The next day, Helag arrived at Larry's house.
He was dressed in light armor, with a long sword at his waist, looking nothing like a wizard.
This light armor, bought for seven magic stones from the flea market, was tougher than regular armor and enchanted with some reinforcement spells, providing some defense against magic.
Helag planned to move as a knight once outside. Wearing a wizard's robe would be too conspicuous in the world of ordinary people.
"Ready?" Larry asked.
"Yes," Helag nodded lightly.
"Follow me." Larry led Helag upstairs.
Helag had only been to the fourth floor before and had never gone higher, unaware of what was above.
Following Larry, Helag counted the floors. They stopped on the eleventh floor.
This floor resembled a reception room, spacious with sofas scattered around.
At the far end was a fireplace, with a neatly stacked wall of firewood beside it.
"Why are we here if I'm leaving?" Helag was puzzled about why they were going upstairs to leave Moonlight Woodland.
Larry smiled and explained, "Do you want to leave through the eastern or southern routes? If you do, I won't stop you, but be prepared for battle."
"Seems the situation is worse than I thought," Helag said, understanding Larry's point.
The outskirts of Moonlight Woodland were no longer safe and leaving could mean encountering people from Green Cottage.
"So, we need a different, safer way out—the Floo Network," Larry said, walking to the fireplace.
"Floo Network?" Helag had never heard of it.
Larry explained, "It's normal you don't know. Moonlight Woodland only has three fireplaces connected to the Floo Network."
"The Floo Network connects many wizards' fireplaces. By using Floo Powder and saying the name of the destination, you can travel there."
Helag thought, "Isn't that dangerous?"
He imagined someone suddenly appearing in his fireplace at home.
"Only wizards with certain strength dare connect to the Floo Network. If you ever find yourself in the wrong place, be cautious. My Floo Network is registered with Moonlight Woodland, and this trip has been pre-approved," Larry said, taking a wooden box from above the fireplace.
Opening the box, he revealed green powder.
"To use it, grab a handful of Floo Powder, stand in the fireplace, say the destination, and throw the powder down. Your destination is Violet Cottage, an abandoned wooden house in the southern Kingdom of Konakani, in a forest."
"From there, walk south for two days to reach Violet City. Head west from there to reach the Kingdom of Doris," Larry explained the route.
"Simple enough, go ahead." Larry patted Helag's shoulder, signaling him to the fireplace.
Helag stood in the fireplace, checking if he had forgotten anything.
Larry held out the Floo Powder box. Helag grabbed a handful, feeling like ordinary sand.
"Remember, it's Violet Cottage," Larry emphasized.
Helag nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Violet Cottage!"
He threw the Floo Powder down, and green flames instantly enveloped him. In a flash, Helag disappeared.
Helag felt darkness, then a sensation of being flipped upside down, as if traveling through a black tunnel. After a while, a white opening appeared ahead.
Boom!
Helag crashed into a pile of debris, causing a loud noise and wooden shelves to topple.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a dilapidated wooden house, filled with broken sofas, chairs, and wood.
Dust filled the air, likely stirred by his crash.
Looking back, he saw a large fireplace, realizing he had come from there.
Cough… cough…
The dust made Helag cough uncontrollably.
"Dark Energy Shield!"
Helag cast a shield on himself, then squeezed through the debris, creating a path.
With the shield, he didn't worry about getting scratched.
Once out, he found himself on the first floor. The stairs to the second floor were decayed, with many broken steps.
Scanning the area, he found the front door and tried to open it, but the handle broke off. "How long has this place been abandoned?" he muttered.
Pushing the door, he found it stuck, the lock rusted shut.
Bang!
Helag kicked the door open, raising another cloud of dust.
He ran out, feeling cool raindrops on his face. Looking up, he saw a cloudy sky with light rain.
Surveying the area, he saw endless wilderness.
In the center of the wilderness stood Violet Cottage, surrounded by forest at the edges.
Helag took out his map, confirming the location Larry mentioned.
"Stars' position…"
Sensing the stars' position, he identified the south and began walking.
According to Larry, it would take two days to walk out, so he needed to hurry.
After ten minutes, he crossed the wilderness and entered the forest.
Walking through the forest, raindrops occasionally fell, soon soaking Helag. Using magic to block the rain was too extravagant. In an unfamiliar forest, he couldn't afford to waste mana.
Every so often, Helag marked his position on the map, adjusting his direction and route.
"Time to find a campsite," Helag noted, seeing it was near dusk.
He found a sheltered spot at the foot of a hill, with dense trees blocking most of the rain.
From his space ring, Helag took out a tent. Tossing it on the ground, it popped up, needing only the corners secured.
"Haven't hunted in a while," Helag thought, sensing many animals in the forest, all common species.
He took out a steel bow, unused for a long time but now useful.