The red and blue moonlight gradually faded, and the sunrise was not yet complete, enveloping the entire city of Huaaoleis in the early morning mist.

A melodious sound of camel bells broke through the morning fog, awakening the sleeping city.

When the city was fully awake, and the noise of the day echoed once again, the mercenary troop of the Blue Enchantress had already vanished at the end of the city's trade routes.

The mercenary group, setting out early, deployed over seventy mercenaries this time. Apart from a few on other missions and a small number staying behind, for the Blue Enchantress, with only a little over a hundred people, this was essentially all of its elite forces.

The entire mercenary troop formed a loose ring to protect the seven musk oxen in the middle.

The musk oxen, resembling oxen but covered in gray-white fur, hornless, and larger in size, have stronger load-bearing capacities and are better suited for traversing mountainous and forested terrains. Strictly speaking, musk oxen are level one magical beasts, but their timid nature and their inherent magic to envelop themselves in a mud ball when in danger make them one of the few magical beasts that can be tamed by humans.

Each musk ox carried several large boxes on its back. Besides the daily necessities of the mercenary group like tents, food, weapons, and medicines, the boxes also contained the items for this mission. However, apart from the leader Cairns, including core members like Adeline, no one knew what the employer had entrusted them with. Cairns forbade anyone from approaching the boxes carried by the middle three musk oxen.

Out of professional ethics, unless Cairns spoke up, no one would inquire out of curiosity.

The mercenary profession often treads the line between legal and illegal, and many employers' consignments are not to be seen in daylight. The veteran mercenaries have seen all sorts of strange commissions and have long been accustomed to them.

Team leader Cairns led the group at the front, with the mage Adeline and the thief Tony closely following. The hunter Angus, as the scout of the mercenary group, maintained a distance of two to three kilometers from the team, ready to alert the group of any dangers ahead. As for the elf archer Iraya, he never showed himself in the team during missions, but all the mercenaries knew he was nearby, always ready to provide timely support in the most dangerous moments.

There was a special presence in the mercenary group, the newly officially joined young Arthur.

Today, Arthur was dressed in a brand-new standard second-level mercenary leather armor, a gift from Tony and Angus the previous night to celebrate his official joining. Compared to the first-level leather armor Arthur used to wear, the second-level mercenary leather armor was more finely crafted, made from the skin of the second-level magical beast, the Xuanfeng Ice Wolf, treated multiple times for a unique glossy finish, with the edges finely processed.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

This basic piece of mercenary leather armor, the lowest in the market, would cost at least five gold coins. For a second-level mercenary in a small mercenary group, it would take half a year's earnings to afford such an armor.

Arthur cherished this armor deeply, wearing it since last night without taking it off, with the mercenary badge prominently placed on the left chest. He also wore the standard-issue blue cloak of the mercenary group, another second-level piece of equipment. Mercenaries, spending most of their time outdoors, rely on a high-quality cloak not only for shelter from wind and rain but also as a blanket to keep warm at night. Being a second-level equipment, it also provides a certain level of protection.

Besides the cloak, Arthur also carried a deep-glossy steel wanderer's bow, known for its strong pull and swift arrows, hence named for its arrows' eager speed, as if a wanderer returning home. The bow, adorned with intricate vine patterns, was clearly a gift from the elf Iraya, made from materials of the second-level magical beast, the Terrifying Jiao.

Yet, the most valuable item Arthur possessed was the pair of inconspicuous gray short boots, a gift from Adeline.

These were genuine third-level equipment, with Adeline even having an enchanter inscribe a wind speed magic circle on them, allowing Arthur to speed up instantly in danger. These third-level enchanted boots were worth at least thirty-five gold coins.

The value of Arthur's equipment would be unimaginable for a newly joined mercenary in a small group, requiring three to five years of earnings to accumulate. Even Tony was a bit jealous, warning Arthur not to stray from Cairns's side, or he might be robbed by an envious mercenary.

Arthur paid no mind to Tony's warnings, excited for his first mercenary mission, exploring everything with fresh eyes, and busily running around within the group.

In fact, Cairns had not assigned him any tasks, seemingly bringing him along just to gain experience. Arthur, however, busied himself with tasks, now helping Angus scout ahead, then checking the boxes on the musk oxen for any looseness, and even finding Iraya in the dense forest just to give him a rare wild fruit he found by chance.

This made Arthur the most beloved member of the mercenary group.

Three days later, the mercenary group had entered the outskirts of the Orlando Mountains, where no roads existed, and only experienced hunters and mercenaries could navigate the best paths through the mountains.

From the moment they entered the mountains, including Cairns, all mercenaries were on high alert, for their mission truly began at this moment.

In the mountains, danger could come at any moment—sudden magical beasts, packs of wild animals, wandering bands of robbers, or adventurers from other races. A slight mishap could lead to significant losses for the mercenary group.

A sharp, urgent bird call suddenly rang out, halting the entire mercenary group without a command.

The bird calls continued, each closer and more urgent than the last, Angus's unique warning signal.

Cairns's face turned grave, "Prepare for battle!"

The entire mercenary group sprang into action, forty mercenaries moving to the front, with fifteen on each side and the rear, protecting the flanks and back.

Steel crossbows, considered military contraband and only used in the direst circumstances, were quickly distributed among the mercenaries, usually kept secret and collectively stored by the mercenary group.

Cairns drew his giant sword quietly, Adeline raised her magic wand, and even Arthur notched an arrow on his wanderer's bow, ready for the imminent battle...