Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

Chapter 844 - 430: Mushroom Adventurer and the Free-Walking Tree

In all fairness, Miser considers herself a mature merchant.

Not to brag or downplay, she has indeed journeyed far and wide, certainly well-traveled and experienced, having visited many places in the Mortal Realm and witnessed many different landscapes.

From the eternal glaciers of the Far North to the singing coral reefs of the southern islands, and from the sand cities wandering in the western desert to the floating jellyfish colonies in the eastern rainforest.

What with once-in-a-century slave riots, love-hate affairs of the last royal members, maddened Giant Dragons destroying cities... she’s encountered her fair share of scenes large and small.

Being a merchant is merely a convenient identity for walking in the Mortal Realm; Miser has always felt she is an outstanding explorer.

Very adventurous, and willing to expend time and effort for it.

In her hundreds of years traveling the Mortal Realm, she has earned the right, in casual conversation, to boast—"Haha, what’s the big deal? Are you kidding? I’ve seen it all!"

Before coming to Elda, Miser thought she had broadly experienced all the world’s scenery, having witnessed various wonders; she believed nothing special would particularly affect her anymore.

She even began to think that the so-called mystery was merely the result of mortals’ overactive imagination about the unknown.

However, when she was "forced" to reluctantly follow her employer here, this naïve Mushroom Merchant discovered she was mistaken.

Gravely mistaken.

Her previous arrogant thoughts were indeed too naïve! Too immature! Too foolish!

She had never seen such a place, where everywhere exuded strange and magical traits.

Here, the rocks breathe, the shadows have form, even time flows irregularly.

The familiar Law is invisibly warped, unable to exert its original power.

Outside eyes cannot penetrate, and internal sounds cannot escape; the entire mountain range seems isolated from the world.

Although at the mountain’s outskirts, fools occasionally come to court death, sacrificing their precious Lives to challenge this place.

Those people, with their deaths, etched fear and reverence into the hearts of all.

Initially, Miser thought the same way.

Believing this was merely a Nine-out-of-ten-chances-of-death perilous spot for the weak mortal, not to be easily entered, best avoided from afar.

But when Miser personally entered this mountain range, she discovered... this mysterious mountain range had never truly revealed its real face to people.

Or rather, the seemingly terrifying exterior was merely its outermost facade.

The true nature of it... is far more dreadful than the "truth" seen by the world!

Nine-out-of-ten-chances-of-death?

No, no, it’s ten-out-of-ten chances of death.

Even someone as powerful and Legendary as her faces the risk of an abrupt demise with just one incaution.

It’s like a forgotten corner by the world, or a hidden treasure chamber, or a cage imprisoning past years.

The more exploration in Mist Mountain Range, the more Miser understands the implication of its name from outsiders.

The Land of God Forsaken.

The taboo land, avoided by even the Gods.

The more she attempts to peer and probe, the more Miser feels her insignificance and powerlessness, only overwhelmed by repression and unease.

A voice within her incessantly warns:

"Run away!"

"To hell with any contracts, survival is what matters most!"

"Flee this place!"

"If you don’t want to die, you absolutely must not linger here any longer!"

"Escape!"

Yet at the same time, the instinctive fear creating the urge to run is also accompanied by another emotion brewing in her heart—excitement.

"I’ve found the right place!"

"Haha! Yes, yes, this is exactly what I want!"

"Hee-hee, if I can uncover the truth here, dying is worth the ticket price!"

"I can’t leave!"

"Absolutely can’t leave here!"

"Elda is safe; once leaving here, I am indeed doomed!"

Miser feels extremely fortunate for accommodating Herbert’s recruitment and coming to this decision.

My past self, you did a tremendous job!

Miser disguising herself as a human traveling merchant in the Mortal Realm, was her goal to earn money to exchange for resources?

No.

She indeed likes humans and wants to become one of them.

The fleeting Life of mortals sparks a creativity she can hardly imagine, a miracle that’s hard to reach to some extent.

But her original and most important purpose has always been satisfying her curiosity about the "unknown."

From ancient times to the present, exploring the unknown has always altered countless destinies, enchanting and driving them mad.

For the Mushroom People, everything on the surface is unknown.

All the outside world holds endless attraction for Miser.

Miser yearns to witness it all firsthand.

So, after a long deliberation and even longer preparation, spanning almost two hundred years, she finally left the Dark Territory for the surface.

She still remembers being so stunned by witnessing the sunrise for the first time that she was rooted to the spot.

Fulfilling her initial wish, successfully engaging in business with the outside world.

Although she encountered many issues and troubles during this process, fortunately, they were all smoothly resolved in the end.

Miser thought her desire had been satisfied, feeling her life like this was quite good already.