Hm?
What's going on?
'Bandits are here to burn the village?'
Qin Feng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately opened the system map.
The map clearly displayed all the areas he had previously explored, like a sand table recreated in perfect scale. Every blade of grass, every hill, and every ravine was rendered in minute detail.
However, the northernmost part of the map was shrouded in a hazy mist, like a Secret Realm veiled by light gauze, preventing him from seeing the birds, beasts, and various creatures hidden within the fog.
"It's fine."
"This location is very close to the Poison Arrow Tribe's village."
"If we head out to support them immediately, it'll take less than ten minutes to reach the village's north gate."
As thoughts raced through his mind, Qin Feng beckoned to the Little Owl circling in the air. The creature folded its wings and dove, using its momentum to glide in a gentle arc and land steadily on the armor of his left shoulder.
Then, Qin Feng swung himself onto the most muscular Forest Wolf beside him, slapped its head heavily, and his voice turned deep and stern:
"All units!"
"Full speed, advance to the southeast!"
In an instant, the vast Forest Wolf Army surged southeast like a black torrent.
Their agile bodies weaved through the dense woods with ease, their muscles tracing fluid arcs of power as they ran.
The surrounding jagged branches became a natural screen, concealing the Forest Wolves' forms. Their gray-black fur blended seamlessly with the dappled shadows of the trees, making them look like a dark tide merging with the sea of forest.
Only their low, rolling roars, rising and falling, echoed through the leaves, making it impossible to discern the true scale of their army.
...
In the central heartland of the Northern Forest, at the south gate of the Poison Arrow Tribe's village.
Dongzhua braced himself against the rough wooden fence, his knuckles white from gripping a broken spear. His expression was a mixture of anger and tension.
In the distant thicket, a dense mass of the Ratman army surged forward like a tide, their iron armor and claws glinting coldly in the twilight.
He spat fiercely toward the enemy ranks, his voice, raspy as a broken gong, tearing through the air as he blustered:
"Folckwin!"
"You bastard!"
"If you have any guts, fight our Poison Arrow Tribe head-on!"
"Attacking our village while our leader is away Hunting with the main force... what kind of hero sneaks around like this?"
Hearing this, the leader of the Withered Leaf Tribe, called "Folckwin," curled his lip and let out a cold sneer from his throat:
"Hmph!"
His knuckles rapped heavily on the spine of the Longsword tucked at his knee. His jet-black armor glowed with a cold, blue-green light in the twilight, each plate seemingly tempered by the wind and frost of the wasteland:
"Brat!"
"Open your beady rat eyes and look!"
"Look at what my Withered Leaf Tribe's Ratman Warriors are wearing now, and what weapons they're using!"
As he spoke, Folckwin leaned forward, his crimson pupils glowing brightly in the Shadow:
"With the few people your Poison Arrow Tribe has left, even if you count all those stupid, howling wolves, they're nothing but a pile of breathing mud before my subordinates' fangs!"
"You really think things are still like they used to be?"
"That you can still push us around?"
The crunch of his boots crushing withered leaves mingled with his cold laugh as his sharp nails scraped across the runes on his sword's hilt:
"Be smart!"
"Open your village gates right now!"
"Then bring all your tribesmen, kneel at my feet, gouge out the Poison Arrow Tribe's bone totem, present it to me respectfully, and swear allegiance to our Withered Leaf Tribe!"
"If you dare to refuse this kindness..."
He suddenly drew his sword. Its cold glint split the dusk, casting a pale slash of light across Dongzhua's face:
"I'll have the Warriors of my Withered Leaf Tribe trample your village and drag all the women of your Poison Arrow Tribe to the altar to be properly... disciplined!"
"And when that old thing Bakadi comes running back, sniffing the scent of blood!"
"I'll personally twist off his rat head with its failing eyes and smear his brains on your tribe's totem pole!"
"Let all the tribes in the forest see the fate of those who dare to oppose our Withered Leaf Tribe!"
Seeing such arrogance, Dongzhua's fangs nearly crushed his own jaw as a suppressed growl rumbled in his throat.
'Damn it...'
'These bastards...'
'Are they really trying to annihilate our Poison Arrow Tribe...?'
Beyond his anger, he looked at the Withered Leaf Warriors lined up in the distance, a flicker of despair in his eyes.
Their ink-black armor formed menacing silhouettes against the setting sun. The interlocking scales on their shoulder guards resembled the scales of dormant black pythons, each cold gleam imbued with the unique dark light of Black Crystal Ore.
The Longswords slung across their backs were like arcs of solidified mercury, shimmering as sunlight flowed over the blades. Even the silver thread carvings entwined on their leather scabbards exuded an indescribable, intricate elegance.
'Damn it!'
'What the hell is going on?'
'They're just a bunch of idiots who can't even sharpen a Bone Blade properly, and there's no source of Black Crystal Stone nearby. How could they possibly forge this kind of Noble Armor, comparable to that of an elite legion from a human empire?'
'Did they just get lucky?'
'Did they find some ancient ruins buried underground?'
'Wait... could all this have been provided by that human Lord they conquered?'
'A Divine Chosen Lord?'
'I remember Diablo mentioning that title!'
'It means a Lord chosen by the Deities!'
'Alright!'
'If this is a gift from the Deities!'
'Then that would make sense!'
'But... the human Lord we now serve, the one called "Tingfeng," is also a Lord chosen by the Deities, possessing great gifts from them!'
'Why hasn't he issued us armor and weapons of the same quality?'
'Could it be?'
'Is his power inferior to the Divine Chosen Lord captured by that southern pack of rats?'
'Is he incapable of doing something like this?'
...
[A portion of the village leadership has questioned you. The Loyalty of your village, "Poison Arrow Tribe," has decreased by 8 points!]
Qin Feng lay in wait within the shadows of a dense thicket, his fingertips brushing the edge of his quiver and stirring up tiny bits of grass.
He ignored the system prompt that had suddenly appeared and instead drew a Poison Arrow from the quiver on his back. Its blue-black Arrowhead was coated with a dark poison, glinting coldly in the dim forest light.
Then, Qin Feng held his breath and drew his shortbow into a full moon, holding it until the cowhide string turned his knuckles white.
SWOOSH!
The sound of something slicing through the air tore through the humid forest. The Poison Arrow shot like a black bolt of lightning through layers of ferns, its fletching tracing a sharp arc as it sped straight toward the temple of the Ratman Leader named "Folckwin."
Headshot!
Instant kill!
[You have killed a Ratman Warrior. Influenced by the "Bloodthirsty" Talent, your Life Value has permanently increased by one point!]
"Watch out! An archer! There's an archer hidden in the forest! He shot the Folkwin Leader dead!"
"Quick! Spread out! Find cover!"
Amid shrill cries, the Ratman Warriors of the Withered Leaf Tribe fell into Chaos, like a disturbed hive of bees.
The clang of heavy iron blades mixed with the crackle of crushed, rotting branches, raising a cacophony on the open grassland.
Three Ratman Warriors were the first to regain their composure amidst the Chaos. They quickly brandished their sharp Longswords and charged toward the source of the arrow's sound.
However, the only response they received was three sharp arrows, wreathed in a dark light, that sliced through the air. They pierced the foreheads, temples, and pupils of the three Ratmen, pinning them to the open ground a hundred meters from where Qin Feng was hiding.
'Sorry!'
'Extreme range!'
'Pinpoint accuracy!'
'This is... a Ranger!'