Ice Blade Squad had to have a Godlevel member handle even accepting a mission. Sanctuary warriors couldn't even get near the mission hall, let alone have a say in the matter.
Barn stood in a corner of the camp, gazing at the distant ice-blue wall. His longing for godhood grew stronger. In Gobada, even the basic right to participate in a mission had to be earned through strength.
Fortunately, Fukaloss was being sensible. She hadn't started by taking on a deadly mission; instead, she'd chosen a relatively mild first assignment.
"Our first mission is to search for the Soul-Hunting Squad behind our territory." Fukaloss held a yellowed animal hide. "Many people on the Evil Royal City's side specialize in the Laws of Death. They like to use undead to sow chaos along the border, then cross the defenses and sneak into our territory to launch raids. According to reports from the front lines, about ten squads have infiltrated recently. We've only eliminated two so far."
Julia raised her eyes slightly and asked calmly, "What's the reward?"
"Kill the Godlevel member of the enemy Soul-Hunting Squad, and you'll receive a Blood Sword bred by an Abyssal Sword Demon."
At that, everyone's eyes lit up.
Julia had clearly heard of this before. She spoke calmly. "A million years ago, the Yulan Plane was invaded by Abyssal Demons. In the end, the Godlevel and Sanctuary warriors of the entire plane joined forces to suppress them, forcibly imprisoning most of the demons in Gobada. Of course, they couldn't stir up much trouble here, but many had unusual talents. Blade Demons, Spear Spirits, Sword Ghosts, and the like could use their own essence to breed weapons whose strength rivaled Divine Artifacts. Our Ice Prison Royal City captured a group of Sword Ghosts and used the Blood Swords they bred to reward soldiers who distinguished themselves."
Barn's heart stirred.
He remembered the Abyssal Blade Demons from the original story very clearly. No wonder Dylan's three sons had recognized them at a glance; they must have encountered their kind in Gobada.
Declan immediately asked, "One more question. How do we know that the Godlevel we kill belongs to the Soul-Hunting Squad?"
"All Royal City soldiers wear identification badges to prevent mistaken attacks," Fukaloss replied. "The badges are the best proof."
Barn raised his hand and asked bluntly, "The mission says we'll get a reward for killing Godlevel enemies. What about Sanctuary ones?"
"I'll compensate you privately for killing enemy Sanctuary warriors." Fukaloss smiled. "Besides, whatever supplies, magic cores, and equipment the enemy carries are your spoils of war. Isn't that enough?"
Barn, Declan, and Gideon answered together at once. "No more questions!"
Julia and Blair merely nodded, their expressions still carrying the haughty air of those born in a Royal City.
The Gobada Plane was roughly circular, with the Five Royal Cities each occupying one direction. Ice Prison Royal City lay in a narrow stretch of land in the north, and its territory wasn't particularly large.
The mission area assigned to their Ice Blade 123 Squad was a vast wilderness northwest of Ice Prison Royal City.
Fukaloss explained in advance, "Search missions take a long time. It's normal for one to last twenty or thirty years. We have five Sanctuary warriors in the squad now, and I've been supplying you with scattered Divine Power to sustain you. The burden is too great, so I won't spread out my spiritual sense to search casually. I'll only sense the area at full strength once we've located the enemy and are ready to act. Most of the searching will be up to you."
"It'll be hard to find anyone by searching blindly over such a huge area." Declan's dark golden eyes swept over the surroundings. As the squad's best at stealth and scouting, the burden naturally fell to him.
Julia spoke with the confidence of experience. "My father took on a similar mission. Sanctuary warriors in the wilderness are distributed more or less evenly. If you find an area with unusually few of them, the enemy has probably been active there."
Declan's eyes lit up. "You really do have a wealth of experience, Miss."
With that, Declan ducked down and burrowed straight underground, his presence vanishing in an instant.
Barn, Gideon, Julia, and Blair all concealed their auras and moved slowly along the ground, doing their best not to draw attention.
Fukaloss's Divine Clones wielded the Water Element and the Laws of Death. The Divine Power she released created an ideal cultivation environment for Barn. The others' attributes didn't match, but they could still use her Divine Power to make up for the energy their bodies consumed, saving them the effort of absorbing elements from the outside and allowing them to focus on cultivating.
They were fairly lucky.
Three months into the mission, Declan suddenly shot up from underground, his expression grave.
"Miss, something's wrong up ahead."
"What is it?"
"There's a place that releases energy fluctuations intermittently. They seem like the aura of a Sanctuary warrior accidentally leaking out, but they're far too regular." Declan spoke rapidly. "Barn and I encountered something similar before. Nine times out of ten, it's a trap set by an Undead Holy Magus using undead to lure us closer."
Fukaloss was just about to spread out her spiritual sense when Gideon hurriedly said, "Miss, you absolutely mustn't! If an enemy Godlevel is nearby, they'll definitely sense your spiritual power and be alerted."
Fukaloss paused, then nodded. "You're right. What should we do?"
Julia stepped forward, her fighting spirit beginning to show. "Let two of us scout ahead. Once we defeat the enemy's Sanctuary warriors, the Godlevel hiding in the shadows will probably come out to capture us. Then, if you act in time, Miss, we can take care of both at once."
She was eager to try, clearly hoping to prove herself.
Fukaloss shook her head. "Your fighting style is too flashy. You're not suited to sneaking in and luring out the enemy. Gideon and Barn will go."
Barn's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't refuse.
He certainly didn't want to take risks lightly. But when you were under someone else's roof, failing to prove your worth would eventually leave you on the fringes of the squad.
"Go without worry," Fukaloss said confidently. "With my strength, I can save you when it matters."
As the figure of the man and the bear disappeared behind the boulders, Blair couldn't help looking at Fukaloss, her tone tinged with disdain. "Miss, are those two really going to be all right?"
Sanctuary warriors raised in a Royal City had powerful Godlevel parents and naturally high standards. They had never liked the fawning way Barn, Gideon, and Declan behaved.
Fukaloss merely smiled, her tone casual but filled with absolute confidence. "You two would do well to be more humble. In my eyes, even if you joined forces, you might not be able to defeat either of them."
Blair and Julia exchanged glances, both unconvinced.
But in the next moment, a violent, frigid wave of energy erupted across the wilderness ahead. The roar of the undead and the trembling earth exploded at the same time.
Their faces changed abruptly.
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