Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1020 - 135 Deep in the Jungle

Chapter 1020: Chapter 135 Deep in the Jungle

It was already noon, yet the forest remained shrouded in darkness, as if still engulfed in twilight. Trees and bushes cast vast shadows over the ground in the dim light. Occasionally, the sound of scurrying footsteps would emerge from the dark shadows, followed by the fleeting glimpse of a strange figure darting through the cover of the shadows. Afterward, what often followed was a short, desperate cry of a small animal and the spine-chilling sound of gnawing.

In the forest, it was hot and humid. The ground was soaked with moisture from the fallen leaves and soil, and under the scorching heat, thin wisps of mist rose from the ground, wafting upwards, creating a faint veil in the air. Although it did not completely obscure vision, it made the already dim forest seem all the more blurred.

Beyond the rising mist, the dense forest appeared almost completely still. There was no wind, no rain; the trees and bushes were immobile, as if frozen in place, each leaf holding its position as though they were inanimate objects sculpted by artists. However, the occasional chirping from the treetops added a touch of vitality to the static scene.

"Flap, flap," a sudden fluttering sounded, breaking the stillness of the forest. Numerous birds perched in the canopy were startled and took to the sky, their wings beating violently. The branches and foliage trembled violently from the contact with the flock, rustling loudly. The flurry of the birds seemed to send a signal, and the underbrush began to shake as countless small animals darted in and out, quickly seeking safety amidst the chaos, leaving only pairs of curious eyes shining brightly in the dimness of the forest, all gazing in the same direction.

"Rustle, rustle," in the direction the small creatures were observing, no human figures were visible in the dense Lost Forest. But the persistent sound of stealthy footsteps was approaching rapidly from deep within the forest, light and agile, as if with a peculiar rhythm that drew closer through the mist. Suddenly, the curious small animals in the underbrush withdrew in haste, their shining eyes no longer visible. The sharp sound of something cutting the air followed, and several feathered arrows shot out from the midst of the mist, striking a patch of underbrush which had remained still until now. After a cry of agony, a fox, as large as a wolf and with two arrows lodged in its side, burst from the underbrush, blood trailing as it fled deeper into the forest, with droplets of blood marking its path into the darkness.

The footsteps in the forest did not change, and the person who had fired the arrows continued with rhythmic steps, emerging from the faint mist. A cloaked figure appeared, covered in a pitch-black cloak, with a face wrapped in dark fabric, leaving not a hint of skin exposed. Only a pair of pale green eyes revealed their race. One after another, cloaked elves emerged from the forest, forming a semi-circular formation and swiftly occupying the dense underbrush. These elves moved in an unusual manner; as they walked, they bent forward at the waist, legs bent between squatting and standing, their center of gravity shifted significantly forward, giving the impression of an arrow nocked to a drawn bowstring, ready to spring forward at any moment.

And indeed, they moved just like that, darting through the forest as if in flight. The Lost Forest, or even the entire Forest of Death, had extremely complex terrain. Protruding roots, interwoven vines, the remains of dead tree stumps, and a multitude of obstacles littered the area, all concealed beneath thick fallen leaves. Unfamiliar travelers in this forest would likely move with extreme caution, probing their way forward. A single misstep could cause a tumble from the hidden obstacles, at which point the venomous insects and insect-type magical beasts hidden in the leaves and soil would happily sample the delicious morsel that had come their way.

However, the dense obstacles seemed to be nonexistent for these cloaked elves. Maintaining their strange posture, they moved forward with rhythmic steps; with each stride, they merely touched the fallen leaves on the ground, which had no chance to give way before they had already left their original spot—as if they had lost their weight and were floating just above the ground.

"Coo~~~ Coo~~~ Coo~~~" Shortly after the cloaked elves, numbering close to thirty, swiftly took up positions in the area of the underbrush, one of them issued a strange bird call from beneath a black cloth that covered their face. As soon as the call sounded, a rustling of tree leaves above them followed, gradually receding along with the cries of another species of bird.

A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps grew from far to near. About a dozen figures emerged from the mist and arrived at the occupied area. In the gloom behind them, an indeterminate number of cloaked figures shifted, with some passing around this area from the side and moving on toward the unoccupied space ahead in the same manner. The over ten figures stopped among the bushes and ceased moving further; naturally, these were the six members of the adventure team, escorted by demigods. And clearing the obstacles along the way for them were the elite King’s Court Guard from among the elf foresters. Every member of the King’s Court Guard was an outstanding ranger with an abundance of experience in forest operations. Even if you picked a member at random and dumped them in the heart of the forest, they could still safely return to the Elven Royal Court. The girls realized that with them as escorts, there had been no battles along the way, no dangerous incidents encountered. Although they were in the perilous Lost Forest, it was as leisurely as strolling through the garden of the Holy City Mansion.

"Eh, this blood... tsk, tsk, this is the blood of an Illusion Fox." Pannis approached and immediately smelled the blood. He picked up a few bloodstained leaves, sniffed them, and said in surprise, "Remember the squad leader under Dora’s command? The one also called Illusion Fox? This is her blood."

"Stop talking nonsense, this should be the blood of a real Illusion Fox," Catherine said, giving Pannis a look. She took the leaves he had handed to her, but no matter how hard she sniffed, she couldn’t tell anything from the blood scent apart from the decaying smell of the leaves and the pungent odor of blood—she could not differentiate the blood’s source.

"Should we consider ourselves lucky or not?" The moist environment caused the leaves to decay quickly, and one’s hands would always feel sticky after handling them. Pannis wiped the grime off his hands and said, "Such magical beasts are rare, and except for specifically searching for them, you might not encounter one in the forest for years, and moreover, one of the rare legendary rank Illusion Fox. This should be considered good luck, right?"

"Stop analyzing those bloodstains, Kyle, come over here and rest." Flare’s magnetic voice called the two back to attention. "Lunch break is only fifteen minutes. If you don’t want to enjoy a leisurely walk in the rain, you’d better not dawdle."