"That's right, it is the continent of vast green kingdoms and gargantuan windmills."
Kriz slowly nodded in confirmation. Alba replied with great interest:
"Incredible. Is it still peaceful there? Perhaps Heavenfield should find a way to establish relations with them in the future."
After eating their fill and regaining their strength, the group prepared to resume their journey. Kriz kindly pointed out a shortcut to save time:
"Listen, you are in Greenpath and want to enter Deepgreen, right? Then follow this way."
Kriz handed them a special map, meticulously engraved on a stiff, aged leaf. They bid farewell to the ants, and the ant warriors generously gave them several local delicacies of the forest for the road. Shinji's group immediately set off according to the instructions.
"Deepgreen?"
Shinji walked beside Omelet, looking curiously at the map.
"Yes, Deepgreen is another forest located deep within the core of Greenpath. The great tree Perga is situated there, and we need to reach the library built upon its massive trunk."
Omelet explained.
Once Shinji's group had disappeared from sight, Kriz remained standing still, watching their backs. Suddenly, from a distance, dry, crushing sounds echoed. The sounds of ant soldiers being hurled against tree trunks and agonized screams tore through the peace.
"What the!?"
Kriz rushed toward the noise in a panic.
Before him was a scene of utter horror: the entire elite ant army had been struck down. Ant corpses lay scattered everywhere; many were heavily wounded, writhing in pools of blue blood. Some were still whole, while others were reduced to mere fragments. Kriz tremblingly lifted one soldier:
"Hey! What happened? Who did this?"
The ant soldier, with only a shred of life left, struggled to utter one final name before breathing his last:
"A... Almond..."
Kriz froze. His aged face turned pale with terror:
"Caught... we've been caught..."
Behind Kriz, a gargantuan entity slammed onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently. A massive figure, towering like a small mountain, emerged from the mist. His face was obscured, revealing only a hulking silhouette and heavy armor. In his hand was a colossal broadsword, its blade dragging along the ground, creating sparks and a bone-chilling screech. He spoke in a deep, murderous tone:
"Daring to befriend humans... go to your grave."
Kriz was petrified, his entire body stiffening:
"My... My lord...Almond..."
The broadsword swung in a lethal arc. A thunderous boom shook the entire forest. Blue blood splattered across the damp earth. Kriz collapsed, lying motionless beside his loyal soldiers.
Returning to Shinji's group, they had drawn very close to Deepgreen. The foliage of Greenpath, which reached tens of meters high, began to thin out. Beyond the final layer of vegetation, a monolithic gray stone wall appeared, blocking their path. They had to crane their necks back just to see the top, which towered dozens of meters high.
"What is this..."
Shinji gasped in astonishment. Omelet looked at the map to verify their position:
"Well, we are almost at Deepgreen. From what I know, there is an ancient, giant stone wall between the two forests. This must be it."
They walked along the smooth, vertical stone face, which showed no cracks or openings. The brothers, Lumber and Gumber, began to lose their patience:
"Hey, why don't we just smash through this wall and cross over?"
Alba, standing behind them, nodded in agreement:
"I agree. If I give it one good ram, it'll crumble into dust."
Omelet immediately protested:
"You can't! This stone is incredibly tough. Besides, doing that is dangerous; we don't know what is waiting for us on the other side."
Just then, they discovered a small circular hole in the rock face, looking as though a giant drill had pierced straight through.
"Aha! Here is the entrance!"
One by one, the group crawled inside. The tunnel was very narrow and long, forcing Alba—who stood over three meters tall—to hunch his body and crawl miserably to move. Beneath their feet was a layer of fine soil, imprinted with countless strange footprints.
As they emerged from the other end of the tunnel, light suddenly flooded their eyes. Shinji was the first to step out, and he was instantly stunned by the sight before him: A giant mushroom forest.
The smallest mushrooms were several meters tall, while gargantuan fungal trees reached hundreds of meters high, spreading their vibrant, radiant caps wide. The ground was covered in a warm, ochre-colored soil, blending with the fluorescent light emitted by bioluminescent spores floating in the air. As the wind blew through mushrooms riddled with small holes, they produced melodic sounds like a natural symphony.
"It's... so beautiful..."
Shinji couldn't help but whisper in awe. Omelet cheered, pointing toward the horizon:
"Look! There is the great tree Perga!"
In the middle of the mushroom forest, a dark brown giant tree towered majestically into the sky. Its peak was lost in the clouds, and its massive branches stretched out as if to protect the entire forest.
"Hurry, let's go! The library is at the top of that tree!"
The group moved quickly, but they were entirely unaware that behind the glowing mushrooms, a mysterious black shadow was silently following them, watching their every step with cold, piercing eyes.