CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 63: DEPARTURE

The next day, Herag arrived at Larry’s house.

He was wearing light armor, with a longsword at his waist, looking nothing like a Wizard.

This light armor was bought for seven magic stones from the flea market; it’s harder than regular armor and has some enchantments that enhance its defense against magic.

Herag planned to act as a Knight after going out; wearing a Wizard robe would be too conspicuous in the ordinary world.

"Ready?" Larry asked.

"Hmm." Herag nodded slightly.

"Follow me." Larry led Herag upstairs.

Herag had only been to the fourth floor before, never above that, so he didn’t know what was up there.

Following Larry all the way up, Herag counted silently in his heart. When they reached the eleventh floor, the two stopped.

This floor was a parlor-like guest room, spacious with sofas placed all around.

Inside, there was a fireplace, next to which a wall of firewood was neatly stacked.

"Why come here to go out?" Herag was a bit puzzled about leaving the Moonlight Forest by coming upstairs.

Larry smiled and explained, "Do you want to leave from the east or south road? If you want to, I won’t stop you, just be prepared for a fight once you’re outside."

"It seems the situation is more serious than I thought." Herag’s expression was grave, understanding Larry’s implication.

Now the outskirts of the Moonlight Forest were unsafe, and he might encounter people from the Green Cottage once he went out.

"So, we need a different, safer way out: the Flue Network." Larry said, walking towards the fireplace.

"Flue Network?" It was the first time Herag heard the term.

Larry explained, "It’s normal that you don’t know, as there are only three fireplaces in the entire Moonlight Forest connected to the Flue Network."

"The so-called Flue Network is when many Wizards’ fireplaces are connected to the Flue Network. By using flue powder and saying the name of the place you want to go, you can arrive there."

Herag pondered, "Isn’t that dangerous?"

He imagined a scenario where someone suddenly emerged from one’s fireplace at home.

"That’s why Wizards who dare to connect to the Flue Network have a certain level of power. If in the future you find yourself arriving at the wrong place through the Flue Network, be very careful. The Flue Network here has been registered in the Moonlight Forest, and this journey via the Flue Network has been pre-approved by the Forest." Larry took a wooden box from above the fireplace.

He opened the box to reveal a green powder inside.

"To use it, grab a handful of flue powder, stand inside the fireplace, say the name of the place you want to go, then throw the flue powder down. Your destination is called the Violet Cottage, an abandoned wooden house located in the southern Konakani Kingdom, within a forest."

"After you arrive there, head south for two days to reach Violet City. Go further west, and you can get to the Doris Kingdom." Larry described the route he had planned for Herag.

"It’s simple, go ahead." Larry patted Herag on the shoulder, indicating for him to move towards the fireplace.

Herag stood in the fireplace, checking to see if he had forgotten anything.

Larry extended the box of flue powder towards him, and Herag grabbed a handful. It felt no different from ordinary sand.

"Remember, it’s Violet Cottage." Larry emphasized one last time.

Herag nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Violet Cottage!"

He immediately threw the flue powder downward, and instantly, a burst of green flames enveloped Herag’s body. In the blink of an eye, Herag vanished from the spot.

Herag felt a sudden darkness, and then it seemed as if his head and feet were reversed, as he traversed downward through a black tunnel. After a while, a white opening appeared ahead.

Boom!

Herag felt himself crash into a pile of clutter, causing a loud crashing sound and the sound of a wooden shelf falling to the ground.

He opened his eyes and found himself inside a shabby wooden house, the floor filled with broken sofas, broken chairs, splintered wood, and other debris.

The room was full of dust, seemingly stirred up by his recent crash.

He glanced back and saw a large fireplace behind him, realizing he must have come from there.

Cough... cough...

The thick dust made Herag cough incessantly.

"Dark Energy Shield!"

Herag cast a shield on himself, then squeezed through the clutter, forcing a path out.

With a shield enveloping him, there was no need to worry about getting scratched.

After squeezing out, Herag found himself on the first floor of the wooden house. The stairs leading to the second floor had decayed and broken, with many steps already shattered.

He scanned his surroundings and found the location of the main door, trying to twist it open. Carelessly, he twisted off the doorknob, feeling a bit speechless: "How long has this house been uninhabited?"

He tried pushing the door, finding it entirely immobile, noticing the lock had rusted shut.

Bam!

Herag kicked the door open, stirring up another cloud of dust.

He dashed out rapidly, feeling the cold sensation on his face, and saw the sky overcast with imminent rain.

Looking around, he saw endless wilderness.

The entire center of this wilderness was the Violet Cottage, surrounded by forest at its edges.

Herag took out a map and confirmed that this was indeed the place Larry had mentioned.

"The position of the stars..."

Herag sensed the position of the stars, finding the south and starting his journey.

According to Larry’s instructions, he needed to walk for two days to get out, so he had to hurry.

After spending ten minutes crossing the wilderness, he entered the forest.

While trekking through the forest, droplets fell occasionally, and Herag soon found himself wet. Using magic power to repel the rain was too extravagant. Traversing an unfamiliar forest, he dared not waste magic power casually.

Herag would take out his map every so often to mark his position, adjusting his direction and route.

"Time to find a place to camp." Herag glanced at the sky, realizing it was almost dusk.

He found a sheltered spot at the foot of a mountain, with dense trees nearby sheltering most of the rain.

Herag took out a tent from his space ring, tossed it on the ground, and the tent promptly stood up. He only needed to manually secure a few corners.

"It’s been a long time since I last hunted." Herag could sense many animal traces in the forest, all common animals.

He pulled out a Fine Steel Bow, something he hadn’t used in a long time, yet he had kept it, and now it came in handy.