Chapter 139 - 138: Moon Bay
Chapter 139: Chapter 138: Moon Bay
Zelir led the Fourth Squad, taking the lead as they advanced through the forest for several more hours.
It had now been over a day since the squad entered the Gray Wood Forest, and the surrounding scenery was growing increasingly pristine and wild.
Giant, ancient trees were tangled with vines, the ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves, and the air was filled with the tranquil aura unique to a primeval forest.
This was a place most Adventurer Squads wouldn’t dare venture into.
The squad passed through a final stretch of marsh and continued on through the dense thickets.
Suddenly, a cool, crisp mountain breeze wafted toward them from ahead, sweeping away their fatigue.
Zelir reached out and pushed aside the heavy, curtain-like vines.
The view that opened up before them was breathtaking.
Everyone subconsciously stopped in their tracks, their breathing growing soft.
Though they hadn’t climbed any slope, it felt as if they were standing at the edge of the world. The squad had arrived at a cliff’s edge.
Gazing out from their vantage point revealed a magnificent vista, one difficult to describe in words.
A sea of clouds churned restlessly below, completely blanketing a bottomless basin. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but an endless, ocean-like expanse of forest canopy.
As the mountain wind swept past, the green ocean of treetops undulated gently. The sound of the wind, like ocean waves, whispered endlessly in their ears.
"Whoa..." Lante’s eyes widened.
He instinctively reached for a nearby tree trunk to steady himself, utterly stunned by the miraculous sight before him.
"This place is..." Bev murmured, her sapphire-blue eyes reflecting the magnificent sea of trees.
Zelir checked the name on his map and slowly read it aloud.
"Moon Bay Basin."
"Moon Bay."
Yanni sighed in admiration. "I’d only ever heard my family talk about it. I never imagined seeing it in person would be so breathtaking."
"Legend has it that this very basin was formed when the moon fell from the sky, carving out this enormous crater. That’s how it got the name Moon Bay."
Marcus spoke up, having heard a few stories about the place.
"Back then, the villagers living around the Gray Wood Forest believed this was sacred ground. Every year, they would organize a pilgrimage here for a ritual to pray for peace and a bountiful harvest."
"Of course, they were inevitably attacked by Demons on the way, and many people lost their lives, but they never gave up."
"But later, geologists from the Sel Kingdom determined that it was simply a naturally formed subsidence basin. After they publicized their findings, the ritual gradually died out."
"No wonder the villagers of old were willing to make sacrifices to come and worship here."
Valles’s gaze drifted into the distance. "With terrain this magnificent, it’s truly awe-inspiring. It’s hard not to believe it’s the work of the gods."
"Yeah, it’s spectacular," Zelir agreed, marveling at the wondrous craftsmanship of nature.
’Monster Hunting... It wasn’t just a process of trial and combat. It was also a chance to see magnificent wonders one could never normally see, expanding one’s knowledge of the world.’
’This was the true charm of an adventure.’
According to the route planned on the map, the only way forward was to cut straight across the Moon Bay Basin.
Going around the edge would likely add another week to their journey.
Rivaya soon found a small path leading down a relatively gentle slope.
As their altitude dropped, the squad gradually passed through the thick layer of clouds and arrived at the bottom of the Moon Bay Basin.
Once they entered the forest, the sight within was even more astounding.
The forest wasn’t particularly dense, but the trees’ branches forked an extraordinary number of times, like countless interwoven arms stretching toward the sky.
The leaves in the canopy were more lush than anywhere else in the Gray Wood Forest, pressing tightly together to form a thick green barrier.
The sunlight from the outside world couldn’t penetrate it at all.
Yet the forest floor was not dark; on the contrary, the gloom was illuminated as if by daylight.
Colonies of bioluminescent fungi dotted the massive tree trunks, and many peculiar plants on the ground also radiated light.
On some, the veins of the leaves were clearly visible, while others bloomed with small flowers that twinkled like stars.
The countless sources of light converged, making the inside of the Moon Bay Basin look ethereal and dreamlike.
"Oh my gosh..." Bev and Yanni both couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder.
In the Moon Bay Basin, it was as if there were no distinction between day and night.
As far as the eye could see, there was only this unending, unquenchable sea of light.
A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a rich, verdant scent that washed over them. Just a single whiff was enough to make one’s Spirit soar.
"This... isn’t some kind of poison mist, is it?" Valles frowned warily, still a bit shaken from their encounter with the Cystic Poison Frogs.
Zelir, however, took a deep, fearless breath.
’Besides, Instructor Manlin was there as a safety net.’
"Hmm... it doesn’t seem like poison mist."
Zelir frowned slightly, analyzing it.
"And... the scent is so complex. It’s almost like the unique aroma of many rare Magic Plants mixed together, isn’t it?"
"It is."
Instructor Manlin’s gentle voice held a note of approval.
"Because of its uniquely advantageous geographical conditions, the Moon Bay Basin is home to a great many Magic Plants, far richer in quantity and variety than the outside world."
"It’s a veritable treasure trove," Zelir said, a look of delight on his face.
’This’ll save me a ton of money on Alchemy Materials.’
His spirits lifted, and he began to carefully observe his surroundings.
However...
Although these were all plant varieties rarely seen in the outside world, they were merely unique, not the kind of Magic Plants that could be harvested for extraction.
The squad had no choice but to press on. Suddenly, Rivaya, who was scouting ahead, returned to the group to report to Zelir.
"There seems to be a lone Demon up ahead."
"Oh...?"
Zelir raised his right hand, making a fist. The squad fell silent, going on alert.
Once they drew closer, they all saw the "Demon."
It was a creature that looked like a tortoise.
It was a little over a meter long and just under half a meter tall, with a heavy, dark brown shell on its back.
Its limbs were thick and powerful, covered in wrinkled skin. It was unhurriedly munching on some kind of glowing berry on the ground.
"What is that thing?" Zelir asked Marcus.
He was sure he’d never seen this type of creature in the Monster Atlas.
"I’m not sure either..." Marcus shook his head gently.
"Should we... kill it?"
Zelir raised Night Peace, preparing to fire an Arcane Missile to test the creature’s mettle.
"Don’t attack."
Instructor Manlin’s voice rang out just in time. "That’s not a Demon. It’s a docile, peculiar creature called a Medicinal Turtle."
"Medicinal Turtles are different from ordinary Demons. They aren’t aggressive at all and feed on all sorts of plants, especially Magic Plants imbued with Magic Power."
"You could call it this forest’s foremost gourmand and treasure hunter. If you see one, don’t kill it. It will lead you to the area with the most Magic Plants."
"So there are creatures like that..." This was news to Zelir.
He cautiously approached it to test the waters.
The Medicinal Turtle seemed to notice Zelir’s approach, but it merely lifted an eyelid to give him a lazy glance.
After finishing the berries, it stretched its neck out again, plucked a clump of glowing grass from the ground with its mouth, and slowly rolled it into its horny beak with its tongue, chewing with relish.
The man and the turtle stared at each other from a few meters away.
"What are you doing?" Gray asked, confused.
"I’m trying to figure out what kind of sound I should make to get it to lead me to the Magic Plants," said Zelir.
As if it had understood Zelir’s words, or perhaps simply because it had finished eating the nearby plants...
The Medicinal Turtle deliberately swallowed the grass.
Then it turned its head and, with a surprisingly dainty gait, set off into the woods.
"Should we follow it?" Marcus looked to Zelir for his decision.
"Let’s follow it... It should be fine," Zelir said.
The Medicinal Turtle led them down a very secluded path.
Every living thing in the Moon Bay Basin seemed to be imbued with the land’s Magic Power, each shimmering with its own unique luminescence.
Colorful butterflies flapped their wings, sprinkling down shimmering, phosphorescent dust. Giant moths with wings like velvet rose and fell silently among the flowers.
Even the birds that occasionally skimmed low through the air left long, fluorescent trails in their wake.
As they followed the Medicinal Turtle, the fresh, verdant scent in the air grew stronger, becoming almost tangible.
Suddenly, the Medicinal Turtle leading the way stopped before a dense thicket.
It pulled its head and limbs into its shell, looking terrified, and refused to take another step forward.
"What’s wrong with it?" Lante ventured, prodding the Medicinal Turtle’s tail with his Magic Wand.
"It seems to be afraid of something..." Zelir murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.