Mist
A dormant venomous snake did not mean it had lost its venom.
It had merely concealed its fangs.
The moment it opened its mouth was when it bared its full ferocity.
So Qin Ran became even more cautious.
He swept his vigilant gaze across the surroundings while signaling the others.
At once, the advancing group grew even tenser.
Everyone proceeded with the utmost care.
Yet nothing happened.
When they passed through the entire forest and arrived at the famous lake outside what had once been Frode Town, everything remained normal.
Not only that, the faint sense of being watched had vanished as well.
"Did it only appear within Frode Town after it became a primeval forest?"
Qin Ran guessed.
"We can set up camp here, then continue searching that primeval forest!"
Charles suggested.
No one objected.
Their earlier journey had not come close to fully exploring the primeval forest that had replaced Frode Town.
In fact, they had not even explored a tenth of it.
Although Frode Town had not been large, once it became a primeval forest, the dense vegetation blocked people's sight. Even Qin Ran could not see through the plants and had to approach and inspect them closely.
Under such circumstances, the search was bound to take time and effort.
Fortunately, Qin Ran had enough time.
There were still thirteen days until December 1, the date he had agreed upon with the Shepherds of the Dead.
Including the five or six days needed to return to the West Coast, Qin Ran had roughly a week to remain here and investigate the truth behind the incident.
As for the Shepherds of the Dead breaking their agreement earlier?
As long as the side mission [Invitation from an Ancient Society] still existed, Qin Ran would respond to them in