"We just happened to be heading west, our destination is the West Coast. My Half-Snake Man companion needs to visit friends and family."
Gauss naturally couldn’t reveal the details of the mission for this trip.
This excuse was planned before setting off.
The Half-Beastman noticed Gauss’s caution and stopped asking further.
"Alright, just be careful. Recently, it’s best not to stray too far from the village at night. I’ve heard livestock have mysteriously disappeared in the neighboring village, and there have been sightings of wild wolves in the moonlight."
Wild wolves...
Gauss couldn’t help but associate these thoughts.
The Black Tooth Tribe was famed for their Wolf Knight goblins.
Although it may not be directly related to the Black Tooth Tribe, there might be indirect connections or a "butterfly effect" relationship.
The four of them booked a few of the best rooms at the inn.
After a simple dinner, they gathered in Gauss’s room to discuss.
"There are wild wolves around here... Could they be the handiwork of our mission’s target?" Aaliyah speculated.
"How about we stay tomorrow and inquire around the nearby villages," Gauss suggested, then looked at the others.
Even though the designated location in the mission was the Obsidian Path.
But that location was just the last sighting of the exploration team, it didn’t mean that the "culprit" was hiding nearby.
Ordinary goblins might not have this awareness, but some high-level goblins, especially those elite leaders of large tribes, would have well-hidden lairs.
The entire mountainous area, and even further regions, could be their gathering places.
"Let’s ask around, maybe we’ll find valuable clues. Then, I’ll use animal communication spells to see if I can extract some information," Gauss’s idea was already on her mind, so when he picked up the suggestion, she naturally agreed.
"I think it’s a good idea." Serdur nodded.
Looking at the three pairs of expectant eyes, Ying agreed, "I have no objections."
The decision to investigate the surrounding villages for wild wolf information was unanimously agreed upon.
The night passed without further conversation.
The next day, after inquiring from the Half-Beastman innkeeper and confirming the address of the village affected by recent wild wolf attacks, the group hastened to the village.
Upon explaining the situation to the village chief at his residence, he immediately beamed with relief.
He had been worried about organizing the young and able of the village and neighboring villages to drive away the wild wolf pack, but unexpectedly, a notable group of adventurers appeared in the village.
Thus, he expressed willingness to provide information, hoping the four could help drive away the persistent, lurking wild wolf pack.
"Here’s the situation..."
"A starving pack of forest wolves." Gauss became more certain of a connection between his mission direction and target. "Leave it to us."
Gauss had already deduced the general location of the forest wolves’ habitat from the village chief’s descriptions.
Walking out of the village chief’s house.
"Let’s begin the operation."
Ying’s figure soon disappeared into the environment.
"Gone? A spatial spell?" Aaliyah rubbed her eyes.
"No, she merged into the shadows," Gauss explained.
Having suspected beforehand, he watched more intently this time.
Although her movements were too fast to catch with the naked eye, he still noticed.
First, she was enveloped by a shadow, then she transformed into a flat shadow, merging into the shadow of a nearby building.
It all happened so quickly that it seemed like spatial teleportation.
"Oh, oh," Aaliyah nodded.
Then, she also released Aik and his tiny privates to gather information for the team.
But not long after Aik and the little birds took off.
Ying emerged from where she had been.
"I found the pack of forest wolves."
"So quickly?" The three exclaimed in unison.
"Follow me," Ying led the way ahead.
Her steps were light, and walking on the wild grass, even stepping on fallen leaves made no sound.
She slightly slowed her pace to wait for the three.
Under her guidance, they soon saw five thin forest wolves lying close together, resting.
Forest wolves were just ordinary animal species, not monsters, and naturally were not opponents for Gauss’s team.
Soon, the forest wolves were swiftly subdued, firmly restrained on the ground.
Afterward, Aaliyah and Ulfen began acting as the "translators" and "mediators" for the team.
"Whine~~"
"Whine whine~~~"
It’s unclear what exactly they communicated, but at a certain moment, Gauss saw Aaliyah frown slightly.