After all, whether he was searching for the so-called "Ancient Heart Demon Embryo" or investigating the reality of this place, understanding his surroundings was the necessary first step.
He walked slowly along the stream.
The stream was clear enough to see the bottom, and sunlight filtering through the treetops cast shimmering ripples on its surface. The air remained fresh, carrying the damp fragrance of grass and trees.
Everything was so normal it was refreshing.
But after walking some distance, Murphy's pace gradually slowed.
A subtle sense of dissonance began to surface in his mind.
It was too quiet.
Apart from the babbling water, the occasional rustle of wind through the leaves, and... the crisp, pleasant birdsong drifting intermittently from deep within the forest, there was no other sound.
Wait.
'Birdsong?'
Murphy stopped, his calm, dark eyes turning toward the dense forest on the other side of the stream.
