After walking on the plain for another two days,
the group approached a lake surrounded by trees, with a dense fog hanging around, creating a hazy atmosphere.
Yuna approached and tiptoed to get a better view of the center of the lake, where she could vaguely see a dark silhouette. It made her instinctively want to explore everything hidden within the mist.
"Master, is this the lake?" she asked.
"Yes, this is the only lake in this area," Lin Feng replied, then he continued walking along the lake's edge.
Emily followed behind the others and picked up a long tree branch. She cautiously dipped it into the water, testing its depth.
To her surprise, the branch, which was taller than a person, completely disappeared into the water and couldn't reach the bottom.
"It feels so deep. We might drown," she said.
She knew that apart from Lin Feng, none of them knew how to swim. After all, except for bathing in a small stream in the past, they had little contact with water.
"You fools, even if you knew how to swim, I wouldn't let you take the risk of crossing over there," Lin Feng tapped her head. "There are many whirlpools and hidden currents in this lake. You might swim and disappear without a trace."
"So, what should we do now?"
"We need to find a stone monument."
Emily scratched her head and gazed at the lake water.
From a slightly farther distance, it appeared pitch black, and they couldn't tell its depth at all.
"How deep is it, exactly?"
"Probably about a meter deep, reaching up to your waist," Lin Feng gestured around Yuna's waist, making her squirm.
"But you know, it has been several years since I last came here, and I can't remember the exact location of the stone monument. But I know it's somewhere along the lake. We'll eventually come across it if we walk around."
After walking around the lake for a while, Rosa Linda suddenly stopped in front and pointed to something entwined with vines on the shore. "Is it this thing?"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a stone monument, less than half a meter wide and tall, in a square shape. However, most of its surface was tightly entwined with vines, almost blending with the surroundings.
"Rosa Linda can spot this even with just one glance. She really has good eyesight."
"It's not that great. As long as you pay a little more attention, anyone can see it."
She suddenly chanted an incantation and raised her hand, gathering a ball of flames at her fingertips, which instantly burned away the vines.
This was a basic fire spell called "Fireball." Although it wasn't very difficult to master, Lin Feng was surprised by her flexible application of it.
But upon further thought, her mental aptitude was B, which was already considered quite exceptional. So, it seemed that casting a fireball spell wasn't really that challenging.
"You know quite a few spells," Lin Feng remarked.
Most Orcs had simple minds, just like Emily.
Eating, drinking, sleeping, and reproducing were already their limits. Asking them to think about more complex problems would damage their brains.
Therefore, they preferred to use easily mastered cold weapons, as spells seemed more complicated for most of the beastmen.
Rosalinda glanced at her palm and felt the heat of the fireball spell: "I learned some simple spells from the tribal priestess when I was young."
Lin Feng glanced at the stone tablet. Its surface was smooth and engraved with some inscriptions that appeared to be carved with a knife. However, due to its ancient age, the content was no longer clear.
Identify.
【The heirloom sword carried by King was lost here, and this tablet is used as a commemoration...】
【Due to the passage of time, many characters have become illegible. It's already impressive to restore it to this extent.】
A sword?
A sword lost on a small island in the lake?
Could it be the same Excalibur from the legend of King Arthur?
"Master, what does it say?" Yuna placed her small hand on Lin Feng's shoulder, and her silver wolf tail swayed behind her buttocks.
Lin Feng squinted his eyes, lightly stroked his chin, and made up a translation: "This maze lost an extraordinary sword."
"Extraordinary sword?" Yuna drew out the magic crystal greatsword from her back and carefully held it in front of Lin Feng. "Is it better than this?"
Seeing her adorable appearance, Lin Feng couldn't help but want to kiss her.
With such a figure and face, she clearly had the aura of a cool and elegant lady, but her behavior and actions were like that of a cute little girl.
"Of course, things inside this maze are mostly treasures, so it must be more powerful than the sword you are currently using." Lin Feng rubbed her furry wolf ears and took a few sniffs.
A doggy smell.
"But don't get your hopes up too much. Many adventurers have come here before, one after another. If it were easy to find, it would have been found long ago." Lin Feng tapped Yuna on the head.
While the two were chatting, Emily picked up a stick and poked it into the lake.
The water was not particularly deep, and the soil was solid, making it look safe.
They held hands, with Lin Feng in front and Rosalinda in the back, feeling their way through the lake.
Just as they were about to reach the island, Emily suddenly screamed and jumped onto Lin Feng's head.
This startled Lin Feng.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and get down before you drown!"
"Just now, something slippery passed by my feet!" Emily tightly hugged Lin Feng's head and refused to come down.
The little sister also rubbed against Lin Feng's face.
Hmm, the smell of the sea.
"It's just a fish. You're making a fuss. Are you planning to suffocate me by not letting go?"
"How do you know it's a fish? It could be a water snake... or some other strange creature." Emily's head was about to fly off from fear. "Husband... can you carry me over?"
Within twenty meters from Lin Feng as the center, even if Emily farted, he would be able to sense it, let alone the approach of other animals or creatures.
"You fool, just walk by yourself."
Reluctantly, Emily got off Lin Feng's body, muttering unwillingly, "It wouldn't hurt to carry me for a bit..."
When they reached the heart of the lake island, Yuna eagerly explored her surroundings.
The outskirts of this island are covered in forests, while the central area forms a funnel-like terrain that leads to a dark and gloomy cave entrance.
Moreover, there are many peculiar stones scattered around.
Faintly visible on their surfaces are colorful engraved inscriptions.
Yuna bent down and picked up a stone, habitually sniffing it.
It seemed like an ordinary stone, nothing special.
"Yuna, don't wander off. Come back and change your pants. Girls should avoid wearing wet clothing and catching a cold," Lin Feng called out from a distance, beckoning Yuna to return like an old father.
"I got it."
She replied and took a few steps back, but suddenly everything went dark before her eyes...
???
Regaining consciousness once again, Yuna found herself lying on a cold stone floor.
What happened?
She clumsily chanted an illumination spell, and her body emitted a faint yellow glow.
It was something Lin Feng had taught her, something she thought she would never need in her entire life, but now it proved to be useful.
Although the lighting range was limited, her excellent night vision allowed her to see far into the distance.
She surveyed her surroundings and noticed the sandy yellow stone walls extending in front and behind her.
This felt all too familiar—she could tell at a glance that it was a maze-like terrain.
Lin Feng had once mentioned that there were many hidden trap-filled mazes in this world, and a slight misstep could lead one to fall into them.
It seemed her luck was not on her side as she unknowingly ran into a trap...
Just as Yuna pondered on what to do next, piercing roars of a strange beast echoed through the darkness.