Chapter Fifteen: The Farthest Distance

Dashing into the battle zone without hesitation, Rod immediately shielded the few people struggling against the enemy behind him. Glancing at the golden-level magical beast before him, a look of disdain appeared on his lips. Then, the Dark Dragon drew a brilliant arc and slashed downward at the beast’s head with a single sword strike. The speed was so fast it was hard to track, and the dominance and power behind it left the people behind him staring in disbelief.

With a scream, the once domineering and arrogant magical beast fell to the ground, its eyes closing in agony as it let out a piercing howl. After convulsing for a while, it gradually fell silent.

Looking down at the corpse of the magical beast, Rod felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. The relief after unleashing his power made him smile.

There was a time when facing silver-level magical beasts required fierce battles and nearly cost him his life. There was a time when facing golden-level beasts, he could only look up to them, hunted relentlessly and on the verge of death. There was a time when he imagined killing a golden-level beast but could only sigh in fantasy.

But today! He had not only turned that fantasy into reality but had even surpassed it. What were golden-level beasts? Nothing but paper tigers. He even had the ability to kill them instantly, just as he had done now. Even imperial-level magical beasts could no longer put him in danger. As for quasi-saint-level beasts, he had also killed them before, like that Flame Lion! It all seemed like a fleeting dream, yet so real at the same time.

“This… Big brother, are you Brother Brado, the leader of the Death Scythe Squad?” A timid voice came from behind, pulling Rod out of his euphoria. He turned to look at the people behind him, unable to speak for a moment.

Countless times he had dreamed of meeting them. Countless times he had planned to search for them. In times of crisis and despair, they were always the first ones he thought of! After countless failures and disappointments, Rod never expected to see them in such a situation!

“Brother… what’s wrong with you?” One of the men asked, looking at Rod’s dazed expression.

“No! Hehe, are you all okay?” Rod was slightly stunned, his gaze complex as he looked at them, trying to control his excitement and calm himself down. Yet even so, his voice still trembled slightly, and his body shook faintly, showing just how complicated his emotions were at that moment.
“Hehe, we’re fine. If not for Big Brother showing up, we would have been in trouble. That damned beast! It kept chasing us because it thought it was stronger than us, and almost killed us!” Hearing Rod’s words, the man let out a sigh, his face still showing a hint of fear as he spoke helplessly.
Indeed, the situation earlier had been extremely dangerous. If it weren’t for this man appearing suddenly, they might all have died there today!
“It’s good that you’re okay! It’s good that you’re okay!” Seeing their condition—though disheveled, thankfully without any life-threatening injuries—Rod breathed a sigh of relief, glad he hadn’t arrived too late. At least they hadn’t been seriously hurt! Seeing this, Rod was completely at ease.
He was even secretly relieved that he had come to the city walls that night—it hadn’t been in vain. Seeing these people made it all worth it. As he looked at them, Rod’s expression once again grew hesitant. They were right in front of him, yet he couldn’t recognize them. He had longed for this moment, but now he could only restrain his emotions.
Although he really wanted to tell them that he was their best brother, their Big Brother, Knight Rod, he held back. He couldn’t reveal himself yet. The situation had changed greatly, and he couldn’t expose his identity lightly. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but he had concerns, fearing that revealing himself might lead to a deeply disappointing outcome.
“Hehe, Big Brother, thank you so much today. Without saying more, the three of us owe you our lives! I know you’re the leader of the Death Scythe Squad. We really don’t have the ability to help you much, but we’ll remember this. If we get the chance, we’ll surely risk our lives to repay you!” With a slight smile, the man in the middle showed a row of white teeth under his disheveled appearance, which stood out clearly in the darkness.
“No need. Anyone else would have done the same! It was just coincidence. This place is very dangerous. If it’s not necessary, you don’t have to fight so hard!” With a sigh, Rod said, as usual, these silly kids still hadn’t grown up. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke to them.

“By the way, big bro, I’m Jim. This is my brother Sambik, and this one is Kambi! The three of us will remember you!” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the man in the middle hurriedly added. As he spoke, the two men beside him also showed slight smiles, their faces filled with deep gratitude.

What familiar names! Hearing these three names, Rod couldn’t help but feel a sting in his eyes; he almost lost control of his tears!

Jim, Sambik, and Kambi—his three best brothers. It had been over a year since they last met in Fire City, and today they finally reunited here. Over that year, the three of them had changed dramatically—they had matured a lot, grown stronger, and become true men. Yet Rod could still see the same expressions and personalities they had always had.

What surprised Rod the most was their progress! It had only been two years since they started training, yet all three of them had already reached the rank of Silver Warriors. This speed might not mean much to him, but for ordinary people, it was a huge achievement, even quite surprising. Their talent far exceeded Rod’s expectations—truly prodigious warriors.

On the surface, everything seemed smooth, but only Rod knew how much struggle and hardship they had gone through to get here. Especially Kambi and Sambik—they were both honest and straightforward types. To put it bluntly, they were quite rough-looking, still behind Jim, who was already an intermediate warrior. They must have achieved this through their own hard work, without any shortcuts.

“Big bro, what’s wrong? Were you hurt just now?” Seeing Rod standing there, staring at them in a daze, the three of them quickly asked. They could obviously tell that something was off with Rod—even a fool could notice that.

“No… Hehe, that beast can’t hurt me! I was just thinking about some things. How did the three of you end up here?” With a slight smile, Rod asked in confusion. They had supposedly joined some mercenary group—so why were they here alone?

“No, we just wandered around. When we heard there was a beast outbreak here, we thought if we were capable, we’d come and help! And take care of some business along the way! It’s a shame our strength isn’t enough! Hey! We didn’t succeed, but we almost lost our lives several times—what a huge embarrassment. If our boss found out, he’d surely kill us!” Sambek said helplessly, laughing self-mockingly as he scratched his head.

Those words stunned Rod. Boss—was he referring to himself? Or someone else? Looking at the three of them, Rod really wanted to tell them that he was their boss, Knight Rod, but reason stopped him from speaking. He knew he couldn’t! At least not yet! Not only was the situation inappropriate, but he also knew exactly where he was. The three of them surely knew his identity as a demon. He didn’t know what their attitude was, and revealing it would only put everyone in an awkward position. He needed to wait for the right opportunity to tell them!

With a sigh, Rod finally understood a phrase he had never truly grasped before—what is the greatest distance? It’s standing right in front of you yet being unable to do anything!

“Heh, take your time. Be more careful from now on. When in danger, act according to your capabilities—don’t rush into it. As long as the mountains remain, there will always be firewood. Just remember that! If you need anything, come to Camp 19 to see me. Don’t hesitate!” Rod said with a bitter smile after another sigh.

Then, as if remembering something, he hesitated for a moment before continuing before the three could respond, “How about this? If you’re interested, come to Camp 19 to see me tomorrow. The Scythe of Death Squad is in need of more members!”

It was clear that Rod intended to bring these people into the Scythe of Death Squad! Since he had met them, he couldn’t just watch them face danger or even die here! Only by having them by his side could he feel at ease! Otherwise, who knew what might happen! Although their strength was far from meeting his standards, even if it meant being selfish once, even if it meant using power for personal gain, he had to bring them in anyway!

Rod’s words left the three stunned. They looked at the man who had become extremely famous in half of Iron Bar Town and even across the entire continent, unable to believe it. They slapped their own faces, thinking they must have heard wrong.

The Reaper Scythe Squad, a team that has recently gained fame, the hottest team these days, the most eye-catching group in Iron Bar Town, and one that the entire continent is watching! Known as the best combat team in Iron Bar Town and the strongest combat team on the continent! They never imagined they would one day receive an invitation to join this team.
“I… can we really do this?” Feeling the pain on their faces, they realized they weren’t dreaming. With expressions of disbelief and inferiority, they asked in low voices.
“Yes, it’s up to me! No one will object. Those interested, come to Camp 19 tomorrow morning to see me!” Seeing their reactions, Rod nodded in satisfaction. How could he not know what these guys were thinking? With a slight smile, he turned and headed toward the central combat area—there were still matters to attend to. Since they had met, there was no rush to spend time with them now; there would be plenty of opportunities later. Business came first! Of course, another reason Rod wanted to leave right away was that feeling of something being just out of reach, even though it seemed close. He needed to calm down; otherwise, in a moment of impulse, he might say something he regretted!