Early the next morning, everyone set out.
The heat waves of the lava zone gradually fell behind them. The air began to cool, then turned chilly.
After walking for about two hours, the terrain ahead changed.
No longer were there dark-red lava flows and bare rocks, but a forest.
A black forest.
The trees were pitch-black—the trunks, branches, and leaves, all black. They looked as though they had been soaked in ink, so black they seemed to absorb light. The trees stood dozens of meters tall, their canopies blocking out the sky and shrouding the entire forest in darkness.
"This is the Shadow Forest." Kurapika stopped, his expression grave. "The tablet said the fourth key is deep within this forest."
Gon looked up, then looked at his own hand.
"So dark," he said. "You can't even see your fingers."
It was true. The moment they entered the edge of the forest, the light dimmed. Those black trees seemed capable of absorbing light; sunlight fell upon them and was swallowed whole, without even a reflection. The farther in they went, the darker it became, until they could no longer see anything at all.
"Glowing Mushrooms." Kurapika took several Glowing Mushrooms from his backpack and handed them out. "They can only light up a few meters around us. Stay close and don't get separated."
The Glowing Mushrooms gave off a pale blue light, like tiny lanterns in the darkness, but they could only illuminate a range of three or four meters. Beyond that lay pure darkness, where nothing could be seen.
Holding the Glowing Mushrooms, everyone cautiously headed deeper into the forest.
A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground. They felt soft beneath their feet and made rustling sounds. The leaves were black as well, and the stench of decay