Chapter 1132: Chapter 101: Advance and Reinforcements
The light from the fireplace separated the forest cabin from the Mysterious Dense Forest.
"Verilete Marvin." The knight lightly pressed the armor on his chest.
"Yusup." The member of the Conspiracy Web Deity Sect fiddled with his creepy forced smile.
The contestant who ran back from the old sewer front line looked terribly charred, but the actual situation might be slightly better, as only his hair was burnt. He was excluded from the comfort and warmth of the fireplace.
They thought it wouldn’t say anything. Then, when ignored, it clumsily spoke in human language: "Lute thought, I thought you saved me... to eliminate..."
Yusup indeed thought so, but his words didn’t count.
Lu Li picked up the note pressed under a cup on the table: [Welcome to the third stage. What you need to do is...]
The content matched the hand-drawn map at the end and the previous forest cabin.
Lu Li handed the note to Verilete Marvin, who voiced the same doubt as Lu Li: "The third stage?"
Then the note was given to Yusup, who was an adversary not long ago: "You are the best at unraveling conspiracies."
"There’s no scent of conspiracy." Yusup, with a cleanliness obsession, didn’t touch the note. After glancing at it, he said, "If it’s not a mistake in writing, then we should backtrack to see what purpose it serves."
In the brief exchange, Lu Li stood by the wooden wall with the mounted deer-head specimen. A worn-out wooden plaque was engraved with several notices about the Mysterious Dense Forest.
[Always remain quiet and slow, even in the forest cabin]
[Do not stay too short nor too long in the forest cabin. If you must, walk out slowly, and do not disturb them]
[If anything attempts to lure you out of the forest cabin, ignore it. Whether it’s deceased relatives or the temptation of power]
[Your emotions will be sensed by the forest, like a tree, my friend]
[And remember to replenish firewood, don’t let those behind you lack it. You can pick it up in the surrounding forest, just be careful not to attract too much attention]
The notices explained why Lute was quickly attacked and why the previous forest cabin only lasted a few seconds before the intruder forced their way out.
The environment was unfavorable for Yusup—members of the Conspiracy Web Deity Sect are constantly weaving webs; their minds are like relentless waves.
The knight’s creed led Verilete Marvin to scrutinize Yusup and Lute.
Disliking being stared at, Yusup reluctantly said: "A matter of contract spirit, huh? I understand, I won’t do anything to His Excellency Lu Li or you all."
When it was Lute’s turn, it awkwardly said in human language: "Lu Li... saved... Lute, Lute won’t harm... you all."
A radiant golden contract mark appeared on Verilete Marvin’s armor, symbolizing the contract’s formation.
At this moment, Lu Li prepared to leave. He had no intention of actively eliminating other contestants, so the only way to gain points was to reach the exit earlier than everyone else.
It was impossible to determine whether the third stage was followed by the second stage or the end of the competition.
"My companions are nearby, so I won’t go with you," Yusup said without any apparent reason. Verilete Marvin looked at Lu Li with a start: "Are you planning to leave now?"
"Mm."
Using the map’s scale and the distribution of forest cabins, Lu Li was approximately 30 li (miles) from the northern exit, with 12 forest cabins in between.
Excluding the cabins he needed to detour, he would have 7 remaining if he tried to proceed in a straight line.
The cost was around 7 units of humanity—it’s hard to say if exchanging so much humanity for a Cursed Title is worth it.
Unexpectedly, Verilete Marvin decided to follow Lu Li, and Lute also chose to join them.
After bidding farewell to Yusup, they left the forest cabin.
The power of the Speaker of the Trees could undoubtedly shelter those around and heal.
Lute’s charred and carbonized hair and clothing shed as their skin healed, revealing a new, leather-like coarse skin. Hair grew like wild grass, quickly covering the second pair of deformed arms tucked under the armpits.
They gradually moved away from the forest cabin standing beside the terrifying giant tree. Just as it was about to fall out of sight, Verilete Marvin’s expression subtly changed.
A faint glow of firelight sneaked into the forest cabin soon after they left.
After bypassing a giant tree with a diameter of one hundred meters, the last light from the distant forest cabin vanished.
Like fireflies, the threesome traversed through the solitude and darkness of the Forest of Terror.
Lute had returned to its stance as during their standoff. Verilete Marvin observed the surroundings and occasionally glanced sideways as Lu Li’s back emitted a faint glow, causing new branches to sprout from a sapling.
In the silence, the third forest cabin emerged ahead at the edge of a giant tree, situated in the tranquil forest.
This forest cabin did not seem to be occupied by any contestant. As they approached, they noticed something different.
The fireplace still retained warmth, and new footprints wandering around the cabin indicated contestants had stayed there not long ago.
"They headed north."
Moreover, it could be predicted that similar movements occurred in every forest cabin.
Verilete Marvin’s cooled emotions warmed up as he recalled the road’s scenes and quietly inquired, "His Excellency Lu Li, there is... a mark on the tree’s trunk."
"A mark?"
Without a mirror in the cabin, Lu Li listened to Verilete Marvin’s description. He summoned Merchant Anthony to bring a mirror.
The sapling bathing in faint light reappeared, and Lu Li saw a scar at the elm seedling chest-height in the mirror’s reflection.
The projection formed by the power of the Cursed Title typically originates from the mind, but Lu Li indeed had no memory of this sapling.
"If it is the World Tree Themis in its youth..."
Verilete Marvin was shocked by his own guess.
Unfortunately, it’s all just speculation. After a short stay, they departed from the forest cabin that was still warm and continued north.
Twenty minutes later, Lu Li encountered the fourth forest cabin, while Verilete Marvin and Lute encountered the third.
A confrontation was nearing its end there—
Five members of the Noble Council were blocked outside the forest cabin. As time passed, their torch and oil lamp grew dimmer, and a battle could break out at any moment.
When they noticed Lu Li and the others arriving, their wariness quickly turned to delight.
"Your Excellency Lu Li, we hope—"
The invitation from another group of contestants inside interrupted the Noble Council: "Please come in, Mr. Luli."
One minute later.
The trio of Lu Li, five Noble Council members, and four Giant Tree Academy members who had arrived earlier, crowded into the forest cabin.
Unsurprisingly, the Giant Tree Academy was a natural ally of Lu Li, and the five Noble Council members also formed a new alliance under Verilete Marvin’s witness.
The group expanded to twelve people and prepared to move forward.
But when some follow, others remain behind.
"My Sanity Value can’t hold on..." a young noble, leaning against the fireplace, whispered weakly, "If I keep going, I might go crazy and involve you all. Don’t worry about me, don’t worry, I’ll have a good sleep and then join the group behind. If they want to eliminate me, then let them have the points..."
Lu Li remained silent; low Sanity Value had been a concern long ago for him.