booktalesy Chapter 126 The Elite Squad's overtures
Chapter 126 The Elite Squad's overtures
Chapter 126 The Elite Squad's overtures
The evening wind blew from the direction of the gray forest, carrying a faint smell of sulfur and some indescribable stench of decay.
In the center of the checkpoint camp, a dozen or so campfires were already lit. The orange-red light danced in the deepening night, dispelling the chill of the day and illuminating the tired and weary faces.
The 11th Regiment's camp was set up on an open area near the west side of the checkpoint. The members of the three squads sat around the campfire, with a dinner provided by the association in front of them: a white bread, fresh out of the oven, with a golden and crispy crust, steaming hot and fragrant with wheat when cut open.
Stewed meat, with large chunks of beef and mutton mixed with carrots and potatoes, is stewed until tender in a thick broth. The aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of spices is so enticing that it makes your mouth water.
There was also fresh vegetable salad, fruit wine, and even a small bottle of red wine for each person.
Such a dinner is considered a luxury in a border town.
Normally, when adventurers return from completing ordinary missions, they are already content with a glass of ale and a piece of dark bread with salted meat in a tavern.
But at this moment, the dozen or so people sitting around the campfire had little appetite.
Blake poked at the stew on his plate with his fork, turning the piece of beef, which should have been mouthwatering, over and over in his hands, but he just couldn't get it into his mouth.
Lynn held the wine glass but didn't drink; he just stared blankly at the red liquid inside.
Tom kept his head down, the white bread on the wooden board in front of him, untouched.
Even the usually composed old archer was just slowly chewing his bread, staring blankly at the campfire, lost in thought.
Selena sat by the campfire, while the young priestess ate a piece of white bread in small bites. But her gaze kept drifting towards the outside of the camp, to the stretcher covered with a white sheet that was faintly visible in the darkness.
The stretchers were neatly arranged in an open area outside the checkpoint, numbering over a hundred. Under each stretcher lay an adventurer whose eyes were forever closed.
"136 people." Cade's voice broke the silence.
The captain of the shield bearers sat by the campfire, his pipe long since extinguished. His gaze was fixed on the stretchers, the scars on his face appearing particularly gruesome in the firelight.
"Of the 35 regiments and 105 squads that returned, a total of 136 people died." He repeated, his voice hoarse and low. "And there are still 5 regiments and 15 squads that haven't returned yet."
No one responded.
In the afternoon, they had already found out the casualties during the suppression of the demonic tide.
Forty legions and 120 squads, a total of five hundred adventurers, entered the outskirts of the Grey Forest.
Only 35 regiments and 105 squads returned.
There are also 5 regiments, a total of 15 squads, that have been completely lost to this day.
A day has passed, and it is now evening, but there has been no news about them.
Everyone understands what this means.
In the Gray Forest, where demonic tides frequently occur, being out of contact for a day is basically equivalent to being out of contact forever.
And none of the teams that returned were intact.
136 corpses lay there quietly, covered with blood-stained white sheets.
Some of the bodies were relatively intact, except for a few bloody holes in their chests or abdomens.
Some of the corpses were mutilated, torn apart beyond recognition by demons.
Some of the bodies were so badly illegible that their identities could only be confirmed by their personal belongings.
The association and the Lord of Summertown have promised to provide each victim with a pension.
It is said that the amount of compensation was not low—100 silver coins for each victim, enough for an ordinary family to live a stable life for a year.
But the question is, how many of these victims had families?
"I heard from association officials," Allen began, the Ranger Captain's voice equally heavy, "that most of those who perished were alone. No parents, no wives or children, no brothers or sisters."
He paused, looked in the direction of the stretchers, and a trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes.
"Who will receive the pension for the blond-haired man?"
silence.
The campfire crackled, sending sparks into the night sky before quickly extinguishing in the darkness.
Blake finally put down his fork, the stew still lying intact on the plate. He looked up at Cade, his voice a little hoarse.
"Captain, you're talking about them... those who didn't come back, and those lying there... what were they thinking when they died?"
Cade remained silent for a long time.
He relit his pipe, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke.
"I don't know," he finally said, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, "but they certainly don't want to die."
"Nobody wants to die," Allen replied, "but we are adventurers. Having chosen this path, we must be prepared to die at any moment."
"But this is too cruel..." Blake's voice trembled slightly, "136 people, just like that, gone."
I recognize some of them; we even had drinks together at a bar a few days ago...
"Blake," Cade interrupted him, his tone stern, "remember this feeling. Remember how you're feeling right now, remember those faces lying there. Then, turn those feelings into motivation to live."
He scanned everyone, his gaze lingering on every young face.
"We came back alive, not because of luck. It's because we had a good captain, because we were united, and because we made the right choices in the battle."
"But others weren't so lucky."
Cade's voice lowered, filled with deep emotion.
"I've been an adventurer for twenty years and have seen too many people die. Some were stronger than me, some were weaker, some were young, some were old. They died for different reasons, but the result was the same."
"So after each mission, I would tell myself: Cade, you've been given a second chance. Next time, you might not be so lucky."
He exhaled a puff of smoke, which swirled above the campfire before being quickly dispersed by the night wind.
"Cherish it, children. Living is more important than anything else."
Silence fell again around the campfire.
The only sounds were the night wind blowing through the camp and the faint groans of the wounded in the distance.
Selena put down the bread in her hand, put her hands together, closed her eyes and began to pray.
"Merciful Lord of Dawn, please bless those departed souls and guide them to the land of light..."
'
The young priestess's voice was soft and devout, echoing in the night sky.
Link sat on the edge of the campfire, the young hunter with his head down, lost in thought. His right hand unconsciously rubbed the pouch at his waist containing notes—the notebook Captain Allen had given him.
Ador sat on the outskirts of the camp, the tall ogre listening quietly to the humans' conversation.
Its clear yellow eyes gleamed with confusion—it didn't quite understand what "death" meant, but it could sense the heaviness and sorrow permeating the air.
Max stood beside Hodor, the goblin warrior's crimson eyes scanning the surrounding darkness. He was on alert, and listening intently.
It understood most of the human conversations.
Death, sacrifice, compensation...
Max looked at Xiuqi.
The gray-robed youth sat alone on the other side of the campfire, a little distance from the others. Dinner was laid out in front of him, white bread and stew, but he didn't touch it.
He just sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the stretchers, his face expressionless.
Max couldn't read any emotion from that face.
But for some reason, it felt that its owner's mood at this moment might not be as calm as it appeared.
Xiuqi was indeed thinking.
But it's not sad.
He was calculating.
136 people died and 15 teams went missing.
This is the price paid for this extermination of the demonic tide.
For ordinary adventurers, this is a tragedy, a painful experience, and a lesson they must remember for a lifetime.
But for Xiuqi, this is data.
Cold, hard data.
136 lives were lost just like that. Some of them might have been stronger than Xiu Qi, some more experienced, and some better equipped.
But they are dead.
Why?
Because of luck? Because of ability? Because of decision-making?
Xiu Qi doesn't deny the element of luck. But more importantly, it's because he made the right choice from the beginning: to trust his card system and continuously strengthen his contracted partners.
Choosing to invest all resources at the crucial moment allows the Bird Poet to complete an epic evolution.
When choosing to rescue the 12th Regiment, they acted decisively but did not rush in blindly.
Every choice is based on a clear understanding of one's own strength and an accurate assessment of the situation.
And those who were sacrificed...
Xiuqi's gaze swept over the stretchers.
He didn't know how they died. Perhaps they were surrounded by a demonic tide, perhaps they were ambushed by a Thorn Demon, or perhaps they made the wrong choice at a crucial moment.
But the result is the same.
Xiu Qi took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Sad? Of course.
But he knew even better that sadness was the most useless emotion in this world.
All we can do is become stronger.
So powerful that when the next demonic tide arrives, it won't be you who dies.
So strong that those lying there will always just be others.
"Captain Xiuqi."
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Xiuqi opened his eyes and saw Cade and Allen walking over.
The two of them looked somewhat embarrassed.
"What's wrong?" Xiu Qi asked.
Cade rubbed his hands together, carefully considering his words before speaking: "It's like this, a friend of yours wants to see you. It's Captain Gareth, whom I met during the day, from the 3rd Regiment."
"He wants to get to know you," Allen added sincerely. "Garres has a good reputation among the adventurers in Summertown and is someone worth befriending."
Xiu Qi remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Let him come over."
A few minutes later, a group of people entered the 11th Regiment's camp.
Leading the group was Gareth, the burly sword and shield warrior.
Following behind him was Lieutenant Lia, a capable-looking female ranger. She wore dark green leather armor, with a short bow and quiver at her waist, and her grey eyes were sharp and bright.
Behind them are three more team members—
A thin, middle-aged man, dressed in black leather armor with two short swords hanging at his waist, was clearly a wanderer. His eyes were sharp and alert as he scanned his surroundings.
A young warrior, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was burly and carried a two-handed greatsword on his back. He had a simple, honest smile on his face, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness.
There was also a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a gray robe, with delicate features, holding an oak staff in his hand. His gaze fell on Xiu Qi, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.
"Cade!" Gareth strode over and patted Cade on the shoulder. "You guys chose a good campsite. It's sheltered from the wind, dry, and has a good view."
Cade laughed: "That's right, our company commander personally selected them."
Gareth turned his gaze to Hugh.
The gray-robed youth had already stood up and was calmly looking at them.
"Captain Xiuqi." Gareth's smile faded, and he solemnly performed the greeting between adventurers. "I hope my visit has not disturbed your rest."
Xiuqi nodded slightly: "Captain Gareth, you're too kind. Please have a seat."
The group sat back down around the campfire.
Gareth's four teammates naturally spread out and sat down, with the wanderer and the young warrior sitting on the outer perimeter, and the mage sitting next to Lydia.
Selena handed over several wooden cups and poured cider into them. Gareth took them, drank them in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and laughed heartily.
"Good wine! Much better than those bland, tasteless taverns!"
Cade laughed and scolded, "Come on! Some taverns serve top-notch ale, don't pretend here."
"Hehe, you found out." Gareth grinned, then looked at the young people around him, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment.
"They're all promising talents," he commented. "Although they're still inexperienced, there's a spark in their eyes. Cade, you've led a good team."
"I didn't lead them," Cade shook his head. "It was our regimental commander who led them."
Gareth's gaze fell on Xiuqi again, and he began to sized him up.
"Captain Xiuqi, I'm a straightforward person, please don't mind me," he said. "When I saw your bounty at the registration desk today, my first reaction was disbelief. 1649 silver coins, the bounty a small team earned in three days is more than our entire regiment."
He paused, then said sincerely, "But then I thought about it, and realized that a team that can achieve this kind of record definitely didn't rely on luck. So I came here to get to know you guys."
Xiuqi looked at him calmly without saying a word.
Gareth didn't seem to care and continued, "Cade told me about your experiences these past few days. To be honest, I was even more shocked after hearing it."
Fighting off an entire demon army single-handedly, rescuing the 12th Legion, and taking down three Thorn Demons with zero casualties... even our squad might not have been able to accomplish these feats.
"Captain," the young soldier couldn't help but speak up, "can't we do it too?"
"Shut up!" Gareth said without turning his head.
The young soldier shut his mouth sheepishly, but his eyes clearly showed his dissatisfaction.
Gareth ignored him and continued looking at Xiuqi: "Captain Xiuqi, if I may ask, what level of professional are you now?"
The atmosphere around the campfire froze slightly.
This question is somewhat abrupt.
But Xiuqi's expression remained calm: "I haven't become a formal professional yet, I'm just a mage apprentice."
""
"A mage apprentice?" Gareth paused for a moment, then looked at Cade.
Cade shrugged. "I wasn't lying to you, was I?"
Gareth paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"A mage apprentice..." he murmured, his gaze towards Xiuqi becoming even more complicated. "A mage apprentice, leading a team without any professional players, has achieved such results."
He shook his head and smiled wryly: "If I hadn't seen your record with my own eyes, I would have thought you were just bragging."
"Captain," the young warrior named Sim spoke again, "their ogres and goblins are indeed powerful, but I don't believe they're stronger than us."
Gareth turned to look at him, his eyes stern: "Sim, have I been too lenient with you?"
Sim shrank back, but still muttered softly, "I was just telling the truth..."
'
"Tell the truth?" Gareth sneered. "Do you know how many demons they killed? 125 primal demons, 72..."
"Only a few cowardly demons, 57 lesser demons, and 4 thorn demons. And you? How many have you killed in these three days?"
Sim opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.
"35," the wanderer beside him answered for him, "15 Primal Demons, 10 Fearful Demons, and 10 Lesser Demons."
Only."
"Did you hear that?" Gareth glared at him. "Where were you when they took down four Thorn Demons with zero casualties?"
Clean up the little devils in the rear!
Sim was completely deflated, lowering his head and not daring to speak again.
Gareth turned back to look at Xiuqi, his stern expression vanishing instantly in place, replaced by a gentle smile.
"Captain Xiuqi, please don't mind him. My teammate is just straightforward and speaks without thinking, but he doesn't mean any harm."
Xiu Qi nodded slightly: "It's alright."
Gareth smiled apologetically, then turned to Cade and winked. "Cade, do you remember our first adventure?"
Cade paused for a moment, then a strange expression appeared on his face.
"What...what do you want to say?"
"Our adventures back then," Gareth laughed even harder, "let the young people hear how we went from rookies to who we are today."
Cade's face flushed red, making the scar look somewhat comical.
"Gares, please don't..."
'
"Captain Cade!" Blake suddenly perked up. "Tell me! Tell me!"
Lynn chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Tell us!"
Tom's eyes lit up, and even Selena looked at Cade with curiosity.
Cade glared at Gareth, who innocently shrugged.
Finally, Cade sighed and resignedly said, "Fine, I'll tell you."
He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"That was twenty years ago. Gareth and I were just novice adventurers, and our first somewhat decent mission was to wipe out a group of kobolds occupying an abandoned mine."
"Back then, we didn't know anything. We didn't even do the most basic reconnaissance before we stupidly rushed into the mine."
.
Gareth chimed in, a barely suppressed smile on his face: "And what happened? There were at least thirty kobolds, and they'd dug a trap in the mine. I slipped and fell into a five-foot-deep pit."
Cade laughed: "Then this guy started yelling from the pit, 'Cade! Help me!'"
"And you?" Lynn asked curiously.
"Me?" Cade's expression turned strange. "I was being chased by three kobolds when I heard his shout. In my panic, I fell into another pit."
Laughter erupted around the campfire.
Blake laughed so hard he almost fell over, Lynn clutched his stomach and couldn't straighten up, and Tom laughed until tears streamed down his face. Even Selena covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Gareth and Cade exchanged a glance and laughed.