"Vampires can trace their origins back two thousand years before the birth of the great Sigmar," Avi stated. "They originated from the southern Nehkara civilization, spurred by the curiosity and greed of Lahmia's Neferata. The first thirteen vampires were—"

"Let's save the folklore for later. I have a rough idea about these things. What I want to know is, why do you think the guy appearing around us is a vampire?"

"Sorry, sir, I got a bit carried away with the vampire tales just now..." Avi chuckled apologetically, then continued, "Vampires often gather in clusters within their corrupted territories, but it's not ruled out that vampires who have once been defeated or slumbered may awaken again."

"Are you kidding? Vampires turning to ashes when defeated, how can they come back to life?"

"When I say 'defeated,' sir, I don't mean completely defeated. Some witch hunters use special means to force them into a state of slumber during their battles with vampires."

"Such as?"

"Exploding dynamite to collapse the caves where vampires hide, setting fire to the houses where vampires reside, and so on," Avi explained. "In short, the idea is to trap vampires, preventing them from freely moving."

"Hmm, that reminds me of zombies."

"Zombies?"

"Yes, it's a distant land you wouldn't know, my country," Avi elaborated, "There are many legends there about corpses that can still move after death, incredibly strong and tough as steel, just like vampires, they survive by sucking human blood."

"Then you should know how to deal with vampires, sir."

"Well, in such a place..." Avi looked up at the dense canopy above, sighed, and said, "Not a ray of sunlight can penetrate, and it's very difficult for us to confront vampires right now. Those disgusting illusions of the mages... I never want to experience being turned into a monkey again."

Speaking of which, Avi suddenly remembered something, "By the way, do you know why he stole our 'goods'?"

"Probably needs servants, this is all my speculation. But I think the other party is likely a weakened vampire, unable to directly influence the minds of the living, so they can only control ordinary beasts and... things with less vitality."

Given that other team members, Avi couldn't directly say the words 'ghouls' and was forced to speak in riddles along with Aivei.

"I'm very worried now that he might come back with those servants to cause us trouble," Avi said, "Everything else doesn't matter much, but those illusions, we can't handle them at all."

"The best choice is to get through this forest as soon as possible."

"I agree."

Avi turned to the men behind him, "Brothers, we need to speed up our march, rest only twice a day, eat two meals before we leave the forest. Our top priority is to leave this place as soon as possible. When we get to Middenheim, I'll treat you all to a good meal!"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Unexpectedly, this proposal was met with unanimous approval from the mercenaries. In fact, they were all very afraid of the so-called vampire curse and now wished they could fly away from this forest.

However, the Black Forest between Middenheim and Middenstag is vast, and it's not something that can be walked out of in three or four days. Moreover, what lies ahead is unpredictable, any sudden situation could slow down their progress.

The good news is that there are often wild beasts in the forest. Although they don't have long-range weapons for hunting, they still have a good harvest thanks to the pitfalls they dig every night when camping.

There's no problem with food supply; the only dangers in the Black Forest are the impact of darkness on morale and the unknown enemy.

Avi's heart remained in suspense, uncertain of when they would encounter the enemy. Without any battles during this period, he couldn't utilize the system to upgrade the team members and bolster their combat prowess.

This segment of their journey was entirely cut off from the system, leaving them to rely solely on themselves. Avi turned to Airen for advice on swordsmanship training methods and led everyone in daily training sessions.

"If the daily training in Mount & Blade proves effective, then surely the Mount & Blade system would acknowledge this method," Avi pondered.

This marked his inaugural attempt to influence the system through real-world means, and its effectiveness was undeniable, yielding promising results.

Each night before sleep, prompt messages would appear: "Due to daily training, the team gains xxx experience points."

During this period, they processed captured animal skins into semi-finished leather under Airen's guidance, reinforcing their armor for enhanced protection. Animal fat was tied to tree branches, serving as makeshift torches.

With ample supplies, Avi's concern shifted from encountering enemies to confronting illusions. He closely monitored the gradual increase of experience points on the system, eagerly anticipating the potential use of skill points upon leveling up.

It's worth noting that after his intelligence exceeded 20, the system provided further insight into the scholarship skill: "At level one, scholarship provides basic knowledge of the world, while at level two, it grants knowledge equivalent to that of a noble."

"Nobles receive exceptional education," Avi mused. "I've heard from Airen that many nobles attempt to learn magic. Perhaps through level two scholarship, I can acquire knowledge to counter illusions."

Daily training not only boosted their experience points but also progressively fortified their physical bodies. Avi observed that many soldiers' attributes were slowly but steadily increasing.

Although soldiers couldn't experience the step-by-step improvement like Avi and his companions through leveling up, they could enhance their attributes through training. While it remained uncertain if there was a limit, this proved to be a reliable method for augmenting the team's strength.

Avi resolved to make daily training a regular routine. Despite initial reluctance among most mercenaries, his 15 charisma points and level one leadership ensured their compliance with the captain's decision.

Traveling through the forest was monotonous and protracted, the oppressive atmosphere instilling unease. The prolonged absence of sunlight took its toll on their spirits and health.

Just how vast was this forest?

When Avi inquired about its size, Manid's response was vague: "Probably another half month."

Before Avi could despair at this revelation, Rafe brought forth even more astonishing news.

"Boss, it seems there are a few tents up ahead!"

Tents? In such a deep forest?

Avi led the team to investigate and discovered that these tents likely belonged to an unfortunate group—they had hired a mage apprentice as a guide at great cost but had failed to bring sufficient food. Several desperate detours had led to their starvation here.

Notes left behind by previous travelers revealed crucial information: in the Warhammer world, there was no magnetic field. Direction was determined solely by sensing the magical wind—where it was strong lay the north, and where it was weak lay the south.

Additionally, a discovery that nearly stopped Avi's heart: over a dozen ghouls lay scattered beside the camp.