酷视

Or, in more precise words, as I looked at my system, a single section of it kept flashing up.

[Main mission: Starlight Plain]

Just like when I tried to level up my endurance beyond the apparent limit, the name of the mission continued to flare up and down, as if to, once again, indicate I was on the right track to complete it.

\'Doesn\'t that means, I\'m still on the starlight plain?\' I thought as I took a look through the three possible paths to fulfilling this mission.

The easy path was all about escaping the starlight plain. And all on its own, if it was the only path flashing up, I would assume that the misty valley was the way for me to go…

But no.

Both the advanced route of surviving on this plain and the master route of uncovering the secrets of this place… They were both flashing up and down too!

\'Damn…\' I thought, taking a step back under the shock of my unexpected discovery… But the mist around me didn\'t thin out, fading away under the influence of the shadow. As I turned my eyes, I realized that the single step I took inside the mist somehow brought me well over a hundred paces into the misty area!

\'What the hell!\' Initially startled, I quickly turned around, eager to leave… Only to fail a step and fall forth with all the momentum of my leap, burying my face… into the soft grass hidden within the mist.

\'What\'s going on?\' I thought, puzzled. And as Fay\'s warning and pleas resounded in my ears, I felt first seeds of panic settle in my soul.

\'No, wait, I\'m not moving away from them,\' I thought, raising my eyes to look back toward the shadows as I gathered myself up and stood back up.

Sure, the first step moved me nearly a hundred paces away. But while I suddenly struggled to control my strength, there weren\'t really any other adverse effects to being in the mist!

And what was even more peculiar, was how I couldn\'t feel a single hint of anxiety. I could feel pretty much nothing beyond the fading fear that came when I lost my cool for a moment.

Standing up, I carefully placed my next step.

\'So that\'s it!\' A smile appeared on my face when, as expected, my step grew slightly heavier.

It was no wonder this small difference threw me out of balance! And as I anticipated, the effects of this misty valley… Was actually the same as the effect of the starlight plain. After all, this misty valley was actually an extension of that very plain!

The only difference between the two… was how the starlight plain affected my soul, while the misty valley affected my physical strength!

\'So there are two different barriers barring entry for two different species that live together in this forest, unable to leave…\'

I could sense I was onto something. But it was still too early for me to get the full picture. I knew way too little for any of my assumptions to make sense long-term.

"As long as I confirm a few bits first, then…\'

I pressed my mouth together, feeling the weight of responsibility now that I\'ve learned something unexpected bearing down on my shoulders. And throughout all of this, I didn\'t forget about my main goal for entering the mist either.

[Usable points: 1] > [Usable points: 1.62]

"Another failure, huh?" I muttered to myself, only slightly disappointed.

I already knew that the tempering of those two areas would increase the points I could use to raise my attributes rather than boosting the experience and letting me reach the next level. And while I wasn\'t going to complain about the free attribute points, as annoyingly slow as they grew, this mission was still a failure.

A failure that came with one hell of the news, but a failure nonetheless.

Done with this misty area, I turned away from the forest. Yet, rather than stepping away, I bowed deeply in the direction I could sense the thickest mist coming from, walked a few steps back while still bowed before finally raising up, turning around, and beelining for the forest\'s shadow.

Thankfully, after throwing me far deeper than I intended to get, this misty valley didn\'t play any further tricks on my perception of space, allowing me to peacefully get back to where the three women awaited my return.

I threw a quick glance at my system, just before leaving the misty zone.

[Usable points: 1.62] > [Usable points: 1.73]

In theory, I could just stay on the edge and gain free points… But right now, I was on the clock. And since both the starlight plain and the misty valley existed since ancient times, the chances were, they would still be there once I returned with more time on my hands!

"Another big fail?" Madam asked once I finally stepped into the shadows, mocking irony all over her voice.

Looking up, I simply gave her a big smile before turning my attention to Fay and grasping her in a tight hug. Still, I could only buy so much time for my dramatic revelation by mingling with my girl. And once I saw both the fox and the dryad turn impatient…

\'It\'s quite the contrary," I said with a wildly satisfied smile.

After all her remarks, I was more than happy to get one over that damned fox!

"But while I\'m more than happy to share what I found out…" I stated… Only to suddenly hesitate.

\'I don\'t know much about this place. And while there is a chance they already know all about it…\'

Gritting my teeth, I looked at the dryad and the fox, both looking at me with visible tension on their faces.

\'Yeah, I don\'t think they have a clue.\'

I breathed out and shook my head.

"It might not be the wisest idea to talk about it here, out in the open…" I looked around, just to add more feeling to my act. "When we have no idea who listens."