“HA. No” Greg told Martin straight up.

“I can pay.” Martin tells him

“Then 5 gold up front and 5 gold when we get back.” Greg names his price

“I umm…” Martin started to try and speak but.

“It is a death sentence, the odds are neither of us are going to even get there alive and back. So I need money for my wife and child. Don’t try and undersell me and my life.” Greg stares at Martin

‘The mana density is so high there must be a rare resource there, and there might me some legendary herbs that can help me break through the next level.’ Martin tried to justify the spending.

“Agreed” Martin pulled out his coin purse, his eyes bulged realizing that he only had 12 large gold coins, and not enough silver to make 5 small silver gold coins.

Gritting his teeth he pulled out the 5 large gold coins. He hesitantly put them into Greg’s hand.

“5 large gold coins! I only wanted 5 small gold coins.” Greg said looking at the gold coins with some greed and fear in his eyes.

“Take it if we die, then there is no use for the gold.” Martin said but his mind raced with the thoughts of “I took them out I am not going to humble myself and take them back.’

“Alright then there is no need for the payment when we get back.” Greg compromised.

With deal made, they stared at the woods that could possible be their tomb for a moment and left to enjoy themselves and plan.

The next two days Martin ate and enjoyed food that he knew he wouldn’t be having for a long time or ever again. Greg set up gathering supplies and other things that they need for the trip. After those two days they met up near the edge of town. Greg was carrying a large pack and wearing green and brown leather clothes. Martin was just wearing his simple clothes.

“Here is your pack. It holds part our rations and tools.” Greg told him and help Martin get the pack on his back

“That is heavy.”

“We are going to the deep woods. There are many dangerous animals. Some of the wildlife have magic abilities. I saw at wolf the color of brown, large wolf almost as tall as me. It sank into the ground and when a rabbit pass it shot out of the ground with dirt and stone coming with it. Normal wolves aren't supposed to do that. It is the reason so many of us hunters are leaving.”

“What is the lord of the land doing?”

“What is he willing to do? His land ends at the top of the hill and the monstrous beast don't leave the forest.”

“Really…” Martin went into a deep thought about what he could do.

They reached the logging trails and just as Martin was about to go in, Greg stopped him,”This is the last place to safely camp without a chance of getting attacked in the night.”

Martin was about to protest but a loud howl rang out of the woods and not far from from the bottom of the hill on the forested side.

“Good idea” Martin said before helping set up camp.

Camp was set up and only once throughout the night death screech sounded out waking and startling Martin for some time. The next morning they left the hill and went into the cursed forest.

The forest was overgrown, but had plentiful trails that animals used. Following those Greg led Martin deeper into the forest. Camp was simple, but no fire was lit.

When protesting about why, Greg told him “It is dangerous and in the deep woods we won't be able to so it is important to get used to the cold nights.”

Martin replied with “I was in the forest and I was fine.”

Greg responded with a low chuckle “You were probably on the edge. In the outer layer of the forest is where I saw that magic wolf. If you were in the other layer with a fire I would have never known you.”

Martin stopped realizing that his woodsman skills were non existent compared to his guide’s. So he dropped the subject.

Another two days past before Greg announced that they were now in the outer layer of the forest. It would be be a harder journey now. Martin did a mana density test, but only showed bright red. The orb of bright red was larger, if the previous was the size of a thumb, the orb was now the size of the big toe. Of course Martin did this in secret when setting up the alarm spells, worried about the animals he kept hearing at night.

Over three months of trekking through the woods, with vast overgrowth near death encounters with wolf packs, large bears and stalking cats. Martin and Greg were closer, not perfect friends as they came from different worlds and had different interest. Greg would hunt once every 6 days and start a smokeless fire to cook the meat and store for the trek. This added to their time but kept them strong.

One day Greg laughed, Martin a little worried for his guides sanity asked “You alright?”

“I am good. We just crossed into the inner part of the forest. No hunter has gone here and lived probably in the last 80 years.” Greg explained.

Martin nodded with understanding, the trek had earned him the tracking skill and the forestry skills, no idea what level they were at but he knew he had them. The stories he could tell when he got back. The was once a wolf pack as fast as light fighting a bear 8 meters tall and covered with stone. The fight lasted hours before the wolves left slightly bloody and the bear near the same. Delaying the pair a day.

The pair took a different approach to camping after that and slept in the trees. In case that if those fast wolves found them they would be safe enough to react. The new sleeping method took longer to prepare each night as they set up rope lines to lay on.

Martin was no longer portly he looked muscular, instead of a mage he looked to be a soldier. Not that he ever shared the secret that he was a mage with Greg. Greg looked tired but excited. He knew he was doing something he had dreamed about as a child but was so deadly he would never try it without being old and waiting for death. His wife and child were taken care of leaving him to do this without worry.

When Martin slept the first night in the inner layer of the forest he casted the mana density spell. From the big toe it had changed to a child's fist. About to sleep for the night he noticed a purplish glow on the ground, about to wake Greg who was already sleeping, Martin noticed that it was a Purple Murdock. This herb was worth easily 50 small gold and to the right buyer upwards to 75. Then thinking back on it, he had seen lots of herbs in the outer layer worth large silver to small gold in prices.

‘This is only the beginning of the inner forest excitement flashed before his eyes, before he began to meditate and practice his mana gathering skill, not wasting time.

The trekking was tougher from the inner layer, they were maybe trekking 1500 meters a day, even with all their practice and experience up until now. Rare herbs were almost like weeds and Martin would only collect the rarest in reach or those that could be directly eaten. Of course he shared the body and sense strengthening herbs with Greg.

It was 4 months of trekking when the pair reached the center of the forest. Trees were think, some were over 30 to 40 meters in diameter. The trekking had gotten easier from the help of the herbs.

One night of camping in the center of the forest and the pair believed that they could get to the very middle of the forest.

The next day they travelled quickly from first light in the dark woods to the center. It was around midday when they reached it. The center. In the center was a giant tree over 50 meters in diameter with giant branches seemingly holding up the sky.

Greg was shocked at the sight. So was Martin but he could not find the reason for the growth of this forest.

‘If not above, or on the surface, there must be something underground’ he reasoned and began to get out a shovel to dig.

A loud pounding sound occurred, Greg turned to see a giant bear of violet and black fur standing up watching the pair. Martin kept digging knowing that Greg would warn him if danger was near. A foot down he struck something hard. Removing the dirt, it was mana crystal and it was a deep blue color, the highest quality.

Greg watched the bear, then the bear looked up and went down and left. Greg felt there was a problem and notched an arrow pointing upwards. There was a large spider with 3 meters of body and longer legs. On the bottom of the spider was the face of a woman. The face was looking at Martin

“Martin get over here!” Greg screamed launching an arrow at the spider slowly descending towards them.

The arrow shit into the leg joint. Martin snapped out of his greed and plans. Rolling towards Greg Martin saw the monster. Quickly he casted a fireball. The fireball smacked the spider causing it to wobble backwards.

The face screeched as the spider lifted up. Greg shot out another arrow and Martin launched wind blade and a fireball. The spider dodge the fireball, but couldn't dodge the arrow and the wind blade. A leg was removed. The screeching grew louder and the spider retreated.

Quickly the pair ran away. It was only towards the middle of the night that the group were willing to talk.

“Holy shit of Rusha” Greg said naming the god of the wilds.

“A man faced spider. Good thing it thought we were not worth the effort after we took a leg” Martin agreed.

“Your a wizard. You could have shared that with me.” Greg said smiling happy to be alive.

“I am just a high rank apprentice. Lets get some sleep we have a half years journey back to the village.” Martin said proud of what he did to the monster

“Your right.” Greg agreed

The pair went to sleep. What the pair didn’t know that this wasn't a man face spider but a two faced spider. The former was a B ranked monster while the later was an A rank beast known for torturing its enemies by killing their families for years.

As the pair managed to return to the village in only 5 months, they had no idea they were being followed. The whole time they would gather herbs to eat to increase their strength.

The day they returned the whole village was abuzz as the assumed dead pair returned alive and looking stronger than ever. There was a merchant caravan going to the capital leaving at noon so the pair was forced to split up.

The spider watched the two prey go to their nest. There was a group splitting of the nest, but the spider thought that the two would rest before leaving the nest if they would at all. It waited to night until it climbed to the walls and began to spread webbing around the town. It remembered when it did this to a wolf pack that stole some prey. They all suffered and it was greatly fattened.

The next morning the residents began to awaken, the first to awaken was the village sweeper cleaning the streets. Not looking up he swept the streets like always, when something grabbed him.

“Awwwwwwwww!” the sweeper only had a short chance to scream before being injected with venom.

Many of the village looked for the sound noticing the webbing around the village. They began to scream too, because they knew it must be a monster from the cursed forest. Some tried to run but were hunted down. A hunter screamed that everyone needs to stay inside and that all those you are fast to run to the earl’s outpost.

Greg woke up late today after a long night with his wife. He awoke to a screaming and fearful wife. She knew about the man faced spider. Greg calmed her down.

“Go into the basement, there is plenty of food, just bring water. I am going to run to the outpost. I am fast and have grown a lot stronger. I will make it back safely. Please believe me.” Greg told her before getting dressed, grabbing his bow and arrows.

Greg ran out the house. Webbing was everywhere, a simple touch would the send the man faced spider sprinting towards the new food. It took an hour to get past the webs, 18 more screams came out in that hour. Greg felt guilty for everyone of them and the more that would follow. Greg ran down the road it would be a day's run to get to the outpost, he had no idea how many more that would die. Greg ran as fast as he could.

The men of the outpost were getting ready for rest after patrolling and checking the caravan that came an hour before. One soldier was on the last 15 minutes of his shift when a man was seen in the distance running like his life depending on it.

“Halt, what's your story?” the soldier cried out.

“A monster attacking my village.” Greg screamed out.

“What!” the soldier called

“Giant monster spider is killing my fucking friends please help us!” Greg screamed out still running towards the outpost guard.

The soldier raised the alarm. Soldiers started to get their gear on, and those that had it on began to look outside.

“What in the hell is going on?” a the captain of the outpost cried out to the guards on duty.

“Monster attack at one of the villages!” loud enough for everyone in the outpost to hear.

“Which village?” the captain responded sober from the words

“Unknown, but a survivor is right there.” the soldier on duty pointed out Greg almost at the guard.

The captain went up and caught Greg who looked to be falling over just running.

“What village are you from?” the captain asked

“Lusaw” Greg said passing out from overexertion.

The soldiers sent out a messenger to the fortress in the area for reinforcements while 130 of the 150 soldiers were sent to go to the village. When they arrive the village was covered in webs. Of the 300 inhabitants 75 had been eaten, with 10 more in the webs waiting their turns to die.

The soldiers attacked the webbing and the spider pulled in soldiers who got stuck in the webbing. There were some that suggested fire but the village’s buildings were made of wood. They kept hacking until they opened up a path into the middle of town. The man eating spider then left the town.

The soldiers settled and set up patrols and tasks to cut up the rest of the web. The man eating spider watched and waited for the right moment returned to the village and attack the soldiers. By the time reinforcements got to the village only 40 soldiers remained. But with 500 soldiers as reinforcement they surround the village and managed to break the webbing trapping the spider forcing into combat. The battle was tough, with the man face spider spew venom and toxic webbing.

The body of the man face spider was examined by adventurers part of the reinforcements. It was learned that this was a two man faced, an A rank monster. The body, webbing, venom and anything else of value from the spider was sent to the earl’s manor to be sold off.

The event shed light to the dangerous forest, 400 miles from the capital. The earl had the village removed and a fortress set up in case of other monster attacks in the future.

Greg was able to go home, a day after the spider was killed. Due to an illness his wife, Greg took his life to the capital to get a high level healer. She died in childbirth 4 years later, succeeded by her husband Greg, first son Isaac and second son Jonathan.