Chapter 88

As Rhod and Hanlek arrived, the hearts of the "Victory Wine" mercenary group finally settled. In fact, after sending people for help, all they could do was wait silently. However, in this world, there were no satellite phones, and while mages had some long-distance communication methods, those were certainly not affordable for a small mercenary group. They didn't even know if the people they sent out had managed to leave the Silent Highlands alive. Sometimes, as they gazed into the deep darkness, they even felt despair, wondering if the people they sent out had fallen in some dark corner of the highlands, never to leave. If that were the case, what was the point of their survival? It would only add to their pain.

But when they raised their long swords, ready to end their own lives, the instinct for survival sprouted in their hearts, uncontrollably. Perhaps the person had escaped successfully and was now bringing the mercenary guild to their aid. If that were true, as long as they held on, there would be hope!

For those in peril, these few days were an unimaginable torment. Life and death, hope and despair, each time they opened their eyes, these feelings would rush to their side, showing their presence. As the days passed, the food of the mercenary group dwindled, making their situation even more unbearable. In the Silent Highlands, where undead creatures roamed, there was nothing to eat except corpses. Even if they went mad and tried to eat the corpses, the rotten, decayed, and foul-smelling flesh would only hasten their death, not sustain their lives.

They had reached their limit. If Rhod didn't appear soon, they might lose their minds due to despair.

Fortunately, this possibility was now eliminated.

Under the treatment of the spirit masters, the mercenaries' injuries were quickly healed. After wolfing down the food the spirit masters brought, the mercenaries could finally lie down and have a peaceful dream, instead of sinking into darkness with pain, unsure if they would wake up again.

The exhausted spirit masters also finally had a chance to rest. Apart from Li Jie, none of them had experience in outdoor combat. Although they had rested a few times before, they were never at ease, always worrying that the terrifying undead might appear from somewhere. Additionally, Rhod always insisted on hurrying, leaving them little time to adjust their moods. After treating the injured, the spirit masters, sitting in the cave, felt a sense of relief and fatigue after being highly tense.

Marin performed slightly better than the spirit masters. Although she had contributed a lot since entering the Silent Highlands, she was still much more relaxed compared to the spirit masters. Rhod mostly ordered her to use low-level spells, so her consumption was not significant. Compared to the "exhausted" spirit masters, she was only tired from intense exercise. She sat by the fire, eating dry rations and talking softly with Li Jie. Meanwhile, Annie, who had been lively before, was now sleeping soundly beside them, her happy face making one wonder about her nerves.

Old Walker did not mix with the girls. He sat in a corner, drinking a little wine and staring at the fire, lost in thought, perhaps recalling something.

What a strange group.

Kudra couldn't help but feel puzzled as he observed the group. To be honest, he had never seen a mercenary group with such a bizarre composition. According to the norm, in most mercenary groups, melee classes were the most numerous, such as swordsmen, thieves, rangers, and warriors. In contrast, mages and spirit masters were overwhelmingly few. On one hand, these classes were very rare and hard to find. On the other hand, neither mages nor spirit masters generally liked to mix with mercenary groups. Mages were of high status and didn't want to lower themselves by associating with these rough guys. Mages were also confident in their intelligence and, if they reluctantly joined a mercenary group, would want to command the group rather than follow orders. Spirit masters, due to their limited abilities, found it difficult to act with mercenary groups, as low-level spirit masters lacked the skills to protect themselves and would be the first to break down in a crisis.

This is why many mercenary guilds classified tasks involving undead as extremely dangerous. Undead were immune to death and damage, making them natural enemies of melee classes. In a crisis, police in a biohazard could not stop becoming zombies with firearms, and mercenaries using cold weapons would fare even worse against a sea of undead.

While rangers could attack undead from a distance, would a dead creature care if one or two arrows pierced its head?

But looking at Rhod's mercenary group, the composition was diverse: mages, spirit masters, swordsmen, rangers, and shield warriors. It looked more like a comprehensive exhibition of professions than a mercenary group. Moreover, ...

Kudra's gaze fell on the girl sitting quietly beside Rhod, her pure white wings hanging behind her like a beautiful cloak.

An angel.

Kudra could swear he had never seen an angel join a mercenary group. At first, he thought the angel girl was someone Serak knew, as Serak was a high-ranking figure in the Deepstone City Mercenary Guild, and it wasn't strange for a powerful person to know mysterious figures.

But when he saw Serak respectfully call Rhod "Master," this man with barbarian blood, who dared to face those terrifying undead, almost fell to the ground in shock.

What was this young man's identity and background?

Kudra didn't know. He had probed Serak, but the swordmaster gave no answer, making Kudra even more convinced of Rhod's depth.

However, he still needed to thank him, and ...

Thinking of this, Kudra stood up and walked to Rhod's side.

"Mr. Rhod, I am very grateful for your willingness to participate in this rescue mission. I offer you and your mercenary group my sincerest respect."

Despite his rough appearance, Kudra's words showed a cautious and careful side. He also remembered Serak's warning: never mention Rhod's face in front of him, or else ...

Kudra understood Serak's meaning. Even he was amazed when he first saw Rhod, but now ...

"Our 'Victory Wine' will not forget your and your mercenary group's help in our time of need. Please rest assured, we will give you sufficient compensation when we return ... for those brothers who sacrificed for us. We will not let them die in vain!" What was this guy talking about?

Rhod looked up, puzzled and surprised, not understanding what the man meant. But at that moment, Serak chuckled and continued for him.

"That's not right, Kudra. To be honest, we didn't lose anyone from entering the Silent Highlands to here. Don't underestimate this young man's leadership. Frankly, you can't compare to him. So, don't curse his mercenary group's losses, or he might get angry."

No losses?!

Kudra was shocked. He looked at Rhod with newfound respect. The Silent Highlands were a dangerous place, and even a fully equipped mercenary guild would expect casualties.

But now, Serak was telling him that this mercenary group had zero casualties!

How did this young man achieve this?

If anyone else had said this, Kudra wouldn't have believed it, but this was Serak speaking. As one of the most respected figures in the mercenary guild, his word was trustworthy. Kudra immediately felt uneasy, knowing what mercenaries feared and that speaking like this in front of others was not a good thing.

"Sorry, I ..."

"No need to apologize, Mr. Kudra."

Rhod calmly interrupted Kudra's apology. He didn't care about such trivial matters, especially since it was an unintentional mistake.

"But I have my own requirements."

"Please, Mr. Rhod."

Hearing Rhod's change in tone, Kudra felt relieved and immediately showed a warm smile.

"As Serak said, I can ensure the safe return of everyone from the Silent Highlands, but I have my conditions. I know you are a mercenary leader, but frankly, I don't trust your leadership. My condition is that before we set out, everyone, including you, must completely and unconditionally obey my orders. If you agree, I can guarantee that everyone will survive. If not ..."

Rhod paused, then looked meaningfully at Kudra, whose face had turned grim.

"Then, to ensure our safety, I will have to make some sacrifices." He was confident Kudra would understand his meaning.

Indeed, Kudra's face changed, first turning pale, then red. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his smile gone, and he stared at the young man, who was nearly twenty years his junior.

In his heart, Kudra rejected Rhod's words. He believed his leadership was not the problem; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived this long in the Silent Highlands. But rationally, he admitted Rhod was right. Arriving here with zero casualties, despite the group's composition, proved the young man's leadership. While Serak's strength as a swordmaster was a factor, Kudra knew such help was limited. Serak, no matter how powerful, was still one person and couldn't cover all aspects of the group.

What should he do?

"I understand. I will tell my subordinates." Kudra nodded stiffly and turned to leave, his initial courtesy and respect gone.

"You shouldn't have spoken to him like that, Rhod."

Watching Kudra's retreating figure, Serak shook his head with a bitter smile.

"I was just stating the inevitable."

Rhod answered without turning around. He was indeed firm because, as he said, there was no room for negotiation. Additionally, Rhod was genuinely annoyed with Kudra. If not for his insistence on bringing his mercenary group to such a dangerous place, they could have completed their mission more easily and quickly. Thinking of this, Rhod felt a surge of anger, though, strictly speaking, it wasn't entirely Kudra's fault. It was his first time in the Silent Highlands, and he didn't know the dangers.

But for Rhod, ignorance was never an excuse, and he had no qualms about blaming others. In the game, Rhod had learned that if someone endangered him and his team, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, intentionally or unintentionally, with good or bad intentions, the result was the same.

Since the result couldn't be changed, their explanations were meaningless to him.

Swallowing his anger was not Rhod's style.

Serak didn't say more. As a member of the mercenary guild, he didn't want to get involved in disputes between mercenary leaders. He also recognized the young man's deep-seated confidence, which he didn't allow anyone to question.

This made Serak feel both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar because many powerful leaders he had seen had such persistence, a necessary cycle where only those who believed in themselves could make it to the end, unaffected by others and able to make decisions. Though sometimes these decisions might be wrong, they were a sign of authority.

Unfamiliar because he had never seen such a presence in any young person. They were either arrogant, ignorant, or fearless, showing a blind confidence that, while initially appealing, was like a paper tiger, revealing its true nature in real situations.

But Rhod was different. From him, Serak sensed the aura of a true leader.

If Serak knew Rhod had once been the leader of the world's most powerful gaming guild, he might understand the source of Rhod's firmness, strength, and confidence.

After answering Serak, Rhod didn't say more because he had more important things to do.

The Silent Highlands, as a high-level dungeon, offered poor equipment but rich experience. After leading the mercenary group through the battlefield of light and shadow and resisting the undead's assault, Rhod's experience finally allowed him to level up, breaking through the 15th level barrier.

This was excellent news for Rhod. At the same time, he received another system notification.

Upon reaching level 15, the system finally informed him that the second sealed sword skill had met the requirements and was unlocked.

Note: Another update will follow soon.