Chapter 344: You walk in forbidden ground
Gilford City was filled with its usual hustle and bustle, but it was not difficult to spot the two big shots amid the crowd.
Phoenix had her entire body covered, an oversized hood even covering most of her face, but Blood Wraith clearly had no intentions of keeping a low profile. The guy was as usual surrounded by women on all sides.
Blood Wraith never did subtle. Where Phoenix slinked through the crowd like a shadow with her hood pulled low, he practically glowed in the chaos of Gilford City’s market square.
He had a drink in one hand, his other arm draped lazily over the shoulders of a giggling woman, and three more clung to him as though he were the center of their orbit. He looked more like a rogue prince than a player.
"Can we ditch your brother?" Damon sent a message to Phoenix as he waved at them and walked over. Clearly, the woman read the message as her cherry red lips curved upwards into a beautiful smile, but she did not respond.
When Damon reached them, the contrast between the siblings was almost comical. Phoenix barely moved, the faintest tilt of her hood acknowledging him, while Blood Wraith spun half a circle with his entourage.
The girls clung tighter to him, and one even pouted when Damon’s presence drew Blood Wraith’s attention away.
"Big bro! You are finally here. Shall we go?"
"You really don’t know the meaning of low profile, do you?" Damon muttered as Blood Wraith finally detached himself from the giggling women, leaving them pouting in the square.
Blood Wraith smiled shamelessly. "I really tried, bro."
Damon gave him a flat look. Phoenix shook her head helplessly.
"Alright, I do not have the time to play around with you both. So let’s leave quickly." Damon started walking out of the city gates first. The other two had no problem catching up with him, and soon all three were out in the forests.
"The dungeon is that side, big bro. Our mine should be on this side. We haven’t actually seen the mine in person, but we know it’s in that direction. The NPCs here are so strong that we can’t even get past them to take a quick look at the mine."
Blood Wraith gestured vaguely toward the distant tree line. "Every time I poked my head that way, it’s instant death."
Phoenix also chimed in. "I tried circling the perimeter a few times myself. Patrols are frequent, and they’re no ordinary NPCs. Their strength rivals mid-tier bosses, and they don’t wander aimlessly. They’re organized."
Damon nodded as he silently observed the surroundings. All around them, there were tall trees with thick trunks and lush canopy that allowed only streaks of sunlight to bleed through. There were strange runes and symbols etched on the trees which Damon had never seen before.
"Should we stop? Figure out some sort of strategy?" Phoenix asked, nervously.
"What are you talking about sis? Boss here is awesome. There is no need for any strategy or shit. He will just thrash them all with pure strength." Blood Wraith quickly shut his mouth sensing a death glare from his sister.
Phoenix was about to say something when suddenly Damon stopped the both of them. "Shhh. They are here."
The next second, a few men appeared from behind the trees and surrounded the three of them. Phoenix’s breath hitched under her hood as five, no, six figures stepped out from behind the massive trunks. Their skin was as dark as tempered obsidian, their muscles carved like stone, each one built like a war champion. Even the women in their ranks were similarly built.
Heavy axes rested across their shoulders, broad spears glinted with fresh polish, and strange markings wound like serpents across their bare arms.
The lead warrior, broader than the rest, slammed the butt of his spear into the dirt. "Trespassers... you walk in forbidden ground. You shall be punished." Then without any warning the group started charging forward.
Blood Wraith and Phoenix did not notice it but Damon saw it even in that split second. The runes and the symbols on the trees were glowing. The markings on the men were in fact extremely similar to the one on the trees.
The markswere probably like living conduits, veins of power tied directly to the glowing runes across the forest. It was as if the entire grove had come alive to fight against them.
Damon’s crimson gaze flicked from warrior to warrior, then upward to the pulsating carvings on the bark. If he fought recklessly, the forest might reinforce their strength endlessly. It wasn’t just six enemies charging at him. It was the entire forest itself.
Damon’s blood boiled from excitement. He had never faced such an enemy before. He wanted to see just how strong they were and just how strong they could become.
"Both of you. Step back." Damon grinned.
"Why? Blood God, don’t underestimate them. They are really strong." Phoenix shouted. She erupted a big barrier of fire around them but that did little to stop them. The men simply forced their way through the barrier as if the fire burning the skin meant nothing.
"Trust me. If both of you are not here, I can take care of this very easily."
Phoenix was about to say something else when Blood Wraith instead activated one of his warrior knight skills and grabbed them both out of there. The next second, the two of them appeared almost a mile away from the scene.
"Damn it, Blood Wraith. You should not have done this. He might be Blood God but these guys are still troublesome. There is no way he can handle this alone!"
However, before she could finish the sentence, notifications started pouring in.
[Ding! You have killed a Runebound Guardian]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! You have killed a Rune Bound Guardian]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! You have killed a Rune Bound Guardian]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
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