The scorching sun blazed as large beads of sweat incessantly rolled off the bodies.

Around thirty shirtless mercenaries repeatedly practiced the same set of boxing techniques, their thunderous shouts echoing uniformly across the mercenary group's training ground.

Under the shadow of the surrounding walls, Arthur followed the mercenaries' movements, imitating each gesture and stance with surprising accuracy.

Whenever Arthur had free time, he enjoyed heading to the side courtyard of the mercenary group's training ground, watching the mercenaries train and spar was his greatest pleasure. Even without formal instruction, having watched for a long time, he had learned the set of martial techniques the mercenaries practiced regularly.

"Put more force into your punch!" a voice suddenly sounded from behind Arthur.

"Uncle Randal." Arthur retracted the punch he had thrown and turned around to greet Randal with a smile.

"Do you know the name of this martial technique?"

"They call it the Passage to Rebirth, quite an odd name," Arthur said, scratching his head in habit.

"Its real name is actually the Decree of Embracing Death. These fellows changed its name because they found it ominous. It's a set of martial arts originating from the human race's army suicide squads. The core of this martial technique is to embrace death to seek life. Martial arts are meant for killing; only with the courage to face death can one unleash the strongest combat power, thereby killing enemies on the battlefield," Randal explained with unusual patience.

"Can you teach me the Decree of Embracing Death?" Arthur asked tentatively, mustering his courage.

Randal paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly becoming distant, and after a long sigh, he said, "The people who know this technique have almost all died, it truly is a martial art that leads to death."

Arthur was momentarily stunned.

At that moment, a commotion erupted from the side courtyard's gate, as a dozen mercenaries rushed in, carrying two stretchers.

Tony, looking frenzied, led the way, "Randal, quick! Save them!"

Randal and the mercenaries on the training ground quickly gathered around.

The two mercenaries on the stretchers were both in a gruesome state, pale with blood and flesh mangled. One had his chest wrapped in layers of bandages, which were completely soaked with blood; the other mercenary had already passed out, with the left half of his pant leg hanging empty, the stretcher covered in blood.

Randal tore open the unconscious mercenary's pant leg to reveal that half of the lower leg was completely gone. He then ripped open the bandages, and blood sprayed out, revealing a jagged wound.

Taking an axe from another mercenary, Randal's blade, wrapped in fighting spirit, flashed by, severing the mercenary's leg at the knee.

The mercenary screamed in agony before completely passing out.

Randal threw away the axe, and his hands, glowing with white fighting spirit, enveloped the mercenary's wound, staunching the flow of blood. A medic mercenary quickly wrapped the wound tightly with a tourniquet.

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"Let me handle this!" A white-haired mage hurried over.

Wobor, a third-level wood magician hired by the Blue Nymph mercenary group at a great cost, healing mages were essential for all large mercenary groups.

As the incantation was chanted, a light green magical glow passed through Randal's white fighting spirit and enveloped the mercenary's wound. Under the magic's nourishment, the bleeding stopped completely. Moreover, the flesh around the wound began to grow rapidly, sealing the wound shortly after.

The second-level wood magic "Budding Greens" possessed powerful healing capabilities.

The pain of flesh regrowth caused the unconscious mercenary to wake up once again, screaming hysterically upon seeing his leg reduced to a stump, as the surrounding mercenaries quickly restrained him.

When Wobor went to assist the other mercenary, Randal grabbed Tony, "What happened?"

Tony's eyes were bloodshot, "It was those bastards from 'Blood Spike.' While we were hunting a Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, they deliberately lured a frenzied magic bear to us. They used a bloodthirsty potion to make the bear completely berserk, suddenly breaking into our hunting formation from behind, causing Hagg and Bobby to be severely injured."

"These bastards playing dirty!" Randal also immediately fell into a rage.

"I'm going to gather the brothers right now; we're going to raid 'Blood Spike's' lair!" Tony turned to call for people.

"Wait, going straight to their doorstep means declaring war on 'Blood Spike' directly. It's not time to go to war with them without Kaines," Randal said, anger not clouding his judgement.

"Wait a moment, going directly to them now is equivalent to declaring war on 'Blood Spike' outright, and it's not the time to wage war without Kaines," Randal said, his anger not completely clouding his judgment.

"Then what should we do? Just let Hagg and Bobby's injuries go like this, swallow this humiliation?" Tony glared at Randal, questioning him.

Randal's eyes widened as he yelled at Tony, "Tony, how dare you speak to me like that, you little brat? Remember, this isn't the battlefield. If we go to war with 'Blood Spike,' the city's army and the Mercenary Guild will definitely intervene. We'll settle this account when Kaines returns."

Randal's anger immediately made Tony's bravado shrink back.

"Alright, Bobby's life is saved, at least." Wobor stood up, swaying. Treating two severely injured men was the limit for a third-level magician.

"Are they both okay now?" Tony went back to check on the two mercenaries' conditions.

"Bobby is fortunate; his internal organs and meridians weren't damaged. He'll recover after a few days of rest, but Hagg is finished," Wobor said, shaking his head helplessly.

"Is there really no way to help him? I've heard there's magic for regrowing limbs," Tony and the surrounding mercenaries all looked eagerly at Wobor.

"The wood magic 'Renewal of the Withered' and the light magic 'Hymn of Light' both have the power to save lives from the brink of death and regenerate limbs, but that's a capability only a twelfth-level grand magician can master," Wobor sighed and continued, "Moreover, even if we could find a twelfth-level grand magician, our mercenary group couldn't afford the cost of a single intervention."

"Let's just be thankful we could save a life; send Hagg back," Randal said, waving his arm in resignation.

A somber atmosphere spread through the area, everyone knowing Hagg's career as a mercenary was over.

Arthur had been silently watching everything unfold.

Randal suddenly turned around, his eyes fixing on Arthur, "You've seen everything, do you still want to learn the Decree of Embracing Death?"

"If I don't learn it, does that mean I won't have to die?" Arthur's tone was unexpectedly calm.

"At least you won't die so soon. Being a mercenary is a profession that faces death at any moment, and the Decree of Embracing Death demands that its practitioners seek life through death."

"When my mother was killed by orcs, I thought I would die too. When I was captured and taken to the orc camp, I watched as one by one, other children died before my eyes; I thought my end was certain then. Since death is inevitable, I don't want to be powerless when facing death again!" Tears welled in Arthur's eyes.

Seeing his mother killed, being captured and taken to the orc camp, where he was the only child to survive.

At that moment, Randal and the mercenaries vaguely realized the terrible experiences this always-smiling boy had been through.

"Good lad! Since you have the courage to embrace death for life, then prepare to face death!" Randal's large hand heavily patted Arthur's slender shoulder.