Chapter 7

Very quickly, a series of Peter's information immediately appeared in Shawn's eyes. As Shawn had guessed, Peter's class was indeed not a second-rank [Warrior], but a third-rank [Veteran]. Although his personal attributes were not as impressive as Druen's, he had no obvious weaknesses. His current strength, agility, and endurance were all at twenty-eight points. Although his intelligence attribute was slightly lower, not even reaching twenty points, his willpower attribute was as high as forty points. This indicated that Peter had definitely fought in countless bloody battles; otherwise, his willpower attribute would not be so high—in other words, it was exceptionally firm.

Shawn was very satisfied with this result: "Can you use a bow?"

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Peter's eyes, but he still nodded: "Yes."

Shawn didn't ask about Peter's archery skills. In fact, any soldier who had served in the military and said they could do something must have at least some experience with it. They might not be particularly proficient, but they would certainly be better than amateurs. Anyway, Shawn's requirements for archery on this trip were not particularly high. Of course, it was absolutely impossible for Shawn not to be a little curious about how high Peter's personal attributes were.

The [Veteran] class is a third-rank class, but in reality, any soldier class person who retires will have their combat class change to this. This means that even if a fifth-rank soldier retires, their class will become a third-rank [Veteran]. However, while the class changes, it only means there will be no further advancement or changes. The skills they have learned and their personal attributes will not disappear.

Therefore, even if they are the same third-rank [Veteran], some people's personal attributes can be as high as fifth-rank or even higher. Thus, to judge a veteran's strength, one can only do so based on their personal attributes.

Shawn firmly believed that Peter, before retiring, was at least a fourth-rank soldier, and might have even approached the fifth-rank class.

However, all of this had become a thing of the past. Shawn had no intention of understanding the other person's story at the moment.

He just turned his head to look at Hale and said, "Mr. Hale, please remove him from the list and select another guard or someone else. ... I have only one requirement: they must obey my command."

"Boy, what did you say!" Seeing Shawn point at him and exclude him from the team, the middle-aged man, who had not been friendly to Shawn from the start, immediately turned hostile.

"You're just a hunter, do you really think you're a marksman?" Shawn turned his head and looked coldly at the middle-aged man. "My team does not need anyone who does not obey orders."

As he said this, Shawn exuded an incomparably cold and ruthless aura.

He might currently be only a first-rank professional, but in the game, he had once been a renowned guild team leader. His charisma and aura, once unleashed, were not inferior to those of the generals in this world. This aura deeply intimidated the middle-aged man and made the others' expressions change slightly. However, the look on Peter's face was one of complete admiration, as it reminded him of his time in the military, and his blood seemed to ignite in that instant.

"You have only five minutes. We will set out in five minutes," Shawn said solemnly.

"Shouldn't we wait until dawn to act?" Hale asked.

"In the Starfall Forest, whether it's day or night makes no difference," Shawn explained, as Hale and Druen were also considered employers for this trip, and he at least wanted to show them due respect. "To cross the Starfall Forest and reach the Kingdom of Padoria, it will take at least half a month, but the full moon is in sixteen days... Believe me, you absolutely do not want to see the surge of magical energy in there."

Hearing Shawn's words, Hale and Druen seemed to realize something and quickly began to prepare. The middle-aged man with the wooden bow was indeed excluded, much to his dissatisfaction. He had come here to earn some extra money, but after glaring at Luthor, he left the temporary camp. His position was taken by another guard from Hale's team.

Five minutes later, including Hale, Cecilia, Druen, and others, a total of nine people, led by Shawn, officially entered the Starfall Forest.

From the outside, the Starfall Forest appeared to be a lush forest, but due to the constant thick fog surrounding it, one could not see what was inside from the outside. However, it was somewhat strange that, although the forest contained a large number of ferocious magical beasts, these beasts had never broken through the fog to attack the surrounding towns. This was why the regions around the Starfall Forest were able to develop.

However, after passing through the fog, the world revealed by the Starfall Forest was a completely different one!

Looking up, the sky above the Starfall Forest was not obscured by a dense canopy of trees, but was instead a starry night sky, with the bright moon of the Miracle Continent clearly visible. Apart from the beautiful night sky, the environment of the Starfall Forest was not particularly bad. The forest was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and the ground was covered with soft grass, which felt like stepping on a plush carpet. The forest was also dotted with pale blue bioluminescent creatures, adding a mysterious and beautiful charm to the forest.

Many of the people present were seeing such beautiful scenery for the first time and were momentarily stunned.

Shawn couldn't help but recall that when he first entered this forest, he was also deeply attracted by its beauty. However, he was very clear that this forest was not just beautiful; the hidden dangers were also enough to shock anyone—third-rank professionals could easily be defeated by even a slightly careless encounter with a level forty magical beast.

"Alright, everyone, snap out of it," Shawn clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention after waiting for about ten seconds, seeing that many people were still in a daze. "We didn't come here for a picnic or to admire the scenery. Don't forget your mission!"

Hearing Shawn's words, everyone immediately snapped out of their daze. They had not forgotten their duties; they were just stunned by the scenery of the Starfall Forest for the first time. However, once they realized their mission, they had no more time to admire the scenery and quickly formed a defensive formation, protecting Hale, Cecilia, and Shawn in the center.

Shawn did not object to this arrangement. Although he had only first-rank strength, in the eyes of others, he was no different from Hale, the merchant, and Cecilia, the magic apprentice. However, Shawn was the guide for this trip, and his presence was the most important and critical part of the entire team, so he naturally needed to be protected.

As a result, the team leader became Druen, and Shawn only pointed out the direction of advance from within the protective circle.

The fully armed knight wore light armor instead of heavy armor, clearly aware of the inconvenience of heavy armor in the forest.

The four guards were dispersed on both sides of the core group. This time, they followed Shawn's advice and replaced their heavy shields and long spears with reinforced round shields and curved blades. Although their medium armor was not replaced, reducing their burden, it ensured flexibility and defensive capabilities in combat.

The old Peter, the veteran, was responsible for the rear of the team. He did not wear any armor, only a simple leather armor that was already quite worn, likely from his military days. However, in terms of weapons, Peter displayed the professional characteristics of a mercenary. In addition to the long spear in his hand and the longbow on his back, he also had a long sword on his waist and a short sword in a sheath on his calf.

As for the other archer in the team, it was clear that he intended to develop into a fourth-rank [Ranger]. He did not move with the team but patrolled on both sides, occasionally running ahead of Druen. Although his movements were still somewhat clumsy, it was clear that these were basic reconnaissance techniques. Most importantly, in addition to his short bow, he also had a long and a short sword, clearly prepared for different combat situations.

After the team had been moving for half a day, a black wolf with green stripes suddenly appeared in their field of vision.

When the magical beast appeared, the entire team was momentarily stunned. Despite the archer's responsibility for reconnaissance, why had he not given a warning before the magical beast appeared? The faster-reacting Druen and Cecilia almost immediately realized that the reason was the soft grass on the ground, which muffled all movement sounds!

Conventional reconnaissance methods would be completely ineffective in the Starfall Forest!

Almost in the moment of everyone's shock, Shawn, who knew the dangers of the Starfall Forest, immediately shouted, "Wind-patterned Black Wolf! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

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Recently, things have been a bit hectic, and I have no backlog. Plus, without recommendations, ... so I'll update once a day for now. I hope everyone can understand. But I believe you all know me; even with just one update, I will absolutely ensure the quality. I had planned to push for the rankings next week, but without a recommendation slot, it might not be possible. ... This week has been quite good, thank you all for your support! And, I continue to ask for recommendations, member clicks, and favorites! Thank you!!