Chapter 81 Unusual Attack, Vines, Kidnapping?
The forest was very difficult to traverse; the snow that had fallen since the beginning of winter had accumulated there, making it almost impossible to find a path.
Few people come here. At first, you can follow other people's footprints for a while, but later it's all just a vast expanse of white.
"Brother, do you think we can catch prey here?"
After walking several hundred meters without seeing any trace of animals, Lamb began to have doubts.
So it turns out that after all that effort, Lamfey finally made it to the forest, and his ultimate goal was still to hunt.
"We can't catch any; there's no prey around here."
What do you mean by that?
Ray's tone was so certain that Lamb wavered somewhat but still struggled to raise a question.
"It's been snowing for a while now, but not a single footprint has been left on the snow."
Ray didn't explain further, but Lamb immediately understood what he meant.
"Sigh, what a wasted trip."
"We caught a fish, so it's quite a haul."
"This is different."
Lamb was very disappointed.
This feeling is like having something you've been longing for suddenly taken away.
"Let's go, we should head back to Reese's place after wandering around for a while longer."
"All right."
The two walked and talked, choosing easy paths. Along the way, they discovered some colorful feathers, which rekindled Lamb's confidence.
"Brother, let's walk a little further, maybe we can find some wild birds."
Lamb asked Rae cautiously, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation.
"We really have to go back after walking a little further."
"Okay, bro."
Lamb beamed with joy.
The further you go in, the more trees there are in the forest.
They look much better than those on the periphery; they don't seem to be going through a harsh winter, but rather they seem to have accumulated enough strength to welcome spring, full of vitality.
Ray sensed something was slightly off, but the active wood element here explained why the plants would grow better. He suppressed his subtle unease and followed Lamb, who was completely absorbed in searching for wild birds.
What exactly is wrong?
Lei frowned as he observed his surroundings.
Half-buried withered yellow grass in the snow, bare branches, vines parasitizing tree trunks, and scattered bird feathers on the snow.
It's so quiet here, there's not even a bird chirping.
The more Ray looked, the more uneasy he felt. Soon, a vine clinging tightly to the tree caught his attention.
It grows on the other side of Lei's view, and its color is more vibrant than the other vines. This is not the color that plants should display in winter.
As the weather begins to get colder, most plants darken in color, turning a deep brown or yellowish-brown, due to pigment deposition. But it remains a deep green.
Lamb also discovered the vine.
"Hey, this vine is growing really strange."
He walked over to the tree and observed it carefully.
“This is too abnormal, Lamb, stay away from it.”
This is not the safe and harmless environment of Earth. The unknown represents danger, especially since they are now living on a magical continent.
You never know what might be a seemingly ordinary thing that might be hiding a deadly poison.
"good."
Lamb took a few steps back, but still looked at it curiously.
"Brother, its roots don't seem to be under the tree!"
Lamb gathered a large handful of hay and used it to clear the snow from the base of the tree, and sure enough, he couldn't see the roots of the vine. What they saw seemed to be only a part of it, the lower part extending in one direction close to the ground.
Lamb, as if he had discovered a new toy, began to walk forward following the direction of the vines.
Lei frowned, looking at the vines and then at Lamb.
"Lamb, don't touch it directly with your hands."
"Brother, don't worry, there won't be any problems. I just remembered that when I was a child, an old man in the village said that there is a kind of vine near our village that is evergreen all year round and bears delicious fruit in winter that can cure sore throats. If we follow this vine, we will definitely find this fruit."
Lamb spoke with absolute certainty, as if he had actually seen this plant before, which made Ray very skeptical of its authenticity.
"I'm just going to check if there are any fruits. I promise I won't touch any other plants, and nothing will happen!"
Compared to Ray, who had only lived here for half a year, Lamb, who had grown up here, certainly had more say. Ray struggled internally for a while, but ultimately accepted Lamb's suggestion.
"If it's not too far, we can go and take a look. If it's too far, we must turn back."
"Okay! Brother, I'll definitely listen to you."
Lamb achieved his goal and laughed heartily.
He found a stick, tied some dry grass to the bottom to make a makeshift broom, and began clearing the snow from the vines as he moved forward in the direction they extended.
After walking several hundred meters, the vines finally began to change.
It was no longer bare; root-like tendrils began to extend from its surface. Continuing a short distance further, one could see that other small vines seemed to have grown on the vine.
"Good heavens, this vine has grown so long, and it even has branches. I'm starting to suspect that it's not an ordinary plant."
"This isn't an ordinary plant. Do you suspect it's a demonic plant?"
"That's right, it's the Demon Plant."
Ray voiced Lamb's suspicions, giving him the feeling of having met a kindred spirit.
"Lamb, where is this?"
"The woods by the village."
Lamb was a little confused by the sudden question.
What are the environmental requirements for the growth of magical plants?
"A stable source of magical elements, and specific environmental factors."
Lamb immediately shut off the engine.
Such a large plant clearly indicates that the environment surrounding the small village does not meet these two requirements. If it were a small magical plant, it would be more plausible, given that the small village is relatively close to the Eton Great Forest.
"Let's see how things go."
"good."
The two continued on their way.
The plants here are in even better condition; some have even sprouted new buds. Some evergreen shrubs lie prostrate on the ground, covered with a layer of snow, but their leaves have not been damaged by the frost.
I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but it feels like the temperature here is a few degrees higher than in other places.
"Brother, can you smell something delicious?"
Ray sniffed, but didn't smell anything. But the mention of fragrance immediately put him on alert.
The scent, the woods, the vines. These things reminded him of something unpleasant.
It can't be such a coincidence...
"Cover your mouth and nose."
Lamb obediently covered his nose.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
“We need to go back immediately; there might be danger here.”
Click.
Lamb accidentally broke a dead branch, which crushed the vines next to him.
"elder brother……"
Lamb gave an awkward smile.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the vines quickly wrapped around him, suspending him in mid-air.
"Brother! Help me!"
The vines dragged Lamb along, sliding on the snow. Before he could react, Lamb could only shout for help.
Damn it!
Ray reacted quickly, taking long strides to catch up.
Lamb, a tall man over 1.9 meters, was no pushover, and with him constantly grabbing at everything he could reach, it was quite difficult for the vines to drag a grown man away.
In just two or three minutes, Ray caught up with Lamb. He drew his weapon and severed the vines with a single stroke.
The light on the blade flashed briefly the moment it touched the vine.
The vines binding Lamb were too tight to be peeled off by hand, so the bone knife had to be used to help Lamb get rid of them as quickly as possible.
"Bear with it, are you hurt?"
Ray pulled out the bone knife that was nailed to the ground and forcefully cut the vines binding Lamb's legs.
"I only bumped into things a few times. Brother, let's hurry up and get out of here. I have a feeling there are other dangers around."
In a flash.
The rapidly moving vines even created a whooshing sound as they flew through the air. Fortunately, all the restraints on Lamb had been removed, and the two of them rolled away to dodge the sudden attack.
"My God! This is going to kill me!"
"Lamb, go quickly, I'll cover your retreat."
"elder brother!"
"I have magic to protect myself, but you can't. Go away!"
The bow and arrows on his body had long since been lost during the dragging process, and Lamb was now completely unarmed. Staying here would not only be of no help, but would also be a hindrance to Ray.
He hesitated for a moment, then immediately made his decision and turned to run in the direction from the woods. Ray leaped to block a vine that was trying to catch up with Lamb.
"Brother! Wait for me, I'll go out and get some help!"
"good."
Ray was relieved that Lamb wasn't a terrible teammate and wouldn't stage some dramatic scene where the two of them had to leave together at such a critical moment.
This solved a big problem for Ray.
The three vines continued to attack Lei, and the bone knife inlaid with earth elemental stones was very effective against them.
Although I couldn't cut the vines off in one go like before, I still left quite a few scratches on them.
I can't just sit here and wait to die. The vines keep waving around, and if this continues, I'll definitely run out of energy.
Leigh stood in the open area, seriously considering how to escape the danger.
The forest is overgrown with weeds, and the vines can take advantage of the terrain to hide themselves.
This is a very unfavorable situation for Leigh.
He used one hand to block the vines that attacked him from time to time, and the other hand to look for a way out.
Now!
Ray sliced off part of one of the vines, momentarily slowing their movements. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he took off running.
The vines seemed to have a special sensitivity to moving objects and immediately chased after them.
Ray dodged their attacks by weaving around the trees, successfully binding a vine to a tree. Just as he was about to escape the area, he suddenly felt something grab his ankle.
"Damn it."
The vines successfully caught their prey and began to retreat. Ray gripped the bushes tightly with his left hand, and his whole body was being pulled straight up.
He tried to bend over, intending to cut the vines wrapped around his ankles with his bone knife. But the pull was too strong, and he couldn't do it.
The vines tightened little by little, and Ray felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Having no other choice, he released his left hand, prioritizing saving both feet before making any further plans.
The vines seized the opportunity and began to wrap around Lai's body, climbing up his legs. Because they were heavy, they weren't dragged very fast, but being dragged across the snow was certainly not a pleasant experience.
The vines coiled layer upon layer, like a victor strutting around in triumph.
We absolutely cannot die here!
Anger swelled within him.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 08:01:01 on September 23, 2023 and 14:17:21 on September 25, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Disi (5 bottles); Luoning and Yunduanzhishangshihaiyang (1 bottle each);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
