Broken and Ivana, now accompanied by Cedric, Cecilia, and Morel, began making their way through the forest. After some time, the faeries picked up their pace, swiftly transitioning from walking to running.
“Mr. Broken, let me know if you have trouble keeping up!” Cedric called out.
“Nah, it’s okay,” Broken responded.
As they moved through the forest, Broken glanced around, noting the absence of other faeries. He went on, “Where are the rest of the faeries?”
Morel turned his head slightly and answered, “They have returned to their duties within the tribe. Only we three will accompany you further.”
Cedric, running slightly ahead, turned towards Broken. “Ha ha ha… Mr. Broken, the faeries can easily enter Moonlight Land because this forest is actually part of our territory. However, outsiders must pass through a special portal to enter properly.”
Cedric’s explanation was enthusiastic, although Broken found the details a bit unclear.
“Are you saying that the Moonlight Land is an alternate dimension of this forest area?”
“Yes, exactly! Ha ha ha,” Cedric responded. “A part of this forest overlaps with an alternate dimension, and we call that place Moonlight Land. We’ve lived there for hundreds of years.”
Ivana and Broken kept pace as best they could, running and navigating the forest terrain while the faeries moved ahead.
Eventually, they reached a part of the forest where the air became thicker, a constant fog growing even denser around them. The group began to slow their pace, the mist swirling heavily between the trees, shrouding their surroundings.
“From here, we need to go even slower,” Cedric explained.
Visibility dropped significantly. Each tree appeared shrouded in heavy fog, their forms fading into the mist, giving the impression that something mysterious lay hidden beyond their reach.
Morel walked silently at the front, leading the group without much commentary. Cedric, on the other hand, continued talking, enthusiastically sharing random facts about the forest. Cecilia, in stark contrast, remained quiet, keeping her eyes down.
After some time, they reached an area where the forest thinned out. The trees grew sparse, and the terrain turned rockier. The wind blew stronger here, and despite the thick fog, Broken could tell they were standing close to a cliff’s edge.
“We stop here,” Cedric commanded.
Cecilia then stepped forward. She raised her hand, and slowly, the thick fog that had enveloped them began to part, revealing the landscape around them. As the mist receded, it became clear that they were standing at the edge of a steep cliff, though the view below remained obscured by a lingering blanket of haze.
Cedric moved closer to the very edge, looking down before turning back to face Broken and Ivana.
“The portal to Moonlight Land is located beneath this cliff,” he explained, pointing downward.
“Beneath the cliff?” Broken repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Broken stepped closer, passing by Morel to peer over the edge of the cliff. The dense fog below made it impossible to discern how far down it went-just an endless blanket of mist. He had no clue how deep the drop truly was.
“How do we access the portal?” Broken asked with a grin. “Do we need to jump off this cliff?”
“Yes, ha ha ha…” Cedric replied cheerfully.
“You’re not trying to kill me, are you?”
“Mr. Broken,” Morel interjected, “the only way to gain access to Moonlight Land is to take a leap off this cliff. Once you make the jump, the portal will open, allowing you entry.”
Broken shifted his gaze to Ivana. Eventually, she noticed his look and spoke up. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not scared. I’ll go first, it’s okay…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Ivana had already dashed towards the edge, preparing to jump. But Broken acted quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her back just in time.
“Wait, Ivana… No, it’s not that I think you’re scared,” he said. “But let’s take a minute to think about this first.”
Ivana looked at him. “I guess you’re right. I was a little too eager,” she admitted.
Broken squeezed her hand gently. “Just because we’re ready to jump doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful.”
She nodded.
Although Broken knew that the faeries had some affinity with him, he still wasn’t ready to place his complete trust in them. Jumping from a cliff this high was certain death if things went wrong, and if Ivana followed, her life would be in danger too.
“I’ll take a look first, see exactly what kind of portal we’re talking about,” he said.
As soon as his words faded, Polly appeared, gliding smoothly out of thin air behind him, her wings wide and shimmering. She hovered in place, her wings flapping gracefully.
With a single leap, Broken landed on Polly’s back. Before anyone could react, the four-tailed fox had already started to glide down the steep cliff, her wings moving effortlessly to guide them.
As Polly began to slow down, Broken realized just how deep the descent really was. Soon, his eyes caught sight of something extraordinary-a colossal barrier suspended in the air, shimmering like a sheet of flawless glass.
“So, this is the entrance to Moonlight Land they were talking about?”
[Moonlight Land Domain Lv. 200]
Morel and Cedric moved to the edge of the cliff, watching as Polly descended into the mist below.
“Sir Morel, is he even able to access the portal using a flying beast like that?” Cedric asked. Morel shook his head. “Even if he finds the portal, he won’t be able to enter it. The only way in is to fall directly from above.”
Cedric grinned. “I think Mr. Broken just wants to make sure we’re telling the truth, hahaha. He’s a very cautious man-I like that about him.”
Morel nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
Cedric continued, undeterred. “For someone to enter the domain, they must be in a state of free fall. And even reaching this cliff is no easy feat-anyone trying to approach must navigate through the thick fog filled with monsters unless they’re accompanied by a fae from the Moonlight Fae Tribe. With these three major obstacles, it’s no wonder no one has managed to find our hiding place until now.”
Ivana let out a giggle. “I’m eager to see this Moonlight Land you keep talking about.”
She tried to digest Cedric’s explanation, thinking carefully about what it all meant. There didn’t seem to be any real restrictions to entering Moonlight Land for both native Yunatea residents and players alike. But Morel had been clear-only a native Yunatean could accompany Broken, and only one person.
It appeared to Ivana that this rule was merely an excuse. They likely didn’t want too many players accompanying Broken on this expedition, possibly to maintain the secrecy and
protection of the Moonlight Fae’s domain.
“Sir Morel…” Cecilia began, her voice trembling with panic. “Mr. Broken…” she continued.
“What’s wrong, Cecilia?” Cedric asked. “What happened to him?”
Morel frowned. “Don’t tell me he tried to jump off the flying fox and ended up falling to the ground because he couldn’t enter the portal?”
Cecilia shook her head. “The opposite, actually…” she replied. “Mr. Broken is already inside
Moonlight Land.”
“What?!” Morel’s eyes widened, “How could that happen?!”
Cedric looked equally stunned. “How did he manage that? He shouldn’t have been able to
enter without falling from above.”