Justin and the other crew members were confused about their situation. Just a few minutes ago, they were in the middle of the forest, suddenly attacked by the elven troops guarding the dungeon. However, now they found themselves in a different place, as if they had been teleported to the other side of the forest.
"What happened?" one of the crew members wondered as he looked around the forest.
"Where are they? Did they run away?"
"I thought I was about to die."
Just like the others, Justin was also trying to understand what was happening, but he couldn't find any clues at all.
"Justin, come here!"
A shout snapped Justin out of his deep thoughts. Akio waved his hand, calling Justin to come. Next to him, Sylvia was kneeling on the ground with a pale face, drenched in sweat, as if she had just used most of her mana.
As soon as Justin saw Sylvia's condition, he rushed to her and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Sylvia nodded in response, trying to catch her breath. Then, Justin shouted for Joanna, and the blonde-haired girl ran over to them not long after.
While Joanna used healing skill on Sylvia, Justin ordered some crew members to keep watch, making sure no monsters approached.
"What happened to you?" Justin asked gently.
Breathing heavily, Sylvia explained to Justin that just before the lightning strike occurred, she had managed to stop time and use her power to teleport everyone to a safe place one by one.
Naturally, Justin was surprised, as were Akio and Joanna.
"Stopping time? Seriously? I had no idea you had a such talent" Akio scratched the back of his head, both amazed and astonished at the same time.
"Sorry if I kept it a secret all this time," Sylvia replied weakly.
Justin nodded in understanding, and at the same time, he realized that it might have been the only way to save them from the sudden elf attack. However, Sylvia lowered her head, there was something else she hadn't told them.
Joanna gently patted Sylvia's back and said, "It's okay. Klaus said that hiding your powers is about keeping yourself safe. I feel you, right."
When the name of the most vital person in the group was mentioned, Justin widened his eyes. He realized that he hadn't seen Klaus's face since they had here. Then he stood up and looked in different directions, searching for his presence among the other members, and at that moment, he realized that it wasn't just Klaus who was missing from the group. He could only find 16 people in the group.
"Is everyone okay?" Akio asked, raising one of his eyebrows.
"They're missing," Justin replied. "Gavin, Olivia, Michael, and Klaus."
...
At the site of the battle, a group of silver-haired elves arrived to investigate. They walked among the scorched ruins and examined the area carefully. The tall, green trees that once stood high now remained as charred trunks adorning the barren landscape. The lush grass had turned into ashes, and there were no signs of life left, except for the scattered bodies of humans and elves lying on the blackened ground, scorched by the lightning strike.
A leader elf in the group, an elf with a scar on his eye named Aymon, clenched his hands in anger as he looked at the corpses of his fallen comrades. His handsome face now appeared so furious and hurt. They had lost many lives in the attack, and Aymon felt a deep sense of grief.
"Lord Aymon, we have finished identifying," one of the elves from the group approached and gave a report to Aymon.
"How did it turn out?"
"We found 119 bodies. 39 humans and 80 elves."
"39?" Aymon raised his eyebrows. "Didn't the scouts say there were 65 humans who came here?"
The elf nodded. "Yeah, it seems like 26 managed to survive."
This news only made Aymon's blood boil, knowing that some humans had survived while their fellow comrades had to die.
Gritting his teeth, Aymon gave orders to his subordinates, "Let's return to the Tree of Life, report to The High Queen what happened."
"Yes, Lord Aymon."
In an instant, the elves disappeared from view, leaving behind a place filled with destruction and death.
...
Olivia woke up with an excruciating headache. She reached for her throbbing head and closed her eyes for a moment to try to ease the pain. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Michael sitting in front of her with a faint smile on his face.
"You finally woke up," Michael said.
Michael reached out his hand, and Olivia grabbed it.
"Are you okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Olivia nodded her head, indicating that she was fine. As her memories began to return, her eyes widened.
"The elves!" she exclaimed.
As soon as Olivia drew this conclusion, she grabbed her nearby sword and checked around with a wary look. Michael just laughed at her and calmly said, "Don't worry, everything is safe now. The elves have left."
But the calmness only lasted for a moment. Olivia, sharp and vigilant, soon realized that apart from Michael and Gavin sitting next to her, she didn't see the faces of the other guild members. This made her even more curious and confused.
With an expression of astonishment, Olivia asked Michael, "What happened? Where are the others?"
Michael put on a calm expression and replied, "Well, we're waiting for answers from the boss too."
Olivia raised an eyebrow. Not long after, she realized who Michael was referring to.
She turned her head and saw Klaus standing on a large rock, bathed in mesmerizing golden light. His eyes gazed into the boundless depths of the forest.
Klaus became aware that he was being observed and turned to Olivia.
"How was your beauty sleep, princess?" he asked, giving a teasing smile.
"Deep and peaceful, thank you for asking," Olivia retorted, her face sour.
Klaus gently landed on the ground without making any sound. He looked at his three subordinates with a deep gaze.
"I'm not going to mince words," Klaus said seriously. "This situation is a bit confusing. I know you're wondering what happened and where the other guild members are, but you don't need to worry. They are safe."
Klaus continued, "However, I don't know about the members outside the guild, whether they survived or not, only God knows. Somehow, the sky suddenly struck lightning, and the situation is quite regrettable."
Raising her eyebrows, Olivia looked puzzled as she tried to understand what Klaus meant. However, Michael felt that there was something off about Klaus' story. He felt that Klaus was hiding something from him, but he chose not to say anything at this moment.
"But," Klaus continued with a firm voice, "it doesn't mean we're canceling the raid. We will proceed with the mission."
Olivia raised her hand. "How can you be sure that the other members are safe?"
"Why don't you try contacting them through your smartlink before asking?" Klaus replied.
Wide-eyed, Olivia realized about her dumb question. She then checked the smartlink on her wrist and found dozens of messages from the other members guild.
This time, she could truly breathe a sigh of relief.
Michael raised his hand. "We don't know the location we're in. How will we regroup?"
Hearing that question, Klaus smiled. "We won't be looking for the other members. We'll proceed with the mission separately. Plan B."
Olivia and Michael exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what Klaus meant by "Plan B." They could never understand how Klaus always had backup plans for every situation.
"Listen carefully, I won't say it twice," Klaus said. "We will infiltrate the enemy base."
"What?!" Michael and Olivia exclaimed simultaneously.
Klaus grinned as he saw their expressions.
In the plan, Klaus would split the raid team into two groups. The first group, led by Justin, would confront the enemy base' entrance, known as the Tree of Life. They would be tasked with keeping the elves busy and drawing their attention. Meanwhile, the second group, led by Klaus himself, would infiltrate the base.
There were some unfamiliar terms as Klaus explained his plan, causing his two subordinates to raise their hands in question.
"What is the Tree of Life?" Olivia asked. "I've never heard of it before."
Klaus explained that the Tree of Life was a tree that served as the heart of the entire forest. Without the existence of the Tree of Life, all life in the forest would die, and the elves were present to guard this tree. They focused all their forces on the Tree of Life and ensured that no threats approached.
Of course, this explanation raised further questions.
Michael was also curious about where Klaus got this information. Klaus casually answered, "I have connections that can provide reliable information. So, don't worry."
Then, Klaus explained the details in great detail, and they fell silent as they listened to him.
"Well, it seems like this plan will work," Michael said, stroking his chin.
"I actually prefer fighting them, but a stealth mission isn't a bad thing. I'm in," Olivia said.
Gavin snorted. "You have to be part of the plan whether you like it or not."
Olivia narrowed her eyes when she received that sarcasm.
Meanwhile, Klaus smiled satisfactorily.
"Good, you all understand. But before that, I need to get rid of a rat first."
Klaus flicked his finger and shot a metal sphere into the tree above. The sound of shouts and a thud from the leaves surprised Olivia, Michael, and Gavin. They turned around to see an elf lying on the ground. This elf had been eavesdropping on them from the beginning, and they hadn't noticed him at all.
"What are you planning? You won't succeed!" the elf exclaimed, giving them a sharp look.
However, Klaus responded with a mysterious smile.
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