"Important task? Don't tell me—" Lucas glanced through the bedroom crack at Tilly, sitting primly on the sofa, and his expression turned odd.
"Get your mind out of the gutter!" The River Count's forehead twitched as he shut the door firmly. "Tilly is Sebastian Well's wife—the slave trader who left for Rumielst with William seven days ago. They return this afternoon."
William, his steward, had traveled to Rumielst, Anjou's prosperous coastal hub, whose economy rivaled Laine's entire duchy.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Lucas frowned.
"Everything. William bought your breakthrough materials there—20,000 gold worth. Thanks to Sean's 'donations,' we could afford it. The Sky Rank core from Prince Robert arrives in two days. Your sole focus now: ascend to Sky Rank. I'll send men to fetch Lucio—you focus on cultivation."
Lucas's eyes lit up. "The core is here? Robert said he'd deliver it after the plan succeeded."
The Count smirked. "Politics—Daniel has Foxe and the Mage Guild's support. Robert needs allies. But none of your concern—just prepare."
"I will, my Lord! I'll ucceed!" Lucas trembled with excitement. Sky Rank, at last.The Empty ForestTime flew as the hunting party chatted in low voices. By 3 PM, Sean's mood had soured. The wolf pack yielded 315 EXP—nearly a day's gain—but no other beasts. The forest felt eerily empty, no birdcalls, no rustling.
"Strange. Not a single animal. Is this area cursed?" Sean asked Lucio.
Lucio shrugged. "No rumors of cursed zones in the outer ring. The inner forest has Starfall Lake, which Father warned is deadly. But this? Maybe the wolves drove prey away due to scarcity."
Sean sighed. "Let's head back. Treat the wounded and try a new area tomorrow."
Windsor had a wolf bite on his arm; Monica, a bruised calf from a maddened wolf. Minor injuries, but without Anduin's healing, they'd need his magic back in town.The AmbushThey'd barely walked a mile when rustling echoed through the trees. Lucio raised a hand, douqi enhancing his hearing. "Human footsteps—hostile."
The group tensed:
Windsor stepped forward, shield raised; Balor materialized behind Sean.Monica positioned left, shield up; Kyle chanted softly, staff glowing.Lucio nocked an arrow, douqi crackling; Sean accessed his system interface, ready to activate emergency skills.
In a forest of shadows, humans were more dangerous than beasts—no mercy, no warnings.
A silver douqi-infused arrow streaked toward Sean, aimed at his heart.The Price of CautionKyle's Arcane Shield flared just in time, deflecting the arrow with a clang. "Seven attackers, Bronze Rank!" she snapped, eyes glowing with detection magic.
Windsor charged, shield bashing a hidden archer from the bushes. The man wore no insignia, but his gear screamed mercenary—scuffed leathers, serrated daggers.
"Bandits?" Lucio growled, dropping two with rapid-fire shots. "No, look at their coordination—professional."
Sean cursed. Not random robbers. Someone sent them.
Leviathan unleashed Fireball, incinerating a nearby tree to reveal three more attackers. Their leader, a Bronze Peak swordsman, grinned, charging toward Sean—only to meet Balor's shadowy grasp, his blade freezing mid-air.
"Retreat!" the leader yelled, realizing their advantage gone. But Windsor's sword was faster, severing his arm in a spray of blood.The Message in BloodAs the last attacker fell, Sean knelt by the leader, who coughed, "Rivers… Count… sends… regards…" before dying.
Lucio paled. "This was no robbery. It's a warning."
Sean stared at the corpse, mind racing. The Count knows I'm here. And he's not waiting a week.
Kyle touched his arm, voice low. "We should return immediately. Riverside isn't safe."
"Agreed." Sean stood, gaze hard. "Anduin needs to fortify the town. Lucio—"
"I'll ride ahead," Lucio said, already mounting his horse. "Warn Anduin and Henry. You follow with the group."
As the sun dipped, Sean's party marched back, the forest's shadows now feel like a predator's grin. The attack confirmed his fear: the Count's patience had snapped.
Darkness grows in the Elven Forest, he thought, clutching the dragon egg. But so does my power. Let them come—I'll turn their ambush into a lesson.
The grind for Bronze Rank had just become a race against time—and a count's dagger at his throat. In the dark forest of politics, only the sharpest survived.