The betrayal

The group had a quick meal and then headed to the field earlier to monitor Anthony's group. Lucca expressed dissatisfaction as he didn't like the idea of exerting himself right after eating, but he understood the necessity of this sacrifice for safety.

As they explored, they faced various challenges, including defeating a level 49 harpy and a level 49 lion. Encountering a horde of boars, they decided to avenge the last time they had to flee due to stamina and mana exhaustion.

After an hour of battle, they managed to eliminate the 10 boars in the horde. Alice, contemplating their next move, asked Lucca: "Should we deliver the bodies or continue searching for Anthony's group?"

"Do we still truly believe he's going to be murdered? This morning, we were watching the group, and honestly, I didn't see anything suspicious!" Nolan stated, with a disgruntled expression, frustrated that this topic was resurfacing, especially since he didn't believe in it.

"If you don't believe, I can't do anything, but we've already wrapped up our hunting day. We just need to deliver the bodies. So, what do we have to lose by keeping watch again now? We might even prevent a murder," said Lucca, contemplating the situation with a tone of conviction.

"I wholeheartedly agree with Lucca. There's no downside, and if what Lucca is saying turns out to be untrue about Anthony's group planning to kill him, we lose nothing, only time. If it really happens, it's a valuable intervention!" said Ana, expressing her support for Lucca's proposal.

"Moreover, Nolan, you could earn money from his family! We're helping their son not to be killed. Nothing more fair, right?" said Lucca, injecting a touch of persuasion into the conversation.

Nolan rolled his eyes, as he really didn't want to earn money by helping someone he didn't know. Still, Lucca's suggestion seemed to have found an unexpected logic amid Nolan's skepticism.

"I really hope it's true, Lucca! I'm looking forward to exchanging blows with someone my age!" Ivy said, displaying an infectious smile as she enthusiastically punched her own hand.

Nolan once again couldn't convince the group to avoid helping the stranger. So they decided to start exploring the places where Anthony's group might be.

"It's been an hour, and we still haven't found them!" Ivy commented with a hint of frustration, bothered by not having located Anthony's group to take action.

"Considering my analysis, they can't be too far from here! It doesn't make sense for them to be farther away than that!" explained Alice, sharing her insights with the group.

Observing Anthony's group on the map, Lucca began nervously biting his nails. The group seemed to be moving in a peculiar manner, and for Lucca, it felt like they were on the brink of initiating a confrontation. However, Lucca found himself once again grappling with internal indecision. He had two options: the first was whether to sprint faster, drawing attention to his group, which, in Lucca's intuition, Alice, and the others, was already potentially heightening suspicions within his already wary group; the other was to trust that the group would discern the onset of the conflict and naturally pick up their pace on their own.

In the midst of this tumultuous indecision, a subtle voice echoed in Lucca's mind. (Lucca! They're already excessively suspicious of you, knowing things that would be impossible to know. If you provide more reasons to fuel that suspicion, there's a risk of being intensely questioned by the group, significantly increasing the danger you face! So, I would suggest letting the group hear something) explained Ori's opinion.

'I completely agree with you, Ori! I've already triggered too many red flags for them. It's better for me to stay silent this time and hope that we don't arrive too late!' responded Lucca to Ori, accepting the caution advised by the inner voice.

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(Meanwhile, Anthony's group)

"Come on, guys! It's almost there, only 10% of his life left!" exclaimed a person of medium stature, approximately 4 feet 9 inches tall, with wavy white hair, expressive brown eyes, and an upright posture. The skin is lightly tanned, and a warm smile illuminates their face. They wear casual clothes with a touch of elegance, carrying a calm and confident expression.

After some time, the cursed tree that the group was attacking simply fell, signaling the end of the battle. However, Anthony looked back and saw that his group had started to approach him. He simply froze, with furrowed brows, wide eyes, and a tense facial expression, indicating the perception of an imminent threat.

The three members of the group started running in opposite directions, forming a triangle to surround Anthony and prevent him from escaping. After strategically positioning themselves, they advanced toward Anthony.

However, before the three could reach him, something unexpected happened: a female voice shouted "Quick Shot," and 10 arrows were shot towards them. This made them stop to defend themselves, while the voice continued to encourage, "What are you waiting for? Run!" addressing Anthony.

Upon hearing the woman's words, he started running towards her, but an obstacle appeared in his path.

The spearman was undeterred by Anthony's advance and continued running towards him, executing a series of quick attacks with the spear. Anthony, armed with a shield, adeptly defended himself but keenly observed an opening. Seizing the opportunity, he shifted the shield, drawing the spear closer to his shoulder. Recognizing this, he decided to push the shield against the spear, destabilizing the spearman and leaving him in an open and unbalanced position. Anthony then attempted to strike with the sword, but the spearman skillfully dodged, creating an opening in their defensive stance.

Facing this, the spearman couldn't react in time, and the only option left was to try to injure Anthony with the spear. The archer, vigilant, managed to interrupt the attack.

"Emily!" shouted the swordsman from the group, and continued, "What are you doing?" he shouted again, not understanding the reason for her betraying their group.