Return

Roy felt as if the icebergs around him had turned into the Endless Sea.

As the surrounding seawater gradually warmed, a pair of invisible hands lifted his body to the surface, and at that moment, a strange yet familiar voice gently called in his ear:

"Roy, Roy, wake up..."

He felt the warm sunlight on his face the moment he opened his eyes.

A ray of sunlight pierced through the woods and fell directly on him. In his line of sight, two Half-Elf boys dressed in leather jackets and wearing deer antler hats appeared, staring nervously at Roy. When they saw Roy's eyelids twitching, they immediately exclaimed with joy, "His eyes are moving, moving... He's alive! My God, I thought he had frozen to death. He's really tough."

Kaka was so excited that he was almost incoherent, constantly venting his excitement to Little Eugene.

"Come on, I saw it! Besides... it's not as exaggerated as you're making it out to be! He was breathing, and his chest was warm. His body was probably hibernating in the extreme cold, like a bear hibernating in winter," Little Eugene calmly analyzed from the side.

"I know, I'm just a little excited, Roy, you're finally awake!" Kaka wiped away the warm, wet tears from the corners of her eyes and said.

"Kaka, Little Eugene, what are you doing here? Where am I?"

Roy remembered that when he fell into a deep sleep, he was still hanging from the Magic Broom...

At that time, Benjamin was on the North Cliff of the Griffon Mountain Range, trying to cross the Griffon Mountain Range. He didn't know if he had succeeded or not... It seemed that he had succeeded, otherwise he would not have met Kaka and Little Eugene. They would not have easily gone to the north side of the Griffon Mountain Range.

"I saw you unconscious on the mountaintop, so I secretly rescued you from those two bastards while they were asleep," Kaka said quickly.

Roy saw himself soaking in a warm pool of water; no wonder he had that strange feeling earlier.

He tried to move his arms, but there were still dark purple marks on his wrists. All his joints were very stiff, especially his knees, which he could hardly bend.

He leaned back a little to make himself more comfortable in the pool.

"So it was you who saved me! I thought I was going to die this time! Thank you, Kaka, and thank you, Little Eugene..."

"Don't thank me, we're friends. Isn't it only natural for friends to help each other?" Kaka said happily.

Seeing that Roy was conscious but his body still needed to recover, he recounted how they had met Roy.

Roy then realized just how unlucky Benjamin and Abbott were; they had just happened to run into Kaka and Little Eugene in the Griffon Mountain Range, which stretch for hundreds of kilometers.

It was probably the potion that Kaka gave Roy that had some effect. Roy felt a stinging pain all over his body, but at least he could move slowly now.

Unfortunately, he couldn't cast Minor Healing on himself yet, so he could only soak in the pool.

"What exactly happened? Who are those two bastards who kidnapped you?" Kaka asked Roy.

He and Little Eugene sat on the grass nearby, grinding a kind of herb that was said to improve blood circulation and remove blood stasis when applied to the body.

"Speaking of my feud with those two... it's a long story, but basically they wanted a key from me, but I didn't want to give it to them, so they set a trap and caught me," Roy said.

Upon hearing Roy's words, Kaka angrily exclaimed, "They really are bad guys!"

"The magician among them is a Slave Traders, and the other is a murderer in exile," Roy said. "I just hope I won't cause you any trouble..."

"It's alright. They're probably still freezing on the mountaintop. Since they're Slave Traders and murderers, there's nothing to pity them for. Let them stay on the mountaintop for a while," Kaka said casually.

Kaka and Little Eugene didn't take Roy back to the village. Instead, they built a very simple little wooden house for Roy by the pond, where Roy soaked in the water. The pond seemed to have some healing power, and Roy could feel a trace of life force constantly nourishing his body.

When Kaka told Roy that Benjamin and Abbott were trapped on the mountain, Roy didn't ask for details about what happened.

After he woke up, he felt as if he were being pricked by countless needles. He managed to say a few words, but his eyelids became heavy, and he fell asleep again without realizing it.

When Roy woke up again, it was completely dark. He was no longer soaking in the pool, but in a very small treehouse. Roy could even smell the tree oil emanating from the surroundings.

It was pitch black all around. He managed to move his hands a little and, finding that his arms were fine, he managed to sit up with his body.

Roy tried swinging his arm and grasping, and as he recited a series of prayers, a holy light flowed from between his fingers.

This time, Roy had a very strange feeling. He didn't even need to concentrate. As the thought arose, holy light naturally flowed out from his fingertips with unparalleled smoothness...

It's like a musician playing a skillful piece, smooth, natural, and even able to incorporate their own emotions.

' Glimmer Illumination '

A Divine Light of light rose before him, illuminating the small wooden cabin. The cabin was very small and, because it was built in a hurry, it didn't even have windows, only a very simple door.

The entire cabin is just big enough for one person to lie down, and it's built on a tree branch.

Roy tried to climb out and found a ladder at the entrance of the cabin. Not far from the cabin was a pool of water reflecting a faint light.

Sitting at the door of the cabin, Roy cast several ' Minor Healing ' before feeling much better...

Roy carefully examined himself from head to toe; he was only wearing a thin and worn-out linen outfit.

The blanket covering him was probably stolen from home by Kaka and Little Eugene.

Besides this linen outfit, Roy had nothing else.

Not long after, Roy felt his stomach start to rumble.

He hadn't eaten anything for a long time. Just as he was about to get down from the cabin to look for something to eat, he suddenly smelled the aroma of fruit emanating from the surroundings. Following the scent, Roy turned his head to look at the corner and discovered that there was a pile of fruit in the corner of the cabin.

It seems that Kaka and Little Eugene had prepared food for him before they left.

I picked up an apple and ate it in a few bites.

The sweet juice flowed into my stomach, and I felt my joints squeaking and crackling...

Roy then discovered that the Sacred Tree, which had become completely integrated with his body, was constantly absorbing the Holy Light Particle from the surrounding area, as if each breath he took allowed those Holy Light Particle to be absorbed into his body.

So he sat at the door of the wooden house, constantly absorbing the Holy Light Particle from all around him, and did so for most of the night.

When Roy opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, it was already dawn.

This was clearly the jungle south of the Griffon Mountain Range. There were almost no traces of elf activity in the woods, and there were many small animals in the jungle. Most of the small animals were not afraid of elves. When they saw Roy sitting at the door of the cabin, they peeked and looked towards the cabin.

After a full night's rest, Roy had fully recovered.

He walked down the wooden stairs barefoot, the marks of the rope binding his ankles and wrists completely gone, and the stinging sensation was gone.

After circling around the clearing in the woods, I saw, sure enough, the majestic Griffon Bulwark Mountain Range to the north...

Roy squatted down by the pool and washed his face. Then he stretched out in the clearing in the woods for a while. Looking at the majestic Fortress Mountain, Roy was a little worried. He wondered how he could get back to Bulwark Village. Instructor Nora must be anxious.

"Roy, are you all better now?"

Kaka, carrying a lot of fruit, ran quickly out of the woods, looking at him with surprise.

Roy stopped, turned to Kaka, and said, "He's mostly recovered..."

As Kaka put the fruit from her bag into the wooden house, she said, "I thought you would stay in this treehouse for a long time. Little Eugene and I were even thinking of decorating it nicely, but now it seems unnecessary."

"These two guys brought me here from the foot of North Mountain. I don't know what kind of chaos is happening in Bulwark Village. Instructor Nora and the others must be very worried. Can you send me back with a griffin?" Roy asked.

"Of course I can, but I can't cross the boundary of the Bulwark Mountain Range. At most I can take you to the bottom of the cliff. There may be a part of the journey you have to walk on your own."

Kaka handed Roy a fruit that needed peeling, and then picked one up and started eating it himself.

It's slightly sour, not very sweet, and has a very unique aroma...

"Didn't you say last time that if you came here again, you should take a stroll in the southern jungle of the Bulwark Mountain Range, and it would be best if you could fly to the seaside to take a look... Now you're going back without even seeing anything?" Kaka asked, staring at Roy.

"Okay, I won't go shopping this time," Roy said.

"Alright then! We'll set off once Little Eugene arrives... It's too cold up there, you can't wear such thin clothes. I'll get you a blanket later."

Kaka agreed without hesitation.

Before long, Little Eugene. arrived as well.

Kaka returned and brought Roy a Fur Cloak, which he wrapped around himself.

Then, Kaka summoned his griffin and calmed the restless creature.

Roy rode on the griffin's fluffy back, and Kaka followed suit...

Once both were ready, the griffin, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly leaped into the sky, flapping its wings violently a dozen times. The griffin's massive body, carrying Kaka and Roy, slowly flew out of the forest and glided forward.

Each flap of its wings propels it dozens of meters forward...

The warm breeze that swept over him made Roy feel refreshed and relaxed. The jungle gradually shrank, Roy could clearly see its general outline.

Unfortunately, the morning sky was full of clouds, and once the griffin disappeared into the clouds, Roy could no longer see the jungle below...

The griffin flew faster and faster in the air.

Once at high altitudes, it can glide using air currents.

Little Eugene. always followed silently behind Kaka.

After flying for a long time, Kaka finally brought Roy to the cliff top where he had been found. It was a sheer cliff, just a stone platform protruding from the mountainside, which looked to be only a few dozen square meters in size.

"Little Eugene and I usually rest there. I found them there yesterday morning. I was going to check on the burning metal plate, but I found you lying unconscious on the ground right next to the fire. Your whole body was frozen stiff..."

Kaka said to Roy.

At this moment, the griffin's four sharp claws were firmly gripping a smooth cliff face. Kaka and Roy held the griffin tightly, secretly peeking at the stone platform not far away.

The campfire on the stone platform had gone out.

To Kaka and Little Eugene's surprise, in just one day...

Only a Half-Elf remained on the cliff. The human mage was now a corpse with a dagger stuck in his chest. The Half-Elf was using a skinning knife to dismember one of the mage's arms. The corpse was frozen solid, and no blood flowed from the severed arm.

Kaka, Little Eugene, and Roy, who were lurking by the cliff, were dumbfounded. They never expected that Benjamin would die in just one day.

How did he die?

"With a dagger stuck in his chest, he probably didn't die from cold or disease, right?"

"What on earth is that Half-Elf doing?"

Kaka kept muttering to himself...

Although everyone knows the answer, no one wants to believe it.

"Can you help me catch him? I need to take him back and have him judged by the Elder Council Tribunal..." Roy said to Kaka Kaka, sitting behind him and holding the griffin tightly.

"Walk..."

Kaka shook the reins in his hand, and the griffin sprang up from the cliff. As it spread its wings, its body plummeted, then circled in the sky before taking off again.

After just one simple spin in the air, Roy was already completely dizzy.

The griffin let out a mournful cry, folded its wings, and revealed a layer of iron shell on its body.

' Iron Will '

Before Roy could react, the griffin slammed into the platform like a cannonball, the massive impact shattering a large section of rock.

Stone chips and ice shards flew everywhere. Abbott was caught in the rubble and was slammed against the wall by the force of the impact, losing consciousness amidst the flying debris.

Roy, riding on the back of the griffin, personally experienced the power of ' Iron Will ', almost creating a large crater in the platform.

As expected, protected by their Iron Will, neither Kaka nor Roy were injured, and the griffin struggled to crawl out of the crater...

Kaka and Roy jumped off the griffin's back, braving the cold wind and stepping on the gravel, and quickly came to Abbott.

"This guy is still alive..." Kaka said in surprise.

At this moment, Roy didn't care how badly Abbott was injured. He used the rope he had prepared to tie Abbott up tightly, and took the opportunity to untie the two Magic Pouch on Abbott's body and quickly tie them around his own waist.

Roy found the Magic Rune Plate Rune Plate to Benjamin's body. He tossed it to Kaka and reminded him, "This thing consumes Magic Crystal Stone every time it's activated. Actually, if you have firewood, building a campfire would be much more convenient..."

Kaka took the Rune Plate Rune Plate and couldn't take his eyes off it.

At that moment, Little Eugene's griffin also landed on the rocky cliff.

Kaka and Roy carried the blood-covered Abbott onto the back of Little Eugene's griffin.

Roy then examined Benjamin's body again. He had likely been stabbed in the heart with a dagger; his body was already frozen solid...

"Let's go!"

Kaka and Roy rode together on a griffin and flew towards the summit once more.

Kaka and Little Eugene didn't need to deliberately avoid the griffins, because the griffins circling above Little Eugene nests on the cliff top completely ignored Kaka.

After spending most of the day, the griffin finally flew to a pass at the top of the mountain. After resting for a while, Kaka fed the griffin a bag of jerky, and then the griffin carried the two of them to the bottom of the cliff to the north.

"We rarely fly here because we're worried about being discovered by the elves here. Roy, you must keep this a secret when you get back to Bulwark Village!"

As the griffin flew, Kaka earnestly gave Roy his instructions.

"Okay, Kaka, can we meet again?" Roy asked Kaka.

"Of course, I also promised you I would take you to see the fishmen of Sun Island," Kaka said readily.

"Then how can I find you?" Roy asked loudly.

"Go to the pass where we first met and leave me a letter there. I'll come find you when I see the letter. Little Eugene and I patrol the Aperture No.3 every two weeks, mainly to deal with those Black Jaw Spider," Kaka told Roy.

It was night when the griffin carried Roy from the Bulwark Mountain Range to the foot of the North Mountain.

At night, the valley where the Bulwark Village is located is easy to spot, because it is the only place with light.

Because it was night, Kaka rode his griffin to take Roy to the vicinity of the Negotiation Team's temporary camp, then threw Abbott was tied up like a dumpling, to Roy. Without resting, the two rode their griffins away under the cover of night.

Roy waited until Kaka and Little Eugene flown far away before casting a ' Strength Blessing ' on himself, then dragged Abbott and strode toward the Negotiation Team's temporary camp.

Abbott was actually awake, but with a rope tied around his mouth and his hands and feet immobilized, he could only let Roy drag him along.

Roy also took off his shoes, dragging them along, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

By the time they reached the Negotiation Team's temporary camp, Abbott's feet were raw and bleeding.

Roy was spotted by Silver Pegasus Warrior patrolling near the Negotiation Team's temporary camp and was subsequently escorted to the Negotiation Team by two Silver Pegasus Warrior.

It was already midnight, and the elves in the camp had all gone to sleep.

Roy returned to the temporary tent of the Elf Academy Adventure Group, where several instructors had already received the message.

As soon as everyone crawled out of the tent, they saw a much thinner Roy standing disheveled in front of the campfire...