Before the sun had even begun to rise, Jeremy found himself wide awake.
"The time has come, we should set out as soon as possible. On our journey to Hunting Castle, we are bound to encounter unforeseen circumstances. If we wish to escape this historical haze swiftly, we cannot afford to waste even a moment."
Upon awakening, Jeremy immediately roused Ritchie from his slumber.
Ritchie, still bleary-eyed, protested.
"Isn't it a bit too early? The sun hasn't even risen yet. If we head out now, we are certain to run into even more dangers. Let me sleep for just a little while longer."
After voicing his complaint, Ritchie turned over and resumed his sleep.
In response, Jeremy delivered a swift kick to Ritchie's side.
"Get up! The village chief is already waiting for us outside!"
Despite his dissatisfaction, Ritchie complied with Jeremy's urging and followed him to the village entrance.
There stood the village chief, awaiting their arrival.
The village chief held two bundles in his hands.
"Within these packages is a selection of food, you are certain to grow hungry on your journey to Hunting Castle. Additionally, the provisions I have brought you will provide more benefits than mere sustenance.
These foods contain herbs, which means that if you find yourselves injured, consuming them will aid in your recovery."
Jeremy nodded appreciatively and took the two bundles from the chief's grasp.
"Thank you for providing us with these supplies. There is no need for further discussion, we shall set off without delay. Once we are able to destroy Hunting Castle, you will no longer have to live in fear."
With that declaration, Jeremy promptly strode toward the village's exit.
Ritchie closely followed behind, sensing that Jeremy's demeanor was somewhat peculiar.
Once they had distanced themselves sufficiently from the village, Ritchie, with a hint of confusion, inquired of Jeremy, "Why do I get the impression that you are exceedingly eager to leave that village? Do you believe that remaining there might expose us to some form of danger?"
Upon hearing this question, Jeremy came to a halt.
He looked at Ritchie with keen interest and asked, "What makes you think that? Do I appear particularly anxious?"
Jeremy's response indicated that he indeed acknowledged his urgency to depart from the previous village.
"You don't seem overtly anxious. However, I know you quite well. Under normal circumstances, you would not simply leave without bidding farewell to the other villagers."
Upon hearing Ritchie's reply, Jeremy smiled broadly.
"You are absolutely right. I am indeed eager to leave that previous village, for I suspect the village chief possesses crucial information that he has chosen not to disclose to us.
The longer we remain in the village, the greater the likelihood that we will uncover the secrets he has kept hidden. Once we discover those secrets, he will no longer be inclined to assist us as he has in the past."
Ritchie's expression suddenly darkened significantly.
"Are you implying that the village chief harbors some ill intentions towards us? I have sensed something odd about him for a while. Furthermore, his explanation regarding the shadows in the river behind the village did little to convince me."
"As for whether he has any harmful intentions, I cannot say with certainty at this moment. At the very least, we have now left the village, which means we can temporarily set aside concerns about the chief's threats.
As soon as Jeremy had uttered this half-hearted declaration, a barrage of arrows was unleashed in his direction.
At that moment, both Jeremy and Ritchie came to the stark realization that the hunting knights surrounding them had no intention of engaging in dialogue.
The earlier raspy voice had merely served to ascertain the positions of Jeremy and Ritchie.
In the face of this perilous situation, Jeremy and Ritchie swiftly devised a response.
Jeremy brandished the Longsword of the Undying, advancing deeper into the jungle.
During his advance, he executed swift teleportations. Although his talent, The King of Time and Space, faced a degree of suppression within the Tower of Exile, he was still capable of utilizing short-distance teleportation.
While Jeremy adeptly maneuvered through the shadows, Ritchie employed his shadow leap skill, darting back and forth among the various shadows.
Ritchie and Jeremy moved with remarkable speed.
The two of them traversed the entire jungle in less than a quarter of an hour.
In reality, they had spent less than five minutes leaving all the hunting knights behind.
However, both were apprehensive that if they reduced their pace, the hunting knights might very well catch up to them.
Thus, they continued to advance at full speed until they had completely exited the jungle.
Before them loomed a tall, foreboding ancient castle. Your journey continues at m v|l-e'-novelhall.net
This towering, ominous structure was none other than the Hunting Castle.
At that moment, the Hunting Castle was eerily silent, devoid of any sound.
All the entrances to the Hunting Castle were sealed off by massive iron gates.
"It seems that the hunting knights have already departed! The ones we encountered in the jungle must have been the last batch to leave the Hunting Castle." Jeremy deduced.
He believed that all the hunting knights had vacated the premises of the Hunting Castle.
This was extremely advantageous for Jeremy's forthcoming plans.
He certainly did not wish to engage in combat with the hunting knights within the confines of the Hunting Castle.
Although the individual combat prowess of the hunting knights was not as formidable as one might imagine, when they operated in concert, they could execute remarkably intricate strategies.
"What should we do next? The iron gates of the castle do not appear to be easily destroyed." Ritchie inquired directly after surveying the situation at the Hunting Castle.
Jeremy smiled as he replied, "Why should we destroy the castle's iron gates? One of us can open a Portal, while the other can utilize shadow leap. We can simply use our abilities to enter the Hunting Castle."
After delivering this statement, Jeremy swiftly approached one side of the castle wall.
He employed his gift, The King of Time and Space, to create a Portal on the wall.
After confirming that no one had noticed him and Ritchie, Jeremy promptly pulled Ritchie through the Portal.
To avoid detection by any potential enemies that might exist within the Hunting Castle, Jeremy closed the Portal on the castle wall immediately after they entered.
Thus, Jeremy and Ritchie found themselves inside the Hunting Castle.
They now occupied a weapons storeroom, filled with a bewildering array of bizarre and varied weaponry.