Just as Morning Song's declaration echoed in the air, the enormous black shadow suddenly erupted into an even more arrogant laugh. "Hahahaha...you are truly ignorant yet audacious," it said in a voice that seemed to come from all directions, "I am the oldest guardian of this ancient forest—Nightblade! Do you think you can pass through here so easily?"
The atmosphere in the group instantly became incredibly heavy. Everyone could feel the oppressive atmosphere, and even breathing became difficult. At this moment, the swordsman stepped forward: "We are the representatives of hope and courage on this continent. You cannot stop our determination."
Nightblade sneered contemptuously, "Fine, then let's see if your strength matches your courage!" As soon as he finished speaking, a group of small, ferocious-looking monsters instantly appeared from the surrounding woods. They moved around like ghosts and quickly surrounded the small team.
Chen Ge launched the first attack, her sword flashing like lightning as she pierced a monster that had approached her. With a "poof," the monster instantly vanished in a wisp of smoke.
Selena followed closely behind, quickly chanting several magical incantations. Several golden light orbs accurately struck the other two monsters that were attempting to ambush Hag. The old hunter and several other villagers who were watching were astonished by what they saw.
"My goodness... this young lady can actually wield such powerful magic!?" An elderly man exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes wide.
A woman nearby exclaimed, "Yes, and that girl with the sword—her fighting ability is terrifying! They really are extraordinary beings..."
Just as everyone was stunned by their performance, the battle continued fiercely. Hag used his strong body to withstand the two monsters and used his size advantage to slam them to the ground; while the swordsman displayed extremely superb swordsmanship skills. After a flash of silver light, the tip of his sword had accurately pierced through a creature that was rushing towards him.
"This is truly unbelievable..." the old hunter muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Even the heroes of yesteryear wouldn't have achieved this level of strength..."
Despite the overwhelming number of enemies, they were gradually dwindling thanks to the team's close cooperation. However, Nightblade didn't seem to have any intention of giving up so easily. At this crucial moment, he suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving only his last words: "Don't be too happy... this game has only just begun..."
With the last monster finally defeated, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief. But everyone felt that things were far from over. An eerie silence fell over the surroundings, yet a strange tension still lingered in their hearts.
Just then, a young woman approached with curiosity. "Wow, you actually won! That's amazing!" she exclaimed. With an admiring look, she said to the swordsmen, "Brothers and sisters, you're so amazing! Especially you! How did you manage to defeat so many enemies so coolly? Can you teach me?"
The swordsman smiled slightly, patted her shoulder, and replied, "Little girl, this can't be explained in just a few words. Just remember one thing: no matter what difficulties you face, you must not back down. Only with a strong will and the power of unity can you win." The little girl blinked, listening intently...
At the same time, an elder from the village quietly stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Although we passed this time smoothly, according to ancient records, Nightblade often hides a much larger conspiracy. Everyone must remain vigilant at all times."
Listening to their elders' teachings, everyone silently prepared themselves. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, as long as the goal was clear, there was no problem that couldn't be overcome…
"Mmm!" Chen Ge nodded vigorously. "Thank you for your warning. We will do our best to meet the challenges ahead, no matter what." Then she turned to her companions. "Alright, let's move on! What awaits us ahead is an even more exciting experience..." At this moment, no one noticed that a pair of blood-red eyes in the distant woods were silently watching everything... The story will pause here until the next chapter presents the exciting events.
As Chen Ge finished speaking, everyone in the group turned their gazes towards the depths of the dark forest. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the chill unique to early winter, stirring a sense of unease in their hearts.
"Hey, did you hear? A legendary team of heroes came to our area yesterday!" A boy ran up from the edge of the crowd, panting. "I even saw that guy with the greatsword take down several monsters in one go! He was so cool!"
Hearing this, the old man standing beside him stroked his beard and chuckled, "Isn't that right? I also heard some commotion last night. I didn't expect to see them return victorious so early this morning. It seems that the continent has finally seen a glimmer of hope."
Meanwhile, at another stall, several young people were discussing among themselves, huddled around a tattered map. "To be honest, do you believe it? It's said that one of the mages in the team challenging Nightblade can manipulate elemental power," said one of the slightly thin but determined-looking boys. "If only we could join a team like that."
Another young man, dressed in simple leather armor, laughed and said, "Brother, you're overthinking it. Those are experts; how could we possibly be qualified?"
Just as everyone was sharing their opinions, a series of exclamations suddenly came from not far away: "Oh my god! Look over there!"
Everyone looked in the direction indicated—and saw that Chen Ge and her companions were fully prepared to embark on their journey once again. "Wow... what are they going to do?" someone in the crowd whispered.
“Probably we should keep going,” an elderly man who seemed quite knowledgeable replied. “According to ancient records, many unknown secrets exist in this mysterious and dangerous place. To uncover the truth, we must bravely venture into the lion’s den.”
Just as everyone had predicted, after a short rest, the small team set off on their journey again. Along the way, they not only left deep footprints but also attracted countless curious or admiring glances.
As they passed through the last dense forest and arrived at an open area, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way—a middle-aged man wearing a gray cloak, holding a seemingly ordinary but actually gleaming spear.
Faced with the sudden situation, Selena immediately raised her staff in a defensive stance and cautiously asked, "May I ask who you are...?" Before she could finish her question, the other party first showed a friendly smile and introduced himself: "Please do not be alarmed, everyone. My name is Wright Wardlov, and I am the one who protects the peace of this territory. I heard that you have successfully defeated Nightblade, so I have come to welcome you."
The tense atmosphere eased slightly after hearing the news, but many people remained highly vigilant—after all, with the situation still unclear, no one could easily trust others.
Seeing this, Wright chuckled and continued, "Don't worry, everyone. I know any stranger is a potential threat to you right now; but please believe me, I mean no harm. Since our common goal is to defeat Nightblade and uncover the secrets hidden behind him, why not work together? That might make things much easier!"
After listening to these words, Chen Ge pondered for a moment before nodding: "Alright, I agree to form a temporary alliance with you. But please forgive us, we still need to retain some room for maneuver."
Upon receiving the reply, Wright smiled with satisfaction: "Very good, very good, that's exactly the answer I wanted to hear. So from this moment until we achieve our final goal, we're officially partners."
Just as the two sides reached a preliminary understanding, a deafening roar suddenly echoed in the distance, followed by eerie and piercing screams… This instantly heightened everyone's alertness. "Damn it… Nightblade's doing it again!" the swordsman muttered, drawing his longsword to prepare for any impending events. "Let's go, companions! No matter what hardships or unprecedentedly powerful enemies await us, we absolutely cannot back down!" With Chen Ge's resounding words of encouragement, the small team quickly adjusted their stance, fully armed, and prepared to face the next challenge…
Meanwhile, the pair of scarlet eyes hidden among the trees peered even more greedily, seemingly filled with intense interest in the fierce clash that was about to take place... As for what kind of wonderful story will unfold next, we'll have to wait for the next installment to find out.
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