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墨書 Inktalez
The academy had been closed for several days, yet the winter Hunting operation quietly commenced.
The roads were covered with a thick layer of snow, dotted with scattered footprints. In the distance, the mountains were draped in white, and as the cold wind blew, snowflakes fell from the branches, as if the entire world had been painted white.
The meeting point for the Blazing Fire Squad was at the entrance of the Taroloro Mountain Range. When Garen arrived, the other members had already gathered.
Inside the dimly lit cave, five people sat around a campfire. Besides Maple and Jossy, there was a woman dressed revealingly and two burly men.
"Is this another newcomer?" One of the men, who had a scar near his eye, looked up at Garen and then at the Stormblade in his hand. "Unless you possess great strength, wielding heavy weapons will only be a burden. It seems you haven't found a very qualified newcomer!"
"Shut your filthy mouth, Simon."
Maple stood up and walked over to Garen, smiling as he said, "Hello, Sir Garen. I'm glad you could join the Blazing Fire."
"It’s my honor," Garen replied with a grin.
"Let me introduce you."
True to his role as captain of the squad, Maple exuded leadership qualities. He introduced the scarred man as Simon, a Level 5 warrior; the quiet man as Kakashiuro, the team's supply officer; and the striking woman draped in two pieces of black cloth as Leilin, a fire-element mage.
Of course, there was also Jossy, who was new like Garen.
Aside from the arrogant Simon, the others welcomed Garen warmly.
"Due to the unpredictable snowfall, it is estimated that there will be another blizzard tonight, so we cannot enter the mountains for now," Maple explained with a smile as she looked at Garen by the campfire. "But that's alright; this gives us enough time to analyze and prepare before our action."
Garen nodded in agreement.
An excellent leader must not only possess adaptability during action but also ensure meticulous planning beforehand.
Next, Maple assigned the first task—moving the tents and other clutter from outside the cave inside.
The task was naturally given to the two newcomers. It is a common practice in any team or organization to assign basic labor to new members.
It is worth mentioning that during the process of moving items, Jossy deliberately acted as if he was struggling. When he lifted the tent poles, his forearms were visibly trembling. However, this did not mean Jossy lacked strength; after all, a Level 2 Warrior's power had already surpassed that of an average adult.
He was hinting to Blazing Fire's elder: "Look, even though my strength isn't enough, I have absolute determination!"
Compared to the Blazing Fire Squad, Jossy's abilities were indeed lacking, which is why he resorted to various methods to showcase his "value." Unfortunately, he seemed to have failed. Just as he was trying hard to display his struggle, Garen had already finished moving the clutter.
"I don't like that guy," Simon said casually as he took a bite of his apple.
Clearly, when Simon referred to "that guy," he was talking about Garen.
The Sorceress couldn't help but cast a glance in their direction. Perhaps it was her stunning beauty that lent an alluring quality to her every gesture. She then licked her luscious lips.
In any team, the supply officer is an indispensable and important role. At night, Kakashiuro showcased his superb skills, treating everyone to a delicious barbecue, even the aloof Simon couldn't help but offer a few compliments.
It wasn't until half an hour after dinner that Maple called everyone together to discuss the upcoming winter hunting operation.
"First of all, I must emphasize the details of the operation."
Maple glanced around at everyone, then took out a folded piece of parchment and carefully laid it on the ground. Under the flickering firelight, the full view of the parchment was revealed; it was a map, though the corners were yellowed, indicating it had some age.
"Come on, it's just a winter hunting trip; why so serious?" Simon said as he took a hearty bite of rabbit leg, seemingly uninterested.
"Shut your mouth!" Maple shot him a cold glare.
Simon shrugged and made a gesture as if sewing his lips shut.
"According to the map, our current location is here." Maple looked at everyone again and pointed to the edge of the map. His finger slowly traced upward until it landed at the foot of a large mountain.
"And the place we need to go is here. In terms of distance, this area belongs to the inner part of the Taroloro Mountain Range, which is also the most dangerous part of the entire range where many powerful magical beasts roam."
Upon hearing this, even Simon instinctively put down his rabbit leg. The Beast Mountain Range is typically divided into inner and outer sections; the closer one gets to the interior, the stronger the magical beasts become. Even the Blazing Fire Squad would never venture too close to the inner mountains.
Maple's voice continued.
"So we must be cautious. Most importantly, we must not provoke any magical beasts! We need to avoid all avoidable battles to ensure we are in optimal fighting condition! Because our real target is this cave."
Seeing that everyone had grown serious, Maple nodded. "There is a Three-Eyed Demon Python in there!"
"What?!"
A gasp escaped as Garen realized that when Maple mentioned the "Three-Eyed Demon Python," even Sorceress Leilin was taken aback, while Simon exclaimed loudly.
"The Three-Eyed Demon Python is a top-tier magical beast of the First Level, with a minimum strength of level 7 to 8!" Simon's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? This is a death wish!"
"I haven't finished speaking," Maple said calmly, glancing at Simon. "According to reliable information, this Three-Eyed Demon Python's strength is degrading; it only has a maximum strength of level 6 to 7."
Suddenly, everyone's eyes lit up except for Maple and Garen.
It's important to note that while level 6 to 7 magical beasts are still formidable, they can be defeated. After all, Blazing Fire is a team that can gain significant advantages in battle. More importantly, the Three-Eyed Demon Python belongs to the top tier of the First Level, representing immense value! In other words, one Three-Eyed Demon Python could allow the entire Blazing Fire Squad to retire!
Maple seemed pleased with everyone's reactions and continued, "Moreover, during this season, python-type magical beasts are preparing for hibernation, significantly reducing their power. This gives us an even greater advantage."
"Now, do you have any objections? If not..."
Maple was suddenly interrupted.
"Wait." Garen looked at Maple with a puzzled expression. "How can you be sure that the Three-Eyed Demon Python's strength is degrading?"
Unlike the others, Garen was not blinded by the prospect of immense profit; he remained calm at all times. As he pointed out, if something went wrong with the Three-Eyed Demon Python, not only would their mission fail, but it could also lead to significant losses or even death.
"Newbie, this isn't your place to speak; shut up!" Simon retorted dismissively.
Maple waved his hand and smiled. "Your question is quite valid and indeed represents the biggest concern for this operation. However, you can rest assured that what you fear will not happen."
"Why?" Garen asked calmly, looking at Maple.
Maple frowned slightly but provided an explanation.
"Because this map was found on a deceased wizard," Maple said as she neatly folded the parchment map. "From my assessment, this wizard was likely a Second Rank powerhouse. Besides this map, I also found a diary on him."
"In the diary, the wizard recorded a lot of information about the Three-Eyed Demon Python, including its degeneration. It seems that he was conducting some sort of experiment, but unfortunately, he passed away in the mountains before it could be completed."
"Of course, none of that is important. The real point is that we have a chance to kill this Three-Eyed Demon Python and gain incredible rewards."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked relieved and became even more eager for the upcoming hunting expedition.
Maple smiled and turned to Garen. "Do you have any more questions?"
Garen remained silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for interrupting earlier. No, I don't."
"Great! Then it's time for us to take action," Maple nodded and then looked at the three elders in the group. "Have any of you made breakthroughs recently?"
"Leader, you make leveling up sound too easy!" Leilin teased, her fingers brushing against her snow-white thigh as she spoke with an alluring tone.
"Leilin, don't put that kind of pressure on me. I'm not like those lecherous fools," Maple replied with a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
After this little exchange, the atmosphere around the campfire became noticeably lighter.
"Jossy is a Level 2 warrior, so... you'll be responsible for supporting Kakashiuro when the time comes."
Maple finally turned his gaze towards Garen. "By the way, Garen, what level of strength do you have?"
Garen did not hide anything and smiled as he replied, "Level 5 Warrior."
Maple was instantly taken aback, and he was not alone; Leilin and the others also looked at him in shock.
It should be noted that in Blackstone Town, a Level 5 Warrior is already considered top-tier! More accurately, it is enough to leave the town and head to a larger city for development! For example, Simon, if he weren't already 36 years old, would have likely left Blackstone Town long ago to go to the capital of Baron territory!
And Garen, who looked to be just in his early twenties, was actually a Level 5 Warrior?
"Hmph, lying is not a good habit," Simon suddenly sneered. "If you really have Level 5 strength, then wouldn't I be an Advanced Warrior? A Second Rank powerhouse?"
Garen did not respond. To him, arguing over such trivial matters or even spending Fighting Spirit to prove himself was an act of foolishness at its finest.
Eventually, Maple pinched the bridge of his nose and broke the deadlock. "Alright, since you are so confident in your abilities, then you will be responsible for protecting Leilin. After all, a mage's body is fragile."
However, just when everyone thought the discussion had concluded, Garen raised his hand again.
"Why do you have so many requests, Level 5 Warrior?" Simon looked at Garen with disdain.
Maple pinched his brow again and asked, "Garen, do you have something else to say?"
"Yes," Garen nodded. "I suggest we withdraw from here immediately and change our location."
"What?" Upon hearing this, even Maple was momentarily stunned.
Garen calmly said, "This cave has quite a few small holes, which means it isn't completely sealed off. This also provides some space for certain small magical beasts to move around, and these types of creatures are difficult to clear out completely. We must retain our full strength."
"Therefore, I suggest we change our location."
Maple looked up and noticed that on both sides of the cave walls, there were indeed palm-sized holes, although they were quite concealed, which was why he hadn't spotted them quickly.
"If you're scared by these little holes, you can go sleep outside!" Simon said coldly from the side. "Trust me, there's nothing dangerous here."
Maple paused for a moment and replied, "It seems unlikely to temporarily change our location. Perhaps we can take turns keeping watch outside the cave to prevent any special situations from occurring, like..."
"I'll go," Garen said as he stood up and walked toward the cave entrance.
"What an annoying guy," Simon muttered coldly as he watched Garen's retreating figure. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned to look at the Sorceress, his gaze landing on the white peaks of her figure. "Leilin, don't you think it's too boring in this cave? Why don't we go for a stroll in the forest instead..."
Leilin placed a finger on Simon's lips and smiled charmingly. "I refuse."
"Why?!" Simon exclaimed in frustration.
"It's not every day we meet someone interesting; I certainly can't miss this opportunity," Leilin said with a smirk, unconsciously glancing toward the cave entrance.
Simon finally realized what she meant and gritted his teeth. "I told you he's an annoying guy!"
The entrance was blocked by the Fur supports, so it wasn't too cold inside. Through the gaps in the supports, one could see the snow outside intensifying, sweeping across the white land.
Garen did not seem displeased by the rejection of his opinion; he maintained a calm demeanor throughout.
After all, it was indeed too late to change their resting point. As the team leader, Maple had to consider many more factors.
As the night deepened, the temperature at the entrance began to drop.
Garen took off a small piece of Fur and draped it over himself, leaning against the entrance and dozing lightly.
Time passed, and the team members deep within the cave had fallen into a deep sleep, with the glow of the campfire extinguished.
In the darkness, a graceful and voluptuous figure slowly approached. Bathed in the hazy moonlight, one could vaguely make out her enchanting and beautiful face.
"Such strength..."
Leilin's gaze fell upon Garen. She licked her delicate lips and then gently tugged at her clothing, letting two pieces of black fabric fall to the ground.
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