[As more wolves continue to move past you, you decide to investigate.
You remember Master Brightflame's warning about traveling at night, but you do not think that it applies to the spiritual area because phenomena only occur where the world operation is at its weakest. The spiritual area is already being affected by a set of rules, as evidenced by the invisible barrier, so you know that the world operation is strong.]
Something was going on.
Lem did not know what it was, but it did not feel normal. The behavior of the harvest tree, and now of the wolves was extremely strange.
When they saw the Martial Master, they wanted to rip him limb from limb.
When they saw his simulated self, it was like he wasn't even there.
Although it made him uneasy, for the moment he felt that he was safe as long as he was within the barrier. After the harvest tree had gifted him the water lily, no matter what its reasons had been, it had demonstrated its attitude.
As for the appearance of anomalies, he remembered that Master Brightflame had said that they appear at places where the world operation was at its weakest.
Any place that could bewilder a Martial Master did not meet that standard!
[You stand up, as you consider whether or not to take the lily with you. You are loath to leave it unattended, but you also do not want to attract unnecessary attention to yourself.
Another three wolves pass by, and you decide to follow them, lily in hand.]
As his simulated self began walking behind the wolves, Lem was unsure what their reaction would be.
Would they snarl?
Would they stop in their tracks, or scatter into the forest?
A moment later, he had his answer. The wolves made no reaction, but continued to walk peacefully.
Lem's simulated self clutched on to the water lily even tighter.
When they drew closer to the harvest tree, Lem began seeing more wolves. They were coming from several different directions, and forming a line straight towards the pond.
Many of them turned and looked at his simulated self, but they showed the same subdued attitude and looked away shortly after.
How eerie.
[As you follow the three wolves, they join a long line of wolves that are trotting in the direction of the harvest tree.
Riveted by the mysterious sight, you choose to follow.]
Lem got the feeling that he was observing a ritual. It was just like it had felt before the wolf king had emerged. To get so many wolves together...
He wondered what he would find near the pond. Because of the presence of the harvest tree, he still felt safe. His only worry was that he would somehow lose the spiritual lily.
Lem's simulated self gripped the spiritual lily tighter. He was sure now that if he had left it back at the camp, it would already be gone, gift from the harvest tree or not.
A minute later, Lem saw that there was another line of wolves coming from the opposite direction.
Had they already participated in whatever was occuring?
The wolves passed by, casting glances over at Lem's simulated self, or more likely, at the water lily in his hands.
One of them broke ranks and approached Lem's simulated self directly.
Lem watched in curiosity.
The wolf drew closer and closer, its eyes fixed on the water lily.
And then, it got too close. An invisible line had been crossed.
Suddenly, there were echoes of snarling. Several members of its own race turned and began aggressively posturing.
It shrank back, chastened, and the rest of the wolves grew calm again.
What just happened?
Were the other wolves standing up for him?
Was it over?
Lem waited to see if the wolf would come forward again, but it seemed that the incident had come to an end. The two lines of wolves continued to move past one another peacefully.
Before long, the chastened wolf was out of sight.
[You arrive at the pond, and see that the line of wolves continues all the way to the edge of the water. You see several wolf kings waiting by the harvest tree, overseeing the wolves at the front of the line.]
YOU ARE READING
I'm Contaminated With No Hope Of Recovery
FantasyInfected by a mysterious evil and abandoned by his village, Lem is at death's doorstep when the Goddess takes pity on him and bestows a life simulator! He may die once, twice, three times, but if he simulates a thousand lifetimes, can't he find a wa...