Four companions walked toward the forest.
The mountains were lush green, the streams babbled, and the paths were rugged.
An hour later.
Shen Ye was almost gasping for breath by now, but his three companions still strode along as if they were on level ground, with their breaths inaudible.
Shen Ye had no choice but to add that little bit of Attribute Points to Agility to alleviate the embarrassment caused by his lack of physical strength.
Another half hour passed.
Just as Shen Ye felt he was about to give himself away, finally—
A lookout post appeared in front.
The group stopped in unison.
Shen Ye, while silently catching his breath, felt like kneeling to thank the heavens.
"Listen, entering the village requires the village chief's permission, but there's no risk at this checkpoint, you just need to show him your badge," said the leading "Elf."
"Then what does pose a risk?" Shen Ye asked.
"Of course, the assassination tonight. According to the plan, we three will cover you from the outside, and you'll be in charge of the main kill," the other replied.
"Kill that chief? Me?" Shen Ye asked again.
"Yes, there will be a welcome dance tonight. We'll get that chief drunk, and then it's all up to you."
The three companions stared at him intently.
Shen Ye puffed out his chest and sneered,
"My blade can't wait to taste blood; leave this task to me."
The three nodded in satisfaction.
They walked on and soon arrived at the lookout post.
Two Elves with long ears dressed in dark green Leather Armor stood at the post, Spear in hand, hunting bow tied at the waist, and mountain eagles perching on their shoulders.
The "Elf" in the lead stepped forward and pointed at Shen Ye, saying:
"Our companion has arrived, please let him into the village."
The two Elves on the lookout post looked toward Shen Ye.
Shen Ye stood tall, proudly displaying his silver badge to them.
"It turns out to be a brave frontline soldier."
"However, like you, he needs to meet the chief first before being allowed to stay."
"Of course, of course."
One of the sentries jumped down to lead the four into the village.
Shen Ye initially thought that the Elves lived in treehouses as simple as the lookout post, but upon entering the village, he realized he was completely wrong.
The Elves' houses resembled the ancient temple complexes from his previous life on Blue Star.
There were carved beams and painted rafters everywhere, red walls with green tiles, and various intricate Divine Beasts perched on the rooftops.
In the center of the village was a fountain.
Four glowing statues of ancient trees stood in the water, emitting strong power fluctuations.
Looking closely, although the buildings in the village were ornate, they were not numerous.
The biggest shortcoming of the Elf Race itself is the scarcity of its population, which is why they must ally and unite with other races.
In front of a building marked with patterns of fruits and wine cups, the three Elves halted their steps.
Shen Ye looked up to see a line of Elvish script on the building.
Although he could not understand it, through the windows, he saw many Elves resting and eating inside, and some were even drinking and dancing.
It must be a canteen.
Or perhaps a bar.
"Go meet the chief, brother. We will rest here and wait for you," said the leading "Elf."
"Hmm," Shen Ye replied.
Following the sentry, he arrived in front of the village's largest building.
"Please enter, the chief knows of your arrival and is waiting for you."
The sentry bowed and said respectfully.
"Thank you," Shen Ye replied.
The sentry withdrew.
Shen Ye was left alone.
He took a deep breath and slowly entered the temple-like hall.
There was no one else in the great hall, except for a male Elf with golden hair standing in the center, flipping through a book with great intent.
He wore a luxurious Purple robe adorned with colorful gemstones and pearls, and suspended at his waist was a dagger that shone like a mirror.
—Is this the target of my assassination? Shen Ye wondered silently.
He was about to speak when suddenly, glowing small letters coalesced in the air:
"Your 'Gate' comes with the ability to see Evaluation Entries of other entities."
Evaluation Entry?
Shen Ye suddenly noticed an Evaluation Entry appearing above the Elf Leader's head:
"Spirit of the Myriad Forests, the successor to the Ancient Tree Throne, Natural Law Master capable of facing thousands, Arcane Grandmaster, Guardian of the Nightmare Law Realm, and one of the five heads of the world."
The Elf Leader seemed to notice Shen Ye's gaze, closed the book in his hand, and gave him a warm smile:
"Welcome, soldier from the front lines."
Shen Ye's expression remained neutral.
—The fathers in Africa skipping rope, an enormous leap with one bound.
What was my own Evaluation Entry again?
He remembered, he was known as the "Civil Man."
The "Civil Man" was to assassinate the "Spirit of the Myriad Forests, the successor to the Ancient Tree Throne, Natural Law Master capable of facing thousands, Arcane Grandmaster, Guardian of the Nightmare Law Realm, and one of the five heads of the world" tonight.
Beautiful!
Extraordinarily beautiful!
This was like—
A primary school kid on the first day of school being tested on the theory of relativity.
A rookie soldier on the battlefield, facing a nuclear bomb on the opposing side.
Starting a game and encountering the final boss just around the corner of the newbie village.
That was Shen Ye's opinion on the assassination tonight.
—Is this reasonable?
It is not reasonable.
But could he escape?
He could surrender.
But three "companions" were watching him outside at all times.
Once he surrendered, how would they deal with him?
Perhaps the outcome would be the same.
"Young and brave soldier, please rest well in our village."
With a wave of his hand, the Elf Leader enveloped Shen Ye in a soft white light.
With a myriad of thoughts, Shen Ye was about to speak.
—But it was too late.
He found himself transported to the dining hall, already sitting beside the broad oak table.
The table was piled with various fruits, pastries, and glasses filled with fine wine.
His three conspirators were sitting at the table.
"Eat. It's still early; we can rest for a while," the leader said, raising his glass to Shen Ye.
Shen Ye stayed silent, grabbed a banana, started peeling it, and glanced around surreptitiously.
It started raining outside.
In Elf culture, rain was a blessing from nature to all living beings.
The Elves cheered joyfully, drinking and dancing to the rhythm of their songs.
The dining hall was filled with a happy atmosphere.
Shen Ye took a bite of the banana and stole glances at his three conspirators.
One was drinking, another feigning sleep, and a third held a book, intently flipping through it.
—They might as well have had "Do Not Disturb" written on their faces.
Shen Ye then observed the other Elves.
The Elves sang joyfully, occasionally inviting those nearby to share a drink or join in a dance.
...Elves are a Race that respects personal privacy and values personal space highly.
With his conspirators giving off an unapproachable vibe, naturally, no one dared to bother them.
But why didn't they invite me?
Shen Ye's gaze shifted.
Suddenly, his eyes met those of a female elf.
She was the most beautiful female elf at the event and, sensing his gaze, turned to look at him, smiled faintly, and artfully avoided his eyes.
But Shen Ye continued to watch her intently.
After a while.
It seemed the female elf had made up her mind, coming over gracefully to stand by Shen Ye's side, extending her hand shyly and saying:
"Uncle, may I ask you for a dance?"
Uncle...
Do I look that old?
However, by the rules of the Elf Race, one must be of age before entering the battlefield.
In that case, it would seem that I am somewhat older than her.
"Of course, though I'm not very good," Shen Ye said.
"No problem, I can lead you," the female elf said playfully, sticking out her tongue.
Shen Ye stood up and looked at his three companions once more.
They were still drinking, feigning sleep, and reading.
—Could it be that when the time came for him to assassinate the Elf Leader, the three of them would still be acting the same?
Shen Ye held the female elf's small hand, slowly got up, and followed her through the tables.
"What kind of dance can you do?" Shen Ye asked as they walked.
"I can do them all. If you can't, I'll teach you," she said confidently.
She's already worried I can't dance.
Tsk.
Shen Ye chuckled, "Thank you."
Just as he walked behind the drunken "Elf," still talking, he had already added his only Attribute Point to Agility—
He almost pulled out a gun from under his clothes and, without a moment's hesitation, aimed at the back of the head of one of the conspirators and pulled the trigger.
He restrained himself.
After all, he had never practiced shooting, and the other was an Undead.
The Skeleton, unharmed, had easily killed the assassin who was adept with guns.
So the gun might be useless.
What about a Short Sword?
He was unskilled in swordsmanship.
What to do?
"Why aren't you speaking? Are your brothers the same? Has the fierce battle at the front wounded your spirit too deeply?" the female elf asked softly.
She led Shen Ye towards the dance floor ahead.
The surrounding Elves kindly made way for them.
Shen Ye, looking at her exquisitely beautiful face, thought it was a pity he was about to go to his death. If it weren't for all this nonsense, it would be great just to indulge in dancing.
Damn it!
I want to dance with the female elf!
He made up his mind suddenly.
"What's your name?" Shen Ye asked.
"Lannie."
"Lannie, listen, I can perform a magic trick," said Shen Ye.
"Hahaha, really? That's so fun, show me," she said happily.
"I need a reward first," he replied.
"Here, this is my bracelet—mind you, if your magic isn't thrilling, I'll take it back," she said.
"No problem, watch closely," Shen Ye said.
He received her bracelet and saw that all the Elves around had turned their attention to them.
—They had all heard his conversation with Lannie.
A soldier from the front lines doing magic?
It would be something to see.