Chapter 89: The Wood Elves’ Secret
As he looked at the Wood Elves that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere among the trees, Little Donnie felt his scalp go numb.
Good heavens… there are so many of them!
Before this, he had thought that following Big Brother Nolan all the way here and fighting through countless dangers already made him fairly impressive. Only now did he realize how naïve he had been. If these Wood Elves truly decided to attack, Nolan might still survive, but the other three of them probably would not last even a minute before being turned into pincushions by a storm of arrows.
Vivi felt even more shaken. She had always taken pride in her stealth and scouting abilities, but now she felt like a child playing with mud in front of adults. The way these Wood Elves blended perfectly into the forest was unlike anything she had ever seen.
How could she possibly learn a technique like that? Vivi wondered bitterly.
“That’s much better. Now, can we talk?” Nolan’s voice broke the suffocating silence.
He seemed completely unfazed by the overwhelming scene before him. The same calm composure remained on his face, as though the dozens of bows aimed at him belonged to someone else entirely.
Romina studied Nolan quietly, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes. She had met many humans before: greedy merchants, arrogant nobles, reckless mercenaries. But among all of them, Nolan was the first person who could remain this calm after being surrounded by her ranger patrol.
“Speak,” she said curtly.
“Good.” Nolan nodded. “As you can see, there’s an ancient seal left behind by Tyrians here, and I just so happen to know how to open it.”
He pointed toward the black opening behind him, which still rippled endlessly.
“My territory, Coldsteel City, will soon face a brutal war. To protect my people, I need every source of power and every resource available to deal with the coming crisis. Whatever lies inside this seal is extremely important to us. This won’t harm your people or the forest. Once we’re done, we’ll leave immediately.”
Nolan spoke with complete sincerity. He neither lied nor concealed his intentions. Wood Elf culture had always disliked people who spoke in circles, and with someone like Romina, clever tricks would only backfire. Honesty was the best weapon.
“That has nothing to do with us.” Romina’s tone did not soften in the slightest. “Wars between humans are your own affair. You should never have entered this forest, much less attempted to claim things that do not belong to you.”
Nolan found the situation incredibly strange. Since when had these blockheaded elves become so unreasonable?
Unfortunately, the affinity bonuses from his hidden classes, 【Glory Guardian】 and 【Paladin】, did not apply to those outside the Elfin Kingdom. Judging from the Wood Elves’ attitude, if this were the game, their favorability toward him would probably already be deep in the negatives.
“Captain, stop wasting words on them! You can’t trust a single thing humans say!” Before Nolan could reply, one of the male Wood Elf rangers beside Romina finally snapped. His eyes burned with hostility toward Nolan’s group. “Have you forgotten? The last group that trespassed into the forest said the same things at first! They came under the banner of ‘peaceful exploration,’ and what happened afterward? They cut down our sacred trees, enslaved our companions, and even tried to steal water from the Dreamwell!”
The mention of the “Dreamwell” clearly stirred painful memories. Romina’s gaze turned instantly colder, and a powerful pressure radiated from her body, so intense that Little Donnie and Renee could barely breathe.
She was a Gold-tier expert!
The massive bow in her hands was drawn taut once more, its gleaming arrowhead fixed directly between Nolan’s brows.
“Capture them,” she ordered coldly. “Bring them back to Forest Home and leave their fate to the elders.”
At her command, the Wood Elves in the surrounding trees all drew their bowstrings in unison. They waited only for a final order before unleashing a rain of arrows.
The tension instantly reached its breaking point.
Nolan’s heart sank. Damn it. Those idiots under Archduke Demonte had already pushed things this far? Nothing but trouble, he cursed inwardly through gritted teeth. But no matter how much he swore at them, it would not help the current situation.
The “Forest Home” they mentioned was the key trigger location for the major story arc, “Wild Hunt of the Deep Forest.”
Nolan had visited it in his previous life. It was a massive Wood Elf settlement hidden deep within the forests along the “Borderlands,” effectively their main stronghold. It was concealed so well that no outsider could ever find it without a guide.
More importantly, once taken there, even if he eventually proved his innocence, he would still lose a great deal in the process. At the very least, he would be severely delayed, not to mention any hope of entering the “Gap of Ages.”
Seeing the negotiations on the verge of complete collapse, Nolan knew he could not wait any longer. He needed to use a stronger card.
“There’s one more thing!” he shouted suddenly.
“I don’t wish to hear any more of your excuses,” Romina replied, her voice as cold as ice.
“What if I told you I know that your Fountain of Life has been contaminated, and that I have a way to restore it?”
Nolan stared directly into her eyes as he spoke each word slowly and clearly.
Buzz.
The fully drawn bowstrings around them trembled chaotically as their owners’ composure shattered.
Every Wood Elf froze, including the male elf who had been glaring at Nolan moments ago.
The Fountain of Life! It was the foundation of Forest Home, the source from which their entire race flourished, and the core that sustained the vitality of the vast forest itself. It was the sacred land and faith shared by every Wood Elf.
The contamination of the Fountain of Life was the most terrifying and urgent secret within their tribe. No outsider should have known about it. In fact, even they themselves did not know the source of the corruption. The elders had been driven to desperation and were already planning to dispatch an expedition to resolve the crisis.
This human… how could this human possibly know?!
“Y-you… what nonsense are you talking about?!” The male elf recovered first, shouting fiercely at Nolan, though the trembling in his voice betrayed his panic.
Nolan ignored him. The only response that mattered was Romina’s.
He was gambling.
The corruption of the Fountain of Life marked the beginning of the major storyline “Wild Hunt of the Deep Forest,” but under normal circumstances, players were not supposed to learn about the Wood Elves entering the world stage until half a year later.
Even Nolan was uncertain how much the Wood Elves currently understood about the Fountain’s condition.
If they had not yet realized the severity of the situation, then his greatest bargaining chip would lose all value. But if they reacted too strongly, then bringing it up would be no different from walking directly into the line of fire, practically admitting he was responsible.
The sharp, hawk-like eyes Romina usually possessed now churned like storm-tossed seas. Her hands had drawn a bow thousands upon thousands of times without ever wavering, yet under Nolan’s gaze, they now trembled ever so slightly. She stared at him relentlessly, as though trying to see through every secret hidden inside him.
Nolan noticed the change. He met her gaze without retreating, though inwardly he let out a long breath of relief.
They were wavering.
It seemed he had won this gamble.