Oasis

It was incredible to Goldmi that she could hold her sister's body so easily, but the levels she had risen hadn't only improved her energy and mana pool, but all her stats.

They slowly descended the cliff with the help of Hover, to the place that a few hours before had been filled with corrupted beings, but was now completely deserted.

They had barely gained experience due to the difference in level, but had released hundreds of souls from their cruel prison, so they were proud of themselves.

They looked towards the door of the dungeon with some nostalgia. There they had narrowly escaped, and there they had fought almost desperately for weeks, against slugs several times their level.

They entered once more, with the intention of resting in a safe and miasma-free place, and with the irrevocable promise made to the lynx of a proper meal. Although, before that, she quickly killed a slug. Those had already appeared again.

"They're only level 20…" the elf rolled her eyes at her sister's proud posture.

The feline just stuck her tongue out at her. It's true that they were only level 20, but that only had caused them a lot of trouble not so long ago. Her sister laughed, completely relaxed. After escaping the dungeon and eliminating her enemies, a great burden had been taken off her.

They ate, slept and breakfast in the rest area, while feeling happier than usual. After that, they exited the dungeon again, this time perhaps forever.

At first, they had wanted to head in the direction of the portal that would take them to the beginner's village, but that some corrupted beings had headed towards the forest was a bit mysterious. After discussing it over dinner, they had decided to investigate it the next day. Therefore, they were now entering the corrupted forest.

They found no other beings there, as all those available had been summoned to deal with them, and they had already been annihilated. There were only pesky trees, but they didn't want to waste time getting rid of them. There were too many, and it would take them months to clear what had once been a lush jungle.

The miasma irritated them. They were feeling something like a force that was trying to attack them, that could devour them if they became too weak, and turn them into corrupted beings without their own will, by corrupting their bodies and trapping their souls. It couldn't do anything to them while they were healthy, but it was extremely unpleasant.

After walking for hours, they doubted if there really was anything to find. Or if they had gone the wrong way, though a glance at the virtual map showed that they had walked in a straight line. What they couldn't know was if those corrupted beings had also done it.

It wasn't until they got over a small hill that they came across an unreal scene, a scene that looked like something out of a fairy tale.

A small lake whose waters sparkled crystal clear could be spotted, despite its blurred contour. Trees and other lush and blurry vegetation surrounded it, the presence of which seemed impossible in this place infested with miasma and corruption.

Around that place, a semi-transparent barrier was erected, whose base was surrounded by a dark circle that seemed to move. She used Hawkeye to find out what that black circle was, with which she discovered something that surprised and angered them. It was certainly what they had been looking for.

Hundreds of corrupted beings were surrounding the barrier, attacking it, striking it physically and magically. It was difficult to know from there what their level was, as well as to shoot them from so far away. What they did know was that they had to keep them away from this unexpected oasis of life surrounded by death.

They approached slowly, silently, while looking for any spirit or corrupted beings around. The lynx was next to her sister, so protecting her from what might come, and from the annoying branches and roots, which were being shredded.

Meanwhile, the archer verified that the levels of those beings weren't too high. There was a level 25, but most were below 20. So, as far away as possible, she shot one of them, a level 15 one.

The Ethereal Arrow performed a wide arc, since she wanted to prevent it from damaging the barrier. It fell on top of the cockroach and pierced it. The arrow didn't kill it, but it didn't flinch either, despite being seriously wounded. They didn't know it, but their enemies had orders to attack the barrier, and those orders couldn't be ignored. Although which had given them had died. Although someone was attacking them.

Given the lack of reaction, she began to kill one by one those beings, as she had already done in front of the dungeon's entrance. After a few hours, that area of ​​the barrier was clean of the plague that had been striking it.

They approached. They wanted to get a closer look at what was inside. If they could, they wanted to find out more about that unexpected barrier, and if there was any way to get through it. Although, whether or not they could, they were more than willing to free it from its attackers.

It was strangely beautiful, and gave off a warm aura. Perhaps, it was because near it the miasma was repelled, but it seemed to welcome them. It was a place where corruption had no place, only life, and that was why it was so wonderful, so exceptional.

The lynx was sniffing, trying to perceive something with her refined sense of smell, but nothing leaked on that side of the barrier. They both tried to look inside, but it was impossible to tell the details behind a barrier that blurred the light.

Goldmi extended her hand, carefully drawing it closer. Far from feeling a force that repelled her as she approached, she only felt a pleasant warmth that permeated her soul.

She feared that something would happen when she finally touched it, but it was the opposite. Her hand simply went through it, as if it wasn't there.

The two sisters looked at each other. The lynx had also tested to touch it, and her paw had pierced it.

"Shall we go in?" the elf asked hesitantly, though her heart begged her to.

"Since we've gotten this far, we'll have to take a look," the lynx agreed, much less hesitant.

One next to the other, they advanced towards the barrier, crossing it without any difficulty, as if it didn't exist for them.