Chapter 124: The Gun Against the Legion

The northernmost edge of Iposyadi is a stretch of woodland bordering the Green Demon Forest. In the beginning, no one was willing to inhabit this forest, which existed under a constant state of threat.

Hunters were the only exception. Dealing with wild beasts year-round and skilled in traps, poisons, and hunting, they were the bane of the creatures within the Green Demon Forest; they alone made those ferocious beasts tremble. Having lived here for a long time, the hunters transformed the woodland into a forbidden zone, riddled with mechanisms, hidden doors, traps, and poisons that made it impossible to guard against.

Beyond this woodland lies the true Green Demon Forest. Because of the hunters' pits, wild beasts were rarely seen within a ten-mile radius, and there were no signs of human life.

Recent times, however, have been an exception. Five days ago, a man with a hooked nose and a fat man arrived in this place, accompanied by three mercenary companies. The man with the hooked nose brought two companies, while the fat man, who was accustomed to feigning refinement, brought one. They set up their tents, maintaining a non-aggression pact, hunting by day to ship their spoils to the south, and keeping to their respective territories at night.

At this moment, the area fifty meters in front of the large central tent was brightly lit by bonfires, with several mercenaries sitting before their own small tents, roasting meat and chatting. Twenty small tents surrounded the large one like stars arching over the moon, and in front of each small tent sat several iron cages.

The neatly arranged iron cages, some large and some small, were all forged from pure steel and were virtually indestructible. The large cages held wild beasts such as jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards, and bears, while the smaller ones held dwarves captured from the Green Demon Forest.

Not far from the large tent, the surrounding trees were hung with skinned animal carcasses, bloody and gruesome. Scattered furs lay on the ground; having hunted too much in the past few days, a single mercenary company of less than fifty men could not possibly clear it all away. On a thick tree trunk, a troll was bound by chains, occasionally letting out a low growl, only to be met with pitying gazes from those in the cages and mocking laughter from those outside.

Inside the large central tent, the laughter of a man and the giggles of a woman could be heard.

A one-eyed man sitting by the fire in front of the tents remarked, "That damn fat man is lucky as hell. He stays in his tent wallowing in pleasure all day while others bleed for him." As he spoke, he gutted and skinned a rabbit with practiced ease, placing the pelt over the fire.

Sitting opposite him was a woman wearing animal skins. She looked to be about thirty, with wheat-colored skin and an aura of wildness. She sneered, "Why else would they call him a noble? These days, if you have money, you don't have to worry about finding people to die for you. If your lot in life is poor, just work harder. If you earn enough money, you can be just like him."

The one who spoke this time was an extremely robust, bald man with a square jaw and bulging muscles. Even while seated, he was a head taller than the one-eyed man and the woman. He was Bato, the leader of the Tiger Fang Mercenary Company. His weapons were the two large, gold-backed broadswords strapped to his back. Renowned for his bravery among his peers, mercenaries always gave him a thumbs-up when his name was mentioned—a gesture of genuine respect. He was a man who had carved a path out of the lowest rungs of society with nothing but his two blades, achieving his current status through long years of hardship. Although the Tiger Fang Mercenary Company was only mid-tier, the men were always full of confidence as long as Bato was there; this silent, stoic man always provided a sense of security.

"Hmph."

Just as Bato reached for the roasted rabbit, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew through, causing the bonfire to flicker.

Thump.

An incredibly powerful footstep rang out.

"Who's there?" The one-eyed man sprang to his feet. Years of mercenary life had made him highly vigilant; he kept his eyes open even while sleeping.

Immediately after, he saw a figure slowly step out from the darkness ahead. It was a youth in black cloth garments with a cold, stern expression, gripping a large spear wrapped in silk.

The one-eyed man couldn't help but sigh in relief. It was only one person.

"Friend, you've taken a wrong turn—"

"Bang!"

Before the one-eyed man could finish his sentence, the youth smashed the cage beside him with a single blow of his spear. He hadn't even removed the silk wrapping; with one strike, the cage was shattered. The dwarf inside stared at him in a daze. The youth gestured for him to leave, and the dwarf, overcome with gratitude, chattered something unintelligible before sprinting away into the forest behind.

"Bastard, what are you doing?" The one-eyed man was furious. The cages here were clearly priced; a single dwarf was worth at least twenty gold coins. He grabbed the greatsword beside him and marched toward Ye Ran. "Brat, if you don't give me a clear explanation today, I’ll beat the living daylights out of you!"

He quickened his pace, and after ten steps, he let out a roar and charged, swinging his greatsword down at the youth’s head. Ye Ran snorted coldly and raised his spear to meet the blow.

"Clang!"

A massive force erupted upward as the greatsword collided with the Cliffer spear. The one-eyed man felt a tremendous shock travel through him, his entire arm going numb in the instant of impact. He stumbled back dozens of steps in surprise.

He looked at his greatsword to find a thumb-sized notch in the blade. Shocked and terrified, the one-eyed man stared at the youth. How could he possibly possess such strength?

"Crash!" Ye Ran smashed open another cage with his spear.

"Damn it, are you here to provoke us?"

"You blind fool, you're asking for death!"

His actions thoroughly enraged the mercenaries. They drew their weapons and surrounded Ye Ran. These men were seasoned in missions, fierce and brave, and were by no means a disorganized rabble. They charged with overwhelming momentum.

Ye Ran sneered, brandishing his large spear horizontally as he waded into the ranks of the mercenaries. The sound of clashing steel rang out immediately. The fierce mercenaries couldn't even withstand a single exchange before being scattered. With the power of the calamity energy flowing through him and the Cliffer spear in hand, Ye Ran didn't dodge or weave, instead charging straight ahead. In such a test of brute force, the mercenaries were no match for him.

Watching coldly from the sidelines, the bald Bato stood up in silence. He drew the twin blades from his back and made his way through the crowd. He stepped behind Ye Ran, his muscles bulging, and brought his broadswords crashing down. These two strikes had no flashy techniques or complex martial arts; they were simply fast and fierce—the product of years of grinding in real combat. As the blades descended, they seemed to carry a black gale with them.

An ordinary person would likely have been killed instantly by these two strikes. But this time, Bato was facing Ye Ran, a youth possessed of calamity energy and extraordinary physical prowess. Ye Ran raised his spear backhandedly and parried the twin blades.

Testing strength? Bato sneered internally as the muscles in his arms swelled, pushing down with all his might. Yet, Ye Ran remained unmoved, holding the spear with one hand and looking at him with cold, detached eyes.

Cold sweat trickled down Bato’s forehead. The youth’s strength was far greater than he had imagined.

"Clang!"

Ye Ran flicked his wrist, and the Cliffer spear vibrated against the blades, sending a shockwave through them. Bato groaned, stumbling backward. Ye Ran rotated the shaft of his spear and struck the back of Bato’s knees. The brave mercenary leader collapsed to his knees with a loud thud, looking up in fury. Ye Ran struck him across the head with the spear—holding back his strength, yet still leaving Bato bloodied and battered.

Ye Ran turned his gaze back to the large central tent; the laughter and merriment within had already vanished.