Archer's Adventure Manual

Chapter 165 Loran Out of Control

Loran had many thoughts flashing through his mind, but in the end he aimed his bow at the village and fired his magic arrows, which struck the dark-skinned mermen one by one.

The experience of using the Reaper's Scythe last time was still fresh in his mind; he had almost lost control. Loran did not think it would be a wise thing to use it again.

If we can try to create a gap from this side, then let's give it a try!

Meanwhile, the guards on the other side were also making a hasty breakout. Their primary task had shifted from protecting the warehouse's catch to escaping the jaws of the fat fish.

With the added power of the steel slash, Noah's greatsword could barely shatter the dark fishman's scales and inflict some damage, but breaking through in a short time became somewhat difficult.

Loran's magical arrows could penetrate the dark merfolk's scales, but these creatures were incredibly resilient; even if they were hit in the head, they could still move around for a short time.

Finita cast a Flash spell behind everyone, which not only dazzled the fat fish but also the dark-colored fishmen in front of her.

We gained some more time for output.

"Boom!" Another fireball shot out of Brian's mouth.

This guy is really fierce. This is the third fireball that Brian has condensed since the start of the battle. The scorching heat directly killed a dark-colored fishman!

Everything seemed to be going well, but the fat fish had already arrived at the battlefield, and it used its massive body to leap down!

A massive shadow loomed over everyone; if such a size were to strike anyone, there would be absolutely no chance of survival.

Loran and the others quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the fat fish's attack. However, while the fat fish could jump countless times, they only had one chance.

At this moment, Loran was very close to the fat fish, whose mid-level strength was far beyond what they could handle at their current stage... Their luck was really bad, encountering such a terrifying monster in a small fishing village.

Loran let out a long breath, and a scythe appeared in his hand.

He then brandished his sickle and stabbed the fat fish fiercely!

"Buzz!" A buzzing sound came from her ears, and Loran's spirit returned to that void space.

A fat fish also appeared here in a panic. When it saw Loran walking towards it with a sickle, it felt a surge of panic.

The next moment, the scythe pierced the fat fish's body, but thanks to the thick layer of fat, Loran's attack was not fatal.

However, this did not cause any major problems. Loran continued to hack at the fat fish with his sword, and the fat fish kept letting out miserable groans. After an unknown amount of time, it finally collapsed in the space and could no longer stand up.

Loran's consciousness gradually faded. He looked at the motionless fat fish in front of him, his heart undisturbed. His spirit was once again nourished by the fat fish's soul, becoming even stronger.

The scythe in Loran's hand did not disappear after killing the fat fish. He picked up the scythe and walked towards the dark-colored fishmen.

"Choo choo choo!"

Loran moved with incredible speed, and upon reaching the dark-skinned fishmen, he decisively swung his scythe, each swing inflicting immense mental damage.

Although the fishmen were not physically injured, their souls had been harvested, and they could no longer get up.

In an instant, the complex battlefield turned into Loran's slaughter feast, and the lives of merfolk were taken by Loran one by one.

"Buzz!" Every time Loran hit a merman, he would enter that void space.

"Please don't kill me! Please!" the fish-man pleaded desperately, sensing an intense threat of death.

Loran brought down his scythe without hesitation; however, since the merfolk had attacked first, his actions were not wrong.

Soon, one by one, the dark-skinned mermen around him fell to Loran's scythe. Loran looked at his companions who had gathered around him, his consciousness becoming somewhat blurred.

"No...don't come any closer." Loran covered his head, his eyes flashing with memories that didn't belong to him.

There's the joy of swimming in the deep sea, the brutality of swallowing up the three members of the Putt squad, and the bloody scene of sacrificing goblins...

For a fleeting moment, Loran felt as if he no longer belonged to himself.

He roared furiously and charged out of the small fishing village alone.

His teammates tried their best to catch up with Loran, but it was no use. Loran had already used Shadow Step and Shadow Ambush, and his speed was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared without a trace.

"Uh..." Putt slowly crawled out of the fat fish's belly with a distorted face. His body was covered in rotten mucus, and his skin was as soft as if it had been soaked in water for more than ten years. Some parts had begun to dissolve, making him look extremely terrifying.

"Help...help me!"

When the guards saw Put emerge from the fat fish's mouth, they rushed forward to help and pulled Put out.

"Where are your teammates? Are they still inside?" the guards asked anxiously.

Putt's face contorted with bitterness. "They...they slid deeper into the stomach, a place where they couldn't possibly crawl out."

"Everyone, get to it! Cut open the belly of this fat fish! There's someone inside!" the guard shouted.

The commotion on the shore was so great that it alerted many people in the village, who were all astonished when they arrived and saw the scene.

The villagers and guards quickly began to cut open the belly of the fat fish.

Lin Wen looked in the direction where Luo Lan had left, realizing that she couldn't catch up with Luo Lan, and her heart was filled with complicated emotions.

She could see the special power that Loran had just unleashed, and she knew that something must have happened to Loran... but she didn't know what it was.

But there's always a reason; Loran doesn't usually display such power... Every crisis is always averted when Loran appears at the perfect moment.

Lin Wen looked at the huge, fat fish. After a brief struggle with the fish, the enormous creature fell silent.

Lin Wen certainly didn't believe that the fat fish's death was due to a problem with its own body; he was certain that Loran had used some means to resolve the crisis.

She understood that powerful methods that exceeded one's own strength inevitably came with extremely high risks, and Loran's loss of control just now was probably a side effect.

"What happened to Loran?" Finita rushed over, panting. She looked at Lin Wen and asked anxiously.

Lin Wen shook his head blankly, "I...I don't know. I only know that he might be in danger, and Loran needs our help."

"How should we find him?"

"I don't know. He's incredibly fast. He even... has mastered the skills of Shadow Ambush and Shadow Cloak. He's not only an archer who can shoot magic arrows, but also an excellent assassin. This is really too abnormal. The Loran of the past wasn't like this. I know that very well."

"What about... Brian?!"

Everyone looked around and found that Brian had already disappeared.

Under the cover of night, the guards and villagers worked together to cut open the thick belly of the fat fish, revealing a horrifying scene inside.

Two objects, still somewhat recognizable as human figures, flowed out along with foul-smelling gastric juices.

Putt stared at the scene in a daze. Although their team had only been formed for a short time, they had already established a very good friendship.

His former teammates had now turned into a puddle of rotten water inside this fat fish's belly... Putt not only felt a wave of physical discomfort, but also began to dry heave.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he clenched his fists. Suddenly, he remembered what the Loran team had told them... If only he had listened to their advice back then.

What if they hadn't been so greedy and focused so much on collecting loot? Would the outcome have been different?

Indeed, greed is the adventurer's greatest enemy.

Lin Wen approached the large, fat fish. She still found it hard to believe how Loran had killed the creature in an instant.

There were no obvious cuts on the fat fish's body; the guards cutting open its belly was something that happened later.

If the guard wasn't killed by physical means, then there's only one possibility: psychological.

Loran is capable of wielding magical arrows and possesses a wide variety of skills. If I remember correctly, Lin Wen seems to recall that Loran once used a warrior-like skill called Steel Slash.

An archer who possesses such a wide variety of skills must have an exceptionally strong spirit, which also confirms the methods demonstrated by Loran.

When Lin Wen observed the pool of unidentified liquid flowing from the belly of the fat fish, he was stunned for a long time.

She had seen Holt, a member of Putt's squad, before.

She remembered that when her father was fleeing after being harmed, he saw a child, and she remembered the child's face very clearly; it was the same as Holt's.

Holt was likely one of the children involved in the plan to harm her father.

Especially in the few days since arriving in Plassen, Lin Wen has been thinking about how to kill the murderer who had harmed her father almost every day and night.

Now he has met the murderer's former child, and he died right before Lin Wen's eyes.

Holt was the murderer's child, and also a foolish adventurer; he died inside the monster's belly.

Logically, Lin Wen should be happy... but her heart was completely unmoved. She seemed to be unable to understand her own heart. What exactly did she need?

Even if she kills all the murderers from the past, she will never be able to get her father's love and companionship again.

Lin Wen glanced at Noah and Finita, who were anxiously discussing countermeasures. Yes, she shouldn't waste her thoughts and time on those rotten people and things from the past.

Cold hatred cannot bring back warm love, but timely action can restore warmth.

She didn't look at the dead Holt again, and turned to discuss countermeasures with Finita.

"You've all worked hard! We've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel!" Elfin, the leader, was followed by a group of adventurers. He pointed to the vast city of Plassen ahead and cheered loudly.

"Amazing, goddess! We actually made it out alive!"

"Lord Elfin is the strongest adventurer. Without him, we would not have been able to do any of this."

"Bravo, Alfin!"

"Praise be to the sharp spear!"

Elfin's squad was the second squad to arrive in Plassen from Rockfall Town, following Loran and others, and their arrival drew the attention of the Plassen side.

After learning about the perilous yet incredibly exciting experiences of Elfin and his companions, the leader of the Adventurers' Guild widened his eyes and felt genuine admiration for them.

On the night he arrived in Plassen to rest, Elfin seemed to sense something. He looked at the distant sky and revealed a strange smile.

Recently, a topic has sparked heated discussion in Plasson's pub.

Adventurers often encounter a figure dressed as the Grim Reaper from ancient mythology when fighting monsters. This figure helps them resolve the monster's crisis and then calmly leaves.

"Oh, and don't forget the strangest part! That mysterious Grim Reaper is always accompanied by a servant! And that's no ordinary servant—it's a vicious hound from hell!"

Its eyes gleamed with an eerie green light, and its limbs were as thick as steel!

Some say they are messengers of hell, sent to reap the lives of monsters; others say it's just a prank by some unknown guy.

"No one knows who they are, no one has seen the face of death, and no one can catch up with their departing footsteps. All that is known is that whenever adventurers are trapped in the deadly situation of monsters, they always appear as scheduled and then quietly leave without leaving a trace! Their strength is beyond doubt."

The adventurers looked at the bard with anticipation, asking curiously, "What happened next? Did anyone find any more clues? Also, can the Grim Reaper really handle any kind of monster? What if it's a dragon?"

The bard looked mysterious and said seriously, "What follows is naturally even more exciting. Besides the giant lizard hunted by Death, there's also the part about orcs. But after talking for so long, I'm getting thirsty. How about we order some ale and have a drink to liven things up?"

And so, the bards easily boosted the sales of ale in the tavern.

Finita, who was listening intently in the tavern, frowned and whispered to Lin Wen beside her, "Lin Wen, is what this guy is saying true?"

Lin Wen curled his lip. "Half true, half false. This guy is just making up stories to boost the sales of beer at the tavern. I've seen this kind of thing far too many times."

"However... everything has a basic fact to it. If something is fabricated, it will sound very fake."

"This story is a reflection of the experiences of many adventurers, and then the bards can add more interesting stories on this basis. Obviously, the protagonist of this story should be Loran."

Finita sighed. "What's wrong with Loran... If he still has self-awareness, why doesn't he come back to us? Instead, he's out hunting monsters in the wild."

"It's possible that Loran used some kind of forbidden magic and it caused side effects. I think he needs our help. We need to find him," Lin Wen said earnestly.

"According to the rumors, Loran always appears when adventurers are in crisis, and this is the direction we are heading."