Chapter 7

The carriage driver and servant, Kil, was busy, taking out a leather backpack from the luggage and opening it to distribute the bread and sausages he had prepared to everyone.

"Pass me the butter!"

Tony squeezed a pimple on his face, wiped it on his thigh, snatched the sausage, took a bite, and then ordered like a lord.

"Don't be shy, if you want to eat something, let the servant get it for you!" Robinson put a napkin around his neck before picking up a dinner knife to start eating. Every move he made was an effort to imitate the upper nobility.

"I want a duck egg!"

Born into a poor family, Will had never been served before. Seeing Kil respectfully hand him a duck egg, he felt uneasy and then a look of envy appeared on his face.

"Work hard, and not only will you have the chance to marry a pretty maid, but even a princess!" Robinson laughed. "This mission is about to start, so no alcohol this time, but I'll treat you next time!"

"Thank you, boss!" Will was deeply moved, feeling that Robinson was his true friend. He decided to work hard later and not disappoint his boss.

Robinson wanted exactly this effect. Seeing Will's excited and hopeful expression, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly hid it. He believed he had a good grasp of anyone's psychology and could make them willingly serve him.

Dunton finished his food as quickly as possible and began the final check of his items, making sure nothing was left behind and everything was within easy reach.

"Want to eat more?" Robinson's gaze narrowed slightly. This young man performed even better than Pire, who had been a mercenary for three years.

The food was provided by Robinson, and Tony and the others, seizing the chance to eat for free, stuffed themselves. However, this young man stopped after just a piece of black bread and a few slices of sausage, probably not even half full.

"No need, eating too much will affect our actions!" Dunton shook his head, also subtly reminding the others that he did not want to move with a group of people with full bellies.

After a big meal, not only does the body become sluggish, but the mind also relaxes. Entering Raven Ridge at such a time would be quite dangerous.

"What do you know, if you don't eat enough, where will you get the strength to fight?" Tony looked at Dunton provocatively, then stuffed another large piece of sausage into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, unable to chew, and bits of meat kept falling out.

Pire, who was biting into a piece of bread, frowned, glanced at Dunton, put down his food, and picked up his Viking greatsword to clean it carefully.

"A set of ordinary equipment, including weapons and armor, costs at least 500 gold coins. After deducting the cost of daily maintenance, there's not much left, so most mercenaries are very poor. When they get a chance to eat a big meal, they won't let it go." Pire explained, his pride not wanting to leave the impression of being incompetent.

Will and Duran also felt embarrassed and stopped eating.

"Once we get back to Misty Town, I'll treat you to a big meal." Robinson was very good at dealing with people, not only soothing everyone but also giving Dunton a grateful look, a way to win their loyalty.

Robinson handed the plate to Kil and scrutinized Dunton, becoming more and more satisfied.

This was a slightly slender fifteen-year-old boy, but he was very spirited, with delicate features and always tightly pursed lips. However, when he occasionally smiled, it revealed a refreshing charm.

Dunton sat on a rock, took out the magic book, and casually flipped through it. He was not in a meditative state but using reading to calm his mind.

The rising morning sun cast light on Dunton's sharp facial features, making him look like a beautiful statue carved by Rodin.

"This guy will definitely be very handsome in the future. Just with that face, he could charm many lonely noblewomen into his arms!" Robinson suddenly felt a bit jealous. When Dunton read, he was as quiet as an elegant poet. He knew that in the capital, a young man with such an aura would be very attractive to some noblewomen with special tastes!

Will felt ashamed, thinking he was far inferior to Dunton, but after entering Raven Ridge for an hour, this thought was replaced by fear and panic.

The air was filled with an unbearable stench, the soil was soft, and worms moved around freely, crawling all over their bodies.

If not dealt with, within five minutes, both pant legs would be covered with disgusting worms.

A cold wind blew, bringing the cries and screams of the dead, seeping into the bones and making one shiver.

"Scared? The ghouls haven't even come out yet, or they would have scared you to death!" Tony mocked Will, deliberately scaring him.

"No!" Although Will denied it, his trembling voice betrayed his fear.

"Shut up, pay attention to the ground, don't miss any herbs!" Robinson lowered his voice and warned, "Be careful not to attract undead creatures."

Many black crows circled in the sky, cawing incessantly, making everyone irritable.

"There are too few herbs!"

After walking for nearly another hour and even passing through an abandoned town, Will looked at the pitiful five herbs and couldn't help but complain.

"Normal, there are many people like us gathering herbs, so there's almost nothing to be found in the outer areas of Raven Ridge. However, no one dares to enter the center of the graveyard, so if you want to get rich, you have to go in." Tony licked his lips, hesitating.

He had long lost his previous calmness and wanted to leave. Only by entering Raven Ridge could one feel the pressure of death.

Duran was also very nervous. The seven-person team had already seen seventeen wandering ghouls, but fortunately, they had avoided them early thanks to Pire's experience.

"If you want to get rich, you have to take risks. We can definitely find herbs that are hundreds or even thousands of years old, and one plant can sell for thousands of gold coins." Robinson encouraged everyone, boosting morale with promises of wealth while also easing the tension. "Don't worry, we'll return in the afternoon and definitely leave Raven Ridge before dark."

"Of course, the undead are active at night. If we stay here, we're dead." Pire, walking at the front of the group, couldn't help but look back. "Dunton, why are you carrying so much? Aren't you tired?"

"Kerosene lamps, five days' worth of food, besides wasting your energy, there's no need." Tony finally found a chance to mock Dunton. "Are you planning to camp in Raven Ridge?"

"Preparation for the unexpected!" Dunton was concise.

Robinson, looking at Dunton walking second in line, suddenly felt some admiration. Compared to the terrified Will, although Dunton was also nervous, he could still remain calm.

When they suddenly encountered a ghoul, Will screamed, but fortunately, Dunton quickly covered his mouth, or they would have definitely alerted the monster.

"Attention, I found a deathcap mushroom, at the ten o'clock direction, about fifty steps away!" Dunton was a man of his word. Despite receiving the valuable magic book, he did not ask to go home but still entered Raven Ridge, taking the risk.

"You have really good eyesight!" Will was envious. Robinson had promised, in addition to the fixed commission, an extra bonus for each herb found.

"It's not about eyesight; everyone can see it from this distance." Duran looked at his friend's back and smiled. "Have you noticed? One-third of our harvest is thanks to him."

"Any secrets? Share them!" Will's eyes sparkled.

"You're stupid. If he told you, how would he earn the bonus?" Tony spat and deliberately provoked, trying to get Dunton's secret.

"Come here, I'll tell you." Dunton beckoned to Will and then looked at Tony, raising a finger. "No more provocation, ten gold coins, and I'll tell you the answer."

"Are you searching based on the growth characteristics of deathcap mushrooms? They usually grow in damp, shady, and dark places." Robinson slapped his forehead. "My fault, I forgot to introduce them to you."

"No wonder you went to the magic potion shop yesterday afternoon. You were asking about potion knowledge." Duran suddenly understood.

"Not asking, buying. That arrogant and stingy alchemist, you know him." Dunton bent over and rushed out to pick the deathcap mushroom.

"This kid, if he becomes a mercenary, will definitely make a name for himself!" Pire, looking at the bold and meticulous Dunton, admired him sincerely.

"Fifteen gold coins a month, work for me, how about it?" When Dunton returned, Robinson made an offer. Such talent must be secured quickly.

Duran and Will's eyes lit up, signaling Dunton to accept immediately.

"Tch, a nobody who isn't even a magic user, what's so special about him?" Tony was jealous. If Dunton agreed, his salary would be higher than his.

"Let me think about it!" If Dunton hadn't received the magic book, he would have agreed, but now he needed to reconsider his future.

"What's there to think about? Fifteen gold coins, a regular apprentice only gets three a month!" Will was angry. If such a high salary were offered to him, he would have jumped at it.

Even the calmest Pire didn't expect Dunton to refuse. Kil, being a slave, was so jealous his eyes turned red, as he didn't even get a silver dren a month.

"Never mind, everyone has their own aspirations, but my shop door will always be open to you!" Robinson hid his displeasure, inwardly criticizing the arrogant youth who would learn the harshness of reality after a few setbacks.

"Get down, a hundred meters ahead, a group of ghouls!" Pire growled, and everyone quickly crouched, afraid of being discovered.

There were thirty-six ghouls ahead, one of which was a minotaur, over two and a half meters tall!

"Let's take a detour!" Robinson gestured, indicating they should move to the right to avoid the group of ghouls.

Due to previous encounters, everyone had experience. They crouched low and moved slowly, trying to stay quiet.

"No abnormalities!"

Every minute, Pire reported the status of the ghoul group. After ten minutes, they had moved in an arc and reached the two o'clock direction of the tallest ghoul, about to escape.

"No abnormalities, we can speed up after another hundred meters." Pire's words relaxed everyone, but Dunton suddenly spoke up.

"Something's wrong!"

Everyone was startled and looked at the ghoul group. They still hadn't noticed the team and were wandering, spreading out more and more, seemingly harmless.

"What are you talking about? Trying to scare us to death?" Tony was angry.

"Look at the ghouls spreading out. If you connect them, they form an arc." Dunton looked around, his face serious, hoping his guess was wrong.

The others didn't understand, but Pire, with his rich experience, turned pale. They were being hunted.

"Trouble, that ghoul might be an intelligent lord!"

As if to confirm Pire's judgment, the tallest ghoul let out a piercing soul scream.

The wandering ghouls immediately went berserk, charging at the team to encircle and kill them!

......

PS: Need more support, everyone, please give me your recommendations!

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