CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: RIVER TOWN

After Hellfoot arrived at the station, Herag and the others boarded the wagon one after another. They first needed to ride Hellfoot to the Red Mountain Range, which marked the eastern border of the Moonlight Forest.

Beyond that point, they would be outside the domain of the Moonlight Forest.

Herag got off the wagon, and at a glance, he saw the continuous red mountains ahead.

The rocks here were relatively soft and presented a bright red color.

Many maple trees grew in the mountains, turning the scenery into a fiery red world in autumn.

After arriving at the Red Mountain Range Station, Hellfoot walked to a trough nearby to eat fresh grass and then drank water in large gulps.

Once it was full, it stood still, looking at Herag and the others, stamping its hooves a few times.

Bessie patted Hellfoot’s head and said, "You can go back now, little one. We won’t be taking the wagon."

Hellfoot seemed to understand, pulling the wagon back by itself.

At the Hellfoot station, there was an ordinary wagon, and the driver was a robust young man who had been waiting here early according to Bessie’s arrangements.

"Get on the wagon. Let’s aim to reach River Town tonight so we don’t have to camp in the wild," Bessie said, lifting the curtain and getting in first.

Herag followed closely behind. The interior of the wagon was quite spacious, with soft cushions on the seats, making it very comfortable to sit.

Bessie’s long legs were somewhat cramped in the wagon, requiring her to occasionally adjust her leg position to make herself more comfortable.

Emma and Bessie had a close relationship and chatted about various trivial matters after boarding, such as which Third Class Wizard Apprentice had to sleep with whom for promotion or who was having an affair with whom.

Neither Herag nor Rock spoke. After getting on the wagon, Rock kept his eyes closed, seemingly meditating.

Herag opened the curtain of the window, fixed it with a hook, and gazed at the scenery outside.

This was his first time leaving the Moonlight Forest.

Outside the wagon, it was a continuous stretch of maple woods, initially with no signs of any human activity.

The wagon ran for about two hours, eventually revealing some people logging in the woods, and occasionally some wooden houses appeared, presumably resting places for the nearby lumberjacks and hunters.

After another half an hour, the maple woods gradually faded behind them, and the scenery outside included more diverse landscapes.

They were headed to the Thousand Needle Stone Forest to search for the Stone Giant, a journey expected to take three days, with River Town being their first stop.

Herag closed the curtain and also began to meditate, and about five hours later, the wagon’s speed gradually slowed down.

"We’re here." The driver opened the curtain, respectfully notifying the Wizard Apprentices inside the wagon.

After getting off, Herag found himself in what appeared to be a peaceful little town. The sky had already darkened, and there were few people moving around the town, making it seem especially tranquil.

Next to River Town, a wide river flowed through, the sound of the water murmuring.

"River Inn."

Herag followed Bessie and the others to an inn, where two lanterns hung at the entrance, emitting a pale yellow glow.

"The rooms I prepared for you are upstairs. Tonight, you’re the only guests staying there," said the driver, who turned out to be the innkeeper, eagerly leading the way.

The inn’s first-floor hall had many tables set up; this was where travelers ate and drank.

Four tables were occupied, with a mix of local residents and adventurers with swords by their side.

The moment Herag and the others walked into the inn, they attracted attention, and upon seeing the robes they wore, people’s expressions became extremely alarmed and fearful.

They glanced quickly and then lowered their heads, not daring to look again, rendering the entire inn extremely quiet.

Herag indeed noticed a big-bearded man trying hard to control his breathing, seemingly afraid to breathe loudly.

"They seem quite afraid of us," Herag said after going upstairs.

Bessie turned back, "That’s normal. This area is quite close to the Wizard Organization, so many people are aware of wizards’ existence. As we go further out, people in those places will generally not know about wizards."

After a while, when they went downstairs to eat, they found that the first floor hall was empty.

Herag asked, "Where are they?"

The driver bowed, smiling, "They’ve all left, even those who had rooms have checked out, afraid of disturbing the rest of you."

...

Two days later, Herag and the others arrived at the Thousand Needle Stone Forest on horseback.

The landform here was very peculiar, consisting of a sunken valley. The valley contained countless tall stone pillars, each several hundred meters high.

Vegetation was scarce in the Thousand Needle Stone Forest, mostly bare yellow earth.

A slight breeze could stir up clouds of dust within the stone forest.

Rock walked at the front, warning those behind, "Be cautious once we enter. This is a completely neutral area, and we might encounter people from any Wizard Organization. If we run into people from Green Cottage, we must be particularly careful."

Herag was fully attentive to Shenlan’s environmental monitoring, and there seemed to be no unusual movements for the time being.

Rock held an hourglass in his hand, adjusting their direction after covering a certain distance, continuing to move forward if the hourglass flipped automatically.

The Thousand Needle Stone Forest was vast, and its similar terrain made it easy to get lost. The Stone Giant typically hid deep within the forest, sometimes even burying itself in the ground.

Rock’s hourglass seemed capable of locating the Stone Giant, leading the group through the stone forest by constantly adjusting their direction.

Although Herag could use Shenlan to help search for the Stone Giant’s location, it was a personal secret he naturally wouldn’t disclose.

In his mind, the map of the Thousand Needle Stone Forest was gradually being completed, with a red line clearly marking their path from the moment they entered the forest until now.

An hour later.

Rock suddenly stopped, and the hourglass in his hand began to turn rapidly, flipping over furiously.

"We’ve found it. It’s nearby; be cautious." He put away the hourglass and closed his eyes.

Herag could sense a surge of magic power emanating from Rock’s body, quickly sweeping over the surroundings.

"It seems to be Magical Perception, and quite a large range," Herag estimated. Rock’s Magical Perception was probably about seventy to eighty meters.

Once Rock activated Magical Perception, the group slowed their forward progress.

Soon, Herag noticed a colossal figure hidden behind a stone column about two hundred meters ahead, seemingly hibernating underground.

"Stone Giant." Having discovered the Stone Giant, Herag didn’t speak up; he continued to move silently, ready to retreat at any moment.

Rock’s Magical Perception range was still slightly short of sensing the Stone Giant’s exact location.

A moment later, Rock stopped with a serious expression, pointing to a stone column ahead, "It’s behind that stone column, buried underground."

"Herag, find a place to hide. You can come over once we’ve settled this. Stay safe," Bessie advised.

Herag nodded, "Okay, you go ahead."