CHAPTER 682: CHAPTER 677: THE BIG RADISH

Ronald had always disliked forests.

On some of his journeys before his travels through time, forest environments had always given him a very unpleasant experience.

Mosquitoes as big as the palm of one’s hand, toxic insects everywhere, and inexplicably emerging terrain traps underfoot...

These were things that could cause severe headaches and even pose life-threatening dangers.

Not to mention those truly uninhabited forests.

Apart from the scarce, or sometimes nonexistent, companions by one’s side, traversing such places could definitely be considered torture!

However, now...

Fully equipped with spells as protection and with Costate leading the way in front.

In the ancient and vast Yizi Forest,

Ronald’s experience had somewhat improved.

Watching the maid focused on clearing the path ahead, Ronald took the opportunity to observe his surroundings and casually asked:

"Costate, roughly how long will this trip take?"

This time, the maid focused on making her way and did not turn back to answer.

Her tone was still as respectful as ever:

"Sir, with our current pace, it will take a day to reach the location I last tracked, and how much longer it will take after that is unpredictable."

Ronald nodded slightly and continued to ask:

"Then, during this time, tell me about the anomalies in the forest."

"You spoke quite generally before, and I do not have a good grasp of the actual situation."

...

Costate did not immediately respond to Ronald’s question.

Maintaining roughly the same pace as before, the maid pondered for over ten seconds before finally beginning to explain:

"Sir, such as reptiles suddenly growing wings and acquiring the ability to fly, I won’t elaborate on that. What I feel particularly worth reminding you is that, here in Yizi Forest, you can’t cling to your past simple understanding of life."

"On the path we are walking, the boundaries between animals and plants have blurred to the point of nonexistence, and this can even extend to rocks, or fungi, for instance—like mushrooms that have grown limbs and can move freely, or a group of stones wriggling on the ground, please be very careful."

...

For a moment,

Ronald almost thought he was in a fairy tale world.

But on second thought—

It made sense in a fantastical world that already contained Casters; the addition of creatures closer to magic beings seemed acceptable, right?

The reality, though,

Was merely life’s possibilities displayed purely under the influence of the original canon.

...

Chatting like this,

The pair continued moving forward in Yizi Forest and Ronald also discovered that this place was not purely uninhabited in the strictest sense.

To a certain extent, deeper in the forest,

The sharp-perception he possessed often allowed him to detect traces of human activity that had been abandoned: leftover household items, temporary campsites set up, and even treehouses built among the branches...

These were all things that could be seen in Yizi.

And according to Costate’s explanation, these were actually remnants left behind by mystical sects like the Secret of Aogen that practiced in the forest.

After all, the area of Yizi Forest was vast!

With a size comparable to that of an entire country, even if a few secretive sects were scattered here, they would not catch anyone’s attention.

Alas, this narrative style of guided travel did not last too long.

When noon arrived,

The two people making their way through Yizi Forest suddenly heard faint cries for help coming from afar—

"Save me, someone please save me?"

"Help!"

...

Ronald and Costate silently stopped in their tracks.

The two exchanged a glance and saw the confusion in each other’s eyes—how could someone possibly be trapped here?

Given their extraordinary physical capabilities,

Although they had only ventured into the forest for half a day, their entry point into Yizi was already quite deep.

A common person, alone, would have no chance of making it this far by themselves.

And a spellcaster with the ability to cast spells, if such a person really encountered life-threatening dangers in the forest, would have no reason to still be able to scream for help.

So... what exactly was this thing?

Amidst their confusion, Ronald quickly made a decision.

They were, after all, here to investigate issues in Yizi Forest, and now that they’ve stumbled upon something, they might as well go check it out!

They slightly adjusted their direction.

Not far in the direction of the voice, they saw the source of the screams for help.

It was a tree with a diameter of three or four meters.

And a young girl with an enticing figure was currently tightly bound by thick branches, her hands and feet even submerged into the tree’s limbs behind her.

The moment she saw Ronald and Costate.

Tears welled up from the lovely girl’s eyes:

"Please, please save me!"

"I’ve been entangled by this tree!"

"It’s going to eat me!"

"..."

Ronald looked at Costate with an expression that was hard to describe.

The maid pointed at the girl ensnared by the tree with one hand, saying in an even tone:

"Sir, this is the kind of thing influenced by the original text I was just talking about."

"Previously it might have been an ordinary tree, but now it has become a dangerous trap capable of mimicking human form, even to the extent of luring and capturing passersby."

Ronald’s face took on a mixture of amusement and despair.

"I think I understand..."

The beautiful girl trap before them did indeed look lifelike.

Unfortunately, the location and circumstances were a giveaway.

Then Ronald pointed with a single finger, and the "Archangel’s" spell to control objects immediately descended upon the tree.

With a thunderous roar—

Ronald’s magical power was now incomparable to before.

With such a casual point, the force uprooted the entire tree, and even the large patch of soil below was forcibly pulled out.

Afterward, the tree lay immobilized on the ground.

Only then was the true nature of this heroic rescue trap fully revealed.

As Costate had said, the girl who appeared to be trapped by the tree was merely a lure for prey. Beneath her, lay a creature with a gaping maw ready to emerge.

Should anyone attempt to come to the girl’s rescue,

The creature hidden below would burst forth from the earth and swallow the unsuspecting passerby whole.

"..."

Ronald scrutinized the thing carefully.

To describe it based on appearance alone,

This enticing death trap actually resembled a carrot with a mouth!

"Sigh..."

At that moment, it was as if Costate had heard Ronald’s inner thoughts.

In a moment where his expression was slightly peculiar,

The maid echoed the sentiment:

"Sir, I also think it’s an evolved carrot."