The Sultry Dancer in the Deep Forest

Drum Island.

Ancient forest in the southeast.

Three sluggish figures trudged through the deep snow, stumbling with every step.

They were the zombie versions of Fera, Gerlo, and Dorum, remotely controlled by Moria.

Because they had been stuffed with the shadows of assorted pirate scum, their behavior carried an inexplicable coarseness and...

made them seem rather dim-witted.

Zombie Dorum walked in front, letting out a muffled growl from his throat. "Why'd the boss send us to this godforsaken place to find someone..."

Zombie Fera followed beside him, moving a little more nimbly than the other two as he muttered, "Robbing people at sea was so much more fun back in my day..."

"And now I have to be part of a search-and-rescue team... Hic, I'm really not used to this body."

Zombie Gerlo said, "Quit yapping and start looking..."

Meanwhile, Moria's real body remained at Kureha's shelter.

While helping look after the patients, he searched for Hiriluk through the vision of shadow soldiers scattered throughout the forest and these three main zombies.

The forest was vast, and the snow had concealed many traces.

The zombies wandered around for ages, startling only a few snow rabbits and strange birds, but finding nothing.

Just as Moria was beginning to grow impatient,

and considered having the zombies burn down the forest to force the man out—

zombie Gerlo finally found something different.

At the base of a massive ancient tree in the distance was a tree hollow half-concealed by vines.

Several gathering tools and a battered backpack lay scattered on the ground before it.

More importantly, faint sounds of... grunting and singing drifted from inside the hollow?

Zombie Gerlo immediately relayed the information through the shadow link.

Moria perked up and silently controlled the three zombies to approach.

The space inside the tree