CHAPTER 518: TRAVEL AND NON-TRAVEL TRAVEL CHAPTER FORTY-SIX CAPTURE (PART 2)_4

"Alright, we’ve said everything we need to. It’s time for us to be on our way," Lynch said. "Everyone, stay alert and keep an eye on everything around us. No matter where this path leads, we’ll try to travel it safely. From now on, all food and water should only be taken from what’s stored in the spatial bag. Do not pick anything from this forest, and don’t drink the dew collected on the leaves and flowers. To put it simply, consider this path ahead of us as a place cursed by demons."

The mage’s ominous warning had its desired effect, and the group became somewhat jumpy. Time slowly passed, yet they were still wandering in the forest. The road beneath their feet became more rugged, often forcing them to turn after only walking five or six meters. Only the mage’s eyes could see further, but the thick trees greatly limited his sight, and Lynch often had to close his eyes to rest.

"The roads here are more complicated than any I’ve seen," Lynch said as he continued to record the map of their path. "Look at the winding lines on this paper. There are multiple intersections, which means we’ve been circling back many times."

"But I haven’t seen any repeated scenery," Macken the knight said. "Are we going in circles?"

"Yes. If they intend to starve us to death or exhaust us by this method, they’re doing a pretty good job," Lynch said, marking another turn on the paper in front of him. "But from the map, we are still heading in a particular direction, and in a straight line, we’ve moved over three miles from our starting point. That means this direction can’t be towards the Sanlor River, or we’d have reached its bottom by now."

"So you’re saying that if we just retrace our steps, we can get out of here?" Zilvra asked. "I could easily clear a path with my thin sword."

"I’ve considered that, too, but it’s difficult to keep moving in a straight line, especially at night," Lynch said. "Let’s stop here. We’ll camp for the night and have a full day tomorrow to work on this. With a clearing not more than ten miles, we should get back to the riverbank. I assume they can’t be powerful enough to change the river’s direction."

At night, everyone only ate some smoked meat and drank a few sips from their water flasks. Soka didn’t eat anything; she didn’t like livestock meat and gave her portion to her pet tiger. That night, they decided to take turns keeping watch, with Lynch and Zilvra taking the first shift, and Morgan and Macken taking the later part of the night.

They lit a campfire on a cleared ground, their only source of light now. The stars overhead disappeared, seemingly a trick played by that cloud. Lynch’s mechanical follower floated quietly above the flames, using one of its tendrils to point in the direction they should head the next day. Without a head to install, the mechanical could not be affected by any spiritual magic, and illusions would have no effect. With this method, Lynch could at least be sure not to lose direction tomorrow.

Zilvra walked around the camp once and then sat down next to Lynch. The night here seemed particularly quiet, with not even the sound of insects. Besides the crackling of the firewood, only Morgan’s snores pierced the night sky. Zilvra nudged Lynch with her elbow and said, "You said the so-called savior we’re to find in the north is a half-elf, right?"

"That’s right, and besides that, he is a tribal leader from the north and a strong warrior," Lynch said. "To be honest, I find such similar legends hard to believe: can one person save the world?"

"That’s not important. I have other questions," Zilvra pondered for a moment and then said, "I have the blood of both the Dark Elf and Angel, but the deepest level holds elven abilities. If I have a child with you, what should we call it? Half-elf? Half-human? Half-angel? It’s quite a troublesome matter."

"If you use me as an example, then the question is easier to answer," Lynch said. "Human lineage, compared to those mentioned before, seems somewhat weaker. Under the influence of celestial and Drow bloodlines, the child would only manifest some facial features at most, possibly appearing more human than elven. But in terms of abilities, they should be similar to yours. However, why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I just wanted to know the answer. According to your reasoning, it’s part of a spirit of inquiry," Zilvra said. "Sometimes you’re very smart, but other times you seem a bit slow. Haven’t you figured out what happened that night?"

"If I couldn’t deduce clues from the behavior of others, I wouldn’t be a mage anymore," Lynch said, gazing at Zilvra’s face, which was cast with a reddish hue by the campfire’s glow. "But I think, if you don’t want to talk about it, I don’t need to bring it up. Anyway, I won’t be drinking again, as it seems that might accidentally hurt you."

"A clever mind is full of tricks." Zilvra laughed and gently patted Lynch’s face, as if to punish him through this gesture. "I’m not familiar with your human customs, and this clumsy Common Language can’t fully express my meaning. In the Drow Language, there’s a word that captures the weakest thoughts of surface dwellers. I suppose you know which word that is. So, Lynch, will you ever become weak in front of me?"

"Perhaps not, because I’m not adept at handling emotions; or rather, I cannot be sure of the full explanation of that word," the mage replied. "However, I will make you feel as though you get all the emotions you desire."

"Heh, your reasoning only showcases your intelligence, while your evasive answer reveals the pressure you feel in front of me," Zilvra said. "But that, in turn, satisfies me. The more you can’t find the answer to this question, the more persistently you’ll seek it. Now, my young gentleman, it’s getting late..."