CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: SLEEPING MUSHROOM

Many people spend three to five days in the Moonlight Forest and may not even find ten, which is too time-consuming.

Only First-Class Wizards often take on this mission, as it’s one of the few tasks that can earn Magic Stones, and it’s relatively safe.

Herag continued to browse some information about the Sleeping Mushrooms, which generally grow twenty to thirty centimeters below the ground.

Experienced individuals typically rely on their experience to observe if the ground is suitable for Sleeping Mushrooms, and then dig to check for them.

This method also has a low success rate; veterans also need to spend a lot of time.

"Perhaps I can let Deep Blue give it a try." After considering comprehensively, Herag believed this mission might be quite suitable for him.

This mission doesn’t require formal acceptance; after picking the Sleeping Mushrooms, you can directly exchange them for Magic Stones at the Operations Hall.

Once Herag made his decision, he started preparing, needing to buy some related items at the flea market.

The Moonlight Forest is located north of the Northern Forest Region, taking an hour on foot or just over twenty minutes by carriage.

There’s a station at the entrance of the Northern Forest Region where you can take a carriage to the Moonlight Forest; the fare is two Silver Coins, free for Official Wizards, although Official Wizards generally don’t take the carriage.

While waiting for the carriage at the station, Herag noticed three others also waiting, all wearing Wizard Apprentice Robes.

"Are you going to the Moonlight Forest too?" After a brief silence, a chubby wizard initiated the conversation.

"Yes, I... it’s my first time going there." A frail Wizard Apprentice said somewhat nervously.

After a brief introduction, the four of them got to know each other a bit.

The chubby wizard is named Macken, the frail one is called Luca, and the other is named Sunny.

Macken had been there three times, having earned a Magic Stone and some Gold Coins; the other two were first-timers like Herag.

"Don’t go too deep into the Moonlight Forest; stay on the outskirts," Macken advised.

"Why? This mission should be quite low-risk," Luca asked.

Macken explained, "The mission itself isn’t dangerous, but the deeper parts of the Moonlight Forest not only have Magical Beasts but you might also encounter people from the Green Cottage."

"Green Cottage? The Moonlight Forest is pretty far from them; it should be hard to encounter them, right?" Luca said, recalling the topography.

"The probability is indeed low, but someone once went too deep and encountered people from Green Cottage, got tortured to death, and their body was hung at the entrance of the Moonlight Forest," Macken recounted with a look of fear, as if experiencing it himself.

Sunny immediately added, "That possibility indeed exists; members of Green Cottage also come to the Moonlight Forest to gather resources, so it’s best to keep a certain distance. We are all First-Class Wizard Apprentices, we shouldn’t go in too deep."

Herag listened to their conversation, quietly staying aside without speaking.

This information he had learned before, mentioned by someone at the Gossip Tavern.

After chatting for a while, the carriage finally arrived.

The horse pulling the carriage was a Hellfoot, a hybrid of a Magical Beast; flames emitted from its hooves, and it was very fast.

The carriages in the Moonlight Forest didn’t have drivers; Hellfoot would pull the carriages back and forth along a fixed route, returning to the stable by itself at dark.

The space inside the carriage was small, accommodating six people.

Hellfoot glanced back to confirm that Herag and the others had boarded, then started running, leaving scorched marks where its flaming hooves tread. The road bore many such footprints.

It was early morning, and Herag and the others needed to hurry back before sunset.

No matter where you are, forests are particularly dangerous at night.

Over twenty minutes later, the four alighted at the Moonlight Forest’s station.

After reaching the station, Hellfoot would pause briefly there, and after ensuring no one disembarked, it would continue onward.

The trees within the Moonlight Forest were vast and tall, clearly aged for many years.

The ground underneath typically had dense, low shrubs, and near the entrance, there were some distinctly shaped paths—trails made by frequent visitors over the years.

Walking further in, the paths disappeared entirely, making it particularly laborious to navigate such jungles.

Herag pulled out the Longsword from his waist, paving a way while he walked.

He chose a direction and began his search, as did the other three, each picking a direction to start looking for Sleeping Mushrooms.

"Shenlan, begin underground scanning for Sleeping Mushrooms," Herag commanded Shenlan to survey the surroundings.

After his physical enhancement, Shenlan’s scanning range expanded to 250 meters.

Sleeping Mushrooms typically reside twenty to thirty centimeters underground, which was more than sufficient.

The surface of Sleeping Mushrooms is coated with a special substance that shields against Magic Power, though it has no effect on Shenlan.

"Sleeping Mushrooms detected, location marked in red," Shenlan promptly notified Herag after just a few steps.

In Herag’s vision, a red, shuttle-shaped mushroom lay a few meters ahead, underground.

Herag took out a shovel from his Space Ring, and at the marked spot, began digging.

He was extra cautious while digging, knowing the mushrooms were situated so close to the surface that any carelessness could damage them.

A few minutes later, Herag caught sight of the Sleeping Mushroom’s top.

The Sleeping Mushroom had no cap, its body was entirely purple.

Herag cleared the surrounding soil from the Sleeping Mushroom’s location and easily extracted it.

The first Sleeping Mushroom was secured.

Herag pressed forward, with Shenlan’s assistance saving him considerable observation time.

The ground was covered with too many low plants, and even for veterans, merely observing would consume much time.

Five minutes later, Herag paused as Shenlan detected another Sleeping Mushroom.

Within a morning, Herag found sixteen Sleeping Mushrooms.

Noting the early hour, he ate some dry food and continued searching for Sleeping Mushrooms.

Only when the forest darkened did Herag look up to realize it was already evening.

He tallied his haul: fifty-five Sleeping Mushrooms in total.

Covered in dew and many leaves, with his pant legs muddied,

Herag wiped the sweat from his brow and began heading out, staying on the Moonlight Forest outskirts without venturing deeper, and reached the entrance in about ten minutes.

Walking in the forest expends a lot of energy. Having spent an entire day inside, Herag felt somewhat weary.

He was the first to exit, and after a while, the other three followed suit.

The three others looked even more bedraggled than he did, especially Macken, whose bulk was soaked in sweat, drenching his robe.

"How many did you dig up?" Macken asked weakly.

"Two," Luca replied.

Sunny spoke up, "Two."

Macken took a breath and said, "I only found three; I’m exhausted. How about you, Herag?"