NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: The Illusionary Oasis
“Is this the place?” Yverantheia wondered aloud.
Utilizing body enhancement and water-based magic for propulsion, Yverantheia swiftly covered the remaining two-thirds of her journey, arriving at the nearest landmass outside the mountainous region. To her surprise, this land was an arid desert—a stark contrast to the oceanic maps provided by the Merman tribe.
"Pu... pu..."
"Hungry?" Yverantheia bit her finger, letting her blood flow to feed the small tentacle creature she carried.
Since absorbing the translucent crystal dropped by the "Big-Eyed Tentacle," the little tentacle had become drowsy, its sleep duration increasing significantly, and its appetite diminishing. Nestled in Yverantheia's satchel, which doubled as a spatial storage bag, it looked like a pouch specifically designed for carrying small creatures.
"How am I supposed to find food here?" Yverantheia pondered as she surveyed the endless expanse of yellow sand, dotted with only a few cacti.
Water wasn't a concern—her water-based magic could produce that. Food, however, was crucial. For high-level warriors like her, while magic could replace food to some extent, a massive expenditure of magic required rapid replenishment through eating.
"Considering the large fish I caught on the way, I should be able to last a few weeks," she estimated.
The Merman tribe had provided some rations, and she had inadvertently slain several large fish during her journey, adding to her supplies. But this was assuming no further battles occurred.
"Alright, let's venture deeper. If food reserves halves, I'll return to the coast," she decided, stepping into the desert.
After walking for some time, all Yverantheia saw was sand, more sand, and an occasional cactus.
"This is strange. Deserts, though harsh, still harbor life. I should have encountered something by now," she thought.
The cacti she had seen near the shore had disappeared, and the landscape now seemed utterly lifeless.
"Food supplies are still sufficient. I'll press on a bit more."
Eventually, Yverantheia came across a different sight—a lush oasis. In stark contrast to the monotonous yellow sand, this oasis was a paradise with clean water, verdant vegetation, and even some animals.
What made this oasis even more peculiar was the harmony among its inhabitants; no signs of predation or competition.
Plucking a fruit from a tree, Yverantheia gently squeezed it, releasing fragrant juice that tempted her to take a bite. Yet, her cautious nature as a former saintess held her back. She recalled an incident where she had suffered from eating wild fruits during a monster hunt.
Channeling her magic, she cast a spell to detect toxins.
[ Toxic elements detected: Fungi, Bacteria, Decay... ]
"Decay?"
In an instant, the illusion shattered. The fruit in her hand rotted, releasing a foul stench. The lush vegetation turned into a wasteland of withered plants, and the harmonious animals were now scattered skeletons.
Realizing she had fallen prey to an illusion, Yverantheia bolted from the area.
‘What just happened?’ she wondered as she caught her breath, piecing together the situation.
‘I experienced an illusion, but my physical condition is fine…’
Yverantheia's current state of health ruled out physiological causes for hallucinations. Given her formidable mental fortitude, even surpassing average sixth or seventh-level life forms, the illusion had to be externally induced.
‘If something managed to cast an illusion on me, it must be incredibly powerful.’
Even specialized magical creatures like the "Plant Cthulhu" and "Big-Eyed Tentacle," known for their mental attacks, failed to affect her. This implied an immensely strong adversary was nearby.
‘I need to leave, now…’
As she resolved to escape, a monstrous insect erupted from the sand. It had two pairs of transparent wings, a leaf-green head with black compound eyes, and two antennae. Its segmented body was striped green and orange, ending in a sharp stinger.
The creature resembled a giant bee, towering over Yverantheia.
The giant bee immediately attacked, but Yverantheia effortlessly dodged.
"You’re not the source," she muttered, lunging forward and splitting the bee in half with a single punch, its blood spraying everywhere.
“Red blood?”
Unlike typical insects, which had non-red blood, this bee’s blood was eerily similar to human blood.
“This is getting stranger. I need to…”
Before she could finish, more bees emerged from the sand, in greater numbers than before.
“Did I stumble into a hive? Is your leader the one behind this?”
The bees, devoid of any response, swarmed to attack. They were mindless hunters, focused solely on eliminating threats.
Yverantheia braced herself as the bees surrounded her, attacking from all directions—stingers, collisions, and clawed limbs striking at her.
“Begone!”
With a shout, she unleashed an invisible shockwave, scattering the bees. She then leapt toward one, killing it instantly.
Before the remaining bees could regroup, Yverantheia darted among them, swiftly reducing their numbers until only one remained.
“...Screech!!”
The last bee’s cry summoned another swarm from below, even larger than before.
“This is going to be a long fight…”
Without hesitation, Yverantheia charged into the swarm, ready for battle!
