To his misfortune, even after shouting countless tis there was not a single response from anywhere within the forest. His voice beca hoarse from the incessant shouting.
He could not keep his composure anymore as he kneeled on the ground and started sobbing, he did not care for himself but his family, what would happen to them? They would not be able to make a living without him.
He was so, so happy just a mont ago, now he was in the greatest pain while having a ntal breakdown.
Right at this mont the familiar voice of the fairy appeared to add fuel to the fla as if mocking him and reveling in his despair, "Let ask you sothing little one, do you really think you are deserving of a reward?"
The woodcutter flinched and looked at the fairy who appeared three ters right in front of him and had a sinister smile on her beautiful face, he roared in rage, "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
The fairy replied calmly, "I gave you the reward you deserve." The woodcutter began begging this ti, "Please I don't need the silver or gold just send back, no I don't even need the iron axe, please just send back, please I beg you?"
The fairy replied in slight mockery, "If you really were honest you would have refused the silver and gold axe the third ti as well."
"No why? Why? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? Why ?? DAMMNIT?"
She replied, "You? well to be honest no particular reason actually. You were simply the fish that which got caught by the fisherman."
Then she took a slight pose and said, "Not all hope is lost though?" The woodcutter, sobbing like a degenerate on the ground, looked at her, a slight glimr of last hope in the depth of his eyes.
She chuckled and responded, "In the eastern direction from here there is a small tribe you will live with from now on, and as for your ho, you can indeed escape from here, as for how to escape, you have to find it out yourself."
She added this ti, whispering close to his ears, like a devil enticing a human to turn dark, "The real reward for you will be that if you can escape from this forest, you will be back, right at that mont, right in that instant, as if you were never gone from the start and none of this ever happened. So, no matter how long it takes for you to escape, how many years, you don't have to worry."
The woodcutter did not believe her this ti instantly, as he said, "You're lying again, tricking AGAIN? Damn you witch...."
The fairy shook her head in disappointnt and wished him luck in his endeavor and disappeared into thin air.
The woodcutter continued to shout at her to let him escape and he was so confused, despaired and with so many questions unanswered.
Eventually, he had no choice but to believe the fairy and went towards the east.
----------
After a deep sigh Dyona stated, "Then you know the rest and that was the story of the unfortunate Honest Woodcutter, the price of honesty he had to pay. The story of Zhao Khanarasa."
Valtar did not respond as he simply kept quiet, there was a slight guilt in his heart as he took a deep breath feeling sorry for the unfortunate man who was plunged into the sches of the wicked Fae folks. For so reason he sohow resonated with Zhao's story, he did not know why though.
He then asked, "Who was the Fae? was it the one nad Thailyn? and Elmyra, she told that only the guardian of the forest can bring outsiders here as they all would be chased by the guardian into the forest."
"That is true but also false, every Fae queen can send their illusory fignt outside for once in their lifeti to bring an outsider into the forest through trickery. They can also give this opportunity to another Fae," she stated.
Valtar nodded, "Zhao would have been sent here in either case, no matter if he accepted the silver axe or the gold one or none."
Though he said, it was more of a question to the Fae queen.
She disagreed, "No if he was truly honest, he would have refused the silver and gold axe and left them there or thrown them onto the pond and gone away with just his axe.
After all, if there was not a way out for him, it wouldn't be an exchange, would it?"
Valtar looked at her intently and asked, "Why were you not the one to do it?" She replied in a flat tone, "What's the point? We can't escape anyway. The only way we can escape is death."
She then laughed and added, "Oh don't get wrong, I would still like to continue living very much, Thank you."
Valtar also chuckled and did not respond. The Fae queen's illusory figure then started disappearing as she stated that the elves were about to co in a while and bid farewell to him for now.
He continued to sit on top of that tree branch without moving, it seems the fire is not spreading further after a certain point even though it should continue to the forest and should have long engulfed the area he was in now. Well, I suppose, if a re fire could destroy and kill everything in the forest, It would have been destroyed long ago.
Eventually, he thought of everything the Fae queen said, it was possible everything she said was a lie, but did not seem like it.
From everything he knew not to ntion his Karmic Intuition did not sense a lie, well the skill wasn't exactly a lie detector it was but an extrely vague feeling.
The Fae queen did not hold any negative intent toward him, it was quite unexpected no matter how much he thought. If not for the system's assurance he would have thought the skill was faulty or the queen was able to bypass the skill or sothing. The Fae seems to be almost sowhat hopeful towards him.
He let out a sigh as he sensed the leaves rustling, there was no sound not even the wind or anything, but he could simply sense it. If not for him being a pathwalker, he would not be able to sense them, truly what a good skill. Valtar's skill, silent steps, seems to be a step behind the movent skill of the dark elves, though he could make it up now with his increased strength.
After Elmyra went back to the Dark Elven tribe.
Unlike the Eastern tribe, dark elves were a long living species with a low birth rate. Which was understandable after all, the stronger a species is, less they are in number. They had only 50 elves in the tribe except for the tribe leader and surprisingly there were no children as if they were waiting for this day for a long ti. All of them were exceptionally strong, none was weak, the weakest in the tribe was first stage awakened.
The tribe lived in an extrely dark underground cavern but this was not the darkness of the shadow but the elent of true darkness itself. Which filled the entire large underground cavern.
Even soone with exceptional eyesight would see absolutely nothing in this deep darkness. All of the mbers who remained in the tribe were waiting in the central hall of the underground area. It was an area slightly larger than a full-sized basketball court and everyone was waiting for Elmyra's arrival.
Just as she entered, everyone's head turned to her, eager to hear the news, Elmyra's eyes first turned to the regal and composed man sitting in a large throne like seat with cold and indifferent eyes.
It was the tribe leader as well as her father, she imdiately ca in front of him and kneeled as she said, "Tribe leader, I have completed the mission."
He looked at her and ordered in a flat tone, "Tell about the outsider." Elmyra hesitated for a mont and explained everything from the beginning to the end of their interaction not missing any details.
One of the elders stated, "It seems he is not bad, he should be capable of taking care of Zhao if nothing goes wrong." The tribe leader responded, "You are underestimating Zhao too much, third elder, he is not as simple as he shows himself to be. If that is all the boy is capable of I'm afraid we have just wasted our ti, he would not be able to create a proper loss for Zhao."
Elmyra interjected, "I apologize, tribe leader. However, I do think he will be able to cause so losses to Zhao. I cannot provide any proof of how but my instincts tell he's hiding sothing deeper."
Another elder stated nonchalantly, "It does not matter in the end, our main concern remains the Gloamshade court of the Fae folks."
After that there was a heavy silence in the hall, so shivered, so clenched their fists tightly, so kept their fears in their hearts and did not show any reaction. The tribe leader then sighed and issued a command, "Elmyra go and take a little rest and calm yourself, then prepare yourself and your unit, Barrier will be opened at midnight most likely. You need to bring the blood crystal."
She bowed her head and stated in a resolute tone, "Yes, Tribe leader."
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