Chapter 33: The Twisted Forest
Page 1 of 3
......
At night, Pinewood Tavern.
Qin Yuan sat by the window, gazing up at the stars of this world.
A vast expanse of stars adorned the night sky, outlining a brilliant celestial canopy that shimmered with the dreamlike radiance of an illusion.
At its very center hung a yellow full moon, glowing brilliantly.
Just as his thoughts began to wander, a system notification suddenly rang out.
[Enter the Twisted Forest?]
Qin Yuan did not hesitate and decisively selected yes.
The next moment, a powerful wave of drowsiness surged over him. He collapsed onto the table and fell into a deep sleep.
If anyone else had been in the room, they would have witnessed a wondrous sight.
His body seemed to be bathed in a layer of golden radiance.
This was a special state. Even if someone attacked him at that moment, they would be unable to inflict any damage.
......
When Qin Yuan’s consciousness returned once more, what met his eyes was a bleak and twisted jungle.
Looking around, he saw not a single leaf on the trees, only withered branches.
Even the earth beneath his feet was barren and gray.
He lifted his head toward the sky. A yellow, pumpkin-shaped moon was slowly rising, casting the moonlight in a murky, jaundiced glow.
[Welcome to the Twisted Forest.]
[Tip 1: Slay the monsters in the forest to collect Pumpkin Candlefire and Pumpkin Essence.]
[Tip 2: Remain vigilant around other players.]
[Tip 3: There is a chance you may encounter a Carriage Merchant in the forest. He sells special items and information that can only be used in the Twisted Forest.]
[Tip 4: The Twisted Forest will open a total of six times. Each entry will bring certain changes, such as higher monster levels and the appearance of new monster types. Until, at the final stage, the Reaper of Life appears...... If you see it, run!]
[Time remaining until the end of this dream: 7:59:40.]
[Enjoy the game.]
......
“It lasts for eight hours...... And it even reminds me to beware of other players. Though even without that warning, I would have been careful......”
Qin Yuan muttered to himself.
He then swiftly examined his current situation.
The storage pouch at his waist was still there, and both the interface and the player inventory could still be opened.
He tested his senses and discovered that although this was supposedly a dream, the sensations in his limbs were astonishingly real—or rather, there was not the slightest sense of incongruity.
Perhaps this was more like the secret realms described in novels......
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
He reflected on this in silence, then first summoned Feather.
As expected, the Owl Whistle could be used here as well.
He had already explained the situation to Feather beforehand.
The owl immediately entered combat mode and began observing its surroundings through its eagle eyes.
Qin Yuan then took an Arcane Potion from his inventory and drank it in one gulp.
......
[Spell Enhancement: The power of your spells is increased by 10%.]
[Duration: 1 hour.]
......
After he drank the potion, it vanished from his inventory.
Qin Yuan guessed that items used within this dream would likewise disappear from reality.
It was even possible that this was actually a real secret realm, rather than a dream at all......
Just as he was preparing to move, the tranquil jungle suddenly echoed with footsteps.
“Hm?” Qin Yuan instantly grew alert and looked toward the source of the sound.
A few seconds later, a monster appeared within his field of vision.
It was a skeleton monster, holding a short sword in its left hand and a small shield in its right. What made it unusual was that its head was a glowing pumpkin.
......
[Pumpkin Skeleton, Level 1: A low-level monster found in the Twisted Forest. Slaying it grants Pumpkin Candlefire.]
......
What luck...... Qin Yuan thought.
He had just been looking for a monster to test things out on, and before he could even take action, one had delivered itself straight to him.
Feather moved atop the branch.
With a gentle beat of one wing, it sent a blade of wind slicing forth and cleanly severed the monster at the waist.
[Notice: Your spirit pet, Feather, has slain a Pumpkin Skeleton, Level 1. This creature does not provide experience.]
Then, as the monster’s body gradually faded into nothingness, a tiny yellow point of light swiftly emerged from it. As though drawn by a magnet, it shot straight toward Qin Yuan.
“Can it launch an attack even after death?”
Qin Yuan was startled and was about to dodge, but stopped when he saw the words appear before his eyes.
As the faint light entered his body, a new notification sounded.
[Notice: You have obtained one Pumpkin Candlefire. Current total: 1.]
Interesting......
Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow. He immediately set off with Feather, hurrying toward the depths of the forest.
He had only eight hours each time, so naturally he had to collect as much Pumpkin Candlefire as possible within that limited period.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Over the course of the following hours, he began slaughtering monsters in earnest.
Perhaps to accommodate the lower-level players, the monsters appearing during this Pumpkin Festival were generally not very powerful. Most were between Levels 1 and 2.
Against Qin Yuan as he was now, monsters of this level posed no threat whatsoever.
Still, to prepare for any possible danger, he needed to remain in peak condition.
Thus, Qin Yuan specifically instructed Feather to alternate with him in clearing out the monsters, preventing either of them from becoming overly exhausted.
[Notice: You have obtained one Pumpkin Candlefire. Current total: 5.]
[......]
[Notice: You have obtained one Pumpkin Candlefire. Current total: 10.]
[......]
After sweeping through the area, Qin Yuan’s Pumpkin Candlefire had reached ten.
Along the way, he encountered several other players who were also hunting monsters. However, none of them interfered with the others. Usually, after their eyes met, they would quickly change targets and head off in separate directions.
Not everyone was so reserved, however. A solitary player who was only Level 2 seemed to notice that Qin Yuan’s level was high. He approached and struck up a conversation, apparently hoping Qin Yuan would take him along to hunt monsters.
Qin Yuan, of course, had no interest in that.
He flatly refused on the spot.
He barely had enough monsters for himself—how could he possibly share them with someone else?
After all that activity, he had also gained a rough understanding of the monsters that appeared here.
So far, he had seen two types.
The first was the Pumpkin Skeleton he had encountered at the beginning. It moved slowly, had stiff, clumsy movements, and poor defenses. It was utterly pathetic, and not a single one had managed to get close to him.
The other was a monster called the Black Crow. Its appearance differed little from that of an ordinary crow, though its body was considerably larger.
Most of them were Level 2, while a very small number could even reach Level 3.
Their method of attack was to spit a black orb of dark matter from their beaks. Upon impact, it inflicted area-of-effect damage.
Because they could fly, they were relatively agile. One of them had even managed, through sheer luck, to evade one of Feather’s blades of wind.
Even so, they still posed no significant threat to Qin Yuan at this stage.
Higher-level creatures did provide more Pumpkin Candlefire upon death, however. Level 2 monsters yielded two candlefires, while Level 3 monsters yielded three.
Qin Yuan naturally preferred hunting monsters of the higher levels.
Deep within a shadowy forest, Qin Yuan waved his staff.
A brilliant little fireball traced a beautiful arc through the night and struck a Black Crow with perfect accuracy.
Engulfed in flames, the Black Crow immediately went limp and fell to the ground.
[Notice: You have obtained two Pumpkin Candlefires. Current total: 30.]
Qin Yuan stopped and glanced at the countdown on his panel.
[Time remaining until the end of this dream: 4:40:55.]
“This progress feels a little slow......”
Page 3 of 3