The wagon slowed.
Girem tugged the reins, bringing his beast to a halt near a weather-worn marker stone half-buried in moss.
The two carriages behind him rumbled to a stop shortly after, confused murmurs rising from the D-rank adventurers inside.
One of them leaned out. "Why are we stopping here?"
There was no answer.
Hazuki slowly sat up, eyes narrowing as he glanced out of the wagon.
In front of them, a winding path stretched ahead, narrow but passable—flanked by dense cliffs on one side and dark woods on the other.
The earth was dry.
The wind was quiet.
But the silence was... heavy.
Elmira peeked out beside Hazuki. "This place feels weird..."
Girem stayed quiet for a mont.
Then muttered as he leaned on the wagon rail.
"We’ve arrived at the edge."
Hazuki looked toward him. "Edge of what?"
The dwarf tapped the marker stone with his boot.
"This road’s known by every adventurer worth their salt. One way in, one way out. Leads toward the inner mountain paths."
He glanced back at the wagons behind them.
"Ye stop here, ye better be ready. No turnin’ back easy."
The murmurs behind grew louder.
One of the adventurer party mbers spoke up with concern.
"Oi... isn’t this the path near the dead ravine? The one full of sealed monster nests and unstable magic zones?"
"Aye." Girem confird, his voice low.
"This be the road to the most dangerous place in this region."
He looked at Hazuki and grinned.
"Ye sure ye still wanna go gather herbs in there, lad?"
Hazuki yawned, rubbing one eye as he tried to peel Elmira’s arms off his own.
"Oi, enough already. Morning’s over."
She pouted but let go, and Hazuki casually leaned out of the wagon, stretching his shoulders.
"Old man." he called.
"Hmm?" Girem grunted, still puffing his cigar as he eyed the road ahead warily.
Hazuki glanced at the narrow path, then at the towering mountains beyond.
"I’ve been wondering... who even posted this herb-gathering quest? It’s not just so local request. It feels... important."
Girem narrowed his eyes. "Are ye crazy, lad? You do realize you’re walking straight into one of the most dangerous zones in the region? Every one o’ them herbs on that list grows in a place normal folk avoid like the plague."
Hazuki didn’t answer right away.
He finished stretching, then turned and casually stepped down from the wagon, brushing off dust from his shirt.
"Just make sure that brat stays safe, yeah?" he said over his shoulder, gesturing lazily toward Elmira, who was still peeking out from the wagon.
He took a few steps forward, then stopped.
Without turning around, he gave a small wave behind him.
"Pick up when you think it’s ti."
Girem watched him go, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hmph... reckless bastard."
Hazuki disappeared into the narrow path, the wind picking up behind him.
Girem grunted, pulling the reins gently as the wagon began backing up to wait at a safer rest area.
"Have a safe trip, lad. Try not to die."
Hazuki walked casually, hands stuffed into his pockets, shoulders loose, expression bored.
The path ahead was quiet, the mountain breeze brushing against his ssy hair.
"Man... I didn’t get enough sleep because of that brat, Ridan."
Ridan floated lazily above his shoulder, arms crossed in the air.
"Heh... that’s what you get for letting kids cling to you."
Hazuki yawned, not breaking stride.
"I don’t know, man. I couldn’t just leave her like that. Not after what happened."
His voice was calm, casual.
"Anyway, Ridan—" he added, stretching mid-step, "what kind of monsters are in this area? Why do people say it’s dangerous again?"
Ridan snorted. "It’s not just here, dumbass. It’s every single place you’re supposed to go to get those herbs from the quest list!"
"Oh... whatever." Hazuki scratched the back of his neck. "You said it’s dangerous, but look at the poison swamp from before. The only bad thing there was the sll."
Ridan nearly choked on the air. "Sll!? Sll!? Those pools weren’t just poison—they were acid pits, Hazuki! You know what acid is, right!? It lts things! Like skin, bones, and that dumb attitude of yours!"
Hazuki tilted his head. "Hmm? I thought it was just... poop sewage or sothing, man."
Ridan froze in the air.
"You—you actually thought—?!"
He groaned, rubbing his ghostly forehead. "You’re gonna be the death of again."
"Already dead, ain’t ya?" Hazuki smirked.
Ridan floated off with a grumble, muttering, "Insufferable little... idiot magnet."
As Hazuki walked deeper into the path, he suddenly felt it.
His steps got heavier.
He frowned, looking down.
"Hmm? Ridan? Did you cast a gravity spell on or sothing?"
Ridan floated lazily beside him, arms now behind his back like he was enjoying a stroll in the sky.
"I can’t cast spells on you, man." he replied flatly. "I need your body to channel magic. Or at least your mana focused into ."
Hazuki blinked. "Oh. Thought you were trying to prank again."
Ridan rolled his eyes, still drifting lazily.
"If I was gonna prank you, you’d be hanging upside down in a tree by now."
Hazuki took another slow step and felt the pull again.
"Then what’s with this weight?"
Ridan stopped floating and turned more serious.
"...Might be the surroundings." he said. "Could be the area itself has a lingering gravity field. Happens sotis around cursed or magically unstable terrain."
Hazuki looked ahead—the trees seed a bit twisted, and the air shimred slightly like heat haze.
Ridan crossed his arms again.
"The mont you crossed into this zone, it probably kicked in. You better keep alert. These kinds of areas attract monsters who live in the pressure. They’re used to it."
Hazuki scratched his cheek.
"Oh, by the way, Ridan."
Hazuki resud walking like the strange gravity didn’t exist, hands still in his pockets.
Ridan floated alongside, arms behind his back, humming idly. "What?"
"Back in the wagon, those guys ntioned sothing... sealed monster nests and unstable magic zones? What’s that all about?"
Ridan made a thoughtful face, floating in a lazy spin.
"Sealed monster nests, huh... how do I put it..."
Hazuki smirked. "What, forgot already? Aren’t you so kind of ancient sothing?"
Ridan straightened mid-air, puffing his chest with pride.
"I am an ancient spirit! Master of forgotten arts! Strongest caster of my ti! Genius Ridan—the most powerful wizard from a thousand years ago! There’s no way any of these modern kids can even scratch my robes!"
"Yeah yeah, good speech." Hazuki rolled his eyes. "So, sealed monster nest?"
"Fine." Ridan adjusted his pose mid-air. "Ever heard of monsters that ambush from under the ground? Or drop from trees?"
Hazuki thought for a second. "Hmm... not really. Unless you count falling tree branches."
Ridan sighed. "Sealed monster nests are usually old underground zones. Ruins, caves, buried monster dens. The kind that, if you get close, react like a trigger. They activate, almost like a summoning rift."
"So they’re like traps?"
"Sort of. But instead of one or two enemies, it could be a burst—like a pocket rift opens. The monsters don’t co from outside—they’re already there, just waiting."
Hazuki raised a brow. "Stronger than the ones during the Macia rift incident?"
Ridan snorted. "Nah. Not even close. These are randomized tiers. Could be small fry, could be mid-tier at worst. You won’t get another demon general or cursed ogre spawning out of one of those."
Hazuki relaxed. "Ah, well, that’s good."
He stretched as he walked. "ans we can get so at."
Ridan smirked, floating upside down for no reason.
"Just don’t go for insect-type monster at. It’s disgusting."
"I’m not gonna eat that." Hazuki replied instantly. "Even back in my old world, I never touched insects. Fried legs and crunchy wings? No thanks."
Ridan gave a low whistle, amused.
Hazuki kept walking, though his pace had slowed again.
The weight around his legs was more noticeable now—like walking through invisible mud.
He glanced down.
"Hmm... this could count as exercise, right?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Ridan replied lazily, spinning in place.
Hazuki stopped for a mont, lifting one leg slightly, inspecting the boot.
"Think I should channel so mana through these? Maybe lighten the step?"
"Up to you, partner." Ridan shrugged. "No one’s judging. Except maybe ."
Hazuki stared a second longer at his boots.
Then gave a small grin.
"Nah. No need."
He dropped the foot back down and continued forward, step by step.
"Besides... this kinda pressure? Feels good."
The trees around him were growing denser now.
The deeper he walked, the more the light dimd.
"Oh, Ridan?" Hazuki asked as he stepped over a root, still adjusting to the dragging pressure on his legs.
"Hmm?"
"You still didn’t explain that part—what’s an unstable magic zone, exactly?"
Ridan floated ahead slightly, then slowed to match Hazuki’s pace.
"Ah, right. Unstable magic zones... They’re areas where basic and interdiate magic spells don’t function properly."
"Why not?" Hazuki asked, brow raised.
"Because the ambient mana in the area disrupts spell circles and mana flow."
Ridan gestured lazily with one hand, forming a faint, glowing ring in the air before letting it vanish.
"Casting magic usually involves a ntal chant, followed by a spell formula forming the circle, and then the magic activates from there. Pretty standard."
"Huh. Didn’t know it worked that way."
Ridan nodded. "But in unstable magic zones, that entire process gets shaky. The ambient mana is too thick, too volatile. It makes circles unstable—so unless you’ve got a huge mana pool or can do instant casting, your spell might misfire, weaken, or fail entirely."
Hazuki tilted his head. "So when they say ’be prepared’... they an bringing soone who can cast like that?"
"Exactly." Ridan said, grinning a little. "Back in my ti? We’d prep our parties in advance. Five core mbers, minimum."
He started counting off on his ghostly fingers.
"Tank. Swordmaster. Priest. Archer. Mage."
"And if you were lucky, you’d get two more—Scout and Assassin. Seven total. Perfect balance."
Hazuki nodded slightly. "Sounds like an RPG ga party."
Ridan floated in a slow circle. "Close-range combatants handled front and rear. Tank always up front—trained for defense, usually wielding giant shields. A gravity zone like this? Wouldn’t slow them down much. They’re built for it."
( End Of Chapter )
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