Chapter 41 : Hunting Grounds Information
Hunting Grounds Information
Early morning, seven o'clock.
This was probably the earliest Mo Ying had gotten up this year. Usually, even for classes, she wouldn't get out of bed around six and arrive at the designated place by seven.
"Good morning."
In the city center of Tianqing City, Lina and Efilia were already waiting for Mo Ying.
There were three knights in plain clothes standing beside Lina.
"I thought there would be a lot more people," a still-drowsy Mo Ying remarked.
"In the past, a hundred-thousand-strong army once entered the Half-Dragon's Nest, but not a single person made it out alive. For something like the hunting grounds, the more people you have, the worse it gets,"
Lina replied.
"Today happens to be when the Dreaming Forest is open."
Efilia had swapped her long dress for more practical trousers, but this didn't at all diminish the elegant air about her.
Efilia looked more like a noble than any real noble Mo Ying had ever seen, yet everything proved Efilia wasn't a noble of Anzelona.
"Let's go. Soon, more people will arrive; it's better if we get into the Dreaming Forest early,"
Lina said, taking the lead.
"What do you mean by more people will arrive soon?"
Mo Ying asked Efilia in a low voice.
"Although the Dreaming Forest has gotten more dangerous recently, monsters drop more Suti than ever. That's drawn in a lot of risky hunters. We're certainly not the only ones entering the hunting grounds,"
Efilia explained.
"I see, so there'll be others with us,"
Mo Ying understood broadly.
Lina led the group to a teleportation array. Because it was so early, there weren't many people around. They stepped onto the array and were transported to another city.
Compared to Tianqing City, this city was far more abnormal. Buildings were covered in vines, and it was hard for pedestrians to even take a step.
"The main entrance to the Dreaming Forest is no longer usable. Things are still bearable here, so Tianke has set up a new access point in this city,"
Lina explained.
Nearly all cities near the Dreaming Forest had come to a standstill.
"This is considered bearable?"
Mo Ying brushed aside a vine.
"Compared to the cities ahead, things are much better here,"
Lina said as she led them to a massive teleportation array, one that looked big enough to teleport hundreds of people at once.
Lina stepped on, and the others followed her lead.
In a blink, they were transported to another space.
This space was just like the one they'd entered when heading to the Land of the Fairies.
"Welcome, Captain Lina."
They were greeted by another Tianke.
Beside Tianke stood a teleportation gate wrapped in fragrant grass and flowers.
It was obvious this was the entrance to the Dreaming Forest.
Perhaps because they were early, no other hunters had arrived yet.
"The hunting grounds opening today is the Dreaming Forest. Your timing is perfect,"
Tianke said.
"Are there time limits for hunting grounds?"
Mo Ying asked.
"There are ten different hunting grounds in the world; aside from the first hunting ground, which for unknown reasons remains unexplorable, and the third hunting ground—a sentient realm, the Land of the Fairies—and the fourth hunting ground, the Abyss of Dolls, the other seven open in sequence according to the day. Each hunting ground is open on different days each week,"
Tianke began.
"If you want to enter a different hunting ground at an unusual time, the procedures are extremely complicated."
"Today the tenth hunting ground is open; tomorrow, the ninth opens; the day after that, the eighth, and so on. That's how it works."
Efilia once again clarified matters for Mo Ying.
"Are you all here to enter the Dreaming Forest?"
Tianke walked to the group.
"Yes,"
Lina nodded.
"Please wait. Before entering the hunting grounds, we must check your mental stability. Due to recent disturbances in the Dreaming Forest, anyone who doesn't meet the standard won't be allowed in. Otherwise, you'll risk mental collapse and eventual madness the longer you stay inside,"
Tianke said, taking out a projection device and scanning the group.
Her gaze stopped on Mo Ying.
Everyone tensed. If Mo Ying couldn't enter the Dreaming Forest, there would be trouble.
"Just barely qualified,"
Tianke declared. Luckily, Mo Ying passed.
"To enter the Dreaming Forest, you all need to wear two kinds of Prisms: one for anti-toxin, one for anti-hallucination. Five hundred Naye for each variety. Please pay."
We have to pay too?
This was outside of Mo Ying's expectations.
"...,"
Lina paid for everyone.
Afterward, tianke took out several white bracelets. These must be the Prisms she had mentioned, quite different from what Mo Ying and the others wore at school.
"The blue one is for anti-hallucination, the green one for anti-toxin. Once you put the Prism on, the bracelet will display a value. When that number drops to 0%, the Prism stops working. You can use this to recharge it."
Tianke took out a cube-shaped device. Mo Ying didn't know what it was.
"This is for charging the Prism. It can only be used five times. After five uses, the Prism can't be recharged anymore. Please return before then,"
Tianke explained the rules clearly.
"Does Anluss also have to wear one?"
Mo Ying asked.
"I don't need that sort of thing,"
Anluss appeared and replied.
"I can enter the Dreaming Forest without any Prism. The air there doesn't affect me. This isn't my first time going,"
Anluss said.
"It must be due to the special constitution of fairies,"
Tianke noted.
"The exact reason is unknown. More data is required," said Tianke, her tone purely mechanical.
"I really dislike these lives made from lumps of metal... After all, how do machines possess life? It's so anomalous,"
Anluss muttered, clearly unimpressed with Tianke.
"You won't find the answer in Yggdonia. You'd have to ask the Supreme God,"
Efilia replied.
"Would the Supreme God even bother with a nobody like me?"
Anluss laughed self-deprecatingly.
"That's enough with the small talk. We're on a tight schedule, and the matter we have to deal with is complicated,"
Lina urged.
"Let's go,"
Efilia said, and everyone approached the portal.
"Reminder: Time passes differently in the hunting grounds than in the real world. A minute in the Dreaming Forest may be ten minutes in reality. If you have urgent business to attend to, don't waste time. In the hunting grounds, time is both the most unstable and most precious resource,"
Tianke added as they were about to enter.
"We know already. See you,"
Efilia waved casually and stepped through.
The others exchanged glances and entered the Dreaming Forest together.
"Dreaming Forest."
"The more beautiful a thing is, the more terrifying what lies beneath its surface,"
Tianke murmured.