The scene before them was enough to make not only the girls like Ganyu feel enchanted —

even Tartaglia, a man who had lived his whole life for battle, couldn't help but marvel at its beauty.

Gazing at the Twilight Forest ahead, it felt as though body and soul were both being cleansed.

Quiet. Peaceful. Serene.

The path was dotted with vibrant wildflowers, and mushrooms of all shapes and sizes could be seen everywhere.

The entire forest was bathed in a soft, gentle glow.

And yet, Zhongli's body remained tense.

Years of combat experience told him that the quieter a place was, the more dangerous it tended to be.

But Ryen suddenly relaxed, giving a small chuckle and waving his hand.

"Relax, no need to be on edge. This part of the forest is a safe, peaceful area — one of the rare safe zones in the Twilight Forest."

At those words, the group collectively let out a breath of relief.

They gazed at the fireflies drifting lazily in the air, their glow scattered among the flowers in the dark.

Ganyu leaned quietly against Ryen's shoulder.

"What a beautiful place… it feels perfect for a date."

Ryen lightly pinched one of her horns, speaking gently:

"If Ganyu wants to, we can come back here just for a date sometime."

Clearly delighted, Ganyu closed her eyes and nuzzled him slightly.

"If I'd known it was like this here, we should have brought Nahida and the others. They'd love this forest."

Off to the side, Ningguang chuckled softly, her tone relaxed.

"It really is like a tranquil summer night. Hard to believe that in the Twilight Forest — a dimension more dangerous than even the Nether or the End — such a beautiful place exists."

"Speaking of which, Ryen, is there anything you need us to do here?

A place this lovely… I think it's best if we leave it as it is, so everyone can come enjoy it in the future."

Ryen nodded slightly and spoke in a quiet tone:

"This is the Firefly Forest.

Beneath the sky-reaching trees, upon the fence posts, the glimmer of fireflies shows the way."

A faint light flickered in Ryen's hand, and a strange book appeared.

It was a general guide to the Twilight Forest that had automatically been added to his inventory the moment he arrived —

just like how in many game mods, you'd get a book that explained the new world in detail when it first unlocked.

"What's that?"

Lisa, always sensitive to books, immediately grew interested and leaned over to examine it curiously.

But the writing at the top of the pages was unfamiliar to her.

"Is this the script from your original world?"

Ryen nodded, a nostalgic look in his eyes as he gently brushed his fingers over the page.

"That's right… I haven't seen it in a long time."

Twilight Forest – Overview

Opening to the first page, the image of the Firefly Forest filled his vision.

Ryen read the words aloud:

"Firefly Forest — Danger Level: Very Low; Resource Value: Low; Exploration Value: Low.

"Catching fireflies in jars and placing them around the natural surroundings… it seems to have been a tradition of an old civilization in this world.

Now, though that civilization has vanished, the Firefly Forest still remains — carrying blessings and a faint, lingering hope."

With that, Ryen gently closed the book and smiled.

"There's really nothing to worry about here. The only monsters are bats, and they die from the lightest touch. Honestly, this place is perfect for setting up camp.

But since we've only just arrived, there's no need to settle here right away."

Everyone nodded, though Zhongli's mind lingered on something else.

He murmured thoughtfully,

"So… the Twilight Forest once had a civilization?

Yet now, that ancient civilization has been destroyed…"

In the past, Ryen would have dismissed such thoughts — after all, it was just a game mod.

But now that it was reality, the existence of an ancient civilization here seemed entirely possible.

Even so, it didn't have much to do with them.

"Whether it was destroyed or not isn't something we need to concern ourselves with."

Ryen shrugged and walked over to one of the firefly jars.

Taking out a pickaxe, he knocked it down and stored it in his backpack.

Seeing the puzzled looks from the others, he grinned.

"What are you staring at me for? Don't you think these make great decorations?

A firefly jar — we can take it back and make a nightlight for Klee and Nahida. Wouldn't that be beautiful?

Besides, the fireflies inside never die. They'll keep glowing forever, just like a torch.

Don't you want to bring a few back for your own rooms?"

Tartaglia curled his lip.

"Only girls would like something like that…"

But even before he finished speaking, he decisively smashed a firefly lamp of his own.

"Teucer would definitely love this!"

The group quickly got to work, and before long, they had collected a fair number of the glowing jars.

Fortunately, the forest was filled with them, so there was no need to worry about damaging the environment.

Truth be told, the place was so beautiful that no one had the heart to harm it —

they wanted to keep it intact as a spot to visit for relaxation in the future.

After a short while, Ryen said softly,

"Let's move out. Remember our route — place plenty of torches or leave marks along the way."

Jean walked beside him. Still in the Firefly Forest and with no danger in sight, she was less on guard than usual.

She asked curiously,

"Ryen, do we have any plans after this?"

Ryen nodded.

"We'll need to find ravens and torchberries. We'll need raven feathers and torchberries to craft a magic map core.

The magic map is essential for exploring the Twilight Forest.

But for now… let's just get out of here and take a look at the surrounding area before we worry about the rest."

Along the way, the group didn't encounter any real threats — perhaps because the Firefly Forest truly was the safest zone.

Aside from the occasional bat, which was casually dispatched with a single shot, there were no creatures showing any hostility at all.

~~----------------------

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