Chapter 123 Chapter 123-Sinister Arrival
Once it was confirmed that Solyes and the others were gradually moving away and had entered the Mordun Wasteland, Howard and his group, under the leadership of Wales, also ventured into the Mordun Wasteland from a different angle.
Why didn't they continue to chase after those three groups of people?
From their conversation, it was apparent that more people would soon be coming to pursue Athena.
If they continued to follow, they risked being discovered by the reinforcements, which would result in being surrounded and left with no chance to escape.
Wales certainly wouldn't let them fall into such a perilous situation.
Furthermore, to avoid encountering others, Wales chose the most arduous paths possible.
The environment within the Mordun Wasteland was already extremely harsh.
The land was cracked open, the terrain rugged, with occasional huge boulders, intricate vines, and some oddly sinister-looking withered trees.
On top of that, there were sudden appearances of black, twisted spaces.
The group had to be vigilant at all times, as being transported to another area would mean that Wales and Athena wouldn't come to their rescue.
As time passed, everyone, including Howard, started to feel exhausted, except for Wales and Athena.
There was no helping it; most of them were either magi or archers, classes with lower Vitality and Toughness growth.
How could they possibly endure such conditions?
Seeing that the others were continuously asking for breaks, Wales was almost tempted to abandon everyone and proceed only with Howard and Athena.
Unfortunately, the group of magi and archers still had their significant uses.
If they were to encounter monsters later on, these individuals would play a key role.
As for enemies?
Athena had enlisted Wales's help precisely to shake off the pursuers and avoid detection.
If they were found again, how could Wales justify the price Athena had paid? He might as well commit suicide as an apology!
Venturing deeper into the Mordun Wasteland, the occasional sight of withered woods also diminished, leaving nothing in sight but continuous barren soil and weathered rocks.
Already in a state of physical exhaustion, the monotonous landscape only served to stir restlessness in everyone's hearts.
Had it not been for the Storage Bags they carried, filled with ample water and food, they might have fallen into despair.
Nevertheless, their spirits were wearing thin.
Except for Wales and Athena, who managed to maintain their composure, even Howard was beginning to show signs of irregularity.
In the Mordun Wasteland, the only change was the shift between day and night.
Otherwise, the scenery remained relentlessly the same, gradually eroding the mental resilience of the travelers, causing their psychological defenses to crumble bit by bit.
Fortunately, Wales was indeed formidable.
The path he chose successfully evaded the group pursuing Athena; they hadn't even seen a trace of another soul.
Moreover, with the presence of an Anemo magus, every time they covered a certain distance, Wales would instruct him to cast his skill, manipulating the wind and sand to cover their tracks.
Under these circumstances, unless their pursuers used some special wormhole to miraculously appear right in front of Howard and the others, there was no way they could be found.
"Look! There seems to be an oasis up ahead!"
"Thank goodness, I finally get to see some trees."
"Hahaha, it sounds like there's water too. Let's hurry over!"
Suddenly, an archer with particularly sharp eyesight exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing this, Howard's eyes lit up, and he lifted his gaze toward the distance.
Sure enough, about thirty yards ahead, there was a small forest, lush and verdant, with mist lingering in the air, clearly indicating the presence of a water source.
The sound of people swallowing their saliva resonated, yet no one rushed forward immediately; instead, they all turned their eyes to Wales.
After all, at this moment, Wales was the person in charge of the entire team, even Athena was following his lead regarding the route.
Initially, Wales was worried that Athena might give impractical orders or refuse to obey him.
Now it seemed that Athena was a competent leader, able to delegate authority when necessary and showing no signs of distrust toward others.
It was precisely because of Athena's cooperation that Wales had been able to lead them safely for such a long journey.
Perceiving the hopeful glint in everyone's eyes, Wales didn't refuse and led the group straight toward the small forest.
As they drew closer to the forest, the sound of babbling water became clearer in their ears.
Getting closer, Howard and the others could finally see that the green forest was extremely small, covering an area of only about ten yards, with a spring in the center of the woods.
Wales lifted his right hand, signaling everyone to stop, and then spoke, "Cast True Vision, and carefully inspect this area!"
As his words fell, two magi stepped forward, and as their wands moved, a silvery-white brilliance immediately swept out, covering the entire forest.
Under the silver brilliance, the entire forest seemed to be draped in a gauze curtain, revealing red lights from insects and other life forms within.
Seeing this scene, Howard's eyes shone brightly.
This skill is so useful; it's an excellent skill for scouting!
However, there were limitations; if the magi's power was insufficient, some powerful monsters could not be detected.
Wales scanned the area with his eyes, and after confirming that all the red lights were just ordinary insects, he nodded and said, "Briar, come in with me. The rest of you, stay on guard outside!"
Although the others were uncertain about why Wales had made this decision, they didn't question it.
Instead, they quickly turned around and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.
Howard followed Wales into the forest, a puzzled expression on his face. "Mr. Wales, we've already scanned the area. Why do we need to go in again?"
"I want to teach you something; never fully trust the judgment of a skill!" Wales spoke while meticulously examining their surroundings.
"A skill is ultimately an inanimate thing, with clear effects and data judgments. If the monster hiding is too powerful, or if the skill's effects are limited, it could lead to incorrect judgments."
"I had them use the skill earlier just to get a rough judgment. By doing this ourselves afterward, we can fill in the gaps and ensure our safety."
"You've already learned the Spirit Veil Skill. Next, I'll teach you how to meticulously search a map."
While talking, Wales cast a skill, making both his and Howard's figures become ethereal.
This was Howard's first time realizing that there were so many intricacies involved in map searching.
Even though they didn't find any hidden monsters in the forest, Howard still learned a lot from Wales's words.
Especially when they reached the spring, Wales extended his index finger, stirred the water, and tasted it.
"The water is poison-free; we're safe!" Wales said with a light chuckle. "In the future, I will teach you a skill to resist toxins. Whenever you go to a new place, you should first test to see if there is any poison. After all, poison is something that can kill across attributes and is quite difficult to guard against."
"Alright, let's allow everyone to rest here for a while."
Having confirmed the safety of the area, Wales and Howard revealed themselves and called Athena and the others in.
Finally in a new environment, all the magi and archers relaxed, engaging in low whispers.
They sat by the spring, washing their faces and greedily drinking the fresh spring water.
Athena also issued an order to rest for a while.
She understood that reaching Crimson Dragon City safely depended not only on Wales but also on these team members.
While Howard and his group were resting, Solyes and his team were crossing the Mordun Wasteland.
After leaving the wasteland, they were all stunned.
They had searched for days, killing countless monsters, yet they hadn't found the slightest trace of Howard and his group.
Even the teams that followed later found nothing.
It was no use; the Mordun Wasteland was just too vast.
Wales had magi erase their footprints and took unbeaten paths.
It would have been surprising if they had managed to find them.
Furthermore, to adjust the time difference, Wales had deliberately taken a longer route.
By the time Solyes and his team crossed the Mordun Wasteland, Howard and his group were still making their arduous journey through the wilderness.
At this point, Solyes and his team were left with two choices: continue chasing forward or return and keep searching!
Whichever choice they made, it would only increase the distance between them and Howard's group.
It could be said that with this move, Wales had truly played all of his pursuers like a fiddle!
After a period of rest, Wales once again gathered everyone to continue on their journey.
As they passed through the forest and were about to leave, a chill ran down Wales' spine.
He quickly waved his hand, signaling for everyone to stop.
"Something's not right!"
"Everyone, slow down. It seems like something nearby is watching us!"
Wales' sudden words instantly put Howard and the rest of the group on edge.
The archers swiftly drew their bows and notched arrows, their eyes as sharp and piercing as eagles', scanning the surroundings relentlessly.
The magi, on the other hand, wielded their wands, tracing a path through the air to create a silver-white luminescent shield, wrapping the group in a protective embrace.
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