Luo Yan looked forward. The trees were tall and thick, their branches tightly woven together, blocking out the sky. A thin mist curled around the roots, giving the ground a ghostly look. The air was still, filled with the scent of damp earth and something faintly rotting.
The silence was unsettling, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen movement, as if the forest itself was quietly observing them.
This place was still as creepy as he remembered it.
"This forest is vast. Without knowing precisely where to go, we could waste a lot of time wandering in there," Su Yuqi said, her eyes scanning the dense, shadowy expanse before them.
Luo Yan nodded in agreement. Even with the clue they had and his own interpretation, pinpointing the exact location of the clue for the next checkpoint would be challenging. The entire forest was cloaked in darkness, so how could they possibly determine which area was the darkest of all?
But he had already thought of a remedy for that. "Why don't we ask Lhoris? He should still be here."
Lhoris was the moon elf they found here while doing the 'Awakening Dragon' quest. From his memory, they discovered the connection between Dusk and Eclipse's mother, Kagetsuki. Having lived in the Forest of Darkness for a long time, Lhoris would probably know which part of the forest had the darkest area.
"I had the same thought," Shen Ji Yun agreed. "I've marked the location of his cabin on my map, so we can head straight there."
"Oh, I remember him!" Eclipse exclaimed suddenly. Then, as if something occurred to him, he glanced at Dusk and leaned in to whisper to Luo Yan. "Master, do you think it will be okay for that old man to see Uncle Dusk?"
Luo Yan recalled how terrified Lhoris had been at the mere thought of Dusk attacking him just for accidentally glimpsing his memories. He cast a quick glance at Dusk and said, "Considering how your uncle is now, I don't think it'll be an issue."
"Brother Ji Yun and I will go talk to Lhoris since he's already familiar with us. He's a bit high-strung, and if he sees unfamiliar faces, we might not get the information we need," Luo Yan suggested. Then he turned to the black dragon. "Dusk, I know this is a strange request, but could you turn around so your back faces the cabin?"
Dusk frowned visibly but complied with Luo Yan's request. Luo Yan quietly sighed in relief. Although it was unlikely, there was still a chance Lhoris might panic at the sight of Dusk. It was safer if the moon elf didn't see Dusk's face.
With that, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun began walking toward the cabin.
Luo Yan stepped up to the door and knocked. It didn't take long for the door to open, but to his surprise, it was a handsome elf with blond hair and green eyes who greeted him.
"Mr. Alen?" Luo Yan automatically blurted out.
The elf was an NPC who worked as an actor at Tropical Land's amphitheater. He had been the one who told them where to find Lhoris before.
The elf looked just as surprised to see them. "It's you two! Are you looking for Lhoris? Did the elder of the moon elves send you again?"
Ah, that's right—Luo Yan had used that excuse before to make it easier for the elf to reveal Lhoris's location.
Luo Yan smiled. "No, not this time. We're here to get some information about this forest. We're in the middle of the Arcadia Cup, and we could really use Lhoris's help."
Yes, it wasn't just the players who knew about the Arcadia Cup; the NPCs in Arcadia were well aware of it, too. This wasn't surprising, given that the Cup's hosts were NPCs themselves.