The four of them ventured into the forest together.
The mountains were verdant, the streams babbled gently, and the path was rugged.
An hour later.
Shen Ye was nearly gasping for breath, but his three companions still moved with ease, as if strolling leisurely.
He couldn’t even hear them breathing!
Left with no choice, Shen Ye allocated his remaining attribute points to agility to alleviate the embarrassment of his exhaustion.
Another half an hour passed.
Just when Shen Ye felt like he was about to be exposed, finally—
A guard post appeared ahead.
They all stopped.
While catching his breath, Shen Ye silently thanked the heavens, almost wanting to kneel in gratitude.
“Listen, entering the village requires the chief’s permission. There’s no real risk in this step. You just need to show him your medal,” said the lead “elf.”
“What’s risky then?” Shen Ye asked.
“Of course, the assassination tonight. According to the plan, the three of us will provide cover outside while you handle the primary kill,” the other replied.
“Kill the chief? Me?” Shen Ye asked again.
“Yes. There will be a welcome banquet tonight. We’ll get the chief drunk, and then it’ll be up to you.”
The three companions all fixed their gazes on him.
Shen Ye puffed out his chest and sneered, “My blade thirsts for blood. Leave this task to me.”
The three nodded in satisfaction.
After walking a little further, the four of them arrived at the guard post.
Two elves with long ears, clad in dark green leather armor, stood guard with spears in hand, bows slung at their waists, and hawks perched on their shoulders.
The “elf” leading the group stepped forward, pointing at Shen Ye.
“Our companion has arrived. Please grant him passage into the village.”
The two guards turned to look at Shen Ye.
Shen Ye held his head high and displayed his silver medal to them.
“A brave soldier from the frontlines, I see.”
“Still, like the others, he needs to meet the chief first before he can stay.”
“Of course, of course,” replied the lead “elf.”
One of the sentries jumped down and led the four into the village.
At first, Shen Ye thought the elves all lived in crude treehouses like the sentry post. But upon entering the village, he realized how wrong he was.
The elves’ homes resembled ancient temple complexes from his previous life on Blue Star.
Everywhere he looked, there were ornate carvings and painted beams, red walls and green tiles, with small guardian beast statues adorning the rooftops.
In the center of the village was a fountain.
Four glowing ancient tree statues stood within it, radiating powerful energy.
Upon closer inspection, while the village’s architecture was magnificent, the number of buildings was limited.
The greatest weakness of the elves was their low population, forcing them to ally with other races.
In front of a building adorned with carvings of fruits and wine glasses, the three “elves” stopped.
Shen Ye looked up to see elven script on the building.
Though he couldn’t read it, he could see through the windows elves resting, eating, drinking, and even dancing.
It was probably a dining hall.
Or maybe a tavern.
“Go meet the chief, brother. We’ll wait here and rest,” said the lead “elf.”
“Alright,” Shen Ye replied.
He followed the sentry to the largest building in the village.
“Please enter. The chief is already aware of your arrival and is waiting for you.”
The sentry bowed respectfully.
“Thank you,” Shen Ye replied.
The sentry withdrew, leaving Shen Ye alone.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Ye stepped into the grand, temple-like hall.
Inside the hall stood a single golden-haired elf in the center, holding a book and flipping through its pages with focus.
The elf wore a luxurious purple robe adorned with multicolored gems and beads, with a dagger as reflective as a mirror hanging at his waist.
—This must be the target for the assassination.
Shen Ye thought to himself.
Just as he was about to speak, glowing text appeared in the air before him:
“Your ‘Door’ ability comes with an appraisal feature, allowing you to see the traits of other beings.”
Traits?
Shen Ye noticed a line of text hovering above the elven chief’s head:
“Spirit of Vansen, Heir of the Ancient Tree Throne, Master of Nature Magic Capable of Facing Thousands, Archmage of Arcane Law, Guardian of the Nightmare Realm, One of the Five Pillars of the World.”
The elven chief seemed to sense Shen Ye’s gaze. Closing the book in his hands, he smiled warmly.
“Welcome, soldier from the frontlines.”
Shen Ye’s expression turned blank.
—An African shaman skipping rope made me leap in shock.
What was his own trait again?
Oh, right. He was “Polite Person.”
“Polite Person” was now tasked with assassinating the “Spirit of Vansen, Heir of the Ancient Tree Throne, Master of Nature Magic Capable of Facing Thousands, Archmage of Arcane Law, Guardian of the Nightmare Realm, One of the Five Pillars of the World.”
Fantastic!
Absolutely fantastic!
It was like—
A first-grader being tested on relativity on their first day of school.
A rookie soldier sent to the battlefield only to face nuclear bombs.
Entering a game’s starter village and immediately running into the final boss.
That summed up Shen Ye’s thoughts on tonight’s mission.
—Is this reasonable?
No, it’s not.
But could he escape?
Surrender, perhaps?
But his three “companions” outside were surely watching his every move.
If he surrendered, what would they do to him?
The result might end up the same.
“Younger and braver soldier, please rest well in our village,” the elven chief said with a wave of his hand.
A gentle white light enveloped Shen Ye.
As Shen Ye’s had mixed thoughts, he opened his mouth to speak.
—But it was too late.
He found himself teleported to the dining hall, already seated by a wide oak table.
The table was laden with a variety of fruits, pastries, and transparent glasses filled with fine wine.
Seated beside him were his three co-conspirators.
“Eat up. It’s still early, so we can rest for a while,” the leader of the group said, raising his glass toward Shen Ye.
Shen Ye stayed silent, picked up a banana, and began peeling it while glancing around with the corner of his eye.
Outside, it had started to rain.
In elven culture, rain was considered a blessing from nature.
The elves cheered happily, drinking, singing, and dancing in celebration.
The dining hall was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Shen Ye took a bite of the banana and secretly observed his three companions.
One was drinking, another appeared to be napping, and the third was engrossed in a book, reading intently.
—Their expressions practically said, “Do Not Disturb.”
Shen Ye shifted his gaze to the other elves.
They sang merrily, inviting those around them for a drink or to dance hand in hand.
…Elves were a race that highly respected personal privacy and space.
Given how unapproachable his three companions looked, naturally, no one dared to bother them.
But why wasn’t anyone inviting me?
Shen Ye’s eyes wandered again.
Suddenly, his gaze met that of an elven girl.
She was the most beautiful elf in the room. When she noticed his gaze, she glanced at him, smiled faintly, and quickly averted her eyes.
But Shen Ye, undeterred, kept looking at her.
After a while, the elf girl seemed to come to a decision. She gracefully walked over to him, standing by his side, her face tinged with shyness as she extended a hand.
“Sir, may I ask you for a dance?”
…Sir?
Do I look that old?
Then again, according to elven traditions, one could only go to the battlefield after reaching adulthood.
In that case, I probably am older than her.
“Of course, though I’m not very good at dancing,” Shen Ye replied.
“No problem. I can lead you,” the elf girl said, playfully sticking out her tongue.
Shen Ye stood up and glanced at his three companions.
They were still drinking, napping, and reading.
—Would they stay this way even while I assassinate the elven leader?
Shen Ye took the elf girl’s small hand and stood up, following her around the table.
“What dances do you know?” Shen Ye asked as they walked.
“All of them. If you don’t know, I can teach you,” the girl said confidently.
Now she’s worried I won’t know how to dance.
Tsk.
Shen Ye smiled. “Thank you.”
As they passed behind the drunken “elf,” Shen Ye spoke, all the while silently allocating his last attribute point to agility—
He nearly reached for his gun, ready to shoot the back of the companion’s head without hesitation.
But he held back.
After all, he wasn’t trained in firearms, and the opponent was an undead creature.
A skeleton like that could survive a gunshot, even from a trained assassin.
So, the gun might not work.
What about a dagger?
…But I don’t know swordsmanship.
What should I do?
“Why are you so quiet? Your brothers are the same. Was the battle on the front lines so brutal that it hurt your spirit?”
The elf girl’s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she led him toward the dance floor.
The other elves kindly made way for them.
Looking at the girl’s exquisitely beautiful face, Shen Ye thought bitterly that if it weren’t for this ridiculous task, he could have truly enjoyed this moment of singing and dancing.
Damn it!
I want to dance with this elven girl!
He suddenly made up his mind.
“What’s your name?” Shen Ye asked.
“Lannie,” she replied.
“Lannie, listen to me. I know a magic trick.”
“Hahaha, really? That sounds fun! Show me!”
“There’s no magic without a reward.”
“Fine, here’s my bracelet—but let me warn you, if your magic trick isn’t impressive, I’ll take it back,” Lannie said, handing him her bracelet.
“No problem. Watch closely,” Shen Ye said.
He accepted her bracelet as the other elves around them turned their attention toward him.
—Everyone had overheard his conversation with Lannie.
A soldier from the front lines knows magic?
They were curious to see what he would do.
