Chapter 60: Forest Secret Realm
Chen Yu was woken up by a fuzzy sensation rubbing against him.
In his groggy state, he felt something small moving near his cheek, much like a kitten pawing at him.
He snapped his eyes open. What greeted him wasn't the familiar dim shadows of the Misty Forest, but a vibrant green leaf wider than his hand.
Crystal-clear dewdrops adorned the leaf, rolling down the veins to drip onto his neck, the cold jolting him awake.
"Ling Yue!"
Chen Yu sobered instantly. He propped himself up, his first reaction being to check on the person beside him.
Ling Yue was still unconscious, her brow slightly furrowed. Her complexion was rosier than before, and her breathing was even, though there was a smudge of dirt on her forehead.
He heaved a sigh of relief and looked around vigilantly.
"Where is this?"
This place was strange.
Beneath his feet lay thick layers of decayed leaves, soft as velvet. The surrounding plants were ridiculously huge.
Vines as thick as thighs wrapped around tree trunks three times over. Dandelion fluff was larger than his fist. Even the ants crawling on the ground were as long as an index finger.
The air carried a faint scent of nectar. Besides the rustling of wind through leaves, there was a very light, scuffling sound near his ear, like threads rubbing together.
"Wah... he moved!"
"Look at his eyes! They look exactly like Lady Lin Lan's!"
"Could he be Lady Lin Lan's descendant?"
"Did Lady Lin Lan come to save us?!"
Tiny voices drifted down from above. Chen Yu looked up, and his heart skipped a beat.
Dozens of "little people," only the size of palms, were lying on the giant fern leaves nearby.
They wore short shirts woven from bark fibers, and each had a fluffy tail behind them. Their hair, in various colors, was tied with grass ropes, and their round black eyes stared at him timidly.
A few bold ones slid down the edge of the leaves, stopping less than half a meter away from him.
The Tontatta Tribe?!
Chen Yu was stunned. These little things were the Tontatta Tribe (Dwarves) from One Piece. Experts in cultivation, pure by nature.
At the front was a dwarf girl with twin ponytails. Her voice was thin but clear. "You... are you Lady Lin Lan's descendant?"
"We've waited so long. Finally, someone has come!"
"Lin Lan?" Chen Yu paused.
Why would his sacrificed mother be mentioned by these dwarves?
Knowing that the Tontatta Tribe never lied, Chen Yu didn't hide anything. "My name is Chen Yu. Lin Lan was my mom."
"That's great!"
Another dwarf boy in a grass vest jumped up in excitement, nearly falling off the leaf. "Eighteen years ago, a lot of bad people came from outside to catch us Tontatta!"
"It was Lady Lin Lan who brought us here to escape! He said, "There's a barrier here that bad people can't enter."
"He also said he'd come back to take us out and return us to our original home!"
The dwarves chattered excitedly, their eyes full of expectation.
Eighteen years ago... that was the year Lin Lan died.
Seeing their joy, Chen Yu felt a pang in his heart.
He was silent for a moment, trying to keep his voice gentle. "My mother... she has already sacrificed herself."
The sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. The dwarves instantly went quiet.
The boy who had just spoken froze, the grass rope in his hand falling to the ground with a plop.
The twin-tailed girl's eyes slowly turned red, and the hands holding flower petals began to tremble.
Several younger dwarves lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking as soft sobbing spread through the forest.
Chen Yu couldn't bear watching this. Just as he was about to say something else, a steady voice suddenly came from behind a fern. "Are you really Lin Lan's descendant?"
A figure half a head taller than the other dwarves walked out.
He wore black bark armor and had a short sword made of thorns at his waist. His gaze was much sharper than the others.
He walked up to Chen Yu, stopped, and looked up slightly. "I am Cero, the Captain of the Guard here."
???
Cero?
What relationship do you have with Leo?
Cero ignored Chen Yu's confused face and continued, "Since you know Lord Lin Lan and could break into this barrier, maybe you really can help us get out."
"Follow me. I'll take you to see our boss."
Chen Yu frowned.
He didn't feel comfortable leaving the unconscious Ling Yue here, but they were trapped in a strange secret realm. Aside from following these dwarves, there seemed to be no other way.
Besides, given the nature of the Tontatta Tribe, they shouldn't do anything malicious.
"I'll entrust her to your care then," Chen Yu said to the dwarves in front of him. "She is also a descendant of Lin Lan."
"Ah! Really?!"
The twin-tailed dwarf gasped in surprise, shaking off her sadness. "I understand! Leave it to us!"
"Thanks," Chen Yu said gratefully.
The dwarves chimed in, "You're welcome! Lord Lin Lan was kind to us; we won't hurt her!"
Cero glanced at Chen Yu and nodded. "Follow me. Don't fall behind."
Cero led the way, and Chen Yu followed, stepping lightly.
The plants along the way became increasingly strange. Some flowers glowed, and some vines automatically moved aside for pedestrians. Occasionally, a few completely transparent butterflies flew past.
Cero didn't seem as talkative as the other dwarves, only occasionally looking back to check Chen Yu's position.
Chen Yu rubbed his chin. Hm... as expected of someone named Cero, he's definitely different.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a clearing surrounded by giant mushrooms appeared ahead.
The mushroom caps were as large as round tables, with glowing vines wrapped around their stems. It looked like a natural council hall.
But just as Chen Yu stepped into the clearing, Cero suddenly flashed to the side, hiding behind a mushroom!
"Do it!"
With Cero's shout, dozens of dwarf guards sprang from the mushroom clusters.
They held sharpened branches and polished stone shards. Some even held nets woven from spider silk, lunging toward Chen Yu!
"I noticed you ages ago," Chen Yu said. His body was light as he effortlessly dodged the dwarves' attacks and countered.
A flick to the forehead for each one. Several dwarves were sent flying like bullets.
"You are a bad guy!" Cero shouted angrily.
A trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as he suddenly pressed his hand against a mushroom cap beside him.
A pale blue halo appeared on his palm, opening a door half a foot wide on the hard fungus cap!
"Door-Door Fruit (Doa Doa no Mi)?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, taking a half-step back.
"Didn't expect you to have this ability. I misjudged you."
As soon as he spoke, Cero's figure blurred, and he dove straight into the door on the mushroom.
The next second.
Another door suddenly popped open on a vine behind Chen Yu. Cero leaped out holding the thorn dagger, stabbing straight at Chen Yu's lower back!
"Too slow."
Chen Yu sidestepped, igniting a flicker of flame on his fingertip and waving it at the door behind him.
The flame grazed the doorframe, and the door snapped shut instantly, singeing only the hem of Cero's clothes.
Cero landed on a mushroom cap and opened three doors in front of him. Several dwarves appeared simultaneously from the three doors.
They spat poisoned darts that shot toward Chen Yu like arrows.
Chen Yu kicked off the ground, spinning in the air to dodge the vines.
But Cero opened another door right where he was about to land. Behind the door lay a trap of sharpened wooden stakes.
"You play better than that ox-horned guy who uses Iron Body (Tekkai)," Chen Yu chuckled. He forcibly twisted his body in midair and pushed his hand toward Cero.
A powerful shockwave blasted out, shaking the door in front of Cero.
Cero's expression changed. He hurriedly closed the door and retreated, but the shockwave caught him, sending him tumbling onto a mushroom cap.
"Lin Lan lied about coming to get us out! Who are you exactly!?" Cero scrambled up, opening another door to shield himself, his voice full of unwillingness.
"Eh?!" The surrounding dwarf guards showed shocked expressions.
"What?! Lady Lin Lan lied to us?"
"Was Lady Lin Lan a bad guy too?!"
Chen Yu looked at Cero with interest. This little guy seemed completely different from the other dwarves.
"Stop fighting!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
( TO BE CONTINUDED )
QNA
Q. I was thinking about to start fiction on Blue Lock are you guys Interested.
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