Chapter 67: Breakout

Holding the hands of the two women, under the cover of Bit, Ada, and Chelly, the group quickly made their way toward the exit.
The two women, having their hands held, were initially stunned, their faces turning slightly red. It seemed no one had ever treated them in such a manner before. But soon, they regained their composure and began to struggle fiercely.
Yet, as weak women as they were, what could they do even if they struggled hard? In front of Rod, their struggles seemed utterly futile.
Seeing Rod and the others attempting to break free, Randy and members of the Windy Mercenaries launched a desperate attack. They surrounded Rod and his group, blocking any enemy attempts to get close, using everything they had to keep them at bay. Soldiers from the Dark Legion also joined in, helping the Windy Mercenaries escort Rod and the others away.
“Rod, I’m counting on you for the lady. Remember, you must bring her safely back to the capital!”
With a loud shout, the Dark Legion officer, surrounded by golden light, held back the lead man in black, preventing him from offering any help.
Immediately afterward, the officer called out to the lady, “Madam, this humble soldier has failed in his mission. If I can somehow return to the capital alive, I will come and atone for my mistakes!”
With the two women, they broke through the chaos, using everyone’s cover to rush out of the small inn and head into the darkness.
Without paying attention to direction or surroundings, their only goal was to get as far away from this place as possible. The sounds of fighting behind them gradually faded, but their hearts were filled with sorrow.
They ran for who knew how long until the two women were out of breath and unable to move. Finally, Rod and Bit each carried one of them on their backs until even they were exhausted and could no longer move.
Panting heavily, they gazed at the dark night and the desolate surroundings. Only after confirming no one was pursuing them did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Once relaxed, the two mages completely collapsed, sitting on the ground. Their clothes, soaked with sweat, made them feel extremely cold as a cool breeze blew past.
“Where is this?” They looked around. There were only trees everywhere, not even a sign of life. They began to wonder.

“I don’t know, damn it! Who knows? Anyway, just get rid of those damned bastards!”
Looking around and scouring his mind for any clue as to where they were, he couldn’t figure it out. After a helpless sigh, the group decided to give up for now. Getting away from those men in black was the top priority.
“Alright, it seems we’ll have to spend the night here. Let’s set off again tomorrow!”
Glancing at the pitch-black night sky, so dark it seemed pure and flawless with not a hint of light, Bit let out a sigh before forcing a smile.
“Mm!” After pondering for a moment, he nodded and turned to the two women beside him. “You two should be fine, right?”
His voice carried a hint of coldness as Rod asked lightly. He now had no goodwill toward these two at all. Hadn’t everything started because of them?
Without saying a word, the two women simply nodded in agreement, offering no opinions of their own. Perhaps they also realized they were to blame for everything. With a sense of guilt, how could they be picky? Not to mention this was the middle of nowhere—just think about the two of them: if they really angered those mercenaries here and were left behind, that would be the worst outcome.
Rod gave them a brief glance and stopped talking, his mood heavy. He wondered what had happened to the captain and the others. Maybe… The thought weighed on him, bringing a suffocating sense of oppression.
Damn those men in black! All his hatred turned toward them. As for the two women, Rod didn’t really hold any grudges against them. Just as Landy had taught him, as mercenaries, they should know the code of mercenaries and understand how cruel and heartless their lives could be. They had no hatred toward their employers—after all, it wasn’t others who shunned them from taking on this mission; it was they who fought hard to get it.
The only ones to blame were those damned men in black. Clutching the Golden Eagle badge tightly, his gaze turned icy. Golden Eagle, again the Golden Eagle—first the old man, then Captain Bruce and several comrades, and now even almost the entire Swift Mercenaries squad and a platoon from the Dark Legion.
It was obvious that those who stayed behind were in grave danger. He had a pretty good idea of the situation.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive. After finding a relatively safe spot, everyone reluctantly settled down, waiting for dawn and the arrival of sunlight. It was a night destined to be sleepless and dull—no one spoke; only a faint sense of sadness and confusion filled the air. A pain shot through his body, and he quietly reached out to touch the wound on his abdomen, finding it damp. During the escape, he had accidentally been cut by a man in black. Though not deep, the constant movement had widened the wound. Looking around, he saw that the others were lying quietly, unsure whether they were asleep. Shaking his head in sigh, he decided not to disturb them. He took out the unused potion that Kiro had given him earlier and, in the dim light, carefully applied it to the wound. Frowning in pain, he didn’t even grunt; sweat beaded on his forehead as he breathed heavily. He put away the potion, secretly relieved that he was lucky. If the cut had been longer or deeper, things would likely not be so easy for him—at least he wouldn’t be standing there now. “Are you hurt?” a low voice asked beside him. Turning, he saw Aida, who must have arrived unnoticed, looking at him with concern. “It’s just a minor wound. Hmph, no one can kill me, Rod!” Rod said coldly, relaxing his furrowed brows. But soon, the movement pulled at his wound, causing him to gasp. He hadn’t felt such pain before—perhaps because his body’s potential had been unleashed. “Are you okay? Let me take a look!” “No need. Go rest early. We’ll keep moving tomorrow,” Rod replied softly, shaking his head. “I wonder what’s happened to the captain and the others. Hey, I guess after this parting, we might never see each other again…” He didn’t finish, but Aida’s words carried a clear meaning. Suddenly, both of them fell silent. But it wasn’t just them who were depressed—Cheri and Bit, who seemed asleep in the distance, how could they possibly sleep in such circumstances? Their conversation reached their ears without fail, and their moods also sank. They lay there in silence, no one speaking, as the night returned to its deathly calm.

“Haven’t you guys gone to bed yet? We have to set off tomorrow. I don’t want to see you dragging us down any longer. Remember, you’re no longer that noble lady. I don’t care who you are—just remember, we’re all just people fleeing for our lives now.”
After a long while, Rod’s cold voice suddenly rang out in the silent night sky.
The target was naturally those two women. From the moment they arrived here until now, they had just sat there quietly, saying not a word, watching silently, unsure what they were thinking. Perhaps unable to bear it any longer, Rod couldn’t help but remind them. Though he resented the two of them, at least for now they were his employers, and as a mercenary, he still had to adhere to his code.
It seemed the woman beside that lady wanted to argue something, but was stopped by her. Then, in the pitch-dark night, the two of them, like everyone else, leaned quietly against a tree trunk and fell into silence, likely resting as well.
Gazing intently at the starry sky and the vast universe, Rod felt deeply moved—by life, death, separation… so many things had happened today!
On this day, Rod knew his life would change. On this day, he matured greatly. On this day, he gained many insights.
His state of mind reached a transcendent level. He faintly felt as though he had grasped something, as if realizing something, and quickly devoted himself to cultivation. He channeled his remaining meager internal energy, guiding it through every meridian while absorbing external elements. After several cycles of replenishment and refinement, he returned to his peak condition, the feeling in his heart becoming even more pronounced. That state of mind allowed him to dive deep into his cultivation once again.
At this moment, elements condensed at a faster pace than before, stirring up dust and even alerting the silent Aida and the others, who turned to look in Rod’s direction.
“Could it be…” A thought arose in everyone’s mind simultaneously as they stared in disbelief at the culprit, who showed no signs of awareness.
His internal energy continued to grow. After reaching his peak, Rod faintly sensed a bottleneck. Indeed, his cultivation over this period had brought him close to the pinnacle of a high-level warrior, so it was only natural to feel a bottleneck at this point. Yet beyond that bottleneck, Rod felt as though he was on the verge of breaking through.