Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 123: Relaxing time by the river?

The arduous trek through the mountains of Sosen was often stopped and started because they needed to take care of Metien's physical strength. In fact, it was not just her, Linger and Alice were also a little tired. After all, they were young people living in modern cities, not those adventurers who risked their lives for wealth thousands of years ago. It was impossible for them to have the physical strength to continue traveling for several days and nights.

Although the fairy Xie Mi volunteered to use the fairy magic "Strange Changes at Will" to help everyone relieve the pressure, maybe she could get a super powerful buff like "Exemption from Physical Consumption" with good luck? However, considering that she had just learned this magic not long ago, and Alice secretly gave him a popular science of yesterday's battle record, Ling Ge finally declined.

This made Xie Mi feel very disappointed. She obviously had such a convenient ability, so why didn't everyone use it?
There is no other way but to use other abilities to help everyone.

“There’s a river nearby!”

She stood above Metien's head and pointed to a certain direction in the forest, which was covered by mottled shadows of trees. These evergreen plants that never withered all year round seemed lush and full of vitality at first glance, but now they just made people feel monotonous and boring. In particular, the lush tree canopy above blocked the already scarce sunlight in winter, making the pedestrians passing under the trees feel the atmosphere was gloomy, and even the whistling wind seemed like the whispers of ghosts.

It is said that during the pioneering period, an adventure team got lost in the mountains and mistook the sound of the wind as the ghosts of the dead who wanted to kill them. They lost their minds in fear and frantically hacked and killed the living things around them. In the end, they killed each other and were wiped out. It is extremely ironic that they did not die of hunger or lack of water, but died at the hands of their own people, or died from their overly fragile nerves.

Of course, considering that the magical world does exist, maybe what they saw at that time were real undead ghosts?
Alice looked in the direction of Shaymi's finger, but saw nothing. The winter air was very dry, and she couldn't even smell a trace of moisture. She couldn't help but doubt: "Really? Why didn't I see anything?"

If you can see it, you are a traveler fairy.

Xie Mi nodded his head seriously. "Of course it's true! I heard the sound of the river and smelled the moisture of the water!"

She touched her belly.

Since his sister said so, Lingge naturally did not object and nodded in agreement. So everyone followed the direction Xie Mi pointed out, but after walking for nearly half an hour, they could barely hear the sound of gurgling water.

"Shall we go to the river to rest for a while?"

"This, this is, huh, the area you mentioned?" Alice didn't bother to save her energy because she could take a break soon. In the end, she was exhausted and panting like a dead dog, staring at a certain goblin. The grief and anger in her eyes made it seem as if she might die at any time.

Metien asked for everyone's opinions. When she said everyone, she was referring only to Lingge, because she knew that no one else would express an opposing opinion: "It's almost noon, Lingge, I'm a little hungry."

"Yes, it is nearby!"

The little goblin was still stubborn, hiding behind Metien's head, and poked his head out, saying plausibly: "It wasn't a long walk, it just took a little longer!"

I knew this fairy maid was unreliable. Alice snorted coldly. She originally wanted to discuss the relative definition of time and distance with her and discover the theory of relativity in advance, but considering that she could be considered her predecessor (in the maid industry), she gave up this idea. It was also to save face for her future fellow Earthman. When his academic paper was published in the future, he should thank the generosity and selflessness of the sage Alice.

Pushing aside the bushes blocking the road, at the end of the forest, the light gradually became brighter. It was a white-gold, silky light that passed through the crisscrossing branches and fell on the corrupt black soil, swaying in irregular patches of light. Under the dialysis of these lights, the leaves on the branches were like patients who had lost too much blood, and every vein like a blood vessel was clearly visible.

Lingge, who was walking in the front, gently removed a branch that was blocking the way, walked out of the wall formed by pine trees, elm trees, horse chestnut trees and sweet oak trees, and came to a not-so-spacious riverside mudflat. Without the obstruction of the tree canopy, the view suddenly opened up: a winding stream flowed down the mountain, the rushing stream was clear to the bottom, and the large and small stones on the riverside mudflat replaced the soft fallen leaves and rotten bacteria under his feet. The part that fell into the river was polished by the river day and night, gradually forming white pebbles, as smooth as a prehistoric giant egg.

There is no snowfall in Rostin City, let alone the cold month when the temperature starts to drop. Even in the snow month and ice month, the rivers will not freeze. At this time, snow has begun to fall in Leisenburg, north of the mountain range. Meteorologists believe that it is because the Sosen Mountains block the cold air from the sea, but there are also superstitious adventurers who believe that it is the blessing of the mountain gods, and even write this worship in their diaries, which has been passed down for a time and became the earliest rural ghost story in the Rostin area.

Where there is a river there are signs of life. When this group of uninvited guests broke into the watershed of this mountain stream, there happened to be a few otters drinking water by the river, and occasionally vigilantly observing the movements around them. As soon as Ling'er stepped onto the mudflat, he saw them running away, diving into a crack in the rocks along the river channel, and quickly disappeared.

Deer or rabbit footprints can also be seen on the ground, and they are still fresh, which shows that their hearing is more acute and they ran away long before Lingge and others approached.

It's better for them to run away, so they won't be bullied by Alice if they stay. This guy is a wicked person and he will not have a good ending if he falls into her hands.

For example, now, when the evil Alice saw such a clear and clean stream, her first reaction was not to sigh at the infinite beauty of nature, but to cheer, and then run over impatiently, sit on a stone by the river, take off her boots and socks, soak her feet in the water, feel the water plants at the bottom of the river gently scratching her soles, with a comfortable expression on her face, not caring at all that she had polluted the environment where the small fish and shrimps live.

"Hey, Metien, why don't you give it a try too!"

She stretched out her hand and said, "The water is both cool and warm. It feels so comfortable."

So is it cool or warm?

At Alice's instigation, Metien couldn't help but run over, imitating her and soaking her feet in the river, rolling up her trouser legs to reveal her fair and smooth calves, which was not what a lady would do. But this was a primitive mountain far away from human civilization, and gentlemen and ladies who were only polite in the steam city would not come all the way to criticize her.

The little elves, who were traveling for the first time, also flew around the river curiously, their butterfly wings occasionally touching the water surface, creating ripples, just like the little fish in the river floating to the surface to breathe and feel the approaching thunderstorm. Saint Xia Liya seemed much more mature, and did not act as childish as them. She just stood on a big rock by the river and watched quietly. However, the little sheep she was leading was already eager to try and jump into the river to play.

These guys look like they are just here for tourism. Have they forgotten their business?

Lingge shook his head helplessly, chose a relatively clean stone on the river bank to sit down, took off his backpack, and took out the food that the proprietress Shesta had prepared for them before leaving the hotel, as well as the "most proud work of life" that the bartender Shelia had prepared overnight in a kettle. He planned to have lunch here and then continue on his way.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)