Chapter 97.2
Chapter 97: Naya’s Fan Club Is Established Today! [2]
Three days passed quickly.
As soon as Naya got out of bed, she heard the system’s voice.
[Host, the Earth Vein energy density has reached its peak. Time is of the essence, act quickly.]
[Is it always this punctual?]
Naya yawned.
The person beside her greeted her as usual.
“Good morning, my queen.”
Illya was still sound asleep.
“Morning, Iris. Today, isn’t it about time we head to Bear Forest?”
“Yes.”
Naya and Iris got out of bed, opened the curtains, and pushed the window open, letting the sunlight shine on Illya, who was still in bed. This helped the child transition from sleep to wakefulness.
However, the sky outside was covered with dark clouds.
A storm was coming, and the world seemed to change color.
Naya stood by the window for quite a while.
[System, if no one ever retrieves the Earth Vein Sacred Relic, will it stay cloudy like this forever?]
[Yes, Host. The density of the Earth Vein energy is unprecedentedly large this time. If no one retrieves the Sacred Relic for an extended period, the entire area within a hundred miles will be shrouded in mist. Even Rex City will be folded into the Earth Vein space, and the residents here will fall into the memory illusions of the Earth Vein.]
[So, in the end, it’s still safer to keep Illya with us.]
[Keep going, Host. With the Dragon King by your side, you’ll surely return victorious.]
After getting up, brushing her teeth, and washing her face, Naya woke Illya.
The family of three dressed, then called over Flanna and Bella from next door.
The five-member dragon squad was about to set off and compete with the humans for their “meal.”
As they walked toward Rex City’s gate, they looked toward Bear Forest, now shrouded in thick mist.
Many adventurers were already heading toward the fog.
Flanna and Bella had only counted the ultra-ranked and high-ranked adventurers, leaving out the weaker ones.
Most of these adventurers were practically cannon fodder.
They didn’t have a system and had no idea how dangerous things were inside.
[Host, be extra careful. Hold onto Illya tightly, and don’t let go of Iris’s hand. It’s not just by entering the mist that you enter the Earth Vein space. You must be cautious at every moment.]
[Got it.]
Today, the system was unusually active.
Hmph, the system was such a tsundere.
When it came to critical moments, it really did care about her.
“Iris, carry Illya. We need to start being careful from here on.”
Iris glanced toward the mist-shrouded Bear Forest and asked, somewhat puzzled, “It’s about two kilometers away, right?”
“Yes, but the influence of the Earth Vein energy extends over hundreds of kilometers. What’s two kilometers in comparison? Just carry Illya already.”
“Alright, alright.”
Iris bent down and scooped Illya into her arms.
Naya then held Iris’s hand, their fingers interlaced.
“Don’t let go of me. Hold my hand tight. If you get lost, I won’t be able to save you.”
Naya had the system’s guidance, so she wouldn’t get lost in the secret realm.
The system was extremely sensitive to Earth Vein energy.
Following the direction the system indicated would lead them near the densest energy.
“Alright, alright.”
“Take this seriously. This isn’t a joke. I’m entrusting Illya to you because I trust you. If you lose her again, like last time, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Understood, my queen,” Iris chuckled softly.
Naya rolled her eyes helplessly at Iris, then turned to look at Flanna and Bella behind her.
“You two, stick close to me. When we get inside, don’t look around. Just keep your eyes on my back.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Illya, no matter what happens, you have to stick to me like glue. Don’t let go for even a second, understand?”
“I understand.”
Illya nodded obediently, her expression serious.
After giving everyone their instructions, Naya quickened her pace, leading Iris and the two maids into the mist.
The moment they stepped into the mist, Naya turned around to look back. Behind them was nothing but an endless fog, the outside world was completely obscured.
[Host, don’t worry. Just follow my directions.]
[Alright.]
The system guided Naya forward in her mind, paying no attention to the repeating scenery around them.
After walking for about ten minutes, they began to hear other voices.
“Dammit! Why is this mist getting thicker? The Earth Vein space didn’t have this issue before.”
A group of people emerged from the fog ahead, and upon seeing Naya’s group, they were startled. Leading them was a shirtless, muscular man with black hair. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief.
“Phew, I thought it was an Earth Vein Guardian. Turns out it’s just a few women.”
Naya gripped Elise’s left hand tightly, ready for battle.
“Hello.”
“You all accidentally wandered in here, didn’t you? Don’t move around aimlessly, or you’ll get lost.”
The leader glanced at Naya’s group, noting their clean, high-quality dresses and flawless makeup. He immediately pegged them as nobles who had been passing through Rex City and got swept into the Earth Vein secret realm by mistake.
“Uh… we…” Naya stammered, not immediately revealing her true intentions.
“Sigh, I don’t know why, but everything was fine yesterday during the day. Then, suddenly last night, this mist rolled in, and now we can’t even recognize the path. We’ve been in and out a few times; if we walk a bit more, we should find the way out. If you don’t mind, stick with us. As for the fee… Five of you, one gold coin each, a total of five coins. How about it?”
Before Naya could say much, the black-haired muscleman had already laid out his entire plan.
Seeing Naya hesitate, the man smiled and added, “Don’t worry, we’re a legitimate group of adventurers. We won’t harm you.”
He was confident in his assumption that these women were nobles who had accidentally wandered into the secret realm. After all, what kind of adventurer would bring such a young child on a treasure hunt?
Five gold coins were probably just pocket change for nobles dressed like this. His request was perfectly reasonable.
[Host, agree to their offer for now. We can use this group as cannon fodder to scout the path ahead. The Earth Vein Guardians tend to ambush, and having more people around will reduce the chance of them targeting us first.]
“Alright, then.”
Naya nodded, pretending to be pitiful.
“We don’t know how we ended up here. One moment we stepped into the mist, and the next, we turned around and couldn’t find our way back to the main road.”
“That’s how it is. The space here is very chaotic, and this area is probably still expanding. Time is tight, so let’s not chat too much. Follow us, and we’ll get out of here before the mist spreads too far for us to recognize the way.”
Naya glanced at Iris to get her opinion.
After Iris nodded, Naya followed the adventurers’ lead.