"Elowen, after teaching you for so many days, how's your progress?"
As John and the queen walked out of the palace, they found Elowen waiting there. Seeing John and the queen walking side by side, Elowen hurriedly approached them.
"I've lived up to your expectations, Master John!"
"Good, show your queen what you've learned."
"Understood!"
Elowen's expression became serious. He began chanting, and a directed teleportation array appeared beneath his feet.
Moments later, a seven-meter-tall steel giant descended from the sky—it was the golem that Seraphina had modified!
Considering that the elves would lack top-tier combat power once Elaria left, John had pondered deeply and decided to leave the golem with Elowen.
Elowen would control the golem to protect the elves, ensuring that Elaria's departure would not cause a significant impact.
Of course, since the golem was a machine, it would inevitably suffer damage over time.
But that was not important, as John could return periodically to repair the golem.
The key was whether Elowen could control the golem well and unleash its full potential.
Fortunately, Elowen had not disappointed John.
After this period of training, he had successfully mastered the knack of controlling the golem.
The cumbersome steel beast moved with surprising agility under Elowen's control.
"Your Majesty, I have tested the golem with Master John. Its power is quite considerable. With it, I can better protect everyone!
Your Majesty, you've worked tirelessly for the elves for so many years. It's time for you to pursue your own life."
"Elowen, how did you know?"
"Master John told me. He said you belong with him now, and that soon you would be journeying with him. He asked me to quickly learn to control the golem.
Unless... Master John was lying to me?"
"Why do you have to say everything?"
Elaria's cheeks flushed as she shot a fierce glance at John, then cleared her throat and said, "This matter should not be disclosed to other tribesmen..."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!"
"Elowen, there's something I'd like your opinion on."
Elaria took a deep breath and said solemnly, "After I leave, I want to pass my position to you. I want you to lead the elves. What do you think, Elowen?"
Hearing this, Elowen stood stunned, pinching his ear in disbelief. "Your Majesty, are you joking?"
John stood up, looking westward.
"Next stop, [The Blazing Plains, Talcavano!]"
...
"Wired... why do I feel so uneasy lately?"
Inside Calia City, S. massaged his temples, feeling a persistent, sharp pain in his head, as if something was trying to burst out of his brain.
"Anyway, it's about time for me to hit the road. The dungeon levels around Calia City can't support my growth anymore. But [Deep Forest]... no, I still won't go there. I hate snakes and bugs. With my level, heading straight to the next major map shouldn't be an issue."
Since the first major event ended, players had gained access to a forum for exchanging experiences, which naturally included strategies for new maps and dungeons.
The guide for [Deep Forest] was quite comprehensive. Some players had even discovered a way to bypass NPCs and enter the Whispering Forest directly, with a decent success rate.
Unfortunately, S. had an innate aversion to forest environments.
Perhaps because he had always hated insects since childhood, S. felt a deep-seated fear towards all multi-legged, multi-eyed bugs.
The mere thought of the Whispering Forest, teeming with serpents and creepy crawlies, made S. feel nauseous.
To achieve a second breakthrough, apart from dungeon drops, one could also engage in trading, though it might require a hefty sum.
But money was no issue for S. After all, when it came to preying on others, he was a professional!
With that in mind, S. opened the forum and posted a message.
"Seeking to buy a second class change stone for the rogue class. Offering 10% above market price. Interested parties, please contact me. Willing to pay 30% deposit upfront."
Such posts were common on the forum, as players were eager to communicate after such a long wait. Naturally, these posts received a lot of attention.
In less than half an hour, when S. logged back into the forum, his post had dozens of replies. Among the replies were genuine offers, and he found a seller.
"I have a rogue class second class change stone. Where are you? I can come to trade, but you need to cover the cost of the teleportation scroll."
Seeing this, S. grinned.
See? Here's the sucker!
"No problem. I'm near the fountain in the center of Calia City. You can come over now."
"Okay, I'll head over right away."
Seeing no further replies from the seller, S. also logged out of the forum.
A fair trade was out of the question. All of S.'s current gear had been taken from others. Spending money was more painful than death for him.
But figuring out how to snatch the second class change stone from the seller would be a bit tricky.
"Maybe... an ambush?"