Chapter 216 Backstab and Ambush

Xia Nan's original plan had been to circle back after escaping, giving a wide berth to the area where they had run into the beast swarm and the owlbear.

From there, he would retrace his steps out of the forest and wait for his teammates in Green Wheat Village.

But he hadn't gone far before his sharp Perception caught a faint, unusual rustling nearby.

A brief scout revealed human footprints, snapped branches, crushed grass, and faint traces of blood.

He followed the trail. As the stench of blood thickened and the sound of human voices grew clearer, his two teammates came into view.

Xia Nan watched them carefully. In the split second before Cash and Veris noticed him, their posture was cautious and alert.

That was perfectly understandable.

In the Misty Forest, which teemed with dangerous monsters, it was only natural to brace for a fight when footsteps suddenly echoed from the nearby brush.

But their reaction the moment they realized the newcomer was him was fascinating.

First came a moment of stunned silence. The hostility in their eyes faded slightly, but they didn't lower their weapons, subconsciously holding their pre-combat stances.

Then, their shock shifted abruptly to stiffness before they instinctively forced out smiles. Realizing how unnatural that looked, they quickly reined their expressions in, projecting a facade of tense solemnity mixed with relief at finding a teammate.

Xia Nan didn't have telepathy, so he naturally had no idea what mental gymnastics had prompted such a rich shift in expression.

But a bizarre sense of déjà vu welled up in his mind.

Their shifting demeanors reminded him of people caught talking behind someone's back, forcing a calm front to pretend nothing had happened.

That split second of awkward stiffness and leaked emotion was something ordinary people could never fake.

"Xia Nan?" Veris looked extraordinarily surprised. "Thank goodness. I'm just glad you're safe."

The Drow half-elf had thick bandages wrapped around her upper abdomen, with blood faintly seeping through.

Seeing Xia Nan, she pushed off a nearby trunk with one hand and clutched her bandaged wound with the other, grimacing in feigned pain as she stood.

Such concern for a teammate while "gravely injured"—if not for her earlier shift in expression and the booming, obscenity-laced complaints he had heard echoing through the woods just moments before, Xia Nan might have actually been fooled.

"This damn Misty Forest, that damn beast swarm, and that damn owlbear!"

Veris stepped forward, grumbling in a way that perfectly fit her persona.

"Did you get hurt anywhere? Unfortunately, I already drank my Healing Potion, so I can't offer you a cure."

"Oh, and our poor little Mint." The sorrow on her face was flawless, looking for all the world like genuine grief. "Just a few days ago, she told me she wanted to save up for an enchanted spellcaster's robe."

"To think..."

Fortunately, Veris knew exactly what kind of personality she usually displayed around him.

Though her tone carried deep regret and sadness, she didn't overact to the point of speechless sobbing.

She had at least that much self-awareness.

Knowing that speaking would only give him away, Xia Nan kept his reaction muted. He just nodded in silence.

Beside her, Cash stepped up and patted his shoulder.

Xia Nan caught the stone spear in the man's hand out of the corner of his eye. He secretly maintained his guard, ready to counterattack at any moment, and forced his body to remain still to suppress the instinctive urge to dodge.

"It's good you made it back. The situation was desperate, and we couldn't look out for anyone else. I'm sure you understand." Cash's expression seemed sincere, his gaze holding a trace of apology.

"Against a monster of an owlbear's caliber, hesitating for even a second might have cost the squad more than just Mint."

Xia Nan had no idea how much of that was genuine.

But from his perspective, he had seen Cash and Veris facing a powerful enemy that had just killed a squadmate. Without the slightest warning, without uttering a single word, they had tossed a Fire Oil Bomb and fled separately, leaving him behind.

He had only managed to reunite with them because of his extraordinarily high Perception attribute and the observational edge provided by [Heart-Guided Vision].

Yet it looked as though the two of them had already been together for quite a while.

It was hard not to suspect that his two teammates had planned this from the very beginning.

To some extent, given the universal values of adventurers in this world, if his personality were even slightly more extreme, that would be more than enough reason to strike down his companions here and now.

And in fact, Xia Nan was already making preparations in his mind.

One against two. He was at a numerical disadvantage.

However, Cash was right beside him, well within striking range. If he caught him off guard, a [Spinning Slash] might gravely injure or even kill the man outright.

'Hmm... I must consider the possibility that he possesses Magic Equipment with protective effects. I also need to ready [Fang Hunt], so I can respond whether I need to retreat or charge.'

Still, compared to Cash, he preferred the idea of finishing off Veris in the split second before battle broke out.

In the dimming light of the Misty Forest as night fell, a Rogue armed with a poisoned Short Dagger and the power of shadows was undoubtedly far more dangerous than Cash, a close-quarters fighter.

Although Xia Nan possessed a certain level of physical defense, and his [Fate Coin] could guarantee a hundred-percent physical damage immunity trigger from [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones], he had no desire to waste such a precious item here.

'If possible, I need to find an opportunity to get close to Veris.'

'It has to be close enough—close enough that she won't be able to react when I swing my sword. If I can do that...'

Amidst his contemplation, Cash continued speaking.

"It's actually perfect timing that you arrived. We suspect that the beast swarm was secretly orchestrated by that lycanthrope."

As if hearing a specific keyword, Xia Nan reined in his killing intent and slightly raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Because shortly after Veris escaped the battlefield, she was ambushed by the lycanthrope. It wasn't a chance encounter; it must have been lying in wait nearby for quite some time."

Cash explained as he stepped aside, revealing the Drow half-elf behind him, her waist and abdomen wrapped in blood-soaked bandages.

"Good thing I have quick reflexes, or I probably would've died right then and there." Veris nodded vigorously, her tone vicious. "But it got hit by my poison too."

"It can't run far. If we move now, there's a huge chance we can catch it!"

Before Xia Nan could reply, Cash added, "We only have one shot at this. That cunning lycanthrope has already spotted us and attacked us directly."

"After the owlbear, it should have realized it's no match for us. If we let it slip away this time, there's no guarantee it will stay in the Misty Forest."

"And your investigation quest will likely end right here."

Hearing this, Xia Nan felt a subtle shift in his thoughts.

His gaze lingered briefly on Veris's abdominal wound and on Cash's sweat-drenched face, which was still speckled with grass clippings.

Finally, his eyes quietly swept across their fragile necks.

He gave a slight nod.

"Then let's move."

...

For the vast majority of Adventurer Squads in this world, it was perfectly normal for the atmosphere to change after a fierce battle that resulted in casualties.

Even if the casualty was a newcomer who had only recently joined, a somber melancholy would inevitably spread, a sense that the fox grieves when the hare dies, let alone when it was a veteran who had been with the team for years.

Mint's passing had also triggered a shift in the atmosphere within the Sea Thorn Squad.

However, the direction of that shift was... somewhat strange.

It was as if a delicate, pre-existing balance had been shattered.

Now reduced to only three people, the Sea Thorn Squad still maintained a basic formation.

Cash walked at the very front to lead the way, and Xia Nan continued to bring up the rear, but the distance between them had noticeably widened.

If Xia Nan wanted to seize an opportunity to strike, he would only have to take two steps forward before being spotted by Veris, who roamed the squad's flanks and occasionally cast hidden glances his way.

While on the move, Xia Nan also noticed that although the two of them looked somewhat battered, their actual movements weren't hindered much. They clearly still retained a considerable amount of combat strength.

"Stay alert, it might be close," Veris's reminder drifted over.

"Its build is on the smaller side for a lycanthrope. My poison should take effect soon. Watch out for it going berserk."

Xia Nan was naturally staying vigilant.

Of course, the targets of his vigilance included the other two members of the squad.

"Rustle!"

Suddenly, the nearby grass swayed violently as something pushed through.

Xia Nan gripped his Decapitating Longsword tightly with both hands, holding the blade horizontally across his chest in an instant defensive stance.

At the same time, he split his attention to monitor his surroundings, guarding against the enemy creating a diversion—or a backstab from his teammates.

Just then, a monster covered in pitch-black bristles, looking like a humanoid black bear, abruptly burst out of the brush.

"It's the lycanthrope!" Veris's shriek, carrying an irrepressible hint of delight, exploded through the woods.

The lycanthrope became a dark shadow, roaring madly as it lunged at Cash at the very front of the formation.

"Swish!"

Answering it was a dense storm of thrusts from the Blue-Gray Stone Spear.

Standing at the rear of the squad, Xia Nan couldn't see whether Cash's expression was excited or nervous, but there was no doubt the middle-aged former fisherman was more than prepared for battle.

Even before the agile lycanthrope could pounce close, a phantom barrier of spear thrusts had already blocked its path.

Perhaps it was the influence of the poison, or perhaps it was something else entirely.

The explosive power and speed the lycanthrope displayed in this moment fell far short of Xia Nan's expectations.

Despite launching a surprise attack from the darkness, it failed to gain any advantage.

Its dark bristles were easily shredded by the sharp spear shadows, and its thick hide offered none of the expected defense.

In the blink of an eye, deep gashes covered its chest, fresh blood spurting from the wounds.

Roar—

The mournful howl caused the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees to vibrate.

Dropping to all fours like a real black bear, the lycanthrope bled profusely as it fled toward the Deep Forest.

Barely a few seconds had passed since it appeared.

Xia Nan hadn't even had time to make a move.

"That's it! Don't let the beast get away!"

Veris couldn't conceal her excitement. Her body, which had been roaming the surrounding shadows, faded into the clearing in a distorting blur.

Cash was even more eager.

Having personally wielded the Stone Spear and left bloody gashes all over his opponent's body, he knew exactly how grievous its injuries were and how weakened its condition had become under the poison's erosion.

With a massive bounty that would allow the two of them to retire immediately after the mission, their long-tracked prey was right before their eyes. How could they let it slip through their fingers?

He let out a wild battle cry, the excitement in his roar almost palpable.

He was already charging straight in the direction the lycanthrope had fled.

Veris followed closely behind. As if a single slow step would mean missing out, she transformed into a shadow, pushing her speed to the absolute limit.

Xia Nan continued to trail at the very back.

For some reason, he still felt something was off.

But he couldn't articulate exactly what it was.

Perhaps it was the deepening twilight and the dim light filtering from above; perhaps it was the dark silhouette of the lycanthrope vanishing into the gray fog; or perhaps it was simply the branch he had just snapped underfoot... He chalked it up to the vague intuition granted by his high Perception.

Things having reached this point, it was naturally impossible for him to retreat now.

But he absolutely wouldn't charge in recklessly, either.

Growing increasingly vigilant, he trailed behind the two of them in pursuit.

A few minutes passed in a flash.

Xia Nan hadn't even sped up, merely hanging far back behind his teammates, when he saw Cash and Veris come to a sudden, simultaneous halt.

Catching up to them, he cast his gaze forward.

A rare clearing within the Misty Forest appeared in their line of sight.

It wasn't large—roughly half the size of a basketball court.

But situated in an environment where trees had crowded every corner of their vision, it gave off a bizarre sense of expansive tranquility.

In the very center of the clearing stood an oak noticeably thicker than its peers, large enough to require five people to wrap their arms around it.

Set against the darkening sky, the shadow cast by its dense canopy vaguely resembled the fallen corpse of a giant.

And the deepest part of the shade was dotted with scarlet blood and the strained, wheezing "huff, huff" of heavy breathing.

The Sea Thorn Squad's target, that pitch-black bear lycanthrope, was slumped against the trunk.

Its cold eyes, refracting a yellow-green light like will-o'-the-wisps, were slowly losing focus. The rise and fall of its chest was gradually slowing, its life force slipping away rapidly.

But the most eye-catching thing hung around its neck: dangling from a slender twig like a pendant was an emerald-green radiance that emanated a rich aura of life.

An inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in Xia Nan's heart.

But before he had time to think further, a cold gleam from the teammate beside him suddenly flashed in the corner of his eye.

And in his ear rang the shrill whistle of a blade tearing through the air.