Carriage (4k)

This was a dilapidated carriage abandoned amid the bushes.

Its body was made from some kind of reddish-brown wood, hard in texture and warm in color. The varnish coating its surface gave it an exceptional sheen;

On either side of the carriage were hollow circular windows, half-open outward at the moment. With sunlight filtering down through the canopy overhead, its empty interior could vaguely be seen;

The roof curved slightly like a ridgeline, and delicate patterns were carved into the wooden eaves extending to either side. However, their exact forms had been damaged and worn away by some external force, making them impossible to identify.

"This is it!"

Hai An stood in an open patch some distance from the carriage, barely able to conceal his excitement.

"This traditional design—simple yet refined—is exactly like that piece of wood!"

He tightly gripped the Ink-Black Token in his hand, as though he had taken another step closer to the truth.

Xia Nan stood beside him in silence, his expression calm.

Yet his heart stirred once more.

He was no expert in history. Even the knowledge points he had painstakingly memorized from textbooks day and night during his school days had mostly faded away amid the dull exhaustion of working life.

Thus, he could not determine an item's approximate age based on a few details of its design and material.

Even so, just like that Wooden Token from earlier, Xia Nan sensed the strong characteristics of "Central Continent" in the carriage before him with a single glance.

"That's not right!"

Just as everyone in the group was letting their imaginations run wild at the sight of the carriage,

Larry, who had always been blunt and straightforward, suddenly spoke up:

"How could there be a carriage in Thin Mist Forest? It's surrounded by huge trees. How did it get in?"

His words instantly jolted the others from their thoughts.

Larry was right.

Thin Mist Forest was a gathering place for dangerous Monsters. The ground was almost entirely covered in tough, tangled Thorns and shrubs, not to mention the towering trees so dense they filled nearly every corner of one's vision.

In such an environment, even an experienced adventuring party could only make its way through on foot with great caution and difficulty.

Even if there really had been some driver with "superb carriage skills" capable of bringing a carriage into the forest, the enormous commotion it made while traveling would have been enough to attract every Monster within several hundred yards.

"And look..." As Hai An gradually came back to his senses, he too began to notice the inconsistencies. Frowning, he pointed at the ground. "There are no wheel tracks nearby."

"It's as though this carriage simply fell into the forest from nowhere."

Wood, who had stayed close beside Hai An like a shadow and had not said a word since earlier, suddenly added,

"Ordinary wood would quickly decay and rot under the corrosion of the Magic Power saturating the air in Thin Mist Forest."

"And this carriage isn't made from enchanted material. There's very little dust on it, and there are still traces of use. It was clearly left here recently."

"That shouldn't be possible. If it was here recently... how could there be no traces at all nearby?" Hai An's brows drew tightly together, his confusion deepening.

The carriage interior was completely empty, leaving no possibility of Monsters hiding inside. The surrounding bushes and tall grass had also been checked, and the area was confirmed safe.

The group cautiously approached.

Although it looked as though an Owlbear had slammed into it sideways, leaving the entire carriage badly wrecked,

certain details still revealed the exquisite luxury of its original furnishings.

For instance, the hollow patterned lanterns hanging beneath the wooden eaves on both sides, and the soft, smooth curtains inside the windows, embroidered with elegant designs...

"Ah!"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out beside them, only to be immediately muffled.

Already tense from the oppressive environment of Thin Mist Forest, Xia Nan's heart gave a violent jolt.

He frowned and looked over.

At the edge of the group, the blonde girl Doris covered her mouth with one hand after accidentally crying out, while her other hand pointed toward the shadow beneath the carriage shaft.

"Sc... scorpion!"

Larry shielded her behind him. He had been hoping for a classic chance to play the hero rescuing the beauty, but when he followed the direction of Doris's finger, the fat hanging from his cheeks trembled twice as well.

"Sha... sha..."

It sounded like countless grains of sand spilling across the ground.

The first thing Xia Nan heard was a strange sound formed from innumerable tiny, sharp movements blending together.

Then came a "black current" that surged forth in streams from beneath the carriage, like water gushing from a spring.

They were countless jet-black Scorpion Bugs, each only the size of a knuckle!

"Fuck!"

A chill shot from Xia Nan's tailbone straight to the crown of his head.

He swiftly retreated, already holding the Beheading Longsword across his chest.

The Half-Elf reacted even faster. His silver hair fluttered as he retreated several steps into the tall grass behind him—as an archer who relied primarily on a bow, putting distance between himself and the enemy at the instant battle began was exactly the right move.

Larry's reaction was somewhat unexpected. His face had gone pale with fright, and though he looked utterly panicked while retreating, nearly tripping over a branch on the ground and staggering several steps,

he still kept Doris tightly protected at his side instead of fleeing in the face of battle.

In the blink of an eye, Wood was the only one left in the open.

Seeing that lone figure standing before the carriage, Xia Nan gritted his teeth and stepped forward again.

Retreating had merely been his first instinct for survival.

Though he was a newcomer, the next moment he realized his role within the party and moved back into position.

He would not let the team down at a time like this.

The cold, uneven texture of the Sword Hilt pressed against his palm.

Yet his heart still tingled with unease.

He held a fine longsword he had picked up at the Blacksmith Shop, carried Healing Potions with miraculous effects in his Backpack, and wore sturdy, expensive Leather Armor.

His stamina was full.

Xia Nan was confident that even if he faced twenty Goblins alone, he could charge through them and slaughter his way back out.

But faced with the tide of black scorpions flooding toward his feet, he had no idea how to begin dealing with them.

Just then, Wood suddenly raised a hand, signaling for him to stay back and not come over.

Then he pulled a palm-sized brown Clay Pot from the pouch at his waist.

And hurled it with all his strength!

Bang—

The Clay Pot struck the ground and instantly shattered.

Viscous, dull-black liquid splashed outward amid a cloud of murky dust.

Then came a spark.

"Whoosh!"

A wave of heat surged out, and orange-red flames reflected in Xia Nan's pupils.

Blazing fire erupted without warning!

In an instant, it engulfed the countless Scorpion Bugs along with the entire carriage.

The swirling flames seemed to awaken Terror buried deep in the insects' bloodlines.

The dense swarm that had been flowing like a tide immediately scattered, splitting into countless "tributaries" that vanished into the nearby bushes and grass.

Crack.

Carapaces split under the intense heat, and the foul stench of burning filled the air.

"Where did all those scorpions come from? They scared me half to death!"

Larry's pale face was covered in cold sweat as he spoke with lingering fear.

Hai An the Half-Elf gradually emerged from the grass as well, a Wooden Arrow already nocked on his bowstring, his expression grave.

Xia Nan's heart pounded violently, and he finally let out a small breath of relief.

He slowly lowered his sword, feeling fortunate.

Good thing the party had a professional who even carried something like a Molotov Cocktail with him.

Otherwise, faced with so many little bugs, Xia Nan really would not have known how to handle them.

Glancing at the retreating swarm before him, Xia Nan looked thoughtful.

He wondered whether River Valley Town sold this kind of throwable item.

Once he got back, he should get a few bottles for himself. They might come in handy during future missions.

If not, he could try studying them based on the somewhat hazy memories from his Previous Life. Maybe he could make a rough version himself.

"Bottle, alcohol, flammable cloth... what else was there?"

Xia Nan shook his head, dispersing his increasingly wandering thoughts.

He would think about it later. Now was not the time.

He followed the firelight with his gaze.

After driving away the insects, the blazing flames continued spreading through the grass on the ground, growing fiercer and fiercer.

The knowledge he had gained from the civilized society of his Previous Life, along with the values shaped by being inundated with vast amounts of information, instinctively made him recoil from the developing disaster before him, one that could consume a vast stretch of forest.

Without thinking much about it, he asked instinctively,

"Is this fire... going to be okay?"

He had merely mentioned it in passing and did not expect anyone to answer.

Yet Wood, who had maintained a guarded attitude ever since Xia Nan joined the party,

unexpectedly broke from character and answered quite seriously.

"Thin Mist Forest has dense Magic Power. As long as it's ordinary fire, it basically can't cause a large-scale blaze."

"Although a fire of this size may look like it's continuing to spread, it will actually only burn the surrounding shrubs and grass. It may not even catch a single tree before going out on its own."

Xia Nan's earlier action of stepping forward to face danger seemed to have changed the impression held by the Guard beside the Half-Elf.

Of course, they had only known each other for a short time. That was all it amounted to.

After saying that, Wood stopped responding and instead stepped forward toward the flames.

Bending down, he used his fingertips to pin down a scorpion's tail and picked up one that was trying to escape.

He examined it, his brows slightly furrowed.

"What is it, Wood? Did you find something?"

The pungent burnt smell made Hai An look uncomfortable. He was putting away his bow as he asked.

"Young master, something here... really isn't right."

Thin Mist Forest was vast and boundless, and the abundant Magic Power in its air made it home to countless kinds of creatures.

No matter how experienced an adventurer might be, they would not dare claim they could identify every kind of Monster within it.

That was even less true of ordinary animals, which came in countless varieties and possessed many subspecies due to the unique environment.

Thus, Wood did not find it strange to see an unfamiliar scorpion he had never encountered before.

But at this moment, as he looked at the black scorpion whose tail he held, which still raised its pincers in warning,

he felt that their group had somehow been drawn into an enormous vortex, sinking deeper and deeper without realizing it.

Wood suddenly turned around and looked at Hai An, who was watching him with concern.

For an instant, he was dazed.

Hai An resembled the figure from many years ago who had rescued him from the Slums filled with filthy water and garbage.

Those familiar silver-gray eyes, that equally soft and lustrous silver-white hair...

His mouth opened, countless words passing through his heart.

Yet in the end, all that came out was a dry sentence:

"Let's go around this place first, young master."

"It's time to make camp."

Night fell quickly in the forest.

Sometimes, you might think it was still early and that you could hurry along for a little longer beneath the sunlight filtering through gaps in the canopy overhead.

But after only a few steps, night might already have swallowed you whole.

Wood's timing had been precise.

By the time Xia Nan and the others somewhat awkwardly laid out their sleeping bags, piled up branches they had gathered from the forest, and used flint to light a campfire,

the sky that had been so bright was already steeped in twilight.

Crackle—

The flames burned.

Crystal Eyes reflected the orange-red firelight before them.

Hai An sat beside the campfire, rubbing the Ink-Black Wooden Token in his hand, his expression somewhat distant.

Wood had long since set up warnings and traps around the campsite. Seeing Hai An's demeanor, he hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Young master, you know that the Matriarch gave me a second life."

"Although the Matriarch, when you were still very young... I spent many years with the Wickliff Family."

"Forgive my bluntness, but the piece of wood in your hand is not in the style of the High Elves. The Matriarch once..."

"Shut up!" Hai An suddenly became agitated. Even the fingertips clutching the token turned faintly white from the force.

But the next moment, he realized he should not have reacted like that and immediately calmed down.

"I'm sorry."

His tone remained as even and gentle as before, but Hai An's gaze stayed fixed on the fire before him.

Wood said nothing more and lowered his head.

As always, he sat in the Half-Elf's shadow.

The air fell silent, leaving only the muffled crackling of the flames.

Xia Nan sat on the other side, polishing the longsword in his hands without looking away. His perked ears quietly relaxed.

He had no desire to meddle in someone else's family affairs.

But since they were in the same party and the other side had not tried to avoid the subject, it was only natural for him to learn a little in passing.

Besides, Xia Nan was actually somewhat curious too.

Unlike the impulsive Larry, the Half-Elf was clearly far more meticulous. Judging by how the others treated her, she even seemed to come from a higher background.

Yet she had dared to venture so deep into the outskirts of the Thin Mist Forest with only a single Guard, even if he was a Professional, in search of an unknown target. She was clearly hiding something.

(He himself had only dared enter alone because he knew the Firefly Garlic Vine grew at the very edge of the outskirts, where there was basically no danger. The round trip would take no more than a day and a half, and he had even traveled the route in advance. With the mission deadline pressing, he had taken the risk.)

Since he could not make out anything for now, he stopped paying attention.

Dusk hung heavy.

Even the thin mist in the air seemed touched by laziness as it drifted leisurely along.

Doris seemed badly frightened by the scorpion, while Larry's soft words of comfort beside her were indistinct;

Hai An and Wood sat by the campfire, wreathed in smoke and shadow, the atmosphere silent;

Xia Nan sat alone in a corner with his back against a tree, eyes lowered, an iron-gray longsword cradled in his arms.

A day full of twists and turns seemed about to end just like that.

But like the final post-credit scene of a movie, as an adventurer who walked on the edge of a blade, you had to be ready at every moment to welcome those unexpected "surprises."