CHAPTER 66: Return
The people opposite clearly also discovered my presence. Their figures flickered, and their already clever positioning allowed them to instantly form a combat formation.
"Excuse me, are you Lord Druid? We are the Snow Wolf Mercenary Team from Rogue Encampment. We just saw the commotion over here and only came to take a look. Please don't misunderstand."
The recent slaughter left a trace of brutal, bloodthirsty aura in my eyes, coupled with the ferocious face of the Werebear Form, which made the mercenaries opposite dare not relax in the slightest. Incidents of Class Changers rioting and killing were not unheard of.
They didn't know that the moment they appeared, countless thoughts had raced through my brain. For a split second, I even felt killing intent – would my secret be discovered by them?
However, I eventually calmed down. A Level 12 Class Changer, if they possessed stronger abilities, it might not be impossible for them to venture here alone. Besides, there were too many of them. Although they were just mercenaries, firstly, I had no PK experience, and secondly, if they decided to flee, I wasn't familiar with the terrain of the second level and might not be able to keep all of them. Weighing the pros and cons, I ultimately put down the killing intent in my heart.
To show that I had no malice, I first canceled my Werebear Transformation and tried hard to force a smile onto my face.
Fortunately, I wasn't encountered while killing that Mini-Boss, Cold Raven. Otherwise, even if I had to bear the burden of the sin of harming my own kind from then on, I would have killed all of them, leaving none alive...
"So it's the Snow Wolf Mercenary Team."
Seeing me cancel my Shapeshifting, the Mercenary Squad opposite also breathed a sigh of relief. They lowered the weapons they had raised and slowly approached. When we could see each other clearly, we both let out sounds of surprise.
"It's actually you guys."
I smiled and said. Standing at the front was none other than Kusi, the Desert Warrior I had met in the Hiding Place last time. Behind him were presumably the other six people. I didn't expect them to dare come to the second level. I really didn't know if they were too bold or too confident. However, after such a long time, none of them were lost, so it seemed they at least possessed seven parts of Strength/Power.
The beautiful Rogue girl, Aijiali, stepped out from behind, smiled sweetly, and bowed to me, saying with a surprised smile,
"What a coincidence! I didn't expect to have the honor of seeing Lord Wu Fan again. This must be destiny."
Destiny? I twitched the corner of my mouth. If she knew I had just planned to kill them to silence them, would she still say it was destiny?
"Lord Wu Fan, have you already reached Tier 2 Druid? And you're all alone, alone... Oh my God!!"
Aijiali discovered the Ghost Wolf and Oak Sage behind me, then looked around the empty Cave with disbelief. The corpses of the three Elite Bosses that had died earliest had already disappeared. What remained were the corpses of some Hungry Dead and Dark Wanderers. But she wasn't foolish enough to think that there were no Elite Monsters here and that I had just gotten a cheap pick. Generally speaking, places with Gold Treasure Chests usually have at least one Elite Boss. Their trip to the second level this time was just to try their luck. If there happened to be only one, and it was a slow-moving Elite Monster like the Hungry Dead, perhaps they would have a chance to peek at the Gold Treasure Chest. They just didn't expect that halfway there, they would find that all the Monsters on the road ahead had been cleared. Driven by surprise and Curiosity, they followed me all the way.
Sanctuary is most lacking in Heroes. The beautiful sentences sung by poets, the stories relished by Civilians, which one isn't related to Heroes? At this moment, the group of seven stared at me with fervent, worshipful gazes, which made me feel uneasy. The physical and mental exhaustion, coupled with my unwillingness to face their expectant eyes, made me decide it was best to leave early.
While taking a Town Portal Scroll from my Inventory, I slowly made excuses.
"It's nothing, just good Luck. There just happened to be one Elite, and I dealt with it, and..."
"Oh, right."
The moment the Town Portal opened, I asked curiously,
"How are you guys getting back? Do you have a Town Portal?"
Aijiali and the others looked at the Town Portal I had opened with envy.
"We can't afford Town Portal Scrolls, Lord Wu Fan, please don't worry. We know the Passage leading out of the Cave."
The implication was that they had to walk back. In fact, even if they had the Money, they might not be able to buy them. Town Portal Scrolls, which were scarce even for Class Changers, how could they be sold to Mercenaries?
I secretly clicked my tongue. The complexity of the Passage in the Cave was no less than that of the Evil Cave. They actually had to find the exit to get out. I couldn't help but look at them with sympathetic eyes. Actually, these Mercenaries were the most pitiful. Not only did they have to constantly gain Experience through Adventure and Trial like Class Changers to increase their Strength/Power, but they also put in more effort than Class Changers, yet they didn't receive corresponding rewards. It was like the old farmers in my original world, working diligently, but only barely managing to make ends meet, while we Class Changers were like wicked speculative Merchants.
There was nothing I could do. This was a world where the weak were prey to the strong.
I took out two Town Portal Scrolls from my Inventory Space and threw them to Aijiali, waving my hand at her. Without waiting for her reaction, I casually canceled the Summon of the Ghost Wolf, Oak Sage, and Poison Creeper, and stepped into the Town Portal.
There was no fairness in this world at all. The path still had to be walked by oneself. I wouldn't pity their situation, because there were too many people to pity in this world. The two Town Portal Scrolls were just an acknowledgment of their effort and Strength/Power.
In the place where I had disappeared, Aijiali, with tears streaming down her face, bowed slightly. Two Town Portal Scrolls were equivalent to two Lives. Although precious, she had already come to that Epiphany the moment she became a Mercenary. What truly moved her was the lingering warmth on the Town Portal Scrolls, just that tiny bit of warm Feeling.
Ah, I forgot to take the Treasure Chest. Damn it, the moment I stepped into the Town Portal, I felt depressed...
Stepping out of the Town Portal, I subconsciously shielded my eyes with my hand. However, the expected dazzling Glow did not come. I slowly lowered my hand and looked up at the Sky, only to realize it was already midnight. The stars in the sky and the blood-red moon were casting a light veil over the entire land. The Rune Incantations on the Teleportation Array also emitted a faint white Glow, unwilling to be outdone, appearing particularly soft in the quiet night. That cold and Mysterious Feeling made one feel as if their feet were suspended in the air, placing them in the boundless universe.
"Lord, welcome back."
The two Rogue Soldiers guarding the Teleportation Array said so, their voices respectful and strong, not showing any fatigue despite the late hour.
"En."
I lightly responded, my voice carrying a coldness that surprised even myself. I clearly wanted to smile and praise them a few words, so why did the words come out like this? When did I become so indifferent?
I stood there in a daze for a while, finally leaving in a listless manner. The two Rogue Soldiers didn't mind; to them, my attitude was already quite good.
"Lord, take care."
The voice came from behind me, making my heart ache even more. Perhaps it was just because I had been alone for too long and wasn't used to it, which made me so resistant to contact with strangers. It would get better slowly. I comforted myself this way all the way, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the Dream Inn. There were still many Warriors like me who returned late at night, so the lights in the Dream Inn were almost never extinguished.
The next day, I groggily climbed out of bed and stayed in a daze for a while. It wasn't until the warm sunlight from the window shone on me that I realized I was no longer in the Hiding Place but had returned to the Rogue Encampment.
What should I do after returning? I thought blankly. Archery, I should practice it. I also need to go to Charsi to repair my Equipment, and ask Akara and Cain about some things. Finally, and most importantly, I need to practice my Tier 2 Skills, especially the coordination with the five Ghost Wolves. They are the main force for close combat in the future, especially Airdrop Encirclement. If I can master it proficiently, then there will be no Monster in the entire Rogue Encampment that I need to fear, not even Andariel.
Hmm, no, perhaps there is still one Monster that is best not provoked unless necessary, and that is Bishibosh. Thinking of it, I couldn't help but chuckle. Speaking of which, this matter is truly interesting. Before learning Tier 2 Skills, I had killed it once, but after learning Tier 2 Skills, I could deal with other Bosses, yet it became the Boss I was most unwilling to face. The relationship between these things is truly wondrous.
Of course, besides these things, it is also necessary to go find Lars and Doug. I wonder if their Operation to hunt the Countess went smoothly. Hmm, I can also go see my Little Shara...
It seems returning to the Rogue Encampment isn't as boring as I imagined.
Uh, and the Loot from this Trial, it seems I need to sort it out. It's densely piled up in my Inventory Space, almost becoming a pile of Junk. I opened my Inventory and took out the Items one by one.
The most valuable, of course, was the Golden Leather Armor, and the six bottles of Full Rejuvenation Potions. Hmm, and the Necklace that just dropped, and two Rings. One was found in Bishibosh's Chest, +11 to Attack Rating. The other one dropped from an Elite Monster in the Cave, and its Stats were also Junk – Artisan's Ring: +1 Maximum Damage.
Next were the Gems, totaling two Cracked Sapphires, one Chipped Diamond, three Cracked Emeralds, two Chipped Rubies, and one Topaz. I remember there was also a Gem called Skull Gem, but unfortunately, there wasn't a single one.
Besides that, there was one Rune: Tir.
Next were some Equipment, which spilled out all over the ground. Three Hats, one damaged, one Normal, and the Skull Cap I was currently wearing. As for Clothes, besides the Golden Leather Armor, there was also a Superior Leather Armor with 0 Durability (the very first one), one Blue Cloth Armor (I was wearing another one), and two Plain Cloth Armors. As for Shoes, there was only one pair of Normal Leather Boots and Heavy Boots. Gloves and Belts were also one blue and one white.
There were many Weapons. There were 11 Items, seven of which were Normal: two Hand Axes, one Wooden Club, one Dagger, one Long Dagger (the one I was currently using), one Short Bow, and one Saber. The blue Weapons included a Short Sword with exhausted Durability; a Hand Axe with +1 Minimum Damage and Damage of 4-6, and the Long Bow and Double Axe that just dropped from the three Elite Monsters.
In addition, there were several Potions, piled up in a Corner, at least a few thousand bottles, sigh...
Several Gold Coins, double sigh. This wasn't a Game; Gold Coins weren't represented by numbers, but were real piles of Gold, piled up in that Corner. Although it felt particularly real, every time I saw that sparkling golden Glow, my eyes would turn into two '￥' signs, but it was unlikely for me to actually count them...