Chapter 48: An Adventurer’s Misadventure and a Rescue Called

After explaining to Wennya why they needed to leave the grasslands and ensuring she was safely hidden within the coffin, Eve donned her mask, hoisted the coffin onto her back, and once again embraced her identity as Luosha.

Navigating out of the Xigelili Grasslands proved quite challenging, especially from its deeper reaches. With nothing but endless stretches of grass as far as the eye could see, and no landmarks or directional tools, it was all too easy to become utterly lost.

Fortunately, Eve had prepared for this when she decided to venture deep into the grasslands. She confidently navigated through the winding paths, only to find herself effortlessly lost.

“This isn’t right… I was sure this was the direction. Why haven’t we reached it yet?”

That night, Eve sat by a bonfire, puzzling over her map with a furrowed brow.

She distinctly remembered this path from their journey here, yet after a full day of walking, she still hadn’t spotted the small hill she recalled.

There could only be one explanation.

“Even someone as brilliant as I can get lost!”

Eve casually set aside the map, not a hint of embarrassment on her face.

While she wasn’t directionally challenged, she certainly wasn’t a human compass either. This place was nothing but grass, endless stretches of it, and the items she carried weren’t suitable for leaving markers. It would be a miracle if she *could* remember the way.

“Since that’s the case, we’ll just go with the flow.”

“After all, the original plan was simply to get away from the Demon King anyway.”

Tucking away the map, Eve called out to Wennya, who was diligently practicing her cooking. Together, they retreated into the coffin to rest and prepare for the night.

Rest was essential for rejuvenating their spirits and facing the next day. However, having already been sought out by the Demon King once, Eve dared not sleep outside the coffin at night these days.

Though, as a small undead creature, sleeping at night and being active during the day probably looked like a horribly inverted biological clock to other undead…

‘But that’s little undead Eve,’ she mused. ‘What does that have to do with me, Luosha, the holy priest?’

And so, Eve slept soundly, her conscience clear.

The following morning, Eve used the rising sun to orient herself, determining the cardinal directions before planning their subsequent route on the map.

Thanks to this, on the fourth day, Eve finally saw something other than grass.

Trees!

And not just a single one.

“Is that a forest ahead?”

Eve picked up her map and scanned the area surrounding the Xigelili Grasslands. Sure enough, she found a large woodland marked as the Elf Forest.

Beyond that, there were no other forested areas indicated on the map.

“Wait… if that’s the case, haven’t I already overshot my destination?”

A moment’s thought confirmed it. She had been heading due south this entire time, so reaching the Elf Forest was no accident.

Unfortunately, Eve had originally intended to go to Xielan. Now, to get from the Elf Forest to Xielan, she would have to backtrack along the edge of the grasslands, a considerable distance away.

“Since we’re already here, why not experience the customs and traditions of this other world? Perhaps even meet some elf girls?”

Those forest elves, with their pointed ears, devotion to nature, and often scant attire, were incredibly popular in many fantasy works from Eve’s previous life.

Eve decided it was a brilliant idea!

If she was going on an adventure, she certainly had to make the most of it!

Forget just elf girls; in the future, Eve intended to meet beast-eared girls, dragon girls, succubi, and more! She would delve deep into cultural exchange and ‘bond’ with them!

With these ambitious goals in mind, Eve excitedly dashed towards the Elf Forest.

However, shortly after stepping into the forest, Eve felt something beneath her foot. Before she could even react, she was caught in a large net, hoisted into the air, and transformed into a dangling, bouncing bundle.

Eve: …

A terrible start to her quest to collect a ‘beautiful girls of various races’ almanac for this other world! (Deep sorrow)

After calming herself, Eve tugged at the net that held her, letting out a sigh of relief. “It looks like just a common trap for wild beasts.”

“With my strength attribute of 30, how could I possibly not break free from this net?”

Eve confidently gripped the net and began to exert her strength.

Suddenly, the net flashed with golden light, transforming into an unyielding, rigid material.

One minute passed…

The net remained: Immovable as a mountain!

Eve: …

She tried tugging again, and then Eve finally understood.

This was no ordinary net at all!

It was magic! It had been enchanted!

Eve shifted her body and asked the coffin pressed against her back, “Wennya, can you come out of the coffin? Or lift the coffin up?”

The coffin wobbled, and the little maid’s voice drifted out. “Miss Eve, Wennya doesn’t seem to be able to…”

“Oh no, we’re going to turn into jerky.”

“Huh?”

****

A week later.

At the border between the Xigelili Grasslands and the Elf Forest, a duo appeared.

“A-Anna, big sister, will this path really take us to Xielan?”

A hooded girl, completely covered by a black cloak, mustered her courage and cautiously asked the blue-haired girl in front of her, who was constantly flipping through and comparing a map and a compass.

The blue-haired girl, called Anna, spoke with great uncertainty. “But… Yulim, this is the direction we’re going, it should be right, shouldn’t it?”

“How did we end up at the Elf Forest?”

The cloaked girl pursed her lips. She wanted to tell her companion that the map in her hands was actually upside down, but due to her timid nature, she ultimately lacked the courage to point out the reason.

Instead, she pulled her hood further down, trying to minimize her presence.

Anna stared at the map for a while longer before reaching up to scratch the back of her head. She handed the map to the girl behind her. “How about Yulim, you lead the way? Every time I lead the way, there’s no telling where we’ll end up.”

Yulim trembled, clutching both sides of her hood and shaking her head like a rattle, silently expressing her reluctance.

“Sigh, alright then…”

Anna sighed. It seemed the heavy burden of leading the way still fell to her.

And she was directionally challenged, after all…

Just as Anna was pondering their next move, a faint cry for help drifted from the forest.

“Help me—help me, please—”

“Is anyone there—”

“Will no one save a poor, unlucky girl who’s fallen into a trap—”

Yulim frowned slightly. Although it was a cry for help, why did the tone sound so… recited?

‘This is a trap! It must be a trap!’

But Anna didn’t seem to realize this. Upon hearing the plea, she immediately looked towards the source of the sound and exclaimed, “Yulim, did you hear that? Someone’s calling for help! We need to go save them right away!”

Yulim hesitated, unsure whether to voice her thoughts to Anna. But in that brief moment of indecision, Anna had already made up her mind, striding boldly into the forest.

“Hey! Hold on, friend! I’m coming to save you!”

Yulim opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Anna’s figure had already vanished into the trees.

Seeing this, Yulim stomped her small foot in self-reproach, then gritted her teeth and hurried after her.