Chapter 130: Friends of the Wood Elves
Faced with the appearance of this unfamiliar figure, the ranger squad immediately treated him as a major threat. Every arrowhead glowed with green light as dozens of bows simultaneously aimed at the same target.
Yet an entirely unexpected scene unfolded.
The tall, ferocious black-armored knight suddenly swayed the moment he landed, like a drunk who had completely lost his balance.
Bang! With a heavy metallic crash, he slammed face-first into the ground in a perfect full-body sprawl, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Every Wood Elf froze.
What… what was this situation?
Naturally, the figure in black armor was Nolan, but at the moment, he felt absolutely miserable. Lying flat on the ground, he felt as though the world were spinning violently around him.
He had been the first to charge through the unstable rift. Although it looked like nothing more than crossing a small crack in the seal, it was in reality a spatial tunnel connecting different planes.
Entering earlier had meant traveling from the main plane into a subplane, so the reaction had not been too severe. But now, making the return trip in reverse, the violent tearing and turbulence of space had nearly shaken his brain into soup.
Normally, a drop of a few meters meant nothing to him, but in this state of overwhelming dizziness, he had completely lost control of his body and crashed straight into the dirt.
Even while disoriented, a random thought surfaced in Nolan’s spinning mind.
“So even Immovable Bulwark doesn’t protect against falling…”
Just as he tried to shake his head and stand up, he suddenly felt a massive force press down on his back, pinning him firmly to the ground.
Clack!
Three armor-piercing arrowheads engraved with glowing green runes hovered directly in front of his visor, aimed precisely at the slit of his helmet.
An angry voice rang out above him, “Don’t move! Who are you?!”
Nolan could clearly feel someone standing on his back, preventing him from getting up.
At that exact moment, another figure appeared soundlessly out of nowhere, accompanied by an icy killing intent that instantly lowered the surrounding temperature by several degrees.
“Take your filthy foot off him.”
The low voice carried a metallic resonance.
Finley, who was currently pinning Nolan down, stiffened instantly. He had no idea how the other person had appeared.
A figure clad in pure white armor now stood silently beside him. A magnificent knight’s lance wrapped in spiraling rings of cyan wind rested directly against his throat. The magical fluctuations flowing from the razor-sharp tip made it abundantly clear that if the other party wished, his neck would be pierced through in the very next second.
“Vice-Captain!”
In an instant, the atmosphere became explosively tense.
With Finley’s life hanging by a thread, the surrounding Wood Elf guards immediately swung their bows toward the suddenly appearing white-armored knight, their eyes filled with shock. Who was this savage-looking black knight? And where had this white-armored knight come from? How had they emerged from inside the seal?
Feeling the bone-chilling cold radiating from the lance tip, Finley knew death could claim him at any moment. Even so, he gritted his teeth and refused to yield. “The children of the forest never bow before evil! You… are you demons that escaped from the seal?! What have you done to our captain?!”
Seeing that the situation was about to erupt into bloodshed, Nolan inwardly cursed.
“Misunderstanding! Don’t attack!”
The visor of Immovable Bulwark snapped open with a metallic click, revealing Nolan’s face beneath.
“We’re allies!”
The moment Nolan spoke, Ailindel’s oppressive aura eased slightly, though the lance in her hand remained steadily aimed at Finley.
Finley and the other Wood Elves stared blankly.
A human? Wasn’t this… that lord from before?
While they were still stunned, several more figures leapt out from the spatial rift behind them in quick succession.
The first to emerge was a petite figure. Vivi’s beast ears twitched alertly as she landed lightly and gracefully like a nimble cat.
Next came Little Donnie. He lost his balance midair, let out a loud yelp, and crashed into the grass beside Vivi before springing back to his feet with an awkward kip-up, hurriedly dusting dirt off himself.
Renee stumbled slightly as she emerged as well, but a soft breeze lit up at her fingertips and gently supported her descent, allowing her to land safely. She patted her chest afterward, her small face still pale.
The final person to emerge was Romina. Though her footing wavered slightly upon landing, years of experience leaping through forests allowed her to stabilize herself almost immediately.
“Captain!”
One of the Wood Elf rangers cried out in delight at the sight of her.
Romina looked up and instantly saw the tense confrontation before her. Her expression darkened at once. “All ranger squad members, stand down! Finley, back away!”
Hearing his captain’s order, Finley’s expression shifted repeatedly before he reluctantly stepped backward.
Only then did Ailindel withdraw her lance and extend a hand to help Nolan up from the ground. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Just a little motion sickness. Spatial express train,” Nolan replied, waving dismissively as he removed his helmet and took a deep breath of the fresh forest air.
Vivi immediately moved closer and naturally began brushing dirt and grass off his armor while muttering softly, “I told you not to rush out so fast.”
Romina strode over quickly and fixed her vice-captain with a stern look. “Finley, what were you doing? You were far too disrespectful toward the friends of the Wood Elves. Apologize to him.”
Friends?
Finley’s mind went blank. It had not even been two hours, yet the captain’s attitude toward this human had undergone such a dramatic transformation?
Romina was one of the most exceptional daughters of the tribe. Although she treated others kindly, that kindness was usually limited to concern among her own people. Very few individuals were truly considered her friends. And now, after such a short time, she was already calling him a friend?
Finley looked at his captain, then at the human standing before him, before finally opening his mouth. “Captain, it’s because… this human’s appearance completely changed after coming out, and his face was covered. We thought some evil creature from inside the seal had broken through…” Turning toward Nolan, he lowered his head despite his obvious reluctance. “…I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to blame them, Captain Romina.” Before Romina could speak again, Nolan interrupted first. Rolling his neck slightly, he wore an easygoing smile. “It really was just a misunderstanding. They didn’t know what happened inside, so staying cautious was the correct choice. Besides, part of the responsibility is mine too. Maybe my entrance was just too cool and frightened these dedicated rangers.”
He turned toward Finley, his clear eyes containing not the slightest trace of ridicule or smugness.
“I accept your apology. Also, I’m not ‘that human.’ My name is Nolan, Vice-Captain Finley.”
Finley froze completely.
He had imagined the other man mocking him, acting superior like a victor, or even humiliating him, exactly as his stereotypes of humans predicted. Yet Nolan had done none of those things. Instead, he had actively helped them out of an awkward situation. That kind of openness and tolerance was precisely one of the virtues most valued among the Wood Elves. On top of that, Nolan’s straightforward, direct manner of speaking without unnecessary twisting or scheming was also deeply appreciated by their people.
For the first time, Finley felt he somewhat understood why the captain regarded this man so highly.
“My greetings once again, Lord Nolan.” Finley returned the salute, this time with far more sincerity.
Then his gaze involuntarily shifted toward the mysterious white-armored knight standing nearby.
Five people had entered.
Six had returned.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, “Captain… then who is this?”
The terrifying pressure radiating from the white-armored knight who had nearly taken his life moments ago still lingered vividly in his memory.
Romina hesitated, uncertain how to introduce a hero from ten thousand years ago.
“It would be better for her to introduce herself,” she finally said, stepping aside.
The unusual respect in the captain’s attitude surprised the surrounding Wood Elves.
“Fortunately, you stopped in time.”
That low voice resonating faintly through the helmet rang out again.
The white-armored knight stepped forward and slowly raised a hand.
Click.
The lock of the helmet released, and she gently removed it, revealing a beauty so flawless she scarcely seemed mortal. Silver hair flowed down like moonlight itself.
When she spoke again, the latter half of her sentence came in a clear and melodious female voice.
“Otherwise, Breeze would already have pierced your throat. I am Ailindel Morningsong, the Heavenly Judgment Knight.”