If the hidden presence is Nami Midori, these two doubts can be explained.
However, if it is Nami Midori, why doesn’t it straightforwardly show up? Moreover, Angel couldn’t find any reason for Nami Midori to spy on them in the dark.
A flood of speculation poured into his mind, but in the end, it was all a muddle.
"Perhaps, I’ll know once I meet with Lord Nami Midori," Angel said, "If it truly is Lord Nami Midori, I believe it won’t refuse to see me."
Cubic nodded upon hearing this and said no more.
...
Though they were walking to the Lost Forest, it didn’t mean they were slow. With Speedy swirling around them, they saved energy, and with each step, they could leap several meters, even dozens of meters.
It took them only half an hour to move from the sunlit lakeshore on the mountain peak to the shady side of another mountain.
Initially, they encountered all sorts of wood creatures along the way, chattering as they leaped through the forest, weaving around their feet, full of vitality.
But when they reached the shaded area, perhaps due to the lack of sunshine or being near the Lost Forest, wood creatures became increasingly scarce.
Those occasionally seen were either massive in size or decayed relics that had lived for God knows how many years.
The closer they got to the Lost Forest, the fewer wood creatures there were.
As they moved from the shady mountain path to the valley bottom, only ordinary trees remained around them. Each of these trees was exceptionally large, shading the already scarce sunlight, making the path even darker.
A damp, rotten smell permeated the air.
This eerie atmosphere persisted all the way to the Lost Forest.
The eeriness of the Lost Forest not only failed to abate but seemed to intensify. At a glance, its canopy was shrouded in a mist, different from the vibrant mist elsewhere. The mist over the Lost Forest was dark gray, just looking at it gave one a feeling of gloom.
As they drew closer, Angel felt as if his chest was churning with blood.
A nausea-inducing metallic taste rose from his throat.
Angel paused for a moment, quickly constructing a trick structure in his Mind Space, and a refreshing sensation swept through his body. The previous discomfort vanished rapidly.
"What happened?" Leaf Groot noticed Angel’s pause and asked in confusion.
"It’s nothing." Angel shook his head on the outside but secretly added in his heart: It’s just the effect of the toxic mist.
The mist lingering near the Lost Forest is a toxic vapor rising from years of decay, possibly enhanced by certain extraordinary factors, making the mist quite potent. Even Angel’s body as an Official Wizard was mildly affected, which spoke volumes. Ordinary people or apprentices coming here would likely face death.
However, as these toxic mists had existed for a long time and were not deliberately targeted at them, Angel expelled the toxins and didn’t delve further into it.
They continued walking several hundred meters forward and stopped at a discernible boundary.
Where they stood was a sinister forest, beyond the boundary lay a forest enshrouded in layers of toxic mist.
"Ahead is the Lost Forest," Leaf Groot said softly, looking at the mist-laden, sinister woods.
Without Leaf Groot saying, Angel could also tell, not just because of the swirling toxic mist, but the hidden and tenacious aura within the Lost Forest was asserting its presence.
Perhaps seeing no reaction from Angel, Leaf Groot added: "You may not feel the aura’s pressure here, but once you step into the Lost Forest, the pressure will hit you. And the deeper you go, the greater the pressure, even I can’t walk too far in there."
"You’re at ease now, but it might not be the same later."
Angel knew Leaf Groot wasn’t lying. Even if he hadn’t entered the Lost Forest yet, feedback from the triangulation spatial energy method suggested that the pressure inside would be terrifying, possibly reaching the level of a Third Level True Knowledge Wizard at the center if it increased endlessly.
This immense aura pressure was rare, even in the outside world.
It’s no wonder that even an Elemental Lord like Leaf Groot couldn’t venture into the Lost Forest.
"Maybe you should consider resting in the Green Forest Domain for a while, and I can try reaching out to Teacher Nami Midori through the Mu Ye transmission?" Leaf Groot sincerely suggested.
Angel: "Before I arrived, you contacted Lord Nami Midori too, right? Did you receive any response?"
Leaf Groot hesitated for a moment and shook its head.
Before, it had been periodically sending transmissions to its teacher, but never received a response. Even recently, when information about the Shadow Box trilogy was brought by The Sage of the Canyon Stone Forest, Leaf Groot sent messages to the Lost Forest, yet there was no feedback.
"Since that’s the case, why bother trying again? Let me go in and have a look myself."
"But..." Leaf Groot wanted to say something, but looking at Angel’s confident eyes, it didn’t speak further.
If Angel wants to try, let him try, at worst he’d get slightly hurt.
Seeing Leaf Groot not objecting anymore, Angel had no intention to linger, quickly heading towards the Lost Forest ahead.
However, just as he was about to step into the mist of the Lost Forest, Angel paused for a moment.
"Almost forgot, you should stay outside, lest you’re injured by the aura’s pressure." Angel summoned the Hand of Magic to take Dangross off the Blood Night Shelter.
"I could go with you too," Dangross said in a low voice, with a hint of worry in its eyes.
"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You stay outside with His Highness Groot and wait for me." Before Dangross could refuse, Angel gently tossed it onto Leaf Groot’s branches.
Next, Angel looked at Lobal: "You, Speedy, and Cubic, also wait outside. I’ll be back soon."
After arranging all this, Angel looked at Toby. The latter yawned, flew up from his shoulder, spun in the air, and finally snuggled into Angel’s chest pocket.
Obviously, Toby didn’t plan to stay outside and prepared to enter the Lost Forest with Angel.
Angel chuckled, not stopping Toby.
He lifted his foot and headed toward the toxic mist-enveloped Lost Forest.