"Alright, stop chasing! Let's continue our journey!" Mr. Laine sheathed his weapon and said in a deep voice upon witnessing the scene.
"Why not chase?! That beast is clearly about to die!" Aik's face changed dramatically, and he hurriedly stepped forward to say.
"Chase? How do you plan to chase? On horseback? Is your horse an Elf warhorse? Or a Brittania hybrid horse? Are you certain it won't get frightened by the bear spirit's roar and throw you to the ground?" Mr. Laine retorted, not looking pleased either.
"Why not? I don't need to fight it on horseback! That beast is so heavily injured, it surely won't be able to move after rolling down the hill. Give me a little time, and I can take its head!" Aik said anxiously, "As long as you cover me, such an important honor is within easy reach, what's there to hesitate about!"
"Our precious manpower is not for you to exploit in pursuit of glory, Mr. Aik!" Mr. Laine interrupted him rudely once more, "If it weren't for you, I doubt Rost would have been injured, correct?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fire.net
Rost was being bandaged and treated while the mercenaries gave him potions. He clutched his chest and managed a smile, "It's nothing serious, just a minor wound, I'll recover in a few days."
Aik was about to say more, but Mr. Laine whispered close to his ear, "You've already realized that even in hibernation, a bear spirit is hard to kill with one blow, so what makes you so confident that you can kill a giant bear spirit that's only slightly injured?"
The face of the Wandering Knight flashed between green and white. Finally, he gave up, but his tone turned contemptuous, "I see. Mr. Laine, you never intended to let me win glory. Your plan is excellent, so you can always retain the lead, isn't it?"
After speaking, Aik walked up to Mr. Laine with eyes burning with hatred, "Of course, you wouldn't care about such a small trophy, would you? Your reputation precedes you, you're already a knight of the Kingdom, but what about me? I need this! I need it desperately!"
"Enough, Aik. Don't forget, you were the one who lured that thing out. We have no obligation to pay for your mistakes! Please understand the difference between bravery and recklessness." Mr. Laine reprimanded once more.
"Fine! I got it!" Without Mr. Laine's support, Aik finally gave up the chase. He threw off Mr. Laine's hand and shouted, "You have the luxury of cowardice, don't you? You fear losing and tarnishing your reputation."
With that, Aik walked away without turning back.
The Wandering Knight's words made everyone cast confused looks at Mr. Laine. If Mr. Laine agreed to pursue, there's no way the bear spirit would survive.
Frowning, Mr. Laine observed that most of the mercenaries and guards in the caravan were willing to give chase. His order to forgo pursuit indeed puzzled them, as everything on the bear spirit was valuable. The organs of such a large bear spirit combined could fetch at least fifty Gold Dinars, or if offered to the Bear God Erson as a sacrifice, could yield at least a Fifth-Ring Divine Skill Scroll and Erson's blessing.
Only the Half-Elf came over to express understanding to Mr. Laine, "Mr. Laine, all things have a spirit. We've clearly disturbed this bear spirit's hibernation. Calming its anger and letting it return to where it came from is the best outcome."
"You think I spared this bear spirit out of pity? You're overthinking it." Mr. Laine shook his head outright.
"Then why did you let it go?" The Half-Elf also found it strange.
"I have an ominous feeling, this journey won't be easy. We can't be separated, something seems to be watching us in the darkness." Mr. Laine squinted; he always sensed a faint gaze.
"Are you a Star Mage at the Imperial Royal Wizard Academy or a Sky Mage in the Wizard Alliance? Do you also possess prophetic abilities?" Estelle recalled Mr. Laine indeed casting a Minor Spell during the battle just now.
"No, just a feeling." Mr. Laine didn't elaborate. He couldn't explain to everyone.
This was a revelation granted by the Spiritual Energy. He had just realized that a massive corrupt entity was watching every move of the caravan from afar. Just as Mr. Laine intended to track it, the aura vanished.
Mr. Laine had experienced countless battles, yet it was his first time witnessing such terrifying, blood-red power.
Perhaps Aik disturbing that bear spirit wasn't just a coincidence.
After the skirmish ended, the caravan continued forward.
Countless trees were growing wildly, covering the ancient road. These trees, whether trunks, branches, or leaves, appeared in a strangely withered yellow, with tangled roots even covering the land's surface.
Tree Planter Elldrad was walking with a staff through this forest. Picking up a dead branch from the ground, his face, wrinkled like bark, was full of disgust, "The corruption has worsened, my lord, how do I save this land?"
Since the arrival of Chaos, the corruption from the Wind of Chaos had gradually penetrated the Prime Material World. Under this corrupting energy, trees multiplied madly but lost the green that symbolized life. The dense branches covered the sky, allowing almost no sunlight to reach the ground.
Since its inception, the Nature Church has been fully dedicated to stopping Chaos's invasion. Unlike the Life Church, the Nature Church stood on the side of nature, not humans. The Nature Church under it had many Rangers and Druids who constantly found ways to prevent any creatures from disturbing the peace of forests and nature.