Chapter 62: Return to the Novice Forest

Ye Da jolted upright in bed.

His eyes first darted to the sun bug lamp hanging by the headboard. The lamp was still there, and the bug inside continued to tirelessly hurl itself against the glass cover, as if insisting to Ye Da, “I am truly a sun bug!”

Yet...

Ye Da remembered that the nightmare had conjured a wolf pup to deceive him. If it could summon up a sun bug lamp to fool him too, that was hardly impossible either.

But wasn’t the nightmare supposed to fear the sun bug lamp?

So how could it still come here?

Damn it! This pit world really was a pitfall in every sense! There was no end to its tricks!

“Sir, come out quickly!”

It was the old man’s voice. He was pounding on the door and shouting, “Something’s happened! We have to leave, now!”

Ha, trying to fool me again? I won’t fall for your tricks this time!

Ye Da was convinced he’d fallen into another illusion spun by the nightmare.

But then, not long after he heard the old man’s voice, a long, piercing wail—like an air raid siren—suddenly rang out!

What’s going on?

At the same time, the sun bug lamp by his bedside began to sway violently. Inside, the sun bug seemed to be in a frenzy, madly slamming itself against the glass as if frightened senseless, until green insect fluid oozed out. Yet the sun bug seemed to feel no pain at all, still bashing itself against the glass, desperate and unrelenting!

“Wooo! Wooo!”

The two wolf pups beside the bed suddenly sprang to their feet, emitting low, rumbling growls toward the window.

Their fur stood bristling, faces twisted in a snarl, but deep in their eyes was a flicker of fear. Even their tails were tightly tucked between their legs as they hesitantly edged backward.

This meant...

Even the wolf pups were frightened by whatever was outside.

Could the nightmare’s illusions truly mimic emotions in such intricate detail?

“Sir, if you don’t open the door, I’ll come in myself. We have to leave, now.” The old man shouted from outside, “It’s a Sirenhead raid! The village chief and the others have already gone out to fight, but I doubt they can handle a creature of Sirenhead’s caliber. I need to close up the inn and get out of here. Hurry up!”

“What?!”

Ye Da was stunned by the news.

What was happening? Was this not a dream, but reality?

Could it be the very Sirenhead Lin Zhi had mentioned yesterday, the one that had wandered from the center of the pit world to its outskirts, had finally appeared?

[Innkeeper of the “One Room Inn”: proprietor of a level-nine inn converted from a traditional courtyard.]

When Ye Da stared at the door for too long, his analysis glasses provided an answer.

The old man was real! The wolf pups and the sun bug were real too!

Then...

The Sirenhead raid must be real as well.

Bang!

When the old man saw Ye Da still hadn’t come out, he simply shoved the door open and burst in. “Quick, quick! Let’s go!”

As soon as he entered, the old man started to hurry him along. “If you don’t leave now, it’ll be too late! The village can’t be saved. I need to get out while I still can!”

“Where are we going?” Ye Da hurriedly asked.

As the old man unhooked the sun bug lamp from the canopy, he replied gruffly, “How should I know? I’m heading for the next village over. All I ever wanted was to run an inn peacefully and live out my days without trouble.”

Then he shot Ye Da a sharp look. “If you don’t move, I’ll throw you out the window myself.”

Ye Da knew the old man had to wait for him to leave before he could pack up the inn. Still, the man’s attitude grated on him. “I haven’t even stayed a full day. Shouldn’t I get a refund?”

“The village is about to be destroyed, and you want to talk refunds?”

The old man’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

But Ye Da planted himself on the bed, stubborn as ever. “Besides, you promised to take me to see the village chief’s map yesterday to prove your claims. Now that’s impossible, so shouldn’t you give me my money back?”

“I...”

The old man was practically seething, but there was no way he could go looking for the chief now.

The old man thought for a moment, then shoved the sun bug lamp into Ye Da’s hands. “This lamp alone cost a unit of glass, plus copper and a sun bug. Consider it a bargain!”

“Give me another. This sun bug looks half-dead.”

Ye Da eyed the lamp, noting the green blood smeared all over it, and suspected that the bug was on its last legs—hence the old man’s sudden generosity.

But the old man merely pointed a finger at the lamp.

A burst of pure white light flared inside. Instantly, the once feeble sun bug sprang back to life, vibrant and energetic.

“Happy now? It’s not going to die!”

The old man said, “They’re easy to keep. Just give them fruit and plants to eat, let them bask in the sun by day, and they’ll glow at night.”

Bang!

Boom!

As they spoke, violent explosions sounded outside.

A torrent of rocks came tumbling down.

It sounded... just like the village’s massive stone walls being smashed apart!

Just as the old man had said, time was running out!

“Thanks!”

Ye Da, having profited unexpectedly, knew better than to keep pushing. He grabbed the sun bug lamp and dashed downstairs. It was high time to make his escape!

He’d wanted to leave yesterday. If not for the graystone spider, he would’ve retraced his steps already.

This pit world was simply too dangerous—not at all suited for a newcomer trying to coast through.

But this journey hadn’t been without its rewards...

First, Ye Da had come to realize that escaping this cursed place in the short term was obviously impossible.

Second, he’d learned just how perilous this world was. If he wanted to survive, he’d have to grow stronger; otherwise, once the Newcomer Forest merged with the pit world, he’d be left with nowhere to turn.

Ye Da stepped out of the inn and saw that dawn was breaking. That meant...

It was nearly five o’clock.

He had to power up his device and see if he could contact Dali and Ning. If he missed this window, he’d have to wait another day!