After the chaos in the cemetery, wandering through Duskwood in search of herbs felt like a stroll through a park.

After being chased by ghouls, even the wolves around Eastvale Logging Camp seemed downright adorable.

They had not collected much Grave Moss. After subtracting the wet soil and water clinging to it, the portion that was actually useful as medicine might weigh less than half a pound.

But both men silently agreed that if they found Grave Moss in any outlying burial grounds, they would gather whatever they could. Returning to the cemetery was out of the question.

Silverleaf was fairly common in southern Elwynn, but it was often mixed among the region's varied shrubs and difficult to notice. Finding it required sharp eyes.

After walking for several hours, Jess felt as though he was seeing double.

As time passed, he also began noticing how the forest's light changed throughout the day. Night was so black that they could not see their hands before their faces. In the morning, the dark forest took on a faint blue hue. By the afternoon, as now, it gradually turned a scorched yellow.

The trap they had set earlier caught nothing. Neither man was surprised.

Gred packed it away and planned to search farther from Raven Hill, but they found nowhere else as suitable for a trap as the previous resting place.

They had no idea how far they had walked. It was time to seek the main road to the south and return to Raven Hill.

They would probably have to venture out again tomorrow. Apart from Silverleaf and one thorny plant that might be Briarthorn, they had found no other herbs. Most importantly, there had been no trace at all of Kingsblood, one of the key materials.

After crossing a hill, Jess looked down the broad slope ahead and suddenly grew dizzy. He steadied himself and barely avoided falling.

Gred looked back at him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm hungry. Hungry enough to feel faint." Jess took out a piece of dry bread. "I need something in my stomach."

The bread had sat for several days and was as hard as thick cardboard. Gred sighed, took out a small piece of pale-yellow cheese, and said, "Here's something extra."

The sight of the cheese made Jess even hungrier. He took it and stuffed it into his mouth, closing his eyes as his saliva softened the dry bread and blended it with the salty, fragrant cheese. The rich dairy aroma rose through his palate and filled his nose until he felt as if his entire body might melt.

"It doesn't taste quite like Stormwind blue cheese. Is this made from a dwarven recipe?"

"Yes. It isn't as salty, but the flavor is much richer." The dwarf put a piece into his own mouth, and the two sat together beneath a tree.

The creamy richness melted in their mouths, and neither wanted to stand again.

"If we can't find Kingsblood, let's just go back," Jess said, licking his lips and fingers. "We'll sell what we collected, and I'll use my share to buy enough materials."

Gred asked, "Do you think this trip can earn us thirty silver coins?"

Jess opened the sack and looked inside. "If that plant really is Briarthorn and we sell the Grave Moss too, we might get forty. In the end, the Silverleaf did most of the work."

"If we each receive twenty silver, it was worth coming," Gred said. "Risk our lives once and live comfortably for two months. Not bad."

Jess nodded and lay flat on the ground. A powerful wave of exhaustion struck him, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Don't fall asleep here, Jess."

Gred shook his shoulder. Through his daze, Jess turned his head and thought he saw something red in the distance.

The distinctive sight jolted him fully awake.

He narrowed his eyes and studied it for a while. Could that be a Kingsblood plant growing on the slope?

"Look over there... Am I seeing things? I think I see Kingsblood."

Gred followed Jess's finger and immediately widened his eyes as well.

"It really is Kingsblood!"

Gred scrambled upright, carrying the trap and sword with the buckler strapped to his back, then staggered into a run. Jess hurriedly shouldered the luggage and followed. The two stumbled and nearly rolled down the slope as they approached the patch of red.

Jess dropped to the ground amid the grass and touched the tall plant. Clusters of ominous pink flowers rose high above leaves even darker than Duskwood's grass. There was no mistake. It truly was Kingsblood.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded from above and echoed through the deep forest.

Jess looked up and saw someone sitting in a low tree higher on the slope.

The figure wore a dark-green coat with a dark-brown cloak and hood, blending almost perfectly into the shadowed woods. Neither Jess nor Gred had noticed his presence at all.

"That patch of herbs already has an owner. You two should turn back."

The soft voice carried from a distance. The stranger spoke Common, but with an extremely heavy accent that reminded Jess of a Frenchman speaking English.

"Pointy-eared thief. Damn it," Gred muttered, forcing his voice low.

An elf?

Jess said, "Put the trap here."

Gred stole a glance at Jess, then lowered the iron trap. Keeping his movements as quiet as possible, he set it and lightly covered it with the surrounding tall grass and Kingsblood.

While Gred worked in the grass, Jess stood to draw the elf's attention.

"Mind your movements, human."

The creak of a bowstring being drawn sounded exceptionally clear in the silent forest. Jess knew the stranger had raised his hunting bow and aimed it at them.

"That trap won't catch an elf," the dwarf whispered from behind Jess, his voice barely more than breath. "They're hunters with more than a century of experience. They don't make mistakes that simple."

Jess bit his lip as he murmured, "Then we'll try our luck."

"Avoid a fight," the dwarf said. "There is no reason to risk our lives over one patch of herbs. The elves are at least members of the Alliance—at least for now. Don't let this turn into a fight to the death."

"An ally aiming an arrow at us?"

"We're leaving! Don't shoot!" Jess shouted as he retreated one step at a time.

The elf jumped from the tree and pulled back his hood. Long golden hair streamed in the cold evening wind, exceptionally striking in the pitch-black world.

He was a remarkably tall man. Once the hood came away, his eyes emitted a dim blue glow like a lone wolf's in the depths of night.

For the first time, Jess faced an openly hostile elf and felt the full force of that ancient race's terrifying presence.

He might not like it, but he knew when to back down.

"Remember to take your iron trap, dwarf. Even as scrap, it would fetch a fair price." The elf smiled. "Ah, you weren't planning to use it against me, were you? How frightening."

His tone suddenly turned cold. "Learn from your human friend and know when you're beaten, you blind bastard."

Gred had already gripped the trap and was preparing to remove it. At those final words, his hand suddenly stopped.

Jess could already feel killing intent radiating from beside him. He knew the fight could no longer be avoided.