A few hours later, the group finally arrived at the edge of the forest that surrounded the hidden village. The trees that had once been dense and thick began to thin out, revealing sunlight touching the ground filled with wild grass and crawling roots. The air here was hotter, more stifling... as if the place had long been cursed by nature itself.
Sylmara gave a signal with her hand, and the group halted.
"We proceed from here by sneaking in," she said softly but firmly. "Lucas, Mbaku, come with me. Slime too."
The slime on Lucas's lap trembled lightly. "Adventure?" it said in a cheerful tone.
Lucas patted it gently. "Yeah, but this time, we're doing it quietly."
The others stayed behind, hiding behind the trees, ready if anything happened. Sylmara pulled up her hood, and the three of them—along with the slime clinging to Lucas's shoulder—stepped forward, slowly entering the village territory.
The closer they got to the village, the atmosphere changed drastically.
