So it's confirmed, Lusen, this guy, can he really lay hands on anyone?
He didn't even mind brushing aside the Woodland Fairy's vines, only to find out they're reproductively isolated from him, no seam to sting.
But it seems like the Fantasy World doesn't have reproductive isolation. If a Giant Dragon and a fly can give birth to a Dragonfly, then what would a Giant Dragon and a Flower Demon's offspring be? I need to go back and check the books carefully.
Seven farmers followed at the end. Having been rescued by Lin Rui, they naturally became residents of the Golden Pansy Domain. Having a territory to live in is better than wandering in the wilderness.
But night had fallen, the wind carried a chilling howl, and the journey back was surely not going to be peaceful. For Lin Rui to protect Amos was already quite difficult, the rest could only rely on their own luck.
Since they detoured to the Hound Camp, their return path shifted significantly to the southeast, and it wasn't the original route back, resulting in many monsters on the way.
Lin Rui was most worried about encountering another Beastman Warband or Roaring Beast Swarm.
If a fierce battle broke out, these residents would suffer heavy losses.
Suddenly, Lin Rui halted his steps, placing his right hand on Amos's shoulder beside him, signaling her to squat by his side, while he looked fiercely around at everyone.
Lusen was hugely startled, could it be that the Lord is so desperate as to execute the little girl on the spot?
Roger, being straightforward, didn't have such dirty thoughts and directly asked: "Lord, what's wrong? Did you discover a beast?"
Lin Rui did not answer, but firmly said, "Everyone stand still! No movements allowed from now on!"
The knights saw the Lord's expression and immediately knew the situation was serious. They all tightened their grips on their weapons, muscles tense, eyes scanning the surroundings, ready to launch a fierce attack under the Lord's command at any moment.
At this moment, Lin Rui felt a chill down his spine, feeling incredibly eerie. As those foolish folks in the chat room said, once night falls it's like entering another world, where all sorts of eerie and terrifying things could happen.
There were fourteen people walking.
But there were only thirteen heartbeats!
What had slipped into the team?
"The second farmer on the right, kill him, he has no heartbeat!" Lin Rui searched carefully for a moment, then decisively spoke.
Five knights acted simultaneously, and instantly the ordinary farmer was hacked into pieces by various weapons.
Unfortunately, there were no clues inside his body, only the dark blood proving that this farmer indeed met an unfortunate end.
Everyone looked solemn, knowing that being away from the territory at night was really prone to encountering something strange.
Lin Rui frowned, browsing through the system prompts. Only when the knights hacked the farmer to pieces did the system prompt that the target was killed.
In other words, before this, the farmer merely lost his heart and hadn't died yet. Even the system failed to reveal any clues about him, making Lin Rui frown even deeper.
He then removed the Fine Armor "Immortal Brooch" from his chest and threw it to Amos, saying, "Put it on, it'll give you a layer of spiritual shield. The monster in the dark doesn't have strong attack power, otherwise, its first attack would have targeted the guards in the team. Next time, it might attack you."
Amos held the brooch and softly said, "But... where should I wear it?"
"Find a way yourself," Lin Rui replied indifferently.
"Huh?" Amos looked down at herself.
Lusen took the brooch from the little girl, volunteering himself.
"Oh? Really?" The 28-year-old 'young auntie' Woodland Fairy asked with an innocent expression.
"Really, really!" Lusen assured with a sincere face.
"See, it's fine like this!"
Amos looked down to find the golden brooch now hanging on the vine on her chest, it didn't hurt, proving Lusen was a trustworthy knight indeed.
Lusen, you're such a dog.
Lin Rui couldn't be bothered with him. After Amos wore the brooch, he turned to everyone and instructed, "Everyone speed up, let's return to the territory as soon as possible."
The group walked a bit further and saw brilliant flashes erupting ahead in the dark, which was a clear sign of a spiritual strike.
Roger sneaked forward to observe for a moment, then quickly returned to report, "Lord, it's the Undead fighting with the Green-skinned Warlord."
"Do wild monsters fight each other?" Lin Rui exclaimed, though he quickly found it reasonable. Even in some games from the past life, wild monsters would attack one another. Moreover, it's reasonable for two battle-loving Catastrophe-level races to clash in this world.
"See if we can bypass them. We have civilians in our team, and we don't know what's following us, so it's best to avoid further engagement."
"We can't, Lord. Their combat range is too wide, with over a thousand involved. If we try to go around, who knows how long it'll take, and at night, it's too easy to get ambushed by hidden monsters." Roger may be uncomplicated, but he has good judgment.
Since going around wasn't an option, Lin Rui immediately made a decision to maximize benefits, turning to the six farmers and saying, "Stay here, don't move. Wait for us to clear a path back to the territory."
The six farmers were terrified, their faces pale. At night, a group of civilians standing openly in the dark? Wouldn't that be feeding the lurking shadows with their very lives?
"You have no better choice. Stay here and wait for our return, there's at least a sliver of hope. Running around in the forest means not only the danger of dark monsters but also countless Magical Beasts and Beastman Warbands. Stay here obediently, we'll come back to rescue you as soon as possible."