In a dark alley of the Sol City Adventurers’ Guild, a thin figure, small and rat-like, pressed closely against the damp wall. Narrow eyes peered through a crack, fixed intently on the four members of the “Masquerade” who had just stepped out of the guild’s main gate.
His greedy gaze lingered over their pieces of exquisite mithril equipment, whose radiance could not be fully concealed even when subdued, until their figures disappeared around the street corner.
“Fat sheep… definitely a big fat sheep…” he licked his cracked lips, his silhouette blending into the shadows like an eel, silently trailing after them.
After confirming the inn they had checked into, the small figure quickly vanished into the labyrinthine streets.
Elsewhere in Sol City, the old headquarters of the Black Hunt Mercenary Corps—a hideout disguised as a tavern—reeked of cheap ale and sweat.
“Boss! Big discovery!” The small scout squeezed up to the bar and whispered excitedly to a burly man with a scarred face and knotted muscles.
That man was none other than Bolt, the captain of the Black Hunt Mercenary Corps.
Bolt downed a gulp of murky ale, casting a sidelong glance at him. “Rat, you better have something real. Don’t waste my time.”
“Rat” hurriedly leaned in, lowering his voice even more, brimming with uncontrollable greed: “Boss, four women just registered as adventurers at the guild—called themselves ‘Masquerade.’ They… they’re all decked out in top-tier, double-enchanted mithril gear! The shine, the magical aura… definitely valuable!”
“And according to the guild’s test, that white-haired captain seems pretty weak, just relying on her gear. The other three—a priest, a mage, and a female brawler—are only at a C-level combat ability. Good equipment, but they all look pretty green, especially that brawler—kind of dumb-looking!”
“All mithril? Double-enchanted?” Bolt’s cloudy eyes suddenly flashed fiercely like a wolf catching the scent of blood. “Low combat ability? You sure about that?”
“Absolutely! The guild test was a joke. That brawler punched the old test dummy to bits; the machine gave a terrifying number, but it turned out the dummy was broken! Then they swapped a new dummy. She scored just over four thousand, the mage over six thousand, the priest a bit over two thousand. The captain’s number was ridiculous—only 5 combat points! She’s definitely some noble brat sneaking into the adventurer’s life! Dumb and loaded! Boss, we gotta move fast!”
Bolt slammed the table hard, making the cups jump. “Good work! Keep an eye on them! Once they leave Sol City, find a desolate place… ” He made a throat-slitting gesture, his face twisting into a grim smile. “One shot, two birds! Those mithril gears will keep us brothers happy for years!”
“Let Vice-Captain Viper lead the squad. We must take down this fat sheep!”
“Yes, boss!” Rat and several mercenary lackeys rubbed their hands excitedly.
*****
On the other side, Eileen and her group checked into a reasonably clean inn within the city.
After dinner, Eileen chatted casually with the innkeeper and other guests, trying to gather information about the “Valley of Death.”
“Valley of Death? The royal family’s resting valley?” An elderly traveling merchant stroked his beard and shook his head. “That place is creepy! It’s a wind-eroded chasm, with gale winds so fierce they can tear the skin off a person. At the valley’s bottom, there’s a secluded tribe living for generations, supposedly guarding something… an ancient hero’s tomb from centuries ago. No one knows exactly who, and that tribe is very hostile to outsiders.”
Another man, a one-eyed veteran mercenary, took a swig of drink and lowered his voice: “Hero’s Tomb? Hmph, I say it’s a den of evil spirits! A couple months ago, an old buddy took a job exploring the valley’s edges. He came back spooked, said he saw black-robed ‘Desecrators’ performing some cult ritual, and he caught a whiff of demon stench… then a few days later, he disappeared. No body, no trace! I’m telling you, don’t go there and throw your life away!”
The useful intel was scant but pointed firmly to the danger and strangeness of the Valley of Death: secretive tribe, hero’s tomb, heretical desecrators, demon spies.
*****
These fragmented pieces of information caused a slight frown to crease Eileen’s brow.
Helga’s concerns were not unfounded. The “top-secret intel” Catherine provided was very pointed, and combined with these rumors, the Valley of Death definitely felt like a trap.
Should they just skip it?
Eileen thought again and rejected the idea. The mission had been accepted publicly. Abandoning it now would mean the “Masquerade”’s first task ended in failure, which would severely damage their reputation.
Better to check it out first; if it didn’t work, they could retreat. Unlike the time in Endymion City, Eileen had no obsession with pressing forward here.
“Looks like we’ll have to take it one step at a time.” Eileen spoke softly to her gathered teammates. “We leave early tomorrow. Once inside the Valley of Death, stay alert. Rita, be ready with detection magic at all times. Lillisa, protect Rita and Helga. Helga, handle ranged fire support and crowd control. I’ll take command and coordination.”
She skillfully sidestepped the awkwardness of her own paltry combat power of 5. No matter—she was the captain, the one who issued commands and activated buffs.
Lillisa nodded vigorously, a serious light shining in her heterochromatic eyes.
Helga’s face was solemn, obviously weighed down by the rumors of demons and desecrators.
Rita quietly gripped her holy staff and whispered a prayer.
*****
The next morning, while the thin mist had yet to clear, the four members of “Masquerade” rode rented ordinary horses, leaving the west gate of Sol City quietly, heading toward the wind-eroded wilderness.
As soon as they left, seven or eight lean figures, like hyenas melding into the shadows, trailed them from afar.
Vice-Captain Viper personally led them. Experienced, they used the terrain’s undulations and sparse bushes for concealment, patiently waiting for an ambush point far from any settlements.
Time passed, and the sun rose higher.
The silence of the wilderness was broken by the sound of hooves and wind.
Viper judged the distance and deemed the moment right.
Ahead was a relatively open hollow, surrounded by wind-carved rock pillars—an ideal spot to strike.
He signaled his men to prepare for an encirclement.
Just as they left their hiding spot in the ravine and hastened to circle ahead of Eileen’s group—
“Woo—!” A loud, dignified, piercing horn blared suddenly from the opposite slope of the wilderness!
Immediately after, heavy, rhythmic hoofbeats shattered the silence like rolling thunder! A banner gleamed golden in the scorching sunlight, raised high like a war drum announcing judgment!
Beneath the banner rode a squadron of gleaming-armored knights in perfect formation, the kingdom’s pride.
Leading them was a tall, proud knight in shining mithril breastplate, her bright blue hair shimmering like a lake beneath her helmet. Her face was stern, eyes sharp as drawn blades—none other than the kingdom’s first crown princess, Lady Wil!
At this moment, she was the kingdom’s sword guarding the border and upholding order.
Viper and his men instantly turned as pale as paper! That banner! That aura! Especially that blue-haired, blue-eyed knight—familiar beyond measure in the underground world recently!
Encountering this bad omen on the border was like stepping out without checking the almanac—a curse for eight generations!
The crown princess seemed to have lost her mind, rampaging against bandits. Several notorious thief gangs had already been wiped out by her!
Worse, their current position and the bandits’ activity lay exposed on the barren wilderness, right under the knights’ elevated view—like lice on a bald head—clearly visible!
Seven or eight armed, rough-looking men preparing to encircle a seemingly “weak” adventurer team—anyone would suspect a bandit attack!
The fear of being caught overwhelmed them like a vice!
“Damn! It’s the kingdom knights! We’ve been spotted! Run!” Viper panicked, forgetting all about the valuable mithril gear; survival was priority!
He howled and turned, aiming to escape into the nearby, deeper, more complicated ravines.
The other mercenaries snapped out of their daze, scattering like startled rabbits!
However, their panicked attempt to flee was incontrovertible evidence of guilt and an open challenge in Veer’s eyes!
“Hmph! Black Hunt vermin, just as I thought!” Veer sneered, her eyes instantly icy cold.
She didn’t even need to see who Eileen’s group was; from their encirclement attempt and immediate flight when discovered, the verdict was clear!
In fact, Eileen and the others, facing away from the knights, were focused on the path ahead and had no idea what was happening behind them. The team lacked scouts with enhanced perception.
“We are the kingdom knights! Bandits ahead, surrender immediately!” Veer’s crisp, authoritative voice swept over the wilderness like an icy storm, carrying an undeniable command.
At her words, the bandits ran faster, which only fueled Veer’s wrath! She was already upset about Eileen’s affair!
“Take them down! Kill all resistors!” She pointed her sword of royal authority forward, swift and decisive.
The well-trained knights shot forward like arrows, dividing into squads to encircle with astounding speed and coordination.
Mounted archers drew their bows, cold arrowheads locking onto fleeing figures; spearmen formed an iron wall, instantly blocking all possible escape routes.
“Don’t kill me! I surrender!”
“Have mercy, Your Highness!”
Several mercenaries with poor nerves lost their courage completely, dropping weapons and falling to their knees with hands raised.
Viper and two other desperados resisted stubbornly, drawing weapons to break through, but their amateurish skills were no match for the battle-hardened elite knights.
“Bang!” A knight slammed the ferruled haft of a lance into Viper’s back, sending him flying and coughing blood onto the ground.
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