The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

About half an hour later, a very faint whistling sound, like the wind blowing through leaves at a specific frequency, came from the forest. It was a specific signal used by the Emerald Tribe elf rangers for short-range identification!

"They've arrived!" Lila perked up and immediately responded in the agreed-upon manner.

Soon, several ghostly figures emerged from the forest and quickly approached the rocky beach. It was Kelly, who had gone to deliver the message, and the ranger team led by Elder Ryandor.

"Kelly has already told me that the underground waterways may run through the mountains and forests, and there may also be slave-hunting strongholds."

Evandale hasn't arrived yet for some reason. Let's not wait for him and get ready to go into the water!

Ryandor made a quick decision, looking at the only herbalist in the group: "Lila, we need you to prepare some potions that will make our underwater operations easier!"

Lila was already prepared, taking out several sets of crystal vials from the multi-layered medicine pouch at her waist, each containing a pale blue, viscous liquid:

"The gill pouch medication allows for free underwater breathing for one hour after administration and provides some resistance to water pressure and low temperatures. One set per person should be sufficient."

Unexpectedly, we had to go into the water again this time. The reserves of the medicine for the cheek pouch were not many, so Moran and she went to the lake to collect a lot of it on-site before they could gather this much.

Ryandor took the potion and said in a deep voice, "Take the potion, check your equipment, and waterproof it. Enter the water from here in five minutes."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, and they all took the medicine from their cheek pouches.

As the medicine entered my throat, a cooling sensation spread, and my neck felt slightly itchy, as if new organs were forming.

The bowstring was coated with waterproof grease, the metal parts were carefully wrapped, and the potions and magical materials were placed in a waterproof leather pouch.

"Get into the water!"

With a swift gesture, Lendor took the lead, gliding silently into the lake like a seasoned seal, barely making a splash.

Moran, Kelly, and the others entered the water one by one. Soon, only tiny ripples remained on the lake surface, which were quickly smoothed out by the waves surging from the waterfall.

The underwater world once again surrounded them. The gill pouch medicine was extremely effective; breathing was effortless, and the water pressure and low temperature were resisted by the gentle energy contained in the medicine.

Moran led the group to swim toward the cave she had discovered.

Upon reaching the cave entrance, Lendor took out a pebble engraved with leaf vein patterns from his waist and gently dropped it into the cave.

The pebble emitted a gentle ripple, and the faint alarm energy dissipated quietly like ripples being smoothed out.

This is the Tranquility Runestone prepared by Lyondor, specifically designed to counter magical warning devices.

With the alarm lifted, Ryan Doll didn't hesitate and swam into the dark cave entrance first, with Moran immediately following.

The waterway was wider than I had imagined, but also more winding and dark.

The water flows sometimes downstream and sometimes upstream, and the waterway structure is very complex.

After walking for about ten minutes, when they passed a relatively open water cavity with stalactites hanging from the top, Lendor suddenly raised his hand to signal to stop.

Ahead, the waterway branched off. One path continued forward with a faster current; the other sloped upward with a gentler current. Above, one could vaguely see rough, man-made stone steps protruding from the water, and a faint murmur could be heard.

The slave-catching gang did indeed establish a base here!
Ryandor gestured for Kelly and a ranger to guard the waterway behind them, while he, along with Moran, Lila, and the rest of the rangers, silently and slowly surfaced along the sloping waterway.

This is a natural cave that has been converted into a small dock. The water level is about half a meter below the cave floor, and there is a simple wooden platform and mooring posts.

The cave's interior was quite large, illuminated by torches and a few dim magic lamps. The air was murky, a mixture of dampness, mustiness, sweat, and the smell of cooking fires.

In the corner were some empty wooden crates, barrels, and even a simple forging furnace and bellows.

At this moment, there were about a dozen humans in the cave, all of them professionals, some sitting and some lying down, resting, cleaning their weapons, or talking in hushed tones.

Two figures were chained to a corner of the rock wall away from the firelight by rough iron chains. It was Polly and Celine! They seemed to have just woken up from their coma. Their faces were pale, their eyes were full of fatigue and vigilance, and they had some wounds on their bodies, but they did not seem to be in any immediate danger.

To Moran and the others' dismay, there were three other imprisoned figures beside them: a thin goblin, a forest goblin with dark green skin and pointed ears, and a half-human, half-dwarf hybrid! They were all wounded and looked dejected.

"They didn't just capture our elves! These bastards have turned the forest into their hunting ground!" Lila's anger surged.

Lendor observed calmly.

The enemy was slightly more numerous than expected, and the terrain was favorable to the defenders. Fortunately, the enemy seemed to be relatively relaxed and did not expect the pursuers to find this place so quickly and break through the underwater defenses.

"action!"

Ryandor crouched on the wooden edge of the dock, his hands flashing, and several blowguns soaked in potent paralyzing sap shot from his sleeves, accurately striking the back of the necks of the two nearest humans who were facing away from the water and gnawing on dried meat. The two men stiffened and collapsed to the ground.

The third leader noticed the unusual noise and suddenly turned around, drawing his sword.

Instead of a blade, he was met with a small clump of sticky spider web spat out by Lendor.

The spider web unfurled in the wind, covering the other person's face, instantly obscuring their vision and sticking to their mouth and nose.

The leader struggled in panic, but Ryandor sprang up like a cheetah, his non-metallic hardened ancient wood thorn piercing the acupoint on the side of the leader's neck with lightning speed, causing the leader to instantly go limp.

Meanwhile, Moran and a ranger quietly emerged from the shadows on the other side.

When she reached the corner where Polly and Celine were imprisoned, she scattered a handful of vine seeds. The vines sprouted and grew wildly at a visible speed, like flexible tentacles, wrapping around the ankles of the nearby guards, and then suddenly yanking them off.

The ranger's companion seized the opportunity to slip out, firing a barrage of crossbow bolts. Short arrows coated with paralyzing agent pierced the fallen man's shoulders and thighs, completely robbing him of his mobility.

Moran then darted in front of Polly and Celine, a small section of activated root appearing in his hand. The root approached the keyhole, drilled into the lock cylinder, and then twisted and expanded on its own.

With a few soft clicks, the lock popped open.

She quickly handed them the prepared medicine, helping them regain their mobility rapidly.

She also rescued the other captured goblins, forest goblins, and mixed-race dwarves.

"Pick up your weapons and stay close to us!" Moran quickly ordered.

Meanwhile, an unusual movement was detected in the cave, and a high-ranking mage who emerged from a private resting room was struck by a shower of pale golden hypnotic pollen sprinkled by Lila.

The mage instinctively held his breath, but was immediately splashed with a large amount of anti-magic sap, instantly losing his ability to cast spells. (End of Chapter)