CHAPTER 379: THE GUIDING FLOCK OF BIRDS

Silvanus quickly pried the snake off his leg. Although its grip was far from gentle, Silvanus had magic, so it wasn’t a problem.

He straightened up, ready to continue walking, but he abruptly froze. Because... there was no one in front of him anymore.

Vivian seemed startled as well. Her four little paws pressed anxiously on Silvanus’s shoulder, kneading restlessly while she let out nonstop sounds as if complaining or cursing.

Silvanus frowned slightly. Just moments ago, he could still hear Nana’s footsteps very clearly, close by, since none of them had been walking fast.

Yet the instant he lifted his head, everything fell into silence. There wasn’t a single person in sight. Only the quiet forest remained, like a great maw preparing to swallow everything whole.

Silvanus closed his eyes and took a deep breath before calmly stepping forward. He kept feeling that he didn’t need a guide at all. His intuition was leading him, urging him, telling him that he needed to see something.

The gears of fate began turning once more...

Meanwhile, Nicole and Nana also realized that Silvanus had vanished. Almost the moment Silvanus lowered his head, Nicole looked back, but behind her now stood only Nana.

Nana seemed to sense something as well. She frowned, turned her head, and said incredulously, "Impossible. I clearly heard Silvanus’s footsteps right beside us just a moment ago!"

Nicole waved a hand. "That’s just how this forest is. For all we know, Silvanus might already be thousands of miles away from us."

Nana was stunned. Someone disappearing in the span of a single blink—this forest was far more treacherous than she’d imagined. She finally understood why there was not a single protective barrier outside.

She looked at Nicole and suddenly asked, "Then... will Silvanus die?"

Her forehead was flicked before she could react. Nicole had appeared in front of her without warning, smiling. "Looking forward to it that much, you wicked girl?"

Nana responded coldly, "You were the one who said those who get lost will die..."

Nicole waved again. "Just scaring you two a little. He won’t die. Once we get there, we can ask the elves to look for him."

Nana nodded at that, not showing much expression.

They could only continue walking.

At this moment, Silvanus had already gone quite a distance when suddenly a strong rustling sound echoed from above.

The sound of countless wings striking the air overlapped like a small storm. Unmistakable chirping echoed as a flock of birds hurried past, calling back and forth as if they were having a lively conversation.

Silvanus and Vivian both looked up. Vivian suddenly stood on her hind legs, her front paws clawing at the air as if trying to catch the birds flying overhead.

Silvanus immediately caught her forelegs and said softly, "Don’t even think about it. We have tastier chicken legs waiting at home."

Vivian let out a delighted trill. Right then, a few birds from the flock seemed to have noticed the commotion. They suddenly dove down, circling around Silvanus and chirping nonstop as though speaking to him.

They flapped their colorful wings—some were golden, some had feathers mixed with white and blue—so many species Silvanus had never seen outside the forest.

The flock above continued flying endlessly, and there was no way to know how far their ranks stretched. More and more birds began paying attention to Silvanus.

They swooped down and circled him, chirping brightly. Some birds, seemingly tired of flying, simply perched on Silvanus’s head or on his arm.

Vivian was furious. She stomped all over Silvanus, endlessly trying to chase the birds away, her hind legs kicking his chin over and over.

Silvanus twitched at the corner of his mouth. He should be grateful Vivian remembered to retract her claws.

He grabbed Vivian with one hand and looked at the birds still chirping energetically in front of him. Suddenly, he raised his hand. A bird with dazzling golden feathers immediately landed on his finger, opening its beak and singing as if showing off.

Vivian glared at the foolish golden bird. Silvanus couldn’t help laughing. He reached out with his free hand to gently touch it, and instantly several other birds fluttered toward him as if trying to nestle into his palm.

"Where are you all going?"

The question slipped out of Silvanus’s mouth before he even realized it. Then he felt foolish—talking to birds.

After all, not every creature could understand human speech the way Vivian did.

But what happened next shocked him.

All the birds suddenly took off at once. They grabbed onto Silvanus’s clothes, flapping their wings as they pulled him forward—

as if trying to lead him somewhere.

Silvanus couldn’t help being surprised. His eyes widened slightly as he asked, "You can actually understand what I’m saying?"

The birds, of course, couldn’t answer. They only kept tugging insistently at his clothes.

Silvanus nodded. "Alright, let’s go then."

The moment he spoke, the birds took off again, forming a small vanguard. A few still clung to him, playing a game of tag with Vivian.

Silvanus’s whole body was practically becoming their playground.

He knew Vivian was mischievous, but he hadn’t expected these birds to be just as troublesome—no special abilities, yet clever and full of antics.

He had no idea how long they had been walking. The flock above grew thinner and thinner.

The remaining birds acted a bit impatient, urging Silvanus forward, but his steps remained careful and slow.

He soon noticed changes in the ground. Tiny cracks appeared—traces of roots. They rose slightly before disappearing back into the earth.

At the same time, the light ahead grew brighter and thicker, as if the forest was giving way to an exit.

The closer he walked, the more focused he became. His whole body tensed. Light enveloped him, and he instinctively narrowed his eyes.

He blinked several times, quickly adjusting to the brightness.

And then he froze. His lips parted slightly as he stared blankly—all he saw was a tree, yet it occupied an impossibly vast space.

Its massive roots were nearly the size of the trunks of the giant trees outside. And as for the trunk itself—its sheer size and grandeur left Silvanus’s mind momentarily blank.

This tree towered twice as high as the others, its canopy drooping incredibly low.

The trunk was covered in rough bark, yet within the layers were glowing grooves that stretched and curved, shining with a vivid golden hue—like sap, or perhaps some mysterious energy.

The tree was heavy with countless fruits. Round and elongated, they resembled cocoons more than anything else, constantly emitting a shimmering silver glow. Within them, faint green light pulsed—like life being nurtured.

The gargantuan roots curled downward, plunging into a vast lake below. The water was so clear that even the lakebed was visible, perfectly reflecting the immense form of the tree.

And in that moment, the stillness of the lake began to break...