CH84

Deep Blue quickly responded,

[Based on terrain comparison, there is a 99.99% probability that this is the field where Dragon Beard Grass and other potion ingredients were planted.]

Helag looked around. "So, I wasn't wrong. It's not my mistake."

He noticed that the signs of cultivation were gone, and the paths between the fields had disappeared.

After pondering for a moment, Helag cautiously approached the pine forest.

He moved slowly and carefully, trying not to make any noise.

When he reached a spot where he could barely see the pine forest, he stopped and observed.

"No spider webs…"

After careful observation, Helag realized that the spider webs in the pine forest had completely vanished.

The ground, once covered in webs, was now clear.

"Strange, I saw webs on the branches when I left the cave, but now they're gone from the forest. Wait…"

Helag recalled seeing remnants of webs on branches near the cave entrance at dawn, along with traces of spiders on the ground.

He wondered if the ancient ruins inside the cave would still be there, given that the fields and spider colony had disappeared.

Deciding to check, Helag returned to the cave.

To his surprise, the cave entrance was gone.

Where the cave had been was now just a solid mountain, with no sign of an entrance.

Helag searched the area, using his spade to dig around, but found no traces of the cave.

Looking at the forest, he saw no spider webs or signs of spider activity.

"So many webs can't just vanish in such a short time."

Helag couldn't explain the phenomenon with his current knowledge. He didn't even know what subject to study to understand it.

"According to the blacksmith, we can leave during the day. Does that mean this place is different at night and day? Or are there overlapping spaces? Otherwise, the changes wouldn't be this drastic."

Helag speculated that there might be overlapping spaces.

At night, the eerie town, potion fields, spider colony, and cave appeared. By day, it reverted to a normal town.

"Let's check the town."

The houses in Creek Valley Town were dangerous at night, each containing something sinister.

But now, during the day, Helag felt it was safe to observe from a distance and maybe explore.

He had to pass through the town to reach the mountain pass anyway. If there were issues, he could detour around it.

Looking back at the mountain wall where the cave had been, Helag retraced his steps.

He still avoided the pine forest, the memory of the spider swarm too vivid.

Even in daylight, he kept his distance, taking a wide detour.

On the way back, Helag observed the path.

The mammoth's massive size should have left obvious traces, but he saw none.

The ground was covered in weeds, even the path was overgrown, indicating it had been unused for years.

Helag returned to the town, stopping where he could see it clearly.

He observed the town and felt uneasy.

When he first arrived, it was a normal town with people moving about.

Now, it was a ruin.

Many houses had collapsed or were overgrown with vegetation.

Some houses had been burned, leaving a cluster of charred ruins.

As Helag got closer, he saw the town's main road was overgrown with weeds, barely recognizable as a road.

He approached the blacksmith's house.

The house's main structure was intact, but the door was tightly shut.

Peering through the window, Helag saw the interior was similar to what he had seen at night.

He tried the door, but it was rusted shut. Applying more force, he accidentally knocked the entire door frame down.

"Sorry, blacksmith," Helag muttered, embarrassed.

The door frame crashed to the ground, stirring up years of dust, forcing Helag to step back.

Once the dust settled, Helag re-entered the house.

He explored the first floor, finding rooms overgrown with plants.

He even startled a snake, which quickly slithered out through a broken window.

"Let's check the second floor," Helag decided.

The stairs to the second floor were decayed, with many broken steps.

Helag carefully ascended, using Deep Blue to scan the stairs for weak spots.

Some areas had no support underneath and would collapse if stepped on.

Reaching the second floor, Helag first looked at the dining table.

The night before, it had held Robert's severed arm.

Now, the table was cluttered with debris, but the arm was gone.

He checked the other two rooms, finding them in similar disrepair, overgrown with plants.

In the room where he had seen the leg, Helag found the same photos.

The photos were now so faded they were unrecognizable, but he could tell they were of the blacksmith's family.

Besides the photos, Helag found a rag doll on the bedside table.

The doll was tattered, but it was the same one the little girl had held the night before.