Chapter 1514 - 1511: Setting Out Again

After resting, Ye Qiu prepared to set off again. There were less than three days before the next wave would hit, so Ye Qiu had to make preparations.

At this point, Black Panther proposed to part ways. In fact, Ye Qiu had already anticipated this. Black Panther was the Guardian of Winter City. Although the wave shouldn't affect Winter City, if Ye Qiu and the others failed to fend it off, Black Panther would be the city's last hope.

"You know, I can't go with you," Black Panther clearly stated his thoughts.

"I will defeat this wave. Even if it's for you, I won't let a single Magical Beast escape," Ye Qiu had nothing to give Black Panther at their parting, but wanted to thank him for his help over the days. Without Black Panther, they wouldn't have obtained the Profound Celestial Ice Sword.

"That's good. This city relies on you then. If even you fail, I'll definitely be killed instantly," Black Panther accepted Ye Qiu's goodwill.

However, Ye Qiu still didn't know why Black Panther understood the secret of the Ice Sword or how he could read the words at the base of the statue, which were in an ancient language.

Yet Ye Qiu didn't question Black Panther too much, as leaving some mystery can be quite intriguing.

Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang continued their journey, accompanied by Dong. Dong seemed to dislike staying in sword form and appeared mostly in a girl's form. Over time, not only did she cling to Ye Qiu, but Dong also became close with Fang Wushang, showing no signs of being wary, possibly because Ye Qiu's memories were all of Fang Wushang previously.

Since Dong had absorbed Ye Qiu's memories before, it suggested that she had seen those memories, which is why she was so warm with Fang Wushang.

Given their current pace, Ye Qiu and the group could reach Aient City before dusk. It was a democratic country that was very tolerant of adventurers and the like. The nation was a huge relic of the old humans, divided into many levels, each filled with many labyrinths, said to be training grounds for the old humans.

Ye Qiu came here because the next wave would occur in this country. Although many of the original inhabitants fled in fear after learning about the wave, many master adventurers were drawn here by its reputation, as the rewards from slaying Magical Beasts were far greater than earnings from regular jobs or commissions.

Although the method of reward was simple, throughout the ages, great incentives have always produced heroes.

Ye Qiu deliberately went to the higher levels of Aient City to stake out his own territory because the dangers increased with the height, and the Magical Beasts there were more formidable.

Ye Qiu concluded his solitary battle with the Lizardman Lord in the labyrinth district on the seventy-fourth floor. As he started his return journey, he pondered the distant past, walking for about ten minutes before finally breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing the light of the exit appear ahead.

"Why are there so many lizards..."

"They say lizards are degenerated dragons from ancient times," Fang Wushang responded to Ye Qiu's complaint.

Ye Qiu stopped indulging in past memories, quickened his pace out of the corridor, and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

What lay before Ye Qiu was a path cut through the dense, dark forest. Looking back, he saw the labyrinth district he just exited, stained red by the sunset, extending seemingly into the sky or rather to the massive body of the layer above.

Smiling at his own anticipation and slight nervousness, he began to walk along the path.

Ye Qiu's current base was the largest city, Manchester City, on the seventy-fourth floor of Aincrad. But Ye Qiu chose not to settle within the city because he spotted members of the Hidden Clan there and preferred no dealings with them, so he opted to stay in the large forest outside Manchester City.

In the forest, Ye Qiu found a nice little wooden house. The original inhabitants seemed to have fled in fear of the wave, leaving hasty signs of departure, so Ye Qiu felt no guilt.

After traversing the dusk-drenched plains, a forest lined with intricately arranged ancient trees appeared before Ye Qiu's eyes. A thirty-minute walk through the forest would bring him to the main street district of the seventy-fourth floor, where he could use the wave countdown clock to teleport instantly to where the wave would occur.

There was still some time before sunset. After confirming the route, Ye Qiu resisted the temptation to dive into bed early and began his trek into the forest.

In Aient City's outermost layers, aside from several pillar sections, the space was mostly open. At this time, sunlight slanted in, making the forest trees look like they were on fire. The dense mist flowing between tree trunks shimmered with a mysterious glow after reflecting the sunset rays.

The once noisy bird calls during the day now dwindled, making the rustling sound of tree tops swaying in the wind especially loud.

However, Ye Qiu didn't dislike this feeling. The primal sense of unease had unconsciously been forgotten. Being surrounded by the solitude of a desolate wilderness was nice, but having a loved one with you was also pleasant.

Engulfed in poignant emotions, Ye Qiu's ears suddenly caught the faint cries of a wild beast he hadn't heard before.

It was a sharp yet clear sound similar to the brief note of a grass whistle. Ye Qiu immediately stopped, carefully searching for the source of the sound. In this world, encountering something you've never heard or seen before often heralded unexpected fortune or misfortune.

Once a solitary wanderer, Ye Qiu had thoroughly honed his Enemy Search Skill. This skill not only prevented ambushes but also allowed one to identify concealed monsters or enemies as proficiency increased. Before long, a creature hidden in the shadows of a large tree branch about ten meters away appeared before Ye Qiu.

It seemed neither Fang Wushang nor Dong noticed it.

"Wait here for me, don't move," Ye Qiu said.

Ye Qiu didn't bring Dong because he deemed the monster wasn't significant enough to warrant using the Profound Celestial Ice Sword.

It wasn't a huge creature. Ye Qiu could see its gray-green fur camouflaged among the leaves and its ears longer than its body. After focusing his gaze on it, Ye Qiu completed his analysis of the creature.

At first sight, Ye Qiu found himself holding his breath. The reason was that a Forest Rabbit was an extremely rare creature.

Even Ye Qiu saw one in the flesh for the first time. Although the fluffy rabbit living in the trees wasn't particularly formidable and defeating it wouldn't increase one's strength,

Ye Qiu wanted to give Fang Wushang and Dong a surprise, so he prepared to catch this creature alive.