Chapter 125

Gnolls.

A type of bottom-level humanoid monster living on the Aifala Dalu.

Unlike the green-skinned Goblins, whose development history is tortuous and whose entire racial characteristics have undergone earth-shaking changes, these ferocious beasts that look like upright wild dogs have a clear origin.

The famous historian "Abyssal Observer" Zoltan once comprehensively and comprehensively demonstrated the origin of Gnolls in his work "Hyena Dynasty: Unrecorded Ancient Gnoll Civilization."

According to the book, Gnolls are not natural creatures evolved within the material plane, and their filthy bloodlines filled with evil and murderous intent come from the Demon Lord 【Slaughtering Beast】 "Yeenoghu" on the 422nd layer of the "Bottomless Abyss."

This powerful existence, fourteen feet tall and taking pleasure in sowing despair and fear, longed to transform the prime material plane into his livestock farm and once set off a bloody storm on the Aifala Dalu in ancient times.

Although finally banished back to the Bottomless Abyss, he also left behind the evil seeds of slaughter when he ravaged the continent.

Transforming a group of hyenas conquered by his power and willing to follow his footsteps into the current Gnolls, and after he left the material plane, they gradually multiplied and grew, becoming common bottom-level monsters on the continent.

By common sense, as descendants of the Abyss inheriting the bloodline of the Demon Lord, Gnolls should possess stronger combat power and higher intelligence.

But perhaps it is the price of their ability to expand rapidly in a short period of time, the strength of these upright hyenas is far from the "children of demons" as strong as imagined.

The average challenge rating of ordinary adult individuals is only about "1/2".

By comparison, the challenge rating of a common Goblin is "1/4".

Strong, but limited.

Of course, in the real world, if you face a common Goblin alone, a rural farm woman can easily drive it away with a pitchfork.

For a Gnoll whose challenge rating is twice that, it is not so easy for ordinary people to deal with.

It requires experienced hunters or well-equipped guards to handle it safely.

A long time ago, before Goblins gained the exaggerated reproductive ability like planted bacteria and insects, and were able to let their own will suppress physical instinctual desires.

Gnolls were the existence most loathed and hated by all intelligent creatures on the Aifala Dalu.

The most evil demonic bloodline from the Bottomless Abyss made these canine beasts naturally full of malice toward all living beings, including their own kind.

Not just to fill their stomachs or plunder wealth, in most cases, Gnolls attack other creatures just because of their evil instincts.

Regardless of age or gender, they wantonly slaughter all intelligent creatures weaker than themselves within their field of vision, burning granaries, tearing down buildings, polluting land...

Continuing the will of their god, as if born to transform the material plane into a cradle for breeding Gnolls.

The nature of "chaotic evil" almost reached the very corner of the alignment grid.

Insidious, cunning, and fickle, even the most shrewd human merchants rarely trade with them.

After all, who can guarantee that after receiving the goods, the other party won't change their mind just because you didn't take a bath yesterday and the stench you emitted, and treat you as today's dinner.

According to rumors from adventurers in taverns, the personalities of these hyenas have become so deformed that if there are no enemies or targets for a long time, "too comfortable," they might not even need any fuse, and the group will bite and fight among themselves.

The Mist Forest is vast and boundless, and the magic particles with extremely high concentration in the air, countless wild beasts and monsters live and inhabit it.

Gnolls certainly have them, but the number is far less than Goblins, and it is not enough to form a large-scale tribe.

Adventurers who make a living in it have always encountered a few over the years.

It's just that most of them have no threat, and even if there are casualties, they are just treated as normal losses during the adventure.

Until recently, a Gnoll tribe from the wasteland, led by elite individuals, attacked several towns near Hegu Town and even made it to the Association's bounty mission board.

Gnolls had some topics in the tavern again.

Of course, it was quickly suppressed by the "Hunting Day."

Now, the Green Blood squad, which encountered adventurer corpses one after another on the way to the mission and judged that the attackers were Gnolls based on the residual traces on the corpses.

Even if they feel the probability is small, they have to consider the possibility that they encountered these Gnolls.

Friends they knew well died tragically before their eyes, suffered inhuman torture before death, and the corpses left behind were unbearable to look at.

Adeline's face, however, did not have any sad expression, and there was no obvious emotion.

Just the speed of speaking and actions were faster.

After realizing the enemies the squad might need to face, she didn't even have time to tidy up George's corpse, letting it lie quietly in place.

Then she greeted the squad to hurry up and leave.

It's just that the situation was not very coincidental. Before they found the corpse, the sky had already gradually darkened, and they intended to set up camp nearby.

After such a delay, the already scarce time seemed even more hurried.

The danger level of the night in the Mist Forest is almost several times that of the daytime.

Traveling at night is undoubtedly looking for death.

Therefore, the Green Blood squad only had time to find an open flat ground with a decent field of vision to set up camp for the night, on the premise of being as far away from the corpse discovery site as possible.

"Whoo..."

Sparks ignited the fiber fluff, and white smoke rose from the palm.

Abi held the fire seed with both hands, blowing the air gently with full concentration, making the smoke in his palm thicker while carefully approaching the firewood pile already prepared on the ground in front.

Carefully and cautiously placing the fire seed that had already lit up with flame into it.

Whoosh——

The tiny flame rose rapidly in the swaying, lingering and surging, turning into a large group of orange-red flames, swallowing the surrounding firewood.

The dimness in the air was instantly driven away, and the bright flame, carrying warm heat, spread and diffused rapidly in the camp.

Abi breathed a sigh of relief instantly.

Even the fear in his heart caused by witnessing the tragic state of the corpse weakened a bit.

Beside him, surrounding the campfire, Xia Nan had already laid out the sleeping bags and blankets for rest, completing his task.

Adeline and Berg were nervously setting up traps for guarding near the camp.

The traces of Gnolls found just now made the entire squad attach great importance to it.

The number of traps set up was almost twice that of normal circumstances.

Therefore, it also required extra time.

Until the sky was completely dark, and it was pitch black outside the range covered by the campfire.

The two rushed back one after another from the left and right directions of the camp.

Sitting around the campfire.

Silence.

The atmosphere was much cooler than on the way here.

As for the reason...

Berg's complaints to Adeline during the day were one aspect, and more importantly, naturally, the ferocious Gnolls who had just slaughtered an entire adventurer squad and could launch a surprise attack on them at any time.

And at this time, there was still a journey of nearly three days before the squad left the forest, which meant they had to survive at least two dangerous nights in the Mist Forest.

The danger lurking in the depths of the deep darkness, seemingly non-existent, as if it could arrive in the next second, made Adeline and the others have to maintain focus and vigilance at all times.

The pressure was immense.

This is precisely why many adventurers, even if no extra combat occurred during the entire mission, felt physically and mentally exhausted after returning to Hegu Town and had to rest for many days to barely recover.

The consumption of heart and mind was too great!

Xia Nan even felt that he was the most energetic person in the entire team.

"Perhaps because I've been a lone wolf for too long, I've become a bit numb. Now that I have teammates to help keep watch, it's actually more labor-saving by comparison?"

He thought to himself.

The atmosphere was still dull.

Abi seemed to want to liven things up a bit, but as a rookie, he might be worried about difficulty in grasping the scale, so he only said a few witty remarks, and seeing that everyone didn't react, he shut his mouth again.

Xia Nan himself was not this kind of personality, and had long been used to being alone, happy to be quiet.

The fire swayed lightly, and time passed quietly in the solidified air.

For a few dozen minutes, several people roasted by the fire and hurriedly filled their stomachs.

The night watch had long been arranged.

Xia Nan and Berg were on duty for the first half of the night, and the remaining most dangerous early morning was handled by Adeline and Abi.

After a whole day, although there was no combat, various things had been experienced, and the members of the team were already exhausted.

After dinner, the two who were on duty for the second half of the night rested early.

For a time, only Xia Nan and Berg were left with their eyes open by the fire pile.

Xia Nan was still the same as usual, finding a thick tree trunk, sitting cross-legged with his back against it, the decapitation longsword horizontally across his knees, wiping and maintaining it carefully with gauze.

On the other side, Berg did not have the relaxed posture of an "old hand" as usual.

His expression and actions could clearly show obvious unease.

The longbow was held tightly in his arms, his legs were shaking anxiously, and his gaze looked toward the pitch-black bushes around the camp from time to time.

Just like an obsessive-compulsive patient, even if he had checked many times, he was still worried about whether there was any trap that was not set well, and what if the Gnolls took advantage of this loophole to touch in?

Standing up and wanting to check again, the blurred outline of the bushes and grass in the darkness made him flinch.

Xia Nan glanced at the other party and shook his head imperceptibly.

Then he withdrew his gaze.

The long night is slow, and although it is called night watch, it is impossible to just stare at the campfire for most of the night.

Always have to find something to do.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The dull footsteps sounded from overhead, and the faint light permeated from the cracks in the cellar door, illuminating the dust floating in the air.

Shrinking in the corner, trembling, not daring to move at all.

The heart beat violently, and he could even hear the roar of blood rushing, but he suppressed his breathing as much as possible.

The footsteps stopped suddenly.

The huge shadow blocked the only light source overhead, leaving the entire cellar in pitch darkness.

Holding his breath, thick fear circled in the depths of his heart like a shadow.

"Ah!!!"

The man's roar sounded abruptly.

But there was no joy of being saved in his heart, only more silent despair permeating it.

"Don't! Don't!"

She shouted in her heart countless times, but she couldn't control her body at all.

Then, there was that whistling sound that was thin and sharp like a baby's cry.

Bang——

The dull sound of flesh collision.

The man's roar stopped abruptly.

I don't know how long it had passed, when she truly gathered the courage to push open the cellar door and poke her head out to look outside.

What came into view,

Was only the bloody body on the ground.

And outside the door, the burly figure that looked like an upright bear beast, with brown-red fur on its back, gradually moving away surrounded by countless green-skinned Goblins.

"Crackle!"

Sparks splashed.

Adeline opened her eyes suddenly.

Panting heavily, the clothes on her back had long been soaked with sweat.

Beside her, Xia Nan looked at her with a strange expression, and in his mind, he couldn't help but recall the scene where the other party's breathing suddenly became rapid and she was murmuring words he couldn't hear clearly just now.

"Had a nightmare?"

He felt surprised in his heart, but didn't think much of it.

Counting the time, it was almost the second half of the night, and it was just right to wake up, so he didn't need to call her again.

Attention returned to the front.

Only to see a leaf with yellowing edges that was inconspicuous lying on the grass in front of him.

It seemed to be no different from the fallen leaves that could be seen everywhere in the forest.

But careful observation revealed that at both ends of this fallen leaf, some dark soil was sprinkled.

Added weight.

So that even if there was a light breeze in the forest, the leaf would not flutter along with it.

Xia Nan leaned forward, his eyes staring tightly at the leaf on the ground in front, with full concentration.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Faintly, he seemed to feel the invisible ripples lingering and diffusing around the leaf like water flow.

Imagining an invisible palm, gently, slowly, probing into it.

Gently moving.

"Rustle..."

A very faint sound of friction between the soil and the leaf surface came from the air.

Clearly there was no contact, and there was no obvious airflow.

But the leaf seemed to be supported by some invisible force.

Just like it was when it fell from the treetop.

Reversed.

A little bit, upward.

And suddenly fell again!

Xia Nan was discouraged instantly, his originally leaning body leaning back against the tree trunk.

In his heart, however, joy was vaguely overflowing.

"Finally some progress!"

After his unremitting training for so many days, 【Gravity Solidification】 from the wild mage's notebook finally made progress.

Although it could only barely lift the leaf, at least it was no longer like before, practicing for a whole day without seeing any effect.

And this also proved that his practice method was effective!

From leaves, to stones, to branches...

Practicing like this, sooner or later, this "quasi-spell" that can be used without the magic net will reach the level of being usable in actual combat.

Even, merging with himself, appearing on the attribute panel in the form of a "combat technique" or "specialty skill."

Finally achieving the breakthrough of "zero," 【Gravity Solidification】 made him inevitably look forward to it.

And on the other hand, it can be considered an unexpected harvest.

In the process of concentrating for a long time and mobilizing spiritual power.

Xia Nan felt that his spiritual power, or his ability to perceive surrounding things, had also been improved invisibly.

Although it had not yet reached the level of changing his own panel attributes, compared to before...

"Hmm?"

His thoughts paused suddenly.

Under the puzzled eyes of Adeline and Berg, he stood up suddenly, his gaze looking toward the dense forest on the north side of the camp.

And two seconds after he stood up abruptly.

"Ding bang!!"

It was the harsh noise of a trap being triggered.

(End of chapter)