Chapter 19: Gathering

Somewhere on the outskirts of the Demon Shadow Forest, the light was almost entirely swallowed by the overlapping canopies, leaving the area in absolute silence.

The air was thick with the earthy scent of dirt, the cloying sweetness of some unknown wildflower, and the faint, musky stench unique to predators.

Amidst a patch of waist-high ferns, a Giant Blade Mantis blended perfectly into its surroundings. Its emerald body, over a meter long, looked like finely carved jade. The patterns on every ridge and angle were indistinguishable from the surrounding leaves. The scythe-like forelegs folded against its chest gleamed with an imperceptible, icy glint, sharp enough to effortlessly cleave through the bones of small beasts.

These highly patient predators were accustomed to lurking in mimicry, quietly waiting for prey to step into their radius of death.

Not far away, a grayish-brown Curling Rat sniffed around, rummaging through the fallen leaves for fungi and grass seeds. Its fluffy, curled tail occasionally brushed against the ground, completely oblivious to the approaching Death Deity.

SWISH!

The Giant Blade Mantis struck silently, like an eerie green lightning bolt.

The Curling Rat sensed the danger through sheer instinct at the very last moment. It let out a terrified squeak and bolted backward, its four limbs digging frantically into the earth. It kicked up a flurry of dead leaves and dirt in a desperate bid to obstruct the predator's vision.

But this insignificant death throe was pale and feeble before its natural enemy.

The Giant Blade Mantis's forelegs crossed in a slash faster than the naked eye could follow, and warm blood instantly dyed the emerald fern leaves red.

Just as the Giant Blade Mantis retracted its forelegs, ready to enjoy its feast, the RUSTLE of approaching footsteps from nearby instantly enraged it. It hated being disturbed while feeding, especially in its own territory.

It whipped around, but before it could even spread its sharp forelegs, a piercing gleam of a sword tore through the air, slashing down fiercely with the howl of the wind. The Giant Blade Mantis didn't even see where the attack came from before it was cleaved in two by the sharp strike, its green sap and innards splattering across the ground.

Kaelin sheathed her Longsword and stood tall, her posture heroic and crisp.

However, at the roots of an Ancient Tree not far behind her, a large, colorful spider was quietly creeping out from the shadows. The vibrant patterns on its abdomen warned of a terrifyingly lethal venom.

THWIP!

Another sharp whistle pierced the air.

An Iron-Tipped Arrow struck flawlessly into the dense cluster of compound eyes on the venomous spider's head, pinning it firmly to the tree roots. The spider's eight long legs twitched violently for a few moments before it went completely still.

Hearing the noise, Kaelin snapped her head around. Seeing the pinned spider, she subconsciously took two steps back. She maintained a composed expression, though her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened involuntarily, her palm slick with a thin layer of sweat.

"Good thing you're quick on the draw." She looked toward the tall figure holding a Longbow and offered a somewhat embarrassed smile. "These things just give me the creeps. I've been taking the long way around them for the past few days."

"Now you can step over their corpses to move forward," Raine said, stepping out from behind a tree with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

He walked over, expertly yanked back his arrow, and flicked off the foul-smelling sap clinging to the shaft. His movements were clean and efficient, but he couldn't help muttering inwardly, "Good thing this 'Tough Chick' is only scared of spiders. After all, there are far too many bizarre bugs in this forest. If she were afraid of anything else, being her guide would be a real nightmare."

The afternoon was well underway. The two had been trekking through the perilous Demon Shadow Forest for the better part of the day.

Relying on Raine's increasingly proficient tracking skills and the guidance of the map in his mind, they had successfully avoided several Demon territories that radiated an aura of danger. Along the way, aside from casually dispatching some common "roadblocks" like the Giant Blade Mantis, they had managed to reach this area without any major scares.

After a few brief instances of cooperation, they had even formed a tacit understanding in combat.

"Um, where are we now?" Kaelin lowered the blade of her Longsword, looking at Raine somewhat sheepishly.

The crude map in her hand had long since become useless amidst these monotonous woods. In fact, halfway through their journey, she had completely lost her bearings.

"This area is the harvesting zone for the Calming Bellflower." Raine focused on the map in his mind, confirming their current location. "We can get started."

The two of them each took out their folded commission forms, flipped to the back where the illustration of the Calming Bellflower was traced, and began searching the vicinity. This illustration was originally drawn in a Guild plant catalog. Lady had hastily traced it for them before their departure. Her movements had been exceptionally fast and her strokes precise, much like her crisp, chestnut short hair.

Soon enough, in the shaded area behind a few rocks, Raine discovered several Calming Bellflowers. They were hidden deep within the dense grass, their pale purple petals drooping like bells, their centers dotted with orange-yellow Flower Buds. Leaning in closer, one could faintly smell an elegant fragrance that brought peace to the mind.

They always hid themselves cleverly; only that distinct shade of purple would betray their tracks amidst the greenery.

Raine quickly recalled the description in the Guild catalog. This Calming Bellflower possessed quite effective soothing and sleep-aiding properties. At the same time, it was a crucial material for brewing a certain Alchemy Potion, which was said to be capable of resisting the mental effects of fear spells.

And the client was none other than the owner of the town's Alchemy Workshop, Sarah the Radiant.

However, even the most basic Alchemy Potion was astronomically expensive. Only high-ranking Adventurers or powerful Professionals could afford them, which was why Raine had never patronized the Alchemy Workshop. This was evident enough from the fact that a single stalk of the material commanded the high price of 4 Silver Lions.

Kaelin soon found a few stalks nearby as well.

The two exchanged a glance but didn't harvest them immediately. Instead, they tightened their grips on their weapons and, with a tacit understanding, did a wide sweep of the perimeter. Only after confirming there were no lurking predators or suspicious footprints did they return to the spot and begin harvesting with care.

Compared to the profit right at their fingertips, the potential danger still held greater weight.

During this process, their movements were slow and gentle, ensuring they extracted the plants intact, roots and all, before placing them into clean cloth bags. This was a requirement from the client. Appearance didn't matter; they could even be squashed if necessary, but the plant's structural integrity had to be preserved.

At the same time, neither of them strayed too far from the other. They maintained constant vigilance, never letting even the slightest rustle in the grass slip by them.

Kaelin appeared exceptionally meticulous in her search. Her gaze didn't just sweep over the corners where Calming Bellflowers might grow. She also seemed to be looking for something else deep within the grass and between the crevices of the rocks, even going so far as to overturn several large boulders.

Although Raine noticed her odd behavior, he didn't pay it too much mind. Perhaps she harbored other secrets, but none of that had anything to do with him.

It didn't take them long to successfully harvest twenty Calming Bellflowers, picking the surrounding area completely clean.

So they pressed onward, planning to continue their search elsewhere.

Along the way, Raine satisfyingly tallied his haul. If they kept up this pace, it wouldn't be long before they could smoothly make their return. Even though they hadn't slain any new Demons on the way to record their information in the Hunting Chapter, earning a reward of one Gold Coin was still considered returning fully loaded.

But right at that moment, a sudden, urgent RUSTLING shattered the tranquility of the woods, causing both of them to freeze mid-step.