Chapter 16: The Brothers’ Thoughts

Watching Rod turn around and leave, Jim and the others stood frozen in place, as if in a dream. They stared at Rod’s retreating figure for a long time before finally coming back to their senses.
“Have we really joined the Scythe of Death Squad?” After a moment, Sambik asked his companions in a tone of disbelief.
“It seems so!” Kambi shook his head and slapped his face again to confirm he wasn’t dreaming.
“Yeah, we’ve joined the Scythe of Death Squad! Their leader said it himself!” Jim quickly added, his voice tinged with excitement.
“Damn it, really? Is this true?” Sambik grabbed his face and shouted loudly, his face filled with extreme excitement. Soon, the group began cheering. Their loud voices and excited behavior quickly attracted the attention of those around them, making them the center of attention. This forced them to calm down and head back toward the city. With what had happened, they had no mood to continue fighting!
“Haha… Damn, I’m part of the Scythe of Death Squad now! Who would dare look down on me now?” Once they reached a quiet place below the city walls, they started cheering without restraint. Kambi even shouted loudly.
“Stop it! What do you think they meant when they kindly let us join? Just because we’re in the Scythe of Death Squad doesn’t mean we’ve accepted their authority. How many strong fighters are trying their best to get in but failing? And yet you’re acting like you’ve achieved something great. Did they let you in to cause trouble?” Jim got angry and shouted at Kambi.
Being older, he remained calmer and less arrogant, more composed. Yet even so, his face still showed extreme excitement, his lips curling upward. He looked like he was looking for a fight.
But then again, everyone knew the situation of the Scythe of Death Squad—so many golden warriors, imperial-level experts, and saint-level powerhouses were trying to get in but never succeeding. Now, this opportunity had fallen to them. How could they not be excited?

Of course they knew it was pure luck—otherwise, why would it be just three guys who had just reached the Silver Warrior level? In Iron Bar Town, no one would pay them any attention! Especially Kambi, who had accidentally reached the Silver Warrior level the day before yesterday and could only be considered a half-Silver-level warrior.
“Alright, guys, go back and rest! We’ll head to Camp 19 to see the boss tomorrow!” With that, everything came to an end, leaving behind a hint of excitement. Kambi said with a smile.
“Brother Jim, what’s wrong?” As they were about to leave, the two noticed something seemed off with Jim. Turning to look at him, who stood behind them with a frown as if deep in thought, Sambik asked.
“Nothing, I just thought of the boss. I wonder how he’s doing. It’s been so long since we last saw each other!” With a sigh, Jim spoke in a suddenly sad tone. It had been over a year since they parted from Rod. They really didn’t know how he was now. Since leaving Blaze City, they had gone through many hardships, struggling their way through before joining the Silver Fox Mercenary Group, where they managed to get by, but they were still treated as outcasts. That’s why they decided to leave the Silver Fox Mercenary Group a month ago and come to Iron Bar Town to start a new life! Facing danger again tonight, the sudden appearance of that man left them at a loss.
It had been a long time since they’d felt such warmth and comfort. It had been so long since they’d had such a good feeling that it made them think of Rod. Over the past year, they had been busy nonstop! They searched everywhere but found nothing. The only thing they gained was over a month ago—that day they would never forget. Their boss, Knight Rod, suddenly became the focus of the entire continent and the target of pursuit across the land, right after the demons! What a ridiculous term! They didn’t know how he was now, as they hadn’t heard from him in a while.
“Boss! Yeah, we really don’t know how the boss is doing. Tomorrow we’ll have to follow others again! Even though it’s the Death Scythe Squad, we still can’t get that same feeling!” As the topic came up, the atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy. The earlier excitement vanished instantly. The group looked at each other, their eyes filled with nostalgia and concern.
“That damned guy is still hunting the boss! None of them are good! One day, when I’m strong enough, I’ll take them down one by one!” Kambi growled through gritted teeth.

“Yes, how could we not know who the boss is? A demon? Stop talking nonsense—he must be framed. Even if he’s a demon, so what? If he rebels against me, Sambik, I’ll follow him without hesitation. What if he abandons the entire continent? It’s just some crappy place—where else can’t we live? If the boss is a demon and he wants chaos, I’ll help him wield the sword. If he wants to slaughter the world, I’ll follow him too. Losing my head is just a scar the size of a bowl!” Sambik said, filled with indignation.

“Hmm, you’re right. No matter what, he’s still our boss. You two, remember what you said. If I ever find out you betrayed the boss and broke your words today, I, Jem, will be the first to punish you!” Hearing their words, Jem suddenly showed a relieved smile for some reason, then stared at them with unprecedented seriousness.

“Damn it, Jem bro, you’re really tough, huh? Threatening us too? Don’t you know who we are? Get the hell out!” Kambi got upset and shouted loudly.

The argument didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. After chatting, they headed back to their barracks, ending the night’s chaos!

Looking back at the fiercely fighting walls behind them, Jem took a deep breath, his expression complex, while sighing deeply.

That person earlier had reminded him of a familiar figure—the tone of voice, the attitude, and that familiar silhouette left him puzzled!

“I hope it’s you!” he muttered to himself, then smiled and strode forward.

……

After saying goodbye to Jem and the others, Rod arrived at the battlefield in the middle of the walls. Without hesitation, he charged in and started slashing. This time, Rod had no reservations. The Death Scythe Squad no longer existed; he was alone, with no worries or constraints, mercilessly slaughtering the monsters!

By the time the battle ended, dawn had arrived. The fighting that night had been relatively stable. Several near-divine and divine-level warriors fought with great intensity. The biggest achievement was injuring a dragon—a wind dragon—and severely damaging it, almost killing it. This earned loud cheers from everyone, boosting morale greatly!

The vampires and werewolves were surprisingly absent today, not a single one of them. That’s why everyone could fight so freely.

However, everyone was relieved, but Rod could not calm down. That premonition lingered on. He knew things were definitely not that simple. Given the nature of the vampires, werewolves, and demons, they would not simply settle down. The brief peace might be just a prelude to a storm—everything had only just begun.

In the blink of an eye, daylight began to appear. As the fighting gradually subsided, Rod set down the blood-soaked Dark Dragon and headed toward Emio in the center.

After a night of battle, his body was covered in blood, with several wounds added to his existing injuries, leaving him in a miserable state. Rod didn’t know how many demons he had killed that night—vaguely recalling two imperial-level monsters and three gold-level ones, without counting those he had killed alongside others! In any case, the Dark Dragon had drunk deeply from the blood, experiencing unprecedented satisfaction. Rod could even sense its cheerful chirping. Despite such fierce combat, the blade remained spotless, as no one noticed that all the blood had been absorbed by the Dark Dragon.

When he reached Emio, it was clear he had aged greatly after just a few days apart. Seeing the extra white hair at his temples, Rod couldn’t help but sigh. In all of Iron Bar Town, no one was suffering more than Emio.

He bore the greatest pressure and faced the most troubles! He couldn’t fall—otherwise, everything would be lost. Having worked tirelessly for days, he was exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot pupils, and a pale, weak appearance.

“You’ve come? The Scythe of Death Squad didn’t come, did they? Good. Take some rest and regroup. You’re the backbone of everyone—you can’t collapse! Why don’t you rest properly?” Emio asked with a sigh upon sensing Rod’s arrival and looking at him.

“Come and see. Are you okay? Take care of yourself. You’re the pillar of everyone—if you fall, Iron Bar Town is done!” Rod couldn’t help but remind him, seeing Emio’s condition.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to die. Is something wrong?” Though they hadn’t spent much time together, Emio knew Rod well enough to realize he wouldn’t have come looking for him unless there was a problem.

“That matter is done. I came to tell you and show you!” Taking a deep breath, Rod looked at the monsters outside the city and the piles of corpses before speaking solemnly.

Over those few days, aside from fighting, he hadn’t wasted any time and finally completed the task Emio had entrusted to him. It could be considered keeping his trust.