Eldon slunk back into his seat. His mind was in disarray. Rid Spire Island of monsters?

When monsters first appeared, this island was the first to be devastated. Mutated lizards overrun the residential areas. Every human being on the island was annihilated. Since then, the monsters had only grown stronger and more plentiful, and now, fifty years later, they were at a peak no other Monster Clan could hope to match.

As if their strength and numbers were not daunting enough, something else made Adventurers wary of them.

They were known to be the species with the highest intelligence. Not only were they insanely powerful, they were also tricky and difficult to deal with. Those who underestimated them often faced cruel consequences.

In the past, they were violent and brutal, attacking the city every fortnight. Few other species survived on the island, and the beasts also required food. The spirit fruits that grew on the island helped somewhat, but they were not enough to feed the monster clan’s growing numbers.

Yet, in recent years, they had rarely initiated an attack. It was now rare to find a Dragon-scaled Lizard near the outskirts of their territory. Most of them had retreated inwards. Adventurers happily welcomed this change, harvesting the spirit fruits in the abandoned territories.

Some dismissed the beasts' actions as merely that—actions of mindless beasts, but others worried that the monster clan was secretly planning something.

Eldon thought back to the blond deputy captain’s forlorn back and the disappearance of the A-Rank captain. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it all. Far more than he could hope to understand.

“You will be split into teams of ten, all five thousand of you,” the President continued. “Three days from now, we will initiate the offensive against the monsters. It will be the moment where the final war will begin—the start of my vigorous ascent to godhood!

“Now, I’m not asking you to do this for free. If you don’t want to participate in the operation, you can leave tomorrow with full bellies and hearty goodbyes. However, if you are ready to fight for humankind and establish the era of the New World Government, you will earn your freedom! Upon completing the mission, you will be awarded ranks among the Legion, shedding off the stain of wearing that uniform. No more living in smelly Camps! No more disgrace! No more disdain! What say you?”

Zachary raised a hand. “What if we don’t want to join the Legion? What happens then?” For some reason, his voice carried across the hall, just like everyone who had spoken to the President.

“In that case, you’d be safely returned to your Camps and allowed to live a peaceful life of battle.”

The Campers fell into silence. Eldon yanked at his hair. The Legion... the Camps... The only difference between them was the status of their members. But for members of the Camps who have been shunned by society, who still had hope of being looked up to as shining heroes? Yet when given a choice between continuing the empty, bloody life of a Camper and becoming something better, most people would pick the latter.

Even though they would still spend their lifetimes on the battlefields, slaving away for the Government, they would now be commended and rewarded for their efforts.

As for freedom, no one would be foolish enough to believe such a thing. Their lives would still be decided and controlled by the Government.

The President gave them some time to consider their options. None of the Campers smiled at this moment. They were about to make the most significant yet meaningless choice of their lives.

“So,” The president finally said. “Any objections?”

There was none.

“Excellent! Simply excellent!”

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

The President gave them some details. They were to form teams containing a maximum of ten Campers, leaders included. The formation of these teams was left to the discretion of the Campers. Afterward, each team would receive weapons and other necessities from the Guard House. At sunrise on the mission's date, all information relevant to the campaign would be passed out.

“Three days,” President Richard said. “After three days, the operation will begin. Form your teams, receive necessary battle gear, and sharpen your skills as you wait for that day.”

The rest of the night passed quietly. Few were in the mood to eat or drink after the President’s speech, Eldon least of all. The hostess returned to welcome the main dish—Three-Horned Desert Oryx, a B-Rank monster from the Eastern Territory, served with vegetables and spirit fruits of high quality.

Eldon stared at the dish before him, but his mind was elsewhere. He furrowed his brows as he tried to think of his next steps.

There was no escaping the mission. All he could do was think of how he could clear the mission—no, how he could survive.

The Number One Forbidden Land was number one for a reason, and Eldon had no hopes that a D-rank like him would make any big waves. That was for the strong people to do. What he had to think about was how he could survive.

Teams... The teams were the crux of how he could survive. The stronger the team he joined, the higher his chances of survival. Joining a team of S-ranks was ideal, but S-ranks couldn't team up. In a team, there has to be a leader. Who would be the leader then?

In that case, the best he could hope for was an S-rank team. The problem now was, which S-rank would choose a D-rank when there were A-ranks and B-ranks available?

Eldon pulled his locks in frustration.

Someone coughed beside him, choking on something. Eldon turned to see Zachary holding two slices of oryx meat in each hand while holding and trying to drink from a small cup of wine. After a long struggle, he managed to drink. He relaxed with a sigh, then promptly started chewing again.

Eldon watched him for a moment, his eyelids twitching. “Are you not bothered by the President’s announcement?”

Zachary gulped. “Why should I be?”

Eldon fell silent, deliberating. He glanced at Zachary and the glow that surrounded him in his vision. Compared to the S-ranks and the A-ranks, it was weak but still much stronger than his. He had already forgotten that Zachary was a B-rank. He would not have any trouble finding a good team to join.

Eldon stood up. In that case, I’ll have to think of something. Something... There must be something...

“Uh...”, Zachary cleared his throat and spoke through a mouthful of venison. “Where are you going? You haven’t touched the dish yet. I can vouch for its absolute superiority to anything you’ve ever tasted in your life—”

“We need to join a team. You won’t have a problem finding a good one. I will.” Eldon paused. “I think this is where we part ways. It was nice knowing you.” He held out a hand.

Zachary froze, staring at the hand. He cocked his head to one side, then, after carefully setting the oryx meat back on the plates, he wiped his hand solemnly and got to his feet.

He stood before Eldon with a calm expression. He raised his hand slowly to meet Eldon’s.

He slapped it to the side and knocked Eldon on the head.

“What the hell got into you? I told you. We’re in this together. You’re not going to have trouble joining a team... okay, maybe you will, but if you do, I will too. Get yourself together. It’s just another mission.”

It's just another mission.

It was like a thunderbolt went off in Eldon’s mind. That’s right. It’s just another mission. One of the hundreds he had completed. This wasn’t the first time he faced something so far out of his league. Once, when he was younger, he had been sent to a D-rank Battle Zone even though he had been an F-rank.

Yet he survived.

Many others died in that battle, but he survived. That wasn’t the only time. Every single battle he had fought since then had seen someone he knew die—those he knew but didn’t know him, acquaintances, and even those much stronger than him.

In the Camps, there was no place for hesitation or rumination in battle. You had to be sharp, swift, and decisive. In the past, Eldon went into battle ready to do his best but open to dying if need be. After all, he had nothing to live for.

Now, though, something had changed. Was it because of the restful and leisurely day in the city? Was it because there was someone beside him he was at ease around? Or was it because of the status promised to those who survived the mission?

Eldon couldn’t say. All he knew was that the fire in his heart had been stoked. Now, his will to survive was much more than before. That was why he was so agitated.

Eldon covered his face and sat back down slowly. Zachary sat beside him, and there was a clatter of dining utensils.

“You know...” Zachary said. “I have an idea of how we can survive this thing. If it goes well, we can come out on top and obtain more benefits.”

Every Camper knew how the Spire operated. There was never equality. Those who contributed the most would most likely gain more benefits. They might be promoted to a higher level in the Legion or given strong formulas or weapons.

Because of the strange fire in Eldon’s heart, the thought of simply surviving like a worm didn’t seem so attractive anymore.

Sighing, he uncovered his face and turned to Zachary.

“Are you...” He shook his head. “What is this idea?”

Zachary smiled. “It’s quite simple. Only that it requires some prior, specific knowledge...”