It wasn’t just Gou Dan hiding up in the trees who picked up on it.
Some distance away from the slave hunters, Edward and the others noticed them as well.
Their senses were definitely not as powerful as Gou Dan’s. But to tell the truth, even Joe, the most simple-minded of them could tell what was happening when they were able to see yellow words like ‘Wood Elf, Level 32′ floating around the bushes.
The wood elves had discovered the slave hunters and had decided to get rid of them in one fell swoop.
Edward could not help feeling caught in the dilemma.
He definitely didn’t want to help the slave hunters, but the elves would definitely consider his party a part of the slave hunters whom they kept strategically hidden and treat them as enemies.
Leaving on the other hand would be difficult as well—they couldn’t turn invisible in the forests since they did not have Emerald Heart, and the elves were likely to discover them anywhere they go.
Gou Dan himself had assumed that immortal types like the wood elves were definitely slow to react like tortoises, but it turned out that they moved very rapidly. After encircling the slave hunters completely, those elves kept themselves hidden behind the foliage and rained arrows down at the slave hunters gathered by their bonfires.
More than half of them were caught off guard and reduced to dartboards in no time at all.
Still, the others appeared to have expected the attack—despite looking frantic, they used the still-seated corpses and the blocks of wood they sat on as cover to escape the arrows.
While Gou Dan was still left stunned by the archery skills the wood elves displayed, he realized that Edward just @ed him on the forums.
[Edward: @Gou Dan, this doesn’t feel right. The slave hunters are neither running or retaliating after being attacked but digging in defending themselves. Their reaction is too unusual!]
[Edward: If my hunch is right, this group could just be bait to hold the main elven force here]
[Edward: Hurry up and search around you to see what they are up to]
“Aren’t you being a little paranoid, Edward?”
Gou Dan could not help voicing his thoughts, that humans of this world were not that crafty—that most were inexperienced silly idiots who wanted to shoot for the skies.
“After all, not everyone in this world is really self-aware.”
Still, in spite of his misgivings, Edward’s words weighed heavily in Gou Dan mind, although his System sounded a quest jingle before he could move.
[Ding!]
[Side Quest unlocked: The Greatest Treasure of the Elves I]
[You inadvertently stumbled upon the wood elves bravely repelling slave hunters who were invading lands. But while you were gasping in wonder at the elves’ heroic display, the wise God of Games had seen through it all: The slave hunters’ true goal isn’t the adult elves, for they are merely bait used to catch the elven sentinels’ attention—their objective is somewhere else!]
[Quest details: Uncover the slave hunters’ schemes as soon as possible]
[Quest rewards: Unlocks ‘The Greatest Treasure of the Elves II’, certain EXP, certain Game Points and Rare ring (Nature’s Breath)]
[Note: Try not to be noticed by the elves before you complete your investigation]
Gou Dan: “…”
So there really was something fishy after all?
Furthermore, there could be no half-heartedness with a quest assigned personally by the God of Games—being one of Xi Wei’s earliest believers, Gou Dan’s faith was quite strong.
And after ascertaining that the slave hunters he was seeing were bait, Gou Dan noticed certain details he missed as well.
For example, instead of carrying out their slave hunting business which was supposed to be carried out very discreetly, these characters were conversing loudly in the middle of the forest, even making clear their plans for coming to the Trinia Forests. They must have added something to the bonfire they should not light in the first place as well, because it definitely stung the nose.
One wouldn’t be able to tell if they didn’t try to notice it, but if they do pay attention and take note of these signs, it would appear as if the slave hunters were afraid the wood elves wouldn’t notice them…
At that very thought, Gou Dan promptly moved somewhere else to find clues for his quest.
But with no automated navigation and no quest objective on his map, Gou Dan couldn’t find what he wanted after a search around.
That certainly left him very troubled.
“Since the quest title is ‘the Elves’ Greatest Treasure’, could it be some precious object the wood elves had gathered over their long lives? Doesn’t this mean I have to head for the elves’ dwelling to complete this quest?”
[Edward: @Gou Dan Hurry up, the elves are almost finished with the slave hunters’ bait. We might get discovered hiding here once they get wiped out!]
“It’s not like I know what to do even if you say that…” Gou Dan mumbled in frustration.
That was when he profoundly noticed the gap between himself and Edward. That dude was definitely a mage, and yet he hid better than a Junglewalker like Gou Dan himself…
Now far away from the battlefield, Gou Dan suddenly heard a faint noise although he was only looking through the forums.
It sounded like neither the movement of a beast nor the stirring of a magical creature, but more akin to the sound of a human running.
It was exactly like just now, when Edward and the others would never have noticed the wood elves’ presence because their movement was too stealthy and if not for the words hovering above their heads.
“Could one of those slave hunters have fled here?” Gou Dan paused and hurried towards the sound.
He could handily get rid of any escapees since slave hunters were red-named monsters and nothing good.
It would be even better if it wasn’t—that might be a quest objective.
After changing class to Junglewalker, Gou Dan realized that moving in the forests had become easier and swifter for him. Indeed, he was moving more than twice quicker than before!
If his Emerald Heart was charged, this passive ability would actually improve to the next level.
He thought then that his class change was the right one.
After a short moment, he quickly arrived where the sound was and immediately recognized jackpot.
