Chapter 145: The Wolf-Patterned Stone Stele

However, her extremely high professional standards prevented Triss from acting rashly. It was not until Lu Kuan had finished playing around and leisurely crossed the wooden bridge that Triss silently followed behind him.

When she reached the head of the bridge, Triss subconsciously glanced at the little gray rabbit on the grass beside it, a faint, sarcastic smile playing at the corners of her lips. Yet, the very next second, as her foot stepped onto the wooden bridge deck, her heart instantly skipped a beat.

"Swish—!"

Centered on Triss's right foot, countless vines grew madly, instantly wrapping around her lower legs and rendering the alluring human female thief completely immobile.

Meanwhile, over thirty meters away, Lu Kuan acted as if he possessed precognitive abilities. He smoothly turned around, unslung his bow, drew an arrow, and pulled the string taut, a playful expression on his face.

"Shit!"

Triss cursed, though her reaction was far from slow. She raised her right hand high and then smashed it down hard toward the ground.

"Bang!"

A burst of deep gray smoke erupted out of nowhere on the ground, rolling rapidly and completely concealing the female thief's figure within it.

However, Lu Kuan's movements were clearly a fraction faster than hers. Just as the smoke formed, Lu Kuan's first concussive arrow had already flown silently to its target.

"Agh…"

A muffled groan came from within the smoke, but Lu Kuan's attack did not stop. Next, bone-shattering arrow tips shot out continuously and rapidly, as if they cost nothing!

Five seconds later, as the smoke gradually dissipated, only the corpse of the female thief, riddled with arrows like a hornet's nest, remained on the ground. The bright red blood contrasted with Triss's stunning beauty, possessing a bizarre and striking aesthetic.

Lu Kuan walked over to the corpse, swiftly looted a few copper coins, looked up toward the direction of the village, and curved the corner of his lips upward.

"A thief really was following me... Good thing I stayed on my guard." Lu Kuan chuckled, muttering to himself before wasting no more time and heading toward the northern forest at top speed.

At the same time, in Whitewater Village.

Emerging from the resurrection point, Triss wore a gloomy expression as she hung her head and walked toward the lakeside.

By now, besides the dwarf priest John, many more people had gathered by the lake, including the group of novices who had previously conflicted with Lu Kuan, as well as a well-organized squad of high-level players.

At their head was Lu Kuan's old acquaintance, the bald barbarian berserker, Master Red.

Seeing Triss emerge from the resurrection point, the members of Fiend Sword, led by Master Red, all revealed playful expressions.

"Got spotted, didn't you?" John said, holding his fishing rod and staring at the movement on the lake without turning his head.

"Yes, I've disappointed you."

Triss lowered her head, looking utterly dejected.

Old man John chuckled, speaking with unconcerned indifference: "I told you before, *Echo of the Gods* is filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Almost all the experts from the virtual gaming circle have transferred here. Well, how is it? Learned your lesson, haven't you?"

None of the others dared to interrupt at this moment, keeping their heads down in silence.

"Master Red, how is the investigation of the clues coming along?" After a brief pause, John asked the barbarian.

"The people we sent to the Magma Keep library have already sent back word. According to ancient records, there is indeed another temple of Pelor in this vicinity," Master Red said in a rough, gravelly voice. "However, its location should be above the cliffs, within the high-level monster zone. Once we gather the silver-winged fish, we'll proceed to the next step."

John listened attentively, nodded, and said nothing more.

Beside them, Triss caught this and a flash of resentment crossed her eyes. She couldn't help asking, "Boss, are we just going to let that human ranger walk away like that?"

"This is a novice village. Since we have no way to surround and kill him, we can only let him leave," old man John pulled up his fishing rod, looked at the empty hook, shook his head with a chuckle, and continued, "There will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. You must learn to wait, Triss."

Although still somewhat unwilling, the female thief nodded nonetheless, maintaining a respectful demeanor.

...

Lu Kuan wandered through the forest for a dozen minutes before finally finding his target for this trip.

In a clearing amidst the forest stood a white stone monument about two meters tall. From afar, one could see the exquisite patterns carved onto the monument, depicting a giant wolf howling proudly toward the sky.

Surrounding the stone was a patch of grass where at least thirty female players were busy at work, apparently preparing for a barbecue social gathering. Lu Kuan's ears were filled with warbling feminine voices, carrying a charming aura of cosmetics and perfume.

Lu Kuan was somewhat surprised, and the girls present were equally startled. Their gazes fell upon Lu Kuan one after another, pointing and whispering among themselves, occasionally covering their mouths to giggle secretly.

Even for Lu Kuan, seeing such a scene overrun by an army of maidens felt a bit embarrassing. He gave a light cough and strode up before the white stone monument.

In front of the monument stood a small stone platform. Lu Kuan took out the glass bottle containing the silver-winged fish, gently placed it on the platform, and then stepped back a few paces.

Within a few breaths, the patterns on the huge stone monument suddenly flashed, and the silver-winged fish inside the bottle seemed to echo the monument, their silvery-white bodies flashing silently.

Soon, under Lu Kuan's gaze, the ten small fish condensed into a dazzling sphere of light, passing effortlessly through the glass bottle, drifting in the air for a few moments, and then flying with a whoosh straight into the monument, disappearing without a trace.

"Awooo..."

Immediately following, the giant wolf pattern on the stone monument grew extremely bright. A melodious wolf howl erupted from the stone pillar, and the surrounding girls involuntarily let out gasps of surprise, shielding their eyes with one hand while curiously looking over.

Under the brilliant white light, the eyes of the wolf carving on the monument detached themselves and slowly drifted toward Lu Kuan. When Lu Kuan reached out and caught them, the dazzling white light gradually subsided, and accompanied by the fading wolf howl, it ultimately vanished completely.

The girls who witnessed all of this were dumbfounded, while in Lu Kuan's field of vision, the long-awaited system prompt finally appeared.

"The divine radiance of the Sun God Pelor shines brightly, illuminating the stone monument before you and seemingly causing some mysterious changes to occur."

"System Prompt: Congratulations, you have triggered the quest: The Unknown History (S)"

"The stone monument has stood here for hundreds of years, silently watching the reproduction and transformation, prosperity and barrenness of this land. Yet no one knows that the monument once witnessed a little-known and precious piece of history.

Go and find that temple hidden within the dark jungle! Though the messengers of the gods have perished, the favor of the gods endures forever!"

By Lu Kuan's ear, the deep whispering voice gradually faded, and the brilliance on the white stone monument steadily diminished until it disappeared.

At this moment, Lu Kuan held an additional circular piece of stone in his hand. At the center of the stone piece was the eye portion of the giant wolf, emitting a faint, peculiar glow.

"Accepted..."

Looking at the stone piece in his hand, Lu Kuan muttered to himself, no longer able to restrain the wild joy in his heart as he broke into a brilliant smile.

In his previous life, the person who completed this quest had shared the entire quest progression on the forums, making countless players green with envy. As one of the mere hundreds of players in the game possessing an S+ pet, he was fully qualified to enjoy the envy, jealousy, and hatred of players worldwide.