Chapter 97

Sul Dac led the second squad to rendezvous with the 57th Regiment's 4th Battalion as dusk fell.

The role of heavy cavalry in the mountains was very limited, mainly because the warhorses could not gallop through the dense forest, and the heavy cavalry could not dismount to walk. Their nearly hundred-pound heavy armor completely restricted their mobility, and the heavy weapons they carried were too cumbersome to use off horseback.

Due to the logistics department's failure to deliver supplies in time, the search range of each battalion did not penetrate too deeply into the Moyun Ridge mountains.

This expeditionary force's military command had deployed three heavy infantry regiments and one heavy cavalry regiment, along with two longbow battalions and one construct knight squad, totaling nearly five thousand men. They searched the forest for half a day and found only eleven demons. Five of the demons escaped into the deep mountains, and the remaining six demons were killed after wounding dozens of heavy infantry soldiers.

One could say that this operation was another poor plan by the young nobles who graduated from the Advanced War Academy.

As the sky gradually darkened, the heavy cavalry had to withdraw first, while the other heavy infantry regiments had to remain on standby in the mountains. The military equipment transported by the supply wagons would have to be returned to the camp almost intact. Additionally, the logistics department had to reserve some wagons to transport the wounded soldiers.

The 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment occupied a clearing in the forest.

Baron Sidney sat on a tree stump, quietly listening to Sul Dac's report on the situation at the western outpost.

Sul Dac explained that the demons had used the hidden sentries as bait, luring and killing the scouts who came to relieve them. He then handed over twelve identity plates to Baron Sidney, which belonged to the squad of fallen soldiers from the 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment.

Seeing the bloodstained identity plates, Baron Sidney's face turned ashen with anger. He punched the pine tree trunk hard, causing the treetop to shake violently, and a few leaves fluttered down.

After a while, Sul Dac returned to the temporary rest area of the second squad.

The ingredients for dinner were provided by Augustus and the bearded Kager. The two of them had planned to try their luck in the forest, hoping to encounter a low-level magical beast. Unfortunately, they wandered around the forest for a long time without seeing any magical beasts. Fortunately, they encountered a striped yu pig on their way back, so they did not return empty-handed.

Actually, it was not surprising that they returned empty-handed. The expeditionary force's four battalions had thoroughly combed through the forest, and the low-level magical beasts that had been residing there had long since fled. It would have been a miracle if they had found any!

The cleaned and gutted yu pig, which still weighed about fifty to sixty pounds, was flattened and tied to a wooden frame. It was coated with salt and some simple spices and roasted over charcoal for more than two hours. The skin became crispy, while the inside remained incredibly tender. The thirteen warriors of the second squad gathered around the fire, feasting heartily, much to the envy of the neighboring squads.

Many squads, even after finishing their rations, could not resist venturing into the forest to hunt some game. Soon, many squads of the 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment's 4th Battalion started their own barbecue dinners.

By the time Baron Sidney noticed, the barbecue had already become a large-scale event.

Since the food was already being roasted, could they really stop the soldiers from eating?

Although this violated some military regulations, since no one from the higher command was pursuing the matter, Baron Sidney decided to turn a blind eye. After all, the heavy infantry regiment was always treated like a stepchild. They were the first to be sent into battle as cannon fodder and the last to withdraw, and they had to handle the aftermath on the battlefield. There was no logic to it.

Sul Dac and He Boqiang sat side by side under a large tree. Not far away, Augustus and the bearded Kager were discussing their hunting plans. Augustus was determined to try the "Divine Body" effect, and the bearded Kager was clearly very interested. Some warriors from the second squad also wanted to join their hunting group.

They began to discuss whether they should take advantage of the break to go to the Yan Sai Lake in the river valley to hunt some Tim fish. These fish were considered first-level magical beasts, but it was unclear if their heads could be used as offerings...

Well, in fact, He Boqiang did not know either. For many unknown things, one had to try to find out the answer.

...

Sul Dac propped his hands behind his head and gazed through the gaps in the leaves at the sunset on the mountain slopes. The half-sunken red sun was about to disappear behind the mountains.

The mountains of the Gandal Mountains were outlined in gold by the sunset, and the birds were gradually returning to their nests, restoring the usual tranquility to the mountain range.

Sul Dac looked at his calloused hand, which was strong and muscular. His arms were thick and powerful, and his eyes were more confident than before. In recent times, he had changed a lot. Since becoming the captain of the second squad, he seemed more mature.

The knight's longsword, which was only issued to captains, stood beside the tree. He also wore a dwarf chain shield, which was made entirely of fine steel from the dwarf kingdom. The most distinctive feature was the chain that connected the shield to his wrist, allowing him to throw the shield in battle and then retrieve it using the chain.

The metal helmet was placed on the hilt of the knight's longsword. It was clear that Sul Dac had taken good care of his armor. Even though it was now the rainy season in Handanar County, there was not a trace of rust on his armor.

"I think I've advanced, and I believe it's due to the 'Divine Body' effect."

Sul Dac said calmly to He Boqiang.

This meant that Sul Dac had likely reached the rank of a 7th-level warrior. In the heavy infantry regiment, this was a hard requirement; only 7th-level warriors could become squad leaders. Previously, due to the heavy losses in the 4th Battalion, Sul Dac had been promoted to squad leader by Baron Sidney as an exception, but his strength was still somewhat lacking.

However, now that he had advanced to a 7th-level warrior, his position as squad leader was well-deserved.

In fact, He Boqiang also felt that Sul Dac should have changed. He himself had already activated ten nodes in his body, and the improvement in strength was particularly noticeable. Therefore, he believed that Sul Dac should have a similar experience.

Seeing that He Boqiang was not surprised, Sul Dac added:

"The camp's military doctor said your throat is intact, and there should be no problem with speaking. Your inability to speak is likely due to some psychological trauma that has caused a speech disorder... When we return to Helansa, the temple might be open, and we can ask the priests there to examine you. They specialize in mental treatment..."