Chang Long's group continued their journey towards the direction Sabia indicated, relentlessly battling numerous goblins along the way. Despite their exhaustion, they pressed on, knowing the goblins behind them showed no sign of stopping either.

"This Guardian Spirit quest... It should be called the Player Torture quest instead!"

Peach Blossom complained as she ran, being the weakest member due to her lack of direct combat experience, relying mostly on spells for attack while being protected by her brother and his friends.

Chang Long, slightly better off than Peach Blossom, tried to catch her breath and draw strength from the fragrance of the buppha garland to keep going, but she did not have enough energy to swing a weapon.

"Look ahead, everyone!!"

Rafael alerted the group to a formidable fortress made from the giant trees, towering over thirty meters high.

"A fortress!? Have we reached the Elf City?"

Oliang exclaimed, hopeful they would not have to run and fight simultaneously any longer.

"N… Not yet this fortress is thirty kilometers away from the Elf City!"

Sabia's revelation crushed everyone's hopes.

"Let's just seek refuge there for now!!"

Siegfried decided, and they all made a beeline for the fortress.

"The gate is completely destroyed!"

Wet Trash Can observed worriedly upon seeing the massive wooden gate in ruins, which was initially obscured from view.

"Let's just get inside quickly. A whole army of goblins is right behind us,"

Chang Long urged, looking back to see the goblins nearly upon them.

With no other choice, Wet Trash Can led the group into the fortress, which felt like a dark, putrid cave, nearly making them throw up.

"Wasn't this an Elf fortress?"

Siegfried murmured, gripping his sword tightly and scanning the dim surroundings warily.

"It might have been once. Look at the entrance; you can tell,"

Chang Long suggested, heading towards the central hall with multiple pathways.

"Is this some kind of maze?"

Oliang joined Chang Long, wondering aloud.

"Only those who know the way can navigate without getting lost,"

Aden commented, examining the paths for clues.

"They're reaching the entrance! What do we do?"

Peach Blossom panicked, hearing the goblin cries drawing closer.

'I've checked. Follow only the symbols with two hands clasped together; any other way leads to Elf traps,'

Davy-chan urgently informed Chang Long after scouting ahead.

'Thanks, Davy-chan,'

Chang Long mentally thanked Davy-chan, then nudged Siegfried, who was examining the paths like the others.

"We need to find the path with the symbol of two hands clasping. That will be the safe path,"

Chang Long told everyone who was deeply thinking to find the correct path.

"How do you know that Chang Long!!?"

Draco, Rafael, and Eden asked simultaneously.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to hurry away from here before the goblins find us,"

Chang Long said upon spotting the symbol. She immediately led the way without waiting for further questions or objections.

With no other options, the rest had no choice but to follow Chang Long. As the last person entered the path, the goblins swarmed into the fortress right where they had been standing moments before.

"That was close!"

Draco exclaimed as he peeked around the corner.

"Let's keep moving before they also find the right path,"

Chang Long urged, seeing the goblins sniffing the air. Luckily, they were confused by the myriad of scents inside that thwarted their tracking.

Walking myriads encountering any obstacles, Chang Long's group began to trust her direction, especially as they heard the distressing cries of goblins from the other paths at intervals.

"Ah! A crossroads. Which way should we go?"

Peach Blossom asked, panicked by the continuous wails of the goblins. Her anxiety worsened at the sight of the crossing that breaks into many paths.

"Let's look for the symbol of clasping hands together!"

Chang Long reminded everyone as they momentarily froze in indecision.

"Right, let's quickly find it so we can continue!"

Siegfried agreed, moving to one of the paths to search for the symbol mentioned by Chang Long.

"Found it! Is this the symbol, Chang Long?"

Oliang called out upon finding what he believed to be the correct symbol at the entrance's lintel, beckoning her to confirm.

"Yes, that's it. Let's move on!"

Chang Long confirmed and led the way down that path immediately.

Not more than ten meters behind, a group of goblins, including 5 commanders, 5 chieftains, 25 warriors,18 archers, and at the forefront, 12 hunters sniffing the air, were closely following them.

'There are traps here!'

Davy-chan, who had been quietly floating along, warned upon noticing something unusual.

'What!? You said following the symbol of clasping hands would be safe,'

Chang Long questioned with surprise.

'It is safe; I can guarantee that,'

Davy-chan reassured.

'Then why are there traps here if it's supposed to be safe?!'

Chang Long asked, frustrated.

'The traps need to be activated. I think they are meant to attack the enemies following us rather than us. And there are nearly a hundred goblins on our tail!'

Davy-chan explained, warning Chang Long who turned pale, dreading the thought of having to fight a hundred goblins in such a tight space.

'Then help me find the mechanism to activate the traps!'

Chang Long pleaded. Davy-chan responded with a huff and said,

'I'm looking for it!!'

Not long after their conversation, everyone heard the roaring sounds of goblins approaching from behind. Peach Blossom and Sabia were terrified, freezing in place, while the men tightened their grip on their weapons and looked back.

"Why are we stopping? Keep going! Run!"

Chang Long, who was at the back because she was busy talking to Davy-chan, shouted orders.

"Are we not fighting?"

Draco inquired.

"Why should we? There are too many of them. It's better to run,"

Chang Long pushed the young men to start running. Despite their hesitation, they followed Chang Long's advice. Chang Long ran closely behind, urging Davy-chan to quickly find the mechanism to activate the trap.

'I found it!'

Davy-chan exclaimed happily.

'Where, Davy-chan?'

Chang Long asked, relieved that it was finally found, as the goblins were closing in, growling menacingly and charging forward with their weapons.

'Ahead,'

Davy-chan said.

'Ahead where?'

Chang Long asked back, frustrated, as they were currently running headlong into their escape.

'Feet,'

Davy-chan cryptically replied, ignoring Chang Long's irritation.

'Feet? Ah!!'

Chang Long, puzzled by Davy-chan's words, tripped over something on the ground and tumbled forward, causing a domino effect with the ones running in front of her.

Crack!

Thud!

Thump thump thump...

The ceiling of the labyrinth where Chang Long and her group had fallen made a loud noise, followed by a large object plummeting down. The group braced for their grim end, but the object stopped just less than a foot above their heads, held back by a large chain at just the right length. From it, spears shot out, impaling the pursuing goblins, which fell one by one, riddled with spikes.

"I… Is everyone okay?"

Chang Long asked, voice trembling.

"I'm fine,"

Aden responded.

"Me and Sabia...are also...okay,"

Peach Blossom added.

"Just a bump on the head,"

Wet Trash Can said.

"Hey, Wet Trash Can, get your hand off my butt, damn it!!"

Oliang protested.

"O...Ouch, I'm perfectly fine,"

Rafael said.

"How couldn't you be fine when you've fallen on me? Get up already!"

Only to be rebuked by Draco.

"And what about Siegfried?"

Chang Long asked, noticing his silence.

"I'm... here,"

Siegfried's weak voice came from beneath her.

"Huh?"

The realization dawned on Chang Long as she looked down to find Siegfried lying face down on the ground beneath her. It suddenly made sense why her fall had not hurt—Siegfried had cushioned her fall.

"I..I'm so sorry!"

Chang Long quickly tried to get up, forgetting about the large object suspended just above. Her head hit it hard, causing her to faint and collapse onto Siegfried's back in a perfect knockout.

Chang Long's group continued their journey smoothly, without any further pursuit from the goblins or encountering any traps along the rest of the path.

"It's unbelievable how we faced no obstacles and had such a smooth journey,"

Rafael, walking beside Siegfried, commented.

"But Chang Long has been unconscious for quite a while now,"

Oliang, following from behind, pointed out, noting that almost an hour had passed since the tumbling incident, with Chang Long showing no signs of waking up.

"Chang Long must be exhausted. She used a lot of energy to safely guide us here,"

Aden speculated, currently carrying Sabia in place of Siegfried, who was carrying unconscious Chang Long.

"I guess she did, Chang Long is a player full of mysteries. From her Fire Fortress skill that parted the flames, her pet ghost, the mysterious source of her food, her knowledge of where beasts lurk, knowing which paths are safe from traps. I'm truly amazed,"

Draco looked at Chang Long's back with admiration..

"But even if we want to know more, I doubt she would tell us. She even forbade us from asking,"

Wet Trash Can, worried he might miss out on more delicious food from Chang Long, added.

"I think she'll tell us someday. Chang Long is probably worried that with her current low level, revealing her secrets might make her a target for others wanting to steal what she has, making the game no longer fun for her,"

Sabia, who had not spoken in a while, said as if she understood Chang Long well, making even Peach Blossom jealous.

"How did you know Chang Long thinks that way, little girl?"

Peach Blossom snapped at Sabia, who was being carried by Aden, with a jealous tone.

"Because we talk a lot. Sabia knows Chang Long the best," the little girl taunted Peach Blossom, especially with the claim of knowing Chang Long the best.

"That's not true. I am the one who understands Chang Long the best!"

Peach Blossom argued back defiantly.

"Boasting,"

Sabia retorted with a giggle.

"I'm not boasting. I am the one who understands Chang Long the best because we're going to get married in the near future!"

Peach Blossom boasted, imagining herself walking down a white beach with Chang Long, conveniently forgetting the ending of that dream.

"Heh heh, sure, you'll get married..."

Rafael chuckled softly, afraid Peach Blossom would hear and lash out at him. Everyone else tried to contain their laughter, except for Oliang and Wet Trash Can, who were unaware that Chang Long was actually a woman.

"What's so funny?!!"

Peach Blossom noticed their barely contained laughter.

"Nobody's laughing,"

Siegfried responded with a suppressed smile.

"No need to lie, Siegfried. I know everyone is laughing at me. Just wait until I marry Chang Long, you all will have to bow and apologize a hundred times each,"

Peach Blossom stated, her face flushed with anger as she defiantly faced everyone.

"I don't want that...umm,"

Chang Long murmured in her sleep, as if she were refusing Peach Blossom's statement perfectly. The men who had been trying to suppress their laughter bursted out laughing uncontrollably, including Oliang and Wet Trash Can who were not fully in on the joke.

"Shut up!"

Peach Blossom, both embarrassed and furious, commanded them to stop laughing, but it seemed like no one heard her. Frustrated, she resorted to her last resort, shooting tiny fireballs at everyone laughing at her, causing them to scatter in panic, yet they could not stop laughing.

Chang Long woke up amid the bright moonlight, although only a thin crescent was visible, its beauty was undiminished. She decided to follow the melancholic song carried by the wind.

"Do you hear it too, Chang Long?"

Sabia suddenly appeared, joining Chang Long.

"How did we get here, Sabia?"

Chang Long asked, puzzled. Before she woke up in this unknown place, all she remembered was falling unconscious.

"We're still in the Fairy Forest, but the trees and grass here are completely different from those outsides, aren't they?"

Sabia smiled and gently led Chang Long by the hand, walking slowly under the moonlight.

Chang Long noticed the greenery, the sound of insects, the gentle breeze, the fresh scent of moist earth, and the soft music, all contributing to the enchanting atmosphere of the night.

"Why is the vegetation here so different from the outside?"

Chang Long inquired with curiosity.

"Because this area hasn't been destroyed by the goblins yet. But it won't be long now. With the Albee Fortress abandoned, it's only a matter of time before the goblins find their way here..."

Sabia stopped, turning to Chang Long with a look of deep sorrow.

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