Chapter 273: The Wind Rises
The Camp had disappeared from line of sight. Looking out, all I could see were vast green Plains. This reminded me of when I first Transmigrated and returned to the Rogue Encampment with Lars and the others. Having been away from the Blood Moor for over two years, stepping onto it again now, I felt the scenery was exceptionally lovely.
As luck would have it, this time only Lars and I were accompanying the Caravan. There wasn't even a single Mercenary besides us. Compared to the Adventurer Teams of a dozen or even dozens of people in the past, the number was significantly smaller. Thus, my Responsibility was quite significant and far-reaching. At this moment, all five Ghost Wolves were released, surrounding the entire Caravan from afar in a Pentagram formation. However, their large physique and the ferocious aura they emitted had once scared the Pack Mule Beasts pulling the carriages so much that their limbs went weak, and they even buried their Heads in the Grassland. Afterwards, we had no choice but to let the Ghost Wolves follow hundreds of meters away. Fortunately, with the Lazy Crow patrolling in Mid-air and the Poison Creeper on guard Underground, within this All-Encompassing Net, I didn't need to worry about any clumsy Monster breaking in.
Lars' Couple sat at the front of the Carriage. Aunt Shali's Emotion was much more stable, but the pain and reluctance to part in her Eyes were still so obvious, with Lars gently comforting her by her side.
Little Angel, meanwhile, sat on another Carriage, looking around with great interest. Speaking of which, this should be her first time stepping out of the Camp's range. For Civilians without Strength, this is a damned birdcage world; no matter how big it is, only a tiny bit of space belongs to them.
I shifted my Line of Sight to the Barbarian Brothers lagging behind. These two Officers were so bored they preferred to walk on their own two feet rather than take the carriage (I think it's because they were too heavy, and the Mule Camel Beasts couldn't pull them). Just now, Doug was still loudly complaining about not seeing a single Monster. Come on, this is still within the Camp's range. How could you possibly encounter Monsters? Do you really think the Old Drunkard and her bunch of Little Soldiers are just eating free meals?
Seeing them swaying left and right, staggering like Zombies walking, I walked over, putting on a fawning smile. "Doug, my man, Gus, my man, how about helping your little brother out with a favor?"
"Wu, you cunning brat, don't call me so affectionately. You must be plotting something again." Doug shivered fiercely, looking at me with a vigilant expression. Clearly, he still remembered the Jam Bread incident a few days ago.
"Look at what you're saying, it's just a small favor, just a small favor. How about letting me borrow your Inventory for a bit to help me put some things in? My better half has completely filled her Inventory." I hooked onto Doug's shoulder, acting like 'what's mine is yours between brothers'.
"Oh dear!" Unexpectedly, upon hearing me say this, Doug and Gus looked at each other and simultaneously sighed.
"Wu, it's not that we don't want to help you, it's just that we don't have space here either."
Gus said with a bitter face. It turns out that before leaving, Aunt Shali had almost had a major move. Quilts, Clothes, and the like went without saying, but she even brought along the Kitchenware and Furniture. Some were put into the Storage Box. If it weren't inconvenient, she probably would have even dismantled the entire Home and taken it with her. Class-Changed Ones aren't short on Money, but these things had accompanied Aunt Lisa for over ten years, and she couldn't bear to part with any of them. Lars felt guilty and naturally couldn't say anything. Consequently, the three people's Inventory were thus filled up.
"Women!" The three fellow sufferers sighed in unison again.
When the Sun was directly overhead, the Caravan's first Post Station arrived. It was a small Village called Aizes. The group of seven from the Caravan ate lunch in the Village and rested for a while. Warriv was truly a shrewd merchant; he didn't even save this little bit of Time. When it was Time to Depart, he had already collected quite a few Local Specialty Products from the Villagers. His face was beaming with joy.
Walking another ten-plus miles east from Aizes Village, we had already reached the Safe Zone. From here onwards, it was no longer a protected Zone. Looking out, Warning Signs were stuck all over the ground nearby. If any Civilian foolishly ran out, dying would be in vain; don't expect anyone to collect your body.
Seeing the Warning Sign, the Barbarian Brothers were happy instead. Damn it, they could finally stretch their muscles and bones! But after walking for over an hour, they didn't even see a single hair of a Monster. Both couldn't help but feel puzzled, while I was secretly laughing to myself on the side—is this Expert's All-Encompassing Net that easy to break into? Any Ghost Wolf here can clear out a Fallen Camp with a Quantity of less than a hundred before you even arrive. If all five go together, they can easily take down a Fallen Camp with a Quantity of over a thousand. Just Light Snow 's Radiant Fury Strike can Instant Kill Enemies in a straight line, including Elites, and then an explosion can take down at least a hundred.
It wasn't until the Sun was about to set that these two blockhead Barbarians finally reacted, exclaiming that my Ghost Wolves were Abnormal. Just as they wanted to walk out of the Ghost Wolves' encirclement to get some action, they were glared at by Lars and only then reluctantly followed the Party again.
At Night, the vast Plains reflected the boundless brilliant star sea. They generously scattered their silver Light across the Earth, making both the Sky and the Earth seem to ripple with a layer of silver light. In this dreamlike silver Night, a single abrupt red firelight slowly rose.
Leaning against the Small Grove, Warriv skillfully lit the Campfire. The night Wind on the Plains was a bit cool, so the seven of us huddled tightly around the Campfire. Little Sarah simply curled up in my arms. Seeing this, Lars exclaimed that a Daughter grows up and cannot be kept at Home, and then was fiercely subjected to Sarcasm by Doug, that big mouth. Everyone's cheerful laughter echoed with the rising heat from the Campfire. Aunt Shali had completely adjusted and was now preparing Dinner for us with a Smile. Warriv, meanwhile, took out a Wine Pot and poured a Wine Cup for each of us. "Come, come," he said. "This alcohol was bought in Lut Gholein. You can't drink it in the Camp."
Hearing him say this, Lars and the Barbarian Brothers suddenly retracted the hands they had just extended. Since the Bread incident, they almost reacted as if hearing about snakes and scorpions towards the words "things from Lut Gholein". So the three of them "politely" pushed and yielded to each other, all wanting the other person to "test the poison" first.
These three poor kids, I sighed, picked up the Wine Cup from the ground, and poured it into my mouth. Mm, it is indeed good alcohol. I have to ask Warriv where he bought it.
Looking down, I saw a pair of sparkling large Eyes in my arms, tightly watching me. Illuminated by the firelight, they appeared exceptionally charming. I secretly smiled. Since drinking at the Tavern last time, the little cutie seems a bit addicted, but her Drinking Capacity is unfortunately poor; she collapses after one drink.
I handed the empty Wine Cup in front of her face, indicating it was empty. Unexpectedly, she stuck out her tender pink little tongue and licked the inner wall of the Wine Cup a few times with a smacking sound, then curled back Content/Satisfied. Her face turned flushed, and her slightly narrowed crimson Eyes also began to ripple with a layer of hazy moisture. Every Movement was so cute, every Stance was so alluring.
Seeing me "tempt" Little Sarah to Drink Alcohol, Aunt Shali on the side glared at me and handed over the fragrant Roasted Meat. Meanwhile, Lars and the other two were already arguing fiercely over those few Wine Cups, their faces red. Where was the politeness from just now?
"Well, well. It's convenient to have a Druid. Everyone can have a good sleep." Warriv on the side looked up at the Lazy Crow still patrolling in Mid-air, lazily narrowed his Eyes, and sighed. I don't know if it was an illusion, but that pair of ordinary Eyes, illuminated by the firelight, seemed to flash with a sharp light.
"Warriv, where have we reached now?"
"Young people nowadays are just impatient." Warriv shook his Head, took out a roll of Beast Hide from his chest, and spread it out In Front of me using the firelight.
"Our current position is probably here." He pointed at a place less than one centimeter from the red dot and said. *Sigh*, that red dot couldn't possibly be the Rogue Encampment, right?
"From the Rogue Encampment to the Misty Forest, it will probably take about half a month's Time." His finger pointed at the red dot and kept moving east, reaching a green area. "This stretch of road on the Plains is relatively easy to travel, as long as you don't encounter a large Fallen Camp. But starting from the Misty Forest, everyone needs to be extremely vigilant. Although there are no Monsters there, more powerful Monsters live there. Unless you Have No Choice, absolutely do not provoke them. Elder Fan, your Ghost Wolf circle also needs to be reduced to avoid alarming too many Monsters."
I nodded cautiously. "Then, how much Time will it probably take to cross the Misty Forest?"
"That's hard to say. You have to avoid those Monsters along the way. The fastest you can cross is one month. If you're unlucky, it might even take two or three months' Time."
Lars and the others opposite also came closer, looking at this crude Map, and carefully remembered every place Warriv mentioned that needed attention.
The Night passed without incident. The next day, as the Sun had just risen, the Caravan Departed again.
The Blood Moor east of Rogue, which is our current position, was a place neither I nor Lars and the others had ever been before (Adventurers generally go west towards the Cold Plains for Trial). So, for us, this place was still an unknown virgin land. Fortunately, no strange Monsters appeared because of this. They were all the Fallen, Fallen Shamans, Zombies, and Quill Rats that could be seen on the Blood Moor. These little things, let alone me, even Lars and the others could easily crush to death. So the journey was without alarm or danger. Later on, Doug and Gus, itching for action, ran out to hunt. Lars didn't say anything more. What's more, these two Old Geezers actually found a few Elite Monsters and made a small profit.
The journey was unexpectedly smooth. If you had to say there was any obstacle, it was encountering a Fallen Camp with a Quantity of over a thousand a few days ago. Considering the Safety of Sarah and Aunt Lisa, I still gave up the tempting Idea of killing them all. The Caravan detoured far around, only walking a few more miles.
On the twelfth day after leaving Rogue, a continuous stretch of green boundary that stretched as far as the eye could see appeared within our Line of Sight. Warriv was overjoyed, exclaiming that he had broken the previous travel Speed again. According to the current pace, we were estimated to reach the Edge of the Misty Forest tomorrow evening.
The afternoon of the next day, the road ahead already had many small streams and Rivers. Bizarre Trees began to flourish. Warriv skillfully traveled through it, but could no longer advance in a straight line like before. By Night, Warriv, who had always maintained his composure, suddenly sighed. He looked up at the Sky; that brilliant star sea no longer existed, replaced by Dark Clouds filling the Sky.
"This weather is going to be troublesome. God bless, Hope it doesn't rain." Reaching out to catch the cold Wind blowing towards him, Warriv said with Helplessness.
"The road will be much harder to travel when it rains, and you also need to be careful of Swamps. But these are not the most important things. In a place like a Forest, once it rains, it also means the Wild Beasts will be more active..." Warriv explained thus, and the heavy worry instantly spread to our faces.
"How about we wait until the rain stops before leaving?" Lars, who was worried about his wife and Daughter, suggested.
"No, the climate in the Forest is hard to say. This rain might fall, or it might just be a passing shower. It might only rain for a short while, or it might last for several months. Moreover, the situation after heavy rain is not necessarily much safer. It's better to take advantage of now to travel more, or pray that it doesn't rain." Warriv shook his Head and rejected Lars' Suggestion.
"Don't worry, I'm more afraid of death than you are. Without absolute certainty, how would I dare take risks? It's just a bit troublesome." Warriv cheerfully patted Lars' shoulder and comforted him with a Smile, which also made his complexion look a bit better. But that heavy burden still couldn't be stripped away from everyone's Body.