Finally, an old gnoll stepped forward and drew the attention of the rest. The others quickly fell silent, and the field became quiet as they all turned their gaze towards me. She introduced herself and then addressed the rest of the gnolls.

"My name is Shalara, and I belong to the Sha clan. It is our ancestral heritage to live in clans, and as such, I believe we should return to it. We have always lived in harmony and cooperation with each other. We must find a way to bring back the other clans."

A few gnolls approved of Shalara's intervention, possibly members of the Sha clan. This was important because it seemed that gnolls organized themselves in clans or tribes, and it was very rare for them to have centralized authority or easily switch between clans. There was great loyalty and a sense of belonging to their clans.

The next to step forward was a young gnoll who had been proactive from the start in rescuing and helping the elderly and the sick move forward.

Like Shalara, he introduced himself and then faced his fellow gnolls.

"My name is Kragash, and I don't belong to any clan because I was sold even before I was born."

Kragash began passionately, and youth burned in his eyes.

"For me, the choice is clear. Sir Alex is the only one who has truly extended a helping hand to us. What use are the matriarchs? What use are the clans and warlords? In the end, we were sold one by one, and no one lifted a finger to rescue the others. Only Sir Alex helped us. Let's abandon all other notions and unite with him in his mission."

His impassioned speech generated a significant amount of support, much more than I had imagined. I suppose the key point might have been what I mentioned about being sold; only the elders seemed unhappy with what was said.

The discussions continued, and there were those who wanted to rise as the next warlord, those who wanted to join another neutral faction, and even those who suggested that they had no future and should accept what had befallen them.

When the time came, when everyone had voiced the anguish within them and expressed their long-suppressed feelings and emotions, Alex considered it prudent to withdraw and let the discussions within the group continue naturally. He announced that there would be another meeting in three days to decide the future.

The next day, to avoid interrupting the conversations or influencing any decision, he decided to explore more deeply. There were many things that felt strange, but he hadn't had time to explore them all. This had been a frequent occurrence since entering the system's trial and then Glamoria.

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One of the main peculiarities was the strange familiarity he felt with this forest. It was so much that it felt like it whispered to him every time the leaves rustled, speaking in strange languages and moving with its strange fragrances. This was how he could sense danger as if he had a sixth sense, and it was how he found this place, which he knew was a sanctuary without knowing exactly why.

Although Alex had acquired the gift of Nature Bond, he didn't really think it was that powerful, as the descriptions in the store stated that these abilities progressed naturally and developed alongside each person. This led him to touch his collar, which had been given to him by the host just before his incorporation into Glamoria. When the forest spoke, the collar seemed to respond.

Alex set out to explore the mysteries of this collar a bit. Although he knew it was a far-fetched idea, he closed his eyes and began to navigate the forest solely by feeling the pulses of the collar.

It was a unique sensation, almost like sonar in the ocean. Each time it pulsed, something responded—trees, animals, even rocks and rivers, each with its own frequency, and together they created a mysterious melody.

Suddenly, a melancholic sound resonated, a small and sad response. In front of him, a group of beings stood with fury in their guttural noise. Somehow, the small creature seemed to sense him, as it let out a surprised sound, almost like a meow.

He ran in the direction of the sound and soon discerned the situation. There was a small feline with an injured front leg and a cut on its side, surrounded by a group of exoskeleton-clad men. There were four in total, but only one seemed to have the characteristic purple color of the warriors I had faced before; the others were smaller, less muscular, and their color was bluish.

Upon arriving in the area, he had not been detected yet and wondered if it was worth attacking or not. Then suddenly, he saw the largest one pull out something resembling a map. On it, he noticed several marked points, and he immediately knew he needed that map. Information was a luxury anywhere.

When the three younger ones surrounded the wounded feline, ready to attack, he seized the distraction to deliver a stealthy blow to the largest one, directed at the back of his neck.

The blow connected solidly, and he immediately fell to the ground, causing the other three to turn and look at him. They immediately began shouting for help.

Since the staff he had was designed to strike slaves, he couldn't deliver a lethal blow. So, he rushed to grab the map. However, when he tried to finish off his victim, the other three were already upon him, launching a barrage of blows.

Once again, he had to pay for his imprudence. If he had watched this group more closely, he would have noticed that they were armed with sabers, which he couldn't contend with using the staff. Unfortunately, there was no time for further maneuvers, as he could feel a large group approaching.

He managed to knock out another one with a lucky blow and then made his escape. On the way, he took the badly injured feline and fled the scene. In a way, he considered it a success since he had acquired a map of dubious value and had stolen the feline they were hunting. Although he had a premonition that this incident would come back to haunt him in the future.