'At that time, even if the human army arrives, they'll undoubtedly target these creatures first.'
Unaware that the Hero had already escaped the Earth Devouring Snail's otherworld, the Sand Lizardfolk Leader waved a hand, signaling his subordinates to prepare for a retreat.
'Moreover, what exactly are these humans' objectives... It seems we'll have to communicate with the Snail Lord and hide for the time being.'
[Strike Intensity below 80, no fight to the death]
[Strike Intensity above 50, no communication]
While both parties harbored their own agendas, cautiously retreating, the Hero had already strolled out of the barren mountains.
"Got through it… Next is…"
She stood at the boundary of the desolate land, a hint of joy on her face.
Raising a hand to her forehead to make a shade, the Hero gazed into the distance, her sight spanning over the rolling mountains.
[Luck met, the Hero passed through the Desolate Mountain]
[Stream Prairie—Desolate Mountain—?—?—Central Volcano Region—?—?—Ice Heaven Lake]
[The Hero arrived at the next area]
5. Gray Dense Forest—Ashen Earth
6. Mountain Cave—Mountain Range
7. Black Beach—Scalding Bay
8. Smoky Rift—Stormy Sea of Clouds
9. Forbidden Melting Peak—Hot Sand Land
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
Neither water vapor nor dust.
Sunlight couldn't penetrate, fiery flames couldn't burn away, and the raging wind couldn't disperse it.
The thick fog seemed to seep from the standing stone cores, perpetually engulfing this stone forest.
[Visibility (meters, the lower the value, the higher the Map Level)]
[Area (determines the required number of success checks)]
[LV (Visibility 1=10*5)]
Standing before the fog as dense as clouds fallen to earth, the Hero hesitated.
She recalled the map to confirm she hadn't gone to the wrong place.
The dense fog was like a thick city wall, seemingly splitting the world into two parts, with no obvious entrance, yet appearing accessible at every turn.
The Hero decided to stop for a moment and carefully inventory the resources she gathered from the Earth Devouring Snail's otherworld.
Even though there was no danger inside the otherworld, she remained vigilant for the possible return of the Sand Lizardfolk, and she had no time for careful sorting in her haste.
Since she was about to enter this daunting sea of mist, it was best to first take stock of what resources she had at hand.
"Rations… a small knife… a thermal blanket… a tent with a hole… an old map…
"Military Signal Arcane Pistol…" The Hero inspected the petite signaling gun with curiosity.
"And lastly, a notebook from a folklore scholar?"
Looking at the notebook, although not as thick as Border Folklore, but filled with writing, the Hero fell into thought.
Hmm, let's read a page first; who knows what it contains, it might be useful?
With this in mind, she opened the notebook.
[Military Signal Magic Musket Rank4]
A musket used to fire signal flares, capable of transmitting information to the central Military Department over great distances. The unfortunate scout, though escaping the whirlpool, still dropped it and was swallowed along with his other belongings.
No idea if the original owner faced any disciplinary actions.
[Scholar's Thick Notebook Rank?]
[Contains information about—]
1. The Great Demon of ancient times
3. Lost Tales of Ancient Heroes♛
6. Against the Current
7. Highland Wilderness
9. Nature's Magic Power and Special Professions
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
"Investigation Report: On the Lost Tales of Ancient Heroes"
A study on the ancient hero stories passed down in folklore.
It seems that besides the Hero's grandfather, others also discovered this lost history and took action, conducting field research.
However, as the notebook was left in the otherworld, it seems that this research ended in failure.
[Gender of the Ancient Hero]
[Ancient Hero's status before becoming a hero]