Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 162 - 22 The Shimmering Light in the Forest_1

Chapter 162: Chapter 22 The Shimmering Light in the Forest_1

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As day gradually turned to night, at the center of the campsite, where Vivian had been lying, now burned a fire pit. Nine people sat around the fire, the flames reflecting on every face, but the flickering light only made emotions appear more uncertain. No one spoke, the small campsite filled only with the occasional snapping of burning wood, animal growls and insect calls from the distant forest.

The atmosphere in the campsite became more and more oppressive. Although the three girls in the adventure team were quite experienced, they had seldom teamed up with a group this large before and were unsure of how to handle the situation. The four Silver Rank mercenaries from the mercenary band were used to a military rank structure and with Dora around, all four of them felt it inappropriate to take initiative and lighten the mood. As for Dora, she seemed lost in thought, not sure what to contemplate. The young guide, Elrad, seems detached from the situation, coolly observing the rest of the group, with no inclination to change the situation.

All this just because the Night Owl who was on guard had suddenly sent a warning signal during dinner, saying he spotted a figure. However, when everyone searched around, they found no signs of anyone having been there. But Pannis wasn’t assured and asked everyone to return to their meal while he disappeared into the twilight alone.

According to Elrad, the true forest journey would only commence once they really entered the dense forest a hundred meters ahead. Yet now, before the true start, their mission was already shrouded in shadows due to the mysterious figure.

Feeling the increasingly oppressive atmosphere, Catherine finally broke the silence, "Dora, what are you thinking about? Did you find any problems?"

"I’m considering some possibilities." Under pressure, Dora also dropped her usual frivolity and said seriously: "My information can’t be leaked out, and if that figure really exists, he couldn’t be just a passing adventurer. After all, spying while hiding signifies obvious malintent, which is why I’m trying to figure out who it could be."

"Have you come to any conclusions?", Catherine asked tentatively.

"No," said Dora who was sitting next to Catherine, shaking her head bluntly, "I need something. Only then might I be able to figure it out."

"What do you need?" Catherine asked.

Dora seriously looked at Catherine, suddenly dove into Catherine’s arms, wrapping both arms around Catherine’s waist and burying her face in her chest, mumbling, "I need inspiration from senior’s embrace."

"Get off of me!" Catherine’s shout echoed through the forest, causing the animals and magical beasts to shudder in their nests. Dora screamed as she was kicked away, flying through the air and landing heavily in the low shrubs in the woods.

"Tsk, tsk." Pannis, who just returned, saw Dora flying towards him. He initially wanted to catch her, but upon recognizing who it was, he naturally retracted his hand, looking away, pretending to be oblivious. He later leisurely walked back to the camp: "I’m back."

"Hey, you bastard." Dora, her brown hair covered in dry leaves, climbed out of the bush, and angrily accused, "You clearly saw me, yet purposely retracted your hand."

"I don’t understand what you’re saying," Pannis turned back with innocent hands spread out, "And, how did you end up outside the campsite? It’s dangerous, come back quickly."

"I see," Dora said angrily, "You’re envious of me, and purposefully wanted to let me fall to my death."

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Pannis scoffed, "Why would I be jealous or envious of you?"

"Because I can bury myself in the senior’s chest, while you don’t dare to," Dora put her hand on her waist, pointing at Pannis, "You’re a coward."

"I dare not? Are you kidding me?" Pannis sneered, "I’ll do it right now to show you."

"Go ahead, go ahead," Dora stared at Pannis with contempt, "you just make empty promises. Are you even a man?"

"If it’s about burying in chest, then bury the chest." Pannis turned around, arms spread out, but before he could do anything, he saw Catherine’s trembling mouth and a clenched fist growing larger.

Another cry of agony echoed through the forest, causing even more animals hiding in their nests to tremble. However, consecutive flying performances eased the previously oppressive atmosphere in the camp. Everyone watched with a smiling face at Dora, who was taking pleasure in others’ misfortune, and Pannis, with a big black eye. Only Lina remained unamused and muttered, "Serves him right."

"How did the scout go?" Catherine sat beside the fire pit with arms crossed over her chest, still angry.

"There was indeed someone." Pannis, after pleading for a long time, finally got Vivian to scornfully make him several ice packs. As he treated his black eye with ice, he responded, "The figure who targeted us must have stood 900 meters away. Owl, you really are amazing, living up to the reputation of the Night Owl, you actually found a hidden target 900 meters away in the twilight."

Night Owl, a simple-looking middle-aged man who didn’t look much different from any ordinary farmer, was drinking water. As he heard Pannis’ praise and was about to show his humility, he couldn’t help but laugh at seeing the serious face of Pannis marked with a large bruise, causing him to choke on his water and cough continuously.

"Ahem, ahem." Catherine, suppressing a smile, coughed awkwardly, "Pannis, are you sure about the situation?"

"Definite." Pannis, rubbing his eyes, replied, "Although he covered all his tracks, the only thing he forgot to hide was his smell. I smelled the scent of a human body at that spot, it can’t be mistaken."

"Great." Catherine nodded, "Anyway, at least we can confirm that someone was indeed watching us just now. Dora, have you thought of anything?"

"Two possibilities." Dora rubbed her sore buttocks from the earlier fall, speaking with a look of grievance, "I told you that your warm embrace gives me inspiration, Catherine. Okay, okay, let’s get serious. Put down the sword. The first possibility is that someone has been hired to monitor the progress of our task, which is very likely."

Lina nodded and said lightly, "Second."

Catherine couldn’t bear it any longer and knocked on Lina’s head, "I’m telling you, you’ve been like this for over three days. How long are you going to keep this up? It’s very inconvenient."

"Time." Lina didn’t object, seemingly as if Catherine had knocked on someone else’s head. She stared at Catherine and responded.

Scratching her head in frustration, Catherine guessed, "Are you saying that you haven’t had enough time these days to read your books?"

Lina didn’t say a word and just nodded in affirmation.

"Sigh." Catherine sighed, "How much longer till you change?"

"Soon."

"Give me an exact time." Catherine looked helplessly at the expressionless Lina, then at Vivian who had been sitting on one side ever since she finished eating, not doing anything or saying anything, but constantly scribbling on the ground and muttering words. She finaly glanced at Pannis who was sporting a bruise on his face and sneaking peeks at Dora’s thighs. She felt like she was on the brink of meltdown.

"Tomorrow," Lina tilted her head to think, hesitantly adding, "Maybe."

Catherine knocked Lina’s head in frustration again, turned to Dora and said, "Is the second possibility that the mission has been leaked and the enemy has sent out scouts?"

"It’s more troublesome than that." Dora furrowed her brows, "The second possibility is indeed that the mission has been leaked. But it’s likely not the thieves who have sent out scouts, but the people behind them. If that’s the case, then our journey may not be smooth."

"Not necessarily." Pannis stroked his chin with a smile, "What we fear now is them hiding and keeping quiet, making it hard for us to find them. If they really were the enemy’s mastermind and they’ve alerted others, they may choose to move their base in panic. Once they start moving, a troop of that many will definitely leave tracks behind. It’ll be as obvious as standing right in front of us and shouting ’I’m here’. So, it might not necessarily go badly."

"But what if they set out to hinder us?" Dora asked.

"Hehe, dear junior sister," Catherine chuckled lightly, "Has your years as a mercenary worn out all your courage? Do you remember our motto back at the academy?"

"Knight." Dora also laughed, first out of self-deprecation, but then her smile turned into one of pride.

"Knight," Catherine echoed. The female knights tightly held each other’s hands in the air.

"Never fear," the voices of the young female knights rang out together. Their ringing declaration of bravery and honor made an impact even without any grand gestures.

"Also, dear junior sister," Catherine said with a peculiar smile on her face, "If you still want to use your own legs to walk into the forest tomorrow, you’d best keep your hands to yourself. Don’t you agree?"

"Haha... Haha..." Dora hastily withdrew her hand, which had just been sneaking towards Catherine’s chest, and gave a dry laugh as she looked up at the sky.

"It’s about to start," Elrad, who had been watching the whole time, said suddenly out of the blue.

"Yes, it’s about to start," Pannis, seated cross-legged on the ground, rested his chin on his hand as he gazed out at the dense forest in the distance.

"What?" Catherine asked with a puzzled face, "What’s going to happen?"

"Look," Pannis pointed to the far-off forest.

In the night, the tangled treetops cast a shadow over the entire sky, plunging the forest into darkness. Only the fire illuminates the people around it. Beyond the fire is darkness and it’s impossible to see into the deep forest. But, with Pannis pointing, speckles of light began to appear in the darkness. The specks of light became more numerous and dense, eventually forming a blanket of soft light that illuminates the distant forest. The forest seemed to be filled with twinkling stars, shining as brightly as it would in the daytime.

"The light comes from the Flashing Vine, a type of vine that only grows at the base of trees in the Shining Forest. Once taken out of the forest, it dies," Pannis explained, "You can’t see this spectacle from anywhere else since the dense tree canopy blocks the light. Therefore, only from the edge of the forest, or from within, can this marvel be seen."

"So beautiful," Vivian, who had been dazed, couldn’t help but marvel, "So, this how the Shining Forest got its name?"

"Yes, the Shining Forest," Pannis nodded, "The forest of shimmering light."