The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

After bidding farewell to the mysterious ruins, Luo Chen and I resolutely embarked on the long road to the Valley of Fire. The sun overhead was like a blazing fireball, mercilessly baking the earth. The scorching heat seemed to be the advance troops sent by the Valley of Fire, forewarning us of the unbearable heat ahead.

We slowly made our way along the winding path. The grass by the roadside, ravaged by the intense heat, had long since lost its former vitality, turning a withered yellow. Occasionally, a few small insects fluttered by, seemingly searching for a cool spot to escape the unbearable heat.

"We have to speed up. Every moment of delay brings the dark forces closer to the other fragments," I said anxiously, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve. The artifact fragments were like a star of hope hanging above the world, while the dark forces were like demons lurking in the shadows, ready to extinguish this hope at any moment.

Luo Chen nodded heavily, his determined eyes like the cold stars twinkling in the night sky, "But we can't rush on our way blindly, we also have to pay attention to whether there are things around us that can replenish our magic power. After all, when facing the many dangers in the Valley of Fire, magic power is our important reliance." As he spoke, he vigilantly scanned back and forth between the trees and rocks on the side of the road, not missing any corner where there might be a source of magic power.

After walking for a while, we arrived at a small town. The town was filled with a lazy atmosphere. The people seemed to have been drained of their energy by the scorching heat. They were listless. They either hid under the shade of eaves or sat at doorways, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, their eyes filled with helplessness at the scorching heat.

"Let's rest here for a while and ask if there are any items that can resist the high temperature or replenish magic power." Luo Chen suggested. His hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his cheeks, but his eyes still showed calmness and wisdom.

We walked into a tavern. The air was thick with the faint scent of alcohol and sweat. Seeing us, weapons slung across our backs and dusty adventurer's clothing, the people inside cast curious glances at us. Those glances, like invisible threads, entwined us.

"Two adventurers, where are you from and where are you going?" an old bartender asked in a hoarse voice while slowly polishing his wine glasses. The wine glasses were polished to a shine in his rough hands, as if reflecting our slightly tired faces.

"We come from far away, bound for the Valley of Fire," I replied. My voice was calm, but inside I was filled with a hint of worry about the danger we were about to face.

"Valley of Fire? That's a dangerous place. What are you doing there?" The old bartender widened his eyes in surprise and stopped what he was doing. There were still water stains on the wine glass that he had not wiped off.

"We have important things to do. Do you know if there is anything here that can resist the high temperature of the Fire Valley or replenish magic power?" Luo Chen asked. His eyes were fixed on the old bartender, his eyes full of anticipation.

"To protect against the heat, there's an old witch east of town who sells fireproof cloaks, but they're not cheap. To replenish your magic power, there are magic mushrooms in the magic forest outside town, but there are also many dangerous magical creatures in the forest," said the old bartender. There was a hint of mystery in his eyes, as if those dangerous magical creatures were dancing before his eyes.

"Thank you for your news." I said, then looked at Luo Chen and saw determination in each other's eyes. We decided to go to the old witch first.

We followed the old bartender's instructions and arrived at the old witch's residence. It was a dilapidated cottage located on the eastern edge of town. A pungent smell filled the air, like a mixture of rotting herbs. The smell made me frown.

"Who's outside?" A hoarse voice came from the room. The voice was like the creaking sound of an old wooden door being slowly pushed open, revealing a sense of mystery and weirdness.

"We are adventurers seeking to purchase fireproof cloaks," I shouted, my voice echoing in the silence, as if disturbing something hidden nearby.

The old witch opened the door, and her wrinkled face appeared before us. Her eyes gleamed cunningly, like an old fox stalking its prey. "You want the fireproof cloak? That's a precious item. What do you have to offer in exchange?"

"We have some magic items and gold coins," Luo Chen said. As he spoke, he took out the magic items we had collected along the way from his bag. Those items shone faintly in the sunlight.

The old witch looked at our belongings and shook her head in disdain. "These are not enough, unless you do me a favor."

"What's the matter?" I asked. I had a bad feeling in my heart that the old witch's request would definitely not be simple.

"There's a huge magic tree in the enchanted forest outside of town. Beneath its roots lies a magic crystal. I've always wanted it. If you can get it for me, I'll give you my cloak," the old witch said. Her withered finger pointed toward the town, as if the magic tree were right under her fingertips.

Luo Chen and I hesitated for a moment. The Demon Tree would definitely be difficult to deal with, as it was a powerful entity in the Magic Forest. However, we really needed the cloak. This cloak would be like a beacon in the darkness of the Fire Valley we were about to enter.

"Okay, we promise you," I said, gritting my teeth. At that moment, I seemed to hear the roar of the magic tree coming from the depths of the magic forest, as if responding to our impending provocation.

We arrived at the Enchanted Forest. As soon as we entered, we felt a powerful magical aura. It was like a surging tide, enveloping us tightly and making it difficult to breathe.

"We have to be careful, the magical creatures here are not easy to deal with." Luo Chen warned. He gripped the sword tightly in his hand, and the gem inlaid on the hilt gleamed coldly under the mysterious light of the forest.

Suddenly, a giant magical spider descended from the tree. Its massive body resembled a black ghost, its eyes gleaming red, and the spider silk it spewed from its mouth was tinged with magical fluctuations. The silk seemed to have life, twisting in the air as it pounced on us.

"Be careful!" I shouted, and quickly raised my weapon to block the spider silk. My weapon collided with the spider silk, making a crisp sound that echoed in the silent forest like a battle horn.

Luo Chen swung his sword at an extremely fast speed, and his sword cut through the spider silk like lightning. Then he rushed towards the spider like an agile cheetah, his posture agile and full of strength.

"Its weak point should be in its abdomen." I dodged the spider's attacks while carefully observing its body structure. The spider's attacks became more and more fierce, and its long legs were like sharp blades, sweeping towards us again and again.

Luo Chen followed my instructions and deftly dodged the spider's attack. Then, seizing the perfect moment, he thrust his sword into its abdomen. The spider let out a sharp scream, struggled briefly, and then fell heavily to the ground. Its massive body smashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

We continued our journey deeper into the forest, encountering numerous magical creatures along the way. There were magical squirrels that could fireballs at us with a flick of their furry tails, and enormous magical boars that charged relentlessly, knocking down trees wherever they went. However, with courage, wisdom, and a close-knit teamwork, we overcame these dangers one by one.

Finally, we found the magic tree. It was enormous, its trunk so thick it required several people to hug it. Its roots coiled around the ground like a giant dragon, each one like a winding python, deeply embedded in the earth.

"The magic crystal should be here." I said, and then began to search carefully under the tree roots. The gap between the roots was narrow and dark. I lay on the ground and groped inside with my hands.

After a while, I found the magic crystal. The crystal emitted a soft blue light, which contained powerful magic, as if it was a small, sealed world.

"Let's go back quickly, give the crystal to the old witch, get the cloak, and go to the Flame Valley." Luo Chen said. His eyes were full of anticipation. The Flame Valley was like a huge magnet, attracting us closer and closer.

We returned to the old witch's house and gave her the crystal. The old witch smiled a greedy and satisfied smile that deepened the wrinkles on her face. She laughed happily and gave us the fireproof cloak.

"This cloak can protect you from the intense heat of the Fire Valley, but be careful. The fiery creatures there are more dangerous than just the heat," the old witch warned. There was a subtle hint of worry in her voice, as if she, too, was still haunted by the dangers of the Fire Valley.

We donned our cloaks, thanked the old witch, and left town, continuing our journey towards the Valley of Fire. Our hearts were filled with awe for the Valley of Fire, but our resolve to gather the fragments of the artifact was also strengthened. That determination, like a flame burning in our hearts, would never be extinguished.