Sain

Kalei stared, dumbfounded, from behind them. Damn, these two women were terrifyingly strong. Their arrows flew as fast as lightning and hit with pinpoint accuracy, and their power rivaled that of modern sniper rifles.

Were they using the Marksman Hunter's Deadly Shot?

No, reality was different from the game. In reality, archers didn't have anything called "Deadly Shot." They only had archery techniques such as straight shots, arcing shots, rapid shots, Concussive Shot, moving shots, silent shots, and Multi-Shot.

From what Kalei could tell, when these two fired their arrows, they were most likely using two extremely powerful techniques—Concussive Shot and silent shots—combined with Explosive Arrows infused with magical power. That was what made them so devastating.

The other Night Elves, aside from Arenia's four subordinates, hadn't expected Arenia and Jinli to be so terrifyingly skilled with a bow either. They cheered one after another.

But although everyone was both astonished and delighted, neither Arenia nor Jinli showed any joy.

To everyone's cheers, the two powerful Furbolg berserkers didn't fall and stay down as they had expected.

Two streaks of dark green light flew out from behind the Furbolgs and landed on the two Furbolg berserkers.

The two creatures, who had been on the verge of death, began to heal before everyone's eyes. Flesh writhed over their wounds until, within seconds, they were standing upright again, their blood-red eyes burning with even greater bloodlust.

The distant roar from behind the Furbolgs sounded again, and more Furbolgs charged forward. The battle was once again locked in a stalemate.

Seeing this, Jinli spoke with unusual seriousness. "It's Rejuvenation. I didn't expect the one leading this group of Furbolgs to be a Furbolg Shaman. He's powerful, and he probably has more tricks up his sleeve. I'll go take him out. Sister, you keep these two berserkers occupied."

Arenia nodded. "All right. Go. I'll be waiting for good news."

Neither of them was one to waste words. Once they'd made a decision, they acted at once.

Jinli jumped down from the Saber's back and patted her mount on the neck. The next moment, her figure blurred. With a sudden flash, she appeared ten meters away to the front left, landing without so much as stirring a blade of grass.

Kalei was astonished by what he saw. If he wasn't mistaken, the skill Jinli had just used was Blink.

How could a Hunter use Blink?

Wait! He remembered the arrow Jinli had fired earlier and the white light around it. That hadn't been nature magic at all. It had been Arcane energy.

What was going on?

Why could Jinli use Arcane Magic? And why hadn't Arenia reacted at all to Jinli using Arcane magic?

A huge mystery formed in Kalei's mind.

But Kalei didn't have much time to think about it. With Jinli gone, Arenia was facing the two berserkers alone while also having to contend with the Furbolg Shaman behind them. She was starting to struggle.

Clearly, firing the arrows they'd shot earlier hadn't been easy for Jinli and Arenia. Each shot took a great deal out of them.

Arenia fired three more arrows in quick succession, repelling two attacks from the berserkers. After that, she could only use ordinary archery techniques to slow their advance.

The Night Elf defensive line was in danger once more.

Kalei watched anxiously, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was hope that the mysterious Jinli could take out the Furbolg Shaman, or that the Priestess of the Moon, Laria, would finish the purification and reach the battlefield soon.

Thinking of Laria, Kalei suddenly sensed something was wrong. If a Furbolg Shaman was controlling the Furbolgs, then where was the mastermind who had lured them into darkness?

If this mastermind wanted to attack the village, why hadn't he used his full strength from the start? Why wait until Kalei and the others arrived before making his move?

Could it be that attacking the village hadn't been his original goal? Or that the village was only a side objective, and his real aim was...

Kalei was startled. If things really were as he suspected, they would be in trouble.

He looked over the battlefield. There was no point in staying here when he couldn't help, so he might as well go back and check.

He acted on the thought at once, turning his Saber around and hurrying back to the village.

Kalei's actions quickly caught Arenia's attention. Although she was already exhausted from fighting the two berserkers, she remained keenly aware of everything happening on the battlefield.

Over the course of the day, Kalei had made a decent impression on her. He was quick-witted and responsible, not someone who would desert out of cowardice. So why was he leaving now?

Arenia thought it over briefly and soon understood Kalei's purpose. For the first time, a grave expression appeared on her face, and her grip on her bow tightened.

Compared with the commotion at the valley entrance, the village was strangely quiet.

Almost all the villagers had followed Salomon's instructions. They stayed quietly in their homes, praying to the Goddess Elune.

Salomon, meanwhile, had taken more than a dozen ordinary warriors and stationed them at various intersections throughout the village, on guard against any enemies that might appear.

At first, the warriors hadn't understood why Salomon had ordered them to do this, but they had still followed his orders.

As the fighting at the valley entrance grew more and more intense, the warriors grew restless. They might not be professionals, but the pride and honor of the Night Elves made them long to join the professionals on the battlefield rather than sit idle in the rear.

Salomon was just as anxious as he listened to the sounds of fighting ahead, but remembering Arenia's final order, he had to abandon the idea of joining the battle.

Just as he was arguing with two warriors beside him, another warrior came over. "Salomon, someone has left their home."

Salomon's heart stirred. He raised a hand to stop the argument and hurriedly asked, "Who?"

The warrior replied, "Sain, from the eastern side of the village."

Salomon frowned. "Him? Didn't you tell him to stay indoors for now?"

Sain's full name was Sain Morningstar. He was a rare oddball in Bristlelimb Village. He lived alone in an old wooden house on the eastern side of the village, did whatever he pleased, and rarely spoke to the villagers. He hardly ever attended the Temple of the Moon's ceremonies, either.

The warrior said, "I've told him two or three times, but he didn't take it to heart. He even said that Night Elves are born free, that they can go wherever they want and do whatever they want, and that no one has the right to interfere."

"What kind of nonsense is that? No one's interfering with his freedom, but this is an emergency... Where did he go?"

"He went southwest. Looks like he's going over there to paint. Should we send someone to keep an eye on him?"

"Keep an eye on him... No, I'll go after him myself." Salomon climbed onto his Saber, gave a few instructions to the warriors guarding the intersection, then headed southwest in pursuit.

Salomon moved quickly. Following the warrior's directions, he tracked Sain down soon enough, but he didn't hurry to reveal himself.

Salomon was one of the few pure warriors among the Night Elves. He lacked a Hunter's keen powers of observation and a mage's miraculous abilities, but his combat instincts were second to none.

He knew that it was best to hide in advance, before the enemy made a move.

He quietly patted the Saber beneath him. Understanding its master's intent, the Saber slowed down on its own and used its natural stealth, carrying Salomon silently after Sain.

They traveled through the village for a while, one following the other.

Salomon realized that Sain wasn't heading southwest. He walked for a while through a patch of woods, then turned toward the middle of the village and headed for the rear. The Temple of the Moon was in that direction.

"Something's not right. What's he going to the Temple of the Moon for?"

As far back as Salomon could remember, Sain had rarely gone to the Temple of the Moon. He had hardly been there at all in recent decades. Why go now, of all times?

Salomon recalled Arenia's instructions and realized that her suspicions had been right: there really was a problem in the village, and it had something to do with Sain.

He didn't know what Sain was planning, and he didn't have time to investigate. As a warrior, he had a simpler solution.

He rode his Saber forward and blocked Sain's path. "Sain, why didn't you follow orders and stay home? What are you doing out here?"

Sain was a short, unimpressive-looking Night Elf. He hadn't expected Salomon to suddenly appear in front of him.

He looked at Salomon with some annoyance, then his face went blank. "Where I go is none of your business. You have no right to control me."

Salomon jumped down from his Saber. Holding the heavy two-handed sword in both hands, he pointed its tip slightly downward at Sain. "Is that so, Sain? I don't care what you're planning. As long as I'm here, you're not going anywhere."

The Saber beside him sensed its master's intent and let out a roar in response. Its sharp claws slid out as it fixed Sain with a hard stare, a threatening rumble rising in its throat.

Sain stood still, looking back and forth between Salomon and the Saber. His expression grew darker by the moment.

Suddenly, he drew a short sword that glinted coldly from his waist and laughed like a madman. "If that's how it is, then you can die!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his body gradually faded into nothingness and vanished.

A rogue!

Salomon's expression changed when Sain disappeared, but he didn't panic.

He gripped his greatsword tightly and watched for any movement around him. At the same time, he said to the Saber beside him, "Brook, find him."

Brook gave a soft growl and slowly approached the spot where Sain had stood. It sniffed a few times, then roared and pounced to Salomon's front right.

Sain hadn't expected Brook to be such a skilled tracker. It had broken his Stealth at once, forcing him out of the shadows.

A rogue in Stealth was terrifying, but once their Stealth was broken, you had to be careful.

Sain turned to run. Salomon leaped high above him, raised his greatsword with both hands, and brought it down on him.

As a rogue, Sain excelled at ambushes and speed. He had no chance of standing up to a warrior's powerful strike head-on.

He cursed under his breath, rolled across the ground like a lazy donkey, and dodged Salomon's blow. Then he used Stealth again, trying to disappear.

But Brook had already memorized his scent, and drove him out into the open without any effort.

Seizing his chance, Salomon unleashed a powerful Whirlwind, swinging at Sain's waist.

Caught off guard, Sain had no way to dodge. He could only raise his short sword and do his best to block.

Clang! Clang!

He blocked two blows, but the third sent him flying along with his sword. He crashed heavily to the ground, a long gash across his chest. Blood instantly soaked his clothes.

Salomon and Sain had been roughly equal in level, both intermediate-level combatants—a Warrior and a rogue. In a one-on-one fight, neither would have had an easy time beating the other. But Salomon had a Saber on his side, and Sain was no match for him.

Although Sain was badly wounded, the madness in his eyes hadn't diminished at all.

He paid no attention to the wound in his chest. Instead, he threw his head back and shouted, "Damn beast! Damn you, Salomon! You've made me angry. I'll kill you, rip out your souls, and torture you mercilessly!"

As he finished speaking, Sain's body began to change rapidly. His bones cracked, his frame grew taller, gray-brown fur sprouted across his face, and two curved horns rose from his head. In the blink of an eye, he had become a stinking, ram-headed monster!

Seeing what the creature looked like, Salomon's expression changed drastically. He roared, "Satyr! Sain, you bastard—you've joined the Satyrs! By Elune, I'll kill you, traitor!"

Sain, now a Satyr, wasn't intimidated by Salomon's threat. He laughed scornfully. "Then come on, Salomon. Let's see what kind of nightmare I've prepared for you."

Salomon gripped his greatsword and was about to Charge at Sain when he saw Sain raise a hand and point at Brook. Brook shuddered all over, its eyes turning cloudy. Then it abruptly spun around and pounced on Salomon!

Salomon hurriedly cut off the force of his Charge and held his greatsword across his chest to block Brook's powerful lunge.

"Damn it, you've bewitched Brook! You demon, I'll kill you!"

Salomon couldn't attack Brook. He could only retreat while fending it off, his furious eyes fixed on Sain.

Sain had planned to flank Salomon with Brook and finish him off, but suddenly he heard a piercing wail in the distance.

Sain's expression changed. Cursing under his breath, he said, "Lucky you, you fool! Have fun playing with your pet. I don't have time to deal with you right now. Once my master's plan is complete, you'll all meet your end."

"Where are you going, demon?" Salomon tried to stop Sain, but he still couldn't shake Brook off. All he could do was watch Sain disappear into the night.