Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 164: Entering the Forbidden Zone

The closer they came to the Maw, the more plants clustered. There was no chance for them to stop. Visha tried using Rite of Vitality, but they would always stop her. They found new ways to fight the plants.

Whether by having them twist their roots together or by using one to attack another. Uri’s agile nature was used to its fullest. He minimised waste, only making essential moves.

Xeno’s movement went from being uncoordinated when fighting plants to using the least amount of energy to cause the most damage. It was obvious they were used to brutal fights.

Visha herself also got better at fighting. Though her moves were not as agile as Uri’s or as powerful as Xeno’s, she was flexible. She used that discovery to her benefit.

Fighting their way to the maw, they had no time to stop. Their last day of rest was the rock wall. Thanks to Visha’s space, they continued moving while eating so as not to be stopped and devoured by plants.

The moment they arrived at the maw, they felt the difference.

Before, plants had been attacking more consistently, but now, there was no attack. It was as though the maw itself gave them the chance to explore. The air was thick with the scent of grass and herbs. Greenery filled their vision and senses.

Panting, they stood on alert, waiting to be attacked. That wait gave them time to breathe. Although tense, they were able to regulate their breath.

"Did you feel it?" Xeno asked. His voice echoed. The numerous plants did nothing to muffle the sound.

Uri and Visha nodded.

"Use the link," Uri responded through the link. "We can’t trust this place. With this much greenery, your voice should not have echoed like that."

Taking in their surroundings, all they could see was green. The light streamed through the gaps in the leaves, bending at strange angles. The air was heavy, damp, and warm against their skin. The scent of sap, crushed leaves, and something metallic filled their senses. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Why isn’t anything attacking?" Visha asked. Her eyes stared ahead.

She felt the difference between those few inches. The moment they stepped into the Verdant Maw, it was as though they had crossed into a different space. She felt the space’s shielding when it told her the boundary was thinning.

It was a true boundary that could be used to keep things in or out. She had not expected they would pass so easily. Her eyes watched the ground where she saw something slither close to the barrier.

"There," she said quickly, drawing Uri and Xeno’s attention. They watched what appeared to be a thin vine slithering towards the barrier. Staring intently, they noticed a brief shimmer when the vine touched the barrier. Unfortunately, it couldn’t pass.

"We need to leave. Now." Xeno said.

Being of one mind, they stepped forward cautiously. There was no sound of footsteps. As they walked, the ground felt soft, too soft. Yet there was nothing they could do. They could only walk and wait to be attacked.

Visha couldn’t allow them to keep walking for no reason. The further they walked into the greenery, the more the hair on her body rose. Her body prickled. She felt as though she was being pricked by needles.

"Something is wrong," Visha said in the link as they walked. "I feel...strange."

The silence of the maw did nothing to help their senses. Constantly being on high alert was wearing on their nerves. There was no bird call, no sound of insects. Not a thing to indicate there was anything living here besides flora.

"They are watching," Uri said. "The plants are watching us walk."

His eyes watched a leaf turn as if to meet his gaze.

"Is it luring us in on purpose?" Xeno asked.

"Maybe."

The uncertainty of everything unsettles the trio. Visha couldn’t help wanting to call on the system. She wondered if it would make a difference. The system appeared to have fallen dormant. The only time it responded was to tell Visha to use the rite. Since then, it had fallen silent again.

They walked for who knows how long, feeling thousands of eyes on them, but being unable to pinpoint where they came from. The conclusion was that it was the plants themselves watching. They followed a path because it was the only way to walk.

It made them certain they were being led somewhere. But where?

If they tried to go back the way they came, the route would close. They tried tearing the leaves and vine apart to open the path. That did nothing but waste more energy. Eventually, they stopped resisting and followed.

Soon they heard panting. They strained their senses trying to figure out what the sound was. An almost imperceptible sound of footsteps was heard by Uri and relayed to Xeno and Visha.

The footsteps were coming towards them. They stopped walking. Listening. Closer. Closer.

Until they saw a beastman running towards them.

He was covered in blood, but he was alone. Visha, Uri, and Xeno all knew who this was. Alin.

Seeing them, he stumbled. Falling onto the uncomfortably soft yet firm ground. His breathing echoed. The loudest sound heard in the greenery.

"Help me," Alin croaked. He sat slumped on the ground, unmoving. If not for the sound of his breathing, they would think he was dead.

The trio stared at him, unsure of what to do. None of them were particularly happy to see him, but he could provide answers. They needed to understand this place, and he was the only one who could give them any information.

So despite their displeasure, they help to clean him up. Well, Uri and Xeno help him. They refused to let Visha help. He was not a part of the pack. Helping male pack members was what she should do as a priestess. A non-pack member male, they would not allow her to touch him.

After getting Alin cleaned up, they sat on the ground. There was nowhere else to go. If danger were coming from the direction Alin appeared, they would not go in that direction. They would wait for him to wake up before deciding on the next course of action.

Thus, they entered a waiting game. Would whatever was chasing Alin catch up before he woke up? Or would they be safe if they stayed in one spot?