Magic Always Has Its Guardians

Luan had no idea how much Uncle Neil had paid Zalan to make this fierce-looking ranger so dedicated.

Even though he knew patrolling the Mountain Forest at night was extremely dangerous, the one-eyed brute still lit a torch and led the way ahead.

"All right, this is the highest spot from which to observe the forest's trees that are over a hundred years old. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Zalan's hopes did not come true. Luan sat on a large rock at the mountaintop for an entire night, his eyes aching from the strain, yet he found nothing.

The next day, the two continued deeper into the mountains. They were now approaching the very heart of Black Iron Mountain.

This place had long since left the bounds of the forest farm. Only experienced hunters would venture this deep into the Mountain Forest.

Looking around at the dim surroundings, Luan realized that the trees here no longer had the orderly appearance of those planted in the forest farm.

Every tree had grown into a bizarre shape as it pleased. The moment Zalan entered this area, he gripped his bow tightly in his hand.

As for the matchlock hunting rifle, its firing speed was too slow, so it had been relegated to a secondary weapon.

Luan now had a direct sense of it as well. The white mist from his breath told him that the temperature here was clearly much colder than outside.

"Uncle Zalan, if we still can't find it today, let's head out first."

Luan had been told when school began that Hogwarts's Forbidden Forest was extremely dangerous, but he had never known exactly what it was like inside.

Only now, after stepping into this Mountain Forest filled with ancient trees thousands of years old, did he truly feel the overwhelming power of nature.

The light was dim, the silence complete; monstrous trees loomed everywhere, and strange white fog could appear without warning.

"All right. There happens to be a hunters' rest spot nearby. We'll leave after spending tonight there."

Luan agreed and strictly followed Zalan's instructions, never doing anything alone no matter what it was.

Because the rest spot was quite far away and the mountain path was difficult, Luan and Zalan did not reach the small cave until nightfall.

The cave could hold at most three people. There were still traces of old fires inside, and only after Zalan stirred the ashes with his foot did his expression relax slightly.

"Two groups have been here within the last week. It looks like there shouldn't be any danger nearby for now."

Hearing the professional's assessment, Luan relaxed a little as well.

They had been walking for three days straight, and today's tense environment had kept Luan's nerves tightly wound.

"We need to fetch some water first. Otherwise, once midnight comes, something big might come out to hunt for food."

Zalan did not feel comfortable leaving Luan alone in the cave, so the two headed along the ridge toward a small river valley.

Once they reached the ridge and their view opened up, Luan noticed green fluorescence drifting up from the other side of the river valley.

"What is it? Did you find what you were looking for?"

Zalan, who was leading the way, turned back in surprise when he saw that Luan had not followed.

"Yes, it's on the other side of the river valley." Luan pointed excitedly.

Zalan looked in that direction, but all he could see was a patch of darkness.

"Our three-day trip wasn't in vain after all. Come on! We'll scout it out tonight, take the thing tomorrow, and then get out of here."

Zalan already knew that the wood Luan sought only revealed its characteristics at night, which was why he was willing to take the risk and scout ahead.

When they followed the river valley into this hollow, both of them were stunned.

The hollow was not far from the rest spot, but its entrance was concealed by thick weeds, turning it into a small untouched area.

If Luan had not seen the magical fluorescence drifting out, they never would have come here.

"Looks like what you're after really is a treasure."

Zalan and Luan lay in the grass some distance away, looking at a rowan tree not far ahead.

Luan looked astonished. He had thought they were only here to scout the area, but after drawing closer, they discovered a giant snake guarding the wild fruit tree.

Looking at the giant snake, which should have been hibernating during the cold season, coiled around the rowan tree, Luan thought of Hogwarts's Bowtruckles.

"Could this giant snake be a Magical Creature too?"

Luan was still thinking when Zalan suddenly grabbed him and sprinted madly back the way they had come.

"There's something wrong with that snake. It heard us talking from so far away."

As someone who spent all year traveling through the Mountain Forest, Zalan was a fast runner. Luan was also quick because he often chased small animals through the Hazelnut Forest.

Yet even so, they were no match for the giant snake, which was over ten meters long.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Behind them, the sound of something enormous moving through the weeds never stopped.

When they reached the river valley, Luan was just about to cross when Zalan yanked him back.

"The other bank slopes uphill, and it's faster than us in the water. We can only run upstream. There's a narrow crevice there—the giant snake can't get inside!"

Luan obeyed without hesitation and followed Zalan upstream.

Sure enough, after running for a while, Luan saw the narrow crevice Zalan had mentioned.

It was a cramped ravine that could only be entered sideways, with the river flowing right through it.

Luan slipped into the crevice easily, but Zalan had a much harder time. Even after throwing away many unnecessary items, he only made it two meters in before getting stuck.

Still, that was enough. Outside, the giant snake could only stick its tongue in far enough to touch his face.

"Oh, oh, damn it! What did this beast eat? Its breath stinks!"

Zalan did not enjoy the face-washing service for long. After realizing it could not reach the two of them, the giant snake vanished from outside the crevice.

"Animals deep in the mountains are very smart, especially snakes. We'd better stay here for the night and leave during the day."

Luan fully agreed with Zalan's decision. He knew some animals hunted by lying in ambush, and they had unfortunately become the prey being ambushed.

With the giant snake no longer troubling them, the only sounds in the crevice were the murmur of running water and the croaking of frogs in the distance.

Perhaps from three days of tense travel, Zalan actually fell asleep against the rock wall in the latter half of the night.

Luan looked at the rugged man with envy. He had only heard Uncle Neil say that military training had taught him how to sleep standing up. He had not expected to see it for real today.

After an unknown amount of time, Luan's eyelids finally began to droop. Just as he was drowsily preparing to sleep, a streak of fluorescence deep within the crevice instantly woke him.

He turned to look at Zalan, who was still stuck in the gap and sleeping soundly. After hesitating for a moment, Luan headed deeper into the crevice.

The deeper he went, the narrower the ravine became. Then, after squeezing through a small opening, the view before him suddenly opened up.

This was the middle of the mountain. Cliffs surrounded it on all sides, and only an opening through which the river flowed connected it to the outside.

But what truly amazed Luan was not this small valley, but the enormous willow tree standing in its center.

Luan was absolutely certain that it was a plant with magical properties.

Green fluorescence surrounded it, illuminating the valley beneath the night like broad daylight.

Luan remembered it clearly: the willow tree he had planted outside the greenhouse had only developed magical properties in one section of its branches.

The grapevine had only developed a two-meter magical area along its main trunk.

But this willow tree, so massive that it would take more than ten people to encircle it, was emitting green fluorescence from its entire trunk.

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