Chapter 363: Echo Valley Town
Chapter 363: Echo Valley Town
Arrow: Frost Venom Arrow
A simple and direct arrow crafted from Frostbite Thornwood. Its easily spreadable frost venom does not require breaking through defenses; as long as it hits the target, it will take effect on the enemy.
Arrow: Frost Venom Arrow
An arrow designed specifically to disrupt enemy activities, with a relatively low value.
Equipment: Frostwood Cloak
A thick cloak woven from vines, adorned with wooden patterns that carry frost venom. It automatically damages approaching enemies; when equipped, it provides protection against hot weather to some extent.
Toxic Plant Ensemble - (2/7)
A cloak that emits a chill, likely to be more popular during the summer.
"Hmm..."
"Not bad?"
Lin Sai adjusted his equipment.
The Frost Venom Arrow is as straightforward as its name suggests.
However, the Frostwood Cloak is a part of the Toxic Plant Ensemble.
Combined with the Venomous Thornwood Armor he obtained earlier, the two pieces of equipment directly activated a basic set effect.
Toxic Plant Ensemble Effect: The toxicity of the set items is slightly enhanced.
Lin Sai put on the cloak and rubbed his body against a nearby bush.
Crack!
Part of the bush was pierced by the thorns, and another part was frozen by the frost venom, leaving an imprint of Lin Sai's body.
"Wait! Am I turning into a hedgehog now?"
The combination of the two pieces of equipment was quite harmonious.
When engaging in combat with them, unless the enemy uses weapons, they will likely be attacked by both thorns and frost venom before even reaching Lin Sai.
In higher-tier battles, this effect might not be as effective.
However, when dealing with thieves or in large-scale battles against common soldiers, it will undoubtedly have a significant impact! The only downside is similar to the Venomous Thornwood Armor.
Both sets activate their effects automatically when equipped.
To avoid harming innocents, Lin Sai usually refrains from using them.
...
A week later, heavy rain poured from the sky.
The forest's foliage resonated with the relentless downpour, creating an endless symphony.
Lin Sai, with a self-made raincoat, emerged from the woods, only to witness the raging Echo River ahead.
"If it rains for another two days, there might be a flood again," Lin Sai muttered, gazing into the distance.
Through the curtain of rain, a canyon could be vaguely seen, as if viewing a painting through frosted glass.
The Echo Valley River stretched far into the distance.
It resembled an axe that had cleaved through the mountains, creating an enormous crack as if a meteorite had struck, leaving an immeasurably long and deep scar.
At this very moment, the sound of wind and rain whispered through the valley.
Even with the blurred vision, the eerie echoes of sounds reflecting off the valley walls could be heard several kilometers away.
"Is this the sound reflection of Echo Valley?"
Lin Sai wiped the rainwater from his face.
Previously, when he left the Lake Island Sanctuary, he had estimated his journey time based on the map, thinking it would take only four or five days to reach this place.
However, the actual journey took longer than expected.
The rainy season forest was more challenging to traverse than the wilderness, and now, calculating the time carefully, he realized it had been a full two weeks since he left Nine Bays City.
"Anyway, let's go and take a look inside Echo Valley."
Lin Sai straightened his raincoat and stepped into the soft, damp forest soil, heading towards the mountains.
One of the three major rivers of the Forest Courtyard, the Echo River, was named after the Echo Valley ahead.
Decades ago, this place, a natural wonder, had been developed as a tourist destination.
Due to his experiences in the Black Mountain World, Lin Sai didn't particularly enjoy being alone in the wild.
Now, he was ready to take a break, gather information, and investigate.
After an hour of walking in the rain, Lin Sai finally reached the entrance to Echo Valley.
However, upon seeing the scene before him, he immediately felt like he might have come to the wrong place.
"There are too many people here..."
Lin Sai stood in the rain, eyes wide, gazing at the small town ahead.
He followed the course of the Echo Valley River, the raging waters surging like an eternal song of life through the canyon and the tourist town nestled within.
In the town, raindrops pattered on rooftops, creating a crisp melody.
Then, along the stone-paved roads, they swiftly merged with the river at the town's center, flowing together towards the distant horizon.
But this picturesque scene was not indicative of a sparsely populated area.
On the contrary, the taverns and inns were bustling with activity, filled with adventurers and travelers.
Li Sai stood at the town's entrance, and the aroma of hot food wafted through the dense rain, tickling his nostrils. The lively discussions of the adventurers accompanied this sensory delight.
Li Sai stepped inside to inquire and soon understood the situation.
Two months ago, at Mullernahun's call, countless residents of Nine Bays City ventured into the jungle, eager to find the forest treasure spoken of by the city lord.
Just two weeks later, an abnormal change occurred in the forest.
Li Sai's fleet, under his and adventurer Razor's control, eventually set up camp by the riverbank and embarked on a path to resolve the crisis.
Other adventurers who had left the city at the same time could only continue their journey along the Echo Valley River.
They dared not venture into the forest and eventually arrived at Echo Valley Town, using it as a temporary haven amidst the crisis.
Subsequent conflicts in Nine Bays City caused more refugees to flee to the town.
Now, over a month later, the bolder ones had already bid farewell to the town's tranquility, venturing out to explore the so-called treasure.
Most, however, were still preparing to stay a while longer.
They wanted to ensure the forest was safe before setting out again.
By chance, this situation had created a lively and bustling atmosphere.
"..."
"With so many people around, those two guys probably won't be hiding here, right?"
Li Sai opened his map.
The dense red, yellow, and green markers on it were reminiscent of an open-world game map, dazzling and confusing.
Li Sai closed the map and chose a riverside inn to enter.
"Ahem, cough, cough."
As soon as he stepped in, Li Sai couldn't help but cough a few times.
Inside, a warm fireplace seemed to divide the inn into two distinct worlds, one cozy and the other damp from the rainy season.
After clearing his throat of the moist air, Li Sai approached the innkeeper: "Ma'am, do you have any rooms available?"
The innkeeper, wearing a yellow hemp coat, was leaning against the counter, tallying accounts.
Hearing the inquiry, she looked up at Li Sai and smiled from the creases of her face: "Oh dear! There have been too many people in town these days, and my rooms have been full for a while. But recently, my husband built a few new rooms in the backyard. They're still quite crude, but if you don't mind..."
Li Sai interrupted the innkeeper: "I'll only be staying for one night."
The innkeeper's smile remained: "Two silver coins, and we'll prepare hot water and food."
Li Sai nodded.
He took out two large silver coins and placed them on the counter, then hung up his rain gear and found a seat in the hall.
There were also many adventurers in the inn.
The trading of equipment, medicines, and maps was lively and fervent.
As Li Sai waited for his food, he quietly gathered information.
The adventurers reminisced about the past and speculated about the future, their discussions filled with both bravado and heartfelt emotion.
Soon, Li Sai stumbled upon an intriguing conversation.
It was a group of men and women sitting on the left side of the inn.
They spoke openly, as if discussing common knowledge:
"Did you hear? Something happened in the north of town a couple of days ago."
"It seems like several people went missing!"
"I heard they found the forest treasure and discovered a secret realm, so they set out in the middle of the night!"
"I asked a few Fifth Stage adventurers, but they wouldn't say a word. It might not even be true!"
(End of Chapter)
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