Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 981 - 98: Hierarchical Forest

Chapter 981: Chapter 98: Hierarchical Forest

"Because this forest is nothing like I imagined, it’s really surprising me," Lina said without exaggeration. Anyone who saw the Forest of Death for the first time would always exclaim in astonishment, almost without exception. Lina was now immersed in her amazement, saying, "If I hadn’t known in advance that this was a forest, I might have thought it was several forests stacked on top of each other."

Lina and Vivian were right. The most distinctive feature of the Forest of Death was its density. To be precise, it was a coexistence of density and sparsity, as if several forests were stacked together. Viewing from afar with the Hawkeye Spell, one could see that the Forest of Death had layers, with the tallest trees on the highest layer reaching approximately eighty to ninety meters high, their straight trunks shooting up into the sky, and their canopies, like giant umbrellas, shading the space below. The second layer’s trees were about sixty meters tall, growing in the gaps between the canopies of the tallest trees, forming the second barrier above the Forest of Death. The third layer’s trees were around thirty meters tall. Though they could not receive direct sunlight due to the shielding of the canopies above, they still enjoyed slanted sunlight due to the difference in height. As for how many more layers there were beneath the third, it was impossible to see due to the distance and the obstruction of the tree canopies. Based on what could be seen, the forest was extremely dense with one layer covering another. However, looking at each layer individually, there was actually a significant gap between trees, making it relatively sparse. This is why someone described it as a paradoxical combination of density and sparsity.

"Actually, the person who made that evaluation was me," Pannis stated, hands on his hips and proudly said, "How about that, the description is not only vivid, but also very profound, hahaha."

"Idiot." Lina rolled her eyes at him, making the most fitting comment, "You’ve been here before, right? How many layers does this forest have? How do the plants below grow and, if it really is layered like this, wouldn’t it be like night at the very bottom?"

"Hmm, there are seven layers in total. The fourth layer is about fifteen meters, the fifth around ten meters, the sixth layer consists of vines and shrubs, and the seventh layer is ground-level weeds," Pannis thought for a moment and said, "As for your concern, that actually doesn’t happen. Despite the trees being densely layered, each layer has a large gap between plants, allowing the lower vegetation to absorb enough sunlight at different times. As for the ground layer, since even weeds can grow, it naturally isn’t as dark as you’d imagine, like nighttime."

"Is that so?" Lina looked around in doubt. From an aerial view, it was hard to verify Pannis’s description. However, the curious girl quickly developed new questions, asking, "What is it really like inside? I’m very curious."

"Well, you better be prepared mentally," Pannis said with a look of someone watching the excitement, leisurely speaking, "Don’t think just because elves can survive in this forest, that the world below is wonderful. The Lost Forest is definitely not as you imagine. In fact, the environment is very harsh, hot, humid, rainy, like hell itself. Elves can live there long-term because their physique is special and greatly differs from humans. If it were humans trying to live there long-term, even without magical beast attacks, they probably wouldn’t survive long due to various harsh natural conditions."

"That’s not right," Catherine interrupted Pannis’s warning, puzzled, "Aren’t there many adventurers active in the Lost Forest? Not just elf adventurers, but those from various races, like our guild leader. How do they manage to live?"

"You’re mistaken, big sister. Although Father used to frequently stay in the Lost Forest for his adventures, he would only venture deep into the forest when he had a task; otherwise, he stayed in the Elven City," Freya had been pulled aside by an overly anxious Odin over an hour ago, and at this point, Odin no longer resembled a leader of a major power nor a powerful Demigod. At that moment, he was just a father concerned for his daughter, an old man who watched helplessly as his child headed towards death, his only option being to repeatedly admonish her, as if one more reminder could somehow increase her chances of survival. The girls’ reactions to Odin’s behavior were interesting. Freya, receiving the admonishments, looked helpless, desperately trying to find a way to escape, while the other girls, not treated this way by anyone, were filled with envy. Although they did not voice it, it was clear they wished they were the ones being treated in that manner.

Odin’s behavior had continued for over an hour, until Freya managed to end it somewhat reluctantly, using the excuse of needing to discuss upcoming tactics with her teammates. Finally free, Freya felt a wave of relief and quickly returned to her teammates’ side, barely approaching when she overheard Catherine’s question and couldn’t help but interject, "Actually, it’s not just my father; all adventurers, including the Elves, do this. No one would foolishly choose to live in the forest long term under those conditions, not even the Elves could withstand it, let alone other races."

"Elven City?" Catherine asked puzzled, "Isn’t that also in the Lost Forest?"

"The cities and villages of the Elves are built on the plains in the forest," Pannis explained, "Although these plains are also hot and rainy, the conditions are much better than deep in the forest. It’s hard to explain clearly, but you’ll see for yourself soon enough; by then everything will be clear."

"Alright, I hope it’s as you say," Catherine sighed deeply, stretching her waist to ease the fatigue from the journey. She looked toward the increasingly close forest boundary and said eagerly, "We’re almost there. I’ve never experienced what it’s like to ride the Horned Eagle Beasts. Ah, to fly freely in the air—something I couldn’t even imagine in my dreams."

"It’s not something to look forward to; riding a Horned Eagle Beast is not comfortable," Pannis shook his head, "And... well, take care, Catherine, good luck."

"Huh? What’s wrong?" Puzzled by Pannis’s inexplicable well-wishing for a few seconds, Catherine’s puzzlement soon turned into a bitter smile as she helplessly said, "When it’s your turn, suddenly it doesn’t seem so enviable anymore. It feels like some things just aren’t the same between imagining them and actually experiencing them."

In the midst of the girl’s bitter smile, Marquis Snape was quickly approaching her, his face filled with concern nearly identical to Odin’s an hour earlier. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote and support on qidian.com. Mobile users can read at m.qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)