On the way from the Firefly Forest to the Enchanted Forest, everything was quiet.
No monsters attacked, and all was peaceful, like a journey straight out of a fairytale dream.
Ryen didn't really mind. In fact, he preferred things to stay safe—this way Klee and the others could enjoy the scenery more.
But the others were rather troubled.
Ryen already had a staff, yet they didn't!
They were practically wishing that the Druid Mage would show up with a dozen summons at once so they could all deal with them together.
No one knew how long they had walked before they finally reached the boundary of the Enchanted Forest.
Compared to the stillness of the Firefly Forest, this place showed far more traces of life.
All of them were peaceful creatures—none would attack.
Long vines hung everywhere, while the ground was covered in dense Twilight Forest ferns.
As time passed, the longer the group remained inside, the more astonishing it became: the entire Enchanted Forest was like a giant neon light.
Every so often, the color would shift slowly to another hue.
It was fantastical—like a wonderland from a fairytale.
Klee curled up in Ryen's arms, eyes wide with wonder alongside Nahida as they gazed at their surroundings.
Each time the forest changed color, the two would let out a soft gasp, clapping their little hands in delight.
The others also found the sight enchanting, though in truth, what they wanted even more was to encounter the Druid Mage.
Albedo stood before one of the Tree of Transformation, placing his hand against its trunk.
"This tree… so it really changes the environment around it. Fascinating. What could be the cause—some kind of magical power?"
Ryen turned back with a light chuckle.
"If you want to study it, wait until we return later. You can chop one down and take it with you."
"For now, we need to find Quest Ram."
Albedo nodded, withdrawing his hand.
Though the Tree of Transformation intrigued him greatly, Albedo's true purpose for coming to the Twilight Forest wasn't them—
What he really sought… was the Tree of Time!
And of course, other rare magical materials. If he could also obtain a staff for long-term study, that would be ideal.
Preferably one stronger than apprentice level.
He didn't need much combat power—intermediate or master-level staves carried laws far too complex and heavy for him to analyze.
But if it was an apprentice or novice-level staff, he might actually be able to accomplish something useful.
The party pressed deeper into the Magic Forest.
According to the notes in Ryen's notebook, Quest Ram made their home in the Quest Grove.
If it was a shrubland, it shouldn't be hard to spot.
Crossing a river that wound through the forest, they soon caught sight of a dense thicket not far away.
"That must be the Quest Grove, right? I can already hear the sheep bleating!"
Ganyu pointed toward the brilliantly colored area ahead.
Ryen nodded. Even without a magic map, identifying this place wasn't difficult.
He glanced at Ningguang.
"Take out the wool blocks. And remember—absolutely do not attack the Quest Ram."
Ningguang nodded and followed Ryen and the others as they slowly walked toward the Quest Ram's grove.
The closer they got, the clearer that melodious bleating became.
Gently parting a layer of bushes, a ruin paved with cobblestone bricks appeared before their eyes.
The Quest Ram was leisurely grazing within it.
Its body was yellow-white, but its four hooves shimmered in a dreamy mix of black and blue.
Looking closely, one could even see strange light flowing along the ladder beside it.
But what drew Ryen's attention the most… was the Quest Ram's horns.
He turned to glance at Ganyu in amazement, then looked back again at the Quest Ram.
Ryen teased:
"Ganyu, no wonder people call you 'Cocogoat'..."
Ganyu looked a little embarrassed and annoyed.
The Quest Ram's horns, aside from being a different color, were nearly identical to her own.
"A qilin naturally has goat horns!"
Ganyu muttered softly, unhappily tugging at Ryen's sleeve.
Ryen stopped teasing her, kissed her lightly, and said in a gentle voice:
"I like your horns the most."
Of course, Ganyu didn't believe him.
She knew perfectly well what Ryen liked best about her.
Her horns could only be second place—first place definitely went to coconut milk.
"Is it really fine for us to just walk up like this?"
Ningguang asked softly.
Ryen nodded.
"As long as we're holding wool, the Quest Ram won't run away. It's fine, let's go."
"Let's hurry and exchange it for the Crumble Horn, then we'll set out to find the Lich Tower."
"Who knows, maybe on the way we'll even run into some Druid Mages."
Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. Ningguang, holding the wool, carefully stepped forward.
The Quest Ram lifted its head, tilted it slightly as it looked at the group, and then its eyes instantly fixed on the wool in Ningguang's hand.
Bleating a few times, it slowly walked over, eyes full of expectation.
"Ryen?"
Ningguang looked at him. He nodded.
She tossed the wool to the ground. The Quest Ram immediately picked it up.
In the next moment, they saw its body lengthen slightly, white particles shimmering all around it.
Intrigued, Ningguang pulled out a red wool block and tossed it to the Quest Ram.
This time, its body lengthened again, and the particles glowing around it turned red.
The sight amused everyone.
But Ryen felt the mechanic was rather bizarre.
By logic, shouldn't the Quest Ram just change color and glow?
Yet in reality, its body simply kept growing longer. And even if one killed it, it wouldn't drop wool or mutton.
So...
This Quest Ram was utterly absurd in every sense.
Ningguang continued feeding it wool.
Together, they witnessed what could only be described as a magical rainbow spectacle.
Before long, under their astonished gazes, the Quest Ram's body grew longer and longer.
~~----------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters:
[email protected] / Dreamer20