Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan gazed at the pitch-black, shadowy forest. After checking her locator again and confirming that it showed this was indeed the correct location, her expression grew grave.

"Master, don’t worry. I’ll go in first to scout," Di Youlin volunteered.

"Hold on." Staring at the Dark Forest before them, Ning Xuan felt a faint, rising tension.

The fear of the unknown and the dark is ingrained in human nature.

"Miss Ning, my Companion Spirit isn’t showing any signs of agitation. The area ahead should be relatively safe, at least for a while." Zhang Nan’s Golden Hamster was still roaming along the edge of the Dark Forest, looking perfectly at ease, as if it hadn’t sensed any danger.

They had chosen this spot because it was on the forest’s outermost edge.

Zhang Nan’s words eased some of the tension in the group.

"Wang Teng, Wang Yue, send in the scout robots first. See if you can capture any valuable intel," Ning Xuan instructed them.

Back in Zone 13, Yun Han and the others hadn’t just purchased parts for assembling vehicles and their weapon systems. They had also acquired many precision components and some damaged, discarded detection equipment. From these salvaged parts, Wang Teng and Wang Yue had crafted numerous useful devices.

The scout robots were two of their proudest creations, with their heads fitted with low-light camera equipment.

"Alright." The two agreed and began piloting a scout robot into the Dark Forest. The others crowded around a nearby screen to watch.

"What could possibly be in there? It’s probably just a bunch of trees. And even if there are some dark creatures, they’re nothing to be afraid of. Master, you’re just being too cautious." ’If it were up to me,’ Di Youlin thought, ’we’d have charged straight in.’

Di Youlin, Yun Han, and Qinghe were all figures who had dominated the interstellar battlefield. Inwardly, they didn’t quite agree with Ning Xuan’s overly cautious approach.

At their Level, they possessed a keen intuition for danger. And while this forest was strange, they didn’t sense any overwhelming threat.

But since Ning Xuan was their Contractor and Master, they had no choice but to obey her commands.

"Xuanyuan, look! We’re getting a feed!" Tang Xue exclaimed, pointing at the screen linked to the robot.

"The image is blurry... And what kind of trees are these? Why do they all look the same height and thickness?" Tang Xue wondered aloud.

The feed from the robot was being filmed with a self-powered, low-light camera, so it could only make out the general outlines of objects, not any real detail.

"I don’t know. Let’s see what’s deeper inside," Ning Xuan said.

The Dark Forest covered a vast area. However, from high above, it was clear that not all the territory within the forest’s boundaries was shrouded in darkness.

There were large, normal zones deep within the Dark Forest that were free from the gloom.

The problem was that the entire periphery of the forest was enveloped in darkness. To reach the normal zones within, they had to cross through it.

They had, of course, tried to enter from the air, but it was impossible. The airspace above this region had a peculiar magnetic field. They could fly at an altitude of about three thousand meters or more, but any lower was out of the question. During their initial probe yesterday, Di Youlin had nearly plummeted from the sky.

"Hey, why did the screen suddenly go black?" Tang Xue cried out.

"Miss Ning, we’ve lost contact with the scout robot," Wang Teng reported, looking down at the remote in his hand.

"But there was nothing unusual on the feed. How could we lose contact so suddenly?" Chen Nan asked, puzzled.

"We have more scout robots, don’t we? Send in another one. A different route this time," Ning Xuan commanded.

"Yes, ma’am." Wang Teng once again piloted a new scout robot into the Dark Forest.

Di Youlin stood off to the side, chewing on a blade of grass out of boredom, uninterested in the scout robot’s progress.

Although Yun Han and Qinghe also felt that Ning Xuan’s cautious probing was a waste of time, they maintained a serious expression as they gathered around to watch.

They launched three scout robots in succession, each on a different route. The result was the same: all three quickly lost contact.

"Miss Ning, I’ve found a pattern based on the distance the robots traveled before losing contact. By my calculations, the points of signal loss can be connected to form a line." Wang Teng sketched the three routes on a piece of paper, showing their relation to the straight line.

"If we want to explore further, we should first figure out what anomaly along this line is severing our connection to the scout robots," Wang Teng said.

"Di Youlin," Ning Xuan called out.

"Master." Hearing Ning Xuan call his name, Di Youlin quickly spat out the blade of grass and came over.

"You, Zhang Nan, and Min Wu will go take a look. See what kind of anomaly is near that line. As soon as you find anything, report back immediately. Do not push ahead recklessly," Ning Xuan ordered.

’Are we finally going in?’ "Master, rest assured! I guarantee I’ll complete the mission." Di Youlin shot a smug glance at Yun Han and the others. ’Even though Ning Xuan hasn’t officially accepted me yet, as long as she gets used to having me around, I’m sure I’ll get my chance.’

"Wait. You need to be prepared before you go in. These Night Vision Goggles have multiple modes and will adjust to the environment automatically. Put them on." Ning Xuan took three pairs of goggles from her Space Ring and handed them to the trio.

"Tie these three ropes to your wrists. This will keep you from getting lost and unable to find your way back. If you do get lost, just follow the rope." Ning Xuan produced three coils of rope from her Space Ring. Each rope was about three thousand meters long, while the line they needed to investigate was only five or six hundred meters in.

Ning Xuan was worried they might get lost because of the forest’s abnormal magnetic field.

She chose Di Youlin, Zhang Nan, and Min Wu for a reason: one had high Combat Power, one had a keen sense of danger, and the last could use Flash to return if they ran into trouble.

Di Youlin eyed the coil of rope with disdain, unwilling to take it. But then Ning Xuan tied one end of the rope to her own wrist. Seeing this, Di Youlin’s eyes lit up. He immediately snatched the rope and quickly fastened it to his own wrist.

"If you feel the rope go taut, you need to head back. I’m not nearly as strong as you, so don’t you dare drag me in. Got it?" Ning Xuan warned Di Youlin.

Realizing he and Ning Xuan were now tied to the same rope, Di Youlin’s heart began to race. He listened to her words and nodded emphatically. "I got it! No matter what happens, I’ll follow your lead and come right back to you," Di Youlin said with earnest fervor.