After separating from the old man, Glen dashed along the original path, relying on his memory.

However, eventually deeming the main road too circuitous, he simply made his way straight across the mountains and fields.

The newly obtained clothes were soon scratched by branches and shrubs, forming numerous slashes. Glen, considering the clothes both unsightly and malodorous, naturally felt no regret.

After walking on and off for quite some time, as Glen continued on his journey, he suddenly caught a whiff of a putrid stench.

This is... rotting corpses! He furrowed his brows and decided to follow the smell to investigate.

Moments later, Glen discovered a farmhouse in the forest. Several domestic fowls were penned outside, and the foul odor was emanating from within the farmhouse.

There was a dirt road beside the farmhouse leading outward, upon which were scattered and disorderly footprints.

Enduring the stench, he pushed open the door. Although he had been prepared, the scene that met his eyes instantly plunged his mood to the depths.

There were five members of the family. Excluding the parents, the eldest was around fourteen or fifteen years old, and the youngest was merely seven or eight.

All of them had met a tragic and violent end!

He stepped forward to examine each of them one by one. Except for the two children whose necks had been snapped, the cause of death for the others was identical: flaccid muscles and sunken eye sockets, making them resemble those afflicted with consumption. It was unclear what means had been employed to cause such a state.

They were only seven or eight years old... Glen composed himself and then proceeded to find a place to bury the five family members one by one.

Although he was aware that such tragedies were not infrequent in this world, witnessing it with his own eyes still filled him with intense anger.

During his missions in his previous life, he had also encountered scenes more brutal than this. Each such encounter had stirred up emotions within him.

In his previous life, there were various constraints that prevented him from acting as he pleased. But now, he could do whatever he wanted, and no one could stop him.

...

Inside a huge, hollowed-out dead tree, three dark mages who had narrowly escaped death lowered their hands that had been engaged in casting spells.

"He said there was an accident and that the meeting point has been shifted?" One of the one-eyed mages furrowed his brow and said.

"This doesn't seem right. We've only been staying at that location for a short while, and it's extremely secluded. How could an accident occur so soon? Did the knights or the mages from the Mage Alliance find us?" The mage with a hooked nose that drooped down to his chin questioned.

"Try to contact him again..." The mage with dark green pupils had just made the suggestion when his expression abruptly changed!

"Someone is coming!" the three of them exclaimed simultaneously.

Hardly had the words left their mouths when a figure rushed in. The speed was so astonishing that the three of them were completely unable to react. The incantation for defensive magic had barely reached their throats when they were struck a heavy blow on the head.

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The protective magic that had been continuously in operation shattered instantaneously, and the three dark mages lost consciousness.

When the first dark mage groggily opened his eyes, he was horrified to find himself and his two companions hanging upside down, tied to a withered tree.

A young man dressed in tattered clothes was sitting beside a campfire, roasting the meat of some kind of bird.

As if sensing the dark mage's regained consciousness, Glen, without even looking up, said,"You guys killed that family of five, didn't you?"

Upon hearing this, the awakened dark mage was momentarily taken aback. Then, he sneered malevolently,"Yes, it was us. Are you a relative or a friend of theirs? They tasted wonderful. Do you want me to tell you all about it in detail?"

After all, they had only killed that family recently, so it was quite easy for him to understand what Glen was referring to.

Glen nodded, slowly rose to his feet, and said in a calm voice,"I have no connection with them at all. I just don't like people like you. Since I had nothing better to do, I just dropped by to kill you."

"What?!! You stupid and ignorant lad! We are noble mages! We are inherently superior! We can kill you lowly beings who fail to comprehend the greatness of magic whenever we desire! You think you're worthy of opposing us? You're not!"

The dark mage spoke with extreme vehemence, his tone revealing boundless humiliation and anger.

Perhaps in his view, even engaging in a conversation with Glen was beneath his dignity.

These mages all seem to be cut from the same cloth. I wonder who has indulged them like this... Glen waited patiently for the other to finish speaking before he said unhurriedly,"I suppose you didn't care about the feelings of others when you took their lives. So, I want you to experience what it's like to feel your life force gradually slipping away..."

As soon as the words were out, regardless of their reactions, Glen flicked out one of his wolf claws, grabbed one of the mage's arms, made a long incision, and then used a rope to hold it in place, allowing the blood to flow freely onto the ground.

He did the same to the other two.

Due to the pain, the other two mages also woke up. Seeing what was happening, they started cursing furiously:

"You despicable lad! We are mages! I order you to release us at once! Otherwise... otherwise... Well, the consequences will be severe!"

"Let us go! I'll suck the life energy right out of you!"

Glen listened quietly. His expression didn't seem to indicate that he was hearing curses; instead, it was more like he was listening to praises.

"I suggest you save your energy. There will be even more pain coming your way. You might want to save some strength for later when you'll be screaming," Glen said softly when their voices gradually died down. After that, he turned and left.

The three mages, growing weaker by the moment, were filled with unease. Not long after Glen's figure disappeared, faint rustling sounds suddenly arose around them.

A type of rodent, neither quite a mouse nor something else, emerged from beneath the dry leaves and out of the dead trees. They had long, sharp front teeth and were squeaking as they approached the three hanging men.

In just a moment, a dense swarm of them had gathered, making the three mages feel a chill run down their spines and causing them to shudder with horror.

In their panic, they struggled frantically, but the ropes, somehow, were unbreakable.

As the first strange rodent climbed onto one of the mages along the tree branches, more of its companions followed suit.

Piercing screams echoed through the sky...

...

Having dealt with these evildoers with ease, Glen felt much better.

Indeed, one's own happiness is the most important thing... Glen summed up his thoughts as he continued on his journey.

He walked straight through the night. Occasionally, he encountered strangers on the road, most of whom were dressed like peasants and looked at Glen with the kind of eyes one would give a beggar.

Of course, Glen paid no heed to these looks.

Judging from this journey, this area should be on the outskirts of the kingdom. Otherwise, the various facilities wouldn't be so backward. He couldn't even find a place to buy a horse... Glen thought with a hint of annoyance.

He had long been frustrated with having to rely on manpower to pull the cart every time.

Just as he was about to reach the outskirts of Bayek, a magnificent carriage approached from behind and slowed down beside Glen.

Without even looking, Glen could already tell who was inside.

Sure enough, when the curtain was drawn back, it revealed a fair - faced, three - dimensional - featured blonde girl with a mischievous smile. She said,"Look, Mom. There's a ragged beggar here. How pathetic he looks."

Inside, there was also a woman of great nobility. Her eyes were always half - open, looking ahead, and she kept her head slightly tilted back, as if always ready to look down on others. She said in a stern tone,"Pernas, don't do anything that's not important."

Just as Pernas was about to respond, Glen exclaimed in surprise,"Oh, isn't this the kind and generous Miss Pernas? Did you stop on purpose to give me a ride? That's wonderful! Where do I get on this carriage? Here? I'm coming..."