Rotting leaves crunched silently underfoot. The damp, cold air, thick like viscous glue and heavy with the pungent stench of vegetation, pressed crushingly against their chests.
The light was swallowed by layer upon layer of towering tree crowns, leaving only mottled, distorted shadows behind. Every step trod upon the unknown; the soft, slick moss and the intertwining roots were all potential traps.
Wang Meng walked at the very front, his burly frame tense as his turbid eyes slowly scanned the gloom ahead and to both sides.
Chapter 41