The place where Asher landed was a rather large square.
Beneath his feet was a patterned ground formed by combinations of blue and red bricks.
At the very center stood two statues, back to back. One male and one female, whose features were too indistinct to make out clearly.
Even though countless pairs of eyes were staring at him,
Asher's gaze still instinctively swept past the tops of the statues, which were about the same height as real people.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
Or maybe it was because of what World Tree had just said, Asher kept feeling like there should've been a flower crown on top of the female statue's head.
But there wasn't.
The flowing hair atop her head was bare.
Completely empty.
"Y-You... how did you get in here?", Just as Asher was lost in thought, a trembling voice came from beside him.
Finally realizing what kind of situation he was in, Asher: "..."
'Oh!'
Asher stiffly raised his head and once again met the fierce, wolf-like stares.
Asher: "..."
Looking around in a glance, based on their clothing and temperament, Asher could pretty much distinguish between the locals of Evergreen City and the tourists.
The tourists' gazes toward him were filled with excitement and urgency.
As if they wanted to know how he got in, and whether they could leave through the same method.
The locals, however... their looks were hard to describe..more like they'd seen something unbelievable.
"Mm...", Asher pondered for a moment, "I'm with the NY City Beastmaster Alliance. I noticed something unusual happening in Evergreen City and came specially to check it out."
As he spoke, Asher even nodded seriously.
Though Asher wore a mask and a baseball cap, and his voice sounded rather young. He still spoke calmly and confidently.
None of the tourists doubted him.
At most, two or three people felt that Asher, with his mask on, looked somewhat familiar.
"That's great, comrade!", A middle-aged woman immediately waved her hands excitedly from the crowd and loudly asked in Asher's direction,
"Did the Alliance say when they're going to get us out of here?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
After the woman spoke up, the surrounding tourists echoed her.
When can we leave?
That was their biggest concern.
"Everyone, don't worry. Just wait a little longer," Asher had already prepared for this.
"When I came in, I communicated with the Alliance. If I go missing for more than 24 hours, they'll immediately send in a large team."
"I'm the advance scout."
The tourists had more questions, chattering noisily—
But overall, everyone seemed relieved.
Good, good, good.
As long as people outside knew their current situation. That they were trapped here, and not staying willingly, then that was enough.
While comforting the tourists, Asher's gaze landed on the locals.
Unlike the tourists who looked relieved to be rescued, the locals' expressions were still very grave.
Suspicious glances swept across Asher from time to time.
Asher smiled.
As if he really had no hidden motives, no idea of the truth, and was simply sent in as a vanguard.
"By the way, do you know Professor Iris?", Asher casually asked a young man nearby.
"Her university had made some requests to our Alliance."
With so many people around, Asher carefully avoided revealing his personal connection with Iris.
However, once he mentioned Iris's name, the young man's expression gradually became hesitant.
The Evergreen City locals closest to Asher also seemed to hear something and suddenly turned to look at him.
Asher's heart thumped.
A vague sense of foreboding arose.
No way?
What did those looks mean?
Before Asher could ponder it further—
Someone stepped up to answer.
"You know that professor or whatever?", A rugged-looking middle-aged man with a thick beard, he just lacked a hunting rifle to perfectly cosplay a hunter, walked up to Asher.
His deep voice and towering frame instantly silenced the area around Asher.
Asher realized the situation might be worse than he thought.
He smiled slightly.
"Well, that depends on how you define 'know'," Asher calmly shrugged, staring fearlessly into the bearded man's eyes.
"NY City and Bluewind University aren't far apart. Members of our Alliance have all heard of Professor Zhou."
"Once Bluewind University heard we were coming to Evergreen City, they specifically asked us to get in touch and make sure Professor Zhou was safe."
"That's all."
As he spoke, Asher spread his hands, looking very honest.
The bearded man stared at Asher for a full minute with sharp eyes before slowly looking away.
"If you don't know her, then stop asking questions."
Asher's brow twitched.
The bad feeling came true.
Just because he didn't want to offend them didn't mean he was afraid of doing so.
"Why can't I ask?", Asher continued, under the horrified gaze of the young man beside him.
"Professor Iris is a well-known pet-beast researcher at Bluewind University, and a respected academic in both Radiant and NY City. We have both the responsibility and obligation to ensure her safety."
"She was invited to Evergreen City by you people to serve as a judge."
"And now she's missing. Shouldn't you give a reasonable explanation?"
Asher was playing the card of being forthright and fearless.
Hearing this, the bearded man's expression grew increasingly angry and impatient.
The young man next to them, though, was grateful that Asher, as an Alliance member, had come to check on their condition and serve as a bridge between sides.
He tugged on Asher's sleeve and whispered, "Stop asking. You'll gain nothing from making them angry right now."
Asher said nothing.
The bearded man glanced at Asher and the young man, snorted heavily, and left without looking back.
Asher stared at his back until he disappeared.
Then Asher looked around.
No locals in sight.
"What exactly happened?", Asher asked in a low voice.
The young man hurriedly scanned the area and pulled Asher into a group consisting only of tourists.
As the others happily chatted away, the young man quietly said to Asher:
"You're talking about Professor Iris, that beautiful young professor, right?"
The young man wore an expression showing he had a deep impression of Iris.
No wonder.
Among all the older and middle-aged professors, Iris's appearance and temperament really stood out.
Asher nodded.
"Then what happened later?", Asher's voice also lowered.
The young man quickly looked around again, then whispered in Asher's ear.
"They locked up all those professors."
Asher's expression didn't change much.
How should he put it... It was kind of within expectations.
"Do you know why?"
The young man's face suddenly looked a bit confused. "Ah... ah... I'm not really sure either?"
"Anyway...", He scratched his head awkwardly, "They just said something was missing, and then all the professors were taken away."
Asher: "..."
'Got it.'
'The locals' secret.'
But again, Asher immediately thought of the flower crown.
'Why are the professors locked up?'
'Because the flower crown disappeared.'
'Do the locals understand how important the flower crown is?'
'They do.'
'And they won't believe one of their own is responsible.'
'Perhaps, due to some connection, they concluded that the disappearance is related to the visiting professors.'
'Then everything makes sense.'
At this thought, Asher sighed deeply.
How to put it... it was giving him a headache.
Asher: "Why are you all gathered in this square?"
"Well, everyone suddenly couldn't leave. The roads out of Evergreen City just vanished."
"Then... someone suggested we all stay together, it'd be safer."
The young man spread his hands, "This is the largest square in Evergreen City, the one that can hold the most people."
'So is there anything strange about it?'
Well, the young man thought it seemed pretty normal.
"Did you notice anything different about this square compared to before?"
"Huh?", The young man clearly hadn't expected that question.
But trusting Asher's identity, he still answered honestly.
"Um... I don't think so?"
He looked slightly puzzled.
'Different?'
'What's different?'
'I doesn't feel anything.'
Before Asher could ask more, a middle-aged woman suddenly poked her head between them.
"Hey?"
"Hey hey! Comrade, are you asking if this place has changed? I know," The woman didn't lower her voice.
Fortunately, the surroundings were noisy enough that it didn't draw attention.
"My husband and I took photos here as soon as we arrived," As she spoke, the woman pulled out her phone and quickly opened a few photos.
Then shoved the phone right in Asher's face.
If Asher hadn't stepped back fast, he might've gotten smacked in the face.
Asher: "..."
Ahem.
Not important.
Look at the pictures.
Quickly.
Perfect.
The photos the woman and her husband took were aimed directly at the two statues in the square.
The original appearance of the statues was captured clearly.
On the male and female statues' heads were flower crowns.
The male statue wore a crown made of vines and leaves.
The female statue wore a multicolored flower crown.
Though the crown had many colors, it didn't look chaotic or out of place, in fact, it carried a natural beauty.
With World Tree's earlier words—
Asher could now say with certainty:
'This is the flower crown World Tree mentioned.'
"You...", Asher held the woman's phone, staring at the photo, about to speak.
When a dark shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Asher wasn't so carefree.
He looked up.
And saw a massive figure overshadowing him.
It was a giant mushroom.
The shadow covering Asher came from its cap.
Asher: "..."
The young man and the middle-aged woman beside him, both took a step back at the exact same time.
They glanced at each other.
Then the woman, quick as lightning, snatched her phone back from Asher's hands.
And gave him a look that said "Good luck, you're on your own."
'It's not that we won't help you.'
'We're just powerless!'
Asher, who had just stowed away his pet beasts before entering: "..."
'What's this?'
'Trying to intimidate me with brute force?'
Still the same thing.
Just because Asher doesn't start trouble doesn't mean he's afraid of trouble.
Next second, four pet beasts appeared simultaneously beside Asher.
Flying, floating, running, twining.
They moved like clockwork, each performing its role.
Without interfering with each other at all.
But now, their only task was unified, defend against any threat.
The targeted Umbrella Mushroom Beast: "..."
Terrified.
Just a moment ago, it had the upper hand.
Before it could even flaunt its dominance.
The next moment, faced with these four pet beasts, the Umbrella Mushroom Beast immediately chickened out.
Yes.
It could sense an extreme danger from these four pet beasts.
If it had a bond with a beastmaster, out of trust and the contract link, as long as the opponent didn't attack first, it wouldn't run.
But the link between it and the one controlling it wasn't a contract.
Sensing the threat from the four pet beasts, the Umbrella Mushroom Beast did something that stunned everyone.
It ran!
Turned around and fled.
Charged straight toward the invisible boundary of the town.
Escape… it knew it probably couldn't.
Didn't matter.
As long as it got away from these four devils.
The one controlling the Umbrella Mushroom Beast: "..."
'Isn't it just a big mushroom?'
Even in Evergreen City, where ordinary people could control pet beasts, that didn't mean it came without cost, or that they could easily control a beast.
Choosing the strongest beast they could manage, their compatibility, the mutual understanding developed over time...
All of this was part of a complex process.
Every beast they could control was a precious asset.
But now it just ran?
In an instant, the beast controller looked at Asher with eyes that seemed positively venomous.
He gave his companions a look—
'Let's go together.'
'Teach this guy a lesson!'
Companions: "..."
'Can we opt out?'
"What he said kind of makes sense. He's just here on a commission to find someone, asking around is totally reasonable, right?"
"He probably isn't with those other people. I think, Azha, you're overthinking it!"
As soon as those words were spoken, the others all nodded in agreement.
'Yeah, yeah, that's what it is.'
Azha, the one who lost the Umbrella Mushroom Beast: "..."
Azha took a few deep breaths, barely convincing himself to accept their words.
Then...
He turned his head and saw Asher staring directly at him.
Asher: (•‿•)
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