The lost continent appeared no different from the others at first glance.

A vast valley with densely populated trees could be seen from a bird's eye view. However, these trees didn't look normal. Most of them were huge but also black, as if they had been charred. Among them, normal trees could be found, but not as frequently as the burnt ones.

Through this dense territory, there were several trails, and three people were walking along one of them. Two of them were of similar height and dressed alike. One of them seemed to be holding something resembling a map, while the third person was tall with a massive sword on their back.

One of the three was named Nero, and both he and the warrior couldn't read the map, so they were being led by the third person in their team.

During their departure from the guild, Nero also learned their aliases. The warrior was called Bellato, and the other person was named Liberta.

Upon hearing Liberta's voice, Nero realized that she was a woman.

However, during their discussion, they discovered that only she knew how to use the map, so Nero and the warrior had to follow her.

According to the information provided by a stout man, his son, for whom he created this quest, went missing southwest of the Hiyubei settlement.

They needed to reach there as soon as possible and gather details.

After leaving the base, they rarely encountered other adventurers. The Hiyubei settlement was located about 5-6 kilometers from their starting point.

Before hiring them, another group was sent for reconnaissance, and they found traces in the southwest. However, that area was said to be quite dangerous, so the group returned. As a result, the stout man hired Nero's group.

Although the chances of his son being dead were high, he insisted that they reach the location quickly and search for him.

They agreed to go there, but those who registered anonymously were reluctant to go beyond mission boundaries, and trust in them was quite low.

Despite the promise of greater rewards for hurrying, they already had the minimum number of missions. So, they didn't need to take excessive risks, considering they were already risking their lives by going as a trio.

And now they were almost at the destination, taking them 40 minutes to reach it. As they climbed a small hill, they saw the ruins and gloomy settlement.

Although much time had passed since the loss of this continent, there were still remnants due to the presence of powerful magical artifacts.

Nero noticed that the other two became alert as they approached the settlement. He also focused and looked around.

As they entered the settlement, they remained cautious. Liberta pointed out a high point where they could survey the area, and they followed her instructions.

The journey was uneventful. As they ascended to the high point, Liberta took out something resembling a telescope and looked into the distance.

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

"I see smoke about one and a half kilometers from here. The likelihood of a camp is high," she said, turning to them.

"It's also possible that the stout man's son is held captive. I suggest we go and check, although it might be a trap. But there's also a chance that the enemy will be weak. What do you think?" she continued.

Hearing this, Nero shrugged and looked at the warrior.

"Well, I think we can go and take a look, but we need to be cautious. Let's also carry a flag. It reduces the chance of a trap," Nero replied.

Nero didn't say anything else; he simply nodded. The other side was clearly more experienced than him.

As they descended and continued their journey, unexpectedly, after so much time, they finally encountered the first creature. It resembled a human, but its skin was red, and its ears were twisted. It was a very weak creature, as the warrior effortlessly decapitated it with a single strike.

Although it was something new for Nero, they didn't have time to study the creature due to their missions.

...........

They gradually approached the smoke while circling with the flag.

Fortunately, they fell into a trap and found a small hill to observe what was happening there.

Nero was surprised by the result, as Liberta was right—it was a camp. It was a small place with tents and improvised log walls surrounding them. Near one of the walls, there was a large rock with several archers on it.

Nero counted the people in the camp, approximately 20 individuals, not including potential occupants in the tents.

"I sense 24 people, including one level three warrior over there. The rest are at levels one or two," Liberta informed.

"Hmm... How do you sense that? Is it magic?" Nero asked, disregarding where she had heard about it.

Liberta glanced at Nero and then back at the camp. "Besides one person, there are also three others—everyone else is in the camp and on top of the rock. Considering their strengths, if we avoid being surrounded, we can defeat them. It's also likely that the three of them are captured hostages."

After clarifying, she looked at both of them and added, "So, shall we continue or retreat?"

"I think we can handle this. I can attract their attention while one of you deals with the archers and the other discreetly kills a few," Bellato suggested.

"I believe I can take out the archers first, and you..." Liberta looked at Nero. "Although I don't sense any power from you, if you managed to achieve rank C, you must have your own methods. So, you can kill as many as you can."

"Well, I don't mind," Nero replied.

"Alright then, let's begin. I'll go ahead and take my position. One person will stay here to signal both sides before taking their position," Liberta instructed.

Liberta and Bellato went to their respective places while Nero waited to give them the signal of readiness.

Although he could use his skills, he still needed some experience.

Observing as they took their positions and signaled, Nero also made his own signal. Fortunately, no one noticed their movements. At that moment, the warrior suddenly struck the tree with great force and then hid. The tree shook and tilted, making grinding sounds before crashing down with a loud thud.

As everyone turned their attention to the fallen tree, Nero signaled Liberta. Swift as a cat, she began climbing up the wall—a truly astonishing sight.

Just as the guard started turning to look at his surroundings, Liberta swiftly passed and ascended to the top. From there, it was easy and quick—three archers fell into a pool of blood without reacting.

Looking towards Nero, she gave a signal. He turned and headed towards the warrior, making his way through the crowd.

Soon, another crash resounded, followed by several people grabbing their weapons and opening the camp's gate to come out.

Since there were many trees in the area, they didn't notice the warrior hiding after his previous action.

The people from the camp had to approach the site to understand what was happening, while Nero reached the gate.