I Can Only Cultivate In A Game-Chapter 78: Truly The Devil Forest

The man adjusted his wide-brimmed hat, which was decorated with small talismans fluttering slightly with his movements.

"Ah, where are my manners?" he said with an exaggerated bow. "Name's Qin Lan. Wandering cultivator, poison master, and connoisseur of fine wines."

Victor raised a brow. "And you're in the Devil Forest for…?"

"The same reason you two are, obviously," Qin Lan grinned while tossing a small poison dart between his fingers. "The Pond of Dragon Tears. But unlike you the usual minded folks who seek it, I don't have some noble cause."

Lady Li's expression darkened slightly, but she said nothing.

Qin Lan continued, "I just want to get some of its water and sell it. Nothing personal, nothing grand."

Victor couldn't help but chuckle. The man was too carefree, especially for someone wandering such a dangerous place alone.

As they continued through the mist-laden path, growls began to echo from the darkness.

Victor tightened his grip on his broken sword, while Qin Lan simply sighed.

"More inhumane creatures?" Qin Lan muttered while pulling out a few poison darts. "Do these things ever take a break?"

This time four legged demon-like creatures with dark bodies lunged at them. Their distorted sinewy bodies looked a bit humanoid but their figures twisting unnaturally, making it seem like they were crawling charred skinned humans. Their hollow eyes gleamed with hunger.

Victor dashed forward while swinging his broken blade to deflect one's clawed strike, then followed up with a Wind Gale Strike, sending two of them flying.

Qin Lan, on the other hand, simply flicked his poison darts casually.

Each dart struck a creature, and within seconds, their bodies began melting into a puddle of black sludge.

"Poison is such a beautiful thing," Qin Lan mused before blowing on his fingertips like he had just finished an art piece.

Victor had to admit, the guy was pretty impressive.

However, while Victor was locked in combat, Qin Lan suddenly whistled.

"Hey, kid!" he called out.

Victor turned, just in time to see a sword flying through the air toward him.

Without thinking, he caught it, feeling the weight of a proper weapon in his hands for the first time in a long time.

Victor's grip tightened around its hilt as his qi instinctively flowing into the blade.

A smirk appeared on his face; "Perfect..."

He slashed forward— sending a clean arc of wind smashing through three creatures in a single motion.

Victor's eyes widened slightly.

"This…" he muttered. "Where did you get this?"

Qin Lan smirked while adjusting his hat.

"Oh, that?" he said nonchalantly. "Took it off some cultivator who tried to kill me earlier. Didn't really have any use for it, so I figured I'd give it to you."

Victor just stared at him.

This guy…

Was he serious?

Lady Li looked between them, choosing to say nothing.

By the time the last of the creatures fell, the moon was already rising in the sky.

"We should find somewhere to rest," Lady Li suggested with a slightly fatigued look from the long journey.

Victor nodded while checking his qi reserves. His stamina was running low too.

Qin Lan stretched lazily before throwing an arm over Victor's shoulder like they were old friends.

"I know a great place," he grinned. "Doesn't smell like demon guts, and it's got a nice little view of the stars."

Victor didn't know why but Qin Lan reminded him of Selene the Assassin girl. "I get the feeling you never take anything seriously."

"Oh, trust me, kid. When it counts—" his expression darkened slightly as the briefest glimmer of danger flashed in his eyes.

"I take everything very seriously."

...

...

The Devil Forest was a realm of perpetual unease. It was impossible to find a place that was completely safe, but after much searching, Victor, Lady Li Yang, and Qin Lan managed to locate a secluded clearing where the trees weren't so thick, and the oppressive fog was somewhat thinner.

The three of them knew that sleeping without caution could be a death sentence in a place like this, so they agreed to take turns keeping watch.

Qin Lan took the first shift, lounging against a crooked tree while twirling one of his poison darts between his fingers. He kept an easy-going demeanor, but his eyes were sharp as he scanned the dark abyss of the forest for threats.

Lady Li Yang took the second shift, meditating softly while keeping her ears open for any disturbances. The artifact compass in her hands trembled faintly, reassuring her that they were still heading in the right direction.

And soon, it was finally Victor's turn.

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

Victor perched himself on a large boulder with his new sword resting beside him. The eerie silence of the Devil Forest had become somewhat familiar by now, but it still felt unnerving.

For about an hour, nothing happened.

Then, all of a sudden, he heard something...

"WAAAAHHH!"

A frail cry echoed through the trees.

And not just an ordinary cry...

It was a baby's cry.

Victor's body reacted before his mind could catch up as he jolted to his feet. A baby? Here?

It made no sense, and yet, the sound was so convincing that he found himself moving forward.

But before he could take a single step, a delicate hand gripped his wrist firmly.

Victor turned to see Lady Li Yang wearing a grim expression. She shook her head.

"Don't," she whispered.

Victor frowned. "Why—?"

"That's not a baby."

Lady Li Yang's gaze darkened. "That's a Mimic Demon. It lures lost souls by mimicking the cries of an infant. The moment you step into its domain, your soul will be devoured before you even realize what's happening."

Victor's blood ran cold while the crying continued, growing louder and more desperate—as if sensing that its prey was resisting.

Victor gritted his teeth as the image of his pregnant mother appeared in his mind.

Eventually, after a few long minutes, the cries faded into the distance.

Victor exhaled sharply while slowly unfurling his fist which he didn't notice was tightly clenched this whole time.

"...Truly the Devil Forest," he muttered under his breath.