The Hunt Begins!

In the swamp land.

The Gray Dwarves were shouting at the sky while shooting arrows.

They still didn't understand what Roger's gaze meant.

That was a terror only a Magic Explosion Frog could comprehend...

"Tenacity."

A very special sub-attribute.

It represented the human body's resistance to its own negative status effects.

It should be noted that "resistance" is not the same as "immunity."

To put it another way.

If a person is injured.

Then high Tenacity could allow him to "resist" the many negative status effects brought on by the injury: pain, dizziness, impaired movement, and so on.

But the wound would still exist; he couldn't "negate" the injury itself.

Therefore, high Tenacity does not equate to high immunity.

Even so.

"Tenacity" was still a very worthwhile attribute to invest in.

In combat, higher Tenacity could create a higher margin for error for Adventurers.

And maxed-out Tenacity could allow someone to survive for an extra ten seconds in extreme situations like cardiac arrest, a slit throat, or an exploding head!

Don't underestimate the effect of delayed death.

This world had Revival Scrolls.

Sometimes, the difference between dying and coming back to life versus turning to dust was just those ten seconds! So when Roger saw clearly that the new attribute was indeed Tenacity, he didn't hesitate to rein in his mount.

He was signaling Misha to fly back.

The Flying Dragon Beast's relatively low intelligence made it difficult for Misha to understand Roger's intentions.

But there were Gray Dwarf bolts in front, his master's residence behind, and Roger's forceful tugging on its neck.

So after struggling for a moment, it turned its flight direction.

Roger did not return to Dragon Tooth Village with it.

After getting out of the Gray Dwarves' sight, he jumped directly off the Flying Dragon Beast's back!

The 1st Ring Feat "Light as a Swallow" came into play again.

Both Slow and Feather Fall took effect.

With a whoosh, Roger landed lightly.

He rolled a few times on the ground, dissipating the last bit of momentum.

Then he quickly grabbed his backpack, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the reeds.

The hunt had begun!

South of Yellowstone Island, near a relatively clear lake.

Two crooked old locust trees blocked the lingering sunlight of the swamp land's sunset.

Visible mist rose from the lake's surface, and with the gentle breeze came the rough, distinctive voices of the Gray Dwarves.

They seemed to be cursing something.

Roger couldn't understand the Gray Dwarves' language.

But he could roughly infer that these Gray Dwarves were sentries stationed around Yellowstone Island.

Their purpose was likely to prevent anyone from leaving Yellowstone Island.

After finding the group of Gray Dwarves who had attacked him, Roger didn't act rashly.

He walked along the perimeter of Yellowstone Island for a while and, sure enough, less than five kilometers away, he found another Gray Dwarf outpost.

"Are these the vanguard of the Swamp Gray Dwarves?"

"They've surrounded Yellowstone Island; it really looks like they have big plans."

"I wonder how many of their main force there are."

Roger didn't let his guard down at all.

He knew very well that Gray Dwarves and Magic Explosion Frogs were not in the same league of prey.

These Gray Dwarves were around his level, had organized formations, astonishing defenses, and excellent weapons.

Apart from not having much intelligence, they were practically an elite army.

And judging by the setup of the outposts, the Gray Dwarf leader possessed a certain level of intelligence.

"Rachel mentioned that the vagrant leader named Hanfulan has allied with the Gray Dwarves..."

"I hope they can withstand the pressure."

Roger quietly snuck back to his original position.

Whether Dragon Tooth Village could withstand the large-scale attack from the Gray Dwarves and vagrants was very important to him.

In order to safely hunt enough Gray Dwarves.

He had already prepared himself for a long-term guerrilla war.

And this required them to attract enough firepower on the front lines.

Otherwise, it would be very troublesome.

Dragon Tooth Village.

Uneasy Flying Dragon Beasts formed a squadron, circling low around the Banyan Tree.

Wherever the firelight shone, there were the busy figures of villagers.

Reinforcing walls, transporting supplies, preparing for battle...

The incident happened suddenly, and they had too many things to do.

Outside the medical tent.

Rachel, pale-faced, tried her best to comfort the frightened Misha.

After a while.

Misha calmed down and led the remaining Flying Dragon Beasts to find an open space to rest.

"How is it? What happened?"

Cindy's expression was very serious.

This had never happened before—

The Flying Dragon Beasts had returned, but their riders were nowhere to be found.

"I don't know. Misha is refusing to communicate right now."

Rachel unconsciously bit her lip, "I found an arrow mark on its wing. He might have been hit by an arrow and fallen."

"Are the Gray Dwarves already this numerous? I clearly told her to take a different route..."

Cindy shook her head:

"Hanfulan's preparations are more thorough than we imagined."

"This is going to be a tough fight. We really need you, but right now, you must get some rest."

Rachel, with a stern little face, insisted, "I have to go look for him, in case he's not dead..."

Cindy quickly stopped her.

"Lord Roger will be fine."

Someone beside them suddenly interjected.

Rachel shifted her gaze.

Eric walked out of the darkness carrying a pile of stones and said earnestly:

"Let me tell you a secret: no matter how strong a monster is, Lord Roger only needs one move to instantly kill it."

"The Gray Dwarves are indeed powerful to us."

"But for Lord Roger, dealing with them will surely be a piece of cake!"

Rachel was silent for a moment before reluctantly agreeing to go back and rest.

"These Gray Dwarves are a bit tricky!"

In the grass by the lake.

Roger, who had been hiding for a long time, couldn't help but scratch his head.

The tricky part was mainly due to their "Rough Stone Skin."

This trait ensured that the Gray Dwarves possessed extremely strong defense, and non-vital attacks had no chance of taking effect.

As for vital spots.

Roger had observed for a long time and found that the Gray Dwarves' weak points were only their back of the neck and eye sockets.

The groin was also suspected to be one.

But the Gray Dwarves didn't give Roger the opportunity for such in-depth observation...

"It's time to act."

Roger took a deep breath and gently tugged the rope beside him.

Sounds of splashing suddenly came from the tranquil lake surface.

The Gray Dwarves in the locust tree all poked their heads out.

But the fog was so thick, they couldn't see what was happening at all.

Swish, swish, swish! Several bolts were shot out, but there was no other movement.

At that moment.

Three irritable Gray Dwarves jumped down from the tree.

They splashed around in the water for a bit, then came ashore with their crossbows to patrol.

And on the other side of the locust tree, near the shore.

A nimble shadow, hidden by the night, silently climbed up.

Only two Gray Dwarves remained on guard duty in the locust tree.

Roger's posture was as light as a feline.

With the boost from Cloud Mist Step, it wasn't long before he was above one of the Gray Dwarves.

With a hiss.

The Qing Fu Sword pierced through the back of the Gray Dwarf's neck from the root, giving it a chilling death.

[You have killed 1 Swamp Gray Dwarf]

[You have gained 12 XP]

[Your 'Tenacity' has slightly increased]

[First time using an assassination method to kill a monster, you have obtained a new milestone - Assassin's Creed]

[Your accumulated Milestone Points have reached 11, a redeemable milestone reward has been discovered. Do you wish to redeem it?]