Twilight Garden

The Sleeping Mermaid Tavern.

The wooden plaque features a lifelike mermaid sculpture.

This is a famous tavern in North Wind Fortress, and also a secret meeting place for Pureblood Snake People spies. Their proprietress has long been bribed with Gold Coin and has willingly become a lackey of the Ember Nest.

At this moment, the city was in complete chaos.

With the City Defense Army busy resisting the invasion of the Dragon Vein Forces, the tavern naturally became a legitimate gathering place for the Ember Nest faction.

The four-person team pushed open the door and entered, only to find the tavern bustling with activity.

The players gathered together.

"Boss lady, do you have any Scarlet Red Lips?"

"I heard that drinking that stuff can increase your Excited State."

"The wine here is much more expensive Bator City."

"Wow, so many people!" Steamed Bun exclaimed.

Xia Ye Qiuyu Rain muttered softly, "I thought we were the only ones who received this special mission."

Singo looked around and immediately recognized these familiar faces.

The Overlord of the Royal Authority, the Steel Frenzy of the Church of the Machine God, Charlotte of the Magic Coin, and Alpha of the Golden Age —professional players from various guilds have all appeared here. Players who have accepted quests and come to the tavern have basically reached the level cap of the Internal Beta version—level four. In Erezege, this is considered an elite adventurer, a mainstay among adventurers, and certainly not an ordinary person.

The Born Battle Maniac glanced disdainfully at the Overlord not far away and scoffed.

Singo lowered his voice and said to him, "War Maniac Bro, don't bother with those people from the Royal Authority in group missions. Focus on the important NPCs first."

"Look there."

He gestured with his eyes to a certain spot.

Alger and Mezhuolash were sitting at a wooden table in the center of the tavern, with two glasses of wine on it.

Despite their previous disagreements, the two sat down together to discuss countermeasures in order to defeat their common enemy, Brad Lachmann.

Alger was both excited and somewhat uneasy as he prepared to face his enemy.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke, "I have lived nearby for many years and know the secret path leading to Lachmann Castle. What we need to do is infiltrate Lachmann Castle."

"Then... kill him."

Mezhuolash nodded slightly, took a sip from his cup, and then said, "It's a very simple and brutal plan, but you forgot one thing: you've been away from here for years, and now the Ember Nest is about to attack—how could that meticulous Old Vampire not be prepared?"

Alger's Dragon Face froze slightly, but he still said, "This is the only way we can do it. If he completes his ascension, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Mezhuolash chuckled softly, "Indeed. These Starfallers are immortal, while you and I—we should have been dead long ago, and there's no need for us to fear death."

Alger pointed to the map of North Wind Fortress's interior on the table.

"Given the importance of the Ascension Ritual, the main road will certainly be heavily guarded. Let's go this way, through the Dim Path in Lakman's Back Garden."

"Good."

Mezhuolash slowly rose to his feet and announced in a loud voice, "Warriors, we are ready to depart."

"Stop this ascension, and your master will bestow upon you an immeasurable reward."

In an instant, the intense gazes of more than twenty elite players in the tavern all turned to him.

Mezhuolash has mastered the art of manipulating players.

The Twilight Garden outside Lachmann Castle.

The lush forest surrounds the castle, isolating it from the outside world.

The trees in the forest soared into the clouds, their twisted trunks and mottled bark resembling ancient wounds. A deep darkness permeated the woods, blurring the distinction between day and night. The eerie branches swayed in the wind, emitting chilling whispers.

The withered trees resembled ghosts with outstretched arms, their sharp claws twisting and coiling.

Deep in the dense forest, howls rose and fell, chilling the heart.

Alger gazed solemnly at the dark, deep forest and the path filled with twisted branches.

"No, this place wasn't always like this."

"What exactly has Brad Lachmann been doing in the years since I left?"

Mezhuolash sneered, "Maybe he keeps a pack of loyal watchdogs in there to guard his house."

"Looks like we'll have to be careful on the way ahead."

"Let's go inside."

Without hesitation, Alger, Meshraf, and their group plunged into the dense forest.

Walking on the path covered by vines, Steamed Bun felt a rustling sound behind him and couldn't help but shiver.

"Holy crap, could there really be something dirty in here?"

"Wait, there's something behind me!"

Steamed Bun felt something brush against the back of his neck and immediately let out a scream.

Cold sweat dripped down his back. He turned to look behind him, only to find that it was just a twisted vine hanging from a tree branch.

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Singo beside him, saying, "This place is too eerie. We need to hurry and get going. We can't stay here any longer."

Singo ignored the mockery and simply nodded solemnly.

Because he had just noticed that the bushes in front of them seemed to have moved toward them for a moment, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

Let's keep going.

Steamed Bun had no choice but to keep his head down and keep walking forward. But when he couldn't resist his curiosity and looked back again, the vine had changed position, like a ferocious arm reaching out to him.

He gasped in shock.

The rustling sounds surrounding them grew clearer and more intense, and something seemed to be twisting and writhing in the darkness.

A series of broken, terrifying sounds filled the air, surrounding the people in the forest.

"It's alive."

"Don't... leave me."

"Grab my hand and get me out of here!"

But it wasn't any of them who made that sound! Xia Ye Qiuyu's face was already deathly pale, sweat dripping from her chin, and her voice trembled slightly. "Did you... did you hear that? Those sounds."

Singo said in a deep voice, "I heard it too."

"That didn't sound like a monster's roar; it sounded more like the words of a victim before they died."

The Steamed Bun was immediately terrified and panicked. "No, don't scare me!"

"Take a good look around you."

The Steamed Bun looked around and saw only a deep, dark place where something was constantly writhing.

Alger, standing at the forefront of the group, raised his Eternally Burning Greatsword, and the flames instantly illuminated the surroundings, revealing the hideous and terrifying appearance of the monsters to everyone.

Beneath the dappled shadows of the forest, the jagged roots, branches, and vines gradually coalesced, eventually forming countless staggering, twisted ghostly figures.

Their bodies are made up of withered branches, vines, and even thorns intertwined together, including undigested human remains, and their thick roots are soaked in blood.

Alger gritted his teeth and shouted:

"Prepare for battle!"

"Damn it, this forest is alive!"