The hot spring trip concluded as Celia and her two companions arrived at the changing room. Sharlene returned to her own home, while Celia and the others followed Lena back to the residence. The sky had already darkened. Pulling their blankets up, they soon drifted into a deep slumber. Time flew by, and two months had already passed.
****
On the outskirts of the Secluded Forest, a squad of adventurers moved swiftly through the trees.
Their condition appeared dire. The man leading them clutched his arm, his face contorted in pain. Blood seeped from between his fingers, dripping onto the forest floor, a scent that inevitably attracted some wild beasts.
Having seemingly escaped far enough, they finally halted their steps.
The man quickly bandaged the wound on his arm. Then, leading his companions, he moved a bit further, truly coming to a stop only after that.
“Have you notified the guild? For some unknown reason, multiple Tier 3 magic beasts have appeared on the outskirts of this forest. Without backup, I fear we won’t make it out of here alive.”
His name was Bruul, the captain of this adventurer squad. Earlier, while on a guild mission in the woods, they had been ambushed by two Tier 3 beasts. They had barely escaped, having fought with everything they had.
He was severely wounded, his right arm practically useless, and his Tier 3 strength was now greatly diminished. His three other teammates were in no better condition.
The man with the scar on his face was the least injured in the squad, having only sustained a laceration to his thigh, which didn’t significantly impair his mobility.
He was also the other Tier 3 adventurer in the squad; the remaining two were Tier 2 adventurers.
“Yes, I’ve notified them,” he replied. “Liss said she’s already dispatched a squad for support.”
He showed the communicator to Bruul. Only then did the captain let out a heavy breath, slumping against a nearby tree.
“That’s excellent!” Bruul exclaimed. “We just need to hold out until they arrive.”
The communicator had a positioning function, allowing the guild to pinpoint their current location through special means. Thus, to be rescued, they simply needed to wait patiently where they were.
If they were to advance rashly, no one could say whether they would encounter another terrifying Tier 3 magic beast.
The squad members were exceptionally tense, constantly scanning the surrounding bushes and trees. Without knowing how long it would take for the support team to arrive, Bruul knew well that their constant vigilance would only exhaust them.
So, he chuckled softly, hoping to lighten the mood. “I wonder which seniors are coming,” he mused. “If it were Roland, that would be amazing. With one of her fireballs, even the most formidable Tier 3 magic beast would be reduced to ashes.”
Bruul had a liking for Roland, a fact that was common knowledge within the guild. However, he wasn’t the only one; many adventurers in the guild harbored affections for her.
After all, though Roland had a somewhat fiery temper, she was both beautiful and powerful. She was widely recognized as the guild’s number one goddess, and the strongest member in the guild aside from Sharlene.
For such a woman, how could those who admired her be few in number?
However, in the scarred man’s opinion, they were all simply dreaming impossible dreams.
“Wake up from your fantasy!” the scarred man retorted. “Senior Roland came from a major city. With her talent, she’s certainly destined to reach Tier 6. You and she are simply not meant to be.”
“I know that, of course,” Bruul replied with a shrug. “But even if I can’t have her, a few more glances are still a blessing.”
Bruul’s words gave the scarred man a headache. In his view, it was better not to dwell too much on women one couldn’t have; otherwise, one would only suffer needlessly.
“But getting back to the point,” he said, quickly changing the subject. “Why are there so many Tier 3 magic beasts on the outskirts of this forest? Normally, even a single Tier 2 magic beast is a rare sight here.”
Shrugging, Bruul replied, “Who knows? Perhaps some higher-tier magic beast was born deeper in the forest, driving them out to this area.”
This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. When a higher-tier magic beast was born, it would stake out its own territory within the forest, naturally forcing out the magic beasts that had previously lived there.
A long time ago, a beast tide in Vidona had been caused by the birth of a Tier 5 magic beast.
As they spoke, time passed silently. Suddenly, sounds emerged from the forest.
“Something’s coming!”
Bruul’s voice instantly drew his three teammates’ gazes towards the source of the sound, their vigilance soaring to its peak.
Then, they saw three young women slowly emerge from the trees.
Leading them was a blonde-haired girl with a single ponytail. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, surveying them before asking, “Are you the adventurer squad requiring assistance?”
The moment she spoke, they realized these were the reinforcements, and Bruul and his three companions lowered their guard.
As Celia assessed them, the scarred man was also scrutinizing her and her companions. Upon learning that all three of them were merely Tier 2 adventurers, he exclaimed in shock and anger, “Tier 2? You’re here as reinforcements? Has Liss made a mistake?”
He had specifically informed Liss in his message that Tier 3 magic beasts had appeared in the forest. What good were a group of Tier 2 adventurers coming here, other than to join them in their graves?
The moment these words left his mouth, not only did his other two teammates’ expressions change, but even Captain Bruul’s face subtly shifted.
The blonde-haired girl cast a fleeting glance at the scarred man, ignoring him. She then turned to Bruul, speaking with a touch of coldness.
“Are you Bruul?” she asked. “Is it your squad that requires assistance? If not, please don’t waste our time.”
Noticing her unfriendly tone, Bruul interjected, stopping the scarred man who had been about to speak again.
“Yes, I am Bruul, the captain of this squad, and we do require assistance,” he confirmed. He recognized the young woman. “I know you, Celia, the young lady of the Fiona family.”
The Fiona family was exceedingly famous. Thus, he knew that two months prior, the Fiona family’s young lady had arrived in Vidona, and that no one had dared to take on the role of their instructor.
The Fiona young lady’s appearance had also become known at that time.
However, if he wasn’t mistaken, two months ago, Celia had only just begun her journey to become an adventurer. Her teammates seemed to be in a similar situation, didn’t they?
They weren’t even official adventurers yet, were they?
Why would Liss send *them* as reinforcements? A few Tier 2 magic beasts would be enough to overwhelm them, wouldn’t they?
Bruul felt a sudden headache coming on.
After a moment of thought, he addressed Celia.
“Perhaps dealing with Tier 2 magic beasts is no longer an issue for you,” Bruul stated. “However, there are multiple Tier 3 magic beasts roaming this forest now. Should you encounter them, escaping would be incredibly difficult.”
“Therefore, for safety’s sake,” he continued, “I suggest you wait here with us for a new support squad.”
Hearing this, before Celia could even speak, Isha loudly scoffed, “What a waste of time! They’re just Tier 3 magic beasts; look how scared they’ve made you.”
Aurora pulled Isha’s hand, signaling her to say less. Celia, however, simply turned around, presenting her back to Bruul and his companions.
“Bruul, please bring your teammates and follow us.”
She could tell that Bruul and his team completely doubted their capabilities, thus she saw no need to offer further explanations.
The true test would be in their actions.