My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

The look of disappointment in the boy's eyes flashed by so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.

His face regained that smiling expression with the corners of his eyes.

However, from Renn's perspective at this moment, that smile clearly carried indifference and aloofness, and even seemed to have a hint of mockery.

"Then goodbye, everyone!" The boy's voice returned to calm.

He stopped looking at anyone else, and simply patted the little head of the "princess" beside him. "Let's go."

"Woo—" The silver-gray goblin's growl gradually subsided. Although it still bared its teeth at the orc, it obediently followed the boy, retreating step by step.

Its body stood between the boy and the others, holding the wooden stick horizontally, its cold gaze warily sweeping over everyone.

The boy's gaze finally landed on Captain Ryan's face, where he nodded slightly as a farewell.

Then, carrying the goblin, he walked slowly into the distance, his gray figure soon swallowed up by the increasingly thick gray fog.

Until the rustling footsteps faded completely into the distance, and the forest returned to silence.

"Damn it, we're just letting him go like that?!" The orc Shattered Bones growled in dissatisfaction, slamming his axe heavily onto the ground, instantly kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"That kid's longsword looks worth a lot of money, and that rare goblin could probably fetch several hundred thousand dollars at the slave market in Harbor City!"

"There are four of us, are we afraid of—"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Dwarf Bucky slowly emerged from the shadows, toying with the poisoned dagger in his hand. "Didn't you see the way that kid looked at the captain? That's not the look a lamb should have!"

Bucky ignored the broken bones and instead looked at the captain, his high-pitched voice turning deep: "Boss, did you... recognize something just now?"

"What can you tell? That kid's elbow isn't even half as thick as mine..." the orc Shattered Bones muttered defiantly, making a gesture as if he were choking someone with one hand.

"I could strangle him with one hand, just like I strangled those green dwarfs!"

He emphasized the word "dwarf," looking at the dwarf with a defiant gaze.

Captain Ryan did not answer immediately.

His hawk-like gaze swept over the orc, and the man immediately shut his mouth, which was about to open.

He closed his eyes, inhaled the damp, cold air of the forest after sunset, and felt a chill run through his body.

Raine's gaze traveled across the vast forest, seemingly returning to that distant afternoon.

......

A tall man in black armor, with an ancient knight's longsword hanging at his waist, walks alone in the wilderness.

Raine's adventure party consists of seven people, including many veteran adventurers and professionals.

The squad also included boorish characters like Shattered Bones and Bucky, who, seeing the opponent was alone, took the initiative to provoke him...

Ultimately, conflict could not be avoided...

The knight's swordsmanship starting stance was exactly the same, seemingly no different from those mainland versions, but when Renn recalled it now, it was completely different.

...Scattered limbs and remains, a viscous liquid mixed with crimson and murky white...In the end, only...

That version of myself, hiding in the woods behind, my eyes filled with terror, like a frightened young animal.

......

Raine turned his head, his face unusually solemn in the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest.

He slowly lowered the longbow, his movements deliberate and steady.

Ellie, standing beside him, noticed that the captain's fingers were turning white as he tightened his grip on the bow.

His gaze remained fixed on the bushes where the boy had left, lingering there for a long time.

The last rays of the setting sun pierced through the gray fog, casting a deep shadow on his face.

At that moment, a bead of sweat was slowly sliding down his forehead.

"Let's go." Ryan kept his head down, as if he didn't want anyone to see the expression on his face. "We'll leave here immediately and go back the way we came."

Upon hearing this, all the team members were stunned.

The once calm and collected hunter now seemed like a different person, his expression as if he were... avoiding some unseen calamity.

"Captain, what's wrong?" Ellie asked weakly.

"Don't ask!" Renn whirled around, his eyes like those of a frightened beast. "Come with me if you don't want to die! Now!"

The orc and the dwarf exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and disbelief in each other's eyes.

After their initial surprise and doubt, they chose to obey.

Silently, the group followed their captain, heading in the opposite direction from where the boy had left, and quickly disappeared into the depths of the gray forest.

Raine offered no further explanation, remaining tense and alert to any slight movement around him.

Ellie walked at the back of the group, her mind filled with the image of the clear-eyed boy in the gray robe.

She didn't fully understand why the captain was behaving strangely today, but she had a vague idea of ​​the answer.

This scene will likely remain an indelible mark on her memory for a long time to come.

......

......

The setting sun had disappeared below the horizon, and the gray forest under the night sky was gradually shrouded in gray fog and darkness.

Two figures, one tall and one short, walked along a gloomy forest path.

"What a pity..."

Xiuqi had regained his usual laziness and was now walking in the darkness without any hindrance.

As a monster card maker, he can share the "Princess's" senses and gain dark vision within a 60-foot range.

He was almost able to earn extra income today, but the captain's kindness at the end shattered his expectations.

"Was there something wrong with the performance?"

As he walked, he mentally reviewed every detail of what had just happened.

However, the review results greatly disappointed him—

The performance just now was perfect, without any flaws in acting skills.

Could it be that the captain was truly acting out of goodwill?

"Forget it, it's better to avoid trouble."

He quickly adjusted his mindset.

The primary goal right now is to hunt monsters to craft cards in preparation for the duel the day after tomorrow.

If you clash with a four-person adventure party in the Grey Forest and fail, the consequences will be far more serious than just a few pieces of equipment or a few coins.

Xiuqi, relying on his memory, returned in the original direction.

However, he gradually realized that something was wrong.

The surrounding trees seemed to be getting denser, and the faint "stickiness" in the air seemed to be intensifying, making it feel like there was a slight resistance when you breathed.

The marks I made when I arrived are completely gone.

"Princess, do you know the way we came?" Xiu Qi stopped and looked at his contracted partner with hopeful eyes.

"Huh???" The princess looked up, her big eyes also filled with confusion.

It kept twitching its pointed ears, sniffed the ground around it, and finally shook its head in frustration.

Xiuqi took out the compass. The old bronze pointer trembled slightly, not indicating a direction, but swinging incessantly, as if it were being disturbed.

"Even the direction is messed up?" Xiu Qi put away the compass, his brows furrowed.

Despite having made ample preparations before entering the forest, including guides, markings, maps, and compasses.

However, the result was the same.

The gray-robed apprentice, who was usually excellent at managing his facial expressions, had now completely lost his composure.

He stood there, his hands covering his head, stunned.

It's as if he's pondering a profound philosophical question:

where am i from?

Where should I go?