The dark figure stopped in the bushes, slowly revealing its terrifying form. It was an ink-black beast, covered in sharp scales, with eerie green eyes gleaming coldly through the thin mist. With a low growl, it looked ready to pounce on Perry at any moment.
Perry finally saw the creature clearly. It had six horizontally placed silver goat-like eyes, deep red claws, and dense black fur. Its body was a mix of a wild boar's head and a wolf's body, making it look especially horrifying.
"It's a Silver Boar!" Fido muttered in a low, astonished voice. He quickly grabbed a thick branch, adopting a defensive stance. However, the Silver Boar lunged forward, shredding the branch's surface with its claws. Fido had to step back, barely avoiding its sharp talons.
As the Silver Boar prepared to strike again, Fido reacted swiftly, landing a powerful punch that sent the creature crashing into a tree. The Silver Boar let out an ear-piercing shriek, clearly hurt. Perry looked at Fido in surprise, shocked by his strength.
Fido then took out a small, silver pocket knife, its blade glinting faintly in the moonlight. Seeing the silver weapon, the Silver Boar's eyes widened in fear, and it growled reluctantly, backing away before finally turning and leaving in frustration.
"Are you okay?" Fido asked, watching the creature retreat before turning back to Perry with concern.
Perry steadied his slightly wobbly legs, looking at Fido. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit shaken. I didn't realize you were that strong."
"Haha, Silver Boars aren't something you see every day. You're lucky to have encountered one," Fido chuckled, patting Perry's shoulder reassuringly, as though the ordeal had been nothing out of the ordinary.
Perry sighed, "My luck is so terrible you're calling it lucky…"
"Haha! Well, at least it's an interesting experience!" Fido laughed, picking up the broken branch and tying a few stones to it to create a makeshift spear. "We'd better hurry and finish gathering what we need."
"Is its name related to the color of its eyes?" Perry asked, still curious.
Fido nodded, explaining, "Yes. Silver Boars originally had the power to cleanse darkness, but being trapped in this forest, they were cursed to dark attributes. Their fur turned black. However, they're still afraid of silver, so it backs off at its sight."
"Let's gather what we need quickly. This boar's sudden appearance is strange; it's best to speed things up," Fido said while deftly binding stones to the broken branch to make a basic spear. Perry watched, impressed by Fido's skillful, confident work.
With Perry following closely, Fido led him towards the lake. In the dim light, the water looked dark and ominous, stretching into an unsettling depth. Flickers of blue light beneath the surface hinted at mysterious creatures moving below. Perry cautiously peered into the water, shivering slightly. "The water here is black—it feels really eerie. Fido, are you sure there's fish here?"
Fido smirked, leaning close to Perry to whisper, "Definitely. See those blue glimmers? That's the electric charge from eels. They won't kill you, but if you get shocked, you'll be paralyzed for a bit. Be careful not to touch them."
After signaling for silence, Fido held his breath, raising his spear carefully as he focused on the water's surface. Suddenly, he struck, piercing an electric eel and pulling it from the water. Perry could only marvel at Fido's speed. The eel's body shimmered with faint blue electricity, covered in dark scales, and its long whiskers glowed ghostly blue.
"Wow, you're fast!" Perry exclaimed, hardly able to take in what had happened before Fido had already removed the eel from the spear and placed it on the shore.
Fido grinned proudly. "Haha, I've been practicing since I was young. If you want, I could teach you to fish somewhere else."
They waited in silence, watching the eel's electrical glow fade. A few minutes later, Fido bound its head and tail with thick vines, bending the fish's body into a bow shape for easier carrying.
"Next, we're after Laughing Peppers and Crying Tomatoes," Fido pointed to the right side of the lake. "They usually grow in open spaces with fewer trees. Follow closely; there's a tall grassy area up ahead that can be tricky to navigate."
Perry nodded and followed. They made their way through the forest to a patch of tall grass, towering over both of them and blocking their view. Fido warned, "Stay focused in this grassland. Just head towards the moon, and you won't get lost."
But as they proceeded, clouds began to cover the moon, dimming its light. Fido frowned, "The clouds are blocking the moon now; it might get pitch-black soon. We should hurry through before it's too dark."
Perry instinctively grabbed Fido's shirttails and clung to him as they moved through the long grass. A low rustling sound came from all around them, as if something was lurking nearby. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the grass slapped violently at them. The moonlight was slowly obscured by clouds, and the surroundings gradually darkened.
"Perry, we have to go faster." Fido's voice was low and urgent in the darkness, and he began to quicken his pace. However, the moment Perry was distracted, Fido's figure disappeared.
"Fido?" Perry was stunned, and there was only a dark mass of grass leaves shaking in front of him. He quickened his pace, trying to catch up with Fido's figure, but there was nothing in front of him. "Hey, Fido! Are you in front?" His voice echoed in the empty grass with a hint of fear, but he received no response.
"Fido! Are you still there?" Perry called out, his voice loud and desperate, but there was no answer. A wave of panic surged through him, and his heart began to race. He tried using his system to ask about Fido's location, but it couldn't pinpoint him; the empty, sprawling grassland felt isolating.
"System, can you locate Fido?" Perry asked urgently in his mind, unable to hide the nervousness in his voice.
[Sorry, I can't see Fido. There's no trace of movement above the grass,] replied the system, as its small blue orb floated above the grass to scan the area. Yet, all it saw was a deep, silent darkness, with only the rustling of black leaves under the passing wind.
"It's getting darker…" Perry murmured, feeling a sense of helplessness. Nonetheless, he quickly opened his magic book, searching for a spell that would light up the surroundings without igniting the grass. The book seemed to sense his urgency, flipping its pages rapidly until it stopped on a spell called "Firefly."
Perry studied the spell; though it was a bit lengthy, it was perfect for his current situation. Taking a deep breath, he hurriedly recited the incantation before the darkness completely enveloped him, "Cito veni, cito veni vento, Hoor mijn roep en kom naar mij toe, Vimulimuli wanaoruka, njoo hapa unihudumie!"
As he finished the last syllable, the night was swallowed by darkness as the moon was completely obscured by clouds. Just as Perry felt he was being consumed by the shadows, a gentle glow emerged from the book, and a tiny firefly appeared, its soft light illuminating Perry's surroundings.
"Thank goodness, there's light," Perry sighed in relief. The firefly's glow lifted his spirits; maybe it could help signal his location to Fido. Filled with hope, he continued forward, calling out, "Fido! Can you hear me?"
The firefly hovered just above him, lighting his path, while the system's blue orb floated beside him, offering some comfort. But then, he heard something rustling in the grass behind him—a faint sound, yet unnervingly clear in the quiet night, as if something was creeping toward him.
Perry spun around, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Fido, is that you?" He cautiously approached the source of the noise, hoping to see a familiar figure.
[Host, be careful. That's not Fido.] System warned softly, its voice tense. Perry's heart leapt into his throat as he instinctively stepped back, his gaze sharpening with caution.
"What?" he murmured, his eyes narrowing as he tried to discern the shadowy figure in front of him. But the figure didn't reveal itself fully; instead, it circled him slowly, as if stalking him and waiting for an opening to strike.
Due to the dense grass around him, Perry could only make out a vague outline, unable to see the creature's true form. He gripped his magic book tightly, his nerves taut as cold sweat slid down his forehead. He recalled Fido's warning that creatures in the grass wouldn't usually attack, but this shadow clearly wasn't so friendly.
"It can't be that monster, can it…" Perry whispered, his fingers trembling as he braced himself for a fight.
The shadow in the grass continued inching closer, filling the air with an oppressive tension that seemed to crush him. Perry's gaze was fixed on the shape in the darkness; the firefly's gentle glow helped him remain calm, but fear still simmered within. He knew that every step from here had to be carefully measured—one wrong move could throw him straight into danger.