Chapter 60: Ambush

Winter mornings always brought a chill, even when the sun was high in the sky, casting its light across the land. It seemed as though the sun’s presence served no purpose other than to illuminate the ground.

Exhaling a puff of steam, the group set off on a new day’s journey. The main force slowly moved toward the outskirts of Years City, with the capital as their goal. Everything appeared normal, as if what had happened the previous day never took place.

Still following behind the soldiers of the Dark Legion, the members of the Swift Wind Mercenaries felt somewhat depressed.

“Hehe, Rod, how about it? Do you still feel anything from yesterday?” Bit, that narcissistic guy, somehow squeezed himself next to Rod and whispered.

“Feelings? It was just giving those arrogant fools a lesson. What feelings could there be? I just satisfied my urge,” Rod replied indifferently.

“Damn it, I’m not asking that. I’m asking about sleep—do you know how Ada is?” Bit grabbed Rod’s hand, speaking in frustration. This time his voice was louder, drawing the attention of those around them. No one noticed that they had quietly moved a little closer.

“Her? She’s fine. Damn it, why do you keep asking this question? Just stay away for once. I’m upset right now!”

Rod was amused yet exasperated. He didn’t understand why Bit was so obsessed with Ada. Such concern even made Rod suspect that Bit might have an affair with her. His smile froze as he glanced at Bit suspiciously.

“Hehe, no rush. Probably because of what happened last night—everyone must have stayed up late!” Bit tried to comfort himself, lowering his head and murmuring a few words before turning to Rod. Their eyes met, and Rod’s nervousness grew. He quickly checked himself over, finding nothing amiss before finally relaxing.

“Why are you staring? Seriously, you’ll figure out why I asked!” Bit said, probably realizing the suspicion in Rod’s eyes.

Rod ignored him and, just like yesterday, entered a state of meditation. It wasn’t until later that he finally understood why Bit was so concerned about this matter—and why someone as clean as Ada didn’t have a roommate…

The group moved forward slowly. No one noticed that the moment they stepped out of the hotel, several pairs of eyes had already been watching them closely from behind, silently following them. Even after leaving Shuiyue City, they continued to follow from a distance.

…

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Nothing significant happened during those three days; the journey was peaceful without any accidents. With just two more days left before reaching the capital, everyone began to relax. This mission was far too simple and easy, beyond anyone’s imagination—so simple that they couldn’t believe it. Even now, they still didn’t understand why the members of the Dark Legion wanted to hire a mercenary team!

Oh, right—it seemed it wasn’t the Dark Legion itself that hired them, but someone else on their behalf. This made everyone even more puzzled. With a hundred members of the Dark Legion here, it seemed no real danger existed, so the purpose of hiring them was unclear. The only explanation that came to mind was that those wealthy people might have so much money they didn’t know what to do with it, so they decided to show off.

Over those three days, Rod also became thoroughly integrated with the members of the mercenary team. Unconsciously, he felt like he had found a family. Everyone was easy to get along with, especially Bit. Though he was narcissistic, he was still a decent person—something Rod had come to realize deeply.

After blending in with everyone, he stopped feeling bored. Perhaps it was due to adaptation. Spending time laughing and chatting every day was much better than being around those gloomy Dark Legion soldiers who wore serious expressions all the time.

The sun shone brightly, and the midday sunlight brought a warm feeling. Basking in the sun, they chose an open area to rest for a while and have a simple lunch before continuing on their journey.

In front of them lay a canyon, flanked by mountains on both sides. The howling cold wind blew through the narrow valley, creating a roaring sound. The somewhat gloomy environment had its own charm.

As they entered the valley, a gust of cold wind hit them, instantly wiping away all warmth. Everyone tightened their clothes; the cold felt oppressive.

It was at the moment they entered the canyon that two people stepped out from behind them. They exchanged a glance and quickly darted to the side. A storm was brewing.

The canyon was extremely long; after walking for a long time, there was still no sign of an end. Looking back at the entrance, which was now barely visible, a sense of unease crept into their hearts.

“Boom… boom…” A dull sound came through, startling the lazy people, who quickly stopped moving forward and looked ahead.

“Bad! Retreat quickly!” A loud shout came from Landy. Indeed, along their path, countless boulders had appeared somehow, rolling rapidly down from the slopes on both sides of the canyon. Instinctively, he chose to retreat first! As a mercenary, he knew it was better to be cautious, as the situation ahead was unpredictable, while behind them, things had just become slightly better.

The huge boulders rolled with growing speed, aiming straight at them. Looking back, they broke into cold sweat—they were surrounded! There were boulders all around, and they were right in the center, where the number of boulders was terrifyingly large!

Without wasting time thinking, they drew their weapons and prepared to retreat.

“Defend! Protect the lady! Charge through!” The officer also shouted loudly. At that moment, the quality of the Dark Legion was evident. After a brief panic, under the officer’s command, they quickly formed a formation to protect the carriage in the middle. The officer of the Dark Legion chose to break through the encirclement. Under siege from all sides, the military mindset guided his actions.

Just like on a battlefield, under attack from all sides, their first thought would definitely be to charge, not retreat.

Hearing the officer’s words, Landy and all members of the Swift Wind Mercenary Team were stunned for a moment. But experience mattered, and Landy quickly reacted, urging everyone to work together with the Dark Legion to break through. As mercenaries, they couldn’t abandon those they were supposed to protect.

For the first time, both sides united tightly into one team, protecting the carriage in the middle as they rushed forward.

Amidst the roaring sounds, they fought against time against the demons.

In the next moment, the boulders arrived before them—each about half a person’s height and size. As the boulders rolled down, danger was everywhere.

In no time, several soldiers of the Dark Legion fell in pools of blood due to the onslaught.

Everyone unleashed their combat energy without hesitation, wielding their weapons to fend off the boulders.

What surprised Rod the most in the battlefield was actually that officer from the Dark Legion. He seemed to be in his thirties yet was already a Golden Warrior, his golden combat energy being extremely dazzling. Wielding a long spear, he charged back and forth, shattering rock after rock. With each strike, a loud roar would echo, as the rocks hit exploded into pieces that flew everywhere. Landy and Bruce also demonstrated the strength of Silver Warriors and Bronze Warriors respectively; the rocks seemed to pose little threat to them. With the two magicians surrounded in the middle, the elite warriors of the Windy Mercenaries fought closely together. Through coordinated efforts, they avoided danger, deflecting each incoming rock. Never forgetting their mission, they rushed to the carriage first to protect the two women inside alongside the soldiers. Amidst the barrage of rocks, it was likely the soldiers of the Dark Legion who suffered the most, with over a dozen of them lying in pools of blood, groaning in pain. “Hurry up and charge!” shouted Landy and the officer in unison during a brief lull after resisting the attacks. Without hesitation, they picked up the injured soldiers from the ground, and the entire group rushed outside at top speed. As for those who were already dead, they were left behind helplessly, becoming undead with no place to rest. Whoosh whoosh whoosh… Less than a moment after the last rock attack, another faint sound came, causing everyone’s faces to turn pale. No one knew better than the soldiers of the Dark Legion what those sounds meant. The enemies lurking in the shadows launched a second wave of attacks—a rain of arrows! Sounds came from all directions at once. Before anyone could react, a torrent of arrows poured down, covering the sky. The dull swishing sound resembled cries from hell, turning the sky dark as it was engulfed by the arrows. “Protect the ladies!” With a loud cry, the officer channeled his combat energy to its peak and rushed to the carriage. No one cared about their own safety at this moment, and no one chose to hide. Everyone stood before the carriage with determination, surrounding it tightly from all sides. It seemed to declare to the enemies that as long as one person remained alive, they would never be able to attack the carriage.