Puji Island.
Somewhere on the edge of the Silent Forest.
A deep pit shaped like an inverted pyramid lay quietly hidden in the woods. The dirt and rubble around it had been cleared away, and the crooked Soul Returning Poplar had been dug out by the roots, leaving only another small hole at the pit's edge. Like a festering scar, it exuded a warped aura that made wizards retch.
At the edge of the pit, pale yellow warning tape stretched between the thick Tree trunks like a massive spiderweb. Even after more than a month of wind and sun, it remained vividly colored. Thanks to the expulsion spells attached to it, everything within several miles was utterly silent. Whether insects beneath the humus or birds nesting in hollow dead trees, all had long since fled their homes and escaped. Not even the stubborn Centaur Tribe or the hot-tempered Ogre Tribe came here to hunt.
Of course, it was more likely that all the animals of the Silent Forest carefully avoided this area. With no prey coming here, naturally no hunters came either.
Rustle...
The sound of several loose stones sliding down the pit wall broke the forest's silence.
A moment later, several dusty figures climbed out from the pit's edge, cursing under their breaths. At the very back was a fat wizard with faintly bluish skin and a Cat Face Mask. His robes were noticeably dirtier than everyone else's, and the mask on his face had been knocked slightly crooked by the arduous climb.
They were the five young hunters of the You Zui Hunting Team.
"I said down there that we should've just flown out with a Flying Spell!"
The fat wizard struggled upright, brushing dust off himself as he yanked off his mask. His sweat-damp cheeks glistened in