Chapter 120: The Marauder Crisis

Several days passed, yet Lant did not appear again. It was almost as though he had abandoned the entire Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group in the forest and fled, gradually fading from the minds of its members.

After the battle with the White Rhino Roar, the smaller skirmishes that followed became much easier. Although the creatures they encountered were all mid- or high-level five-star magical beasts, the division of labor within Soul Annihilation had become far clearer. Leio was responsible for defense, while the Frost Battle Master Slog and the Thunder Magic Swordsman Aileen handled close combat. The others provided reinforcements as circumstances demanded, while the mages supplied long-range firepower. Everyone had to bring out the best of their abilities in battle.

Nighttime had also become much safer thanks to the Beast Tamer Silvermoon Proud Dragon.

Even if magical beasts attempted to raid the camp, the Evilbreaking Wind Ape would detect them in advance and issue a warning.

After several days, the young men and women who had not yet graduated from Azure Cloud Academy had developed sharp edges. Their eyes no longer held only youthful innocence, romance, and ease. Instead, they were filled with awe and caution toward the perilous Magical Beast Forest.

They were no longer clumsy when collecting spoils, either. Combining what they had learned from books with practical experience, they took only what was useful and destroyed everything else.

No one knew whether Instructor Lant’s so-called first lesson had ended, but everyone had begun to adapt to their present life—a life filled with tension and excitement, in which challenges had to be faced at any moment and one’s combat condition kept at its peak. Every battle brought them new insights and experience.

Xu Wen had to admit that it was easiest to concentrate while under constant tension. In ordinary circumstances, it took a long time merely to clear away the distractions of daily life. Here, there was nothing but combat and cultivation.

The twenty-one of them absorbed, learned, and improved like sponges. Even at night, they would set aside part of their time to discuss their experiences with one another, and everyone progressed rapidly.

“Tomorrow, we officially begin our missions.”

He Chen suddenly made the proposal that night.

Missions…

Every student of the Blood Mansion had to complete a series of missions of varying difficulty. Some were rigidly defined assignments, while others were official missions that specified only the general difficulty and focused primarily on quantity. As new students, they currently needed only to complete those two kinds. As for privately issued missions, those were not yet included in their course of instruction.

He Chen glanced around at everyone. No one objected.

The group then turned their gazes toward the youth sitting silently in a corner with his head bowed. Their deputy commander, Xu Wen, was still the same as ever. Whenever there was no battle, he would sit cross-legged and cultivate like an old monk in meditation. Beside him crouched the Blackwind Eagle and the Three-Eyed Flame Tiger, both of which had grown considerably larger and were unusually quiet and obedient.

Over the past few days, everyone had gained a clearer understanding of Xu Wen’s strength. As a result, they were able to accept his unusual method of cultivation.

When Xu Wen gave no response, they understood that he did not care either way. They withdrew their gazes and continued the discussion.

Dean Nordin had ordered them to build a successful mercenary group, and the secrets of success were nothing more than the group’s rank, reputation, and strength.

After several days of struggling against four- and five-star magical beasts, they now had a general grasp of the situation. Their coordination and rapport in battle had also largely been resolved. It was time to begin their true training and experience the blood-soaked life of mercenaries.

“We can handle the rigidly defined missions after we return. For now, let’s complete the difficulty-ranked missions assigned to us by the Blood Mansion and raise the rank of our Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group.”

“Knock, knock!”

Just as He Chen spoke those words, he suddenly noticed that the Evilbreaking Wind Ape was striking the tree trunk in the familiar rhythm. His heart tightened, and he immediately fell silent. At the same time, everyone looked toward Silvermoon Proud Dragon, who had already begun communicating with the ape.

A dozen seconds later, Silvermoon Proud Dragon finally opened his eyes. A faint trace of doubt flickered within them.

“They aren’t magical beasts.”

“Hm?”

Everyone froze. Silvermoon Proud Dragon continued explaining what the Evilbreaking Wind Ape had discovered.

“Wind Evil has just detected a mercenary team coming from that direction. There are seven of them, and they’re moving quickly. They should meet us in about three minutes.”

“That direction?”

Sakchi looked toward the direction indicated by Silvermoon Proud Dragon in surprise. It led deeper into the White Mist Forest, toward the White Mist Mountains.

In other words, the seven people about to cross paths with them were mercenaries who had completed their mission and were descending from the White Mist Mountains, preparing to leave.

“Keep a close watch on them and report any changes immediately.”

The voice came suddenly from the corner.

Everyone turned to look. At some point, Xu Wen had stopped cultivating and risen to his feet. His eyes were fixed anxiously on the direction of the White Mist Mountains.

“Deputy Commander…”

Silvermoon Proud Dragon could hear the caution and vigilance hidden in Xu Wen’s words.

“Do as Commander Xu says.”

He Chen patted Silvermoon Proud Dragon on the shoulder.

The latter nodded and placed a hand on the Evilbreaking Wind Ape.

Leio, Aileen, and the others looked at Xu Wen strangely. Encountering mercenaries in the Magical Beast Forest was surely a common occurrence. Was there really any need to be so tense?

Half a minute passed.

Silvermoon Proud Dragon suddenly opened his eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally looked toward Xu Wen.

“Deputy Commander, they’ve stopped.”

“How far away?”

“About four hundred meters.”

Xu Wen’s brows knitted slightly. Four hundred meters was within the detection range of a six-star mage. It seemed the other side had already discovered their campsite.

“Continue observing,” He Chen ordered.

Under normal circumstances, when two unfamiliar groups encountered one another in the forest, the group that had completed its mission and was preparing to return would usually avoid unnecessary complications and choose to leave as quickly as possible.

Taking a detour was the best option.

Of course, one could never rule out the possibility of other motives.

But if the other side chose to keep coming, they would have to heighten their vigilance. It was night, after all—the moon was dark and the wind strong.

Less than ten seconds later, Silvermoon Proud Dragon’s expression turned grim. Lowering his voice, he reported, “Commander, Deputy Commander, the presence of one person in their group has vanished. The other six remain where they are.”

A certain profession surfaced simultaneously in everyone’s minds.

Rogue.

“Have Wind Evil come down. Everyone, stay alert!”

He Chen’s expression changed slightly as he issued the order without hesitation. One by one, they gripped the weapons placed within easy reach.

The campfire continued to dance merrily, and its warmth remained unchanged, yet no one could feel it anymore. They only sensed that the night had suddenly grown much colder.

…

In the darkness of the White Mist Forest, the six men soon waited for the rogue to return.

“How is the situation?”

Two rows of somewhat pallid teeth suddenly appeared within the hazy shadow, opening and closing with eerie flexibility.

“As you expected. They’re all unfamiliar faces at the four-star level, with only one five-star among them. They’re extremely inexperienced—looks like they’ve only just graduated from the Blood Mansion and become mercenaries.”

The voice was low and hoarse, carrying a faint scent of blood.

“New students of the Blood Mansion?”

The speaker hesitated slightly in the darkness.

“Are you certain they’re a team that has graduated?”

“If they had an instructor with them, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed. There are twenty-one of them, and the oldest isn’t even twenty. Their temporary campsite is well arranged, and their spirits are quite good. It looks as though they’ve already gained some understanding. Their instructor has clearly completed the assignment and left.”

“Worth plundering?”

This voice was extremely cold. It belonged to another man.

“Four young women, all of them attractive and well built. The rest are delicate-skinned young masters. Their weapons and equipment are in excellent condition. They certainly aren’t poor boys.”

“Heh heh, women are enough for me. I want all of them. No one else gets to touch them, damn it… I’ve been busy working lately and haven’t had a chance to enjoy myself. I’m going to die of frustration.”

“Get lost!”

The rogue cursed him immediately.

“You two are useless troublemakers. We’re almost back in the city, and you still want to complicate matters? Leave these people alone for now. Go over and take a look. See whether there’s any opportunity worth making a move on.”

The aged voice carried a measure of authority that allowed no argument. The speaker raised his cloak, revealing a gaunt old face covered in deep wrinkles.

The rogue nodded and swiftly vanished. The other five followed the old man toward the campsite.

Just before they reached it, He Chen and the others had already assumed a battle-ready formation. Defensive magic and battle aura were fully activated as they watched the six figures emerge one after another into the firelight, each radiating an aura of danger.

The composition of the group was extremely strange.

There was a mage, a battle master, two swordsmen, an archer, an elderly robed man whose profession was difficult to identify, and finally a rogue concealed somewhere in the darkness.

There were seven people in total. Apart from the robed old man, whose cultivation seemed to have reached the seven-star level, the other five visible figures had all reached the early or intermediate stage of six stars.

An extremely unpleasant aura clung to each of them. The most repulsive was the last man—a towering figure more than two meters tall, whose lecherous eyes repeatedly roamed over the girls.

He Chen had originally intended to exchange a few words with them. But when he sensed that they were approaching directly, and caught the hostility they revealed in passing, he immediately abandoned the thought and shouted:

“Please stop! This is the campsite of the Soul Annihilation Mercenary Group, and we are not receiving guests! Do not approach without permission. Otherwise, it will be regarded as an act of invasion.”

“Bai Xi! Prepare a signal flare and notify the instructor.”

“Yes, Commander!”

The last two sentences were deliberately spoken for the newcomers to hear.

“Heh. How interesting.”

“When did the White Mist Forest become the backyard of a bunch of brats like you? You won’t even let people pass through now?”

Two men stepped out from among the six. They were the two swordsmen, and the tall man was one of them.

“Wait.”

The mysterious old man stopped the two men, who were preparing to attack.

He raised his terrifying old face and swept his gaze across the twenty-one people at the campsite. His eyes paused briefly on Leio before finally settling on He Chen, who had spoken.

“You are new students of the Blood Mansion?”

His voice was unexpectedly gentle, giving him the air of a benevolent elder.

“That’s right.”

He Chen nodded.

As far as he was concerned, avoiding conflict would be ideal. He felt that this frightening-looking old man seemed to be the only normal person in the group. If he could communicate with him properly and avoid a fight, everything would be settled.

“Such promising young people. When did you enroll?”

“Seven days ago.”

“Good, good…”

The old man’s voice grew gentler still. In everyone’s eyes, his gaunt, deeply wrinkled face no longer seemed quite so frightening.

“Who is your instructor?”

The instant he asked the question, He Chen subconsciously opened his mouth to answer. Suddenly, a sharp sound pierced the air as a red signal flare tore across the sky above the forest.

He Chen and the others jolted as though waking from a dream. Recalling the dazed, muddled sensation that had overtaken them moments earlier, they broke out in a cold sweat.

“You’re a dark mage!”

With a sudden surge of battle aura, the warriors drew their weapons and pointed them at the old man and his six companions.

The old man’s expression instantly turned grim. The benevolence vanished from his face, replaced by cold severity. His eyes, like ghostly flames, locked onto the only youth in the campsite who had remained unaffected—and who had launched the signal flare to interrupt his spell.

Unable to believe it, he gave a cold snort through his nose.

“…I never thought even I would have a day when I misjudged someone.”

To be continued.