Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 658: Chapter 456: Something’s Off About the Neighbor Next Door

Lynn speared a piece of roasted duck leg, took a joyful bite, and then chuckled, ”These guys still don’t understand elves.

An Elf Mage capable of casting the Forest Array is one, hehe, whom even in the Forest of the Elves no one dares provoke.

This is practically asking for death.”

Hill smiled helplessly, ”I didn’t expect that they would be in such a hurry, charging in when the night was still young.

Though in the Elf Forest, it’s true that one wouldn’t encounter any thieves.

But how to deal with the assassins that lurk in the shadows—every elf is thoroughly taught from a young age.”

The two of them looked up to see a few audacious and skilled thieves cautiously squeezing through the gaps in the Forest Array.

Hill hadn’t sealed off the perimeter; there were gaps of at least 20 centimeters between the trees.

If he intended to secure the Maze Forest Array at a certain place, Hill would use thorns to seal these gaps and allow Murderous Vine, Lily of the Valley, and Windmill Jasmine to extend some branches outside.

But in Quel’var, he didn’t need that finesse, since anyone daring enough to enter were thieves anyway.

Rangers might have their issues behind the scenes, but they wouldn’t act now.

Otherwise, if Hill caught them and threw them next door, the Forest Maiden would probably have to clean house.

The thieves first turned invisible to enter the maze, but after half an hour of not finding a way out, they didn’t waste energy entering the shadows anymore.

They already knew their Invisibility Technique was completely ineffective against the maze, but, it seemed each of them was mentally prepared.

Not to mention the plants, even the Maze Formation itself couldn’t possibly be ineffective against someone invisible.

They actually also understood, dealing with a mage who could obviously harness nature, a sneak attack was a difficult thing to accomplish and if not to test Hill’s reaction, the thieves wouldn’t have rushed to their deaths so eagerly.

When they turned to the same location for the second time, spikes suddenly began to appear randomly from the ground.

2-meter-long spikes kept thrusting up, and one thief, unable to dodge in time, was skewered straight through.

His level was too low, he was slow to react, and his jump wasn’t high enough, leading directly to GAME OVER.

Level 5 thieves daring to enter a mage’s maze, Hill thought these guys really didn’t understand how much destructive power a mage of level 14 or above had.

”They didn’t expect you to dare kill someone right after coming out of the forest,” Lynn said grimly, holding his knife and fork.

”But in the forest, slaughter never stops, does it!” Hill asked incredulously, ”Especially in the Supreme Forest, there have always been enemies.

An elf who ventures out to temper themselves could never be a sweet piece of cake too scared to face a killer.”

Just like Hill, not wanting to act and being unable to act were completely different concepts.

”It’s my fault,” Lynn admitted nonchalantly. ”This first batch of people, they’re probably the handiwork of some behind-the-scenes characters in Quel’var.

Indeed, we council members call the shots in Quel’var, but there are shady dealings everywhere.

Actually, as the sheriff, I’m also a nuisance in their eyes, it’s just that no one dares frame a priest of the Singer under his watchful eyes.

Other deities might be too preoccupied with numerous matters to attend to every priest, but the Singer is different.

As long as I pray devoutly and confirm that I am being framed, he will come down to rescue me himself. There is a church here!

He detests conspiracies and secret assassinations.

And if I really find myself in big trouble, he’ll directly seek help from the King of Knowledge, as long as I’m not at fault, of course the scholar will protect his own.

We are even allowed to learn the Divine Arts from the Temple of Knowledge, the Singer doesn’t mind his followers serving the Main God.

So to some extent, the priests of the Singer are not dragged down into conspiracies and schemes.

The moment something goes wrong, there will be priests who directly pray to the Singer, and even if it turns out to be a false alarm, the Singer won’t be angry and will even praise us for our sense of crisis.

Unless we’re seeking death by adventuring outside, then dying is normal.

So my Level 3 priest, in some ways, is stronger than a Level 7 Bard.

Thinking back, when I first came to this town, Quel’var wasn’t as prosperous and stable, and I encountered quite a few incidents.

At that time, I had just become a priest, and the Bard was only Level 5, with rather soft hands.

Gold Elves, actually not many of them leave the forest, people from the outside don’t quite understand.

So they probably think you and I are similar.”

Hill couldn’t help but glance at Lynn, as a Bard sent out to gain experience, Lynn definitely wasn’t someone who would hesitate to kill.

Such an elf wouldn’t have the qualifications to leave the forest to travel at all.

Most importantly, the bloodline of Gold Elves came with initial levels; even if they never mention this, the Level 10 Lynn was actually comparable to a Level 14 human.

Many elves even choose their professions after reaching adulthood because even the commoners can live comfortably.

Lynn sighed and smiled, ”It’s not that I’m scared to kill, but because I owed a favor to a girl from this town, I let off her hometown’s people.

They probably got it wrong, thinking that elves just out of the forest would all be too kind-hearted.”

Hill had no intention of asking the girl, as it was clear that Lynn was doing all this for the so-called last wish.

Probably an old friend who had set out on adventures with Lynn before.

Hill turned his head to the light screen, giving space to Lynn, who was deep in thought with a duck leg in hand.

He didn’t remind Lynn that oil had dripped onto his clothes.

In the image, the thieves seemed to have a disagreement, which led to an argument.

An hour into the maze, with no progress but the loss of a life, some wanted to turn back, and others wanted to continue.

Meanwhile, someone had quietly entered the maze.

Lynn observed for a while and then said, ”That’s the henchman of the herb merchant. He has some dealings with the gnomes.”

Hill looked at the few short and skinny figures and said noncommittally, ”I suppose the dwarves will appear too.”

”That they will, dwarves are never the crude but honest type humans talk about.” Lynn laughed and continued gnawing on his duck leg.

He still hadn’t noticed the oil stains on his shirt.

”What’s that?” Lynn had finished his duck leg and was reaching for a steak with his fork when something on the light screen caught his eye, and he dropped his steak halfway through his surprise.

Hill knew it wasn’t that Lynn couldn’t recognize who was in the image, but that he couldn’t believe a Blue Dragon Gnome could strut directly into the center of Quel’var Town.

Even though the town was located in the forest, where visibility was poor,

its defense was never reliant on human eyes.

”What’s that guy next door up to?” Lynn exclaimed irritably, ”Even the Evil Faction can get through his defenses in the forest?”

”His tree spirits have left,” Hill explained calmly.

He had noticed long ago that the neighbor was quite interested in his Maze Forest Array yet had suddenly left town at dusk.

The help signal passed through the forest had been received by Hill too, but he didn’t think those tree spirits couldn’t beat a few goblins, so he hadn’t planned to intervene.

He had never understood why these tree spirits were so helpless; the first thing he learned about these creatures, which could mimic the beautiful elves and Elegant Spirits, was that tree spirits would vehemently defend their forests and other woodland life.

It was just a few goblins, and even if they had a hint of dragon blood, there were dozens of tree spirits, enough to tear apart any foe.

Yet they had sent a distress signal!

The neighbor’s behavior made him realize who had turned these not very clever tree spirits into pets.

”Tsk,” Lynn couldn’t help but roll his eyes, ”The Forest Temple guy came here three years ago, and since then, not a single treant has been added near Quelva.

I’ve also heard he treats the tree spirits too well, but is he abandoning his duties to save powerful tree spirits? Who is the enemy? Did a Blue Dragon come by themselves?

And these tree spirits haven’t leveled up in three years?

Logically, there should be some high-intelligence tree spirits capable of leading the tribe by now! I was thinking about forming an offensive and defensive alliance with them!”

Hill forced a stiff smile, ”Just a few Blue Dragon Gnomes, probably level 14.”

And there were dozens of tree spirits, each at least level 9.

Lynn looked at Hill in surprise, ”Did he send the tree spirits somewhere else? It’s been three years! That’s one every month!”

”No, a group of tree spirits,” Hill relayed calmly what he had seen, ”They were jumping around that place back and forth, not a single one made a move against the goblins.”

Lynn bowed his head in thought, ”This guy is a bit off. I’ll go ask the Singer. Tree spirits, or treants, are never the kind to shy away from battle.”

Hill said nothing more. The chaos of Ferun Great Land was evident when even a chief priest from a temple could be problematic.

Moreover, Lynn didn’t show any signs of panic, quite accustomed to it.

”Are you better at controlling the forest than that guy?” Lynn suddenly looked up, just realizing what Hill’s words implied.

The guy next door was not weak; they had all considered finding the awakened tree spirits he managed, but they could never track them down.

The forest would help him block some who tried to track and spy.

Yet, Hill could directly see what was happening!

”I am a Nature Mage,” Hill smiled lightly, ”The forest is also an important part of nature.”

Lynn scoffed, ”Just say you’re Nature’s Darling directly, why didn’t your family make you a druid?

Or were they planning to max out your levels as a mage before doubling it up? That’s pretty tough, isn’t it?”

”No,” Hill said slowly, ”It’s just that my talents as a mage are slightly better, and I grew up in the human world until I was 16.”

Lynn immediately understood, druids need to be one with nature, while Hill, who had been learning how to be a mage since childhood, learned how to control nature.

Essentially, he had been cut off from the path of becoming a druid from the start.

In the light screen, the thieves had been separated, and they were just now realizing that the maze could change on its own and that its attacks were not limited to just suddenly emerging spikes.