Chapter 80: An Unexpected Encounter

After being out for nearly a month, the heavy snow that had been falling over the Rogues' camp had finally stopped, but the weather remained cold. Walking on the main road, the stubborn ice and wet mud mixed together, making it feel like stepping on pickled cabbage—slippery and mushy. However, the people on the road, at least, no longer had the gloom of the snowy days. They now showed a longing for better weather, and I could already imagine countless civilians praying in the church.

Kain's house was not far from the central camp, and it was easy to find. His house was quite large, even by the standards of the entire Rogue camp. Of course, everyone knew that Kain was not a wealthy man and had no habit of extravagance. His large house was more of a library than a home, truly a place for books.

My luck was good, and Kain happened to be at home. He was wearing a thick cotton coat, covered in dust, and his white beard was slightly blackened. When I came in, I saw that he was organizing the mountains of books and scrolls, and the entire house was filled with choking dust.

"Cough, cough... Dear Wu, I didn't expect you to come at this time. Look at my house, cough..."

Kain smiled slightly, a bit embarrassed. I quickly shook my head and smiled, then carefully looked around the room. Good heavens, was this a mountain of books? The room was filled with bookshelves several meters high, neatly arranged with countless books and scrolls. At first glance, it felt like being trapped in a tomb of books.

Fortunately, there was a small courtyard in front of the house with a delicate wooden table and a few clean chairs. It seemed Kain had received many guests here. His house was truly... already unable to accommodate more people.

After sitting down, I immediately handed the Enifus scroll to Kain. He was very excited when he took it, his hands trembling slightly. After receiving it, he closed his eyes and carefully caressed the scroll with his hands. After a while, he cautiously opened it.

Seeing Kain's serious expression, I didn't ask any questions but closed my eyes and rested in silence. After an unknown amount of time, I heard Kain sigh.

"Good, it's indeed the genuine Enifus scroll. And what's recorded inside is indeed the shortcut gate to Tristram and the method to open it." Kain's eyes were a bit moist, and his white beard trembled violently.

"However, some additional items are needed to open the shortcut gate. Unfortunately, I don't have them. Wu, please wait a moment..."

Hearing Kain say this, I thought another task was coming, but I didn't expect him to just ask me to wait while he went out. He returned after a while, looking quite annoyed.

It seemed he had gone to collect those additional items. But who would dare to take advantage of Kain? I was very curious.

"Wu, these are the items needed to open the shortcut gate." Kain took out a small package from his body, speaking with a bit of gritted teeth.

I curiously opened it, and a dazzling array of colors spread out. I stared in amazement at the contents of the small package—red gemstones, blue gemstones, purple gemstones, green gemstones, and diamonds, each one. OMG, this, this, this, isn't this testing my willpower?

Then, Kain detailed the method to open the shortcut gate to me, and I carefully noted it down.

"Wu, I entrust this matter to you. By the way, I have another request, and I hope you can help me."

"I am willing to serve you, Lord Kain."

"Ah..."

Kain sighed lightly. "I have an old friend named Griswold, who was once the best blacksmith in the Rogue camp. However, when Tristram fell, he was a guest there. In the end, he disappeared in that disaster. For years, I have been trying to find out about him, but... I fear... So, if you have the time, please search for him carefully. If he really... If possible, I hope you can let his soul rest in peace."

Kain spoke intermittently, his voice filled with indescribable sorrow.

"Lord Kain, I understand."

I looked at the poor old man with a sympathetic eye. In my vague memory, Tristram indeed had a boss, whose name I had forgotten, but it was probably the person Kain mentioned. Should I tell him now? Ah, no, it would be better not to make such a foolish move. I'll go there first.

I bid farewell to Kain, and seeing that it was already late, I rested in the Rogue camp for a day. The next day, I stepped into the teleportation array and arrived at the Stony Field.

With Xiao Xue, I had been walking in the Stony Field for two whole days, but the six large stones seemed to be deliberately avoiding me. The stones in the Stony Field were too numerous and too large, and I got lost after circling around. I was no longer sure where I was, sweat...

On the third day, I looked ahead with tears in my eyes. Don't misunderstand; in front of me was not the six large stones but the entrance to the underground passage. The deep, dark cave seemed to mock me with its open mouth. I was completely lost...

Just as I was about to turn back in dejection, Xiao Xue, who was riding me, suddenly turned around as if she had heard something, growling softly. Through our telepathic connection, I immediately understood Xiao Xue's meaning—there was a battle ahead.

Could there be someone there? Of course, it was also possible that monsters were fighting each other. I had seen this more than once, but driven by curiosity, I slowly approached. To be safe, I put Xiao Xue and the Oak Sage away, only keeping Xiao Er, Xiao San, and the Venom Vine with me.

As I got closer to the battlefield, I realized that one of the combatants was a class-changer! I was startled—this was the first time I had encountered a class-changer team in the wild. I quickly found a hidden corner and carefully observed this rare battle.

The class-changer team consisted of five members: two Paladins, an Assassin, a Sorceress, and a Druid. The combination was quite good, and their coordination surprised me. It was clear that teaming up was different from soloing. They moved in and out with precision, each fully utilizing their class advantages. The five-person team's combat power was more than ten times that of a solo player, which was the advantage of teaming up.

Unfortunately, their coordination was flawless, but their opponents were not weak either. They were the elite Moon Clan with a special quick attribute, whom I had killed at the entrance to the underground passage, along with his four followers. The elite's quick and fierce attacks made the two Paladins in front suffer, and the Druid's Venom Vine had already died multiple times. The crows were of limited use, and the Sorceress's mana seemed to be exhausted. She was standing to the side of the two Paladins, holding off one of the followers. The Assassin was darting between the three, stabbing whenever there was an opportunity. The Sorceress behind was accurately using ice bolts to hit the elite and the followers through her teammates. The ice bolts were not of high level, so the damage was limited, but they significantly slowed the monsters' movements.

Seeing the class-changers at a disadvantage, I was not worried. After such a long battle, I had some experience and insight. The situation was delicate. Although it seemed unfavorable for the class-changers, if just one of the followers was killed, the tide would immediately turn in their favor.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn. I had not considered the Sorceress's mana. Her mana was clearly running low, and the frequency of her ice bolts was slowing down. Without the freezing effect, the monsters became lively again. Although two of the followers were almost dead, the situation was still not optimistic.

At this moment, the Sorceress made an unexpected decision. She cast an Ice Armor and charged into the battlefield.

I was stunned, immediately understanding that the Sorceress wanted to use the freezing effect of her Ice Armor. Although she was fragile, as long as she didn't provoke the elite, she could withstand a few hits. I secretly admired her courage and tactics. It seemed rash, but it was undoubtedly a good strategy. Despite having limited spells, she had used them to their fullest extent.

However, when the Sorceress got closer, and I saw her face, I almost fell over in shock—this Sorceress, whom I had just admired, was the pure and beautiful girl Linya, whom I had once admired in the bar!

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