Arrow

"Who's there?"

Lin Mo instantly tensed all over, raising his sword toward the direction the arrow had come from.

There was a small open clearing around him, with no cover to speak of. Otherwise, he would have dived into the grass or hidden behind a tree at once.

"Someone's here?"

A surprised voice came from ahead. An adventurer clad in iron armor, shield in one hand and sword in the other, emerged from the forest before him.

Close behind him came a young man with a one-handed sword, an Assassin wielding two daggers, and a short-haired girl holding a White Oak Bow.

Lin Mo froze when he looked at the vaguely familiar adventurers before him.

If he remembered correctly, he had seen them before at the Dwarf Edgar's forge. What a coincidence.

But that did not mean he would lower his guard.

Back in town, they were all adventurers—colleagues who could chat, drink, and trade boasts together.

But the forest was a different matter.

There were no rules here, no order. Only cold interests, magnified greed, and performances of deception and intrigue.

Especially when he was alone, Lin Mo would not easily trust anyone.

So, he immediately stepped back, keeping as much distance as possible while keeping his eyes fixed on the Ranger girl. The moment she made any motion to draw and nock an arrow, he would run.

"Sorry, brother."

The experienced adventurer Bern quickly grasped the key details from the somewhat chaotic scene and tried to break the deadlock.

There were five Goblins lying on the ground. Including the one Miriam had just shot dead, there were six in total.

Facing six Goblins alone and killing five without a scratch—this young man's strength was anything but ordinary!

Not to mention Bern was not the sort of person who would do anything for profit. Even if he were, a powerful adventurer like this was not someone to provoke lightly.

"We were just passing through. We saw a Goblin charging this way, and the Ranger in our party instinctively fired an arrow. We didn't expect it to be your prey."

As he spoke, he cut off the left ear of the Goblin Miriam had shot and tossed it to Lin Mo.

Lin Mo did not reach out to catch it. He continued observing them.

The group before him was a fairly standard adventurer party: a mature and steady frontliner, a warrior, a Ranger, and an Assassin.

As for a Mage...

That noble profession was not something a low-level adventurer party could possess.

Even Mage apprentices still in training, unable to cast a proper spell, would have plenty of mid- to upper-tier adventurer parties willing to support them while waiting for them to formally take up the profession and become the backbone of the team.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over the young warrior and Ranger. Neither looked very old, and they were likely younger than him, especially the Ranger girl, who was clearly carrying the nervousness of a newcomer.

The Assassin was visibly more mature. He held his weapons and watched Lin Mo without hostility, yet without relaxing in the slightest.

Most importantly, there was the middle-aged frontliner... He carried an obvious air of ease and composure, as if he had the confidence to handle any situation.

Without a doubt, he was the core of this adventurer party.

Though Lin Mo's abilities could not show him other people's attributes, he could tell from the man's bearing, weapons, and equipment that this middle-aged man was most likely stronger than him.

The bounty for six Goblins was six Silver Coins, or 0.06 Gold Coins. To Lin Mo, who already had Qingfen Grass worth three Gold Coins in hand, it was hardly important.

And the risk of being ambushed while lowering his head to collect the spoils... was impossible to estimate.

Judging a person's character solely by their face and expression was foolish. Naturally, Lin Mo would not be deceived by the faint goodwill on the man's face.

So...

He did not want those six Goblin ears.

Having made up his mind, Lin Mo slowly backed away while facing them.

Bern did not try to stop him. He fully understood the vigilance and suspicion that a lone traveler like Lin Mo would have toward an adventurer party. It was a good thing for both sides.

Without needing to remain on guard against each other, they could also earn six Silver Coins for free.

Though this extra income was not a large sum, it was still enough to let them enjoy a top-tier meal at the Adventurer's Home Tavern.

However, just as Lin Mo had backed away about fifty meters, opened up enough distance, and turned to leave—

Whoosh—!

A sharp arrow tore through the air, carrying a shrill whistle.

The familiar sound instantly tightened every muscle in Lin Mo's body. Without the slightest hesitation, he lunged diagonally forward and rolled across the ground.

The increasingly close sound of the arrow cutting through the air swept past Lin Mo's side with a fierce gust.

The arrow sank deeply into the tree trunk beside him. The stinging pain, as though his skin had nearly been sliced open, sent his bloodline surging, cold sweat soaking his entire back.

If he had not remained vigilant and reacted quickly enough, that arrow would have pierced his chest!

There was no time for lingering fear. Lin Mo sprang to his feet and took up his stance, his angry and solemn gaze turning toward the party still standing where they were—before shifting into astonishment.

The Ranger girl had not drawn the sturdy White Oak Bow in her hands. Because Lin Mo had retreated earlier, she had even closed the cover of her quiver. Now, she stared in this direction with an innocent and bewildered expression.

Bern was startled as well. For an instant, he truly thought this young girl in his party had done something foolish, and a reprimand nearly flew from his mouth.

But after turning to look and realizing that was not the case, the experienced adventurer's mind raced. The curse at the tip of his tongue instantly turned into a grave warning.

"Enemy attack!"

Just before his voice rang out, another arrow was already tearing through the air. This time, it was aimed at the Ranger girl, who had yet to react.

She still stood there dumbfounded, watching as the arrow was about to strike her from the side and pierce through her chest.

Fortunately, Bern had already moved the instant he shouted those words. He swiftly raised his shield and rushed in front of Miriam, blocking the arrow for her.

Feeling the powerful force transmitted through the shield, Bern tightened his grip on the shield handle, his expression more serious than ever.

"Prepare for battle!"

Only after that furious shout did the two young members of the party finally come to their senses.

Evan drew his sword, shielding Miriam behind him with determined eyes. Miriam also flipped open her quiver, quickly drew a Feathered Arrow, and nocked it to her bow.

The older Assassin, Kent, had already slipped into the woods, hiding himself as he waited for a chance to strike.

There were others?

At that moment, Lin Mo deeply understood the danger and complexity of the adventurer's world.

No matter how cautious he was, unforeseen accidents would still be waiting for him.

There was no time for further reflection. Without a shred of hesitation, Lin Mo changed direction and fled...