Chapter 668: Chapter 668: The Return Journey

The bioluminescent fungi of various shapes and sizes turned a deep color, their originally gentle purple and blue hues now tinged with an ominous dark red tone, as if bleeding.

Some fungi even stopped glowing, becoming like pitch-black stones.

A few plants particularly adapted to shadows became active.

Dark red veins emerged on the surface of some vines, pulsating like blood vessels, while some massive, man-eating flower-shaped dark plants slowly opened their jagged mouths, releasing a cloying, nauseating fragrance, luring potential prey.

The visible range shrank dramatically, from the previous twenty to thirty meters, plummeting to less than ten meters, or even shorter.

Beyond ten meters was a thick, seemingly alive darkness that wriggled.

It wasn’t merely a lack of light; rather, the Shal Moon brought a light-absorbing and distortion quality, giving shadows substantive thickness and vitality.

Not only was visibility obstructed, but general perception ability was also limited.

The range of spiritual power was significantly reduced from normal, unable to extend far, almost halved.

This was quite deadly for the Wizard, because spiritual power extension was a common method of detection and alert.

The shortened range meant the distance at which enemies could be detected early was reduced, becoming more dangerous.

The air, originally filled with the scent of vegetation and earth, was now dominated by a stronger odor of damp rot and a faint metallic rust smell.

This was the manifestation of the forest’s dark side under the influence of Shal Moon’s power.

The energy environment shifted completely to cold, obscure, and shadow attribute particles were incredibly active.

Duke could sense his dark attribute affinity thriving here, but casting spells of other attributes was subtly impeded.

The sound environment became more bizarre; the previous tranquility remained, but now was accompanied by many indescribable subtle noises.

It was like the rustling of shadows creeping along the ground, the creaking from inside distant trees like bones grinding, and a low-frequency, soul-layer-direct humming that unsettles the mind.

Known insect calls almost vanished, replaced by more secretive, dangerous creatures becoming active.

The humus layer beneath seemed softer and slipperier, as if it could swallow something underneath, ready to drag people into the abyss.

Giant tree roots on the surface cast more twisted, ominous shadows under the dark red moonlight, shadows that seemed to have their own life, slowly morphing with the flow of the moonlight, sometimes inducing illusions of movement.

“Stay tight! Watch your footing and the shadows on both sides!” Master Ted’s voice was low, filled with caution.

His magic wand emitted a stable milky white halo, not bright but carrying a unique purifying and shadow-banishing effect, barely maintaining a relatively clear space about five to six meters in diameter around the team, dispersing sticky shadows and potential shadow energy corrosion.

This was the spell he prepared specifically for the Shal period.

Una’s pointed ears were almost perpendicular, straining to catch any abnormal noise, her elf bloodline in this pure dark environment feeling slightly uncomfortable and oppressed.

Hal wielded a dagger coated with fluorescent paint in reverse grip, cautiously scanning the swaying tree shadows with its faint blue light.

Evan stayed close behind Master Ted, almost sticking to his robe, his spellbook in a half-activated state.

The Shadow Raven remained silent, but his breathing visibly slowed, as if more thoroughly blending into the surrounding darkness, nearly undetectable unless deliberately located.

Duke maintained an appearance of overexerted fatigue while quietly engaging the weak resonance of the blood of the dark within him, sensing the flow of shadow energy around.

He discovered that in this environment, the surface layer of Shadow Space seemed to become more viscous and energetic, with outlines of weaker shadow creatures faintly appearing, yet seemingly intimidated by the aura emitted by their team, fresh from a bloody battle, not daring to approach closely.

The return journey was slower and more arduous compared to the way in due to worsening conditions and the team’s deteriorated state.

Everyone was on edge, fearing something terrifying might leap from the impenetrable shadows or from behind seemingly alive giant trees.

Fortunately, whether due to their swift retreat or the intimidating aftermath scent of their recent battle, they didn’t suffer any substantial attacks until the rough yet sturdy outline of the walls of Darkmoon Town and the incongruous blue magic glow from the watchtowers appeared in view.

When they crossed the last wooded area and stepped onto the relatively open defense strip, with Darkmoon Town’s eastern gate looming ahead, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“Open the gate! Explorer team Ted’s unit, returning from reconnaissance mission!” Master Ted approached, showing his identity token to the guard on the wall and briefly reporting the skirmish situation.

The gate slowly rose with the dull turn of the capstan, man-made light and the relatively “safe” aura rushing to greet them.

The team filed in, re-entering Darkmoon Town’s safe zone, a mix of campfire, sweat, metal, and potion scents.

The gate slammed shut behind, temporarily isolating the eerie and dangerous world of the three moons and endless dark forest outside.

Duke looked back, casting one last glance beyond the high walls, the dark red glow of Shal Moon resembling a beast’s single eye, coldly watching over this secluded island outpost established by intruders.

His pale face showed little expression, only a barely noticeable dim light flashed deep in his eyes.

The body of a dark elf brought back will be delivered to a specific location for research.

This time, Duke tested the practical effect of the Sand Servant; it showed strong defense against energy-type attacks, unless one’s power was strong enough, it posed little threat.

However, the Sand Servant is rather slow and lacks strong offensive capability.

Facing formidable opponents, it can only serve as a constraint, making it difficult to retain an enemy.

But for foes who were not strong, especially caster-types, the Sand Servant was a nightmare.

Regular energy-type attacks were completely ineffective; even exhausting their energy couldn’t pose a threat to the Sand Servant.

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