Trouble

Hidden in the grass, Orland frowned as he watched the guards beneath the campfire.

"Are you sure this is the right carriage?"

He lowered his head and asked the person beside him.

"Yes, sir. We followed them all the way from Riverwood Town. I can confirm that Miss Helen of the Keller Family is in that carriage."

"The numbers don't seem to match what you told me earlier."

"That's right. There are three other travelers in the carriage. We don't know who they are yet, but I don't think they have anything to do with the Keller Family. They probably aren't very strong, either."

"Good. Remind everyone to be careful and get ready to attack. We absolutely cannot fail."

Orland said no more. They had received word that Helen had left the city several days ago, and now they finally had a chance to make their move. The order from above was to take her alive. That shouldn't be much of a problem for Orland, though.

"Yes, sir."

The man turned and soon disappeared into the depths of the grass. Orland raised his head again and looked toward the carriage in the distance. Just then, he saw the door open, and a young man stepped down.

Is that him?

Orland furrowed his brow. An ominous premonition stirred faintly in his heart.

Rhode climbed down from the carriage.

In the firelight, the forest in the distance looked exceptionally dark. He shifted his gaze to the nearby bushes, his expression turning serious.

There really was someone hiding there.

In fact, when Rhode first sensed someone lurking nearby, his first thought was that the persistent group from Dusk Forest had caught up with them again. But after reconsidering, he realized it didn't add up. If it really were those people, he shouldn't have been able to sense them so easily. After all, spies were an advanced class. No matter how absurd his starting stats were, they couldn't compare with those of an advanced class. The only possibility was that his opponents had been careless and left behind a small clue.

But after climbing down from the carriage, Rhode changed his mind. He could keep the people locked in his senses without any effort, which meant the ones hiding in the grass weren't high-level operators like spies. That made things strange. As far as Rhode knew, he hadn't made enemies since arriving in this world. But now it seemed—perhaps they weren't after him?

"Mr. Rhode? Is something wrong?"

Just then, Lize opened her eyes. As a mercenary, she had made a habit of staying alert at all times. Rhode wouldn't get out of the carriage in the middle of the night just to take a walk. So she quickly opened her eyes, lowered her voice, and asked quietly.

"Some rats."

Rhode looked away and turned his gaze back to the fire. Lize was startled by his answer.

"Are they the people who were following us before?"

"No. It seems they aren't after us."

Rhode shook his head. His answer surprised Lize, but before she could ask anything else, a guard walked over.

"Hello, sir. Is there something you need?"

After a day of traveling, Rhode knew that the richly dressed man before him was Miss Helen's head guard. His name was Ben. Ordinarily, someone with the skills of a head guard should have been assigned to the position, but Ben clearly wasn't particularly capable. He was only a Level 7 swordsman, which, by this world's standards, meant he had only just advanced from apprentice to full-fledged swordsman. But his family had served the Keller Family for generations and was unfailingly loyal, so he had been given the post. Rather than protecting the plump young lady, it would have been more accurate to say he was her attendant.

Ben, for his part, had gradually come to respect Rhode. At first, he hadn't thought much of him. Rhode's handsome face made him seem like a pretty boy with nothing to back it up. But Rhode's performance soon left Ben speechless. At that age, most noble youths could barely hold a sword steady, let alone fight. Yet Rhode had sent two well-trained guards flying with a casual wave of his hand. However he had done it, the young man's strength was beyond imagination. Ben had spent twenty whole years in Deepstone City, but apart from the promising young heir of the Felix Family, he had never met anyone so exceptional.

Every man dreamed of becoming strong, and Ben was no exception. What was more, Dragon Soul Continent had always been a place where the strong ruled. Though he and Rhode had gotten off to a very unpleasant start, once Ben realized that Rhode had the strength to crush him with a mere gesture, he became extremely respectful.

Rhode waved away Ben's eager attention. He had sensed seven people in all, hiding nearby: two each to the left, right, and ahead, and one behind them. The last person was the only one whose position he couldn't pinpoint. He could track the others even as they moved, but that one's whereabouts were elusive, as if he could disappear at any moment.

That must be the strongest one among them.

Rhode already had a plan.

"Call your men back."

"Huh?"

Ben didn't understand what Rhode meant at first. He instinctively wanted to ask a few more questions, but Rhode didn't give him the chance.

Star Trace flashed into view.

Brilliant white light tore through the dark night sky. A dazzling, crescent-shaped blade of light burst from the sword. Ben saw a flash before his eyes, then felt a sharp gust skim past his cheek and roar toward the depths of the dark forest. Grass and trees fell in its wake, while broken branches and leaves scattered in the powerful wind, like pebbles swept along by a great wave.

The two men in black had never imagined their opponent would attack without warning. By the time they reacted, Moonlight's blade of light was already right before them. They had time for only one movement, then both froze in place.

Like a gentle breeze, Moonlight's blade of light swept past them and vanished into the dim forest.

Only a moment later did the two motionless figures topple into the grass like puppets with their strings cut. Not a sound came from them.

Orland, hiding on the other side, had witnessed it all. He stared in shock, unable to utter a word.

An advanced swordsman?!

Anyone who could condense sword energy and unleash it in a sweeping attack was no one to trifle with. Usually, a person capable of such a technique was either a powerful expert who had entered the advanced ranks or a member of some great family. Either way, a petty thief like him couldn't afford to provoke them! Orland gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his dagger. He wished he could stab that informant in the back for what he'd said earlier. He'd claimed the target didn't seem very strong, though he had some strange tricks, and advised Orland to be careful.

Not very strong? An advanced swordsman, and he says that's not very strong?

It was no wonder Orland thought that way. In Dragon Soul Continent, NPCs were different from players. An NPC's level and skill level rose together. A Level 10 class meant Level 10 skill. Players were different. By spending skill points to improve their proficiency, even a Level 10 player could learn spells and sword techniques at an advanced level if they specialized. Some players could even wield master-level swordsmanship as soon as they advanced. But the higher the skill, the greater the cost. If someone mastered a technique but lacked the strength to sustain it, it was nothing but a joke.

The sudden turn of events instantly shattered Orland's foolproof plan. He had intended to have his men kill the three weak guards, then capture Miss Helen and leave. But now, before his side had even made a move, he had already lost two men. The other side also had an advanced swordsman, making things very troublesome. Orland himself was no weakling, but he hadn't yet reached the threshold of advancement. That single strike had sent a chill down his spine.

But...

"Let's do this!"

Orland gritted his teeth, then put his fingers to his mouth and let out a long whistle.

At once, several dark figures sprang from the grass and rushed toward the carriage!

"Protect Miss!"

Though Rhode's earlier action had stunned him, Ben immediately came to his senses when he saw the two figures lying in the grass. He shouted as he drew his sword, while the other two guards quickly closed in around the carriage. Lize hurriedly jumped down and raised a hand, casting Shield of Protection on the three men.

"Whoosh!"

Lize had cast Shield of Protection at just the right moment. Less than a second after she finished, five or six black arrows shot from the grass toward the unprepared guards. But they were a moment too late. The arrows bounced off the shield, which glowed with a faint golden light, and fell harmlessly away.

"Get ready! Watch your surroundings!"

Ben shouted, visibly tense. No wonder—this was his first time being ambushed by enemies in the wilderness. The young lady had always stayed within Deepstone City, where he hadn't worried about any trouble. He never expected they would run into such bad luck after leaving the city!

But there was no point thinking about that now. Seeing the men in black rushing toward him, Ben clenched his teeth, shouted, and charged forward.