"Damn, that Elf girl is so f * cking beautiful! If she could play with me for one night, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life! "
"Tut, tut, tut … She's indeed an Elf. That small waist and that small face. Those b * tches in Gigg Town are worlds apart from her!"
"Don't just think about it. There's still a chance. As long as the leader …"
"Hey! If we meet again, I won't go easy on him … Speaking of this, I remember the last mercenary group we destroyed. The leader gave us that little girl. Her skin was so tender … Tut, tut. "
"Unfortunately, she died in one night. What a disappointment!"
In the evening, in an open space in the forest about four kilometers away from Erza Village, roguish chatter echoed around a bonfire.
There were five campfires like this, and every campfire was surrounded by tents. The Blood Shield Mercenary Group had set up camp here for three days. Ever since they entered the Forest of Silence, their leader had set this place as their "base camp". Unlike the small mercenary groups that wandered around in the forest, this large mercenary group with more than 50 members was rich in resources. Their food bags alone could be piled up into a small mountain. Obviously, they had been prepared to stay here for a long time.
The bandit-like mercenaries drank ale and chatted loudly, but the bonfire in the center of the camp was very quiet. Fresh and tender venison was roasting above the charcoal fire, but only Kevin, the leader of the mercenary group, was sitting beside the bonfire.
Unlike his subordinates who were noisy and boastful, Kevin gave off a very gloomy feeling. He had two swords on his waist and was muscular. He was about 30 years old, and his eyes were always squinting, making it hard to see what kind of emotions were behind his gaze.
When the venison was cooked and taken down, the vice-commander came over to report about the conflict with the wood elves today. Kevin cut the venison with a knife and listened for a while without batting an eyelid. "When it gets dark, send some people to investigate the wood elf village and see how strong they are. Just don't kill too many people," he said casually.
"Sir Kevin, then our mission …"
In a normal mercenary group, the deputy leader would not use honorifics with the leader, but this deputy leader seemed to be too respectful to Kevin.
"This doesn't conflict with the mission." Kevin glanced lazily at the deputy leader who was bowing beside him and continued to chew on the venison. "It's not a small price to pay to kill that 'big guy'. But if the wood elves were suitable, wouldn't it be better to leave this troublesome matter to them? If we're lucky, we'll get more than what the higher-ups want. I'm sure you all know the price of wood elf slaves in the black market. "
Kevin said it casually, but he had almost decided the fate of Elsa Village with just a few words, and he did not show any regret or guilt. After the deputy commander wrote it down, he continued, "Later, tell the people under you about this plan. With the wood elf slaves as a source of hope, these people will work harder."
"Yes, my lord."
The deputy leader could not help but admire Kevin's ability to grasp people's hearts. After nodding in agreement, he reported the progress of the main mission in a low voice.
Kevin listened quietly, his mouth chewing unhurriedly. When the deputy commander finished, he replied, "It could be in all three places? Then send someone to investigate them one by one. But remember, there must be at least thirty people in the camp at all times. If that guy is alarmed, it will definitely cause a commotion. Put more barricades and keep your eyes open. "
The deputy commander bowed respectfully and retreated, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Although Kevin spoke slowly and seemed harmless, the deputy commander had seen the explosive side of this commander. He also knew what kind of forces were standing behind this commander. So, after leaving the campfire area, the deputy commander did not dare to waste a single moment. He quickly arranged for his team to scout the Wood Elves.
Kevin, on the other hand, was still calm in front of the campfire. After finishing the venison, he thought for a moment and took out a thick parchment letter from his pocket. With the light from the fire, he looked at the handwriting and pictures on the letter and muttered to himself, "If Gallup is not dead, why would he go through so much trouble?"
"Heh … Akasha still has the guts to defect? Tsk tsk, 'if you can catch her, deal with her yourself' … Who doesn't know how good this woman's figure is? He's really not giving her a chance to live. "
His gaze fell on the last few lines of the letter, and Kevin's playful expression gradually dissipated. Instead, there was a rare hint of seriousness on his face.
"If this is needed … then it seems that the sacrificial ceremony has been brought forward."
*****
As night fell, in the middle of the Blood Shield Mercenary Group's camp and the Village of Elsa, Roddy, who was lighting a campfire alone, frowned as he flipped through the [Mission Pane] in front of him.
Ever since leaving Hollier City, Roddy first disguised himself and entered the Town of Kiger. After confirming that there were no casualties in the town, he modified the [Thorn of Ice Crystal] that Magda had left behind and made a new [Froststeel Gauntlet].
To Roddy, the so-called modification was actually much simpler than making a new bow. All he needed to do was to thin the bow and narrow the width, and the original weight of the bow would be reduced.
Of course, this method also had its drawbacks. One was that it was "irreversible", which meant that after polishing the bow, the bow could no longer return to its previous level. Another was that the "modification" process was not something that anyone could do, and a slight mistake would result in the bow being scrapped.
But to Roddy, this was not a problem. Now that the [Thorn of Ice Crystal] had been reduced to a level that he could use, and the [Froststeel Gauntlet] had also replaced the original [Hunter's Gauntlet]. After these two equipment were upgraded, his combat power had directly increased to a whole new level.
It had to be said that physical classes did indeed "eat" equipment. After directly changing from a green grade bow to an epic grade bow, not only did his damage increase by nearly three times, but his arrow speed also increased by several times. But these improvements were still not enough for him to deal with Magda and Ansadin. Roddy's plan was simple: before the arrival of December, he would complete the [Profession Advancement Mission], obtain the complete [Profession Skill Tree], unlock the talent tree, and then think about dealing with Magda.
But he never thought that when he found the Village of Elsa according to the [Mission Pane], he would receive such a "welcome" …
"Even if it's not open to humans, it shouldn't be like this."
Roddy casually fiddled with the campfire, feeling that he had encountered a real problem this time. He had never intended to take any forceful measures against the Wood Elves. Not only were they related to his [Profession Advancement Mission], but they were also involved in many ways to make money. It was not wise to offend them.
The [Profession Advancement Mission] on the [Mission Pane] had changed from "Go to the Silent Forest to take a look" to "Someone in Elsa Village may know the secret of these words". Obviously, this mission had something to do with the Wood Elves. But the current situation left Roddy with no idea where to start …
Thinking back to Brody's constant mention of "humans" and "humans", Roddy vaguely felt that someone was looking for trouble with the Wood Elves. But this could only be a guess. In the vast Silent Forest, how would he know who provoked the Wood Elves?
The meat skewers on the campfire sizzled with oil. Roddy was only three arrows away from the Wood Elves' village. It sounded very close, but in fact, vision was severely limited in the primeval forest. To exaggerate, it was hard to find someone hiding ten meters away. And Roddy knew that the alert range of Elsa Village was only one arrow away, so he didn't have to worry about encountering the bitter Wood Elves.
But Roddy didn't know that the Blood Shield Mercenary Group and Elsa Village had sent out teams to test each other at the same time …
Autumn was coming to an end, and the chirping of insects and birds was much less than in summer. The night wind was chilly. Roddy put on a thick cloak and ate the meat skewer with relish. Bored, he scrolled through the [Personal Attribute Panel] to check his theoretical attack power. But then he sensed movement from not far away, and he immediately became alert.
Roddy's "Sensitive Combat Mode" allowed him to quickly identify the approaching footsteps from 40 to 50 meters away. They belonged to five humans. When he was about to put out the campfire, he couldn't help but remember the tough attitude of the Wood Elves today. He frowned slightly, ate the last bit of meat, and equipped his dagger and curved sword. Then, he put the [Ice Crystal Spike] and the quiver beside him. He raised his hand and fiddled with the campfire to make it brighter. Then, he sat there as if he didn't hear the noise in the distance.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and then they all stopped. Roddy could hear a few words, and then three of them walked toward Roddy.
"Hey, buddy. You're alone?"
The members of the Blood Shield Mercenary Group were no different from bandits. They talked like gangsters, and the three of them swaggered around, but their hands never left their weapons. Their eyes were also looking around, and they were alert for possible ambushes.
Roddy turned around and saw them approaching. He looked around as if he couldn't see them clearly, and then he asked in surprise, "Huh? I didn't expect to meet people here! Hey, where are you guys from? Caravan master? Or are you a sergeant from a mercenary group? I have a brother who went hunting in the afternoon. He asked me to wait for him here. I think he'll be back soon. "
"Sergeant" was actually a title for soldiers in the formal establishment, and it was a respectful title for mercenaries. Roddy slightly bowed and pretended to be flattering. He pointed at the campfire and said, "Have you guys eaten? I still have some meat and ale … "
The mercenary walking in front was obviously a wily old fox. He glanced around and said with disdain, "Don't try to scare us. You're really brave. You dare to run into the Forest of Quiet Words alone? You're really lucky to have survived until now. "
Obviously, the luggage and tent that Roddy placed here were all for one person. Any mercenary with a little bit of experience would know that he was deliberately increasing the number of people so that others wouldn't dare to bully him. But since he bumped into them …
"Blood Shield Mercenary Group" wasn't famous in Efta, but it had a bad reputation in the eastern territories of the kingdom. They were even called "bandits". They did a lot of "dirty work" like robbing and silencing people, but they did it cleanly without leaving any evidence behind. The nobles in the territory were too lazy to care about it, and the mayor didn't dare to care either. Therefore, the mercenaries in the group were all arrogant and black-hearted. Now that they saw Roddy alone, they immediately had evil intentions …
"You guys must be sergeants. Which regiment are you from in Keg Town? I know a few of the regiment leaders … "
Rody did not seem to notice the ruthlessness in their eyes. He took the wine bag and handed it to the mercenary. However, he noticed that the mercenary in front of him looked at him with his chest puffed out and his stomach squinted. He did not seem to have any intention of accepting the wine. Instead, he continued to speak with his eastern accent. "The three of us are also hungry. However, our leader has ordered us to hurry …"
"Well said! Well said! "
Rody nodded his head and reached for the bag. Just as he was about to take something out, he paused and glanced at the forest beside him. The corners of his mouth curled up as if he had thought of something. After that, his hand movements became bigger and he deliberately shook the hundred or so silver coins in the bag with a 'hua hua' sound.
When the three mercenaries heard this, their eyes lit up. They looked at each other and nodded secretly. It wasn't the first time they killed people. Now that there was a chance to make a fortune, they wouldn't hesitate at all.
"By the way, sergeants, I have something to ask you." Roddy handed over a big bag of jerky and bread. He raised his head and smiled innocently, "Do you know about the Wood Elf village nearby?"
"Heh, then you've asked the right person. I even fought with them this morning. If it wasn't for that pretty girl's accurate archery, I would've caught them all and sold them." He couldn't conceal his boastful words, completely unaware that Roddy's flattering smile had turned cold.
Damn it, so it was you cowards who made it impossible for me to complete my mission?
He was wondering if he should tie them up and throw them to Brody, but the mercenary stretched out his hand and said bluntly, "I've already told you. Hand over the 500 gold coins!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them drew their swords and pointed them at Roddy. "Are you going to take the initiative, or are we going to take it?"
Roddy narrowed his eyes. His smile didn't change, but his reply was cold.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
