Chen Guo's movements were fluid and seamless. What might seem complex was executed in less than a minute.
The onlookers were still reeling from the shock.
It wasn't until Chen Guo decapitated the timber wolf and claimed the bodies of the giant wolf Fenrir and the Lilac Sorceress that they snapped back to reality.
"Did Boss Guangcheng just take down three elite monsters with a single move?"
"The strongest of those elite monsters had a combat power of only 180,000, while Boss Guangcheng boasts an impressive 1.5 million. It's no surprise he took them out so effortlessly!"
"I'm just in awe of Boss Guangcheng's incredible efficiency. It was all over in the blink of an eye, as natural to him as eating or drinking."
"For someone as formidable as Boss Guangcheng, dispatching these minor creatures is indeed as simple as having a meal!"
Zhou Tao and the others were utterly astounded.
Chu Xiaohong was so overwhelmed with emotion that she was shaking from head to toe!
The timber wolf that had plagued them for a century was so easily vanquished?
Their long-standing nightmare was effortlessly ended by this stranger?
It felt surreal, like a dream!
Chu Xiaohong pinched her arm, feeling the sting of pain, and realized this wasn't a dream—it was reality.
The nightmare was over.
Chu Xiaohong was convinced beyond a doubt that Chen Guo was the savior of the Dusk Forest survivors, the beacon of hope to dispel the darkness.
Tears of gratitude filled her eyes as she approached Chen Guo, knelt before him, and said, "Thank you, thank you so much..."
"Thank you for avenging my mother!"
"Thank you for putting an end to our nightmare!"
"Thank you for bringing us hope!"
"I am forever in your debt!"
Chu Xiaohong was about to bow her head in deep respect to Chen Guo.
Chen Guo could relate to Chu Xiaohong's overwhelming relief. Anyone who suddenly finds liberation from unending suffering would be swept away by their emotions, no matter how composed they usually are.
Yet, Chen Guo could not accept Chu Xiaohong's gesture of subservience. He believed in the principle of equality and felt as uncomfortable with someone bowing before him as if he had gone three days without a drink.
So, Chen Guo quickly helped Chu Xiaohong to her feet and said, "You don't need to thank me. We are all human, and even if we're not from the same world, such formality is unnecessary. Besides, defeating the timber wolf has its own rewards for me!"
Chu Xiaohong declared, "I'm certain now, you are indeed our Dusk Forest survivors' savior!"
"Before we get caught up in talk of saviors, we need to address the issue of your stronghold..." Chen Guo, gesturing to the still-bleeding head of the Timber Wolf in his hand, said, "With this Timber Wolf's head as proof, your people should be able to trust me, right?"
Chen Guo always kept his primary objective in mind. The slaying of the Timber Wolf was a means to gain the trust of the humans at the stronghold and to gather information about Aerilon.
At this point, Chen Guo had already formulated additional plans. He believed that with the Timber Wolf's head in his possession, executing those plans would be no difficult task.
"If we can't trust the one who defeated the Timber Wolf, then who can we trust?" Chu Xiaohong remarked. "Mr. Guangcheng, our stronghold is located in the canyon at the northwest corner..."
Chu Xiaohong provided the location of the human stronghold.
The stronghold was situated in a canyon in the northwest corner, known as Desolate Heaven Gorge.
This canyon was exceedingly concealed, accessible only through a slender fissure that led into its depths, where the human stronghold nestled.
Such terrain was easily defended but challenging to assault, which was precisely why this human stronghold had managed to endure.
Yet the gorge itself was desolate, devoid of resources. For water or food, one had to venture to the stream just outside the canyon.
It was there, by the stream while picking mushrooms, that Chu Xiaohong encountered the wolf attack. The human warriors responded swiftly, confronting the wolves, but not before the wolves had snatched Chu Xiaohong away.
"Now that we have the location, the rest is easy." Chen Guo tucked the Timber Wolf's head into his spatial magic artifact, then reached out to take Chu Xiaohong's hand, "Let's join hands and head to the human stronghold together."
The group was already familiar with how Chen Guo's Flying Thunder God Art functioned. They linked hands, forming a chain with Chen Guo at the lead.
Upon the activation of the Flying Thunder God Art, they vanished, reappearing moments later beside the creek just outside the stronghold, where signs of the skirmish still marked the ground.
"This is where the wolf took me... I thought I was done for. Thank you for saving my life," Chu Xiaohong said, her voice tinged with relief as she surveyed the remnants of the battle. "Follow me, I'll lead you to the stronghold."
Everyone nodded in agreement as Chu Xiaohong boldly led the way, with the rest trailing close behind, making their way to the stronghold.
"Has your stronghold always just been called 'stronghold'? Doesn't it have a name?" they asked curiously as they walked.
"It certainly does. Our stronghold is known as Cruel Camp, once under the direct command of the great hero Lin Suzhen," Chu Xiaohong explained. "Sadly, things have changed. Now it's mostly filled with the old, weak, and sick, with warriors becoming a rarity. Without your arrival, Cruel Camp would likely vanish from the world in another decade or two."
"Don't worry, I've already devised a solution for you all, one that I'm confident you'll find satisfactory," Chen Guo said with a smile.
A thought struck Zhou Tao, and he inquired, "Boss Guangcheng, are you planning to recruit the NPCs here?"
"Yes," Chen Guo confirmed. "These NPCs have been battling the darkness for a century, showing remarkable resilience. Each of the thousand individuals in their camp is self-sufficient, surely possessing valuable skills. As our Beginner Village looks to expand, merely attracting trial challengers won't suffice—we simply don't have enough slots for them."
"With NPCs, however, we can recruit without limit. Besides, our current focus on combat doesn't lend itself to gathering resources. Right now, we're all roughing it, which is manageable at the start, but over time, it'll wear everyone down."
"Once we bring these NPCs on board, they'll handle the production and management, breathing a bit of life into our Beginner Village. This will not only enhance our living conditions but also bolster the village's strength!"
"And for these NPCs, who are on the brink of extinction, we're offering a lifeline. We may refer to them as NPCs, but we all know they're as real as any of us. When it comes to saving lives, we do what we can!"
"In prosperity, we aid the world; in adversity, we maintain our own integrity. We Jutrelians are a nation of propriety, not to be equated with the uncivilized. They lack moral principles, but we uphold virtues and honor."
Chen Guo's words were tinged with a deep sense of reflection.
He was already strategizing for long-term growth.
Having made the commitment to serve as the Village Chief of Beginner Village, Chen Guo was determined to fulfill his duties with dedication.