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Legendary Degree?!

Soren glanced at his attribute page and found a new line of Legendary Degree data, showing 1 point of Folk Legend. This Legendary Degree had a unique function and were very difficult to obtain, but they didn't significantly increase his strength. Its greatest use at present was influencing his abilities in Diplomacy, Deception, and Intimidation; 1 point of Legendary Degree could be stacked as 1 point of basic skill effect. Only after entering the Legendary Domain would the Legendary Degree truly begin to have an effect.

And it plays a very important and decisive role!

Soren glanced at the battlefield before him, and suddenly a row of data appeared:

"Unlock battle records"

"Automatic combat statistics are now available!... Data-driven simulation statistics are enabled!..."

Before Soren could react, a new row of data was generated, displaying:

"Legendary Combat of the Battle of Shattered-Bone Ogre: In September 1675 of the Crescent Era, in the Southern Duchy, White Horse City launched a battle to expel the Bone-Smashing Ogre. You assisted the White Horse City army in defeating the Bone-Smashing Ogre and even slew an advanced Ogre Warlord (Level 14) on the battlefield. The story of this battle will gradually spread, and over time, the entire South will know of this Legendary Tier battle. Legendary Degree +1"

The soldiers began cleaning up the battlefield.

The casualties in White Horse City reached over six hundred. War always comes at a price. These professional soldiers had no time for grief; after a short rest, they began collecting the bodies. The bodies of their comrades had to be transported back intact, and even those missing limbs had to be recovered as much as possible, because these brave warriors needed a dignified funeral. The wounded needed to be transported back for treatment. The priests' Divine Magic had limited effectiveness, and casting high-level Divine Magic came at a high cost; the lifespan of Legendary priests was far shorter than that of other Spellcaster.

Legendary Wizard can easily live for hundreds or even thousands of years, but Legendary priests only have a lifespan of less than one or two hundred years.

Even for druids, living for hundreds of years is quite easy. Both use Divine Magic, so there must be a reason for the huge difference in lifespan.

It's just that few people point out this reason.

After all, for true priests, returning to the embrace of the Deity they believe in is a necessary path.

The Adventurer also suffered considerable casualties; most of those who arrived were wounded. Those with teammates helped collect the bodies, while those without were cremated on the spot and buried nearby. Cremation was the only option for Adventurer; it wasn't that burial was forbidden—in fact, people in this era valued burial quite a bit. However, the wilderness was teeming with scavengers, and a body buried today might be dug up and devoured tomorrow.

Therefore, most of those who died in battle in the wilderness were cremated.

After all, these corpses shouldn't be eaten by wild animals; it's an end they absolutely didn't deserve.

With the help of others, Soren cremated the Half-Elf Ranger's body, wrapped the ashes in a cloth, and buried them in a pit. He didn't know what epitaph to write, but the man was, after all, a third-tier Ranger, and such a person shouldn't die in obscurity; at the very least, he deserved a tombstone. He cut a piece of wood and Scimitar carved words on it with his scimitar, first carving the name, then pondering what else to leave behind.

"Yas, a valiant Half-Elf Ranger, defender of the Battle of Ash Hill, Ogre Butcher, defeated an Ogre Warlord in Hit Points final moments. May his soul rest in peace."

Soren couldn't think of anything to write.

So he simply left a message on the tombstone, and then placed the broken Longbow and boning knife into the grave.

Weapons are Warrior's second Hit Points.

These items should be buried with him. It might be a bit wasteful, but it's a tradition in this world, and traditions should always be respected.

Just like the Warrior of White Horse City, those taxi drivers who died in battle were buried along with their weapons and armor.

The City Hall had clashed with the military over this matter more than once. Politicians considered it a shameful waste, believing the weapons and equipment should be confiscated and given to the new taxi drivers. However, the military stubbornly refused, with some hot-tempered individuals even resorting to violence. They had no convincing arguments; they simply insisted that the equipment used in life should be buried with the soldiers, and that if they died in battle, the weapons and armor buried with them would be more valuable than any gold or jewels.

Perhaps this is the stubbornness of Warrior.

The cleanup of the battlefield took a long time, and arrangements were being made for the wounded to return to White Horse City.

A lot of loot was found inside the Ogre's fortress, but this wasn't of much use to Soren; the Adventurer would at most receive a reward later. The unfinished fortress was engulfed in flames, and to prevent other creatures from taking over, the commander ordered everything to be demolished and burned to the ground. Soren returned with the group, while the others engaged in some simple battles, such as against Lizardfolk had migrated from the Black Qi Swamp.

If they know that the Ogre Tribe has been wiped out, they may retreat to other places.

If they didn't know, the White Horse City army would have driven them away. Dealing with the Lizardfolk would have been much easier; leaving five or six hundred soldiers would have been enough.

The journey back was relatively quiet.

Once the Ogre are defeated, the rest are minor issues. Even if there are still some scattered monsters, the guards from other caravans can handle them.

Before returning to White Horse City, the army was greeted with cheers and welcome. Every now and then, Commoner would gather along the roads near the villages to watch, pointing at the Ogre ' corpses and exclaiming in amazement. These monsters, whose arms were as thick as their thighs, were not common. The Commoner near the city rarely encountered Gnoll; at most, they would occasionally see traces of Goblin and Kobold. After all, Gnoll were very dangerous, and if they were found active near their territory, the defending militia and army would quickly mobilize.

The taxi drivers, who sustained minor injuries, strode forward with their heads held high and chests out, for this was their moment of glory.

Their strength, their bravery, and their sacrifice created a relatively safe living environment near White Horse City. This was the mission they had to accept. Since there were sacrifices in battle, there should also be glory after victory. As they approached the vicinity of White Horse City, the cheering crowds were filled with heartbreaking cries of grief. The army selected its Warrior from nearby villages and towns, and so many casualties had already caused many to lose their husbands and sons.

Soren remained silent throughout the journey.

He just watched quietly, like an observer, watching the surviving taxi driver embrace his family, and watching the elderly parents throw themselves on their son's body and weep uncontrollably.

This is a very common occurrence.

War doesn't necessarily bring wealth, but it certainly leaves behind pain. Perhaps he'd seen too much of it in the past, and now he wasn't as emotionally affected. White Horse City paid him an extra fifty Gold Daler; it seemed there were quite a few valuable spoils inside the Ogre fortress this time. For his cooperation with White Horse City, the City Hall also awarded him a medal. If he wished, he could become a citizen of White Horse City and settle there.

The medal is just a bronze plaque; it's more of a symbolic award.

After receiving his reward, Soren left, casually tossing the medal into his Bag of Holding. He had collected hundreds of these before, including several noble medals.

If he accepts, he can become an honorary lord.

While it brings corresponding benefits and power, one must also fulfill one's own mission, which is equivalent to completely joining a certain Alignment.

Upon returning to White Horse City, Soren first handed over the mission.

Because of the difficulty of defeating the Ogre, his Mercenary Rank was raised to E-rank, but he didn't receive any additional rewards or authorization; the Mercenary Guild merely acknowledged his strength. After finishing some miscellaneous tasks, he went to see a physician. The broken bone in his right arm needed to be properly set, as his Heal skills were limited. After the bone was successfully set, Soren went to the Temple District and spent thirty Gold Daler to have a priest perform a treatment on his moderate injury.

Bones that grow back naturally may leave hidden problems, so it's best to use Divine Magic to restore them to avoid affecting his future battles.

It wasn't until he saw Vivian the next morning that a smile appeared on Soren's face.

He scooped the little girl up and spun her around in the air, then, amidst Vivian's cheerful giggles, gave her a big kiss on her rosy cheek.

I don't know if it's just my imagination!

The little girl has gained a little weight and no longer looks thin and small. Her rosy cheeks have a touch of baby fat, making her look very cute.

The caravan's mistress gave him a deep look. News of White Horse City sending out troops had been circulating for days, and many were very concerned about the outcome of the battle. The Soren before her was noticeably different from the one she had first met; his aura seemed more sharp and composed, and he appeared much stronger than before. If he had once looked like a ruthless gangster, he now looked like Warrior had seen Slaughter on the battlefield.

The more people you kill, the more imposing your morale will naturally become.

Soren glanced at Goria in front of him, smiled and nodded slightly. Although he didn't say anything, the caravan mistress knew that he already had the idea of leaving with Vivian.

She let out a soft sigh, wondering why Soren was so determined to leave.

During this time, she had learned a lot from Vivian, including that they were orphans without parents. She really couldn't understand why a human with a small amount of Half-Elf blood would insist on going to the territory of those proud Elf, since Elf were very xenophobic and didn't really like true Half-Elf.

So, she ultimately decided to try again.

However, she wasn't looking at Soren in front of her. Instead, she turned her gaze to Vivian beside her. This little girl was truly intelligent. Although she seemed innocent and adorable, she wasn't ignorant. It was just that the chaos and depravity of the Slums couldn't affect her pure heart. This was a rare and precious quality; a pure heart meant a pure soul.

This inner strength can help her go further!

(P. S.: I won't write an overly sentimental epitaph!)