Assimilate All Talents-Chapter 387 - 386: Caught

'Those elf kids really aren't that different from human kids... Wish I could have chatted longer, but the duration is running out. Better head back before it does and someone spots me.'

The sun elf thought to himself as he dashed through the woods at breakneck speed. The sun had almost set, and darkness was quickly approaching. He still had over an hour left, but he didn't want to risk cutting it close, nor did he want to keep his companions waiting.

'But still... for those children to be older than—'

Before the elf could complete his thought, his eyes shot wide open as he sensed something coming his way. Fast.

Instinct kicked in. He leaped to the side, just as an arrow flashed past him and pierced through several trees behind him, leaving a fist-sized hole in its wake. For a simple arrow it was exceedingly powerful, he knew at a glance that if he'd been even a second slower, it would've done the same to his head.

"Who—?" The sun elf was about to search for the one who attacked him, but he didn't need to. His attacker revealed himself.

Jendar dropped from the tall trees above, wielding a sleek green bow with golden tips. A glowing blue arrow was already nocked and drawn, aimed directly at him.

It was clear to the sun elf that Jendar was the one who had fired.

"Hey! What's your proble—!"

Before he could finish, Jendar let the arrow fly.

It shot forward with frightening speed, but to the sun elf, it was just slow enough to dodge. He sidestepped it, letting the arrow thud into the ground behind him.

Still, the sun elf didn't strike back. He raised a hand, trying for a peaceful approach. "I don't wish to figh—"

"You brought this upon yourself, human," Jendar interrupted coldly.

The elf was about to deny the accusation when he felt a sudden surge of mana behind him. His eyes flicked toward the source, Jendar's arrow.

The blue arrow pulsed and released a shockwave of raw, attributeless mana. It washed through the area like a wave, sending ripples through the air. The force wasn't harmful, but it wasn't meant to cause harm.

The sun elf's form distorted under the wave. Like mist blown away by the wind, the illusion of the sun elf unraveled, revealing Sol beneath it.

Glancing down at himself, Sol muttered thoughtfully, "So... a strong enough blast of chaotic mana can disrupt illusion magic. That's good to know..." He gave a short nod, making a mental not of it. Then his eyes rose to Jendar. "But how did you know I was human?"

Jendar didn't lower his bow. His voice was sharp and filled with disdain. "Unlike you humans, we elves are united and work together. There are only seven Guardian A-Rank sun elves and five guild A-Rank sun elves. I know each one of them personally."

Sol's expression tightened. 'Well, that explained it.'

Unlike in the Kingdom of Crestelia, where the guilds and the kingdom operated separately, Sylmasera maintained a much closer relationship with these international guilds. Every A-Rank sun elf was known and they actively cooperated with the Elven Council. Sol didn't put much effort in hiding his mana as he thought it would lead to less conflict with no one trying to pick a fight with him, but it turned out to put a target on him instead.

"I see." Sol said, exhaling slowly. "I didn't consider that."

But his tone remained calm. "Still, I'm not here to fight. If we could just talk, I—"

He was cut off again as Jendar fired another volley.

A barrage of arrows screamed toward Sol, each just as fast and powerful as the first.

Now that his cover was blown, Sol stopped holding back. With a flicker, he activated [Umbral Domain], his body shifting into living shadow. The arrows passed harmlessly through his incorporeal form, instead tearing into trees and rocks behind him.

"Can you hold on a second?!" Sol's voice echoed from within the roiling shadows. "I'm trying to tell you I'm not here to fight! I just want to pass through the Great Forest to reach the Sapphire Scale Alliance!"

He didn't hide the frustration in his voice.

He knew he was technically violating elven territory. He had crossed their borders unannounced and without permission. But he also knew that escalation could be disastrous, especially if they learned of his affiliation with the Royal Knights of Crestelia. A misunderstanding like this could be mistaken for provocation... or even war.

But Jendar wasn't listening.

"It's always the same with you humans." He spat with disdain. "You will say one thing, but your true intentions lie elsewhere. But it doesn't matter what you plan to achieve, because you'll lie dead here regardless."

He drew back his bow, this time without an arrow. As he pulled, three glowing arrows of pure mana formed mid air, humming with power.

He loosed the three arrows at once.

Sol's eyes narrowed. These were magic arrows, and they would definitely hurt him, even in shadow form. He shifted away, dodging to the side.

But the arrows curved, twisting through the trees and homing in on him.

'[Seeking Shot]!' But he realized too late.

"Gah!" Sol groaned in pain as the arrows pierced through his back, burning at his incorporeal form. To stop the damage, he forcibly canceled [Umbral Domain], returning to physical form as he sent out a pulse of mana that expelled the foreign energy eating away at him.

Jendar wasted no time. He nocked more arrows, preparing another volley.

But as he pulled back the string, the arrows fell from the bow. They slipped through his fingers as if his coordination had suddenly vanished.

"What the—?!" he muttered, stunned. His skills weren't responding.

Across from him, Sol straightened, having recovered from the damage. His expression was no longer as calm, with restrained irritation.

"I tried to be civil." he said flatly, "But you forced my hand."