Rael continued spying on them from the tree he was hidden in, wondering what exactly they could be searching for.
"Probably a solution to whatever drains their aether," he smirked to himself knowing full well it'll be impossible for them to find such. But all of a sudden, his dominion senses drew his attention to another tree not far from his position.
"Hm… it expanded again," he thought, feeling his dominion senses stretch a few feet beyond the fence, even reaching the very tree he stood on. Yet his senses kept signaling that specific tree. Looking at it, he found nothing at least not at first. The thick leaves obscured most of it, but as he focused more closely, he noticed a silhouette hidden within the foliage.
Rael narrowed his eyes.
"Another intruder… or a friend of theirs?"
He tried gauging a clearer view of the newcomer, and finally, a head poked out from the leaves, gazing toward the compound.
"A human so not an elf definitely no friend of theirs," he murmured as he quickly noticed the lack of elf-like ears. The figure had rough black hair mixed with dried mud and a young face ,probably younger than Rael himself.
Rael paused, choosing to observe him for a while. He noticed the terrified expression that crept onto the man's face as he spotted the three elven women inside the compound.
"Hmm… does he know them?" Rael wondered as he slowly edged closer to the tree, casting the Eye of Critic spell.
Name: *****
Title: Cult's Fugitive
Rank: Tier 1 Iron Adept
"Huh… a cultist?" Rael frowned. Could a cult already have its eyes on my territory? No if that were the case, the Eye of Critic would have simply labeled him a cultist, not a fugitive.
"So… a runaway," he concluded as he finally landed on a tree four feet away from where the visitor lay hidden.
…
It had taken Xaphxan hours to find what he believed to be the first human outpost, and he couldn't help but feel both excited and relieved. But upon taking a closer look, he noticed there were no guards or humans around. The compound felt far too quiet.
Suspicious, he decided to use his initiative to assess the situation within. Climbing the nearest tall tree, he gazed into the compound only for his blood to run cold.
At first glance, the compound seemed empty, save for the four buildings within. He even thought it might be abandoned, and the idea didn't feel so bad; at least he could rest there for the night. That would be far better than sleeping on a tree branch. But then he noticed movements.
A beautiful woman with cascading red hair down to her shoulders, dressed in a tight black mercenary tunic, rushed out of the largest building with a potion clutched in her hand.
Xaphxan's eyes widened in awe at such profound beauty until recognition struck him like a hammer.
Those elven ears. That hardened expression.
Yasmin.
One of the infamous sisters.
"Shit, shit, shit… why them? Of all people, why did I have to run into them?" Xaphxan cursed under his breath, terror seeping into his bones as the other two sisters emerged from separate buildings.
He grimaced and looked up at the sky.
"You really do want me dead, don't you? Oh heavens… I already left the cult. Why do you still hunt me?" he thought bitterly, frustrated tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
But his self-pity was abruptly cut short.
"I know, right? They're pretty but you don't really have to be a pervert about it," a voice said amusedly beside him.
Xaphxan spun around to find a handsome young man with golden-brown eyes staring at him with a smile. Shocked that someone had gotten so close without him noticing, Xaphxan instinctively thrust his hands forward, casting a fireball spell
Only for a spark to appear.
"What—"
BAM!
Rael slammed his foot into Xaphxan's waist, sending him crashing down from the tree. He hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Xaphxan groaned in pain as he lifted his head, watching his attacker descend calmly from above. His mind raced as he considered pulling out poison potions for his aether was gone, drained without him even realizing it. Not that it would've helped much anyway.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rael said coldly, a fierce glint in his eyes as he drew Iyvre's blade and pointed it at Xaphxan's throat.
"Your pouch. Hand over your magic pouch."
Rael already knew the fugitive's aether had been drained. The only remaining threat was whatever he carried.
Xaphxan clenched his teeth, hesitation flickering across his face. Should he really surrender just like that? He didn't even know who this man was. What if he was another cultist?
But the oppressive presence radiating from Rael crushed his doubts.
Seeing the struggle written plainly on the fugitive's face, Rael added calmly,
"Don't think for a second that I'd hesitate to use this blade to slit your throat."
Xaphxan took a shaky breath and finally accepted his fate. He tossed his magic pouch at Rael's feet.
Rael picked it up and fastened it to his waist, where several other magic pouches already hung.
"Huh… a bandit?" Xaphxan thought as he noticed them. Wait… could he be planning to rob those elves?
His hope sparked.
Maybe I can gain his favor. Tell him who they really are,how dangerous they are. Save him… and then maybe he'll spare me.
He slowly glanced at Rael, who was inspecting the contents of his pouch with a cunning glint in his eyes.
"Sir… sir, I mean no harm. I was just lost. I had no idea I encroached on your territory. Please forgive my intrusion," Xaphxan pleaded, kneeling with his right hand pressed to his chest in a courteous manner.
Rael glanced at him coldly. "Lost? In these woods? Really?"
Of course, Rael knew he was lying. In fact, the only reason he hadn't killed him yet was because the quest log had just issued another Tier 1 quest.