56: Collective Invisibility

Deep in the silver-clad forest, the moonlight was sparse, barely penetrating the dense canopy, dappling the ground covered with pristine white snow.

A biting cold wind whistled through the bare branches, making a mournful sound, as if nature itself was lamenting the harshness of winter.

“We need to be careful,” Fiona, the Forest Nymph, whispered, her voice delicate and clear, standing out in the silent night.

Her emerald eyes shimmered with wisdom in the darkness as she vigilantly scanned her surroundings.

Fiona was dressed in garments woven from leaves and vines, blending seamlessly with her environment, as if she herself were a part of the forest.

“Look over there,” she pointed to a shadow not far away.

With my darkvision, I vaguely saw several lean, mottled-furred lynx silently approaching.

Their eyes revealed hunger and unease, and their gaunt bodies trembled slightly in the cold wind; clearly, this winter was exceptionally difficult for them too.

“Because of winter,” Fiona explained, lowering her voice a few degrees, afraid of disturbing the ravenous predators, “many animals cannot survive this long winter. These lynx have lost their ample food sources and are now in an extremely hungry state, so their tempers are naturally not very good.” Her tone carried a hint of pity, as if she empathized with the predators’ plight.

“We need to find a way to scare them off,” she continued, “Direct confrontation is not wise, especially when they are so hungry. If we can make some noise, it might scare them away, making them think a greater threat is approaching.”

“Leave it to me. Cover your ears,” I said, stepping back a few paces.

When I was more than a meter away from all my companions, I began to chant the incantation for the zero-level cantrip, Thunderclap.

After the brief incantation, a massive clap of Thunderclap immediately resounded around me, covering an area of several dozen meters and shaking the accumulated snow from the surrounding trees.

The enormous clap of Thunderclap, so close, instantly froze the lynx in front of us.

These hungry predators’ fur bristled, their ears perked up, and panic and vigilance flashed in their eyes.

Then, they began to slowly retreat, clearly intimidated by the sudden noise and unwilling to risk approaching a potential threat.

Their steps became frantic, and a few lynx even bumped into each other while retreating, letting out a low whimper.

Seeing this, Fiona and I exchanged a smile, which, though tinged with an imperceptible hint of nervousness, was mostly relief at having avoided an unnecessary battle.

After all, our time was tight, and every minute and second was exceptionally precious.

Fiona gathered everyone together, including the Dragon King and the Phase Spider.

“I will cast Mass Invisibility on everyone,” she said, looking at Randall and Lilian, “For the rest of our journey, please try to be as light-footed as possible. We will avoid interacting with other animals in the forest to prevent unnecessary trouble and reach the Phase Spider’s lair as quickly as possible.” Her tone was firm yet gentle.

Everyone indicated their understanding and willingness to cooperate.

In a moonlit clearing in the forest, we stood in a circle around Fiona, the Forest Nymph.

Fiona's eyes, like two brilliant emeralds, shimmered with wisdom and mystery as she focused intently ahead, preparing to cast a powerful spell—Mass Invisibility.

“Everyone, come closer,” Fiona said softly.

Upon hearing this, we all gathered, forming a small circle.

Mass Invisibility was a high-level spell found quite far back in Wizard Wedell's spellbook, and witnessing the casting of such advanced magic for the first time, my eyes held both anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

Fiona took a deep breath, slowly raising her hands, palms upward, as if drawing power from the surrounding nature.

Her fingers began to dance in a complex and elegant manner, accompanied by a low and lingering incantation, and a faint magical 波動 seemed to permeate the air.

“In the name of the forest, by the spirits of nature, may your forms be hidden in the unseen, like whispers in the night wind, undetected by mortal eyes.” Fiona’s voice grew clearer in the incantation until it reached a crucial syllable, then abruptly paused, like the climax of a musical piece, coming to a sudden halt.

As Fiona’s words fell, rings of pale green magical light spread from her palms, swiftly enveloping everyone around her.

When the halos touched our bodies, they seemed to be absorbed, and then, everyone’s figures began to blur, eventually disappearing completely.

Only a trail of footprints remained in the snow, proving our existence.

The Phase Spider's eight slender leg tips left only eight tiny pinpricks in the snow.

And the Dragon King, flying in the air, left no trace at all.

If it weren't for its energy being from the same source as the system, I wouldn't have been able to sense its location at all.

Fiona herself also merged into this invisible wave; her figure similarly vanished.

In this snow-covered forest night, shrouded by the Mass Invisibility spell, we seemed to become part of the wind, silently moving among the trees, avoiding nocturnal beasts and potential dangers.

More than twenty minutes later, heavy snow began to fall again, and the Phase Spider led us to the base of a hill.

Snowflakes fluttered down, and the silvery moonlight, piercing through sparse clouds, illuminated the hillside.

About a dozen meters above the ground on the steep slope, a dark cave entrance was half-hidden by vines, dead branches, and ice and snow. I observed carefully and could vaguely see traces of giant spiders entering and exiting.

The Phase Spider had already climbed up nimbly and was waiting for us at the entrance.

Facing such terrain, Fiona and I had no problems whatsoever.

But for Randall and Lilian, it was extremely difficult.

After a brief discussion, Fiona went up first.

Then, from the cave entrance, she threw two magical vines down the slope.

Randall and Lilian each grabbed one and began to climb up.

I followed behind them, providing protection.

A few minutes later, the three of us cautiously stepped into the cave entrance; the rocks beneath our feet were slippery and cold.

The inside of the cave was pitch black, and I could only discern the outlines of objects ahead using my darkvision.

A faint 腥 smell permeated the air, and occasionally, I could hear the sound of water dripping onto rocks.

Fiona pulled Randall and me aside; she was going to cast a spell on us again.