The six had been about to indulge themselves in the spoils of victory when Han Shuo's thunderous shout made them freeze. Then they all reacted, sensibly abandoning their attempts to strip the Two-Headed Dragon of its spoils and instantly turning questioning gazes on Han Shuo.
After Han Shuo's repeated displays of extraordinary perception and matching strength, they had unconsciously begun treating him as their new leader. Even Odyssey showed no displeasure, seemingly regarding it all as only natural.
A party could only ever have one leader. Besides possessing strength that inspired confidence, that leader also needed a cool head and keen judgment.
"Follow me!" Once Han Shuo realized he had become the one they trusted, he spoke directly, without wasting words or feigning modesty.
Han Shuo darted swiftly across the area and shot off to the left. None of the six young adventurers behind him questioned his judgment anymore. They immediately dropped everything in their hands, disregarding the exposed tents around them and the Two-Headed Dragon's still-warm corpse on the ground, and ran after him.
A vast stand of towering trees suddenly came into view. Their lush growth blocked out the bright moonlight. In the dead of night, their huge branches resembled monsters' feelers and looked rather frightening.
Once they arrived, Han Shuo fixed his gaze on one of the great trees and climbed its tangled branches. Halfway up, he suddenly vanished. The three Swordsmen among the six were agile, reaching the same height only ten or so seconds after him. With their help, the two mages and the archer also climbed onto the branches.
Only after climbing halfway up did they discover an opening. This seemingly solid tree was actually hollow inside. After the seven entered through the opening, four dropped to the bottom, while Han Shuo, Odyssey, and