Chapter 363: 301, Mountain forest shakes, the Sun Adventure Group, squad goes deep
"It's not possible now, the opportunity might only come after midnight tonight,"
Lin Da was the first to crawl into the tunnel, "Wait for the Sun Adventure Group to take the lead into the Dragon Forest and distract the Forest Dragon, that's our chance to move."
"Wait... you're not scared, are you?"
Seeing Lia's pale face, Lin Da said gravely, "If you want to back out, do it early."
Scared? How could I be, I'm destined to be the empire's strongest Swordsman!"
Provoked by this, Lia suddenly perked up.
"It seems like there's no problem then," Lin Da nodded, "The scouting of the route is complete, go and call Lulu and the others."
This time, Lin Da planned to deploy only four people, conforming to the optimal number for a strategy in the game, minimizing unnecessary variables.
...
On the way back, with experience, the two's crawling speed increased, arriving at the entrance in 20 minutes.
Lin Da crawled out and eagerly breathed in the fresh air, exclaiming with pleasure.
The sky above was starred, completely dark now.
"In another hour, the signs should appear..."
Lin Da muttered to himself.
He and Lia were now in the middle layer of the Dragon Forest.
On their way back, they heard a dragon's roar that shook the mountains and forests.
The ground seemed to tremble, and flocks of birds scurried overhead.
Afterward, Lin Da saw wild boars, wolves, and goblins fleeing from the depths.
As they encountered each other, those Magical Creatures had no intention of attacking them, running straight towards the outer forest.
"What's going on?" Lia asked curiously.
"The Forest Dragon's young have hatched,"
Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire
Lin Da explained, "Young dragons are most vulnerable when they just hatch. Not only do adventurers covet the materials from dragon-kind, dragon blood and flesh are also great supplements for Magical Creatures. Whoever consumes them might become the top warrior in their village, and might even mutate to grow an extra pair of arms. This is the Forest Dragon warning other creatures to stay away from its child!"
Little did they know, this dragon roar would spur many adventurers' greed.
The event in the game apparently started with the sound of the dragon roar.
All players on the Great Mystery Continent's tenth layer would receive the system announcement: Instance "Calamity of the Forest Dragon" officially begins!
On their way out, Lin Da and his group spotted more fleeing Magical Creatures, including some level 30s. However, these creatures ignored them completely, terrified by the Dragon's Might, desperate to escape.
Finally, they approached the edge of the forest.
Just then, several powerful presences swept over from the sky above, apparently to confirm the identities of Lin Da and his group.
Lin Da felt a stifling sensation in his chest as if struck by an invisible shockwave.
It was not painful, but certainly not comfortable either.
Such behavior was quite rude among adventurers.
However, after assessing the disparity in strength between them, Lin Da decided to swallow his pride, shutting his mouth and remaining silent.
He looked up at the night sky, the 'rude ones' each had wings of various colors sprouting from their backs, and each chest bore a golden, shimmering badge.
The badge's background featured a rock fortress, with a glowing square as the main emblem.
Recognizing the team badge, Lin Da realized in a flash: it was the Holy Rock Adventure Team from Aiko's hometown, South Rock City!
The leader was a burly middle-aged man with short golden hair. He carried a Great Sword on his back, adorned with sixteen Light-based Gems, each emanating extremely remarkable Magic Power, reaching the strength of a level 40 Secret Realm Guardian.
The middle-aged man's face was covered with scars, and his exposed neck and arms bore various degrees of old scars, indicating he was not someone to mess with.
"The leader of the Holy Rock Adventure Team, does that mean, he is Aiko's father?"
Lin Da murmured to himself.
Bervis was also in the team, waving at Lin Da to greet him, then with a swing of his golden Battle Qi Twin Wings, disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Must be nice to be able to fly," Lia said enviously, watching the Holy Rock Adventure Team's figures.
The terrain of the Dragon Forest is intricate and filled with Magical Creatures, demanding cautious exploration.
But flying could solve most troubles.
Below the Moon Rank, apart from a few mages and special professions, other people could only run on the ground.
The sky has always been regarded by adventurers as a symbol of sanctity and power.
And undoubtedly, dragons are the kings of the sky.
"Moon Rank, that day will come,"
Lin Da said, "We need to hurry now, as the Holy Rock Adventure Team takes the lead, other Sun Adventure Groups will follow soon."
"Ah? Doesn't that mean we won't get a chance?"
"It's not that easy, dealing with the Forest Dragon requires at least four ordinary Sun Adventure Groups. And adding up White Dove City, Red Heart City, and South Rock City, I estimate there aren't even four groups."
Lin Da said intensely, "Now, is our chance to sneak into the Forest Dragon's nest!"
As Lin Da spoke with such certainty, Lia felt a sense of security. Unlike the anxiety when leading the team herself, being assisted by someone else... ahem, was quite comfortable, like tucking the brain comfortably into a pocket.
A thought flashed through Lia's mind: if she stayed with Lin Da, couldn't it always be like this?
Lia shook her small head, casting away distracting thoughts. Whenever she thought about this, her heart ached sourly.
Right now, the most important thing was the Forest Dragon's treasure.
Snow Goose's step into Iron Level was a done deal, her goal was to become part of the Sun Adventure Group. If she could obtain the Forest Dragon's treasures, she could skip three years of hard work.
Imagining a huge treasure chest filled with gems and rare equipment, Lia's eyes lit up, and a goofy smile appeared on her face.
Half an hour later, the pair walked out of the Dragon Forest.