35: Chapter 29 Carriage (4k) 35: Chapter 29 Carriage (4k) This is a dilapidated carriage abandoned in the bushes.
The carriage body is made from some sort of reddish-brown wood, hard in texture and warm in color, with a clear varnish on the surface that makes it appear exceptionally glossy;
The sides of the carriage have hollow circular windows, currently half-open, through which, with the sunlight filtering down through the treetops, you can vaguely see an empty interior;
The roof is slightly curved like a ridge, and the wooden eaves extending to either side are engraved with intricate patterns, but the specific details have been damaged and eroded by some external force, rendering them unrecognizable.
Hai’an stood on a clearing some distance from the carriage, a hint of excitement in his demeanor.
“This design style, simple yet refined, is exactly the same as that piece of wood!”
He tightly gripped the ink-black token in his hand, as if a step closer to the truth.
Xia Nan stood silently beside him, appearing calm.
Yet a surge of emotion rose again in his heart.
He was not well-versed in history, and even the knowledge points memorized day and night from textbooks during his student days had long been mostly forgotten amidst the dull, exhausting professional life.
Therefore, based solely on design style and material details, he could not deduce the approximate era of an item.
But even so, just like the wooden sign earlier, Xia Nan felt a strong “Central Continent” characteristic from the carriage before him at just one glance.
“Something’s not right!”
Just as a few members of the team were lost in thoughts due to the carriage’s appearance,
Larry, who was always straightforward, suddenly spoke up:
“How could there be a carriage in the Mist Forest?
There are trees everywhere; how did it get in?”
His words instantly jolted the people on the scene from their reverie.
The Mist Forest is a gathering place for dangerous demons, with the ground almost covered in tough and stubborn thorns and bushes, not to mention the towering trees that densely fill every corner of vision.
In such an environment, even a team of seasoned adventurers often has to tread cautiously and arduously.
Even if there was indeed such a “masterful driver” who drove the carriage into the forest, the tremendous commotion caused during the carriage’s movement would have drawn demons from several hundred yards around.
“And look…” Hai’an, gradually coming back to his senses, also began to notice the discrepancies, pointing with a furrowed brow, “there are no tracks on the ground nearby.”
“It’s as though this carriage just appeared out of thin air in the forest.”
Wood, who had been silently guarding Hai’an like a shadow, suddenly spoke up:
“Normal wooden materials would quickly decay and rot under the magical corrosion permeating the air in the Mist Forest.”
“And this carriage is not made of enchanted materials, there’s little dust and residual use marks, indicating it arrived recently.”
If it was in recent times, how could there be no traces around?” Hai’an frowned deeper, the confusion on his face growing.
The inside of the carriage was empty, ruling out the possibility of demons hiding; its surroundings, bushes, and tall grass had all been checked to ensure safety.
The team cautiously approached.
Although it seemed as though it had been rammed by a Bear, making the entire carriage ruinous,
occasionally, some details still demonstrated its original exquisite and luxurious decor.
For instance, the hollow flower lamps hanging under the wooden eaves on both sides, the fabric of the curtains inside the windows was soft and smooth, embroidered with elegant floral patterns on the surface…
A sharp yet quickly suppressed scream suddenly sounded in his ears.
Already on edge due to the high-pressure environment within the Mist Forest, Xia Nan jolted out of fear.
Frowning, he looked over,
only to see a blonde girl “Doris” on the edge of the team, covering her mouth with one hand because she had accidentally cried out, while pointing the other hand towards the shadow below the carriage.
Larry shielded her behind him, initially planning to perform a classic “hero saving the damsel,” but following Doris’ pointing direction, the fat on his cheeks also shook twice.
Like countless grains of sand falling to the ground.
What Xia Nan first heard was a strange sound, a mix of innumerable sharp and tiny noises.
Then, like a gushing spring, a “black stream” bubbled out from beneath the carriage.
That was countless scorpions, the size of knuckles, entirely jet black!