Chapter 4

"Hello, Mr. Carter."

Rod raised his head, greeted the man in front of him, and smiled slightly.

"Thank you for your help."

"It was nothing, don't worry about it."

The man was tall and muscular, with bright red hair that was somewhat messy and combed back. From his physical characteristics, he appeared to be a Lycart from the northwest desert. Two long swords, one longer and one shorter, hung quietly at his waist. The firm and scrutinizing expression on his angular face indicated that he was no ordinary man.

While Rod was observing the man, Carter was also quietly sizing up this man in front of him.

At first glance, it was easy to mistake him for an idle noble's son. It was no wonder, given his thin frame, pale skin, and somewhat feminine face, along with his attire, he didn't look like an adventurer out on a journey. Instead, he seemed more like one of those rich second-generation kids who sought thrills and entertainment.

However, Carter believed this young man was not so simple. The reason for this was the strange and mysterious magic array on the back of his right hand. As a spirit master, Lize could sense magic from it, which meant it wasn't a fake. But with Carter's years of experience, he had rarely seen anyone directly imprint a magic array onto their body. This indicated that the young man's identity was far from ordinary. Moreover, from their brief conversation, Carter noticed that the young man's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and his expression was very calm. According to Lize, he had only been awake for about ten minutes, yet he could remain so calm and composed, assessing his current situation. This alone made him far superior to those idle and arrogant noble's sons.

"I heard you come from the Eastern Highlands?"

"Yes."

Rod nodded lightly.

"Then, where do you plan to go?"

"I'm just traveling around."

Rod shrugged.

"I'm an adventurer, and a life of free and adventurous travel is what I live for. Of course, please rest assured, I won't cause any trouble for you."

"That's good."

Since Rod was so cooperative, Carter didn't say much more. They were still on a mission and didn't want any unnecessary complications. After a few more words, reassuring Rod to rest and recover, Carter left without further ado. As the leader of a mercenary group, he had many things to do and couldn't waste time here.

The following time was rather uneventful for Rod. The food Lize brought him was somewhat interesting, though it was just ordinary white bread and dried meat. Rod had eaten these many times in the game, but those were "fake eats" that only restored health and soul power without any taste or the ability to fill one's stomach. Now, he finally got to experience the taste of white bread and dried meat as described in the game, which was a novel experience.

However, it must be said that the taste was not as good as described in the game.

"How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt?"

Sitting beside Rod, the blonde girl looked at him with concern and seriousness, her slightly worried eyes resting on his shoulder, unable to bear the sight.

"It's fine now."

Rod said, while flexing his left hand. The pain from his chest had lessened significantly from the initial intense pain, which had made even breathing difficult at first.

"That's good."

Hearing Rod's response, Lize's tense expression relaxed considerably.

"However, you should still rest more. Once we reach Deepstone City, the conditions will be much better, and your injuries might heal faster."

The girl's expression was very serious. Although the person lying in front of her was a stranger they had just met, her expression showed that she was not concerned about such trivialities.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, it's what I should do."

With that, Lize stood up, her golden, fluffy ponytail swaying with her movements, giving a playful and lively impression.

"Then..."

Lize's words were cut off as the ship suddenly jolted.

The girl's body swayed, nearly falling onto the bed, but she managed to steady herself by grabbing the bedpost at the last moment. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.

Although the airship moved with the powerful wind currents and the sky lacked the dangers of reefs and whirlpools found in the sea, it was clear that the current situation was not normal.

"I'll go check. You stay here and rest, don't worry."

Lize said softly, then immediately turned and left, closing the door behind her. Rod watched her back, his mouth opening in a mix of amusement and exasperation, but he didn't say anything. He was clearly older than her, so why did she speak to him as if he were a child?

But the next moment, a figure that flew past the window made Rod's expression turn serious.

He turned his head slightly and stared intently out the porthole. Soon, three or four green figures flashed by outside, accompanied by a faint, low hissing sound.

"Hisss—"

Hearing this sound, Rod's heart sank.

They were in big trouble!

At that moment, the deck was in chaos.

"I never thought we would encounter these damned things."

The red-haired mercenary leader stood at the front, his face serious as he watched the green figures flying around the airship. They looked like snakes with bat wings, about a meter long. Although their slender bodies seemed fragile, the sharp, venomous fangs in their open mouths quickly dispelled that notion.

Wind Snakes.

"It seems we've entered the territory of the Wind Snakes."

The fat merchant, hiding beside the mercenary leader, was pale and trembling, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Damn it, that cunning Bick! I knew it, I knew it! That bastard giving me such a cheap route was suspicious! This is murder! When I get back, I'll make him pay!"

"Let's worry about getting out of this first!"

Carter interrupted the fat merchant's nearly hysterical rant. Looking around, the number of Wind Snakes surrounding the ship was in the hundreds. At first, he could order his men to use crossbows to try to scare them off. However, the Wind Snakes' "fearless" spirit exceeded his expectations, or perhaps the death of their companions only fueled their aggression. Now, they had taken over the outer deck and were pushing inward. The mercenaries had already discarded their crossbows and were engaging in close combat with their weapons.

"Hide inside and tell the captain we need to leave here as soon as possible!"

Carter pushed the fat merchant into the captain's cabin, then took two steps forward, his dual swords flashing as he cut down a Wind Snake that lunged at him. But another one quickly followed.

There were too few of them!

Carter frowned, scanning the deck. He had only brought six men on this mission, and only six remained. Although the merchant ship had its own guards, they lacked experience. In the first wave of attacks, a third of the ship's guards had fallen, and now only half remained. Judging by their panicked and disorganized state, they wouldn't last long. Carter's expression was grim as he looked at the terrifying creatures.

He wasn't inexperienced with Wind Snakes, but facing such a large number was a first, which made him somewhat nervous. He took another step forward, his body moving nimbly in a half-circle, and his dual swords slashed sideways, heavily striking a Wind Snake. The injured snake fell to the ground, splattering blood, and after a few defiant hisses, it became a cold, lifeless corpse.

Carter raised his head, instinctively scanning the area, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Lize! Watch out!!"

The girl didn't react immediately.

She had just finished treating a mercenary's poison wound and was still dazed from the overexertion. Although she had only been on the deck for a few minutes, she had already treated several injured people. As the only spirit master with healing powers, Lize naturally took on the responsibility.

Hearing Carter's warning, the girl turned around in a daze.

What she saw was a large, open mouth filled with sharp, venomous fangs.

In that instant, the girl's blood ran cold. She stared blankly at the Wind Snake, her mind a blank, unable to react. In her eyes, she could clearly see the sharp, gleaming fangs and the pink inner walls, even the foul smell was so vivid.

Just then, a hand reached out from behind, grabbing Lize's collar and pulling her away at the last moment.