260. Rangers

Without much time to think about the mission, Lu Ban raised the crossbow with one hand and simultaneously materialized the [Last Words] with the other.

Thud—

Before Lu Ban could pull the trigger, the gray wolf crashed into an invisible, transparent barrier.

Thump thump thump—

Lu Ban saw that several similar monsters had crashed into the barrier, trying to break through but unable to move forward.

Whoosh whoosh——

The next moment, the crossbow bolt was fired.

Sparse but deadly arrows pierced the monsters' bodies, their eyes, and their fur; black blood dripped onto the ground, melting the snow and emitting a cold, foul stench.

Lu Ban noticed that the crossbow bolts were sparse because they were fired by three groups of people.

The three groups of people were staggered, with only one-third of them shooting arrows at a time. After one volley was finished, the second group would take over, and those who had just fired would start reloading their crossbows.

A classic medium-range weapon tactic.

However, Lu Ban wasn't quite sure which round he was in. He saw that after three rounds of volley fire, the monsters were almost retreating.

Then he heard a noise behind him, turned around and saw several people wearing heavy armor and cloaks.

Lu Ban, who had just thought the outfit looked familiar, then remembered that it was Xiya's attire.

They are monks.

The moment they realized this, an invisible shockwave spread from the hands of those mages.

In Shana, the monsters that had not yet fallen collapsed as if they had been hit head-on by a cannonball, starting from the tip of their noses. Their flesh and blood formed a clear columnar cavity, and their hideous bodies were flung onto the surrounding tree trunks, dripping blood.

Finally, it's time to clean up the mess.

The people worked in groups of three to finish off all the monsters that had fallen to the ground, piercing their bodies with spears three times until they were completely dead.

Lu Ban climbed out of the snow and saw the person next to him patting the snow off his cloak.

"See? I told you there was no danger."

He looked much younger than Lu Ban, probably only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a youthful face and a touch of childishness, but his posture while holding the crossbow was quite standard.

"Birmingham, come help."

Behind him, an older man called out, and the boy followed.

His name was Birmingham.

Lu Ban had gotten used to it. The names of the people in the Night Country were more Western in style, with some Eastern influences as well, but they were probably all located in remote areas. At least in the Gray Tower and Black Tower, this style of names and customs was more widespread.

Looking around, monster corpses were everywhere, and the gaps in the trees, which were dark enough to block out the sunlight, were filled with light, with only the crystals held by some people illuminating the area.

"After we've packed everything up, we'll load it onto the vehicle and head back to the fortress."

"That's what the leading mage said."

Horses pulled the carts, which were loaded with the corpses of monsters. Although they were ferocious, it seemed that the monsters' flesh and blood were an important food source. Lu Ban followed behind Birmingham, listening to him ramble on and on.

"As I said, hunting is not dangerous under normal circumstances. Our tactics are very well-developed, and we will not be in any trouble even if we are ambushed."

He pointed to the line ahead.

The cargo was located in the center, with crossbowmen like Lu Ban and Birmingham on the outer edge, and infantrymen in light armor carrying spears on the outer circle. Mages rode horses and weaved through the ranks, the commander walked at the head of the ranks, and scouts on horseback, light and agile, were scattered in the woods, guarding the surrounding area in three layers.

In this way, even if monsters attack the outermost scouts, the scouts in the middle can still transmit the information back, allowing the team to prepare for battle.

This doesn't even include the constant Detection Spell used by the mages. Lu Ban had seen Xiya's spells, which could at least guarantee that there were no enemies within a hundred meters. Under such a tight intelligence network, it was indeed not easy to be attacked and defeated.

Lu Ban chatted casually with Birmingham on the way and figured out the current situation.

This is a military organization called the Rangers, which is under the Black Tower and is a force specifically used to defend the Black Forest. Lu Ban's unit is a sentry force belonging to Black Fortress, the largest fortress in the Black Forest.

The Rangers are a diverse group, ranging from scions of mage families born in the Grey Tower who know no magic to impoverished families who can't even afford to eat. Anyone who joins the Rangers will receive basic food and clothing, but they will also undergo training and stand on the front lines guarding the Black Forest.

As for the mages, they were military mages sent by the Gray Tower to guard the fortress. According to Lu Ban's observation, their force of about fifty men would be equipped with three mages, but he was not sure if that was too many or too few.

Even the Rangers themselves seem to be differentiated.

Scouts are equipped with horses and are mostly trained young men who have mastered some unique combat skills.

Most of the infantrymen came from poor families and were equipped with spears, axes, warhammers, etc. They wore leather armor, which could only prevent scratches.

Crossbowmen are derived from infantrymen, promoted based on their performance or prior training in crossbows. They are also equipped with short swords, and some even have tracer arrows that can illuminate an area. In the Black Forest where ancient trees tower and block out the sunlight, their role is crucial.

The commander, dressed in chainmail, mounted a horse, and carried a sword, appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with sharp eyes.

None of the three mages were particularly old, perhaps only a year or two older than Lu Ban. What was intriguing was that these mages wore the heaviest armor, like the tin cans worn by medieval knights.

"The Black Pine Town is ahead. The people there are very nice. We can rest there for a while."

Birmingham was very outgoing and kept talking about this and that.

It seems that in his mind, Lu Ban was a new recruit, and Birmingham was Lu Ban's older brother.

"Don't worry, I'm here. No one can bully you. Call me 'Big Brother,' and I'll protect you."

Birmingham patted Lu Ban on the shoulder.

"Big brother."

Lu Ban called out, and the boy, who was even younger than Lu Ban, looked smug.

"From now on, if you follow me, you'll have soup to drink and meat to eat."

Birmingham puffed out his chest.

"You think you're someone's big brother? With your head, you'd better watch out or you'll get carried off by a winter wolf."

Someone nearby made a mocking remark.

"Get out of here, don't tarnish my image in front of my little brother."

Birmingham rolled his eyes.

It seems that his only subordinate is Lu Ban.

But it doesn't matter anyway.

Lu Ban felt the cold winter of the Black Forest. This cold was neither the magical attack of the South nor the physical attack of the North, but a kind of cold that froze everything from mind to body, even making thinking sluggish. It was hard not to think that there was an extraordinary power at play here.

The dark forest all looked the same, and even the roads were covered in snow. If the commander hadn't known the way, the entire team would probably have gotten lost in this unchanging scenery.

Just as Lu Ban was wondering how much longer they would have to walk, the dark forest in front of them suddenly lit up.

A large open space appeared before Lu Ban, who saw that it was a small town.

*

Please vote for me with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!