Chapter 325 - 286: Attack

Chapter 325: Chapter 286: Attack

Shire had heard that some animals in the forest used the trails trampled by elephant herds as roads. This time, as they headed north, they were using the very path the Elephant Lord’s herd had taken on their way south.

Admittedly, as the Elephant Lord’s massive body passed through the forest, it had ravaged many trees, either snapping them in two or knocking them askew.

Thanks to the Elephant Lord’s trampling, Shire’s group was making much faster progress than before. He also saw many animal tracks on the path and had even spotted a few Big-horned Deer once.

But now, Fulu reported a strange feeling up ahead. This made Shire think that perhaps a leopard or a few Forest Grey Wolves were hiding behind the trees.

"Do you sense anything?" he asked, turning his head to the side. A head emerged from the shadows; it was Broken Tooth.

Broken Tooth shook his head, indicating he didn’t sense anything. Shire had previously granted him [Basic Passive Perception], which allowed him to detect some hidden dangers, but it was clear that whatever was out there was unusual.

’What could it be?’ Shire bent down, picked up a dry twig from the ground, and threw it forcefully against a nearby tree trunk. After the sound, the surrounding forest remained quiet. ’It doesn’t seem to be a beast. What could it be, then?’

"Should we take a detour?" The Naga Prince came to his side. He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but seeing the entire group halt, he knew there was likely danger.

"Everyone, close ranks! Stay alert!" Shire commanded loudly, then added in a low voice, "We’re not taking a detour. It’s probably not a powerful enemy."

The formation tightened slightly. Everyone drew their weapons and advanced cautiously.

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE. The sound of their feet crunching on fallen leaves echoed continuously. In this part of the forest, it was the only sound to be heard.

’This is strange. Not even the sound of birds,’ Shire thought, surveying his surroundings. Such silence in a forest usually meant one of two things: either a powerful beast was nearby, or all the surrounding creatures had been devoured by something.

"Doesn’t look like anything," Pazani said, clenching his fists. The previous night, he had specifically sought out the little goblin Shan Xi Ao to ask what kind of things Shire’s group usually encountered in the forest.

"Danger, of course!" Shan Xi Ao had flown excitedly in front of the Naga Prince, flapping his wings and gesturing wildly with his hands, passionately recounting his previous forest journey with Shire.

"I just swung my sword down like this!" The little goblin had even drawn the Little Wooden Sword from his waist and slashed fiercely. "But I overdid it and didn’t notice the white mycelia coming for me. If not for the Mother Tree’s healing, you’d be paying your respects before my leaf-shroud right now."

The little goblin race didn’t bury their dead. Instead, they would wrap the body in many large leaves, coat the leaf-shroud with pine resin or beeswax, and then hang it from a large tree the clan used as a cemetery. Ever since Shan Xi Ao’s father led the clan into hiding in an underground cavern, the clan’s elders had been hung in the cavern after they passed away.

"Zombies..." After hearing Shan Xi Ao’s vivid account, the Naga Prince had kept a straight face and said nothing, merely thanking the little goblin for the explanation before leaving in silence.

Now, he cautiously edged closer to Shire, one hand splayed open, ready to gather Magic for a defensive spell at any moment.

Shire glanced at the Naga beside him. The guy usually made a point of maintaining his princely air and keeping his distance from others, but now he was practically glued to Shire’s side. The dorsal fin on his back was completely retracted, pressed flat against his scales. What surprised Shire even more was that the Naga Prince’s serpentine lower body was no longer relaxed as it usually was, but instead looked coiled and tense.

This same phenomenon had occurred during the battle against the Feathered Serpent Kingdom’s goblins, though Shire hadn’t specifically asked about it. Later, he had seen Red Eyes practicing his swordsmanship, twisting his legs together to spin in a circle on the spot. Only then did Shire understand: the Naga’s posture was for making a quick turn to immediately bolt.

"Understandable, since he’s on land," Shire said with a smiling nod.

This seemingly random comment caught Pazani’s attention. "What about being on land?"

"It’s nothing. Just watch out for yourself," Shire said with a wave of his hand and a smile.

"I am a prince of the Naga Race, ah—" Pazani started to say, full of confidence, but his words turned into a scream. He pointed at a white cord that had suddenly appeared ahead. "What is that thing?"

His shout drew the attention of the other goblins. The white cord had shot down abruptly from the trees, instantly "lassoing" an Ant Farmer from the Worker Ants group up ahead. The victim struggled, his head wrapped by the cord, able to let out only muffled cries before his entire body was rapidly hoisted up into the trees.

"It’s in the trees!" Shire immediately drew the Hand Crossbow from the small of his back and fired a Crossbow Arrow in that direction.

WHOOSH! The Crossbow Arrow embedded itself directly into a branch. The unlucky Ant Farmer was only half-visible amidst the yellowing leaves, his limbs still flailing wildly, proving he was still alive.

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! Spurred by Shire’s action, the others around him began to loose Arrows. The Centaurs’ Bow and Arrow skills were precise; they deliberately avoided the goblin’s body, laying down semi-suppressive fire on the area.