Map

Arthur stood quietly to the side, gazing at the distant scenery. His expression was calm, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

During this time, he had pretended to not understand the language, but in reality, after such a long period, he could already vaguely comprehend some of the local language.

The chip in his mind was constantly analyzing the language of these people. After several days, although it was impossible to fully decipher every sentence, it was sufficient for basic daily communication. Arthur simply hadn't revealed this fact.

A sound of footsteps approached him. A middle-aged knight slowly walked over.

He walked at a moderate pace, a gentle smile always on his face. He arrived in front of Arthur and performed a common knight's salute.

Due to the supposed "language barrier," the middle-aged knight didn't say much and instead gestured for a young man who looked like a scholar to step forward.

The young scholar wore a respectful expression. He slowly unfolded a blueprint he was holding and placed it before Arthur.

It was a meticulously crafted map, detailing the surrounding terrain with great clarity.

The map also clearly marked two circles, with several routes meticulously drawn between them, making everything easy to understand at a glance.

Arthur's expression shifted as he looked at the map before him, his gaze growing serious.

With his knowledge, he naturally understood the map's value. It not only indicated the general terrain of the area but also marked several dangerous locations nearby, specifically highlighted in red as a warning.

Seeing Arthur's reaction, the young man beside him stepped forward and gestured animatedly at Arthur, finally making him understand the intended meaning.

After a moment of contemplation, Arthur reached out and took the map. He returned the salute to the middle-aged knight before stepping aside.

"Lord Alaral, is this alright?" the young man asked, watching Arthur's retreating figure. "What if this Knight encounters an accident?"

"He won't," Alaral replied, standing his ground. His loose hair slowly fell down. "The anomalies don't erupt all at once. Unless he's unlucky enough to run into one of those top-tier anomalies, his current strength should be more than enough to leave before the anomalies grow stronger."

"Besides, even if an accident happens, we won't suffer any losses."

Alaral shook his head. "We have plenty of copies of the map. At worst, it will take a little more time to transcribe them. The most important thing now is to leave here as quickly as possible."

"The anomalies are about to erupt. The longer we stay, the greater the danger. We must leave immediately."

He looked at Arthur's figure in the distance and, without hesitation, led his people away, showing a profound wariness of this place.

As for their departure, Erui and the other two watched from afar with hesitation but ultimately did not choose to leave with them.

Compared to a potential danger, they preferred the visible peace of their current lives.

Seeing Arthur gradually walking forward, they quickly put aside their thoughts and followed him.

Behind them, a group of weary travelers slowly followed, also walking in the footsteps of Arthur and his group.

These were people they had encountered along the way. Seeing the strength Arthur displayed, they spontaneously began following behind them.

While this increased the chance of exposure, it actually made them safer.

With Arthur clearing the path ahead, all the terrifying beasts along the way were hunted down, significantly reducing the dangers they had to face.

They even had a ready food source, obtainable from the carcasses of the beasts Arthur hunted.

After several days, over a dozen people had gathered behind them.

Arthur paid no mind to these people, even indulging them to some extent.

A large crowd attracted mutated monsters, which conveniently allowed Arthur to hunt them along the way without having to specifically search for them.

Of course, the consequence of this was a significant boost to his reputation among these people.

"Sir, this is the village where we live."

As they gradually approached the village ahead, Erui respectfully addressed Arthur outside its entrance.

"Erui, don't waste your effort. This Lord doesn't understand you at all," the young man beside him said with a shake of his head.

During their initial interactions with Arthur, they had tried to communicate with him, but the results were greatly disappointing.

Initially, Arthur not only didn't know the local language but also seemed unable to understand what they were saying, as if he had just arrived in this land.

They privately speculated that Arthur might be the descendant of a powerful noble from a distant kingdom who had only arrived in this country around the time of the disaster three years ago, leading to his current state.

Although this explanation had some lingering doubts, it was sufficient to account for Arthur's situation. Over time, Erui and the others gave up on direct communication, planning to proceed slowly.

Arthur suddenly stopped, looking towards the village ahead.

Several warriors emerged from within, led by a thin man on horseback, and approached the group.

"Where are you all from?" he asked, frowning slightly at the sparse figures before him.

As he spoke, a cacophony of voices rose from below, creating a din.

Seeing the situation, Erui wiped the sweat from his brow and stepped forward with the two men beside him.

The three of them were from this village and recognized the man before them, so they quickly explained the situation.

"You mean to say that pretty boy who looks like a woman escorted you all back?"

The thin man's eyes widened. He pointed at Arthur in the distance. "The kingdom has been in collapse for years. It's not April Fools' Day!"

"My apologies, Lord Laman. Although it's hard to believe, it's the truth."

Before him, Erui wiped his sweat and sighed.

"Let them go in first," Laman said with a shrug, clearing the path behind him and allowing the group to enter. He then walked up to Arthur.

Arthur watched the scene calmly, showing no outward reaction, simply observing.

"Unnamed Character. Strength: 1.3. Agility: 1.1. Constitution: 1.3."

As the opponent approached within five meters of Arthur, the Chip's mechanical voice sounded in his mind again.

"I heard you're a very skilled Knight."

Laman, mounted on his horse, looked down from above and slowly rode to within one meter of Arthur. "Coincidentally, I'm also a powerful Knight. How about we spar..."

BOOM!!

A crisp sound suddenly rang out beside his ear.

Looking at the person before him, Arthur drew his sword with his right hand and, without changing his expression, swung it to his right.

A fierce sword cry resounded, sweeping across several meters in front of him and leaving a three-to-four-meter-long sword mark on the stone slabs on the ground.

Laman's expression instantly shifted from initial disdain to shock.