Chapter 17: Conflict

T/N: Treasure Hoarder's Name May Not Same as Game, Don't Compare Them. They Are a Bunch of EXP for MC Anyways - Not Important.

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Out of the gloomy passage, the five Ruin Guards fully displayed their mighty and fierce appearances under the sunlight.

Just as Vile attempted to get up, her injured right knee gave out from standing up too hastily. Noelle swiftly pulled her close by the waist before she fell, then brought her to higher ground.

Nolan similarly retreated. There was no other option, a little later will became meat paste.

Nolan's group was also discovered by the Treasure Hoarders. Aurn said:

"Boss, there are other people here!"

"I can see that, I'm not blind," Johnny stroked his stubbly chin, pondering briefly, "Let's go, we'll follow them. Can't let others catch wind of our business."

"Yes, boss!"

After reaching the high point, Nolan's group heaved in relief, no longer in the ruin guards' detection range. They shouldn't come under attack here.

Just what did those Treasure Hoarders do inside to lure out five Ruin Guards?!

"Phew...too terrifying!"

Vile patted her chest, waves of lingering fear.

"Sorry, Miss Vile, I was a bit rough," Noelle said somewhat apologetically.

She was referring to hastily pulling Vile along to retreat under the urgent circumstances. From Nolan's perspective, Vile's posture then really couldn't be described as...elegant.

"We almost became Vile sauce, who cares about poise?! If anything, it's Noelle saving me again!"

Vile tried to wipe the nonexistent tears from the corner of her eyes to prove she wasn't exaggerating. She truly felt moved.

"Pfft--"

Hearing the term "Vile sauce", Noelle couldn't help but laugh softly, hands folded over her lips.

Nolan withdrew his gaze from the two girls, looking down at the Thousand Winds Temple below. With no targets now, the ruin guards halted their sweeping spins, and instead just wandered down below.

Gradually, his eyes lit up. Nolan was extremely familiar with ruin guards. The "eyes" on their heads were the core. Destroying them would paralyze the Ruin Guards.

These were all precious Adventure EXP.

Nolan looked at the wooden bow in his hands. He wasn't confident its power could shatter a ruins guard's core. Moreover, there were five of them. If he attacked one, the rest might lock onto him.

He certainly didn't wish to taste their missiles firsthand.

In the game's lore, Ruin Guards were made as weapons of war by the people of Khaenri'ah. The most common type, and was code-named "Field Tillers" by the people of Khaenri'ah. Their means of "tilling" new territory - What faced them was blood and fire after all.

This really left one at a loss for words.

Just as Nolan silently complained inwardly, he suddenly noticed that the bunch of Treasure Hoarders had slipped away without a trace. Fled pretty quickly.

Eyeing these ruin guards, even Noelle's shield probably couldn't withstand simultaneous attacks from them for long. For safety's sake, they should hold off provoking them for now.

Just as he turned to look back at the two girls in that split second, his peripheral vision glimpsed a sharp cold light shooting towards him!

It was as if time stopped, or his mind accelerated. He only felt his body stiffen, no longer under his control.

Damnit, this is bad!

Nolan watched helplessly as the crossbow bolt was about to pierce into him.

"Danger, watch out!"

A tender cry that inspired safety from its sound alone entered Nolan's ears.

Noelle's tender lips parted as she shouted. Apprehension showed in her eyes that were chatting merrily just a moment ago. Sensing Nolan's crisis, her body reacted on instinct, flinging both arms wide as Geo Elemental Power surged. Her breastplate manifested, shielding Nolan before her.

Bang!

The sharp crossbow bolt collided with the translucent armor - like an egg hitting a boulder - preposterously bouncing aside, falling onto the grass.

Phew~ Nolan quietly breathed a sigh of relief seeing this situation.

Fortunately, Noelle was here, otherwise, he would have nearly met his end. His future was meant to be smooth sailing, yet he nearly perished midway.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel terrified and angry at the same time.

His gaze looked past Noelle towards the direction where the ambush originated from.

Wearing common street hobo attire, a group of six people - it was none other than the Treasure Hoarder's group from earlier!

"Boss, It's the Vision!"

The person who spoke had a slight tremor in his voice.

Aurn was following behind Johnny, and the crossbow bolt from earlier was shot under the boss's orders. In Johnny's mind, Nolan was likely the strongest out of the three men.

Taking him out first would make things easier later.

But he didn't expect that maid-dressed girl to be a Vision Holder! Aurn admitted he panicked a little.

Johnny scolded angrily: "Idiot! What is there to be scared of, just a little girl, so what if she has the Vision!"

Johnny was a middle-aged man with brown hair parted to the sides and a tanned complexion, his expression looking rather serious.

Though he spoke as if there was nothing to fear, his many years of experience told him to be cautious when facing a Vision Holder who could control elemental forces, regardless of age.

Make one wrong move and get struck by powerful elements, the human body simply can't withstand such forces.

Thinking about the item he obtained from the ruins though, Johnny felt much more relaxed.

"Hey! Who are you people, why are you here, have you been following us?!" Johnny addressed the three with an aggressive air.

"Huh?" Vile almost laughed. We're the ones who got ambushed yet you bite back, "None of your business, who says the Thousand Winds Temple belongs to your family, can't even come here adventuring!"

"Who goes adventuring while sneaking around watching others, you guys must be plotting something!"

Rike was a yellow flat top haircut youth, an alchemist in the Treasure Hoarder's group, skilled at using and crafting potent fire element concoctions.

Nolan's gaze lowered as he frowned, deep in thought.

The current situation - the Treasure Hoarders have some apprehension towards Noelle, but aren't fearful enough - means they must have some hidden trump card to deal with her.

According to the information provided by Vile, this group of Treasure Hoarders were ordinary people.

The two with feathers on their hats were crossbowmen, the two standing slightly behind used elemental potions, and the plump one holding a shovel was a gravedigger.

And their goal was to locate artifacts. Nolan glanced at the boss of the Treasure Hoarder's group - could they have truly found something?

What kind of artifact gave them the courage to face a Vision Holder that manipulated elemental power?

Nolan felt they were bluffing. From his game knowledge about artifacts, the boosts they provide the user can be considerable, but that is on the premise that the user has decent underlying capabilities.

Otherwise, if the base self is trash, even if given a 5-star fully Upgraded Artifact that provides a nearly 50% increased attack, the end result is still trash, right?

"So what do you guys want?" Nolan peeked out from behind Noelle, smiling.

(End of Chapter)

To be continued...

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