Black Hearted Mage

After half a day of hurried travel, the mercenary team finally bypassed the Boulder Mountain in the afterglow of the setting sun. The horses had been running all the way, and now they needed to rest.

"Let's set up camp in the forest to the south!" Elon watched the sunset and observed the unusual clouds in the sky. Based on his experience, it might rain tomorrow.

The area around the Boulder Mountain is very open and not suitable for camping because it is the dangerous Felwood Forest. After the fire is lit at night, the flames can be seen from miles away.

Camping in the dense forest is a tradition passed down by mercenaries. The dense forest blocks the light of fire and can also block those with bad intentions.

"Rodman is not here. We need to set up magic steel traps and alloy hook nets outside the camp today!" Elon stopped and had already chosen the location for the camp.

Soon after entering the dense forest, the mercenary team stopped. Caesar's butt was numb from the bumping. Everyone started to get busy, and he also took out his tent and slowly unfolded it.

When night fell, the camp was already set up. Caesars sat by the campfire, eating dry food and dried meat, drinking water from his water bag, and feeling the tranquility of the night.

Suddenly, he heard a low roar coming from the distant forest. He raised his head nervously and looked around, but he could see nothing but darkness and trees.

"Don't worry, it's probably just a wild beast." Elon comforted him, "This is Felwood Forest, there are many wild beasts and monsters. As long as we don't provoke them, they generally won't attack us."

Caesars nodded, but a sense of unease remained. He knew that Felwood was home to not only wild beasts but also high-level magical beasts. While their mission this time was to find herbs, who knew if they might encounter other dangers?

"I'll keep watch tonight, so you guys should get some rest," Elon said. "We'll continue our journey tomorrow."

Caesars nodded gratefully and crawled into the tent. He lay down in his sleeping bag, took out the little black snake, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep. But the low roar kept echoing in his ears, making him unable to rest.

Caesars was sleeping when he was suddenly awakened by a loud noise. It was the sound of a trap biting, as if something was caught.

The magic steel trap weighs more than 30 kilograms. The bite force of this trap is very strong and can easily break the leg bones of an adult.

Caesars emerged from the hide tent and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a gray beast lying on the ground, twitching continuously. Its head had been severed by a serrated trap, and blood was flowing continuously, emitting a foul stench.

Kaesus finally understood the power of the magic steel trap. The beast was larger than a hyena, but it died without making a sound.

At this time, the little black snake also crawled out of the tent and was about to crawl outside the camp. Caesars quickly caught it, because if the little black snake touched the trap, it would definitely be cut in two.

"Don't go out, just stay next to the tent!" Caesar said to the little black snake.

The black snake didn't hiss, which meant there was no danger nearby, nor any intruders. Caesars lay down in the tent. He had no desire to sleep, so he simply began to meditate.

Outside the cave on Boulder Mountain, a large mercenary group had gathered. This group, numbering over a hundred, had arrived this afternoon, even before Rodman. However, they didn't rush into the cave, instead tightly surrounding the entrance, as if awaiting the arrival of an important figure.

Rodman quietly hid in the shadows, observing the mercenary group's every move with keen eyes. He also carefully counted the number of people on the other side and paid attention to the professional configuration of the mercenary group members.

As night deepened, the moonlight could no longer penetrate the shadows of the boulder mountain, allowing Rodman, with his stealth skills, to better conceal his presence. He knew that regardless of whether he could successfully destroy the ghost mushrooms, he had to at least inflict some damage on the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group, especially the magicians, who had to be eliminated as much as possible.

As for the paladins and warriors, he didn't take them seriously at all, because they were just "tin cans" without long-range attack capabilities, and were nothing more than living targets for the magic arrows in his hands.

Rodman had already made up his mind. He must kill a few archers, and it would be best if he could kill a few magicians as well, so that they could also experience the feeling of being ambushed.

At night, the moonlight sprinkles on the earth like water, and the cold light illuminates the silent forest.

The magician's tent was located in the center of the camp, heavily guarded, making it nearly impossible to infiltrate and assassinate him. However, alchemical bombs couldn't accurately hit their targets. Killing the archers who were needed to patrol the camp at night was relatively easy.

A silent hunt thus began. Around the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group's camp, patrols were mostly conducted by archers and hurricane warriors. Because the "tin cans" wore heavy armor, making clanging noises as they moved, they were unsuitable for patrolling and night watch duties.

Rodman had a clear plan in mind: kill the enemies who blocked his escape route, then cause chaos and throw a few alchemical bombs. Now that the cave was inaccessible, he could only kill some patrolling mercenaries first.

To avoid detection from the Saint Laurent Mercenaries, Rodman decided to resort to close-quarters assassination. With his warrior-level strength, he possessed extraordinary agility and explosive power, capable of taking the enemy's life in an instant.

The five-man patrol consisted of two archers and three hurricane warriors. They were one or two levels lower than Rodman, with a gap of about four or five levels.

In the darkness, Rodman moved through the woods like a ghost, his figure sometimes lurking in the shadows of trees, other times swiftly closing in on his prey under the cover of moonlight. Each strike was lightning-fast, leaving his enemies slain before they could react. He used a throat-slitting technique to silence his enemies.

As time passed, more and more archers fell to Rodman's dagger. His movements were stealthy and efficient, leaving no trace. The Saint Laurent mercenaries were completely unaware of this, remaining immersed in the tranquil night.

After several patrols were assassinated silently, the people of the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group finally noticed something because the patrol's footsteps suddenly disappeared in the middle of the night.

Rodman was secretly thankful. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He had carefully crept a distance and now successfully approached the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group's camp. A dozen alchemical bombs were already ready. Now, all he needed was a little chaos to lure the magicians out of the tent.

So, when a firebomb was quietly dropped into the camp, a catastrophe erupted instantly within a ten-yard radius centered on the bomb. A viscous liquid resembling grease splattered everywhere, raining down on everything around it. Within just two breaths, the grease-like substance burst into flames, spreading rapidly.

"Quickly put out the fire!"

A paladin in heavy armor rushed out of the tent. He was about fifty years old, and his armor exuded a cold aura, especially the cross emblem on his chest, which was particularly eye-catching. He shouted loudly while directing the other mercenaries to put out the fire. At the same time, he also arranged for some mercenaries to strengthen defense and vigilance outside the camp.

When a dozen magicians walked out of the tent, Rodman didn't think too much, but acted quickly. He threw all the remaining alchemical bombs without hesitation, then turned and sped away.

Explosions echoed through the night sky and flames flickered in the camp.

Once at a safe distance, Rodman quietly slipped into stealth mode, observing the movements within the camp from afar. Just then, an elderly figure appeared in his field of vision—the Grand Mage of the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group, one of only three Grand Mages in the Saint Laurent Empire. Eliminating this Grand Mage would not only weaken the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group, but also deal a heavy blow to the entire Saint Laurent Empire.

Rodman carefully took out three arrows with magic patterns and the elven magic bow, ready for battle. As he put the magic arrows on the bowstring, the magic crystal in the magic bow slot began to inject energy into the magic patterns. Everything was ready...

A low humming sound, somewhat like the chirping of an insect, was heard. This was the unique sound of an elven magic bow, the sound of a magic arrow tearing through the air.

Rodman quickly shot three magic arrows and then ran directly to a farther place where his horse was.

Flares were constantly being fired from the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group's camp. Paladins, heavy shields in hand, formed a tight perimeter around the camp, with archers standing behind them. The remaining soldiers struggled to save lives, while the raging fire, no one cared, could only burn a few tents.

"What about losses?"

"Grand Knight Commander, six magicians died in the camp, and the remaining few were not fatally injured. However, the body of the great magician is gone, it has been blown into pieces!"

Upon hearing this news, the Grand Knight's heart sank. This great magician was a crucial figure in the mercenary group, and his death undoubtedly brought a huge loss to the team. Worse still, the enemy had been able to infiltrate the camp so easily and launch an attack, which shocked and angered the Grand Knight.

He gripped the sword tightly in his hand and scanned the surroundings, trying to find the enemy's trace. However, the surroundings were in chaos, with flames rising into the sky and smoke everywhere, making it extremely difficult to find the enemy.

"Damn it! Who are these damn guys? How dare they attack our Saint Laurent Mercenary Group!" The Grand Knight said gritting his teeth.

At this time, a paladin hurried over to report: "Grand Knight, we have found some clues. The enemy killed six patrols and broke through the defenses outside the camp. He also avoided the traps we set, causing heavy losses to our magicians."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Knight's expression darkened. He knew this attack was no accident; the enemy had clearly come prepared. He needed to find them quickly, or they might attack again, posing a greater threat to the team.

"Send people to search the surrounding area immediately and make sure to find those hateful guys!" the Grand Knight ordered loudly.

The paladins sprang into action, launching a sweeping search. Meanwhile, the Grand Knight Commander was also frowning. He realized that the enemy's ability to breach the camp's defenses so easily must have proven their strength, possessing alchemical bombs and magical weapons. Such an enemy would be difficult to defeat.

In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Rodman had long since left the scene of the crime and was now dozens of miles away.

The Saint Laurent Mercenaries were busy, launching a comprehensive search of the crime scene. They carefully searched every inch of the land, leaving no trace, trying to find the mysterious weapon that killed the great magician, while also trying to find the remnants of the alchemical bomb.

Time ticked by, and after over an hour of intense work, the situation at the scene gradually became clear. Over thirty bodies were neatly covered with white cloth, a silent sea of ​​white. A gruesome mass of shredded flesh was carefully packed into a custom-made wooden box, ready to be taken back to the base for further investigation.

Several bloodstained and magic-marked fragments of magic steel were collected and placed before the Grand Knight. These fragments seemed to hold a mysterious power, inspiring awe. Meanwhile, several broken magic-marked arrows were placed on a silver tray; they might hold the key to solving the mystery.

Unfortunately, the accompanying magicians all collapsed from injuries. Faced with such a complex situation, the Grand Knight Commander decided to bring the collected items back to the base and hand them over to professional magic pattern masters for in-depth research and analysis. After all, only through professional interpretation can the true meaning of these magic patterns and the secrets hidden within them be understood.

Hundreds of miles away, Caesars emerged from his tent. He looked energetic, unaffected by the events of the previous night. The little black demon snake also scurried out of the tent, following closely behind him. Having digested the dead leaf snake, it had become incredibly agile.

The night in Felwood was not peaceful. Three or four times in the dead of night, the sound of a magic steel trap rang out, each one a terrifying jolt. A poor beast, unfortunate enough to trigger the trap, let out a piercing wail. Despite its desperate efforts to escape, it lost a claw. This harsh reminder of the dangers lurking in this forest, the cost of a single misstep could be severe.

Elon was dealing with three beasts: two herbivorous jungle deer and one carnivorous beast. The carnivorous beasts of Felwood were all toxic, and no one wanted to eat them. The herbivorous jungle deer were not only edible, but their meat was also very tender and delicious.