Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 20 Alert! Attack

The first night of the journey was spent at a farm. The farm owner, who had been informed that they were part of the Seven Suns Alliance convoy and would receive a generous reward, warmly welcomed the team. The cook roasted their own poultry and fat sheep until they were golden brown and tempting, and served them on the table. Paired with a large pot of vegetable and bone soup, the team members, who had been eating dry rations all day, were very hungry.

Because there were so many people eating, there was no need for chairs. The unpretentious crowd simply sat on the ground, holding pieces of roasted meat in one hand and vegetable soup and instant noodles in the other, enjoying their meal immensely.

The one who ate the most ferociously was the big guy, Sori. He devoured the oily roasted chicken leg in two bites, leaving only half a bone. He drank the still-hot vegetable soup down his throat as if it were cold water, and he didn't even soak the flatbread in the soup. He dipped it in the fat and spices of the roasted lamb and ate it with great relish.

I originally wanted to go up and chat with him while we ate, but I was really scared by this guy. Goodness, he was sweating profusely, and he even ate with a fierce aura.

It wasn't until after dinner that Zhang Yuan approached Sorey: "Big guy, can I ask you for a favor?"

They're all brothers in the same team, they train and brag together, and they know each other very well.

Sori blinked his adorable little eyes: "What is it? Tell me, I'll help you."

"The captain has to assign guard duties tonight, so I have to ask you for help training my combat skills."

"Okay!" The big guy's answer was as brief as ever.

Originally, Zhang Yuan hoped that Ska would teach him, but as the team leader, he was busy with affairs and had heavy responsibilities, so it was impossible for him to come to teach him every day. Therefore, after discussing it, the two decided to let Sori, who was the second highest-ranking warrior in the team, serve as the glorious assistant instructor.

After a short rest, Zhang Yuan and Suo Rui found an open space to warm up. One of them was doing the eighth set of broadcast gymnastics, which no one had ever seen before, while the other was dancing like a bear. It was truly an eyesore.

As a result, the open space around the two became even more spacious, because everyone else avoided them when they saw them.

In addition to basic physical exercises, the following training sessions also included fencing, or rather, sparring drills.

As a novice lacking practical experience, the only way to make up for this deficiency is through more practice and simulations.

During their practice, other team members gradually joined in. At first, Zhang Yuan was a little surprised that so many people were so eager to be his sparring partners, but after asking, he realized he had been overthinking it.

"Who doesn't want to become stronger? Who doesn't want to see what the view from a higher vantage point looks like? It's just that talent is such a torment for everyone. Some people have already given up, while others are still unwilling to accept it."

Looking at this old mercenary who was already in his forties but still unwilling to be a couch potato, I didn't know what to say. Should I offer some meaningless platitudes to comfort him? With the powerful body bestowed upon him by the system, saying such things would be too hypocritical. Should I directly advise him to give up? Who can't have a dream?

In short, nothing Zhang Yuan said would be right, so he could only say "good luck" and turn around to continue his training.

When everything was over, it was already late at night. The radiance of the silver moon, Suren, quietly flowed across the earth, and everyone went to the large room prepared by the farmer to rest.

Sitting cross-legged on the simple bed—which was really just a pile of straw covered with a sheet—Zhang Yuan began preparing his spells for the next day. Knowing that tomorrow's journey would likely take him through the farm infested with burrowing worms, Zhang Yuan felt it necessary to choose a targeted spell. Mage armor remained essential; without an enchanted robe, it was his last line of defense.

As for the other spell slot, the currently memorized greasy spell is clearly unsuitable for dealing with this kind of large worm that moves freely underground, and the other attack spells would probably only scratch the surface of the burrowing worm's thick shell.

So there's only one option left—Burning Hand. Although its damage is only at the level of a level 1 spell, its fire damage might be particularly effective against insects or their acid and venom. Maybe, just maybe...

The next morning, as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon and before the night's frost had even settled on the ground, the entire team packed their bags and set off again.

The road ahead was even more deserted and desolate than yesterday. Most of the farms in the wilderness were abandoned. Recalling the rumors about the burrowing insect infestation that I had heard a month ago, the lurking danger had already begun to show.

Somewhat confused, Zhang Yuan approached his team leader: "Didn't we already hear about the burrowing worm plague? So much time has passed, and no one has come to deal with it?"

Ska could only shake his head helplessly: "If only things were as simple as you say, then we could just find the problem and then solve it. Whether to send troops or not requires a decision from the city hall and council, and there is also debate about who will carry it out. Moreover, clearing out these giant bugs also involves the demands of the druids in the area. In short, it's troublesome."

"Even with this shipment of ore, if the previous shipments of ore hadn't been looted and caused heavy losses to the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance under the control of Grand Duke Belt and other partners, the noble lords of Baldur's Gate wouldn't have been in such a hurry to send us out."

"So that's how it is." Zhang Yuan finally understood the cause and effect of the matter.

After traveling for about fifteen minutes, the roaming scouts returned and reported: "Captain, we found this on the ground by the roadside ahead."

As he spoke, he took out a small bag, opened it, and found it contained clumps of mud-like things that smelled strangely earthy.

Looking at this thing, Zhang Yuan suddenly had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the scout's words confirmed his premonition: "This is the excrement of burrowing worms, and it hasn't dried and clumped up. There must be these big worms burrowing around underground in this area."

Knowing in advance of the enemy's existence, the experienced mercenary team remained calm and methodically began preparing to meet the enemy.

All members spread out, maintaining a distance of at least five meters from each other, constantly alert to any movement on the ground beneath their feet, and replacing their weapons with spears, battle axes, or other piercing or heavy weapons.

These tactics were not unfounded, but rather lessons learned through bloodshed. For example, skirmish formations were ineffective against burrowing worms, monsters that could suddenly emerge from the ground to attack and spray large amounts of acid. Crowded formations made them easy targets, and weapons like short swords and scimitars were probably only good for trimming the worms' hard shells.

They walked for a while with high vigilance, but the journey was calm and uneventful. Although they breathed a slight sigh of relief, no one dared to let their guard down. The alert could not be lifted until they were out of the danger zone.

As it turned out, the Flame Fist Squad's caution was not in vain. While passing through a jungle, several of the more perceptive wanderers noticed a slight tremor under their feet and a faint rustling sound.

"Watch your step!" A piercing scream suddenly shattered the tranquility.

(End of this chapter)