Chapter 86: Stealing the Harvest
Under the tranquil night sky.
Everything around was quiet, cool moonlight poured down deep in this beautiful forest, and ahead, a clear lake could be seen. In the moonlight, the surface of the water sparkled like crystal, as if it contained some kind of dreamlike power. According to elven folklore, a water spirit lived in this lake, but few had ever truly seen her. However, one undeniable fact was that a certain power shrouded this place.
In the darkness.
Several agile figures lurked nearby; the predators possessed excellent tracking and stealth skills, patiently waiting near the lake for their desired prey to appear.
Water source.
This was a place that most wilderness creatures could not do without, as this lake had a hint of life energy gathered, attracting many creatures nearby to replenish their hydration.
A pitch-black leopard appeared at the water’s edge.
The predators remained completely still; while this was also a decent prey with an almost high-level strength, it wasn’t what they were after today.
As believers of the God of the Hunt, they were well aware of the habits of unicorns.
It was said that the Unicorn Goddess was the daughter of Lady Silver Moon, although there was no basis for this claim, and the relationship between the two deities was not very close. The Unicorn Goddess’s closest ally was the Forest Queen, and while their relationship could be described as friendly, if Lady Silver Moon had given birth to a daughter, it shouldn’t have been a divine unicorn. Therefore, there must be some connection between the two, but in reality, it likely wasn’t a mother-daughter relationship.
It’s quite interesting.
The enemies of the God of the Hunt—Mara—almost all had close links, such as the Forest Queen, the Unicorn Goddess, and Lady Silver Moon, meaning their opposing deities were mostly tightly-knit allied relationships. This was also why Soren dared not act rashly against other weaker deities; one careless move could provoke incredibly powerful enemies!
Unicorns have a habit.
They enjoy wandering through the forest under the peaceful night, especially when there is moonlight, so the chance of their appearance today was quite high.
Hunting requires patience.
Although many of these predators belonged to chaotic factions, their patience was quite impressive. They lay in wait nearby, completely motionless, surrounding the lake.
However!
They had not noticed that one person had strayed away slightly.
As night deepened.
Suddenly, a glimmering light appeared in the distant forest, and soon a unicorn with a faint golden horn and an incredibly graceful figure came into view. It had snow-white fur, looking like a creature stepped out of a dream, and the cool moonlight fell upon it, seemingly refracting a soft glow, illuminating everything nearby.
A holy unicorn.
Being called “holy” in this world naturally has something to do with the divine. It is a creature favored by the Unicorn Goddess, possessing not only a trace of power granted by the deity but also a sense of divinity that Soren could feel.
This is a divine being!
The predators lurking in the darkness could not help but have their eyes blaze with heat. Yet the unicorn remained blissfully unaware of the danger approaching. It strolled leisurely along the lakeside, enjoying the tranquility and peace of the night. It retained the bloodline of celestial beings, so the glow surrounding it was actually a symbol of power. The traits of celestial beings still resonated in it.
The unicorn slowly approached the lake.
It lowered its head to drink, but suddenly it seemed to sense something. Alertly, it raised its head to look around, yet in the darkness, it saw nothing.
Swish, swish, swish!
Arrows shot out from all directions; these +2 penetrating arrows instantly hit their target, leaving wounds on the beautiful fur of the unicorn.
Drops of blood fell.
The unicorn let out a cry filled with anger and fear. At that moment, a metal net suddenly descended from the sky, covering it on the spot.
“Success!”
Excited shouts from the other predators echoed around, and in an instant, five figures rushed out, shouting, “We’ve trapped it! Everyone, attack! Let’s kill it and leave immediately!”
A dazzling, explosive light!
In an instant, the surroundings lit up as bright as day. The sudden explosion of brightness left many people momentarily blinded. The faint golden horn on the unicorn’s head emanated a soft glow as bursts of magical fluctuations truly converged.
——“Piercing Shot!”
The second round of shots from the predators arrived in an instant; the temporarily trapped unicorn had no space to dodge. Its spells were forcefully interrupted, and its injuries deepened.
The outcome of the battle was nearly predetermined.
Faced with over a dozen predators’ onslaught, even this holy unicorn, with its legendary level of strength, had no hope of survival.
After all, it was just a wise beast.
However!
Just as the predators felt their prey was almost done for, suddenly, on the moonlit ground, agile figures appeared. Their bodies seemed to be surrounded by the power of the wind, rapidly approaching in a near gliding manner, covering tens of meters with a single leap, quickly reaching the lake’s surface, torn by blood and slaughter.
——Wind Chasers!
Another ranger unit within the elven race, possessing strength no less than that of the Silver Moonwalkers.
Swish, swish, swish!
A flurry of arrows descended, and in an instant, two predators fell to the ground.
“Kill the unicorn first!”
The burly Half-Orc Leader looked furious and puzzled as to why his plan was failing, suddenly being discovered by these elves, as if they had received news long before.
The holy unicorn was already severely wounded; under such circumstances, completing the task at all costs was the priority.
In the darkness.
An arrow flew out, ending the life of the holy unicorn and putting an end to its suffering.
“You all stay and hold off the enemies!”
The burly Half-Orc Leader’s expression was overjoyed as he hoisted the unicorn’s corpse and charged out of the jungle, taking the offering for the God of the Hunt. He left the others to cover him; as long as he could satisfy the God of the Hunt, these casualties were nothing.
The elves had clearly rushed over.
Thus, they did not hold numerical superiority. Perhaps due to a subconscious action, the burly Half-Orc Leader tasted the blood from the unicorn’s throat; although this blood was still incredibly sweet to him, he could not shake the feeling that something was missing. But at that moment, there was no time to ponder, and after securing this vital offering, he quickly vanished into the heavily shadowed primordial forest.
The battle continued.
However, for the remaining predators, it seemed there would be no way back! (To be continued ~^~)
