Meanwhile, Eustar, Laila, and Muge were continuing to advance towards the city of magicians, undeterred by the increasingly harsh weather and roads.

“That over there is the ‘Lake of the Lost Ones’.”

Muge said, pointing beyond the thick fog. Laila stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes to look where she was pointing.

Beyond the hazy view, as if dark clouds had settled, a land where all plants had withered and twisted was visible, and beyond that, a dark and vast expanse of water could be seen.

“It’s humid.”

Eustar muttered, looking up at the sky.

“There’s hardly any sunlight.”

Muge chuckled.

“Of course, there’s no sunlight. The ominous moisture from that lake covers this entire area. Even the distinction between day and night becomes blurred.”

“Is it like this inside the city too?”

Eustar asked. Muge answered while plodding along without turning to look at him.

“The city is completely different. You should think of it as a space somewhat different from the reality you know. If the city’s barrier wasn’t so strong, this area wouldn’t have become so toxic. Any energy needs to flow naturally to be purified, but the magicians closed off the city and trapped the energy, so the flow is disrupted in this area. Even without that, a waterside like this tends to attract unpleasant things.”

When they first left the 2nd branch to head towards the city of magicians, there were magical beasts everywhere. They had to deal with a couple of small sincs.

But as they got closer to the lake, the number of magical beasts seemed to decrease, and now there was nothing alive and moving to be found.

Only the three of them were advancing through the hazy fog and darkness that seemed to rise like ash.

“To enter the city, we need to go around the edge of the lake. Be careful. Don’t keep your gaze on the water for too long. Remember why that lake is called the ‘Lake of the Lost Ones’.”

Muge warned. Eustar and Laila slowly followed behind her, treading on dry grass. Although they were traveling light with almost no luggage, each step was incredibly difficult to take. Their entire bodies felt heavy, as if soaked in water.

‘The lake…’

Laila’s gaze unconsciously turned towards the lake as she walked along the path. The way the thick fog dispersed and gathered again repeatedly was dizzying.

“What’s that?”

At Laila’s words, Eustar stopped walking. Muge seemed not to have heard her and continued plodding along.

“What’s wrong, Laila?”

“That, over there. Eustar, can you see it?”

Eustar leaned forward and looked in the direction Laila was pointing.

There was something on the surface of the lake. When the thick fog cleared, the two realized it was a pair of eyes. They were yellowish, like cheap copper pins on a fortune-telling board.

“Don’t look at it.”

Muge said. Eustar and Laila quickly turned their heads away.

“Those things are nothing but malice. They’re persistent and cunning. So don’t look at them. Ignore whatever sounds you hear. No matter what they are.”

No sooner had her words fallen than a small, faint sound was heard from the direction of the lake. It was the sound of a baby crying. Laila reflexively turned her head, but the moment Eustar grabbed her hand, she realized it was an auditory hallucination.

“Ignore it, Laila.”

“…Alright.”

The sound continued to follow them. Sometimes it was the sound of a baby crying, and other times it changed to the whisper of a child asking for help.

Then, when they came to their senses again, it became the sound of sobbing. Each one was pitiful and desperate. It wasn’t easy to ignore. Not just for Laila, but for Eustar too.

Muge looked up at the sky and spat out a single curse.

“Damn it, it’s already getting dark. And we were so close…”

Laila asked.

“Can’t we keep going? That much light could be managed with magic…”

“You can’t maintain magical power properly around here. If we could use magic, why do you think I told you to light a bonfire? Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a witch.”

Muge sighed and tightly tied her long, stretched-out hair.

“We can’t camp near the lake, so we’ll have to climb up towards the cliff. But we’re almost at the end now. If we get through tonight, we’ll reach the city tomorrow.”

It took a lot of effort to leave the vicinity of the lake. Not just Laila, but Eustar too, and though she didn’t say it, Muge was also feeling it slightly. The feeling that something from the lake was constantly pulling at them.

The three of them had no water or food. They had packed enough when leaving the 2nd branch, but they had lost it while fighting magical beasts along the way.

Going a whole day without eating was one thing, but the thirst was gradually reaching dangerous levels.

Muge didn’t need to consume water or food, but that meant using more magical power. In this area, just standing still drained their energy. Eustar and Laila needed to eat and drink something.

“If we go into the forest, there should be a spring.”

Muge said. She picked up fallen branches around the cliff one by one and tossed them in one place, then stood up.

“Look for a spring that’s not connected to flowing water. One that springs up from underground. That probably won’t be contaminated… Eustar, you go. I’ll stay here with Kristrad and light a fire.”

At that moment, Laila stood up.

“I’ll go too.”

“We don’t need two people to fetch water.”

Laila glanced at Eustar.

“I know. But… I probably know more about forests than Eustar. I used to climb mountains all the time where I lived before. And I might be able to find something edible too.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, but… well, okay. You might be able to catch a rabbit or something… Not you, but Eustar, I mean. Go quickly. I’ll have a fire ready.”

Saying that, Muge walked towards the thorny bushes growing along the cliff. She was going to pick up fallen branches.

“Stay alert, okay?”

Eustar took Laila’s hand.

“Let’s go, Laila.”

The two moved in the opposite direction from Muge and entered the forest. The densely grown grass seemed lush, but it didn’t have the characteristic freshness or coolness. It was just damp and chilly.

“The forest is a bit better at least.”

Eustar looked at Laila as if seeking agreement.

“It seems a bit easier to breathe.”

Laila nodded. He was right. When they were near the lake, it felt like something was tightly packed in their chests making it difficult to breathe, but entering the forest seemed to open up their airways a bit.

“Watch your step, Laila.”

At Eustar’s words, Laila smiled faintly. It was the first smile seen since leaving the 2nd branch to head towards the city of magicians.

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

After saying that, Laila boldly stepped forward with one foot as if to demonstrate.

“See, I’m good at finding things like this too.”

The spot she avoided was covered with leaf mold, which was concave underneath and could have caused a fall if stepped on carelessly. Eustar swept away the leaf mold with the tip of his shoe and smiled back.

“Then you should hold my hand.”

“That sounds good too. But I can’t guarantee I won’t fall with you if you trip.”

Just then, the sound of water flowing was heard from somewhere. No, not flowing… it was the sound of water gushing up. There was a bubbling sound, as if boiling, coming from below to above. It was the sound of a spring.

“Can you hear it, Eustar?” Laila whispered in a low voice.

“I think there’s a spring nearby.”

Eustar nodded.

“I hear it. Probably nearby…”

At that moment, something rustled in the bushes. The two quickly stopped walking and felt their nerves stand on end. Just as Eustar reached for the handle of his sword, Laila spoke.

“Look over there.”

It was a full-grown deer. Eustar slowly released the sword handle he was about to grasp and brought forward the small crossbow he was carrying on his back.

The deer, seemingly unaware of their presence, staggered forward and then suddenly stopped to chew on some bushes.

“Laila, go fetch the water. While I catch that.”

“Don’t chase it too far.”

Eustar grinned.

“Don’t worry. I’ll catch it in one shot.”

Laila grasped his hand once before letting go and carefully backed away with the empty leather water pouch.

When she reached a place where she thought the deer couldn’t sense her presence, Laila quickened her pace to find the spring. The sound of gushing water was close.

‘It should be nearby…’

Laila followed the sound, remembering the shapes of the trees. It shouldn’t be far now… She thought she could smell fresh water from somewhere.

Then, with a splash, her feet and ankles suddenly became cold.

Startled, Laila quickly pulled herself out and looked down. It was a narrow, small stream like a city waterway. It was too dark to see, and her foot had slipped in.

“Oh no…”

Laila shook off the moisture on her foot and leapt over the stream with the leather pouch in hand. She remembered what Muge had said. To find a spring not connected to flowing water.

‘The waterway is probably connected to the lake, that’s why.’

Laila’s shoulders flinched as she crossed the stream.

There was something behind her.

When she stopped, it stopped moving too. But it was still… there. She couldn’t tell what it was. But it wasn’t alive.

‘The waterway is probably connected to the lake…’

Laila replayed her thought without even blinking. If the forest’s waterway was connected to the lake, then…

Couldn’t the things in the lake travel along the waterway?

‘Stay calm.’

Her hand gripping the leather pouch tightened. Laila tried to recall magic that could be used without drawing a circle. Muge had said magic couldn’t be used in this area, but right now, all she had to rely on were a few spells.

Laila took a breath and whirled around.

The moment she opened her lips to utter a spell, she saw a pair of yellowish eyes right in front of her face. From its drooping head, from its hair… black water was dripping.