booktalesy Chapter 128 The Only Team to Take the Initiative
Chapter 128 The Only Team to Take the Initiative
Chapter 128 The Only Team to Take the Initiative
The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist at the edge of the gray forest, illuminating the wooden fence of the temporary checkpoint.
Xiuqi stood at the edge of the camp, gazing at the forest they had just emerged from.
Three days of intense fighting gave him a deeper understanding of this land, not only the terrain but also the patterns of the demons' activities.
"Captain Xiuqi, are you really sure?"
Cade walked up to him, and the captain of the shield bears a hint of undisguised surprise on his face.
Behind him, Allen, Selena, Blake, and others gathered around, all eyes fixed on Xiuqi.
"Hmm." Xiu Qi nodded, his voice calm. "Passive defense is not the best option. Since we have the ability to take the initiative, we should seize the initiative."
He had already analyzed the situation carefully last night.
The main force of the demonic tide has been contained deep in the forest by the three masters, and only scattered small groups of demons remain on the outskirts.
These demons, having lost their unified command, are now scattered and wandering everywhere.
This is the perfect time to harvest cards.
Moreover, the daily wage of 5 silver coins is a fixed income, and additional bounties are calculated for each demon killed. No matter how you look at it, it's a good deal.
"But..." Cade hesitated for a moment, "None of the other teams that stayed behind have offered to take the initiative to attack. They all plan to stay in the checkpoint and wait for the demons to come to them."
"That was their choice." Xiuqi turned to his team members. "Squad 33, prepare to depart."
Ado stood up; the ogre's massive body resembled a moving fortress in the morning light. It clapped its spiked club, its bright yellow eyes gleaming with excitement.
Max silently inspected his two-handed greatsword, the combat runes on its blade gleaming faintly in the sunlight. His crimson eyes scanned the direction of the forest; he was already in battle stance.
Link sheathed the last arrow, the young hunter's movements more composed than ever before. He touched the notebook at his waist, the notes Allen had given him, which he had reviewed countless times in the past few days.
The princess emerged from the shadows, her silver-gray figure appearing somewhat ethereal in the morning light.
Looking at the team, Cade felt a surge of indescribable emotion.
Three days ago, when Xiuqi first suggested acting alone, he thought the young man was too confident.
But now, he is completely convinced that following this person is the right choice.
"Squad 31!" Cade turned around, his voice like a warhammer striking an anvil, "Move with Captain Hugh!"
"Yes!" Blake, Lynn, and the others responded in unison.
Allen raised his longbow: "Squad 32, prepare to move out!"
Inside the largest tent in the center of the checkpoint, the clerk was organizing yesterday's register.
One new squadron joined the ranks that returned last night. The four squadrons that haven't rejoined yet will most likely remain in the Gray Forest forever.
The clerk sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. In his more than ten years in this line of work, it was always the same after every wave of demonic energy—some people came back, and some never returned.
"Sir, clerk."
A calm voice sounded outside the tent.
The clerk looked up and saw the young man who had created a miracle yesterday standing at the tent entrance. He wore a gray robe, had a calm gaze, and was followed by two squad leaders.
"Captain Xiuqi?" The clerk quickly stood up. "What is it?"
Xiuqi walked into the tent and looked at him calmly: "The 11th Regiment requests to enter the Gray Forest to actively search for and eliminate the remaining demons."
The clerk was stunned.
He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Actively enter the forest to search for demons?
The day after the demonic tide receded?
While the vast majority of teams that stayed behind chose to stay in the checkpoints and earn a living on daily wages?
"Are you...are you sure?" The clerk's voice was a little hoarse. "Captain Xiuqi, I know your achievements yesterday were amazing, but entering the forest now still carries great risks."
Those roaming demons have no fixed location and could be surrounded at any moment...
"
"We know," Xiuqi said calmly, "so we need to apply."
The clerk remained silent.
He looked at the young man, and then at the captains and teammates behind him.
The clerk's gaze swept across the faces of the group.
He saw the trust in Cade's eyes, the respect in Allen's eyes, and the determination in the eyes of all the teammates following behind the gray-robed boy.
He saw something common in the eyes of these people who had faced life and death—
It's not about indifference to death, but about cherishing life.
And the trust in that young man.
The clerk took a deep breath and then nodded slowly.
"Okay," he said, his voice much more solemn than before. "I approve the 11th Regiment's operational request."
He paused, then added, "But please remember, safety first. If you encounter an insurmountable danger, retreat immediately."
Xiu Qi nodded slightly: "Understood."
As the clerk watched them turn and leave, he suddenly spoke up: "Captain Xiuqi."
Xiu Qi stopped and turned to look at him.
The scribe said earnestly, "You are the bravest adventurers I have ever seen. May the gods bless you."
Xiu Qi nodded slightly, then turned and left.
When the combined force of the three squads of the 11th Regiment walked out of the checkpoint, the remaining squads around them stared at them in disbelief.
"They...they're going into the forest?"
"Are you crazy? So many people died yesterday, and you still dare to go in today?"
"Is that guy in the gray robe the captain of Squad 33, who had the best record yesterday?"
"I heard that he was the one who led the team to rescue the 12th Regiment..."
'
"But isn't this too risky? Wouldn't it be better to just stay in the checkpoint and collect your daily wage?"
"Are you crazy? Staying at the camp is much safer, and you get 5 silver coins every day."
"Exactly, isn't this just asking for trouble?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. That's the 11th Regiment, the regiment ranked number one in bounty."
Whispers rose and fell, but Xiuqi paid no heed.
He simply looked up at the sky—the weather was nice today, sunny and with high visibility.
Then, he stepped into the gray forest.
Behind him, a group of more than ten people filed in.
Upon entering the forest, Xiuqi immediately summoned the Bird Poet, Sylph.
Its two-tone wings unfolded in the sunlight, a breathtaking blend of emerald green and deep purple.
Sylph gently flapped her wings and rose to a height of 100 meters, her amber vertical pupils looking down at the vast forest below.
"There's a suspicious heat source five miles ahead," Sylph's voice echoed in Xiuqi's mind. "It's in a cave, and there are quite a few of them."
Xiu Qi narrowed his eyes: "The exact location?"
"To the southeast, in a crevice in the mountain," Silver replied. "The heat source is very dispersed; it's probably a gregarious species."
Xiuqi nodded and turned to the group behind him.
"Target spotted, southeast. Maintain formation and prepare for battle."
The column began to move.
Ador and Max were still leading the way.
The ogre's enormous body was like a mobile steel fortress, and with a swing of its spiked club, it could easily pulverize any vines and thorns that blocked its path.
Max followed closely behind, greatsword in hand, his crimson eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
Link walked on the flank, the young hunter's steps as light as a cat's, his longbow already in his hand, arrows ready to be released at any moment.
Squads 31 and 32 protected the left and right flanks respectively, while Cade and Allen each commanded their own men.
Half an hour later, the group stopped in front of a mountain.
This is a nearly vertical rock face, over a hundred feet high. The surface of the rock face is covered with cracks and folds, and the erosion of time has left mottled marks on it.
At the bottom of the rock wall, a crack about five feet wide and eight feet high opens a deep entrance.
cave.
"This is it." Xiuqi looked at the crack with a calm gaze.
The message from the bird poet was clear—deep within a cave, there were at least thirty heat sources. Moreover, judging from the distribution of these heat sources, the creatures were not large in size, but numerous in number.
"Kobolds." Cade walked to Xiuqi's side, the shield captain's eyes fixed on the cave entrance. "This terrain, this number, most likely kobolds."
The ranger captain nodded: "Captain Cade is right. The kobolds may be weak, but they are very cunning. They set traps in the caves and take advantage of the terrain."
Xiuqi looked at Link.
The young hunter immediately understood, crouched down and walked to the cave entrance, carefully observing the ground and rock walls.
A moment later, he returned to report: "There are three traps at the entrance. Two tripwires and one falling rock. They are all crude, but you can definitely fall into one if you're not careful."
7
"Can it be unblocked?" Xiu Qi asked.
Link nodded: "Yes, but it will take time."
"Then let's disarm the trap first."
Five minutes later, all three traps were cleared.
Link's face showed a hint of pride—these skills were all taught to him by his grandfather, and now they were finally coming in handy.
Xiuqi stood at the cave entrance, his gaze piercing through the darkness.
Dark-vision allowed him to make out the general structure of the cave's interior—a narrow passage, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. On the rock walls on both sides, faint traces of human carving could be seen.
"Ado, you're in front," Hugh ordered. "Max, follow closely behind. The rest of you, maintain formation, watch out for what's above and below you."
The ogre's massive body squeezed into the cave, instantly making the entire passage feel crowded. But Ado didn't care; he simply gripped his spiked club tighter and pushed forward step by step.
The princess's figure appeared and disappeared from the shadows.
The procession filed in.
Xiuqi didn't speak, but simply raised his right hand and made a gesture.
"Squad 31 and Squad 32, guard the cave entrance. Don't let a single one escape."
Captain Cade and Captain Allen nodded and led their team to guard the entrance to the cave.
Three minutes later, the battle began.
Ado charged into the cave first, the ten-foot-tall ogre like a runaway chariot in the narrow cavern.
The spiked club swept across, sending two kobolds flying before they could react.
The kobolds' screams echoed through the cave.
This is a small, humanoid creature, only about three feet tall, with a lizard-like head and sparse scales and hair covering its body. They wield crude stone weapons or short spears and are as vulnerable as toys in the face of Ado.
But the kobolds also have their advantages—they are numerous.
At least fifteen kobolds surged out from the depths of the cave, attacking Hador one after another. Although their attacks could not break through the defenses, they successfully slowed down the ogre's advance.
Max flanked from the side, his greatsword flashing, each strike claiming a kobold's life. The goblin warrior's fighting style was concise and efficient, never wasting a single ounce of energy.
Link stood guard at the cave entrance, his longbow half-drawn. As the first winged kobold attempted to fly out from the crack in the cave ceiling, his arrow pierced its wing with pinpoint accuracy.
The winged dog-headed man screamed as it fell, and was beheaded by Max with a single sword strike.
The second, the third... the winged kobolds tried to escape one after another, but Link's arrows seemed to have eyes, hitting the wings or vital points with every shot.
The princess unleashed her massacre at the deepest part of the cave.
Her figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness, each appearance claiming the life of a kobold trying to hide. None of the little creatures lurking in the crevices or corners escaped her notice.
Cade led Squad 31 to guard the perimeter of the cave entrance to prevent the kobolds from breaking through.
From the start to the end of the battle, not a single kobold managed to reach the cave entrance.
Allen led Squad 32 to flank the kobolds from the other entrance, cutting off their escape route to the back of the mountain.
The battle ended fifteen minutes later.
Thirty-five kobolds were wiped out.
Xiuqi stood in the center of the cave, looking at the corpses scattered all over the ground, his consciousness sinking into the system space.
[Statistics of this Cave Clearance Operation]
Total kills: 35
[Kobolds: 30 → 30 One-Star Inferior (Gray) Cards]
【Winged Dog-Headed Men: 5 → 5 One-Star Common (White) Cards】
Total cards obtained: 35
35 new cards, although not of high quality, every little bit helps.
"The harvest is not bad." Xiu Qi logged out of the system and looked at his teammates who were looting the spoils.
Although the kobolds are weak, they have a habit—they like to collect shiny things.
In a natural stone chamber deep within the cave, the team discovered a small "treasure trove".
A pile of copper coins, about two hundred or so.
Dozens of silver coins, mixed among the copper coins, gleamed in the torchlight.
There were also three gold coins and some miscellaneous gems—though of low quality, they were worth a few silver coins.
"We're rich!" Blake shouted excitedly.
Lynn had already begun counting: "About two hundred and thirty copper coins, forty-seven silver coins, three gold coins... plus these gems, the total value is approximately... six gold coins!"
This number made everyone laugh.
Although it can't compare to the bounty from the Demon Tide, earning six gold coins from a single unexpected gain is already quite lucky.
"We'll split it equally," Xiuqi said simply.
The crowd cheered.
As evening fell, the 11th Regiment returned with a full load.
As they emerged from the grey forest, the soldiers and adventurers at the checkpoint cast surprised glances their way.
"They're back! They're back!"
"It seems no one is injured?"
"Look at that ogre, there's hardly any blood on him!"
"Is this... a mission to exterminate demons or a picnic?"
Xiuqi led the team toward the registration desk.
The clerk was already waiting there, and when he saw Xiuqi return safely, a look of relief appeared on his face.
"Captain Xiuqi, you're back!" he greeted them warmly. "How was your day?"
"Not bad," Xiuqi said casually. "Thirty kobolds, five of them winged."
The clerk began to count the spoils of the mission.
"Thirty-five kobolds?" he wrote down accurately with a quill pen.
Xiuqi nodded.
The clerk began to calculate: "Each kobold costs 20 copper coins, so thirty of them would be 600 copper coins. Each winged kobold costs 40 copper coins, so five of them would be 200 copper coins."
A total of 800 copper coins, which is equivalent to 2 gold coins.
He raised his head, his gaze towards Xiu Qi filled with even greater awe.
"While it's not as much as yesterday's demon bounty, it's still a considerable sum. Captain Xiuqi, you guys are really..."
'
He couldn't continue, so he just shook his head and wrote down a number in the register.
Xiuqi did a quick calculation: with 2 gold coins plus 6 gold coins from the kobold's loot, his total haul for the day would be at least 8 gold coins.
If the distribution is based on 12 people, each person can get about 13 silver and 6 copper, plus a daily wage of 5 silver coins, which is close to earning one gold per day.
Meanwhile, the adventurers who remained around the camp watched this scene with complex expressions.
Some people were envious, some were jealous, some regretted it, and some secretly resolved to go in and see for themselves tomorrow.