The Wilderness

Amber City, Guard Force. A Heavy Warrior in Full Plate Armor hurried into the room and said to the two people arguing inside, "This is bad."

"Sir Callas!"

"More than ten people vanished last night. It looks like those Fallen were responsible!"

The argument in the room came to an abrupt stop.

Sir Callas, representing the noble faction, was a man in his forties with a thick beard. He had participated in the war in the North. He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and roared, "What?"

"More people disappeared?"

"You useless trash! It's already been five days, and you still haven't found those rats' nest!"

"What is the council paying you for?"

Opposite him stood a solemn-faced knight. Hearing this, the knight immediately stopped him and said in a deep voice, "Now isn't the time for this!"

"The Noble Council must delegate its authority!"

"The severity of this matter has gone beyond the secular sphere. It must be handed over to the Church in the city!"

"I'll contact the Hand of Justice now and have them send Paladins to conduct a large-scale investigation."

Were they really going to deploy Paladins? A trace of struggle and hesitation appeared on Sir Callas's face. Paladins were stubborn fools who could not tolerate even a speck of filth. Sending them out meant large-scale use of Detect Evil. Few nobles in Amber City had clean hands. Much of the Gray Zone was controlled by nobles. Once the Paladins were deployed on a large scale, Amber City would undergo a major purge!

It would not just be those evil Fallen who were dragged out.

The gray profits controlled by many great nobles in the city would also be purged by the Paladins.

By then, the nobles' power would be greatly weakened, while the Church's influence over the city would rise dramatically. Unless they had no other choice, the nobles had always done everything they could to suppress the Church's influence. Broad faith and fanatics were two extremes. If those Paladins were unleashed, Amber City's Gray Zone would be swept clean. He would offend many members of the nobility then.

Smuggling, **, slaves, the Black Market!

Which gang that controlled these gray profits was not supported by a noble behind the scenes?

"No!"

Sir Callas gritted his teeth and retorted, "The Ninth Legion has already been recalled." "Our forces are still plentiful."

"I'll go see the City Lord now and obtain the highest level of search authority. We must find those damned rats today!"

The highest level of search authority.

It meant they could even enter and search noble estates. After so long without any clues, he had begun to suspect that some noble had fallen into the Dark Domain.

"Very well."

The solemn Temple Knight nodded and said in a grave voice, "Go apply for it now."

"If you cannot obtain it before nightfall."

"Then I'll join forces with the Church in the city and handle this ourselves. So many people have disappeared in succession. I suspect they are preparing some evil Sacrificial Ritual!"

Outside Amber City.

Three hours had passed since Soren left. This caravan truly left the moment it said it would, without wasting a single moment on the road.

He rode a travel horse at the rear of the caravan, with Vivian sitting in front of him. The little girl weighed almost nothing, and the travel horse carried both of them with ease. At first, there were vast stretches of cultivated farmland outside the city. Amber City was surrounded by dozens of villages and towns, and the city's supplies were transported from there. Donkey carts, ox carts, and wagons carrying goods were often seen on the road. Farmers and small merchants traveling back and forth delivered the goods needed for the next day to the city in advance.

However, as they moved farther and farther away from Amber City, the farmland began to thin out, and vast wildernesses and forests started appearing in view.

Occasionally, they passed small villages with sparse populations.

The farther they were from the city's reach, the more dangers they encountered. These small villages relied entirely on organizing their own militia for protection. Amber City's Guard rarely came to clear out nearby monsters.

Unless they actively requested aid or persuaded their own Lord!

The road had been over ten meters wide when they first left Amber City, but now it had narrowed to only five or six meters.

The road surface had also become uneven and full of potholes. Because it had rained recently, the road was extremely muddy. Sometimes, people had to get down and push the wagons through.

The caravan guards had begun operating at full capacity.

Some guards rode horses and spread out around the caravan, some inspected the road ahead, while others began scouting the surrounding environment.

After leaving Amber City by thirty kilometers, they had entered the range where wilderness creatures were active!

Soren remained quiet throughout the journey.

Vivian was especially obedient today. She did not make any noise along the way, merely looking around curiously with her large eyes. Whenever there was something she did not understand, she asked Soren about it.

The caravan did not pay much attention to this follower. The merchants were busy with their own affairs.

The mysterious caravan owner never showed herself. Three stewards under her command handled matters instead. This was a large caravan.

There were more than thirty guards alone.

Including the caravan hands, servants, and slaves traveling with them, there were over a hundred people in total.

This was a fairly common arrangement in the North. Ordinary merchants affiliated with the caravan owner had to organize their own wagons, manpower, and goods, then seek the caravan owner's protection during the journey. After completing a trip, they had to offer one-third of all their profits to the caravan owner!

—Descendant of the mysterious Northern Witch!

A burst of hoofbeats rang out.

The captain of the caravan guards rode over to Soren. Visibility in the area had become much worse. Dense weeds and woods obstructed their line of sight, and there was barely any sign of human habitation nearby.

"Rogue?"

The guard captain studied Soren and said in a deep voice, "There's something ahead."

"Come take a look with me."

Hearing this, Vivian nervously reached out and grabbed Soren's sleeve. He reassuringly patted the little girl's shoulder and said, "I need to look after my sister."

"Look."

"She's still young and can't ride by herself."

Before Soren had even finished speaking, the curtain of the large carriage at the center of the caravan was lifted. A graceful woman wearing a veil poked her head out. She glanced at Vivian in the distance, a faint smile appearing on her lips, and said gently, "The little girl can come here with me."

"The carriage is comfortable and safe."

Soren hesitated upon hearing this, then lowered his head and looked at Vivian.

The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I like that big sister."

"She isn't a bad person."

Vivian's Perception was as high as 18, which meant her instincts were quite reliable.

Soren thought for a moment, then nodded lightly. "All right."

"You stay in the large carriage for now. I'll go ahead with them and take a look."

Rogue.

This was the official title for thieves. They were the jacks-of-all-trades among the classes, with some knowledge in nearly every field.

During wilderness adventures, a Rogue's scouting ability was second only to a Ranger's Wilderness Survival talent!

The two soon urged their horses into a gallop, racing toward the place where the situation had arisen.

The caravan also slowed down slightly. They would only speed up and pass through after the guards confirmed the area ahead was safe.

"Captain!"

"You finally made it."

Soren rounded a mountain path, and the forest ahead grew increasingly dense. Three caravan guards stood in the distance, all seasoned and steady Melee Class members.

One guard with distinct Northern features crouched down, pointed at the footprints on the ground, and said to the two of them, "Look!"

"These are Goblin footprints."

"Judging by their numbers, there are dozens of them. There may even be a natural-born Sorcerer among them!"

"These annoying things can never be completely wiped out."

"Kill them this year."

"And next year, they'll produce another whole nest!"

Goblins had short growth cycles and tenacious survival abilities. They could survive even by eating grass roots.

They were like weeds in the wilderness. Clear out one batch, and another would immediately spring up.

"They really are Goblins."

Soren glanced at the footprints left beside the road. Some had already been washed away by the rain, but he could still estimate their approximate numbers.

However.

This number of Goblins would not dare target a caravan.

Based on Soren's understanding of Goblins, these cowardly creatures needed to outnumber their enemies by at least five or ten times before they dared attack.

Even an ordinary five-person adventuring party could deal with them.

As if seeing the confusion on Soren's face, another caravan guard pushed aside the grass beside him and said in a deep voice, "That's not the important part."

"Look here."

It was an area that was clearly different. The soil looked very fresh, as though it had been turned over. It was about five feet wide.

There were bloodstains within five meters. Even though the rain had washed over them, they could still be seen.

"Clearly, these Goblins encountered something."

The captain of the caravan guards grabbed a handful of dirt and held it beneath his nose to smell it. He said gravely, "This creature is large and extremely dangerous!"

"The Goblins had no way to harm it at all!"

Soren's expression also turned solemn. He pushed past the others, walked over, drew his scimitar, and stirred the soft soil. Frowning, he said, "Bulettes?!"

"If it really is those things, then we're in trouble."

"They live in groups!"