The Forward Camp, built by the knights of Red Pine City, nestled in the Northern Mountains.
Tristan and Samuel had brought back a team together. Five people, no more, no less, each with their bodies intact. They all looked bewildered, unsure of what had happened.
On the way back, they thought they had been disqualified for moving too slowly and failing to meet the criteria. So, most of them wore expressions of dejection.
But the moment the five of them stepped through the gate of the Forward Camp, the bloody smell permeating the air and the heavy, solemn atmosphere radiating from everyone made them realize something major had occurred.
Just as this team, held back by the Monster Tide and unable to venture deep into the mountains, entered the barracks meant for their rest, they saw their previously training companions now severely injured. A sense of relief washed over them for having encountered the Monster Tide, which spared them from walking into the dangerous storm.
There was already one team in the Forward Camp—the three people Alvin and Wade had brought back. They had sustained minor injuries. Compared to their physical pain, their mental trauma was far more severe. They all sat with their heads down in silence, and one girl was trembling.
The injured knights and sparrows had been moved to other tents.
Among the five-man team, a young man noticed only three people and that his friend was not among them. He asked the trio.
“What about the other two of you?”
No one answered.
The young man was about to press further, but someone grabbed his wrist.
The captain of his team shook his head at him.
However, the young man shook off the hand and continued to press the trio.
“I’m asking you, where are the other two?!”
“They’re dead…”
“Dead… dead?”
“Those people were demons! No… they were worse than demons. Demons only devour flesh and souls, but those people took lives for amusement… They were too strong.”
The trio’s original team should have been wiped out instantly when they encountered those enemies. The gap in strength between them was too vast. If not for a girl of stunning beauty but a heart like a serpent, who insisted on playing a game of cat and mouse, allowing them to flee first and demanding they choose someone to be killed each time she caught up…
After losing two teammates, they were fortunate to encounter the Knights. Wade unsparingly used magic tools, and under the Knights’ fearless assault, they managed to hold out until Alvin arrived. The two joined forces and barely managed to drive the girl away.
That was how three of them managed to survive!
The eight people in the tent fell silent. Their expressions varied—some were angry, some relieved, some confused.
They didn’t see Rosily’s team here, nor did they see Estelle’s team. Of the four teams, only two had returned, totaling just eight people. The whereabouts of the other ten were unknown. What was their situation now?
Outside the tent.
The four strongest people in the Forward Camp sensed a powerful presence approaching. Samuel and Tristan became alert.
Alvin and Wade’s nerves tensed for a moment before relaxing, as they knew who it was.
In the distant sky, a scarlet star lit up. Its light grew increasingly dazzling. Then, a figure as gorgeous as a red rose landed among the crowd.
Her blood-red dress was simple yet elegant. The red-haired woman moved with grace and poise.
The pair of Blood Wings behind her gradually shattered. Her bare, snow-white toes lightly touched the ground as she slowly set her delicate, jade-like feet upon the earth.
Henna’s scarlet hair, which had been billowing with the settling of her aura, now fell across her back, covered only by a layer of soft fabric. Her eyes had been closed on that face that could captivate the world. Once she stood steady, she slowly opened them.
Her Scarlet Pupil scanned the four people present, ultimately settling on Wade.
Her vermilion, thin lips parted, and she spoke coldly.
“Speak.”
“Yes, my Lady!”
Wade straightened his chest, kneeling on one knee before Henna, who had arrived at the Forward Camp. He lowered his head and recounted all the information.
Upon learning that neither Rosily nor Estelle had returned, Henna’s expression grew increasingly icy. In the past, matters within the Northern Mountains were not under Red Pine City’s jurisdiction.
Because they lacked both the ability and the will to manage the Northern Mountains’ affairs, Red Pine City had always adopted a laissez-faire attitude toward those who infiltrated the area.
Before, they were busy with internal consolidation. Now, it was time to try dealing with external threats.
After hearing the report, Henna commanded.
“Swiftly prepare. Reinforcements from the Knights will arrive soon. I will go ahead to find them. You will follow behind.”
With that, she gave no one a chance to object. Her Blood Wings reformed behind her. With a single flap, she transformed into a scarlet star, darting a hundred meters in an instant, speeding deep into the mountains.
The Old Knight Wade furrowed his brow. He was somewhat worried about Henna.
It hadn’t been just a day or two since Henna had taken the form of little Lilith. According to her, the consumption of being in her larger form was significant, so she generally lived as Lilith, only transforming when a major event occurred.
After encountering those enemies, Wade knew their strength far exceeded the highest tier this remote place like Red Pine City could match. They couldn’t act rashly.
But he couldn’t stop Henna either. Moreover, Wade knew some inside information…
For instance, Estelle and Rosily had always been under quiet protection. This was a secret order given only after the visit of Princess Vivienne of the West Wind Empire.
Through subtle clues, Wade had guessed the relationship between those two sisters and the West Wind Empire, especially their connection with Princess Vivienne, which was undoubtedly deeper than most people imagined.
He hesitated for a moment, then immediately rose from the ground and began organizing the Knights. He planned to charge in behind Henna, both to support her from behind and to prevent her from being surrounded. Therefore, they couldn’t wait for the reinforcement army to arrive.
Tristan and Samuel found Wade. They wanted to go along.
“No problem. Two more people mean two more strengths, or rather, two more guarantees. Will you ride horses, or go on foot?”
“We’ll go on foot.”
Lady Simona smiled, but there was no joy in it—only a hint of gravity. She and Tristan had also encountered those enemies and had experienced their strength firsthand.
At that moment, Tristan said to Wade.
“These guys are definitely not simple. There’s likely something hidden deeper.”
“Yes…”
Wade let out a deep breath.
After resting for a while, Rosily led the four onward.
The deeper they went into the mountains, the lusher and more ancient the vegetation became, and the more rugged the terrain grew. They climbed on foot, exploring deeper and deeper.
Elqui let out a light sigh, looking up at the mountain path ahead. All she saw were leaf-covered ground and thick, leafless tree trunks. Seeing the slope become even steeper, she sighed again and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Long-distance trekking was far too painful for a magic user like her. Using magic to enhance herself might be better, but that would drain her mana significantly.
What kind of magical combatant spends all their mana on traversal before a battle?
Elqui shifted her gaze to Rosily’s back, pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.
“Rosily, have you noticed something strange about this place?”
“Yeah.”
Rosily didn’t turn around, just nodded slightly.
She had indeed noticed something strange. Even after entering the deeper parts, they still hadn’t encountered any magical beasts.
This entire journey had been far too uneventful!
Of course, that could be because they had Scarlett as a part-time scout, or because Rosily was following the Whisper in the Wind to avoid dangers, making the path seem safe.
But even with all these factors combined, not encountering a single magical beast was definitely abnormal.
At the back of the team, Scarlett heard their conversation and raised her hand.
“How about I scout ahead?”
“…”
Rosily hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed to Scarlett’s proposal.
“Be careful.”
“Are you worried about me?”
Scarlett saw Rosily’s hesitation and lifted a corner of her mouth in a slight smile.
Rosily nodded and replied.
“Yes, I’m worried about you.”
“Tch…”
Scarlett curled her lips. She disliked Rosily’s double standards. The way Rosily spoke softly and coaxingly to Elqui and Simona was in stark contrast to how straightforward she was when talking to Scarlett.
‘So annoying…’
Scarlett’s smile faded, and she cast a glance at Rosily’s back. Then, using her agility, she leaped onto the branch of a giant tree nearby.
She soon distanced herself from the team. Reaching the mountainside, she passed through a two-meter-wide crevice in the rock and emerged from a five-to-six-meter stone tunnel. Before her lay a mist-covered lake.
Scarlett furrowed her brows slightly. She didn’t rush to the lakeside but carefully patrolled the surrounding woods.
This was a lake formed by a collapse at the junction of two mountains. The surrounding trees were also newly grown, not as ancient or large as those elsewhere.
‘Judging by the size of the trees, this place collapsed about ten years ago, forming a pit. Rainwater gathered here to form a lake. It should be a watering hole for nearby magical beasts, but it’s also eerily quiet here.’
Scarlett muttered to herself, analyzing the information before her.
She didn’t stop moving, continuing to search the woods for any possible magical beasts. Soon, she found marks on some trees.
“Wind Blade…”
The felled trees bore rough, jagged cut marks.
Scarlett examined these marks closely.
‘They don’t look human-made. They’re most likely the destructive marks left by a magical beast like a Wind Demon Wolf during a hunt.’
There were many types of magical beasts, and most possessed special abilities derived from the magic inherent in their bloodlines. Books said these magical beasts were fragments of the Beast Race.
Scarlett found more traces, including wolf paw prints.
‘This is wolf territory, yet they haven’t come to drive out the intruders.’
Scarlett muttered softly to herself.
‘Could it be that even this predatory type of magical beast has become part of the Monster Tide? What in the world is causing this?’