Chapter 59

Chapter 59

When the mercenaries finally reached the cemetery, all they saw were bare, sparse weeds, and the Tombkeeper Owls, picnicking alongside them in a scene of bizarre harmony.

The rough-faced mercenaries stood dumbfounded, their expressions a mix of disbelief and shock.

They were utterly stunned.

A swarm of attacking Tombkeeper Owls was no laughing matter; even the most seasoned magic exploration teams wouldn't dare disturb their nests.

Even the most avaricious mercenaries, willing to risk life and limb, would only pluck a few Bone-Rot Flowers at a time, just enough to provoke one or two owls—and even then, they’d need to be fully prepared. Picnicking merrily with so many Tombkeeper Owls was beyond their wildest imagination.

Had they not confirmed the mist was non-toxic, they would have assumed they’d inhaled too much and were hallucinating.

Especially since they were exhausted and starving from trudging through the fog, while this group sat comfortably on a picnic mat, leisurely enjoying their feast.

The mercenaries: "..." Their hearts seized with envy.

Too stunned to recover, they even forgot their rumbling stomachs. The captain was the first to snap out of his shock, observing the Tombkeeper Owls drooling over the monster meat. He mused that these youngsters were incredibly lucky—bringing exactly what the owls craved—and mentally noted that a similar tactic might be worth trying next time.

He turned and thoroughly berated the Junior Mage who had volunteered to guide them, only to lead them astray in the fog for over three hours.

This wasn’t the first time the Junior Mage had made such a blunder.

Mercenaries, by nature, lived a perilous existence, their ranks drawn from all corners of the world. But once someone joined, they became an integral part of the group.

The Junior Mage had once applied to magic academies but was repeatedly rejected, leaving him with a deep-seated inferiority complex. Even as a mercenary, he felt lesser and constantly sought ways to prove himself.

After the captain’s dressing-down, the matter was dropped. He didn’t even inquire about the Bone-Rot Flowers from Kevin—after all, such treasures were first-come, first-served. If they had arrived first, they wouldn't have left any for others either.

Two hours later, the fog finally dispersed, and they returned to the ship. Luo Ci was chatting with Jia Xide when he suddenly felt a bump. The Junior Mage, bumping Jia Xide’s shoulder, stepped onto the deck first, casting a cold glare back at them—clearly holding a grudge.

Kevin’s expression instantly darkened, his hand moving to his sword, but Jia Xide quickly intervened, stammering, "I-It’s fine… I’m okay…" Since they would still be on the same ship, Jia Xide didn’t want to cause a conflict over such a minor incident.

Luo Ci tilted his head. “How strange,” he thought. “This person was scolded by the captain, yet he’s glaring at us.”

He tugged at Little Black Fur Ball’s ears. Fariel closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the petting, his tail swaying comfortably. Luo Ci pinched the tuft of lynx-like fur on the little one’s ear, racking his brain. "There’s an idiom… bully… bully the…?"

The child’s vocabulary was still limited. Kevin couldn’t help but supply: "Bully the weak and fear the strong."

Jia Xide sighed.

What could he do? He was indeed the easy target.

……

Fortunately, the rest of the voyage was smooth. The magic ship steadily crossed the Jotunheim Gulf and docked at the opposite shore. The seasons here were half a year behind the Duchy of Horton, just as late summer was giving way to golden autumn. By night, the streets and taverns glowed brightly, the air thick with the rich aroma of beer.

The captain led them to a bar adorned with a lion-headed deer emblem.

The bar was packed with dockworkers, town residents, and curious travelers. A fire crackled in the hearth as everyone chatted boisterously, creating a lively atmosphere.

The mercenaries were clearly regulars. With just a glance from the captain, the landlady, her checkered apron tied around her waist, cheerfully brought over a dozen mugs of freshly brewed beer.

Luo Ci sniffed his cup. "Smells wonderful!"

Jia Xide rubbed his nose, his cheeks flushed. "Indeed, the aroma alone makes me feel tipsy."

The landlady wiped her hands on her apron, grinning. "Go ask anyone in town—our beer wins 'Best Brew' at the annual festival every year. Especially now, it’s the perfect season for it. You won’t find this quality anywhere else!"

"Too bad the little one can’t drink," the captain laughed, downing an entire mug in one gulp.

The landlady, clearly familiar with the captain, casually asked, "Should I prepare rooms for the mercenaries?"

The captain set down his empty mug. "No need. We still have to travel tonight, across the Dark Forest. The cargo hasn’t reached Kamusokis yet."

She nodded and turned to attend to other customers.

Still feeling a bit seasick, Jia Xide suggested, "Perhaps we should find a place to rest too."

The captain looked at Kevin. "Our employment agreement has ended. You also need to cross the Dark Forest, but we’re departing tonight. I’m afraid we can’t wait for you."

Although they knew on the ship that Kevin’s group was also headed to Kamusokis, the agreement was only to transport them to the opposite shore. Crossing the Dark Forest was not their responsibility.

Kevin tossed a heavy pouch of gold coins to the captain, who caught it, weighed it in his hand, grinned, and tucked it into his pocket.

Though the town was small, the daily influx of ships at the docks was exceptionally busy, causing the town to gradually expand. The streets teemed with people, lined with local inns, gift shops, and chain establishments. The golden fork emblem of Gandalf’s Shop was particularly eye-catching. Luo Ci spotted it immediately, pointing and saying, "It’s Gandalf’s! They even have a branch here."

"We could go in and ask if they’ll take the Bone-Rot Flowers on consignment, and inquire about the prices," Jia Xide whispered.

Luo Ci nodded, and the three entered the shop.

The manager of Gandalf’s Shop was a goblin—a race renowned for their diligence, keen eye for business, and shrewdness. Many wealthy families even entrusted their shops to goblin management. Dressed in local plaid trousers, the goblin manager greeted them with a smile. "What can I help you folks with today?"

"Can we consign items here?" Luo Ci reached into his magic ring to retrieve something, inadvertently pulling out a magic crystal.

The goblin’s eyes instantly lit up. He had never seen a magic crystal of such high purity; a tiny speck could almost buy a grand castle. A crystal this large? He couldn’t even begin to imagine its value. "Are you… consigning a magic crystal?"

"Not this one," Luo Ci tossed the magic crystal back. Though he had many, these were gifts from his aunts and uncles, so he didn’t want to sell them.

He pulled the Bone-Rot Flowers from his magic ring and dangled them. "Do you buy Bone-Rot Flowers?"

"Of course, of course!" The goblin manager nodded repeatedly. Though a little disappointed, seeing such a large magic crystal was already a great privilege. Recognizing them as important customers, he quickly pulled an abacus from behind the counter and tapped it a few times. "Bone-Rot Flowers are rare. For consignment, after tax and fees, we estimate we can offer this price."

He held up eight fingers.

Luo Ci had no concept of gold coins, blinking in confusion, unsure if the number was high or low. Kevin then spoke, "That’s a fair price."

While not as lucrative as black market deals, black market transactions carried risks, making it difficult to guarantee that the seller’s information wouldn’t be traced through special means. Similar incidents had occurred before, so overall, this price was still worth the transaction.

"Then consign them all," Luo Ci said, raising a small hand.

While the goblin manager packed the items into a box, Luo Ci wandered around the shop, noticing various tools and materials on the shelves. There were ordinary items like warrior’s armor and swords, and more unusual ones like ghoul nails, weeping tree roots, and mist-wraith hair…

These were items favored by liches or alchemists. Luo Ci had no interest in them himself, but he picked out a few, intending to give them to Uncle Ravenpaw.

What truly captivated him was the Gloom Torch in the glass display. Though called a torch, it resembled a slender, elegant hand, its palm cradling an eternal, unextinguishable flame. The flame glowed with a cold, blood-red light, and gazing at it, one could almost hear the sound of cold wind being melted by the dark fire.

Jia Xide glanced at the price tag, gasped, and nearly fainted.

Luo Ci, however, was mesmerized, his round pink eyes sparkling. The goblin manager quickly said, "I’ll open the case right away for you to see."

The Gloom Torch, clearly a sentient, saint-tier magical artifact, actively circled Luo Ci’s shoulder, radiating warm flames.

"So warm!" And it looked incredibly imposing.

Luo Ci cupped the small fireball, a little envious, and began to rationalize: "We’re about to cross the Dark Forest, so this should be a necessity."

Jia Xide choked. "..."

"A necessity it is, then."

Ordinary torches would have worked just fine, really.

Luo Ci giggled, playfully teasing the Gloom Torch. "Let’s check out together then!"

The goblin manager rubbed his hands together, beaming. He never expected to encounter such a wealthy patron in a remote shop like this—he truly was incredibly lucky.

After leaving Gandalf’s Shop, they strolled down the street, searching for an inn for the night.

Sailors worked at the docks during the day and enjoyed a drink at night, so the town was teeming with taverns, even many open-air beer stalls. Their group, clearly outsiders, with the child’s fluffy, snow-white hair, a little black fur ball nestled in his arms, and a Gloom Torch floating beside him, certainly drew many curious glances.

A beer stall owner enthusiastically waved them over.

He was a stone goblin, his short, stout body formed from many stacked rocks.

With practiced ease, he created ice spheres using ice magic while smashing open a nearby fruit wine barrel with his stone fist, pouring the fragrant fruit wine into wooden mugs. "Travelers, eh? Try my specialty fruit milk—it’s not beer, so even the little one can drink it."

His swift and dazzling movements attracted a crowd.

Luo Ci took a sip, leaving a ring of white foam around his lips. The little black fur ball wasn’t interested in the fruit milk. But when the child held the cup to his mouth, he reluctantly lowered his head for a taste. When he looked up again, Luo Ci burst into laughter—the little black fur ball also had a white milky mustache.

The child giggled into his hands, his laughter drawing even more customers.

Fariel knew he had something on his muzzle and was about to lick it clean, but seeing the child so happy, he indulged him, wagging his tail.

Kevin asked the stone stall owner about the Dark Forest. The stall owner shook his head. "If you’re going to the Dark Forest, I advise against it. It’s very dangerous; even experienced mercenaries can be lost if they’re not careful."

Jia Xide couldn’t help but shiver.

Luo Ci asked curiously, "Is this Dark Forest the same as the one near Hassen Castle?"

"Of course not," Kevin replied. "The cursed Twilight Giant Wolf fell in the Dragon’s Nest. The place where it slumbers, due to the accumulation of demonic energy, transformed into the Dark Forest, stretching from East Damasida Bay to Hassen Castle in the west. High-level monsters reside there, and its coverage area is much larger than this one."

The stall owner added, "Rumor has it something happened in that Dark Forest recently. The high-level monsters have started to stir."

Luo Ci’s mouth dropped open in surprise; he hadn’t expected news of that incident to reach here.

"Some suspect there’s treasure there. It’s a place even Archmages dare not tread lightly, yet now, many fearless adventurers are reportedly planning to venture into that Dark Forest." The stall owner shook his rocky head.

Luo Ci and Little Black Fur Ball exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected people to be venturing into the Dark Forest. It seemed they should check out the situation on their way back to Hassen Castle.

Kevin pulled the conversation back. "Tell us about this town’s Dark Forest."

The stall owner didn’t answer directly, instead asking, "Have you heard the legend of the Chimera?"

Jia Xide asked, "What legend?"

Someone nearby chimed in, clearly a town resident by their attire: "Many Dark Forests only have low-level monsters, or perhaps one or two mid-level ones at most. But in this Dark Forest… there’s a high-level monster."

At the mention of a high-level monster, even Kevin’s expression changed. Monsters were strictly classified from low to mid to high-level. A high-level monster could even destroy an entire kingdom.

The man’s voice was low and serious: "Many monster-slaying teams have come before. All they know is that it’s a Chimera, said to be a thousand years old. Legend has it he made a pact with an ancient demon, gaining immense dark magic in exchange for his sanity. Now, he’s a brutal, irrational beast. When hunger strikes, he hunts with extreme ferocity. Entering the Dark Forest, you can only pray to the gods that you don’t encounter him."

Jia Xide’s eyes widened in terror, and he shivered violently, his poor face turning pale.

Had this been back in the magic academy, he might have already given up. But after the recent trials, he held his tongue.

Kevin frowned, pondering for a moment. "Let’s find a place to stay for now."

The town was brightly lit at night, perhaps due to a beer festival. There were an unusually large number of travelers, and after inquiring at several inns, they finally found one with an available room.

The bedroom even had a fireplace. The lack of warm water was a minor inconvenience, but a simple cleaning spell could easily fix that.

The little one dove into the mattress, rolled up in a small blanket, and tumbled around on the bed. He lifted his messy head to find Little Black Fur Ball batting at the matches in the fireplace.

The little one gasped, worried that Little Black Fur Ball’s fur would catch fire. His short legs pattered over for a closer look, only to find Fariel calmly licking his paws, not a single hair singed.

He grabbed Little Black Fur Ball, who was crawling from the pillow, like a fluffy cat ball.

He poked Little Black Fur Ball with his little finger. "Don’t scare me, okay?"

Little Black Fur Ball, with a corner of the blanket in his mouth, let out a soft "Mrrp."

Just then, the hallway fell silent, and a gentle knock came at the door. Luo Ci asked, "Who is it?"

Jia Xide’s voice answered from outside: "Open the door, it’s me."