Chapter 113: Sacrifice! (500 Monthly Tickets for an Update)
December 10, 2014
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
Next to a clean rock.
Soren was sitting beside it, chewing on some jerky, while Gloria seemed to have a poor appetite, eating only a little before setting it down. Born into nobility, the Northern Witch had a distaste for this inferior food; she only nibbled on some snacks she carried with her and drank a little clear water. Vivian, on the other hand, was not picky at all. Whether it was a delicious feast or tasteless rations, the little girl could enjoy it thoroughly, even wiping Soren’s mouth with her white, small hand.
“Who?!”
Soren abruptly halted his hand holding the food and leaped up in an instant, drawing his curved blade, and spoke in a low voice toward the distant woods: “Who is it? Come out quickly! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Gloria also reacted very quickly, instantly pulling out a staff from her dimensional bag, its gem storing spells faintly glowing with a spiritual light. Vivian stood behind Soren with her little body, seemingly confused; she looked up at the nearby woods, her expression difficult to describe in words, appearing somewhat dazed and puzzled.
“Sorry!”
A magnetic voice rang out, and then a very handsome elven ranger stepped forward. His presence was so striking that, if Soren, with a hint of half-elf bloodlines, looked relatively refined, then compared to the elven ranger before them, even an ordinary person would fall short. Just a glance at him could leave both men and women spellbound by his handsome looks, as if he were the protagonist of a tale in a tavern, capable of making noblewomen and girls blush and feel their hearts race even with just one glance.
He was an extremely handsome elven ranger.
His handsome appearance was so extraordinary that even Soren found it hard to describe him, merely stating that he was favored by the elven gods.
Gloria’s eyes brightened for a moment before slightly furrowing her brows.
The Northern Witch still retained traits of the Northern People; they admired resilient strong ones, but the elven ranger before them was too handsome, almost unreal.
The elven ranger landed lightly, jumping down from a tree trunk. He glanced at Soren’s face, then swept his gaze over Gloria and finally settled on Vivian behind her. He then said, “I mean no harm; I am just passing by.”
Soren showed no sign of relaxation and said gravely, “Then please leave.”
The elven ranger did not leave immediately. He wore a slight smile, appearing very friendly as he took a step forward, saying, “No need to be so tense; I am a ranger who believes in the God of Nature.”
“Stop!” Soren’s expression remained serious. He said in a deep voice, “We do not know you. Please leave here.”
The elven ranger’s firm brows slightly furrowed. He looked at Soren, then turned his gaze to Gloria, revealing an enchanting smile as he spoke slowly, “Dear lady, your companion seems to be quite unfriendly toward me. I think he may have misunderstood me. I happened to pass by here, and traveling alone in the wilderness is quite dangerous. Perhaps we could travel together.”
“I wonder where you plan to go?”
Gloria gently lifted her long hair, and her veil concealed her expression. She slowly said, “Step back, stranger.”
At that moment,
Vivian suddenly tugged at Soren’s clothing with her small hand and whispered, “Brother, this person looks familiar to me, though I should have never seen him before.”
The little girl had an excellent memory and could usually recall most people she had seen.
The handsome elven ranger seemed to have heard Vivian’s words, turning his head with a friendly smile and whispering, “Hello, cute little girl.”
“You also feel familiar to me; perhaps we have met before.”
Soren and Gloria exchanged a glance, their guarded expressions growing more serious.
Though the elven ranger appeared very handsome and his smile was harmless, it did not make the two feel friendly at all. When they encountered the halfling, Aladdin, he waved and yelled when he saw them, immediately showing no hostility. However, the elven ranger was different; he had clearly approached stealthily. It was only after Soren noticed him that he had to reveal himself, making his seemingly friendly smile appear to be merely a disguise.
His performance skills must be very high!
The elven ranger seemed to have not anticipated such a situation. With his extraordinarily handsome appearance and his friendly smile, he rarely provoked hostility from others, yet the two people before him were always in a state of readiness for battle. No matter how good-looking and friendly he smiled, it could not change their attitude. If he had approached directly, Soren’s hostility would not have been so strong, but the fact that he had sneaked nearby and only revealed himself after being discovered felt very wrong.
Vivian wrinkled her little nose slightly, whispering, “Brother, let him go.”
The three’s attitude towards him was not welcoming. The elven ranger’s expression stiffened a bit, but he still managed to force a smile before retreating into the forest. Once he turned around, his expression darkened considerably. He had indeed stumbled upon them due to some accident, as if he was drawn near by some instinct. Initially, he had only intended to observe quietly, but he hadn’t expected to be discovered by Soren right after sneaking near.
This was a very powerful wanderer!
The elven ranger’s stealth abilities were strong, but being discovered in an instant only proved that the other party was far more experienced in stealth.
He did not know how Soren had discovered him, but being found by him was undoubtedly a first-class wanderer.
…
Soren kept a firm grip on his curved blade. After confirming that the other party had truly left, he nodded and said gravely, “Let’s move on. That person was a bit off.”
Gloria glanced into the distance and then cast a lightness spell.
Soren picked up Vivian onto his back, and the three continued on their way. A skilled stealth user could also detect signs of stealth. To avoid Soren’s perception, one would need at least 150 points of stealth ability. The elven ranger they just encountered was adept at stealth but could not match a professional wanderer. If it were the halfling Aladdin sneaking over, Soren might not have noticed him so easily.
This was the elves’ territory.
It was quite normal to encounter elven rangers here. After Soren had lifted Vivian, they continued on. Gloria seemed to be deep in thought, occasionally looking back.
“What’s wrong?” Soren noticed her unusual demeanor and asked, “Is there something off?”
Gloria fell silent for a moment.
Then she moved her lips slightly and used a level 0 message spell to say, “That person just now resembled Vivian a little! There seems to be something different about him as well!”
“And he was too handsome; a bit unlike an elf!”
These words reached Soren’s ears, while her voice emitted, “It’s nothing. I’m just checking to see if that person is following us.”
Elves are very handsome.
But the elven ranger they had just encountered seemed to be more than just handsome; his appearance could even influence other people’s attitudes.
It was as if he were some beings with alluring talents, and if you got too close to them, you had to undergo a willpower check!
Otherwise,
You would be influenced.
Soren had just opened his mouth to say something when a deep roar suddenly echoed from behind them; the sound was reminiscent of an orc, carrying a distinct feral growl. Soren swallowed what he was about to say and immediately got ready for battle, while Gloria, with a grave expression, cast a protection spell and pulled Vivian behind her.
Awooo!
The howls of werewolves sounded, as if they were a harbinger, and various howls erupted all around. The sounds were incredibly chaotic; Soren could even hear the low growl of a cheetah. The sounds were not far from their position and faintly contained the angry roars of battle, along with various howls approaching gradually.
“Not good!”
Soren’s face changed instantly, grabbing Gloria beside him and saying, “It seems to be the followers of the God of the Hunt; we need to get moving!”
…(To be continued ~^~)
