Chapter 42: Setting Off

Returning to his room, he still felt no fatigue. The idea in his mind kept replaying vividly in his thoughts. By now, Rod had made a rough decision! Yes, to become a mercenary—first to train himself, second to gain experience, and third to uncover the origins of those men in black and solve the mystery of his own background.
He took out the delicate small iron box from his bosom. Though tiny, it felt quite heavy! Under the moonlight, a thin layer of shimmering light flowed across its surface, reflecting the pure moonlight back. Intricate patterns were carved on the surface, arranged in an orderly manner, seemingly hiding some secret. After studying it for a long time, Rod couldn’t discern any clues. The entire box appeared perfectly seamless, not even a single line in the pattern could be found!
“It seems I really have to wait until I reach that level of strength to uncover its secrets!” With a sigh, Rod placed the box back in his arms and murmured to himself.
“I’ll leave tomorrow!” A determined look flashed in his eyes as he said firmly. He already had a complete plan in mind!
After making preparations, he returned to the bed and sorted through the items he had bought that day—just a set of gear and the Dark Dragon Sword; quite simple! Looking around the room, he felt filled with emotion.
He was leaving—truly leaving this time. For some reason, his mood grew heavy, with a faint sense of reluctance lingering within him.
Kiro… In just a few short days, he had truly come to regard him as a friend. Touching the money pouch in his pocket, a faint smile appeared on his lips. A warm feeling spread through his heart. It seemed he would have to rely on this money for quite some time to come.
After making all the preparations, he found a table in the room and, after some thought, left a letter.
Yes, he didn’t intend to say goodbye to Kiro and the others face-to-face. It was better to leave alone—he disliked such farewell scenes, at least not that feeling. Though it was likely that Alice would be delighted by his departure.
He went to the bed, sat cross-legged, and used the remaining time to train hard!
He quickly immersed himself in cultivation, feeling the combat energy filling his body, driving it to flow slowly through his meridians, bringing a sense of warmth akin to that of hot springs.

Absorbing elements from the outside world, his combat energy had expanded slightly again as he entered the advanced warrior stage. It was likely now five times larger than when he was a middle-level warrior, with almost half of his meridians filled with it. It took three full cycles for him to feel fully satisfied. Exhaling a puff of stale air, he drew his internal energy back to his dantian, opened his eyes, and felt a bit of cold wind blowing in from outside, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Getting up, he picked up the prepared pack and glanced once more at the room, then at the direction of Blaze City visible through the window: “Blaze City, I, Rod, will return!” He carefully placed the letter on the table, then opened the door and strode out proudly. From this moment on, he would step into another world. Rod was well aware of the tremendous changes his life would undergo after making this decision. The quiet city of Qingfeng gradually regained its rare tranquility. There were hardly any people on the streets, and the bright lights were now sparse. Occasional sounds of laughter, arguments, and noise came from the taverns in Qingfeng City—the only places still lit up at such a late hour. Qingfeng City wasn’t a large town; it was just a small one. In no time, Rod reached the city gates, which were tightly closed in the dead of night. He wasn’t surprised by this; Blaze City was the same. He knew that the gates usually wouldn’t open until dawn. He had come early partly because he couldn’t sleep and partly to avoid being detected by Kiro and the others. His destination was Blue Ice City, about thirty miles away from Qingfeng City. It was a major city in the empire, with a population of around 700,000, not including those who moved in and out. Trade there was thriving, making it a trade hub in the southern part of the empire. There was the largest mercenary association in the region there, and Rod planned to register as a mercenary upon arriving to start his career. Of course, a small town like Qingfeng City didn’t seem to have a mercenary association, otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to get there.

Staring at the bitter wind, he found a secluded corner and sat there quietly, waiting for dawn to arrive. Relying on his luck and energy to withstand the cold, he listened to the constant howling of the wind, his expression remaining calm.
He didn’t know how long he had waited; it felt as though his entire body had gone numb from the cold. Finally, he heard that distinctive creaking sound.
Along with the creaking, the city gates slowly opened, groaning under the gray sky as several soldiers pushed hard to open them.
A stiff smile appeared on his lips as he exhaled a puff of steam-like breath, then quickly headed in that direction. After being questioned and inspected by the guards to ensure there were no issues, Rod stepped outside the city, heading southward toward Blue Ice City. “I’m coming!” he thought to himself, filled with anticipation and excitement.
……
“Damn that Natrod! Hmph, he makes us wait for him every time. He really has no sense of responsibility. If he doesn’t come down soon, we’ll just ignore him!” Sitting at the dining table, Alice glared at Anderson across from her and then at the tightly closed door upstairs, complaining unhappily.
It was breakfast time, but Rod was nowhere to be seen. If it weren’t for Kiro’s advice, she would have already thrown a spell at that room.
“Bad news—Rod’s gone!”
Amidst their frustrated waiting, Kiro rushed downstairs, holding a piece of white paper and looking anxious as he approached them and spoke in a serious tone.
“Did that guy leave? Could he have gone out to play? He’s hopeless. Do we still need to set off? We shouldn’t have brought him along in the first place. If it weren’t for that senior’s request, we would have left him behind long ago!”
With a gloomy expression, Anderson said coldly. He had never liked that ruffian and couldn’t help but complain now.
“No, he’s gone. He left this place. Look, here’s the letter he left behind!”
Frowning, Kiro placed the white paper in front of them and swallowed hard, looking troubled.
Anderson and Alice’s expressions changed—they hadn’t expected this to happen. How could that guy just leave? Why would he do that?
“Could it be he got angry because I said his weapon wasn’t good yesterday? He’s not that petty, is he?”
Frowning, Alice took the letter from Anderson and began to read it, puzzled.

“No, not yet!” Kiro said with a wry smile as he looked at Alice. It was strange that Alice would say such things today, he thought helplessly. After reading the few hundred words in the letter, the three fell into silence. “He’s going to be a mercenary? By himself? With that attitude of his? That’s asking for trouble!” Alice said gloomily after a while. “What should we do now? Let him go by himself or go look for him?” Anderson, on the other hand, remained relatively calm and asked Kiro doubtfully. “Forget it, let him go. As a high-level warrior, being a minor mercenary should be enough. Nothing bad will happen. It’s also good for his training. We can’t find him anyway. If he wants to leave, what’s the point even if we do? Let him go. We should head to Collins Forest! Time is running out. We need to finish things there quickly before returning to the capital! Rod is old enough to take care of himself, right?” Kiro frowned slightly and said in a deep voice after some thought. “Um… that guy won’t be in danger going alone, will he?” Surprisingly, Alice asked worriedly. At that moment, for some reason—perhaps even after Rod left—Alice realized that this guy was actually quite decent. At least he wasn’t that annoying. Having him around seemed to make the journey less dull than before. “There’s no need to worry too much. That guy is smart. What trouble could he cause? We should pray for the others, praying that they won’t get hurt by him!” Anderson said indifferently, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Let it be. If he’s gone, so be it. We’ll meet again if there’s a chance. There shouldn’t be any danger. He can take care of himself. Those men in black probably can’t find him anytime soon. Let’s get ready to leave!” With a sigh, he stood up and headed upstairs. After exchanging glances, Anderson and Alice also went upstairs, each lost in their own thoughts. While Kiro and the others realized Rod had disappeared, Rod had already left Qingfeng City and was walking along the broad road toward Lanbing City. The sun shone brightly, bringing a touch of warmth even in winter. Caravans and mercenaries passing by from time to time broadened Rod’s horizons. Singing a little tune, he moved forward proudly, unaware that several pairs of eyes were already watching him from behind.