Chapter 225: Battle

“Do you know what force is guiding them to do such things?” Rod frowned in confusion after hearing Hori’s words, feeling ashamed inwardly. If it were human-made, it would be terrifying—what kind of immense power would be needed to do this? And if that person had malicious intentions… the consequences would be unimaginable.
“It comes from the Dark Source. No one knows for sure. The continent once sent people to investigate, but not a single one returned—among them were holy-level warriors, and even a god-level warrior who also disappeared without a trace!” Hori said with a sigh, a bitter smile on his face. If it could be explored, there wouldn’t be so many problems.
Silence fell in the carriage after his words. God-level warriors simply disappeared? It was hard to believe, but it was the truth. After all, that’s why the Dark Source was considered one of the two forbidden zones—no one could venture deep inside.
“Perhaps the demons know, but they certainly won’t tell us!” A man beside Hori finally spoke. He had a robust build, no less impressive than Hori’s.
His words were met with agreement. After all, the demons hid within the Dark Source, so they knew best what lay inside. But as mortal enemies of humans, would they gloat at such situations or foolishly step in to help? Clearly absurd. Yet this also showed the strength of the demons—being able to survive in such a dangerous place proved their toughness.
“Alright, let’s hurry back once the mission is done. I hope the beast horde doesn’t appear—otherwise, who knows what else might happen!” Fox said with a sigh, addressing the group.
Rod sat quietly, lost in thought. At a time when the continent’s survival was at stake, it seemed everyone would step up. Looking at the armies gathered in Iron Bar Town from various nations, the reinforcements coming from all directions, and the mercenaries who volunteered to help, there was indeed a sense of unity.
Despite the bumpy ride, the group continued onward. According to Hori, their target was a village 300 miles from the capital. At full speed, they might reach it in about seven days. Thinking about facing those guys soon, Rod felt determined. He focused all his attention on training—perhaps he could make some progress in these last few days.

He kept walking without stopping, always on the move, even sleeping at night while the carriage continued its journey. He changed carriages six times along the way, all because the horses were too exhausted to go on, showing just how arduous the journey was. Rod once again witnessed the strength of Hori’s organization—always someone would take care of everything before they arrived, including provisions, carriages, and daily necessities! After seven days of rapid travel, they finally reached this small village—a simple, remote, and primitive place. It was hard to believe such a humble place existed just 300 miles from the capital, with simple buildings, simple people, and a simple environment surrounded by green mountains and rivers under the morning sun. Although it was early in the morning, most people were already working in the fields, their faces filled with smiles as they toiled hard. Watching this, Rod couldn’t help but feel envious; this truly was a wonderful place. Perhaps calling it a utopia wouldn’t be an exaggeration. He hadn’t expected those guys to know how to find such a peaceful place to live in secrecy. On the other hand, he also admired Hori’s organization greatly—being able to discover such a hidden place showed just how well-informed they were. “They live in that house!” Hori pointed to a simple small house ahead. “I’ll go and call them out,” Rod said softly after a moment of thought. Looking at the peaceful scene, he felt an inexplicable reluctance to disrupt the serene environment and the people’s tranquil lives. If a battle broke out here, it would surely destroy the village’s peace, and Rod couldn’t bring himself to do that. “Alright, we’ll wait for you in that forest!” Hori was momentarily stunned by Rod’s words but then, as if sensing something, sighed and agreed to his request, leading the other four back into the forest. It wasn’t until Hori and the others disappeared from sight that Rod stepped forward. Walking along the paths through the fields, breathing in the scent of fresh soil and feeling the coolness of the flowing water, he soon arrived in front of the small house.

The first thing heard were the cries of several children, along with a woman’s laughter and instructions. Looking inside, there were five or six children gathered in this small courtyard—ranging from five or six years old to twelve or thirteen—squatting in a martial stance, practicing boxing with serious expressions. Standing in front of them, giving instructions, was the woman nicknamed Nightingale.

There were also a few older children, around fifteen or sixteen, each being tutored individually. Were those not Silver Wing, Viper Snake, and Crow? It was unexpected that they were teaching here. The strongest of those youths had already reached the level of a Bronze Warrior, at just seventeen or eighteen years old, while the others seemed to be at the level of Advanced Warriors.

Snap… A dry branch underfoot broke with a clear sound, immediately drawing Rod’s attention. His expression changed—he knew this mistake could easily attract the others’ attention.

Sure enough, as expected, Silver Wing and the others paused slightly upon hearing the sound, stunned at first, then quickly turning toward the door!

Rod showed no intention of hiding from their gaze, standing still and meeting their eyes.

“You guys continue practicing here. Some friends have arrived. Sister and brother are going out for a bit! Don’t run around, okay?” With a stiff expression, Nightingale quickly turned back to give instructions to the children in the courtyard before heading outside first, followed by Silver Wing and the others. The four of them approached Rod with serious expressions.

“I didn’t expect you to find us here. If you want revenge, this isn’t the place. Come with us!” Silver Wing said in a low voice, looking at Rod with complexity, even a hint of pleading, which surprised Rod greatly.

As for Nightingale, she lost her usual liveliness and defiance, no longer teasing him like during their previous meetings. With a serious expression and a hint of concern, she glanced back at the children behind her.

“It seems you’re having a good time!” Rod said coldly, showing no intention of leaving, with a playful look on his face as he watched the children behind him.

“They’re innocent—just children from this village. It’s best if you don’t do anything reckless! In exchange, if you lose today, we won’t kill you or reveal your whereabouts!” Silver Wing said firmly, his face tense.

“Don’t worry, I, Knightrod, am not that kind of jerk. It’s you guys who seem to have plenty of leisure time. Indeed, I’m quite envious of such a life. Unfortunately, I’ll never be able to live like that. Don’t you think? It seems everything stems from you!” Rod snapped in a cold tone.

“Knightrod, whatever you plan, let’s continue. The people here are innocent. You must have seen that—just come at us if you have something to say!” Nightingale cried anxiously, fearing Rod might harm these innocents.

If the Dark Mercenaries saw this scene, they would be shocked—these infamous, cold-blooded quartet actually had such a side to them.

“I’ve said I’m not that kind of person. But whatever you owe me, I’ll make you pay back. Meet me in the woods outside. It’s best if all of you come—my men are there!” With a cold smile, Rod revealed all his cards before striding confidently toward the woods, leaving the others with heavy expressions.

The appearance of this demon made them extremely surprised. They didn’t know how he had found this place, and they were even more worried about whether the villagers might be affected. They didn’t want to see this happen. Though they were cold-blooded killers outside, famous for their ruthlessness, here they were just ordinary villagers.

And who were these accomplices the demon mentioned? How had he found them? Were they also demons? Or vampires and werewolves? All members of the dark forces, surely. Last time, Rod’s transformation alone had left the four of them helpless. Now he had brought more people—how dangerous it was, they understood all too well.

“Let’s go, follow him!” Seeing Rod walking farther away, Silverwing took a deep breath and ordered in a low voice, then quickly followed. Nightingale and Viper also hurried after him. Only Crow hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering toward the children in the yard behind him, as if making a decision before finally following as well.

Feeling the others following, a cold smirk appeared on Rod’s lips, but his mood wasn’t as triumphant as he had expected. He felt as if something was bothering him, a sense of impending battle. Could it be because of what he had just seen? Thinking of that, his heart tightened. He shook his head firmly—absurd. After finally finding them and getting this chance, how could he give it up? After all, they had done such things to him in the past.

Gritting his teeth, he quickened his pace and headed into the woods; at this point, it was like an arrow nocked on a bow, ready to be released.