The sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sky was darkening.
Within the territory of the Kingdom of Midland, a dense forest stood like spears thrust into the sky, resembling a great knightly order. The path through the forest became the only gap in this formation of woodland knights.
A troupe of performers traveled slowly. The driver cracked his whip, and the wheels occasionally struck small stones, producing a creaking sound.
When they arrived at a relatively wide, flat area, the bald-headed troupe leader ordered all the carriages to form a circle and set up camp. They would rest here and light a campfire in the center of the ring.
The troupe members skillfully followed suit, one after another.
Soon, a warm campfire blazed within the circled carriages. Sparks occasionally flew amid the crackling firewood.
As night fell and a calm, peaceful atmosphere settled in, aside from those who needed to prepare food, the other troupe members sang and danced by the fire, showing off their skills.
Fire-breathing, sword-swallowing, juggling, somersaults... Various tricks came one after another, dazzling to behold and filling the entire camp with laughter.
However, the most eye-catching was the "new member" who had joined not long ago.
A tiny point of light flew over the heads of everyone in the troupe, trailing a stream of light in the dark night and forming a brief afterimage. This drew applause and cheers of delight.
"Amazing! That must be Puck!"
"I never thought there really was a magical creature like a goblin in the world, and he's joined our troupe! In the future, I'll be well-informed, right?"
"Puck, go on! Do what you do best!"
The point of light, called "Puck," hovered in the air, finally allowing people to see his form clearly.
He was a tiny imp, only the size of a palm—naked, clean, and flawless. Two pairs of wings shimmered on his back. He was grinning.
"I really can't do anything about you all." The little goblin Puck deliberately pretended to be reluctant as he spun around, then produced two golden needles. "Behold my deadly blood needles!"
In a flash of light, the two golden needles glowed, looking as beautiful as dandelions.
Puck wielded these two "deadly blood needles" and displayed his various sword-fighting skills in the air.
Not to mention, it all looked impressive, especially the golden flashes. The visual effect was stunning. Everyone in the troupe was amazed.
The troupe leader even smiled, his bald head gleaming.
Encountering Puck by chance and letting him join the troupe had truly been the right decision.
As a goblin, Puck not only knew such flashy tricks, but his scales could also heal illnesses and save people. And he ate very little. There was no more economical team member than him.
Even Puck himself was having a great time here.
After leaving the land of the fairies—that is, the island of fairies—Puck had almost never seen anyone who could see him. But with this troupe, they could see him and were friendly.
He could sense people's inner thoughts and emotions. He knew them best.
Puck decided to stay with this troupe and follow them around the world!
RUMBLE—!
As they laughed and enjoyed themselves, a loud sound suddenly erupted from the depths of the forest, like muffled thunder. The flat ground where they stood trembled slightly, causing everyone to cry out in alarm.
Before the troupe members could determine the source of the noise, more loud sounds and tremors followed one after another.
RUMBLE—!
RUMBLE—!
The carriages shook. The horses neighed restlessly. The pots they had set up fell to the ground.
"An earth... earthquake? Or a volcanic eruption?" The troupe leader was stunned, sweating like rain. He didn't understand what was happening, so he barely managed to stand and calm the panicked crowd. "Don't panic! Stay in the open area!"
He had authority within the troupe. Though the earthquakes and loud noises continued, the troupe members followed his instructions to stay away from the carriages, afraid the carriages might tip over and cause casualties.
Only Puck immediately understood the source of these vibrations and sounds. He stared in that direction with his large eyes.
What's going on over there?
What could be so powerful?
Puck was very curious and wanted to know. But suddenly he remembered the prophecy an old fortune-teller in the troupe had given him.
"I cannot see your future clearly. I only dimly know that you may spend the next two years safely and happily, or you may always be caught up in ups and downs. It all depends on your choice..."
The fortune-teller had repeatedly emphasized that Puck must choose carefully. No matter what important event he encountered, he would face a choice.
So this time, how should he choose?
Puck hesitated for a moment and made his decision.
If I seek peace and joy, why did I leave the Island of Fairies in the first place? Is there really a better place?
Hehe, I'll dive into the ups and downs of this evil business! I want to see what this trouble is!
He flew up to the troupe leader's bald head, stopped, put his hands on his hips, and shouted:
"Boss, I want to go over and take a look! If I'm not back in a quarter of an hour, it means I, Puck, have officially left the group! So don't wait for me!"
"Huh?" The troupe leader was stunned. He didn't have time to mind Puck standing on his bald head again. "Puck, what are you joking about? What are you going to look at over there? It might be dangerous!"
"I'm just going to take a look!"
Puck, filled with excitement, rose on tiptoe and soared upward, flying into the depths of the forest like a shooting star.
"Puck! Puck!"
The troupe leader couldn't stop him. He could only watch as his light gradually faded away.
After a while, Puck flew close to the source of the enormous sound and witnessed a strange scene—something he hadn't even seen on the Island of Fairies.
A massive serpentine monster, made of tree trunks and vines, was writhing on the ground, trembling and roaring. All the surrounding trees were crushed and shattered.
Puck's eyes widened in astonishment.
Then he noticed figures moving around the serpentine monster.
To be precise, there were two people on horseback. They were like two arcs of light, circling this serpentine tree monster. They swung the swords in their hands, and with flashes of silver light, left deep wounds on the serpentine monster!
Though the serpentine tree monster was huge, it was merely destructive. It couldn't do anything to these two people.
Every time it swiped its twisted claws or snapped its bloody maw, it missed them both, only gouging holes in the ground.
However, at that moment, Puck suddenly sensed energy accumulating within the serpentine tree monster. It seemed on the verge of exploding. He couldn't help but shout a warning:
"Be careful! It's going to explode!"
And indeed, as soon as Puck finished speaking, a dangerous golden light flared between the serpentine tree monster's trunk and body!
Whether they heard Puck's voice or were already on guard, upon seeing this, the two of them rode together and sped away.
BOOM—!
The serpentine giant burst with golden light, instantly engulfing everything around it and obliterating all the trees. The shockwave even lifted into the air, sending the tiny Puck flying backward!