Early the next morning, Ian set off toward the depths of Gloomlight Forest under Hawk's guidance.
The deeper they went, the thinner the mist became.
In its place was a hazy glow like moonlight, shrouding the forest. This was probably where the name "Gloomlight" came from.
The path beneath their feet also became much clearer and more orderly, evidently worn down by long-term traffic and simple maintenance.
After walking for about an hour, they heard faint, noisy voices ahead, along with a smell mingling herbs, ore, leather, and some kind of cheap incense.
After passing through a grove of especially tall silver-leaf trees, the view before them suddenly opened up.
A stream roughly ten meters wide wound through the area. Its water was crystal clear, gleaming with a faint silvery-white sheen beneath the hazy light. This had to be Mist Creek.
More than a hundred buildings of varying sizes were scattered along both banks of the stream.
There were crude wooden huts and stone houses, as well as relatively neat two-story buildings.
There were even several stilt houses built from thick logs and vines, bearing obvious traces of magical reinforcement.
People came and went, making the place more than a hundred times livelier than Hawk's temporary gathering point.
At a rough glance, at least several hundred people were active here. Most of them were Wizard Apprentices, ranging from low-level to Advanced Apprentices.
There were also a small number of ordinary retainers or adventurers clad in leather armor and carrying weapons, responsible for hauling goods or serving as guards.
This small settlement was already quite well-equipped, clearly serving as the central hub for wandering apprentices in the area, where both resources and information circulated.
"What do you think? Not small, right?" Hawk introduced it with a hint of pride.
"At first,