TTGOL CH93

Chapter 93: The Elven Forest (11)

The Secret Lake was still shrouded in dense fog.

The griffin circled above the forest but hesitated to land.

Holding McKeown, Kelt yelled over the high-altitude winds, “The elf who sent us in earlier said the Secret Lake is currently rejecting elves. What about His Highness the Prince?”

Jin Cheng was now highly skeptical of everything the elves said, but there was no need to risk McKeown. He replied, “You and he stay here. I’ll jump down. When I signal you, you come down.”

By now, Kelt obeyed Jin Cheng completely. “Alright!”

Jin Cheng immediately leaped down.

The wind howled past his ears. As his figure pierced through the thick fog, the lake water and dense forest below gradually came into focus. Adjusting his position slightly, he landed precisely on a large tree by the lakeshore, breaking several branches thicker than a thigh before halting his descent.

The lakeshore was empty.

Standing on the last branch, Jin Cheng brushed off the leaves stuck to him and opened his character panel. That jump alone had cost him over seventy percent of his HP.

Pulling out a healing potion and chugging it, he looked around. Suddenly hearing a noise from the forest in the distance, he chased after it.

After running for about ten minutes, two massive beasts with blue fur and fangs burst out of the woods ahead. They were fleeing frantically, bearing fresh wounds that bled continuously as they ran.

The moment they saw Jin Cheng, the two beasts’ eyes lit up, and they actually spoke in human tongues: “Help! Save us, there’s a madman chasing us!!!”

Jin Cheng raised an eyebrow, quickly realizing these were likely the two druids in their transformed troll forms. Were they the two from the group?

Thinking this, Jin Cheng didn’t immediately intervene. Instead, he stepped aside, his gaze shifting past them to look behind. The shadows of the trees shifted, and a ghostly figure darted out, closing the distance in a few leaps with an agile and lightning-fast strike.

“Pfft!” His speed was so fast it left an afterimage as he plunged a sword into one troll’s back and cleanly pulled it out.

Scalding hot blood splattered onto the side of his face, slowly sliding down. He raised his head. Despite the blood on his face, his handsome, striking features looked as righteous and awe-inspiring as ever, his distinct black-and-white eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

It was as if just because he declared this person deserved to die, they truly did, and killing them was absolutely justifiable.

Seeing its companion killed, the other troll was terrified out of its wits and ran desperately toward Jin Cheng. Recognizing him, it even screamed the name “Lancelot,” reaching out its hand like grasping at the last straw.

“Save me!” it screamed frantically, rushing forward with all its might.

Jin Cheng reached out his hand toward it as well. The troll was overjoyed, but immediately after, it saw a dagger appear in the other’s hand like magic, plunging straight into its heart.

The troll’s eyes widened in disbelief. Its body slowly slid to the ground, never understanding what had happened until its last breath.

“What did you do to scare them like that?” Jin Cheng stepped past the corpse and approached Tang Cuo.

“They’re from the Rose Sect.” Tang Cuo didn’t explain much; Jin Cheng would understand anyway. He just felt drowsiness finally setting in. The combination of physical and mental exhaustion made it hard for him to stand.

Perhaps it was also because of the man in front of him. His appearance caused Tang Cuo’s taut nerves to instantly relax, allowing drowsiness to conquer his senses.

“What’s wrong?” Jin Cheng felt Tang Cuo was acting a little strange today, just staring at him blankly. He couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the blood off Tang Cuo’s face. Yet the moment he reached out, Tang Cuo tipped forward, his head landing heavily on Jin Cheng’s shoulder.

“Tang Cuo?” Jin Cheng hastily grabbed his arms, thinking he was injured.

“Be quiet, I want to sleep.” Tang Cuo’s muffled voice came from his shoulder. The tone was still cold, but the drowsiness bent the end of the sentence, making it sound almost like a hint of a coquettish complaint.

The grip Jin Cheng had on his arms involuntarily loosened. He just let him lean there and asked, “Tired?”

Tang Cuo: “I drank some liquor.”

Jin Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Who did you drink with?”

Is that the main point?

Tang Cuo suppressed his sleepiness and briefly explained the sequence of events. But he was truly too tired; his head and eyelids uncontrollably grew heavier until his entire body was practically leaning against Jin Cheng.

Jin Cheng simply hoisted him onto his back, speaking to him softly while searching for the others.

“So it was an illusion. If I had known, I would have given you the Dream Gem I exchanged from the Infinite Dream Market. It might have made things easier for you.”

“Mm.”

“…”

Before long, Tang Cuo fell completely asleep.

By the lakeshore, Hawke, Hei Meng, and Hamur remained to guard the other sleeping individuals, preventing a sneak attack from the Rose Sect. Hearing footsteps from the forest, the three thought Tang Cuo had returned and looked over in unison, only to see Jin Cheng.

“Stop right there!” Hei Meng immediately drew his sword. Although he saw Tang Cuo on Jin Cheng’s back, he didn’t dare drop his guard and asked warily, “The password?”

Before Tang Cuo left, to easily confirm identities, he had left a password—a modern password that could absolutely not be seen through.

Just as Jin Cheng was about to speak, the fake Kelt, who had been squatting alone by the shore staring blankly at the lake, turned his head and said, “He’s real.”

Hearing this, Hawke couldn’t help but sigh in relief. The atmosphere relaxed, no longer tense and hostile. The dwarf Hamur was thrilled; Jin Cheng was his drinking buddy, after all. Reuniting here was a wonderful thing, though it was a pity there was no liquor left.

Thinking of the liquor, he couldn’t help but glare at Tang Cuo again. He trotted over, circled him once, and said, “He has such a terrible tolerance. He got drunk off just one flask!”

Jin Cheng smiled. I was wondering whose liquor it was. Turns out it was yours.

At this point, Hei Meng finally remembered their primary objective. Walking quickly to the fake Kelt’s side, he asked, “Since Theodore has already fallen asleep, what about the Mirror of Truth? Did it fail?”

Logically, the illusion should have changed after he fell asleep, but they hadn’t noticed anything.

The fake Kelt shook his head, raised his hand, and pointed to the pier hidden in the dense fog. “The Mirror of Truth is over there.”

At the far end of the pier, the Goddess of Nature sat half-leaning against the railing, her snow-white bare feet dangling in the water, creating ripples across the surface. The white unicorn still nestled by her side with its eyes closed, seemingly in a deep slumber.

At some unknown point, a mirror appeared in her hand. With her eyes cast down, she looked into the mirror, the gentle breeze blowing her wavy hair, painting a picture as beautiful as a portrait.

“I’m going over.” With that, the fake Kelt walked toward the pier on his own.

Seeing him leave, Hawke hastily took a step forward, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes. But wary of Hei Meng and Jin Cheng’s presence, he held back and didn’t act.

Hei Meng and Hamur stood side by side, watching him leave. Even the hot-tempered dwarf was no longer irritable, appearing remarkably calm.

The fake Kelt walked along the pier, his pace unhurried, inexplicably exuding a sense of ceremony. Gradually, his figure was obscured by the dense fog, leaving only a blurry silhouette walking toward the noble and elegant Goddess.

He placed a hand over his chest, bowing respectfully to the Goddess.

The Goddess then handed him the mirror.

He lowered his head and saw his reflection in the mirror. That true visage gradually magnified in his pupils, stirring up ripples that spread from the soles of his feet across the entire surface of the lake.

The lake began to boil.

The animals drinking water scattered; the black ghost ship in the lake started sinking; the pier fractured inch by inch, swallowed by the boiling waves.

Sensing the danger, Jin Cheng immediately played his lap harp.

Hearing the sound, the massive griffin descended, stirring up strong winds. Kelt poked his head out from its back. Seeing the anomaly in the lake, he was shocked. “Lancelot, bring Theodore up quickly!”

“Wait, take your Lord Hamur with you!” The dwarf scrambled upward with his stubby little legs.

Jin Cheng figured carrying one was the same as carrying two, so he silently allowed them to follow. Hei Meng nodded at him gratefully and then sent Hei Si, Dorn, and the others all up onto the griffin.

Hawke wanted to get on too, but just as he approached, Jin Cheng blocked him. “Your companions haven’t boarded yet.”

Gritting his teeth, Hawke immediately turned back to grab his companions, thus becoming the very last one.

In the next instant, the ground shook, and the lakeshore suddenly began to collapse.

“It’s too late!” Kelt shouted. Hawke hurriedly shoved his last companion up with all his might, then grabbed the griffin’s claw, being pulled into the air at the very last second.

Crash! The ground completely collapsed. Hearing the massive sound of rushing water, Hawke broke out in a cold sweat. But just as he couldn’t resist looking down, he realized there was no collapse, no disaster scene below—there was only a vast, endless, massive lake stretching as far as the eye could see.

The lake was black, its borders completely out of sight. The mist over the lake wasn’t as thick, lending an ethereal, immortal aura to the mysterious blackness.

The Secret Lake. This was the true Secret Lake.

Such an enormous lake meant that the moment they entered the supposed vicinity of the Secret Lake, they were already inside it. If they hadn’t left in time, everyone would probably be in the water right now.

“Squeak!” McKeown poked his head out of Kelt’s pocket. Seeing the scene below, he wept tears of joy. Jin Cheng kept a protective arm around Tang Cuo, raising a hand to block the wind for him until he slowly woke up.

Hei Si, Dorn, and all the sleeping individuals woke up one by one.

Before long, the griffin landed on the true lakeshore. Not far from the landing spot, about a ten-minute walk along the shore, stood a small wooden cabin with a wind chime hanging by the door.

The gentle breeze blew the chime, producing a crisp, clear sound. The clearer it sounded, the more it accentuated the tranquility of the Secret Lake, as if that crisp chime was the only sound left in heaven and earth.

A pure white unicorn stepped across the water waves, emerging from the fog in the center of the lake.

“Is that the Heart of the Lake?” Hawke couldn’t help but ask.

The dwarf Hamur scratched his head, feeling unimpressed. It was just a unicorn; chunks of black iron were much better than this—pretty but useless. Hei Meng, Dorn, and the others, however, maintained their reverence. After all, this was the Secret Lake, one of the three holy sites of the Sicilite Continent and the birthplace of the elven race.

The unicorn reached the shore and effortlessly bounded onto the bank. It didn’t speak, simply walking straight up to Kelt and lowering its head.

Kelt froze. After a few seconds, he finally realized the unicorn wasn’t looking for him. He hurriedly pulled McKeown out of his pocket and placed him in front of the unicorn.

The unicorn’s gaze noticeably softened. It lowered its head again, as if signaling McKeown.

McKeown nervously stole glances at Jin Cheng with his little eyes. Only after receiving a shrug in response did he muster the courage to reach out and touch the unicorn’s horn.

Light burst from the horn.

If white could be described as brilliant, this was exactly the color before them. It enveloped McKeown, expanding larger and brighter, until it formed the silhouette of a handsome youth.

He had long golden hair, crystal-clear emerald eyes, and a devastatingly handsome face that seemed blessed by the heavens. His two small ears weren’t as pointed as typical elves, but slightly rounder, making him look even more adorable.

“M-McKeown!” Even with ample mental preparation, Kelt hadn’t expected the impact of a mouse transforming into a beautiful youth to be this immense.

How could a pitch-black mouse turn into someone so handsome and cute?!

“Kelt! Lancelot!” The handsome, cute youth’s voice also sounded like a bubbling spring, crisp and pleasing. He was so pleasantly surprised he almost jumped, but remembering he was a prince, he restrained himself with dignity.

The others didn’t recognize him, and seeing a mouse turn into a youth suddenly filled them all with amazement. Only after Kelt’s explanation did realization dawn on them one by one.

Tang Cuo, however, repeatedly chewed over the words “His Highness the Prince.” With arms crossed, he stared expressionlessly at Jin Cheng, his gaze highly resembling one looking at a dead man—

First a princess left, now a prince arrives. Truly worthy of being the Sicilite Continent’s most popular future bard.

Jin Cheng rubbed his nose, intuitively feeling his current situation wasn’t exactly optimal. But just as he was about to explain, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing in front of the small wooden cabin not far away.

“Someone’s there!” He immediately gave chase.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tang Cuo followed. The two arrived at the cabin one after the other, running straight into Aesop pushing the door open to exit. The two sides locked eyes. Aesop smiled, raising the book in his hand and waving it at them. “Long time no see.”

“It has been a long time.” Jin Cheng discreetly positioned himself in front of Tang Cuo, meeting his gaze magnanimously. “May I ask Mr. Aesop, how is my friend Batz doing lately?”

Aesop tilted his head and smiled, his tassel earrings swaying. “Rest assured, he is doing very well. Compared to you, Batz is truly a worry-free child; he never causes me trouble. Thanks to you, Evans is dead, Sophia is exposed, and my meticulous arrangements in the Elven Forest have been completely ruined.”

Jin Cheng: “You were the one who schemed against me first, sir.”

“But do you really think that half-blood child can become a qualified Elven King?”

“At least the Secret Lake acknowledged him.”

“Heh.” Aesop chuckled softly and opened his umbrella. Seeing Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo unmoving, showing no signs of fear, he couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration. “Leaving the pendant for you was just my way of saying hello. I have no interest in killing two juniors. If you don’t appreciate the favor, then forget it.”

Jin Cheng certainly didn’t believe his nonsense. Right at this moment, Tang Cuo noticed a change in the quest panel.

[Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight]
Phase Three: The Elven Forest
Main Quest: Lakeside Cabin

Over there, Aesop was already preparing to leave. With just Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo, they naturally couldn’t stop him, let alone actively seek death. The two sides thus exchanged friendly goodbyes, even performing a parting salute.

Watching Aesop leave, Jin Cheng asked, “Did you see the book in his hand?”

Tang Cuo: “Secrets on the Lake, the book written by Louis XIV.”

Whether this book was originally kept in the cabin and taken by Aesop was currently unknown. But the fact that Aesop held it proved it definitely had some specific significance.

Unfortunately, this was a book from the Magic Academy of the Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight, and Tang Cuo hadn’t taken it with him back then.

The cabin’s furnishings were simple, no different from any ordinary cabin in the woods. Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng walked around, practically searching the entire place, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet checking the quest panel, the main quest was still “Lakeside Cabin.”

Just then, McKeown ran in from outside. Right in front of them, he pushed aside the small stove in the room, pried open the floorboards, and pulled out a quaint wooden box from underneath.

He opened the wooden box and handed it to Jin Cheng as if offering a treasure. “A token of gratitude! A-Mo just told me about this, it wants to thank you two as well.”

A-Mo?

Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng looked out the door simultaneously. The unicorn stood by the lakeshore, turning its head to nod at them. It seemed it really had reclaimed its name. At this thought, the two couldn’t help but look at the floorboards—they had clearly found nothing earlier. How exactly was this wooden box hidden? Were they both blind?

No, if they were blind, Aesop was blind too.

After all, he hadn’t found it either.

And inside this wooden box that McKeown handed over so casually lay a red gemstone, a pen, a painting, and a small glass bottle filled with water.

“Ding!”
“Congratulations to the players for successfully completing Phase 3 of the serial mission [Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight]: The Elven Forest. Difficulty: Hard. Side quest completion rate: 96%. Rating: A. Points awarded: 45.”
“Please check the system panel for individual rewards.”
“Welcome back to Yong Ye City!”

“Ding!”
“One Drake Gemstone detected. According to the edicts of the Fifth Movement, this item is assigned to registered player D11119.”

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Author’s Note:

Black Hat: Hehe.