Chapter 92

Chapter 91: Annie Verroca's Melancholy

Although they had defeated several bone giants, the team's speed did not increase as a result. When Rod first said they needed to hurry, almost everyone thought they would rush forward as before, running without looking back, fighting the enemies as quickly as possible, and then leaving. However, in reality, under Rod's leadership, the entire team underwent a peculiar transformation. When moving forward, they were as slow as turtles, taking three steps forward and two steps back, slower than a leisurely walk in the forest, almost like they were on a suburban outing. But once they encountered enemies, Rod would attack with lightning speed—though this was a polite way to describe it. In more practical terms, he would attack the enemy as if being chased by a ghost, trying to defeat it within thirty seconds and then quickly hide.

It must be said that this behavior did not look very graceful, and it even seemed somewhat awkward.

"Hmph."

Looking at Rod, who walked cautiously ahead, occasionally stopping to look around like a thief, the young thief girl at the back of the group couldn't help but snort.

"Look at how sneaky he is, he's not much good. Our leader is much better than him."

"Annie, you're just talking nonsense."

Annie, walking on the other side, clearly had a different opinion.

"If it weren't for our leader, you wouldn't have been able to defeat these bone giants at all."

"We never thought we'd have to leave in such a stupid way."

The young thief girl didn't care about Annie's defense.

"If our leader were in charge, we would have a better plan."

"If that were the case, you wouldn't need to come with us at all."

Annie smiled, but her eyes were cold.

"You're just good at talking, aren't you? If you were really confident, your leader wouldn't have chosen to follow orders."

"Don't joke. We only didn't refuse your offer because you saved us."

The young thief girl turned her head away, looking at the surrounding valley. The shadows moved, cold and eerie, making her uncomfortable. But at that moment, she would rather look at these strange things than at the person beside her.

"Hmph..."

Hearing the young thief girl's response, Annie didn't immediately retort. She sized up the girl and gave a meaningful snort.

"So, for the sake of your pride, you're willing to risk your life. How foolish, you deserve to be trapped here."

"You!!!"

Hearing this, the young thief girl finally couldn't hold back. She turned her head and glared at Annie. Facing the thief girl's cold gaze, Annie didn't look away. She met her eyes fearlessly, her face still wearing a bright, lively smile, but the young thief girl felt a chill down her spine, as if she were looking at a dangerous predator lurking in the darkness, ready to pounce and bite her neck.

The girl's face suddenly seemed to transform into a terrifying mouth full of sharp teeth. She gripped her dagger tightly, but the urgency of the situation and her rationality told her it wasn't the right time to act. Otherwise, she might have attacked Annie without hesitation.

"What are you two doing?"

At that moment, Marin's voice broke the tension. She stopped and looked at the two with disapproval. In many situations, Marin acted like the deputy leader of the mercenary group. There were things Rod couldn't handle, Lige didn't dare to manage, and Old Walker lacked the patience for, so Marin would step in. Seeing the abnormality between the two, she couldn't just stand by.

She glanced at the mercenaries around them, who seemed not to have heard or seen their argument. This was a very "mature" decision. Marin knew what the mercenaries were thinking; she wasn't one of them, and in fact, she wasn't on the same wavelength as most mercenaries. But now...

"Big Sister Marin, she..."

"Our current situation is very dangerous."

Marin interrupted Annie, who had been with her for a short time but whose troublesome way of thinking she had come to understand. Normally, people either got along with others or had something to talk about, even if they didn't get along well, they would maintain a surface-level harmony. Especially for someone like Marin, a young lady, she had to maintain her composure and politeness, even if the man in front of her was as ugly as a pig, holding her hand, smiling foolishly, and drooling. If he was a close friend of her family, she would still smile politely. This was the "mature" way to handle things.

But Annie was completely different. She didn't care if others could benefit her or if they liked her. She chose her friends based on a wild, animal-like instinct. Like a puppy, she would wag her tail for someone she liked, even if they didn't give her anything. But for someone she didn't like, she would bark, even if that person fed her every day.

It made no sense.

So Marin didn't plan to persuade them to stop arguing; it was pointless. She was more concerned about something else.

"Whether you like it or not, we're on this path, and there's no turning back. We must continue. I hope you can focus on the present; it's very important."

After saying this, Marin quickly moved forward again. Annie nodded obediently and stopped talking to the young thief girl, focusing on her surroundings and her work. The young thief girl was不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat), but as a mage, she was one of the most dangerous "high-risk" people on this continent. If she didn't want to suddenly turn into a frog, it was best to keep quiet.

Rod didn't notice the small dispute at the back of the group. He was hiding under a large rock, watching the scene in front of him with a hint of tension.

To completely eliminate all obstacles on the road, they had spent five hours, but it was still dark. In fact, on this Dragon Soul boundary line, there was no distinction between day and night, so it didn't matter.

There were only two bone giants left in the valley, but these two bone giants were causing Rod a lot of trouble.

Their positions were too close.

The other bone giants were far apart, giving Rod enough distance to lure them out one by one and defeat them. But these two bone giants were different. They weren't in a line like the others but were on either side, like two gatekeepers guarding the valley's exit. Even when they moved, they stayed close together. This meant Rod couldn't lure them out separately as before. Instead, he was sure that any action would attract both of them at once.

This was a problem.

Although they had gained enough experience in defeating bone giants through their journey, facing two at once was an exception.

If it were just these two bone giants, it would be manageable. Marin had been in the back, and with her powerful magic, she and Rod and Sylia could easily take down one. Then, if Serek could defeat the other, they would be done.

Unfortunately, reality wasn't that simple.

Rod knew there was a more dangerous enemy behind the valley.

The Death Knight.

He was sure that at this distance, if Marin cast a spell, the Death Knight would notice. High-level undead creatures were extremely sensitive to magical fluctuations, so just casting a silence spell as before wouldn't be enough. If they alerted the Death Knight, Rod was certain that even if they could kill the bone giants before the Death Knight arrived, they would still have to face him in a direct battle.

But Rod really didn't want to face the Death Knight directly. Although his level was a few levels lower than Serek, the difference wasn't significant for the undead. For example, a Death Knight wouldn't be affected by a stab in the chest, but if Serek were stabbed in the chest...

He would need to quickly prepare for the end of his life and reminisce about the women he had embraced.

So initially, Rod's plan was for Serek to hold off the Death Knight while the others quickly withdrew, and then he and Serek would leave. As long as they could escape the Silent Highlands, the Death Knight wouldn't pursue them. This plan was convenient, quick, and safe, with minimal risk.

But now, it seemed his plan would fail. If the Death Knight entered the valley, the terrain would make it impossible for them to leave. But they couldn't turn back now.

What should they do?

There was a plan. After defeating the bone giants, they could quickly find someone to act as a decoy to lure the Death Knight, while the others withdrew. If that person could hold out for a while, Rod and Serek could step in and hold the Death Knight, putting everything back on track.

But who could complete this task?

Rod turned and looked at the group.

Mages like Marin and Lige were out of the question; it would be sending them to their deaths. Serek was the strongest, but he had to deal with a bone giant, and it was uncertain if he could defeat it before the Death Knight arrived. In previous battles, Rod and Sylia had distracted the bone giants, allowing Serek to deliver the final blow. This time, no one would help him attract the bone giant's attention, and he had to solve the problem alone.

Old Walker? Kudra and his mercenaries?

What a joke. These guys couldn't even handle ordinary undead creatures, let alone a Death Knight. Besides, the mission was to rescue them safely; if they died here, it would be meaningless.

So...

Rod fell silent for a moment, then beckoned to the back.

"Annie, come here."

"Leader, what is it?"

Hearing Rod's call, Annie ran to his side, her eyes wide and focused, almost wagging her tail.

You know, it really does look like...

"I have a plan."

Rod walked to Annie, bent down, and whispered a few words. Then he looked at her seriously.

"If this situation arises, do you understand what I mean? Are you willing to take on this task?"

"Of course!"

Annie didn't hesitate, nodding quickly.

"Whatever the leader asks, I will do it."

If it were any other time, Rod would have just nodded and said nothing more. But this time, he raised an eyebrow and spoke again.

"The Death Knight is around level 35, a monster close to the controller level. If you feel the pressure is too great, you can say so. I won't make you take the risk. If you can't do it but try anyway, our danger will be just as great."

"I understand, leader."

Annie nodded.

"But I think this is why I'm here. I have confidence."

"..."

Looking into the girl's clear eyes, Rod fell silent. He didn't know where Annie's confidence came from. He wasn't good at guessing women's thoughts, especially since he had only known Annie for a few days, and they hadn't really interacted much. Her personality was also very unpredictable. But that wasn't a reason to send her to her death. In the game, if an MT died, they could just respawn and try again. But in reality, they didn't have that luxury. Rod didn't want to do this, but it seemed he had no choice.

Not far away, Lige and Marin exchanged puzzled glances, feeling uneasy. They didn't know what Rod had said to Annie, but from the fact that he didn't immediately start the attack and instead called Annie over, they could tell something had changed.

"I'll take care of it as quickly as possible. Before that, you must hold on."

Finally, Rod patted Annie's shoulder and said.

And the girl smiled, her usual bright, youthful smile.

"Don't worry, leader, I'll be fine."