Chapter 48: The Watcher

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Watcher

It took quite some time for Arin to arrive at the Elf Chief’s residence. The group followed the elves’ escort down a winding road, which stretched under towering trees.

Unlike the roads in the borders of Elf Lands, the road here was almost perfect and there were no weeds, broken branches or misplaced stones.

Arin had a strange feeling the whole time.

The forest was beautiful, but nothing could distract him from that annoying sensation, reminiscent of the one he had when arriving at the gates. It was brief, but Arin vividly remembered the pressure upon his senses. The killing intent, the mana... Someone had been there, watching him.

Arin turned around, scanning the woods.

There was nothing.

"Just thinking about it again?" Ayan said. Arin turned his head to him.

"Thinking about what?"

"The feeling you had there."

Arin’s eyes widened in surprise. "You could feel it too?"

"I could see the shift in your posture."

Arin sighed.

"So, you didn’t actually feel it."

"No."

"Good."

Ayan remained silent for a moment. "But your instincts have certainly sharpened." Arin turned back to look at the road in front of them.

"I just hope it was nothing."

Ayan didn’t answer.

That response did little to make Arin feel better. A few minutes later, the trees grew more scarce and a huge building appeared before the group’s eyes.

Arin’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

The residence of the Elf Chief was nothing like he expected it to be. It was not made of stone, but of wood, surrounding a massive ancient tree. The trunk of the tree was several times bigger than the buildings Arin had seen in his lifetime and the whole structure was held together by wooden bridges and lit with glowing crystals on the tree’s branches.

Elves were all over the place, surrounding the building, serving, guarding, casting spells... All of them were aware of the special guests and their stares were fixed on the group walking towards the entrance.

Arin felt uneasy under their gaze.

"Why are they all staring at us?" He finally asked. Adnan shrugged.."Because we are impossible to ignore." Arin looked at the group walking in front of the building. A dragon, a demon, a Hero, a Dungeon Master, a former Chimera, two prisoners...

He sighed.

"Right."

Zarl grinned.

"Quite an impressive group, indeed."

"You’re not helping," muttered Arin.

"I rarely do."

The elves’ escort finally halted in front of the building. The captain turned to the group.."We have arrived." Arin looked up at the building. "So, this is where the chief is?"

"Yes."

The doors opened and two elves were waiting for them inside, dressed in simple but elegant robes. They gave a small bow to the newcomers before gesturing to the hallway.

"The Elf Chief awaits you."

Arin took a deep breath before following the others inside the building. Ayan stepped in next, with Saira close behind him, keeping Mira company. Adnan entered right after them and both Zarl and Garul were escorted inside as well, under the watchful eyes of the elves. As Arin disappeared inside the building, the forest grew silent.

Too silent.

About a few hundred meters away from the building, an elf stood between the trees, watching the group. He was wearing ordinary clothes, without any insignia or special markings to suggest that he was anyone important.

Arin, Saira, Adnan... He knew them all.

The elf watched the group, his bow slung across his back, as quietly as the forest around him.

He exhaled slowly.

"So they actually came."

He didn’t follow Arin inside the building, instead staying at the edge to observe the strange group of newcomers. The Hero, Adnan, the one who had single-handedly defeated the monstrous boss at the deepest part of a dungeon... He knew him.

The demon, Saira, who had joined forces with a dragon and a Hero... He knew her too.

Zarl, the former Chimera Master, was impossible to mistake for someone else.

Ayan’s aura had given him away the moment he had arrived at the gates.

But the most surprising sight for the lone elf watching from the trees was the young man standing at the center of the group.

Arin Rahman, the new Dungeon Master.

His mana had been unmistakable the moment Arin had crossed the border and, for a brief moment, the elf had let loose a small amount of killing intent to gauge the young man’s reaction.

The elf narrowed his eyes at the sight of Arin.

"Interesting."

The newcomer was far more perceptive than he appeared. His eyes hadn’t widened in fear, but rather narrowed, calculating, assessing. The elf turned his back to the road and disappeared into the forest, leaving only the wind to mark his passing.

A few minutes later, he arrived at a secluded part of the woods, where stood a small wooden building, unassuming and without any remarkable features.

The lone elf approached the door and knocked three times before a voice called out to him.

"Enter."

He opened the door and stepped inside the small room. The room was silent, save for the soft rustling of the pages of a few books laying on a table. No guards or attendants were present. The elf bowed before a figure sitting by the window.

"My lord."

The figure looked up from the window.

"What happened?"

The elf stood where he was, his voice quiet but firm.

"They arrived."

The figure’s expression darkened.

"They?"

"The ones we were watching."

The figure stood up.

"Who came?"

The elf listed off the names in his mind.

"The new Dungeon Master, Arin Rahman."

There was a pause before he continued.

"The Hero, Adnan."

Another pause.

"The demon, Saira."

The figure’s eyes narrowed.

"The dragon, Ayan."

The elf continued.

"Mira, the woman transformed into a Chimera."

There was a pause before he spoke again.

"Zarl Baghud and his servant, Garul."

The figure stared at the elf intently.

"Zarl?"

"Yes, my lord."

"He’s alive?"

"Yes."

The figure slowly turned to face the elf.

Zarl had been responsible for the tragedy involving the previous Dungeon Master. He had transformed members of the Dungeon Master’s family into Chimeras and, recently, had arrived in the Elf Lands with the new Dungeon Master.

The figure’s expression remained unreadable.

"I didn’t expect him to come here."

The elf nodded.

"Neither did I."

"How did they enter?"

"They were escorted here after being questioned at the border."

"And the Dungeon Master?"

"He revealed his Mark."

The figure’s eyes narrowed.

"So the rumors were true."

The elf nodded.

"He is the new Dungeon Master."

They stood in silence for a few moments before the figure spoke again.

"Did you see him clearly?"

"Yes."

"What was he like?"

The elf mulled over his thoughts before answering.

"Young."

"How young?"

"Young enough that I initially doubted the reports."

The figure remained silent as the elf continued.

"But his mana is unmistakable and the Mark reacted when he entered the Elf Lands."

The figure looked at the elf.

"Did he notice you?"

The elf hesitated before nodding.

"Yes."

That caught the figure’s attention.

"He noticed?"

"I released a small amount of killing intent."

"Why?"

"To test him."

"And?"

"He sensed it immediately."

The figure slowly smiled, a look of genuine intrigue on his face.

"So he actually noticed."

The elf nodded.

"I believe he is more perceptive than expected."

The figure turned to the window, where stretched the endless woods.

The soldier waited patiently before the figure finally spoke.

"I thought it would take much longer."

The elf frowned.

"My lord?"

"I expected the new Dungeon Master to remain in human territory."

He looked towards the distant forest.

"I didn’t expect him to come here so soon."

The elf bowed his head.

"What should we do?"

The figure did not answer immediately.

For a few moments, all he did was stare at the trees before he finally spoke.

"Nothing."

The elf blinked in surprise.

"Nothing?"

"Continue watching them."

"Understood."

"And report anything unusual."

"Yes, my lord."

The elf turned towards the door, only for his master to speak once more.

"The Dungeon Master."

The elf turned around.

"Yes?"

"Do not approach him."

The elf nodded.

"Understood."

He opened the door before pausing briefly.

"My lord."

"What?"

"The Dungeon Master is not alone."

"I know."

"A Hero, a demon, a dragon, and Zarl Baghud are accompanying him."

The figure’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"I know."

The elf bowed once more.

"Then I will continue observing them."

He left the room, the door closing behind him.

The figure stood alone in the room, his eyes glued to the forest.

For a few seconds, all he said was.

"So the new Dungeon Master really came."

Back at the Elf Chief’s residence, Arin stood in front of the two enormous wooden doors.

Inside them, the most revered elf in all of Elf Lands awaited him.

Arin took a deep breath, unable to shake that feeling from a few moments ago.

The sensation of being watched.

And, somewhere, deep inside the forest, that feeling had been transmitted to someone.

The new Dungeon Master had entered the Elf Lands.