Green Pine Valley Reconnaissance

In the days that followed, Kalei did not rush to investigate the Satyr or his father's affairs, nor was he anxious about the shadow of the Emerald Nightmare, nor did he fret over the countdown to the opening of the Dark Portal.

He completely cleared his mind, spending his days living a leisurely life with his mother, Velina, helping tend to the flowers and plants in the courtyard by day and listening to her stories of the village's past by night, all while intensifying his training to adapt to the changes in his body as quickly as possible.

Over the next ten days or so, Kalei adjusted his body to its peak state through training and grasped quite a few Arcanist skills, which left his mind feeling much clearer.

One day, after finishing his evening training in the courtyard, Kalei looked at the moonlight outside the window and suddenly felt stifled by staying home, so he decided to take a walk by the small river outside the village to breathe some fresh air.

He had just reached the riverbank when he found Lox squatting quietly by the water, staring at the surface, unsure of what he was doing.

Curious, he walked over, patted Lox on the shoulder, and asked, "Lox, didn't you say you were going out to sea with your dad to practice fishing? What are you looking at here?"

Lox did not answer him immediately; it was only when Kalei reached his side that he pointed into the water and said, "Kalei, do you know what kind of fish this is?"

Kalei looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a large, silver-gray fish with a wide mouth, so he said, "This should be a Stone-Scaled Cod, right? What's wrong?"

Lox said, "It is indeed a Stone-Scaled Cod, but can't you see that something is very wrong?"

Kalei leaned in closer to observe the fish carefully—its silver-gray scales shimmered in the moonlight, and its swimming posture was perfectly normal; he really couldn't see anything strange. "There's nothing wrong with it. It's perfectly alive."

Lox said, "When Stone-Scaled Cod are young, they often have black spots on their sides, and these spots gradually decrease and disappear as they reach adulthood. Look at this fish; it is clearly an adult, but the spots on both sides haven't faded at all."

Kalei asked in surprise, "How do you know so much about this kind of fish?"

Lox replied with a blank expression, "Didn't I tell you? I am a Night Elf who is going to become a master fisherman. Of course, I have to know every fish on this continent, otherwise, how could I become a master?"

Kalei opened his mouth, unable to speak for a moment, because he felt that what Lox said was damn right.

He had no choice but to say, "Even if this fish has spots on its sides, it could just be an accident during its development. What does that prove?"

Lox said, "If it were only one fish, I certainly wouldn't be surprised, but I've found five or six of them in the last few days, and they were all in this small river."

"Besides that, I've discovered another phenomenon." As he spoke, he picked up a stone from the side and threw it into the water. The Stone-Scaled Cod in the water only moved slightly and then showed no further reaction, having completely lost its natural alertness.

This piqued Kalei's interest.

He picked up a larger stone and threw it directly at the head of the Stone-Scaled Cod.

The stone hit the fish's head with a "thud." Yet, the Stone-Scaled Cod only wobbled in place and flicked its tail a few times; it didn't flee, and its struggle was incredibly weak.

Kalei was very surprised. He secretly channeled the natural energy within his body to sense the fish, only to find that its vital signs were perfectly fine, which left him feeling puzzled: "Strange, what is wrong with this fish?"

Lox laughed, "What, are you feeling strange too, Kalei?"

Kalei nodded honestly and said, "I am indeed puzzled. You know so much about these fish; do you know what's wrong with them?"

Lox thought for a moment and said, "I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect that the fish in this river have been affected by some kind of power, causing their bodies to degenerate and weaken, as if they were cursed by something."

Kalei asked, "Oh, why do you say that?"

Lox said, "Have you heard the rumors about the Sword of the Master over in Darkshore?"

Kalei knew the ins and outs of the Sword of the Master perfectly well, but he couldn't tell Lox, so he pretended and said, "This... of course I've heard of it. Legend has it that the Sword of the Master is a weapon of the gods, and a god used this weapon to kill a monster, whose corpse lies beneath the blade."

Lox lowered his voice and said, "Then have you heard that the monster beneath the sword is still alive and capable of affecting the outside world?"

Kalei certainly knew the monster was still alive, and he also knew that this monster was originally a subordinate of the Old Gods named Soggoth the Slitherer, and that the Sword of the Master only sealed Soggoth without completely killing him, but he was curious how Lox knew this.

So, he feigned surprise and said, "Oh, how is that possible? How have I never heard of this?"

Lox laughed smugly, "You haven't been to Darkshore, so of course you haven't heard of it. This legend originated over in Darkshore."

Kalei smiled, "Is that so? But it seems you haven't been to Darkshore either."

Lox coughed and said, "I haven't been there, but my father has. He said that people there don't dare to go near the Sword of the Master anymore."

Kalei said, "Fine, even if you're right, what does that have to do with the question I asked you about the fish?"

Lox said, "How could it not? Do you know why those people don't dare to go to the Sword of the Master? Because they discovered that after staying near the Sword of the Master for a long time, their bodies might degenerate, as if they had been cursed. This phenomenon is consistent with what I've observed in these fish."

Kalei was startled and quickly asked, "When did you first notice that these fish were abnormal?"

Lox said, "About ten days ago, right around the time you returned from Maestra."

Ten days ago was exactly when Kalei returned to Moonshadow Village from Bristlelimb Village. Was it a coincidence? A sense of unease rose in Kalei's heart.

He grabbed Lox by the shoulder and asked, "Where did you first find a fish like this?"

Seeing that his expression was off, Lox answered honestly, "It was three kilometers upstream. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Kalei said, "I don't know yet, but I feel this is unusual. I'm going to go upstream to take a look."

Lox said, "I'll go with you. I know this area very well, and I want to figure out what's going on, too."

Kalei looked at him and said, "You can come, but you must listen to me on the way. If we encounter any danger, run immediately, understand?"

Lox said dismissively, "Kalei, aren't you being a bit dramatic? We're in the village; what kind of danger could there be?"

"Better safe than sorry. I've experienced some things recently that have made me realize that even in seemingly safe places, unexpected threats can be hidden. In any case, you must listen to me."

"Fine, you're the combat expert, I'll listen to you. Alright, let's go."

Lox and Kalei walked upstream along the small river.

This small river was called the Purple Sand River, originating in the mountains to the northeast, named for the purple sand and stones in its riverbed.

The two walked along the river for nearly twenty minutes, gradually moving away from the village and arriving outside a canyon.

It was just past midnight, and the moonlight in the sky was neither bright nor dim. Most of the people in the village were active in the square, and no one noticed the two leaving the village.

Kalei stood at the mouth of the canyon, glanced toward the high mountains behind it, and asked, "Lox, did you come here often in the past?"

Lox shook his head and said, "This area is nothing but deep mountains and canyons; why would I come here? I only occasionally check on the fish in the river. But I saw you observing the whole way here—did you find anything?"

Kalei frowned and shook his head. Lox's earlier judgment regarding the Stone-Scaled Cod had reminded him of the Curse of Flesh of the Old Gods. This corruptive power could cause any living being to degenerate, and he had feared that the power of the Old Gods had appeared here, yet he had found nothing after walking the entire way.

He mocked himself inwardly, feeling that he had become a bit paranoid after the Furbolg crisis, overthinking every little thing.

He turned around, preparing to head back, when he suddenly felt as if someone were watching him from within the valley.

He hurriedly turned back and scanned the valley, but discovered nothing.

Seeing him lingering at the canyon entrance, Lox walked to his side, glanced into the valley, and asked, "Did you find something?"

Kalei pondered for a moment before asking, "Have you ever been into this valley?"

Lox replied, "I went in once a few years ago. There wasn't much to see—just trees upon trees—though someone had built a few houses inside."

Kalei's eyes lit up. "You mean someone lives in there?"

Lox said, "I don't know. When I went in back then, I only saw the houses; I didn't see any people. Besides, those houses were very dilapidated, and there wasn't even much furniture inside, so it's unlikely anyone could live there."

Kalei shook his head without speaking. He was certain that something had triggered his alertness just now, and it was very likely a person. He desperately wanted to go in and confirm his suspicions, but with Lox here, he had to temporarily abandon that thought.

Although Lox was bold, he had no combat ability whatsoever, and Kalei dared not take him inside to risk danger.

He made up his mind and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go, we're heading back."

Lox asked in surprise, "Why aren't we going in?"

Kalei replied, "It's nothing interesting. I see it's getting late, so let's head back."

"Tch, boring." Lox muttered in disappointment, but he still followed Kalei as he turned to leave.

Kalei's mouth twitched. He really wanted to take this guy inside and let him learn a lesson, but he decided against it; after all, they were childhood playmates, and he shouldn't mess with him too much.

The two returned along the path they had come. The moonlight stretched their shadows long. Finding the trip with Kalei uneventful and dull, Lox bid him farewell at the village entrance and headed home alone.

Watching Lox's retreating figure, Kalei thought of the fish in the river, the valley hidden in the dense forest, and the houses within it. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt, and he resolved to get to the bottom of this matter.

To find clues, he decided to start with that valley and ask the village chief about its history.