Berries!
Shawn had just climbed over the small hill when he made an unexpected discovery. There were some light green unripe fruits, different from those found near the Poison Gas Swamp; they seemed relatively normal. He tried using the Lizardman’s Curios for identification to check if they were poisonous—they weren’t. It turned out to be ordinary wild fruit, but unfortunately, there were very few, as Shawn only found a total of six, each about the size of a thumb, with a very astringent aroma as if they hadn’t fully matured.
"Luck is indeed on my side!"
Shawn took out the Curios found within the Eye Demon Nest and activated the power within using mysterious Knowledge. Accompanied by a hint of ghostly green Spiritual Light, the fruit in front of him underwent some Change; they turned a bright red, appearing fully ripe, with a stream of Spiritual Light flowing on the surface, embodying the Life Force of the Path of Nature.
—Divine Berry!
Only four of the six fruits were fully transformed, while Shawn kept the other two and looked around to see if there were more nearby. Tomorrow, this Curios could be used again, enabling once-a-day use of the Divine Berry Technique, essentially offering a lasting recovery means akin to sustainable energy.
"The healing effect is very mild, but the taste is quite good, with a texture similar to a snakeberry after transformation."
"Hmm? Why so strong a sense of fullness?"
Shawn casually picked one up and ate it. The wound itched slightly; according to his understanding, it likely restored 1 point of Life Force—very mild healing. However, it provided a strong sense of fullness, seemingly temporarily supplementing nutrients, almost like having a meal.
"No wonder Druids can survive in the wild for so long."
Shawn finished the four fruits in one go. His injuries from yesterday had not fully healed, but after eating these berries, they were almost healed.
As long as wild berries can be found, this Curios is very useful.
Shawn looked around, muttering, "The environment here doesn’t feel as eerie as other places."
Whether it was the Poison Gas Swamp or the Black Forest, those areas gave Shawn a cold and eerie spiritual feeling, yet this location lacked such a sensation, and there were even normal wild fruits here.
"Lake?"
After fully crossing the small hill, Shawn saw a fairly clear large lake, which was surprising, given that not far away lay swampy areas where such clear water would not normally exist.
"Why don’t those creatures live around such clear water?" Shawn cautiously sent the Stone Blind Barbarians ahead to scout.
As the Stone Blind Barbarians approached the lake, they visibly hesitated, expressing a hint of fear.
Surely something strange.
But since it was luck’s choice, Shawn decided to continue getting closer, needing to see the differences.
Ripples appeared on the distant lake surface.
"Go away!"
"Stupid Stone Blind Subhumans!"
As the Stone Blind Barbarians slowly approached the lake, a harsh and hoarse female voice suddenly sounded. Then, a wet, seaweed-like hair appeared, and a humanoid head emerged from the water, completely obscuring her face. She bore some resemblance to Gemma but appeared more like a ferocious old witch, wearing a green gown woven from water plants that sharply contrasted with her fierce, venomous appearance, suggesting it was crafted with skilled craftsmanship.
—Frightening Technique.
The Stone Blind Barbarians were so frightened they retreated tens of meters, fleeing in panic, unable to await Shawn’s command.
They had no courage to speak of.
"Who?!"
Along the lake’s fringe, the terrifying old witch approached the shore but did not come ashore. Her cloudy eyes glanced towards Shawn’s hidden location; upon noticing the anomaly, Shawn had already enhanced himself with ’Invisibility’ Spell.
"What kind of creature is this? An old water hag?"
Only now did Shawn have time to examine the hunched figure in the distance. It seemed she sensed his presence, appearing ready to fight at any moment.
She was strong!
But what shocked Shawn even more was seeing, behind the ferocious old witch’s figure, a reflection of a dreamlike beautiful maiden akin to a Lake Fairy.
"What’s going on?"
Under Spiritual Vision, Shawn typically saw various terrifying, ghostly, eerie, and sinister images, requiring Confusion to shield his intuition and avoid losing too much rationality. However, behind this strange witch, Shawn astonishingly saw an extremely beautiful young girl; she had flowing pale-golden hair, a gentle face, with a hint of sorrow and tension, her inadvertent Charm moving hearts.
As Shawn gazed at her, she suddenly turned her head towards Shawn’s hidden position. Both the witch seen with the naked eye and the stunning maiden perceived under Spiritual Vision turned simultaneously toward Shawn’s location.
"You can see me?" the stunning maiden exclaimed in shock.
This was highly abnormal.
Shawn hesitated for a moment, then slowly stepped out, as his Spirituality hadn’t warned him, indicating no current hostility.
He lifted his Invisible State, stating slowly, "Yes."
Seeing Shawn’s appearance clearly, the witch’s pupils contracted, while the beautiful maiden behind showed a face full of shock, murmuring, "Human?!"
"I thought there were no normal humans left here."