:
[Name: Rufus Molinto
- Age: 17
- Race: Elf
- Gender: Male
- Level: 18
- Attribute: Earth
- Skills:
- Precision Archery Lv2
- Blade Attack Lv2
- Stats:
- Stamina: B
- Magic: E
- Speed: A
- Intelligence: D
- Spirit: E
- Luck: D ]
[Name: Larkin Lufin
- Age: 17
- Race: Elf
- Gender: Female
- Level: 17
- Attribute: Wind
- Skills:
- Precision Archery Lv2
- Gale Arrow Lv2
- Stats:
- Stamina: B
- Magic: D
- Speed: C
- Intelligence: B
- Spirit: C
- Luck: B ]
Perry quickly scanned their profiles, noting that both of them had their specialties, but their archery skills were evenly matched.
"The spot is pretty close to a cave entrance. We might find Mushcats there," Rufus suggested as he carefully examined the route on the map. "We need to pass by the river to get there. We can follow this path, which lets us search for Mushcats and also gives Henry a chance to find his backpack."
Rufus drew out the route and showed it to Perry and Larkin.
"I'm looking after the Mushcat with that... item, I ok with it as long as have Mushcat around. " Larkin said casually, she not in rush. Perry, however, was grateful that Rufus had considered his needs.
"Sounds like a plan," Perry agreed.
"Hey everyone, I'm back!" Toto announced, carrying a basket on his back.
"Why are you bringing a basket?" Perry asked.
"My mom said if I'm going to the forest, I should gather some herbs and wild vegetables," Toto replied, a bit embarrassed.
It seemed Emily thought Toto was just going for fun and had given him a chore instead.
"Hahaha!" The three laughed at this, and Toto, not minding much, urged them, "Let's get going then!"
The four of them ventured into the forest. Perry observed his surroundings and found that the scenery looked surprisingly similar to the forests he remembered back on Earth. There were no strange tendrils or rumored giant carnivorous plants—just towering trees, dense foliage, and the occasional chirping of birds. Everything seemed so ordinary and natural that it felt more like a camping trip back in a familiar forest than an adventure in a magical world.
Despite being in another world, Perry didn't feel overly tense. He had often camped in forests back on Earth with friends, so this environment brought a sense of familiarity and comfort.
Larkin and Toto walked ahead of the group, map in hand, talking about the terrain and discussing the local flora they encountered.
Perry trailed behind them, listening to their conversation. He learned that Toto and Larkin were both students of Old Man Harden and seemed to be discussing which plants would be suitable for the village.
"This damp area here should be where non-flowering plants are most common," Larkin said, pointing to a section on the map. "According to these notes, Turtlebacks usually grow near water sources."
Toto nodded in agreement and added, "Yeah, especially by the riverside or near underground caves. We should find them along the river, and Mushcats are likely to be there too."
"Alright, we'll follow this route. The river isn't far now," Larkin confirmed, signaling everyone to continue.
Perry obediently followed, he know this was the route Rufus had outlined earlier.
Rufus took up the rear, constantly on alert. His keen eyes scanned their surroundings, and his ears were attuned to every subtle noise, maintaining a state of vigilance.
While the others doing thier staff, Perry pretended to observe the surroundings casually and secretly conversing with the system. In his mind, he asked, "Are there any special plants in this forest? Maybe something edible, like that yellow flower over there."
The system's orb going touch and scanning the yellow flower Perry was eyeing. The flower's petals were a warm golden yellow, shaped like maple leaves. Each petal was slightly translucent, with light passing through like golden amber, giving off a faint glow. The center was fluffy, resembling soft dandelion fluff.
[Analyzing...]
[Item: Ambemaple Dream
Grade: E
Attributes: None
Introduction: Translucent yellow petals shaped like maple leaves, with a soft and furry golden center. Its fragrance can make the surrounding air fresh and pleasant, refreshing and non-toxic.
Function: Purify the air and soothe the mood.
Warning: None ]
Seeing that it wasn't poisonous, Perry moved closer to the flower and gently touched its fuzzy center. He could feel a slight warmth emanating from it, and a strong fragrance filled the air—sweet and fruity, with a faint hint of cool mint. The scent completely masked the earthy smell of the forest.
Perry quite liked the aroma; it made him feel at ease.
"It this flower can be eat? What would it taste like?" Perry asked the system in his mind.
[If it's non-toxic, it should be edible. As for the taste, only the host can experience it—I can't tell.]
Perry and system had studied many new and strange plants he had encountered for the first time, but each one had turned out to be an ordinary, attribute-less plant or toxic.
They continued moving forward, and after a while, the faint sound of running water reached their ears. As they drew closer, the sound of the water became clearer, and they could almost feel the humid air rising from the water's surface.
"We're getting close to the river," Larkin said, a hint of excitement in her voice.
However, just as they were about to reach the riverbank, Rufus and Larkin suddenly stopped. They both heard the footsteps of a giant beast, and Larkin warned in a low voice, "There's a wild beast ahead—everyone, stop and hide in the trees."
Her voice, though not loud, was enough to make everyone immediately sense the danger. The others quickly followed her instructions, and Toto pulled Perry into a nearby thicket. Rufus quietly picked up a few stones and slipped them into his pocket, then skillfully climbed a tall tree to observe the situation ahead.
"A Shadow Crocodile," Rufus whispered.
"What? Shadow Crocodile?" Larkin and Toto exclaimed almost simultaneously. Though they spoke in hushed tones, their surprise was evident.
Perry, looking puzzled, asked softly, "What is Shadow Crocodile?"
He carefully parted the leaves in front of him and peeked ahead. By the riverbank, there was indeed a massive dark shape. It was a crocodile, shrouded in black mist, with bright yellow eyes glowing like two dangerous lights. The creature slowly crawled to the river and, with its back turned to them, bent down to drink. Its enormous size nearly spanned the entire riverbank.
Perry's eyes widened in shock. He had never seen such a gigantic creature—the crocodile was nearly as big as three refrigerators! The overwhelming sense of danger it radiated made him feel fear, his face turning pale.
System took the opportunity to float over to the Shadow Crocodile and began analyzing it. Soon, the data appeared in front of Perry.
[Species: Shadow Crocodile
Level: 34
Attribute: Dark
???]
Its level was higher than theirs, and confronting it directly would not be in their favor.
[Sorry, due to the level restriction, I can't access more of its information.]
Perry looked anxiously at the others, who seemed a bit startled but remained much calmer than he was. Rufus and Larkin exchanged a glance, silently understanding each other. Larkin whispered to Toto and Perry, "We'll back off for now, and Rufus will distract it."
It seemed they knew better than to provoke the Shadow Crocodile.
Perry and Toto quickly nodded, agreeing to the plan. They carefully followed Larkin, retreating step by step with footsteps so light they made almost no noise. Once they were at a relatively safe distance, Rufus began his move.
Rufus leaped from tree to tree, agilely positioning himself on the other side of the river. From there, he had a clear view of the front of the Shadow Crocodile. Rufus pulled a stone from his pocket and, without hesitation, threw it with precision, hitting the creature's head.
The crocodile jerked its head up, letting out a low, furious growl, and turned in the direction the stone had come from. Rufus quickly threw another stone, successfully luring it even farther away.
Taking this opportunity, Perry asked Larkin in a whisper, "What exactly is a Shadow Crocodile?"
While keeping her eyes on Rufus's actions, Larkin softly explained, "Shadow Crocodile is a dark-type monster. Even though it belongs to the darkness attribute, it isn't afraid of light like other dark creatures. It's powerful but has one fatal weakness—it's blind. So as long as we don't fight it head-on and avoid letting it smell blood, we shouldn't be in too much danger."
Perry marveled, "But it's huge!"
Larkin smiled slightly. "What you're seeing now is a small one. We've encountered bigger ones before. Lucky this creature just eat smelly animal, we not they first target."
Her words made Perry shudder. The current one had already scared him pale, and knowing there were larger ones out there made him feel even more uneasy.
Toto lightly patted Perry's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "You're pretty lucky, you know. Shadow Crocodiles are extremely rare—many people never see one in their lifetime. And this is the first time I've seen one in person. It's exciting!"
Perry thought to himself, "I definitely don't want to see anything like this ever again."
Meanwhile, system calmly chimed in his mind: [Shadow Crocodiles are very rare. The one you just saw is classified as an A-rank ingredient and is incredibly valuable.]
"Ingredient?" Perry was stunned. "You've got to be kidding. It doesn't look the least bit appetizing."
The Shadow Crocodile's silhouette grew fainter as it moved farther away. About fifteen minutes later, Rufus descended from the tree and returned to the group, reporting in a low voice, "I managed to lead it to the lakeside—it's drinking water there for now."
Larkin nodded. "Alright, let's keep moving and see if we can find any traces of the Mushcat by the river."