Colin looked in the direction of the voice.
At some unknown point, a dark-skinned young man with a vine-woven headpiece had appeared next to the pier.
"Is this your first time on Rael Island, sir? I am Marz, a merchant and guide on the island."
Marz approached them with a broad smile on his face.
He wore a light green vest decorated with unique pale yellow patterns and didn't look like a wizard.
"Yes," Colin replied, nodding slightly.
Marz smiled again and asked,
"Do you need a guide, sir? It only costs one Magic Stone."
He paused and then added,
"Don't think it's too expensive. It's always like this for guides on Rael Island, only we can move freely through the dense forest."
"Lead the way," Colin nodded, not beating around the bush. He took a Magic Stone from his pouch and handed it to him lightly.
"Very well, sir," Marz's face lit up with a hint of surprise as he skillfully took the Magic Stone and bowed to Colin with his hand over his chest.
Then he turned and took the lead, walking ahead.
Colin and his companions followed closely behind.
Soon, they reached the end of the pier where it connected to the lush jungle.
"Sir, remember to stay close to me once we enter the jungle."
Standing outside the jungle, Marz turned his head and reminded them.
The dense, thriving jungle behind him had thick, twisting vines everywhere... there appeared to be no path entering it.
Marz didn't explain; he just charged straight into the jungle.
The next second, as he moved, the vegetation that had obscured the area behind him simultaneously shifted to the sides, rustling softly.
Soon, a narrow path appeared before them.
Colin slightly raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.
"Not many people live on Rael Island, and there aren't many wizards either..." Marz started to explain as he led the way,
"But we have never suffered from the disturbance of the Fierce Beasts or Demons, all thanks to Rael's protection."
Colin didn't respond; he just curiously observed the surroundings,
"These plants are part of Rael," Marz timely answered.
"However, they are only a part... if they leave this island, they will all become ordinary Magic Plants."
"Hmm," Colin nodded, not asking further.
The Wizard World was vast, far surpassing Earth from his previous life.
There were still many unexplored places, many unsolved mysteries, and phenomena.
Although he was very interested in mysteries like Rael, it was not a time for additional complications.
Colin and his group followed Marz through the jungle.
The vegetation in front parted while the one behind closed immediately after they passed, making them feel as though they were in a rectangular box. Endless green surrounded them, and the directional space overhead was capped at two and a half meters by densely packed plants.
Fortunately, some resilient rays of sunlight managed to penetrate through large and small gaps, allowing them to see their surroundings.
The dense plant cover also provided good sound insulation. In such a confined environment, the surroundings were so quiet that only the rustling of their clothing and faint breathing sounds could be heard.
Tap, tap, tap—
They walked on.
The view was a continuous field of green, making both distance and time seem blurred.
After an unknown period,
a gleam of White Light suddenly appeared in front of Marz, and the plant vines rustled as they divided to either side.
Their view abruptly opened up.
A narrow, winding path unfolded before everyone.
"Welcome to Geyle Village," Marz, with his hand over his chest, turned back and bowed with a smile.
Colin looked up.
On both sides of the road stood ancient trees that could be embraced by several people.
Such trees were not uncommon in this jungle; only here, they clustered more densely.
It was above the trees, though, where his real interest lay.
There, more or less, were some round-domed wooden houses.
The houses were connected by thick vine suspension bridges.
"Marz!"
Suddenly, a shout came from a wooden house on a giant tree not far to the left.
A dark-skinned, handsome man with sharply-defined features stood by the cabin window looking at them, his expression somewhat icy.
"Lord Yul...," Marz trembled, his face looking rather ugly as he responded.
He subconsciously walked towards a large tree beside him.
But after taking one step, as if thinking of something, he turned back to call to Colin and the others.
"Follow me, everyone."
Colin nodded, although he could have used the Flying and Diving Skill to fly up, it wasn't necessary.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—he wasn't one to seek attention.
"Just grab a vine and give it a pull," said Marz.
Then, he casually chose a vine hanging by a large tree, held it, and gently pulled it down.
The brown vine seemed to come to life, actively wrapping around his rough arm and slowly pulling him up to the treehouse.
Colin also chose a vine, held it, and gently pulled it—the coarse, cold vine crawled up his arm like a long snake and secured itself.
Immediately after, a gentle force pulled him up, instantly bringing him up to the treehouse.
"Lord, if you keep going inside from here, you will see the place where supplies are sold... I won't accompany you there."
Marz quickly pointed out the way and then hurried toward the handsome young man.
"Let's go." Colin curbed his curiosity, calling Renee and the others to follow Marz's direction.
He hadn't forgotten that his only purpose was to replenish some supplies for the ship.
Colin and his group gradually moved away, their figures disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
The handsome young man withdrew his gaze, stepped out of the cabin, and asked Marz coldly in front of him:
"Marz! The sacrifice is about to happen, why did you bring a group of outsiders in?"
Marz pursed his lips, squeezing out a smile, "I saw them looking around at the dock, it seemed to be their first time, and I was worried they'd wander into the forest..."
Yul watched him quietly, his intense gaze causing Marz's voice to get quieter and finally fade away.
"I understand, Lord Yul."
Yul was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "I know you want the village to earn more Magic Stones... but with the sacrifice happening in a few days, just a few Magic Stones won't help us and might reveal us..."
After finishing, Yul paused, then raised his hand to Marz's shoulder, looking at him and heaving a slight sigh, "It's an honor for Alice and the others to be chosen, you should be happy for them... Marz."
Marz slowly bowed his head, his face obscured by the shadow.
After a long time, a barely discernible response came.
"Alright, Lord Yul."
...
"Did we get all the supplies?" Colin asked Renee outside a treehouse.
"We got everything, Lord," Renee answered, her face showing some joy as she looked at the fresh vegetables in her hand.
This island was really as the Lord had said, suitable for replenishing fresh vegetables and fruits... at least the fruits and vegetables for sale looked very good.
"Then let's go... it's getting late."
Colin looked up at the Sky, although most of his view was blocked.
But through the gaps between overlapping green leaves, he could still discern that it was getting late.
"Are you all leaving?" asked Marz.
He had caught up to Colin and the others after finishing his conversation with Yul.
"Hmm," Colin nodded, "Thank you for your help."
"No need, it's my duty," Marz responded softly.
The supplies Colin bought weren't as many as he had expected, which disappointed him somewhat.
"By the way, Lord, the exit fee is still one Magic Stone," he hesitated before reminding him again.
In fact... on Rael Island, services like guiding, had always been free in the past.
Except for setting up stalls at the dock, bringing travelers into the village allowed the travelers to spend money in the village.
But that was before.
Now he really wanted to earn as many Magic Stones as possible.
"Hmm."
Colin readily took out a Magic Stone and handed it to Marz.
To him, spending two Magic Stones for entering and exiting was quite worth it.
After all, Marz not only guided them in and out but also accompanied them most of the time.
This spared them much trouble and saved a lot of time.
And time was more important than Magic Stones; he was willing to pay some Magic Stones for it.