The gate was opened, after Moritz asked the guard.
Adrift distance of 5 km, Moritz can already feel the aura of the monster causing this tantrum.
(Do you think it's the queen of roses, fried chicken?)
(*”The Queen of Roses isn't here, at least not in this etherealm. After all, if it's her… sooner or later she'll definitely meet you. This one is different,”*)
Moritz took running as fast as he could. While looking around, Moritz felt that the night's pirn meadow looked less supernatural monsters. Now, he has got concrete proof of this abnormal occurrence.
Moritz stopped right in front of a fir tree. The pirn forest is famous for its fir stocks, especially some of them contain rare fir. Fir surrounded by an orange will o wisp.
Moritz reached out, and approached slowly…
There is something like an invisible barrier…
Suddenly…
#Syuut~ skieept!
“Whoops!” A tentacle of a thorny rod was about to wrap Moritz around it. But Moritz managed to dodge.
Then a bigger tentacle emerged from the barrier, slightly above and was about to flatten Moritz.
#Buummppp!
Moritz managed to dodge again. The tentacles returned inside the barrier as if they had never been seen again.
“Oh my… how troublesome!” Moritz wore the shield from his back to his left arm, then ran while pushing hard through the barrier.
The shield looked fiery, like a space rock trying to penetrate the atmosphere.
The moment it hit the barrier, the impact sounded like the sound of glass being pushed by a stone wheel.
Then…
#Prangg! (Shattering)
The barrier was shattered.
Moritz has now entered the northern pirn forest. The aura grew stronger and more dangerous. It looks very pitch black all around, if not chanting certain spells.
(Woah! How quiet is this place? Like a cemetery. Eh no, even cemeteries have undead races and spirits, though!)
(*”Hm… I feel the source of that aura on the far right!”*)
Taking Cockatrice's suggestion, Moritz tightened his steps in the intended direction.
So…
Moritz heard a groan.
(Who?)
He drew closer to the source of the moaning sound. The moaning voice of a woman in pain with intermittent breathing.
"Hello? miss? Where are you?" call Moritz.
A flash of white cloth shot in front of him, passing to the left. Moritz followed cautiously.
.
.
The sound was getting closer….
“Uuuhhh…. Its hurrrttt….! Am I going to die?”
The vocals of her voice are somewhat resonant and two-tone. Obviously, it was a woman's voice.
#Sob…
(What's behind this tree?)
Moritz avoided stepping on dry leaves. He stepped closer to the source of the sound.
Then…
“Peekaboo!”
Moritz's head shot up right in front of the woman. The woman was wearing a white Furisode with pink floral prints, pale skin, and long black hair.
She held her stomach which was stuck with a black rose.
“KYAAAA!!!”
The woman was about to run away, but Moritz grabbed the furisode's neck first.
“L-let go of me! I-I have no problem with you! Forgive me! Kyaaaa!” The woman's cries broke even more. She struggled and kept trying to escape from Moritz.
(Hey, hey, come on! Aren't humans supposed to be afraid of ghosts? Why is it the other way around?)
(*”Yes, yes, stop your stupid analogies, tadpole! You have lived in a different world and rules. After all… you only caused that lady pain!”*)
(Being advised by a strange animal sounds strange indeed….)
(*"Advising a madman like you, for a dark ancient like me is indeed the first thing!"*)
"Miss, if you keep moving, then your wounds are getting deeper, duh!"
Moritz pulled the woman by force so that she fell and leaned against a tree.. She was even more afraid.
“Hi-hiiiiiii! Hu-human… can talk to me? Y-you sure are strong!” The woman stepped back to stare at another tree. She was pushed and then protect her face with her hands. "Forgive me! Forgive me, sir! Whatever it is, I will do anything if you spare me!” Her tone sounded increasingly desperate.
"Anything, miss?" Moritz let out an evil smile, like a perverted guy in a night bar.
“Hiiiii!”
Moritz immediately squatted down, stretched out her hand.
The woman's screams were getting worse.
However…
Moritz's right hand was enveloped in a bright turquoise light.
#Syuut~
The stab of the black rose in her stomach has now been removed by Moritz quickly and painlessly.
The wound on the woman's stomach was getting smaller…
Then it was gone, just like the light on Moritz's right arm.
"Well, roses shouldn't be stuck in the stomach, miss. You need a beauty practitioner about this,” Moritz chattered.
“N-no! How could I have done that!”
(She seems to have gotten better.)
Moritz immediately stood up.
"Then, until then-"
The woman holds his hand.
“W-wait, maybe I can help you?”
***
The woman decided to follow Moritz. They chatted a little while introducing themselves to each other. The woman was willing to tell her name to Moritz, without coercion.
She said that she was a Rokurokubi or long neck ghost. In the middle of the night like this she and her friends usually hang around to chat. However, the moldrin race shot them arrows without cause.
“Fiery red eyes, Mira?” Moritz frowned.
“Yeah…. They didn't hesitate to shower us with arrows of black roses. Even though we never had any problems with the Moldrin race before!”
(No, no, it's not a matter of whether or not they have a problem! If their eyes are red, that means the moldrin is being controlled, right?)
"Wait a minute, shouldn't a ghost race like you guys be immune to arrows?"
"Not all arrows! The Tree race's arrows were always enchanted with natural spells. The nature spell when it hits the spirit body is akin to light-type magic! Even worse it could leave traces of corrosion, and make us slowly die!”
"What about elf arrows?"
“Hm… some of them are tolerable. That's why we often bully rookie elves, hihihihi!”
(Oh, I see.)
They stopped right at a large flower. Its limbs are pale dark green. A stately black rose, with many tentacled branches hung with something like a cherry that gave off a dark green and black glow. Several tentacles similar to greeting Moritz were also waving as if they were ready to bash anyone who approached a certain distance.
“Over there, my friends are being held captive! Umbrella ghosts exist too!”
A curious cockatrice, he popped his head out of Moritz's robes.
"Hm... so this flower is messing up my telepathiy?"
"Reptilian bird?" The ghost woman named Mira was astonished.
"Hmm?" Cockatrice turned to Mira. “Oh, hello Miss Pretty? How are you?"
Their eyes met each other. So…
That made Mira suddenly back away. She was scared again.
“Hiiiii! Hu-hu-huggeee aura!”
Moritz sighed. “Can you not make the situation even more murky, fried chicken?”
Moritz reluctantly, explained things to that Rokurokubi named Mira, that Moritz had some reason to hide Cockatrice. Mira finally understood even though she kept her distance a little.
.
.
After that, without delay, Moritz wanted to start the fight immediately.
“Mira, keep this bird! You should be safe as long as he is near you. Don't forget to adjust your distance because I can't promise to control the range of that monster's attack.”
Moritz left, while Cockatrice was held in both hands by Mira.
“Hello, Miss Pretty? May I hide in your two ballistic missiles?”
“Hiiii! Naughty reptile bird!” Mira looked confused and a bit frightened by Cockatrice.
Meanwhile….
#Syuut~ Skieept!
The tiny thorn tentacles failed to grab Moritz.
Moritz immediately took the opportunity, running around the flower. Getting closer little by little.
However…
#Syuut! Syuuut! Syuuut! Skiept! Skiept! Skiept!
The tiny tentacles were still trying and became so numerous that they barely gave Moritz any pause. Many times tried to wrap around Moritz's body and even legs but failed.
Because of that Moritz was looking for an empty side….
Moritz bounced off to the right. In a state of motionless, huge tentacles ready to approach Moritz from the opposite direction.
#SMPRAANG!
ns 172.70.43.209da2
