Precious Intelligence-Who Was That Plum?
The Earth Month, December 5th.
The year is drawing to a close.
The weather grew increasingly cold, and several days of heavy snowfall covered the entire Abelion Hills in white.
The cold weather is perfect for staying at home, and people in various countries prepare supplies in advance before the cold weather arrives to reduce going out.
Even adventurers will relatively reduce the frequency of accepting quests.
pity.
For Tang Zheng, having relatively free time to rest and recuperate was already a blessing.
"Oh? I see."
"No need to rush, gathering intelligence should be the top priority."
Tang Zheng, dressed in a pure white Priest's robe, stood in the cold wind, seemingly blending into the snow. His short black hair swayed gently in the cold wind, but his bright eyes replied softly:
"Proceed according to the normal plan."
After being out of contact for nearly a month, the Elf King finally took the initiative to activate the "Magic Mark" with his magic, thus re-establishing contact with him.
This entire month!
Besides his regular research and training, Tang Zheng spent his time analyzing whether there was a possibility of leakage or any flaws in the analysis.
--after all.
This is a real confrontation with a Player guild, even though the Player Eight Greed Kings no longer exists in Sky City.
However, it should not be underestimated; on the contrary, we must be even more vigilant.
A Guild Stronghold has existed for over 500 years, at its peak the Eight Greed Kings conquered various races and dominated this continent.
His enemies can be said to be all over the world!
Under these circumstances, they suffered countless conspiracies and rebellions, and their Guild Stronghold were subjected to various attacks, even after the death of the Eight Greed Kings.
The forces of the True Dragon Lord have likely also probed or attacked "Sky City," after all, the hatred between the two sides is etched into their very bones!
However.
The Sky City still exists safely and soundly in the Dolor Desert, which is the best silent proof of its existence.
"The World Item [Downfall of Castle and Country] is a strong guarantee, while the identity of the Elf King is an opportunity."
The air Tang Zheng exhaled through his nose turned into White Mist and quickly dissipated in the cold wind.
Even so, there are still many unknowns, making it a rather risky move.
"It's really risky for me, but in this world, there's no such thing as a reward without taking risks."
Tang Zheng didn't have any unrealistic ideas. "Sky City" was one of the top powers in the world that he knew of.
In the future, it might involve fighting against the Great Tomb or the True Dragon Lord.
"Sky City" requires cooperation or even the use of borrowed forces. Under this premise, he needs to make contact with the Elf King to gather intelligence.
Only in this way.
Only then can we utilize this intelligence to make appropriate choices in the future.
certainly...
There are some ideas, too.
Tang Zheng knew, however, that at least for now, he had no chance.
Tang Zheng inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, "Not bad luck."
The Elf King is indeed the best candidate to approach Sky City, not only because of his bloodline, but also because of his strength of over level 70!
This level of skill is enough to attract the other party's attention without arousing excessive suspicion.
"Gros Horned Rage..."
Tang Zheng silently murmured the name to himself, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. This was crucial information he had obtained from the Elf King:
"To withstand a full-force attack from the Root Earth Elemental without taking damage, its strength must far surpass that of the Elf King; it's highly likely to be a level 100 NPC!"
That's why he said he was "lucky"!
Unexpectedly, I was able to come into contact with a level 100 NPC so quickly and obtain some information about him, which is all thanks to the Elf King's own strength.
Otherwise, such a character simply cannot be introduced.
"Melee combat skills, so it's a Warrior class?"
"Does the player like to use magical items like waist drums during combat? Is it a personal preference, or a characteristic of a particular Class Construction?"
Regarding personality...
Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes as he recalled the encounter the Elf King had mentioned.
This period of one month.
The Elf King was imprisoned in a certain location, and spent most of his time in a coma; even his tongue had been cut out.
The methods used were extremely ruthless and decisive!
"The reason for keeping the Elf King imprisoned is probably due to distrust. And because of his inherent value, he has been subjected to special methods of protection."
Tang Zheng thought quickly, his gaze becoming serious and solemn. He took a deep breath of cold air to clear his mind.
"Now that the confinement has been suddenly lifted, although the Elf King's movements are still restricted, he can now move freely to a certain extent."
"What does this mean...?"
At this point, Tang Zheng felt he needed a brilliant advisor to analyze the situation, such as Princess Renner.
pity.
Princess Renner is currently still in the Council State, and the progress there is somewhat exceeding expectations.
Regarding the "Sky City" matter.
Tang Zheng did not intend to let Princess Renner know. This was not a matter of trust or distrust, but rather a confrontation with a power of the legendary "Sky City."
Princess Renner, being so intelligent, would never cooperate like this!
"The Elf King has gained a certain degree of trust!" Tang Zheng had his answer, and his heart tightened.
"It's moving faster than expected!"
"Perhaps they were done simultaneously!"
The next moment!
""information""
Tang Zheng Zhengwei closed his eyes and activated his skill. "Imina!"
"Huh? Tang." Imina's surprised yet slightly joyful voice responded in her mind.
"Listen to me, during our contact, don't let your emotions show; just respond silently in your mind."
"I see!"
Imina's voice became clearer and more serious, a response coming from within her mind.
What's the latest news about the Great Forest of Evasha?
"... Hmm, I haven't noticed anything unusual. Has something happened?"
"That's good."
"The current heavy snow should halt all operations of the Theocracy. From now on, have your subordinates handle all tasks and avoid contact with anyone."
"Especially that... that Forest Elf Laisi, whom you rescued before, is also under your personal supervision, just like you, and is forbidden from any movement."
"In short, let's assume there's an enemy who can secretly monitor all your activities."
Although Imina didn't know what had happened, she realized that something serious had occurred, and responded quickly with a grave expression:
"I see."
Cut off communication!
Tang Zheng turned his head and gazed at the location of "Great Forest of Evasha," his eyes flickering silently.
He originally wanted to Teleportation to the Elf Kingdom and take Imina away, but considering certain risks, he could only temporarily adopt the current strategy.
--The Great Forest of Evasha.
A crisp "crunch" sounded.
The heavy, soft snow broke a tree branch, and the light, fine snowflakes scattered and fell instantly in the air.
Click!
My feet were firmly planted in the snow.
The Dark Elf man, with a hint of anxiety on his face, gazed into the distance.
The man's height wasn't exceptional among Dark Elf, but his long limbs and agile movements suggested a hidden power within him.
Blueberry Aigunia, that's the name of this Dark Elf man!
now.
The other party was clearly looking for something.
"Plum, where did you go?"
The Dark Elf Blueberry nimbly climbed up a towering tree once more, gazing into the distance.
In summer, the forest's leaves block the view, but in winter, when the trees are bare, the lack of obstruction allows for extremely high visibility!
"Strange, Plum usually stays with the clan chief, why did she suddenly leave the village this morning and run off alone?"
The Dark Elf Blueberry was completely baffled, and even more so, a growing sense of unease rose within her.
The Elf King City has been breached.
That powerful Elf King is said to have been defeated and disappeared by a strong human.
These Elf, who live throughout the Great Sea of Trees, are now gradually gathering together to resist the human forces.
"Plum, it would be troublesome if you were caught by humans."
Whoosh!
Blueberry Dark Elf, propelled herself forward with both feet, moving swiftly and agilely like an ape among the towering trees.
This method of movement is not only strenuous but also requires a high level of skill. The advantage, of course, is that it doesn't leave footprints on the ground.
certainly.
During the movement, snowflakes will be shaken off the trees, leaving traces; there's nothing that can be done about it.
However, compared to obvious footprints...
The snowflakes that are shaken down will soon blend into their surroundings as soon as the wind blows.
As the Dark Elf Blueberry gradually expanded its search area, it suddenly smelled a faint fishy odor in the air.
soon.
The Dark Elf Blueberry was ahead when she spotted a corpse lying in the snow, a figure that was gradually becoming familiar.
"Guo... mei..." The Dark Elf Blueberry trembled, disregarding the remaining footprints, and jumped down from the tree, running towards the corpse.
All I saw was...
Plum's face was covered with a layer of frost, and her whole body was stiff; she was a solid block of ice.
"Plum!!"
The Dark Elf Blueberry, in disbelief, staggered and fell to the ground, her eyes filled with anger and trembling as she looked at the corpse.
I just saw that figure this morning...
I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, you would become a corpse. Who killed you, Plum!
Is it human?
Suddenly!
The Dark Elf Blueberry's keen intuition alerted him to something amiss. He quickly looked around and muttered to himself, "How could this be?"
He suddenly realized.
There were no other footprints or traces on the surrounding snow except for the ones he left when he jumped down from the tree.
Wrong!
"Wrong!"
The Dark Elf, Blue Plum, almost cried out. A chill inexplicably rose from her body, and her gaze was fixed on the corpse.
Plum had no injuries and did not appear to have been killed; it was more likely that she had frozen to death!
But... how could that be!
Even more unusual was the state of the Plum, frozen into ice lumps, and even in the cold winter environment, a faint stench of corpses could be smelled.
This is silent proof.
Plum has been dead for several days!
But... but...
"I saw you this morning... Who is that Plum?" The Dark Elf Blueberry's voice trembled, and she shivered uncontrollably.
at the same time!
In the snowy forests tens of kilometers away.
A strange creature was gradually leaving the area where the Elf were located, slowly advancing towards the Theocracy troops stationed at the edge of the forest.
This creature.
It doesn't look like a monster; rather, it looks more like a special kind of Heteromorphic Species.
It has an egg-shaped head, with eyes and mouth that look like cut holes, and fingers that are thin, inchworm-like objects, and only three of them.
A normal human being would take another look.
They will likely all be impacted to some extent, since some of these species are beyond the scope of normal human understanding.
"Information on the Elf has been gathered."
"Submission complete."
This peculiar Heteromorphic Species stared blankly ahead, its voice weak as it murmured to itself:
"Continue with the next plan, Your Excellency: to gather intelligence on the human side, specifically on the nation known as the Slane Theocracy."
"To further confirm and verify."
The unusual Heteromorphic Species muttered softly, its voice fading in the cold wind across the snow, as if it hadn't uttered anything at all.
"I need your help. Capture a human soldier alive."
The next moment.
The shadow beneath the feet of this unusual Heteromorphic Species began to wriggle, and then a figure dressed as a Ninja darted out of the shadow and quickly disappeared.
Continue moving forward slowly.
The special Heteromorphic Species used some kind of magic, leaving no footprints in the snow wherever it went.
--The Dolor Desert.
Starlight Observation Tower, Deep Within Sky City
This area belongs to the Inner City of "Sky City". The entire interior of the tower is a palace-style structure that shimmers with gold and silver, and has a total of 12 floors.
A middle-aged man dressed in simple clothes, wearing a black robe underneath and a gray cloak that looked like linen or wool.
He stared blankly at the several "Crystal Screen" in front of him.
Since the appearance of the son of the Elf God-King, the entire Starlight Observation Tower has been on high alert, but a month has passed and nothing has been discovered.
But this means nothing.
Imlaris remained vigilant, having witnessed far too much in 500 years of life.
Being "well-informed" is probably a special kind of knowledge accumulation.
Lord Horned Fury Guardian, you seem quite interested in and concerned about the offspring of that Forest Elf God-King; there may be unpredictable reasons behind this.
kindness.
It is said that among the eight supreme and great God-King, the God King Satyr and the Forest Elf God-King were among those with relatively good relations.
The thought flashed through Imlaris's mind.
Whoosh!
A black shadow suddenly appeared behind them, and then a figure emerged from the shadow. It was a level 80 monster named Hanzo, who was covered in black Ninja attire.
Imlaris turned around, took a scroll from Hanzo's hand, unrolled it, read its contents, and waved his hand. "You'll be in charge of monitoring this place for now."
After saying that.
Imlaris walked expressionlessly out of the palace.
The Starlight Observation Tower is one of the core structures of the Inner City, possessing a surveillance and detection system called the "Eye of Argos," whose most basic capability is the ability to release "Mass All-Race Detection" in all directions.
(End of this chapter)