"Come on! Move your assess ladies, you all walk slower than my grandma."

Lieutenant Carl shouts at all the soldiers of platoon 37th. He was riding on a horse while the soldier was marching on foot.

The soldier carried at least 30 kg of baggage, plus another ton of weight from their armor.

Half a day ever since they marched out from the Julian Empire early in the morning, and they haven't stopped until now.

The afternoon sun shines bright and hot at the Latiti Plain. It could be the change of season, because Xiao can't feel any cool breeze blowing like the time he first arrived in this world, on this plain.

Most of the soldiers were already feeling exhausted. They were drenched in sweat as if they just took a bath.

The marching was supposed to be the easiest part of any mission, but the lack of training has all the soldiers gasping for air as if they were about to die. Instead of walking straight, they walk as if they are dragging their body, each step sinking heavier into the ground.

"Alright! Stop!"

Lieutenant Carl raised his hand and ordered the platoon to stop. He then looks around the place, which has a few large trees covering a small area.

"Seeing as you ladies are walking like you just down a barrel of ale, break time for 30 min!"

Upon hearing that, all the soldiers literally fell to the ground and let out a sigh of relief.

The platoon quickly set up a camp in the area. After that, all of them literally just took a nap inside their tent. Only Private Jake, the earnest one, stays awake as guard duty.

Xiao and Owen paired up in the same tent. While Owen was excited to receive a real iron sword and armor, which then trained with elsewhere, Xiao reviewed the mission brief in the tent.

"2 more days to go before we reach the Yellow Leaf Forest, our mission is to make a simple record of the animals living in that place."

Xiao looked at the bottle of ink and feather pen provided to each of them.

"Still, why do we soldiers have to do the recording? isn't this a job for a scholar?"

Xiao pop opens the ink bottle and tries to write something on the scroll. He was struggling to write as he still practicing to write in Bergan language.

(Unless dangerous animals or beasts live in that place, that's why we are provided with armor and swords.)

Xiao thinks about the mission as he continues to practice writing. He then stopped and took a look beside him. A set of iron and leather-made armor that he had taken off to relax, and a straight iron sword with a leather sheath.

(To think that I used to struggle to even lift an iron sword, let alone put on this heavy-ass armor, I really come a long way.)

Xiao slightly pulls up the sword from sheath and examines the sword edge, thinking about how he has come from a high student holding a pen, to a soldier holding a sword.

Xiao sheath backs the sword and returns to his writing practice.

(Back to the mission, I don't think it's as simple as it sounds, there will undoubtedly be dangerous beasts living in there as well, so there will be combat for sure.)

Xiao thinks back to when he got bitten to death by the pale wolf, right after stepping foot into this world. This means everything will happen without warning, especially the dangerous one.

The platoon did not encounter any monster or beast on the way here, only a few herbivore animals and sometimes a small village. Xiao deduced that maybe monsters will only appear at night in this Latiti Plain.

(Although I now have the Gamer Eyes and the Undying skill, it never hurts to be too careful.)

Xiao and the rest of the platoon soldiers continued on their own until Lieutenant Carl came out from his tent, having just woken up from his sleep.

"YAWNN!"

Lieutenant Carl lets out a big yawn before he gets greeted by Private Jake. He then instructs Private Jake that it's time to move out.

"Alright, time up, get your filthy ass up and let's get moving!" He yelled out loud and proceeded to climb up his steed.

The platoon packs up and continues their marching again.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The march towards their destination continues for another 3 days, which has already exceeded the expected time. It was because the platoon kept taking breaks on the way.

Nevertheless, the platoon arrives at their destination, the Yellow Leaf Forest, safe and sound, without entering any combat situation throughout the marching.

"Alright ladies, we've arrived, and this is goodbye from me, my role is to accompany you all until here, the rest of it, just listen to my trusty right hand here." Lieutenant Carl told us while pointing at Private Jake, who showed a proud smile as he received praise.

Before Lieutenant Carl leaves, he turns back and warns us one last time.

"I know this is just a simple mission, but remember, no one leaves until you all complete all the points that I've informed Private Jake. Whoever thought of abandoning the assignment will be treated as treason against the empire, do I make myself clear?!"

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" The whole platoon immediately saluted and replied loudly.

"Good, now have fun, ladies."

Satisfied with the response, Lieutenant Carl rides his steed away from that place, leaving the rest of the whole 24 soldiers of the 37th platoon saluting on the ground.

As the sight of the Lieutenant slowly disappears through the horizon, the attitude of the platoon instantly changes.

The platoon soldiers start to do their own thing, some talking, some taking out cards as they are about to start for another round of poker.

Private Jake was still in a daze by the praise he received from Lieutenant Carl.

Even Owen took out his sword and began training right away. Xiao looked at his own platoon members and shook his head in disbelief.

(Seriously, why the hell did these guys join the army in the first place? The paid ain't that good, and they rob your freedom too, and I know it sure ain't hell about patriotism. I don't even know where they came from besides Owen.)

So, the 37th platoon ended up not doing anything on the first day of their mission. They literally set up a camp on the spot where Lieutenant Carl parted ways with them, and each doing their own thing for the rest of the day.

Until the next day, with Private Jake keeping ordering the platoon to carry out the mission, they unwillingly start to go from point to point and start doing the recording.

The first few points were still proceeding as usual, where everyone does the recording as told. Now, only a few continued with the task, the rest were sitting under trees, chatting and taking a nap.

(Screw this stupid assignment, I'll just use draw instead.)

Among the one still carrying on with the assignment was Xiao. He was using his Gamer Eyes to see through the name of the animal and record it down.

Although Xiao can read and speak out the name, thanks to Lily's magic and Gamer Eyes, writing still is challenging. So he gives up on writing and uses draw instead.

The platoon followed Private Jake instructed on the direction. He followed the instruction written in a scroll by Lieutenant Carl.

"Alright, I suppose we finished recording for this part. By following the instruction of Lieutenant Carl, the next point is further in from here, let's move!"

Private Jake called out, the platoon then proceeded to follow him deeper into the forest.

They went deeper and deeper into the forest. The scenery of the tree with yellow leaves has gradually changed into only branches as they venture deeper.

The sound of animals and birds that still can be heard earlier has gone softer. The sunlight got blocked by the large trees, leaving only a dim environment.

"Is it just me or does the environment become darker?" Xiao asked Owen who was beside him.

"Hmm...now that you mention it, yeah, looks like we venture quite deep into the forest," Owen answered while looking around on where they are.

"More like a jungle we have gone into, just look at the size of the tree," Xiao pointed to a big old tree as he spoke. The tree was so big that it may require 10 people to surround it, not to mention its height has covered the sky with multiple of its branches.

The one that Xiao pointed was just one among the many more surrounding the area, some even bigger than the other.

(Are we still in the Yellow Leaf Forest? Looks to me that we might enter into another zone already.)

Xiao's sense was telling him something was wrong, that they should turn back to where they came from. Before Xiao could determine the situation, he got disturbed by Private Jake's voice.

"Alright, here's our next point." Private Jake ordered the platoon to stop.

Everyone stops walking immediately, followed by the sound of their footsteps, entirely gone from the place, leaving a tranquil environment.

Everyone realizes how quiet their surroundings were, so subtle that even the sound of wind can't be heard.

(This atmosphere.....it's too quiet, something ain't right. It feels as if.....as if we are the only ones here.)

Xiao's hand was already placed on the handler of his sword, his guts were screaming danger to him and that they should leave this place immediately.

"Jerry? What's wrong? Why do you have an arrow on your..."

The sudden sound from Private Tom's voice draws everyone's attention to him. Both Private Jerry and he were walking behind everyone else, so everyone turned their back to see what's going on.

They can't see Private Jerry as he got blocked by Private Tom's large body. From Private Tom's reaction, he looked at Private Jerry with confusion at first, gradually that turned into a horror expression.

There was an arrow piercing into Private Jerry's head, his eyes were already rolled up as blood gushed out all over the place.

A scream came out from Private Tom. He falls back to the ground, followed by the already dead Private Jerry lifelessly slamming down to the ground.

"TOOT! TOOT! TOOT!"

Without even waiting for everyone to react to what just happens, horns' sound can be heard blowing from all directions.

"THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

"WHAT'S THIS?!"

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"

Everyone panicked, while some were still in a daze to react to what just happened, others began to shout and look around places aimlessly.

Finally, realizing the situation they were in, Private Jake scream out of his lung the word everyone fears the most:

"AMBUSH!"