The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 271. Affected by the Mist

Human Kyla and Rabbit Kyla moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth, their eyes darting between the shadows as they searched for Brolin. Rabbit Kyla clutched her portable scanner, its soft hum providing a faint sense of reassurance as it mapped the surrounding area for potential threats.

The underground woods stretched endlessly before them, the eerie trees swaying as though alive, their vines whispering in an unending chorus. The temperature dropped the deeper they ventured, the air damp and heavy with the scent of decay. Above them, a dense canopy blocked out any light except for the faint bioluminescence of strange plants and flowers scattered throughout the forest.

"This place gives me the creeps," Rabbit Kyla muttered, her rabbit ears twitching at every unfamiliar sound.

Human Kyla remained silent but nodded in agreement, gripping her dagger tightly. The silence around them was occasionally broken by strange, rhythmic sounds—like the flapping of unseen wings or the tapping of claws against bark.

Suddenly, both of them halted. Ahead, a single white sunflower stood out amidst the darkness, its pale petals glowing faintly. But something about it felt... off.

"Why’s there a sunflower here? There’s no sun underground," Rabbit Kyla said, tilting her head in confusion.

Human Kyla narrowed her eyes. "It doesn’t feel right. Stay back."

She picked up a small stone and hurled it at the sunflower. To their shock, the flower dodged the projectile, shuddered, and then transformed. Its petals folded and elongated, its stem contorted, and within moments it resembled a humanoid figure with a floral head. Without warning, the creature sprinted away into the dense forest.

"Did that flower just turn into a human?" Rabbit Kyla asked, her voice filled with astonishment.

Human Kyla frowned. "Not exactly. That was a Narilatha flower—or at least something imitating one. It’s said to be a rare orchid shaped like a woman that blooms every twenty years. But this one... it’s not normal."

Rabbit Kyla’s ears twitched nervously. "So flowers can run now? Is that an Abyss Demon or something?"

"Not quite. I think it’s a Mimic Flower, a type of Abyss creature," Human Kyla explained, her tone cautious. "It mimics other flowers to lure prey or scare off predators. I’ve read about them, but this is my first time seeing one." freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Are they dangerous?"

"Not usually, but I wouldn’t take any chances," Human Kyla replied, keeping her voice low.

The two continued their journey deeper into the forest, their destination the giant red tree they had agreed to regroup at. The deeper they went, the denser the fog became, curling around their feet like ghostly tendrils.

"It’s getting foggy," Rabbit Kyla noted, her ears twitching as she scanned their surroundings.

"Stay alert," Human Kyla warned. "This fog could be dangerous."

Without hesitation, they activated their Prana, enveloping themselves in a thin protective membrane. The soft glow of their energy pushed the fog back slightly, but its presence remained oppressive.

Rabbit Kyla pulled out another device, a handheld analyzer, and studied its readings. "There’s no toxic substance in the fog," she said after a moment. "But there are traces of unknown elements. Better safe than sorry."

Human Kyla nodded and tightened her grip on her weapon. The fog thickened as they approached the red tree, obscuring their vision. Shapes seemed to move just beyond their line of sight, but when they turned to look, there was nothing there.

As they neared the tree, Rabbit Kyla froze, her ears swiveling. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

Human Kyla stopped and listened intently. Faint footsteps echoed from the fog ahead, growing louder with each passing moment. They crouched low.

The scene opens with Rabbit Kyla and Human Kyla walking through the dense underground forest. The eerie atmosphere was suffocating, the sounds of their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of moss beneath their feet.

"Do you think it’s him?" Rabbit Kyla suddenly asked, her voice hesitant.

"Who?" Human Kyla replied, raising an eyebrow.

"The one we’re searching for..." Rabbit Kyla trailed off, her ears twitching nervously.

Human Kyla frowned, confused. "Who are we searching for?"

Rabbit Kyla hesitated. "It’s... it’s... I don’t know. I can’t remember."

"Well, who are you?" Human Kyla asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

"I... I am... I—" Rabbit Kyla stammered before tilting her head in confusion. "Who are you?"

Human Kyla opened her mouth to answer but froze. "My name is... Wait, who am I?"

The two stared at each other, their confusion deepening. They looked around as if seeing their surroundings for the first time. Slowly, the protective Prana they had been using faded, and the mysterious mist around them thickened. Unconsciously, they had inhaled too much of it.

The sounds of footsteps also faded away.

---

Meanwhile, Near the Giant Red Tree

Tyler stood near the enormous red tree, its crimson bark glowing faintly in the dim light of the underground forest. He tapped his foot impatiently, glancing at the foggy woods.

"Alright, where are they?" he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. He had been waiting for over five hours, but neither Rabbit Kyla nor Human Kyla had returned.

Deciding he couldn’t wait any longer, Tyler pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled a quick note:

I’ll be back in an hour. Wait here.

He tore the paper. And used his copper pot to copy the same message, and scattered them around the tree in case the girls returned while he was gone.

"Let’s hope they see these," he muttered before venturing into the dense, foggy forest.

As Tyler moved deeper into the forest, the eerie silence was interrupted by rustling ahead. Emerging from the mist was a flower shaped like a woman, standing at an unsettling 5 feet 7 inches tall. Its petal-like limbs moved unnaturally as it walked in front of Tyler.

The creature noticed him and froze. Its humanoid head tilted, its floral face twitching in what looked like panic before it suddenly sprinted into the woods.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

Seconds later, the same flower-like creature peeked out from behind a tree, watching him curiously. It took a few cautious steps toward him but froze again when it noticed his gaze. Then, once more, it ’panicked’ and ran off.

Tyler sighed, his lips twitching in mild amusement. "Alright... its IQ is way too low. It’s trying to bait me."

Shrugging, he decided to play along. "Fine, I’ll take the bait," he muttered and followed the creature into the deeper parts of the forest.

The fog grew thicker as Tyler ventured further, curling around his ankles like ghostly tendrils. To protect himself, he coated his body with Prana, creating a faintly glowing barrier. Time seemed to stretch unnaturally in the oppressive environment.

One hour passed.

Then another.

As Tyler wandered, he stumbled upon a lake. Its surface shimmered with an unnatural green hue, reflecting the faint light of the bioluminescent plants surrounding it. He paused, staring at the water.

"A lake?" he muttered. "But why is it green? Why am I even here?" His brow furrowed as he tried to recall his purpose but failed. The fog’s effects were starting to seep through his defenses.

His thoughts drifted. "Should I take a bath?"

Before he could think further, Tyler began removing his clothing and gear. He placed his storage device, copper pot, ladle, and other items neatly on the ground. Then, with a sigh of contentment, he leapt into the lake.

The cool water enveloped him, and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Ah... smells like fresh leaves," he murmured, relaxing completely.

"Look, there’s a creature in the ugly water," a voice said suddenly, shattering the calm.

Tyler’s eyes snapped open. He turned to see Rabbit Kyla and Human Kyla standing near the edge of the lake, staring at him.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked, his voice filled with genuine confusion.

Both girls looked at each other and then back at him.

"We don’t know," Rabbit Kyla admitted, tilting her head in confusion.

"Who are you?" Human Kyla asked in return.

Tyler blinked. "I... I don’t know."

The three stared at one another in a baffling silence, their memories lost to the mysterious fog that surrounded them.

Tyler stood up and stepped out of the water, droplets glistening on his skin.

Rabbit Kyla tilted her head, observing him. "The creature doesn’t have long ears, so it’s probably your kind," she said to Human Kyla.

Human Kyla glanced down at her own chest before pointing out, "But it doesn’t have a big chest, so it’s probably your kind."

Rabbit Kyla frowned, feeling strangely offended despite her hazy memories. "I do have a chest!" she declared defensively.

Then Rabbit Kyla squinted at Tyler’s legs "I think it’s a monkey. Look, it has a tail!"

Human Kyla followed her gaze and shook her head. "I don’t think that’s a tail..."

Rabbit Kyla gasped, her excitement growing. "Maybe we have tails too!"

Her curiosity overtaking her, she began removing her dress to investigate. Human Kyla, equally intrigued, followed suit.

Moments later, Rabbit Kyla inspected herself with disappointment. "Ahh... my tail is missing!" she cried pitifully, her ears drooping in despair.

Human Kyla looked equally disheartened, as the two stood there, baffled and forlorn, completely oblivious to the absurdity of their situation. Tyler simply stared at them, utterly bewildered by the bizarre exchange.

But for some reason looking at the two naked girl some natural reaction took place in Tyler.

"Ah look. It’s tail is getting hard...."

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Author here:

The new year stands before us, like a Chapter in a book, waiting to be written.

- Melody Beattie

🔥🔥🔥 Happy New Year 2025 🔥 🔥 🔥

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