In response to Rock’s query, Fang Senyan drew a deep breath: “Brother, our goal is to live longer, not to explore. That arrow lodged in the tree was not placed there by chance. It was likely left by the archer while hunting some creature.

Given that the arrow’s trajectory points toward the summit—if we head up there to evade these Orcs, we might just run straight into the path of the person who fired it. I highly doubt that individual will greet us with an enthusiastic embrace, a handshake, and then invite us over for grilled meat and wine.” Rock suddenly understood, and took the lead, charging forward. Seeing their prey running towards them instead of fleeing, the four Orcs became incredibly excited, raising their weapons and roaring loudly as they advanced with powerful strides.

Unexpectedly, with a roar from Rock, dead leaves and debris scattered across dozens of square meters. These four savage and brutal primitives stumbled backward, finding themselves dizzy and completely unable to gain footing, forced only to rage impotently as the two intended quarry escaped. Fang Senyan’s Agility was 28, while Rock’s was nearly 30—his second highest attribute after Stamina.

Consequently, his chance of dodging in combat was quite impressive. In essence, their core attributes complemented each other perfectly: Fang Senyan relied on high Perception for prediction, whereas Rock depended on high Agility for instant evasion. As both sprinted at full power, Fang Senyan even activated the movement speed bonus from his Soul Equipment, naturally leaving the Orc pursuers far behind in short order.

They continued running along the high mountain ridge line. The distance between the tall spruce trees was significant, providing them with an excellent environment for running. In a tropical jungle, the vines and thickets alone would have posed immense trouble for escapees.

As they ran at high speed, dead leaves flew everywhere under their trampling feet, and they quickly advanced along the nearly dry streambed between the two mountains. Their guiding principle for movement was simple: avoid any path that seemed readily available, as it was likely trampled by Orcs. Although their way was often blocked by collapsed boulders, for the two Contracted individuals, scaling them was merely an effortless gesture.

Under these circumstances, Rock’s speed of progress was markedly faster than Fang Senyan’s. Even though the environment offered virtually no established trails, he maintained a considerable pace. Fang Senyan observed Rock’s traversal method closely, realizing it was simple yet fluid, as if he possessed an innate intuition to discern the jagged rocks and dense thickets, enabling him to slip deftly through the gaps.

Upon inquiry, Fang Senyan learned that Rock’s Basic Footwork skill had advanced to Lv7, with all points invested in reducing the speed penalty incurred in adverse terrains (deserts, swamps, etc.). It was no wonder Fang Senyan often felt he couldn't quite keep up with the pursuit. Although their bodies were digitized, maintaining high-speed running for an extended period came at a cost: a gradual decline in Vitality.

Thus, once they were certain they had shaken off the Orc pursuers, they began to slow their pace and drink water to replenish their strength. The valleys of the Misty Mountains were not exclusively home to tall, cold conifers like the ridges. Due to the moisture from the water source and the presence of sunlight, thickets and other vegetation lined the banks.

However, for some reason, Fang Senyan always perceived a hazy layer of grey dust on the leaves of these plants, perhaps a result of the Orcs' malevolent aura polluting the area. Suddenly, Rock halted, assuming a defensive posture. A rapid rustling erupted from the thicket ahead, and an agile figure leaped out.

It was a slender, delicate young woman. Her upper body was almost entirely bare save for a bandeau woven from grass. The left side of her arm was painted with a crescent moon symbol in red pigment.

She carried an exquisitely crafted bow and quiver on her back, around her neck was a grass rope tinged slightly yellow, and she wore a piece of animal hide around her waist. In her hand, she held a dark, grayish wooden spear. Her two shapely, toned legs made even Fang Senyan pause for a second glance.

Her complexion was fair and delicate, her mouth tightly pressed closed. Though young, she exuded a fresh yet resolute aura. What ultimately betrayed her race were the pair of long, pointed ears.

Combined with her demeanor, these ears lent her a tender, pristine quality. Despite the apparent winter season, the Elven girl wore a seemingly ordinary necklace made of tree leaves, woven from vibrant green foliage, likely oak. It was noteworthy that both Fang Senyan and Rock sensed a fluctuation of natural power emanating from that leaf necklace; it was clearly no ordinary trinket.

The Elven girl was evidently as surprised to see two uninvited guests as they were to see her, immediately taking half a step back like a startled fawn, assuming a fighting stance. Only after clearly seeing their faces did she refrain from attacking, instead inquiring with confusion: “Humans? What brings you to the Misty Mountains?” Rock stepped forward, placing his left hand over his chest, and bowed slightly: “Daughter of the Pure Spring Goddess, please accept the sincere greetings and friendship of a Gondorian.” The Elven girl visibly relaxed and quickly glanced behind her, urging them hastily: “Let’s flee quickly, the demons pursuing us are catching up.” With that, she turned and led the way in retreat.

Fang Senyan and Rock exchanged a look: they were utterly unfamiliar with the Misty Mountains. Rather than stumbling around like headless flies, following this Elven girl, who seemed intimately familiar with the environment, was clearly the better choice. One had to remember that the threats in the Misty Mountains were not limited to Orcs—known dangers included Stone Giants, mutated beasts, Evil Slimes, and rumored restless undead.

Any one of these creatures was formidable, perhaps even possessing Legendary tier strength. Based on the limited data they possessed, they could manage the Orc threat using fists, brute force, or strategic redeployment (which could be interpreted as running away). However, encountering the other creatures might mean they wouldn't even have a chance to flee.

After leading them in a run for a while, the Elven girl casually grabbed a handful of air as if something tangible were there, then brought her hand to her nose to sniff, finally stopping and patting her chest: “The wind tells us that those foul and dirty demons are not pursuing us for the moment.” Fang Senyan attempted to summon the Gold Mine but found it impossible, which was, of course, understandable. If the Gold Mine could materialize, Fang Senyan would have an overwhelming advantage—it was likely the Nightmare Space itself deemed retrieving the property already clutched by the Goblins extremely difficult. By this time, Rock, having grown up in Europe immersed in medieval culture, was already conversing congenially with the Elven girl named Song of Mist.

He easily learned that this innocent Elven girl hailed from Rivendell, the last Elven sanctuary east of the Misty Mountains sea. She had wandered far from Rivendell while searching for rare tree seeds and had been inexplicably pursued by Orcs. Fang Senyan and Rock further gathered that the Orcs in recent years had become suddenly frenzied, with some fierce Orcs even learning cooperation.

They had begun developing, exploring, and continuously polluting the Misty Mountains, even starting to attack other creatures. Many Elves from Rivendell who ventured deep into the mountains seeking seeds had been captured; their whereabouts were unknown. Understandably, the Elves of Rivendell were furious and dispatched their Enforcement Squads.

However, the Misty Mountains held too many Orcs. While these Orcs were certainly no match for the Enforcement Squads individually, they could scatter. If the Elves deployed large forces, the Orcs would disappear into previously excavated tunnels.

Since the Elves were few in number, they lacked the capacity for sustained combat or relentless pursuit, rendering repeated encirclements fruitless. Consequently, the elders could only warn the clan to stay close to Rivendell. Song of Mist, however, had discovered several precious seeds and inadvertently strayed too far from Rivendell along the stream, only to be cornered here by the Orcs.

Fang Senyan and Rock introduced themselves as adventurers seeking Dwarves in the Misty Mountains to purchase rare metals like Black Iron, Mithril, or gems for resale. They claimed they had gotten lost and were subsequently attacked by Orcs. This vague, ambiguous explanation did not raise any suspicion in the pure-hearted Elven girl.

After the trio rested briefly, the Elven girl, Song of Mist, naturally took the lead in guiding them. Along the way, they skillfully bypassed several Orc/Monster strongholds, managing to pass through without incident. It was likely that if Fang Senyan and Rock had been alone, they would have blundered straight into a confrontation, provoking countless troubles.

The three continued traversing the valley. Although the sky remained heavy with leaden-gray clouds, the light was noticeably brighter, and some bushes cast sparse shadows on the ground. The air, which had initially been biting cold—so cold that a deep breath felt like it would freeze everything from the nostrils to the trachea and lungs—now carried the fresh scent of vegetation.

According to Song of Mist, this meant they were getting closer to Rivendell.