This is all too surreal for me to believe. I thought we were going to die at the claws of the tiger boss monster we had accidentally encountered. But now, Kazu has befriended it so easily! Even more, he’s somehow able to communicate with him no problem. I have to admit, his avatar’s race was something else.

However, another thing on my mind right now is the plague killing the . I agreed to help eliminate the source thanks to Kazu, but just the thought of stopping the plague makes me worried about the upcoming battle. I know we'd managed to gain some levels of strength, but I didn't know if it would be enough to defeat it completely. Not only that, but I’m also wondering about the source of the plague itself. If what Kazu and Bai Hu say was true, then there’s a possibility that something is going on in this world that we don't even know about yet. Regardless, I know there is no turning back now and I have to make sure we’re prepared for the worst.

After a few minutes, I start to yawn as I keep seeing the same trees in our path. Man, how far was the plague's source? Even better question: just how big is this forest anyway? I’m, about to close my eyes just to catch a few Z's when suddenly, I hear Bai Hu's roar. At that, I get up around the area frantically. I then feel a tap on my shoulder, which was Kazu holding his staff.

"Wind, Bai Hu says we're almost there," he informs me. "He also says he's going to cast his blessing onto us right now."

Oh, right. The tiger mentioned that this special blessing of his could protect us from the plague's effects. It’s a relief since he said that the plague could drain most of our [MP] while we're inside its domain. I just nod to Kazu and say, "Alright. I'll get my stuff ready right now."

I quickly open up my inventory to check on my current gear and expendables. Considering we only used one [Smoke Bottle] previously, it looks like we should have enough for our next big battle ahead. But as I do so, I hear Bai Hu's roar again, which to my surprise, our bodies begin to glow in a light blue aura.

[NOTICE]

[The [White Tiger of the Beginning], [Bai Hu] has given your party the [White Tiger's Blessing] buff. You will be immune to the [Mysterious Plague's] effect as well the skill, [Symbol Speech] for one hour.]

So this is Bai Hu's blessing, huh? Just the description alone makes me sigh with relief that we're now protected against the plague's harmful effects. But I’m a bit confused about the last detail they gave me. What kind of ability is this [Symbol Speech]?

[Young [Human] Wind, do you hear me?]

H-Huh?! Who said that?!

[Don't panic, [Human]. It's me, Bai Hu. It seems my blessing managed to get through to you.]

So this is Bai Hu's voice in common language? It’s strange considering I can now understand the tiger’s growls and roars, yet also a bit easier for me since I now don’t have to rely on Kazu to translate everything he says.

“Y-Yeah… It’s actually kind of weird, but I’ll get used to it,” I said, trying not to get any more shocked than I already was.

[I’m glad you managed to adjust to my blessing. With this, you can communicate with me without relying on your brother all of the time. However, this is still a temporary solution and so does my protection. So you must act fast if you want to eliminate the plague without any trace of it.]

“I understand, Mr. Bai Hu.”

He has mentioned this multiple times, but it was for a good reason. The plague’s domain is very dangerous, even to Bai Hu. According to Kazu, if we step into the fog without Bai Hu’s blessing, our [MP] will be drained over time. So even if we go in there prepared, that fog will still weaken us to the point we can’t use any spells. However, there’s also something that had been bothering me for a while now.

“You said that the plague will drain most of our mana, but you never said anything about it draining our physical health. If I run out of it, I could just rely on my sword and my archery skills.” Besides, I treated my [Wind] spells as my support skills. I think I should be fine even without [MP].

[I see. However, it is about much more than relying on your weaponry and physical strength than the powers of [Arcana]. Every living being in possessed a varied amount of mana and despite the public stating that not everyone can possess magical abilities, the truth is everyone can use magic as long they possess the basic knowledge of the [Arcana].]

"Really?"

So in other words, most races in this virtual world can use magic? I hadn’t known that. Well, that’s one way to give me a background as a hunter in here whenever I use magic in front of some NPCs.

[However, if most of your mana is drained from you, it will severely weaken your body and most of your life energy will be converted into mana if you attempt to cast a spell in that state. And when your life energy has run out, you will die.]

My eyes widen at those last words. If that's true, then there’s a chance that we might not able to survive the battle even without relying on his spells at all. I guess this is one of the reasons Bai Hu was unable to finish the job before.

"Hang on a second, sir," Kazu quickly speaks up as I see him raising his hand with a confused expression on his face. "You said that everyone can use magic in here, right? Then how do even magicians, sorcerers, and wizards exist in this world?"

Kazu?! Is it even the right time to ask that question, with our current situation now?

[It's a simple task to identify those individuals. One of the requirements is simply that they must possess a large amount of mana inside them. Most [Elves] and [Insignis] race fit with those descriptions, but there are some [Humans] and [Feles] mages and sorcerers living in some countries, some who are well-known for their amazing feats and heroic acts they've made for the people. I can't tell you who they are, but you might try to check in [Grand Library] if you're curious about them.]

"Really? Thanks for that important information, Mr. Bai Hu! I can't wait to meet the other great magic users of this world! Heck, I might able to get my name into the history books!"

Well, my little bro is a fantasy otaku and he wants to see everything that this world has in store for us, so…

[Hmph... Dreaming big, aren't you? Well, you can do that later, young Kazu. We have arrived.]

As he stops walking, we turn around and see where we are. In front of us is a large entrance way surrounded by decaying trees that are covered in several purple vines as well a strange aura shield enveloping it. Judging by all of this, I figure this is Bai Hu's way to quarantine the whole infection around the forest.

[Behind this gate is the source of the forest's plague. But be careful, young adventurers. This is not like the threats you’ve fought before. You’ll have to play smart if you want to eliminate the threat.]

"Play smart?" Kazu repeats with a confused tone in his voice.

"As in we can't rely too much on skills and brute strength. If what Bai Hu said is true, then I have a feeling that this is not like that [Wild Bear] we just fought a couple of months ago," I explain to him, hoping he can get an idea regarding our upcoming battle. "So rather than physical and magical strength, we should rely on outsmarting the plague instead."

"Outsmarting the plague, huh? I like it! Let's do it! They’ll never know what hit them!"

If he only knew what my explanation really meant. For now, I just check my sword and bow along with my quiver of arrows on my back to make sure I am ready for battle.

[One more thing, you two. Once you enter the plague's domain, it will know your presence and block the only gateway in there. Not only that, if you two die there, most of your experience you've gained in your journey so far will be drained by the plague. I will use my powers to revive you all back in a nearby town, but I can't bring everything in your effects. Which means most of your valuables will be lost forever.]

"Our valuables?!" Kazu repeated, shocked to hear that revelation. "You mean most of our hard-earned items and gear will be lost forever?!"

[I'm afraid so. Whatever's inside can eat most of our resources and if it continues, there is a chance it may able to consume most of your equipment.]

My eyes widen once Bai Hu mentions that. If that's true, then all of the weapons we made and the gear Annie and Star made will be gone if we die inside the domain. As for Kazu, I can see he was also shocked at this as well after hearing the fine print from Bai Hu, and he is staring at his staff with a worried look on his face. I'm guessing the sudden risk of losing everything we worked hard together for has shaken him up. Regardless, I walk towards him and place my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. We just need to beat that monster and eliminate the plague. Besides, we didn't train up our [Mastery] skills and make these weapons for nothing. You said it yourself. We're adventurers and we never back down from helping those in need," I assure Kazu as I give him a small smile. "If we fail, then we'll just have to make our weapons again. Plus, I bet the girls are okay with making another set of gear for us to use."

I don't know if it was enough to cheer Kaz up as he continues to frown. However, he suddenly shakes his head, gives me a determined glare, and answers, "Y-Yeah. If we don't do this, we won't able to save the forest. And if that's the price we risk paying to stop the plague, then let's do it."

I know from his tone of voice that he is still reluctant to go through with this, but he has never been the type to run away because of a risk in a dire situation, and I know that he’ll go through with it as long as I’m with him along the way. Besides, his determination and kindness towards the guardian inspire me to do the same, and if he were going to beat that plague for Bai Hu's sake, then he’d need me to help.

[I'm glad to hear that, young Kazu. Also, I want to add that because of the effects of the infection, your escape spells and items will unable to work until the source is eliminated.]

I sigh at this after he says this. "So in other words, we have to beat that thing to escape, right? Well, I doubt we're planning to escape once we're inside. And don't bother repeating that old "Are you still going in?" question with us. We’ve already decided to do this and there is no turning back now."

Kazu nods silently as he grips his staff very tightly, at which the tiger guardian also does the same in response to our final decisions.

[Very well, young adventurers.] Bai Hu then walks in front of the entrance and with a big roar, the aura shield that is blocking it disappears. [As I said before, my blessing is limited by time. So think quickly and make sure there are no more traces of the plague. Do I make myself clear?]

We don't hesitate when we hear his final warnings. Instead, we just nod without a word while glaring at the gateway to our next big battle.

[Then I wish for your safe return. Be careful and good luck, adventurers.]

Once he walks away from the entrance, we stare at each other for a few seconds. It’s now or never. Our first real battle all by ourselves. The risks are high and this time, we don't have any back-up such as Arthur and Mari. Regardless, we both give each other a confident smirk before we head into the domain of the plague's source.

Once we're inside, I gasp at what I see beyond the gate. Around the sea of deteriorating trees surround the whole area are multiple vines wrapped around them, as well a large purple fog enveloping them. Not only that, the field itself has several large vines sprouting the ground with several black daisies and dark purple flowers growing on them. As beautiful as these flowers look, I feel a bit appalled at their inclusion in this dreadful place. I still can't believe that this fog and these vines are turning this once beautiful and mysterious forest into a desolate nightmare. If someone has created this horrible plague on purpose, I am going to knock the living daylights out of them!

"W-Wind..."

I turn around to see Kazu, at which I see his confident persona slowly chipping away from his face as he tries to catch up while he tightly keeps his staff close to his chest. I can't blame him for feeling so scared of this domain. Comparing to the last domain where we fought that [Wild Bear], this one is even scarier and more horrifying, to the point that I start questioning why did the developers include it in the game, and allow younger children to play at the same time. Still, we have to forge on without letting the disturbing domain break us.

"Don't worry, Kazu. I'm right beside you all the way. We promised Bai Hu to eliminate the plague once and for all and we're going to do just that." I pat his head and give him a small smile. I know it isn't much, but I want to do something to cheer him up. "For now, we just have to rely on our current abilities and try to outsmart whatever brought this infection in here. However, we have to avoid using some things that aren’t unnecessary for this battle and you need to use your scanning abilities to our advantage. If we want to beat this, we're going to work together as always."

At first, he continues to frown despite my encouragement. But after a few seconds, I see his eyes turned narrow and he looks at me without any kind of fear on his face. "Right... This is for Bai Hu and the entire . I am not going down due to some pesky..."

However, I notice that he hasn't finished his sentence as his eyes somehow glow white and suddenly widen. This usually happens when one of his abilities activates. If that happens, then that means...

"WIND, GET OUT OF THERE!!!"

Before I can react, he suddenly tackles me down to the ground just as a vine suddenly swung right in front of me. Just seeing that without warning causes most of my body to become unresponsive for a few moments.

"Wind, are you okay?"

I wish I was, but I don't even know how to respond to his question. I know that the vines were the ones responsible for the forest's current state, but I never expected them to be alive! However, I notice that another vine is about to attack Kazu from behind. Without any thought regarding my next actions, I snap out of my stunning and push him out of the way, taking the full blow in his place as I find myself thrown into the wall of trees.

"Oh, god. Wind!"

I begin to regret doing that, as the damage I took seems to get worse. I slowly groan as an unbearable pain course through my body.

[HP: 511/590]

[Condition: Poison]

[NOTICE]

[You have stricken with the [Poison] status. Your [HP] will slowly decrease over time.]

Seriously?! And just when I thought Bai Hu did everything to put me back to full health. But before the vine can strike again, I hear Kazu’s voice nearby.

“Spirit of Sylph, hear my call. Create the wind that is gathering all around me. Help me release the gale to push back my foes! [Gale Force]!”

To my surprise, a strong gust of wind blows the vine away from me just as Kazu runs up and drags me out of the vine's vicinity.

"Wind, seriously... I know you were trying to protect me, but you can't just use your body to shield me all the time!"

He’s right. I don't have a high [Defense] like Arthur and a few more strikes from those vines would kill me if I kept blocking their attacks with myself. Not to mention this sudden [Poison] status that one of them just inflicted on me.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess my brotherly instincts got the better of me again." I wish I can try to emulate Arthur to cheer Kazu up, but this isn’t the right time to do so. My [Minor Danger Sense] then activates and I look behind Kazu. "Kazu, 12 o'clock!"

We’ve played some outdoor games along with tabletop RPGs all the time, so I didn't need to remind him what that meant. So once he hears my warning, Kazu quickly turns around and aims his staff at the incoming vine about to hit him.

"Spirit of Sylph, I call the gale to my growing aura and allow me to manipulate the air all around me! [Wind Sickle]!"

With one blade of wind strike onto the large vine, it is pushed back a few meters away from us. At first, I’m relieved that he was able to drive it away. However, when I look around once more, I see that instead of the same vine coming in for another attack, several more vines stand against us as they thrust themselves in our directions.

"What the hell?!" I cry out in complete disbelief. What is going on? I quickly turn on my [Investigate] ability to learn more about these buggers.

[Corrupting Vines]

[Living vines created by mysterious and malicious mana. Just one touch or a whiff of their flower's venomous aroma will have the chance to poison their victims.]

[HP: 394/400]

Just 6 damage?! Kazu's spell hasn’t even made a dent in them. What's worse is that just one physical melee attack from them can poison either of us. Guess Bai Hu's warnings weren't mere exaggerations after all. Whatever’s controlling those vines is no ordinary monster. Unfortunately, Kazu is unaware of this information as I see him trying to chant another spell.

“Mana that aids me, create a blade that is sharp enough to defeat my enemies! [Mana Blade]!”

This time, a blade made of non-elemental mana is created after he swings his staff. But like the [Wind Sickle], it only makes a small scratch on another vine and pushes it back away from us. However, I can see that Kazu is unfazed by that setback.

"Energy waving around the elements around me. Gather to me and create the force against my enemies! [Mana Blast]!"

I can only watch as a ball of mana flew above me before it explodes once it makes contact with the third vine. As I expect after seeing the previous attacks, it only shakes off the minor damage before it thrusts itself towards us. Not wanting it to hurt my brother, I push him away, causing it to miss its attack. I’m ready to counterattack, but I then notice Kazu pick up his staff and start to recite another incantation spell. However, I quickly grab his staff and force him to lower it.

"Stop it, Kazu! Can't you see it's not working?! If you keep this up, you‘ll waste most of your mana for nothing!"

I shout while forgetting that it can startle him. Thankfully, my words manage to reach him as he lowers his staff and looks at me.

"Then what do you suggest we can do, Wind? We can't just let it attack us like this!"

"I know," I answer. "But I told you we have to play smart here. For now, we have to hide and heal my wounds. Those vines are still beatable if we just plan and fight together"

I know it’s hard for him to accept my suggestion, but it’s our best and only option right now. Kazu puts his staff in its sheath before he quickly slings my arm around his shoulder and drags me away from the vines once more. Unlike before, he didn't use another [Smoke Bottle] to cover our escape, which he figured might be impossible considering that the vines don't have eyes in the first place. Once we’ve hidden behind a large tree, he gently puts me down and asks, "Okay, so got any ideas on how to beat them?"

I sigh in response before I look back at the vines. "That I'm still working on it. However, we do know that your [Arcana] and [Wind] spells can only do minor damage at their current levels. If you keep trying to spam them, then you won't have enough [MP] to continue fighting."

At that, I quickly cringe as I put my hand over my stomach. Thankfully, Kazu quickly gives me a bottle of an [Antidote Potion] which I immediately gulp down.

"Then what about you? You saw how it managed to poison you in just one hit!" He said to me in worry. "I don't know if you can handle their attacks with just your sword and your combat [Mastery] skills."

As I finish the potion, I start to feel the pain subsiding.

[HP: 511/590]

[Condition: Healthy]

[NOTICE]

[Your [Poison] condition has been cured with an [Antidote Potion].]

I sigh with relief as I see the pop-up window. With my [Poison] gone from my body, I can now focus on the problem at hand.

“That is true. But those vines have a weakness. We just need to find it and do everything in our power to weaken them before more of them show up.”

To be honest, this is not my best plan that I’ve come up with so far, but we have no choice. With Kazu’s spells useless against those vines and the vines are too poisonous to attack or even approach for close combat, we have to come up with another strategy to beat them and get out of here alive.

But as we continue our discussion, I hear a rustling sound behind us. Thinking that the vines are approaching us, I ignore it with caution.

“Find a weakness?” Kazu asks. “How do we do that?”

“Well, using random spells blindly isn’t any good, but if I can distract those vines, you can use one of your unused spells to hit them and see if they worked.”

“Huh, that’s not a bad idea. Plus, I haven’t used my [Thunder] spell yet. So let’s do it!”

Then, the rustling becomes louder, which I don’t notice since I’m too focused on Kazu right now.

“Hang on... I did say we have to play smart. So that means one of us had to be the distraction. Of course, I am not strong enough to endure their attacks, so I’ll have to make some distractions with my arrows while you take the shot.”

However, Kazu frowns at this as he stares at me with his eyes narrowed.

“But what about you? You might get hurt again if you do it alone like last time.”

“Don’t worry, Kaz. The vines seem to have a pattern when they attack and if we can memorize it, we can use it to our advantage.” Considering that these monsters are controlled with an AI with limited functions, they might attack with the same skill or the same set of movements. “Also, we can try...”

But before I can finish my explanation, a vine suddenly grabs my waist and carries me up in the air.

“WIND!!!” Kazu shouts as I found myself being tied up by this creepy plant. "Get away from my br-"

That’s all he can say before I hear him scream as he too is caught by the vine, with his arms being tied up so he can’t able to reach his staff, which is still sheathed on his back. But looking at the vine that caught us more closely made me notice that it doesn't have any flowers or the same purple aura that was around the others.

[Malevolent Vines]

[Living vines created by mysterious and malicious mana. While they are stronger than their corrupted counterparts, they can be easily cut down with the right spells and weaponry.]

[HP: 200/200]

Of course... I’ve been so focused on coming up with a plan and enduring my poisoned state from earlier that I forgot to turn off my [Investigate] ability. At least these vines are much easier to beat despite the description warning me of their stronger abilities. But still...

What the hell is going on?! We’ve managed to avoid making any unnecessary sounds during our planning session, so how in the world did they find us so fast?! I try to struggle free from the vine's grasp, but to no avail, as it continues to squeeze my body. Guess the description wasn’t kidding about their strength comparing to the [Corrupted Vines].

"W-We're trapped!" Kazu wails as he also tries to struggle free with the same result.

"No, duh! Not to mention they're chipping away our [HP] as well!" This isn't an exaggerated comment. Just seeing my own [HP] drop slowly in one second made my heart beat faster. "But seriously, where the hell did these vines come from anyway?!"

But as I say this, I hear the rustling noise again. This time, I avoid ignoring it as I turn around to see where it came from. When I did, I find myself staring face-to-face with a black tree with purple leaves with red eyes and a creepy mouth on its rotting tree trunk.

"W-What the hell?!" That's all I can say once I saw the face of the large tree right in front of us. And to our horror, it gives us a creepy smirk just as several smaller trees walk by its side giving us the same look. “Bai Hu didn’t tell us that there are tree monsters in this area!”

Just when I say this, the still-active [Investigate] ability starts to change within me.

[NOTICE]

[Due to your [White Tiger's Blessing] buff, your [Investigate] skill has gained an ability to check the current level of a Flora-type monster.]

A Flora-type monster’s level? Hang on, I know this had been debated a lot for a while, but trees are considered as flora. Does that mean it counts for these monsters?

[Malevolent Willow]

[Level: 15]

[A living tree that came alive due to the malignant mana injected into a normal tree. While it normally doesn’t have any intelligence, it blindly follows stronger Willows that possessed a large amount of mana.]

[HP: 350/350]

Well, that confirmed that. But this couldn’t be that big of a coincidence. However, just when I looked at the large tree as I wonder about this, my eyes widen as another info window popped up in front of me.

[Black Willow]

[Level: 25]

[A living tree that came alive from the malignant mana injected into a normal tree. Ruthless and sadistic towards any living beings it comes across, it releases malevolent vines to poison the forest and even living civilizations.]

[HP: 800/800]

What. The. Hell?! You’re kidding, right? I’d just checked my stats an hour ago and that’s too big compared to my [Mastery] levels.

“Wind, w-what’s wrong?” Kazu asks as I hear him wince in pain.

As for me, all I can do is stare at the window for a few seconds until...

“L-Let’s just say... I already know why Bai Hu is having a hard time with the plague.”

That’s all I can say as I realize the last twisted surprise right in front of us: the haunted tree right in front of us is the source of the plague.

Current Quest: Destroy the Plague *** [Special Quest]

Status: In Progress

Party Members:

[Wind]

[Kaz]

Wind's Masteries

[Archery] Level 14

[Woodcrafting] Level 7

[Swordsmanship] Level 15

[Cooking] Level 4

[Wind] Level 10

[Physical Enhancement] Level 10

[Hunting] Level 13

Kazu's Masteries

[Arcana] Level 17

[Thunder] Level 12

[Wind] Level 13

[Alchemy] Level 12

[Magecrafting] Level 10

[Magical Affinity] Level 15

[Scribe] Level 4