YM778.TV Chapter 52: Chapter52-Skirmish!
The countdown on the status bar was like a death sentence, urging John forward relentlessly, not daring to let his mind wander for a moment.
His life had less than two years left.
In two years, if John failed to attain [god]-level power, his life would end the moment the countdown reached zero.
Sensing John\'s emotions, Helena walked up and gently breathed into his ear.
"Hey! Why the long face?"
"No, nothing. Why would I have a long face?"
"You absolutely do. Everyone saw your expression just now, John. I always feel like you\'re hiding something from us."
Hearing this, John felt a bit guilty.
Astonished by a woman\'s terrifying intuition, John avoided Helena\'s gaze and smiled, "Everyone has secrets, right? Don\'t worry, I\'ll find the right time to come clean with you all."
"I\'m just worried that if you hold it in too long, you might drive yourself crazy."
Helena took a few steps back, sighed softly, and said, "Smile more. No matter what happens, it won\'t make this world any worse, right?"
"..."
John really wanted to tell Helena, no, that\'s not the case.
Things could get worse. Imagine a day when countless monsters emerge from the [Abyss], followed by nearly invincible [Apostles] harvesting the lives of every survivor like grim reapers.
John didn\'t need to imagine it; he had experienced it firsthand.
Yet, these words remained unspoken, escaping only as a sigh.
Walking through the dense forest, the group\'s attention was entirely on John, leaving them unaware of the dark shadows flitting through the underbrush on either side.
Moments later, the sharp sound of a crossbow bolt tearing through the air reached them, arriving in front of John in an instant!
At the same moment, a shield of light appeared, blocking the near-fatal attack for John!
Clearly, it was the equipment\'s properties activating, saving John from the ambush.
[Hermes\' Tunic]
Quality: [Epic]
Property: [When attacked, a roll is made; if the result is greater than 5 points, the damage is negated; otherwise, it does not activate. The damage absorption limit is four thousand points; damage exceeding this limit directly affects the player.]
Stats: [Stamina +40, Defense +40]
Description: [If you\'re lucky enough, without a doubt, this is the strongest armor below legendary quality! However, a one-sixth chance...]
As armor John had acquired from a major event, there was no doubt that [Hermes\' Tunic], like [Hermes Dice], seemed tailor-made for him.
After the ambush, Exiled Immortal was the first to react, his thoughts focused as a green wind swept his longsword forward, stabbing into the dense forest ahead!
"Careful, my attack missed! The terrain here prevents me from taking to the air; the canopy obstructs my view!"
"To the left rear! Lily, be careful!"
At this moment, Helena, as a hunter, revealed her full advantage.
With senses far sharper than those of other classes, Helena quickly pinpointed the enemy\'s location.
She loaded her [Blood Lord\'s Hand Crossbow], and the blood-red bolt flew out.
A dull thud followed, indicating a solid hit!
"Watch out for their companions. The target is bleeding and won\'t get far. Don\'t pursue too deeply!"
Seeing that Exiled Immortal was about to charge forward, John hurriedly stopped him.
The [Firewalker Dagger] appeared in his hand, with searing flames enveloping the blade.
When the sounds from the underbrush ceased, John signaled Lily to use [Spirit Summoning] to clear the path ahead, and they followed closely behind.
Entering the dense forest, they found blood splattered on the grass. John crouched down, dipped his fingers in the blood, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. He spoke in a low voice.
"This scent, it must be elves. It seems we\'ve been mistaken for intruders."
"Elves? John, you mean the ones with pointy ears, smooth skin, and dumb expressions, who are beautiful regardless of gender?"
"...Aside from the questionable intelligence part, yes, those elves. It\'s normal; this world isn\'t inhabited by humans alone.
Ferris from the beginner\'s village is a giant, though not excessively large. There are also goblins, spellwolves, and others.
Where there\'s intelligence, there are rules, and where there are rules, there are hierarchies, no matter the species."
John stood up, wiped the blood from his fingers, and sighed. "It looks like we\'ve been targeted. If we don\'t clear this up, moving through the [Deep Forest] will be nearly impossible."
This was elf territory, and provoking the local powers here would be fatal for John, even if he had ten lives.
It was well known that the Elf Queen was a level 55 NPC, gaining strength within her domain.
Countless players in the past had met their end trying to challenge her, a testament to her formidable power.
With this in mind, John turned to Exiled Immortal.
"Exiled Immortal, I remember you exchanged points for a piece of armor, right?"
"Yeah, but it doesn\'t compare to Lord Michel\'s Breeze Armor in terms of stats. Its traits are pretty mediocre, so I tossed it in the storage. Why, John?"
"You\'ll see soon enough," John replied with a mischievous smile, making Exiled Immortal feel a pang of fear.
But it was a necessary measure.
To show they meant no harm, they had to make some sacrifices.
...
Meanwhile, within the elves\' sanctuary!
Several figures rushed out from the dense forest.
One of them was injured, with a gaping, bleeding wound in his chest that couldn\'t be staunched by any means.
"Your Majesty, Aeris is injured! We encountered humans in the forest, and they wounded Aeris! His wound won\'t stop bleeding!"
"Take him to the Holy Spring. It will heal all our wounds."
In the depths of the palace, a curtain shielded the Elf Queen from view, her features obscured.
But merely hearing her gentle voice stirred one\'s imagination.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with the outsiders?"
"Send out another scout team. Make sure they avoid direct contact with the humans. Just follow them from a distance, and report back immediately if anything unusual happens."
After calmly giving her orders, the Elf Queen bowed her head and sighed softly.
"Humans have been appearing more frequently lately. What is happening?"
If their sanctuary were exposed, it would become a target for humans, goblins, and even filthy, foolish orcs.
As the leader of the elves, she could not allow this to happen!
Yet...
"Why have I been feeling such inexplicable unrest lately?"
The Elf Queen massaged her temples, a blush creeping over her pale cheeks, her breathing growing a bit more rapid.
With a dazed look in her eyes, the Elf Queen waved her hand, and vines surged from the ground, sealing off the entire palace from view.
No one would witness her current state.
...
Meanwhile, in the real world!
At the center of Riverside, within the rift of the [Abyss].
The [Deception Apostle] suddenly opened his eyes and looked in a specific direction, a strange light flickering in his pitch-black eyes.
"Is it my imagination, or is the [Lust Apostle] really showing signs of awakening?"
At this point in time, the awakening of a new [Apostle] was not good news for him.
The [God Nurturing Plan] had only just begun.
If John were to encounter another [Apostle] so soon, the consequences would be dire.
"I\'d better find an opportunity to warn John. The [Lust Apostle] is far more troublesome than I am. After all, it has no sense of reason; only desire can pique its interest."
With a dazed look in her eyes, the Elf Queen waved her hand, and vines surged from the ground, sealing off the entire palace from view.
No one would witness her current state.
...
Meanwhile, in the real world!
At the center of Riverside, within the rift of the [Abyss].
The [Deception Apostle] suddenly opened his eyes and looked in a specific direction, a strange light flickering in his pitch-black eyes.
"Is it my imagination, or is the [Lust Apostle] really showing signs of awakening?"
At this point in time, the awakening of a new [Apostle] was not good news for him.
The [God Nurturing Plan] had only just begun.
If John were to encounter another [Apostle] so soon, the consequences would be dire.
"I\'d better find an opportunity to warn John. The [Lust Apostle] is far more troublesome than I am. After all, it has no sense of reason; only desire can pique its interest."