After leaving the Death Cemetery, Han Shuo retraced his steps. By the time he was halfway back, however, it was broad daylight. When he reached their original campsite from memory, he found that the students of the Necromancy Department had already left.
Just as Han Shuo was about to curse aloud, he suddenly took a closer look around. The charcoal ashes where the campfire had been clearly did not look as though they were from last night. Instead, they looked several days old.
Many supplies had been stored where Han Shuo's tent originally stood, but now nothing remained. Nearby, there were only a few stones piled in a triangle.
A thought struck him. Han Shuo quickly walked over to the tent site, took out his dagger, and carefully poked around between the stones. After a while, he fished out a sheet of yellow paper.
"Brian, on the second day after you left, we found traces of those two Ogres nearby again. Afraid that the Ogres would come back for revenge, we decided not to wait for you any longer. Once you read this note, return to the academy on your own along our original route. Perhaps we can meet along the way. I hope you stay safe. -Fanny."
Fanny had left the note. After reading it, Han Shuo slapped his forehead and inwardly cried, This is bad. Having read the note, Han Shuo finally understood that a considerable amount of time must have passed without his noticing while he practiced the Demonic Cultivation Art. It had definitely been more than a single day.
It seemed that the appearance of the two Ogres had frightened Fanny and the others. Moreover, they were already deep in the southern Dark Forest. Without Clark's protection, they had finally been left with no choice but to retrace their route.
Han Shuo had yet to be freed from his slave status, and there was still a woman he wanted at the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts, as well as some texts on Necromancy. He could not leave the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts anytime soon.
With the six magic wands in hand, Han Shuo could enter and leave the Death Cemetery at will. After returning to the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts, he could use the teleportation array to make the Death Cemetery his private domain, then treat the entire southern Dark Forest as a trial ground. Whether practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art or magic, he would achieve twice the results with half the effort in such a place.
After a moment's consideration, Han Shuo followed the instructions in Fanny's note and began racing out of the Dark Forest along their original route.
Even after traveling an entire day without stopping, Han Shuo did not feel the slightest fatigue. Weaving through the uneven terrain of the Dark Forest, he moved as fast as lightning, as swift as a magical beast pursuing its prey.
Toward evening, Han Shuo reached an area strewn with rocks. His group had camped here once before. Before he could draw near, the clash of weapons reached him from a distance.
Startled, Han Shuo thought, Could Fanny and the others be surrounded by Ogres? At that thought, he abruptly picked up speed and hurtled toward the rocky area.
Along the way, many tall, fierce-looking Forest Trolls with oily green skin, wielding blades, forks, and clubs, attacked Han Shuo. He easily dodged them all.
The Forest Trolls were a race of the Dark Forest. They were sworn enemies of the Elves, who regarded them as plunderers of the forest and had long waged campaigns against them.
Within the Dark Forest, the Forest Trolls were more fearsome bandits than the Ogres. Not only were they strictly disciplined, but they also imitated human military organization, dividing themselves into Forest Trolls Warriors, Forest Trolls Hunters, and even Forest Trolls Priests capable of using some simple magic.
Legend had it that the Forest Trolls had evolved from plants and trees. Like humans, they possessed advanced intelligence. Within the forest, the Forest Trolls enjoyed certain natural advantages, which they used to plunder the resources of other forest races, as well as the goods of passing merchants. Like the Ogres, they were notorious villains and bandits.
Listening carefully to the sounds of fighting, Han Shuo darted forward in the direction they came from. As he raced along, Forest Trolls Hunters hurled several spears that whistled toward his back. His senses were extraordinarily keen as he ran. At a twitch of his ears, he repeatedly shifted direction, easily evading the thrown spears.
Several troll warriors carrying enormous battle-axes charged at Han Shuo from the side, shouting loudly. Before they could approach, however, he had already nimbly darted past them and continued toward the center of the battle.
After several dozen seconds of running at full speed, Han Shuo finally reached the center of the fighting. He saw a group of more than a dozen people holding longswords, resisting the Forest Trolls' attacks. Their clothing clearly marked them as members of some mercenary company. They were now covered in wounds, and all appeared injured to varying degrees.
Dozens of Forest Trolls surrounded them. Troll warriors held the front line in close combat, while a dozen or so troll hunters behind them continually hurled spears and javelins. At the very rear, five Forest Trolls Priests cast simple healing spells and Spiritual Fire, which increased physical toughness, healing the troll warriors and hunters and boosting their stamina.
Judging by the situation, the battle had been going on for some time. The dozen or so human mercenaries were quite capable fighters, but unfortunately, the Forest Trolls had greater numbers, along with troll hunters who could throw weapons from a distance and troll priests who could heal and restore stamina. These three types working together against mercenaries made up solely of warriors, combined with their numerical advantage, had clearly given them an overwhelming upper hand.
Behind the mercenaries stood a short, stocky fat man with a fleshy face. As he cursed loudly, his two soybean-sized eyes kept darting about, seemingly searching for a way to escape.
So it isn't Fanny and the others. It looks like this has nothing to do with me. With that thought, Han Shuo immediately stopped concerning himself with the situation. Having no intention of coming to their aid, he simply planned to go past these people and continue out of the Dark Forest.
However, although Han Shuo had no intention of helping, these Forest Trolls did not seem willing to let him go. Several particularly burly troll warriors ahead had already raised their huge battle-axes and charged at him, while several sharp javelins were hurled along with them.
"Sorry, I'm only passing through. I'll leave right away. Go on robbing them. This has nothing to do with me!"
Seeing the troll warriors charging at him, Han Shuo did not want any complications. He suddenly called out, intending to dodge past them and leave.
"Humans are the most cunning and evil race. Kill him!" Beside the troll priests on the perimeter, the troll leader commanding this operation suddenly gave a shrill order in the continent's Common Tongue-the human language.
The troll warriors had momentarily frozen at Han Shuo's words. Upon hearing their leader's order, they no longer hesitated and charged with their battle-axes.
Damn it, you're asking to die! Han Shuo was getting angry too. Having just dodged several thrown spears, he saw these tall troll warriors charging at him with battle-axes, clearly intending to finish him off as well.
Grabbing a spear beside him, Han Shuo heaved it up and gripped it in his hand. Before the troll warriors could approach, he sprang forward. The spear in his hand moved as swiftly as lightning streaking through the air. With a soft squelch, it plunged straight into the first troll warrior's chest, pinning the warrior standing close behind him as well.
The two troll warriors only managed two agonized cries before the spear pierced straight through them, killing them instantly. Casually taking the battle-axe from one of their hands, Han Shuo shouted, "If you insist on getting yourselves killed, you can't blame me!"
After the previous incident with the Ogres, Han Shuo no longer felt the slightest fear when killing. There was even a faint, inexplicable sense of excitement.
Han Shuo knew that mercy and pleas would be useless against these villains and bandits. Only brutal, cold-blooded methods could intimidate them. The more timid and weak one was, the more unrestrained they became. Thus, Han Shuo struck with extreme ruthlessness this time, confronting them directly with savage slaughter.
Sure enough, after Han Shuo displayed such brutality, panic appeared on the oily green faces of the other four troll warriors closing in, and they all fearfully retreated several steps. The Forest Trolls' leader also looked at Han Shuo with some fear, a hesitant expression appearing on his face.
"Brave warrior, please save me!"
Just then, the short fat man sheltered behind the mercenaries suddenly cried out excitedly. He looked at Han Shuo with burning intensity, as though Han Shuo were his savior.
"Not interested!" Han Shuo refused outright. After that cold response, he made to leave, battle-axe in hand.
Seeing Han Shuo about to leave, the short fat man immediately turned pale with alarm and hastily shouted, "Brave warrior, if you can get me out of here, I'm willing to pay you handsomely. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
At those words, Han Shuo, who had already taken several steps, suddenly stopped. Turning around, he smiled at the fat man and said, "Honored sir, how much are you willing to pay?"
The fat man froze, then hesitated. Finally, he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and shouted, "Fifty gold coins!"
"Sorry, you'd better find someone else!" Han Shuo thought that in the past, fifty gold coins might really have tempted him. Now that he had entered the Dark Forest and discovered he was fully capable of capturing a Wind Blade Demon Wolf on his own, however, he no longer considered fifty gold coins worth risking himself for.
Seeing Han Shuo about to leave, the fat man grew anxious and shouted again, "Seventy at most!"
Without looking back, Han Shuo continued walking.
"Eighty, one hundred, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and fifty, two hundred! Two hundred!"
Han Shuo abruptly stopped in his tracks, suddenly turned, and rushed back, saying, "All right, two hundred it is. I'll take a little loss and call it making a friend."
"Heavens, two hundred gold coins! You're robbing me just like they are! Two hundred gold coins could buy dozens of slaves. Damn it, hurry up and get me out of here!" The fat man shouted and clamored, his face full of anguish over the expense.
Before you continue