Kalei first found a secluded vantage point, concealed behind a huge pine tree. Then he opened his status panel to check the abilities he currently possessed.
[Name]: Kalei Nightdew [Status]: Normal [Race]: Night Elf [Class Level]: Level 35 Druid / Level 27 Arcanist [Personal Talents]: Nature Affinity, Arcane Affinity [Racial Talents]: Omitted [Class Talents]: None [Druid Skills] Basic Skills: Omitted Meditation (64/100) Beginner Class Skills: Thick Skin (24/100) Abundance (36/100) Starfire (45/100) Healing (Mastered) Entangling Roots (Mastered) Intermediate Class Skills: Rejuvenation (33/100) Mass Entanglement (21/100) ... [Arcanist Skills] Basic Skills: Omitted Beginner Class Skills: Conjure Food (83/100) Conjure Water (74/100) Slow Fall (36/100) Counterspell (3/100) Arcane Mirror (18/100) Blink (23/100) Magic Shield (8/100) Arcane Missiles (78/100) ... Mana Equipment: Druid Robe (Common), Crescent Staff (Fine) Mana Items: Life Gem (Epic), Seed of the Soul Ancient (Legendary).
During the days Kalei had spent at home, he had worked hard at training as a Druid and gained two levels. He had also learned quite a few Arcanist skills.
He believed that with the spells and casting ability he had now, he could hold his own against any opponent of a similar level. But against a high-level class holder like the Satyr leader in Bearclaw Valley, the outcome was less certain.
A huge level gap often meant an overall difference in life force, control over primal energy, and combat experience. Challenging someone of a higher level with a lower one was no easy feat.
Still, as he had said before, aside from a few races with inherently powerful bodies, many class holders in this world were glass cannons.
Against a glass cannon, even with a level disadvantage, it was entirely possible to win by learning about the opponent beforehand and planning a suitable strategy.
So whether Kalei could defeat his enemy depended on whether he could find a weakness before they fought.
He hid behind a large tree not far from the cabin, carefully sensing the activity around it. After a good while, he still couldn't detect anything happening inside.
He knew that if he wanted to find anything, he would have to take some risks.
After thinking it over for quite some time, he came up with a good idea. He would cast an Arcane Mirror, attach his consciousness to the image, and use it to approach the cabin and scout it out.
He acted as soon as the idea occurred to him. With a light wave of his staff, an image identical to him appeared before his eyes. Under Kalei's control, it strode toward the cabin.
Arcane Mirror was mainly intended to confuse an enemy, but Kalei had found an ingenious way to use it for scouting.
The whole reconnaissance went smoothly. Kalei guided the image around the cabin and found that no one was inside.
This surprised and disappointed him somewhat. He was afraid he had guessed wrong, but even more afraid the other party had already left. If so, the trail would go cold again.
To be safe, he decided to check in person.
He dispelled the Arcane Mirror, then released some natural energy. It spread like an invisible net, sensing the life signs and energy fluctuations nearby. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he walk over to inspect the cabin himself.
There were three cabins in the pine forest. Their overall condition and the furniture inside were just as Lox had described: very dilapidated, and not the sort of place anyone seemed to live in.
But after a careful inspection, Kalei realized someone had probably been active in the cabins recently. The traces of those activities had simply been deliberately cleaned up.
Why would the other party erase the signs of their presence? Clearly, they were afraid of being discovered. This deliberate concealment only deepened Kalei's suspicions.
Besides that, Kalei sensed a faint trace of shadow energy permeating the area.
Following its presence, he searched carefully and found some bandages and herbs beneath a few stones beside the river, not far from the cabins.
The bandages and herbs carried a strong trace of shadow energy, as well as a hint of Arcane energy.
Carefully, Kalei used a twig to lift the bandages. He saw dried, dark bloodstains on them, with a great deal of shadow and Arcane energy lingering in the blood.
From the bandages and herbs, he could tell that someone had been active here recently—and that person had been injured. The wound seemed to have something to do with Arcane energy.
By this point, Kalei was even more certain his guess was right. He remembered the battle in the cave at Bearclaw Valley more than ten days ago, when Jinli had slashed the Satyr leader across the chest with her curved blade.
Satyrs, who had once been Night Elves, had powerful regenerative abilities. But Jinli's two blades were clearly no ordinary weapons. The Satyr leader must have been badly wounded by them, and the injury on his chest had never healed.
Could it be that after escaping from the cave at Bearclaw Valley, the fellow had returned to his old home to recover? He might never have realized that the shadow energy from his wound would seep through the bandages into the river, affecting the fish. Lox had then found those fish, drawing Kalei's attention to the matter.
It made Kalei think of an old saying from his previous life: "The heavens' net is vast; though its mesh is wide, nothing slips through."
The good news was that Kalei had probably found the Satyr leader, who still seemed to be recovering from his injuries. The bad news was that the other party had disappeared again, and Kalei had no idea where to look next.
Kalei walked around the cabins once or twice, disappointed. Finding nothing else, he had no choice but to leave.
Before he left, he released natural energy again. Like a spring breeze sweeping over the land, it erased his footprints and scent, making sure he left no trace behind.
The next day, Kalei returned to Green Pine Valley, but found nothing. On the third day, he changed to a more concealed spot and lay in wait, only to come up empty again.
After four straight days of failure, on the afternoon of the fifth day, a gaunt, slack-skinned male Night Elf who looked to be in his forties or fifties crept into the valley from outside.
He moved warily, glancing back from time to time as if afraid someone was following him. He wore a shabby brown robe and walked with a slight stoop, looking exhausted.
Hidden in a tree, Kalei sensed the faint Satyr aura on the newcomer and immediately knew his suspicions had been right.
To be safe, he first assessed the man's strength. The result showed that he was level 47.
That made Kalei even more certain: this man was Ordos, the Satyr leader from Bearclaw Valley. Forty years ago, he had led a group of Satyrs in an attack on the village, causing Kalei's father to disappear without a trace.
Kalei hadn't expected Ordos to return after four or five days. His heart leaped with joy.
He guessed that Ordos had spotted him at the valley entrance that day and had probably hidden in advance for fear Kalei would enter the valley and discover his secret.
He had stayed away for a few days, and when nothing happened, he had assumed the danger had passed and sneaked back.
Kalei didn't care why the other party had returned. He wanted to strike immediately, defeat the man, and capture him so he could find out what had happened to his father.
But just as Kalei was about to move, Ordos suddenly stopped. His face changed, and he abruptly looked up toward the place where Kalei was hiding. His nose twitched faintly, as if he had caught a scent. His eyes filled with wariness and killing intent.
Clearly, after four or five days of activity, Kalei had still left behind some traces he hadn't managed to erase. As soon as Ordos entered the valley, he quickly noticed them, which put him on guard.
To Kalei's surprise, Ordos didn't attack or even approach. Instead, he spun around and bolted for the valley entrance like a startled leopard.
The body that had seemed so frail a moment ago now erupted with astonishing speed. His steps were light and swift, and he raced over the rugged mountain path as if it were level ground. In the blink of an eye, he had run more than ten meters.
Kalei froze for a moment, then muttered, "Cunning Satyr!" He jumped down from the tree and ran after his enemy.
He knew the pursuit could put him in grave danger, but he couldn't let his father's enemy vanish right before his eyes without a fight.
The two Night Elves raced through the mountain forest in single file beneath the setting sun.
Ordos seemed to know these mountains well. He ran incredibly fast, more nimble than a goat, and soon opened up a gap between himself and Kalei.
Kalei had no choice but to call on natural energy for help. It buoyed his body, lightening him and increasing his speed.
Even so, the distance between him and Ordos kept growing. It was as though Ordos had inherited his parents' talent as a hunter and had mastered the art of using his natural surroundings. Every turn and stride made perfect use of the terrain and vegetation, helping him run faster and faster.
Kalei chased him for half an hour, but gradually lost sight of him.
The sunlight overhead was fading, and night was about to fall. Kalei had no choice but to stop.
As one blessed by Elune, Kalei wasn't afraid to face any enemy at night. But he worried that his mother would be anxious about him.
He watched the mountains slowly sink into darkness, disheartened, and let out a soft sigh before turning toward home.
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