TTGOL CH85
by AriaChapter 85: The Elven Forest (3)
When Kelt preemptively approached the elven guards, suppressing his guilt and angrily demanding to know why his companion was missing, he felt incredibly hollow inside.
An upright, kind-hearted knight was, after all, not very good at lying. But whenever he thought about the fact that the elves were also hiding things from them, he pushed those feelings aside.
The elves’ reaction was exactly as Tang Cuo had predicted: astonishment was certainly there, but mixed into their darkened expressions seemed to be something else entirely.
Kelt repeatedly demanded that they must find Lancelot. The elves agreed, but still insisted they return to the group immediately so as not to delay their departure time, and urged them not to spread the news to avoid causing panic.
Feigning compliance, Kelt returned to Tang Cuo and said, “There’s definitely a problem. We need to be careful.”
But regardless of what happened, the group set off as scheduled. It was led by a male elf of indeterminate age who was reportedly an elder, accompanied by six elven guards.
The rest of the group consisted of the following: two from the Greenvines Alliance’s Principality of Falan branch, three from the Little Windmill branch, two from the Black Mountain branch, eight independent human adventurers, one dwarf, and two druids.
Among the human adventurers was one named Dorn. He and Jin Cheng had hit it off quite well yesterday. Seeing that Jin Cheng was missing, he asked about it. As Kelt struggled to formulate an answer, Tang Cuo replied, “He had something to do. He’s not coming.”
Dorn scratched his head, then smiled knowingly. “Lancelot is a bard; this kind of quest really isn’t suitable for him. Well, then I look forward to his masterpiece. Perhaps we’ll get to hear it when we return.”
It seemed he thought Jin Cheng had stayed behind to focus on composing a melody. Tang Cuo simply went along with it and said nothing.
The dwarf Hammurabi muttered to himself nearby. He didn’t have a musical bone in his body; to him, the most pleasant sound was the strike of a hammer against metal. While muttering, he patted the flask hanging from his belt covered in leather straps. Hearing the sloshing of alcohol, a smile broke across his face.
Now this sounds very pleasant too.
The three from Little Windmill Harbour completely ignored the situation. They huddled together, ignoring everyone else, appearing somewhat arrogant. The two from the Black Mountain branch were silent and solemn; catching Tang Cuo’s eye, they gave a slight nod.
Tang Cuo filed all their reactions away in his mind. As the group gradually moved deeper into the forest, his gaze drifted toward the distant Royal Court.
Their route bypassed it entirely.
The deeper they went, the thicker the mist became. In less than an hour, both the treehouses and the pointed roofs of the distant Royal Court vanished into the thick fog.
The entire forest was deadly silent. Even though it was daytime, the woods were extremely dark. The mist seemed to block out the sunlight, making all the trees look heavy and black.
A tense atmosphere quietly permeated the group.
“Gulp.” The dwarf Hammurabi unhooked a flask and took a large swig of alcohol, oblivious to everyone else.
A single-eyelidded man from Little Windmill Harbour smelled the alcohol on him and stepped away in disgust. Meanwhile, the human adventurer Dorn couldn’t help but approach the elf leading them.
“Esteemed Elf, may I ask how much longer until we arrive?”
“You may call me Elder Evans.” The elder’s attitude was gentle. “We will reach the edge of the Secret Lake area in about one natural hour. However, once we get there, we cannot enter. You will have to investigate on your own.”
Dorn nodded. They were all aware of the quest details, so there was no backing out now. But just to be safe, Dorn asked one more question: “There’s no major danger inside, right?”
Evans nodded. “That is correct. The Secret Lake was originally the birthplace of our elven race. But ever since it was shrouded in mist, our people have gradually lost connection with it, and now we are entirely repelled from entering. As outsiders, however, you do not face this restriction. This is why we have broken our traditions to invite you here.”
“Elder Evans, have no outsiders truly ever been there before?” The single-eyelidded man from Little Windmill Harbour had also approached at some point.
“There have been, but only three in the past thousand years,” Evans smiled. “If you successfully investigate the anomaly at the Secret Lake and resolve this trouble for our race, you will become the elves’ closest friends, and the gates to the Royal Court will forever be open to you.”
Hearing these words left Dorn trembling with excitement; he had to quietly clench his fists to suppress the surging emotions within him. To become a friend to the elven race and enter the Royal Court—what a massive honor! Even if they received no generous compensation here, once they returned to human kingdoms, nobles would fall over themselves to invite them as honored guests.
When that time came, wealth and glory would be well within his grasp.
If some noble lord was willing to teach them the true way of the knight, their destinies—and even the destinies of their descendants—would be forever changed.
Although the others weren’t as visibly excited as Dorn, they all showed varying degrees of yearning. Only Hammurabi continued pouring alcohol down his throat; after all, his only goal was to go back and brag about this trip.
What a pure and simple wish!
The God of Forging would surely protect him!
Thinking this, Hammurabi couldn’t help but take another swig of alcohol.
After hearing their conversation, Tang Cuo’s mind instantly filled in the blanks—for instance, one hundred and one ways these people could die once they entered the Secret Lake area. However, what unsettled him the most was his mission panel, which hadn’t changed at all.
He remained calm and continued walking forward.
Another hour later, the group finally came to a halt. Everyone stared at the thick fog ahead, which seemed almost solid, their wariness naturally rising.
Evans turned to face the group. “Ahead is the Secret Lake area. Once you enter, keep heading north, and you should reach the lake in about half a natural hour. Please forgive us for being unable to accompany you, but the God of Nature will act in our stead, showering you with protection.”
Hearing this, the single-eyelidded man stepped out from the crowd, placed a hand over his chest, and returned an aristocratic salute. “Thank you, Elder Evans.”
Evans nodded in acknowledgment, then stepped aside, gesturing for them to proceed. “Please enter one by one. I will bestow upon you a blessing in the name of the God of Nature.”
An elven blessing.
Tang Cuo instinctively rested a hand on the sword at his waist, lost in thought. Meanwhile, the single-eyelidded man was the first to step forward. Lowering his head, he allowed Evans to shower his head with sacred light.
It seemed to be a magic spell.
Tang Cuo could feel the surrounding magical elements gathering toward Evans’ raised hand, transforming into scattered points of light, though he couldn’t determine the specific effects of this magic.
Soon, it was Tang Cuo’s turn. He walked forward openly and respectfully bowed his head. During the process, he sensed a momentary pause in the blessing. Yet when he looked up, he found no abnormality on Evans’ face.
Kelt had specifically stopped ahead to wait for him. To avoid raising any suspicion, Tang Cuo turned and left with a natural expression. However, just before stepping into the thick fog, he looked back at Evans one last time.
Evans happened to be looking at him too. As their eyes met, Tang Cuo’s gaze was deep and profound. Evans stiffened for a split second before returning to an unfathomable, still pool.
Both sides nodded in acknowledgment, acting as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, a thought suddenly popped into Tang Cuo’s mind: this instance shouldn’t be called The Elven Forest. It should be called The Birth of an Actor.
He was probably being poisoned by Jin Cheng.
After entering the thick fog, Tang Cuo glanced at the group walking ahead and immediately grabbed Kelt. The two had deliberately lagged behind to be the last ones in, naturally for the sake of maneuverability.
“Kelt, I’ll cover you. Take advantage of everyone not paying attention, go back the way we came, and keep an eye on Evans,” Tang Cuo ordered.
“But if I leave, you’ll be the only one left here! No, we’ve already lost Lancelot. We can’t let you be alone,” Kelt sternly refused.
“I won’t be the only one here. I won’t be alone. But Kelt, you are the only one I can truly trust,” Tang Cuo said with a firm tone.
Kelt was still uneasy, but no matter what he said, Tang Cuo wouldn’t relent. “Alright, Kelt, your mission is no easier than mine. A temporary separation is for a better reunion.”
Kelt had no choice but to compromise helplessly. “Alright then. Theodore, you absolutely must be careful.”
With no time to lose, to prevent the elves from getting too far away, Tang Cuo immediately provided cover for Kelt to slip away. Fortunately, the fog was dense here, reducing visibility to a mere fifteen-meter radius around them, so Kelt’s departure went completely unnoticed.
Waiting quietly for three minutes, Tang Cuo swiftly jogged forward and yelled: “Wait, Kelt is missing!”
He didn’t act overly panicked because that wouldn’t fit his character setting.
Hearing his words, the rest of the group turned around, the surprise and gravity on their faces seemingly genuine. Dorn was the first to ask: “What happened? Didn’t he come in with you?”
Tang Cuo darkened his face. “Yes, we were walking together. But I just took a few quick steps ahead, and when I looked back, he was gone.”
Dorn frowned deeply, and the other adventurers also appeared somewhat nervous. The two from the Black Mountain branch, who had been completely silent the entire journey, finally spoke up: “Are there any other abnormalities?”
Both men had black hair and black eyes, traits very rare in a Western Fantasy world. Moreover, they were twins.
Tang Cuo: “Actually, early this morning, my other companion, Lancelot, went missing. We reported the matter to the elven guards, hoping they would help search for him, but we didn’t expect this to happen again after entering.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
The single-eyelidded man immediately frowned. “Why didn’t you say this earlier?”
Tang Cuo replied coldly, “Because you didn’t ask.”
“You!” The man choked on his words. Right then, the dwarf Hammurabi let out a loud burp, making him look even more foolish, nearly sending him into a rage born of humiliation. His companion stopped him just in time and said in a low voice, “We are all from the Greenvines Alliance. With something like this happening, you should have told us first.”
Tang Cuo raised his eyes, shot him a faint glance, and said, “Lancelot is not part of the Alliance. He is merely my friend.”
The other party was choked again, staring at Tang Cuo with an increasingly unfriendly gaze. As the two sides deadlocked, the twins from the Black Mountain branch intervened: “Arguing now is pointless.”
“We should think of a solution first.”
The brothers spoke one sentence each, their tone and expressions identical.
The single-eyelidded man glared at them with a frown. “Heimeng, Heisi, we are not arguing. Can’t you see someone is deliberately hiding things?”
Heimeng & Heisi: “No.”
Single-eyelid & companions: “…………”
Tang Cuo could tell now: the guys from the Little Windmill branch were truly unlikable. Pondering for a moment, he said, “Not speaking up sooner was my mistake. I apologize to everyone. But as these two gentlemen said, our priority right now is to think of a solution.”
Heimeng and Heisi exchanged a look, then simultaneously turned to the druids. One asked, “Druids have been friends of the elves since ancient times. Do you two have anything to say?”
Both druids shook their heads. “We are just like you, here purely to help. We know nothing else. In fact, although druids are on good terms with the elves, we live in different forests. Today is our first time here.”
Hearing this, several adventurers visibly showed concern. After some discussion, everyone decided to search the immediate area for Kelt before continuing to the Secret Lake.
The search, of course, yielded disappointing results, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. However, since they had already come this far, after some hesitation, the group decided to press forward.
The deeper they went, the thicker the fog became. Visibility shrank from a fifteen-meter radius to ten meters. To prevent anyone else from disappearing, everyone consciously stayed closer together. Twenty minutes passed without another disappearance, but they still hadn’t seen any trace of the Secret Lake.
“That elven elder said we would reach the Secret Lake in about half a natural hour after entering, but we’ve been walking for almost half a natural hour now,” Dorn’s tone was grave.
“Let’s walk a little further,” Tang Cuo said.
The group set off again. Ten minutes later, there was still no sign of a lake.
Single-eyelidded man: “Did we go the wrong way?”
A druid shook his head. “Impossible. Druids cannot get lost in a forest. The direction we’ve been heading is definitely straight north.”
Hearing this, a terrifying hypothesis emerged in everyone’s minds: the elves had given them false information. But why would they do that?
Just as everyone was filled with doubt, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from behind them.
“Who’s there?!” Dorn instantly drew his sword.
“It’s me!” The somewhat familiar voice made Tang Cuo frown as he stared intently. Through the thick fog, the figure running rapidly toward them gradually became clear. It was none other than Kelt, who had previously left.
He arrived panting heavily, wiped his sweat, and explained: “Apologies, I accidentally got separated just now and went in the opposite direction. I barely managed to catch up.”
Although the group still harbored doubts, seeing him return brought a collective sigh of relief. Tang Cuo, however, frowned. As Kelt returned to his side, Tang Cuo lowered his voice and asked: “What happened?”
Kelt: “When I went out, those elves were gone. I couldn’t find them anywhere. I had no choice but to come back and find you.”
Tang Cuo looked at him and said nothing more.
He opened his mission panel again.
[Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight]
Phase Three: The Elven Forest
Main Quest: Visit the Secret Lake
There were no changes.
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