Category: The Azure Longsword

Chapter 93: A Drop in Temperature

Outside, the wind howled. Inside…it was frigid.

Asker stared at the dirt ceiling above, bored. Though conscious, his body was still incredibly weak.

His extensive burns would have been infected and fatal for an ordinary person. But with his level 5 Transcendental physique, the burns were the least of his worries. He simply needed to remain still and wait for the slow process of self-healing.

The sensation wasn’t pleasant, a tingling feeling across his burned skin, like thousands of tiny insects crawling beneath.

But Asker was not one to complain.

Medea pressed close to him.

“I’m a little cold,” she said with a smile, noticing his gaze.

“You can start a fire,” Asker said.

“But then it would be too hot,” Medea countered smoothly.

Too hot, seriously… Asker was speechless, but he understood her intentions and didn’t comment further.

As Medea’s face drew closer, he finally said, “What are you doing?”

“Admiring your face.” Unconcerned with the dirt and grime, Medea propped herself up on her hands, her gaze fixed on his face.

“Is there something on my face?” Asker asked, irritated.

“No, just admiring its handsomeness.” Medea smiled and poked his cheek with a finger. “I heard the Achilles family has blood from the Far East Dragon Kingdom. So, you’re mixed-race?”

“Mixed-race isn’t exactly a compliment,” Asker said.

“It’s fine, I’m mixed-race too,” Medea said. “Succubus and human, an even greater divide. By the way, do you know about succubi?”

“Are you referring to the native succubi of Purgatory? Or humans with succubus genes?”

“The latter, of course,” Medea said. “Did you know? Succubi have…exceptional abilities in certain areas. Even after suppressing their bloodline, they can control their fertility. Every encounter can result in conception, if they wish. Or, they can remain barren after thousands.”

I really don’t want to discuss reproductive biology with you… Asker remained silent.

“I’d like to try,” Medea said, her face drawing closer, her breath warm against his ear.

“Try what, exactly?” Asker narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t be obtuse,” Medea said coquettishly. “Surely you understand?”

“I understand,” Asker said. “And if you have too much energy, I’ll add three laps to your next training run.”

Medea: …

See? Rejected again, Medusa’s mocking voice echoed in her mind.

“Shut up!” Medea snapped, annoyed. “If it weren’t for his injuries, I would have already taken him!”

Are you sure you shouldn’t? Medusa sneered. Once he recovers, you’ll never have this opportunity again.

Medea hesitated. His body, or his heart? A difficult choice.

Finally, she made up her mind. “It’s fine. I’m patient. I have faith in my charms. There’s no need to rush.”

Don’t come crying to me later, Medusa said.

“I won’t,” Medea said haughtily.

“Finished your little chat?” Asker asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Medea feigned ignorance.

“How are the others?” Asker asked, changing the subject.

“I don’t know,” Medea said. “We seem to be at the bottom of the valley. I found this cave nearby to shelter from the cold.”

“Cold?”

“It’s started snowing outside,” Medea explained. “The temperature has dropped significantly.”

Asker pondered this for a moment. “The Axe of the North Wind has been activated.”

“You’re saying…” Medea’s mind raced. “The snow and the drop in temperature are caused by that axe?”

“In fact, the entire abnormal climate of Mount Taygetus is caused by the Axe of the North Wind,” Asker explained. “We don’t know who activated it, triggering this sudden drop in temperature… Most likely a Snow Monster, but it’s hard to say for sure.”

“I have some medicinal herbs for external injuries in my bullet pouch. Could you get them for me?”

Medea retrieved the pre-chewed herbs from his pouch. Carefully removing his chainmail, she revealed his well-defined physique.

Thanks to his level 5 physical abilities, Asker, though seemingly lean, possessed incredibly strong and resilient muscles, his body sculpted to perfection.

Medea swallowed hard, then mixed the herbs with a bit of melted snow and gently applied the paste to his burns.

“Done,” Asker said. “Help me put my chainmail back on.”

“Are you leaving already?” Medea asked incredulously. “Don’t push yourself! You’re still weak. Why not rest a bit longer?”

If I stay here any longer, you’ll devour me. Asker gave her a discreet look. “If we don’t deal with that axe, the temperature will continue to drop, and we’ll freeze to death in these mountains in a few days.”

“Seriously?” Medea’s expression was a mix of surprise and belief.

After all, these words came from the Captain.

“We need to find the others quickly.” Asker pushed aside the snow blocking the cave entrance.

…

It was bitterly cold outside.

That was Asker’s first thought.

His cotton armor, and the fur cloak over it, had been burned away by Medea’s flames.

Worse, during the rescue, he had lost his sword.

“Aren’t you cold?” Medea asked, following him out of the cave.

“I am,” Asker admitted.

Medea, without a word, removed her fur cloak. “Here. Take this.”

“Thanks.” Asker took the cloak and draped it over his chainmail.

“You’re not very polite, are you?” Medea said, surprised.

“You have fire abilities,” Asker stated simply.

Medea: …

True, she could summon flames at will, so she didn’t have to worry about the cold.

“Slow down!” Seeing Asker pick up the pace, Medea hurried to catch up.

“We’re running out of time,” Asker said.

“If it’s too difficult, let’s just give up on the axe,” Medea suggested. “We don’t have to resolve this anomaly.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Asker replied.

Medea was a little annoyed that he hadn’t considered her opinion.

However, recalling the images she had seen in Asker’s memories, she felt a sense of understanding and calm settle over her.

In the original “Steel and Fire,” war had been the dominant theme for over a decade. Whether civilian, noble, or professional soldier, all faced the constant threat of violence and death in the all-consuming conflict.

That was why this man carried the weight of the entire team on his shoulders, sprinting forward with all his might.

Only she understood his purpose and his determination, and only she…

…would walk this path with him.

Chapter 92: Transmigration or Brain in a Vat?

So, Asker was from the Dragon Kingdom?

Medea was incredibly curious.

She had investigated Asker. Back in Constantinople, she knew he was from the Achilles family, a family with deep ties to the distant Dragon Kingdom.

However, Medea hadn’t expected Asker to actually have memories of living in the Dragon Kingdom.

Did his family move to Constantinople later? To seek refuge with the Achilles family?

This conjecture spurred Medea to delve deeper into his mind.

Soon, she discovered a startling truth.

Asker wasn’t Asker. The original “Asker” was dead; this body was now occupied by a visitor from another world.

A consciousness that had transmigrated from a world very similar to the Dragon Kingdom.

In that world, there seemed to be records of this world as well. The people there called this world “SNF.”

Steel and Fire, a video game…

It took Medea a while to understand the concept of a video game – mainly because Asker’s memories after college were almost entirely filled with gaming, so she couldn’t avoid learning about it.

So that’s how it is.

Medea smiled, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at Asker’s face, a subtle sweetness blossoming in her heart.

Like a wife who had secretly read her husband’s diary, she felt a sense of closeness, as if the distance between them had narrowed.

Although it was a pity she couldn’t take advantage of the situation and do something to him, at least she knew his deepest secret.

And she was the only one who knew…

Lost in thought for a moment, Medea continued her exploration.

Then, she was shocked to discover that Asker hadn’t intended to keep this a secret at all. He had even told Nuo – on the night she confessed to him.

Really! How could he casually reveal such a crucial thing as being a transmigrator to someone else?

Medea was a little angry. Shouldn’t this kind of thing… only be told to the person closest to you? Like her, her!

What if Nuo was a woman with ulterior motives? Wasn’t he putting himself in danger?

What made Medea even more uncomfortable was that Asker had chosen to tell Nuo because he believed she would keep his secret and wouldn’t harm him.

And, to Medea’s irritation, based on her understanding of Nuo, she indeed wouldn’t – Nuo’s heart belonged entirely to Asker. She wouldn’t betray his secrets any more than she would betray his bed.

Damn it, why are you two so close! How many secrets have you shared?!

Medea decided to keep Nuo under close mental surveillance from now on. If this girl ever had any other intentions, Medea would silence her immediately, even if Asker scolded her for it.

I’m doing this for your own good! Do you understand? She stared at Asker’s face, silently making up her mind.

Continuing her exploration, Medea luckily found a recent memory: the scene of Asker risking his life to save her on the snowy slope.

So, what were you thinking at that time?

After carefully searching for a while, a disappointed expression appeared on Medea’s face.

It turned out that Asker hadn’t rushed down to save her out of any special feelings – the memory showed that he had simply made a quick judgment.

He judged that he could save her, so he did.

In Asker’s world, it seemed that many things could be quantified.

For example, the HP of a level 5 could be quantified. He had enough to withstand her flames for more than 10 seconds, plus the impact of the fall. He had calculated that it wouldn’t be fatal before saving her, not the “risking his life to save her” that Medea had originally thought.

But then Medea saw another thought.

“With my current physical attributes and hers, if I go to save her, at most I will be seriously injured; if I don’t, she will definitely die.”

Risking serious injury to save me? Hmph, I knew I was special to you.

Could Nuo do the same?

Medea thought with satisfaction, staring at Asker’s closed eyes, the jealousy in her heart rapidly dissipating.

You pass.

Since she had nothing else to do while waiting for Asker’s body to slowly heal itself, Medea continued to explore his memories.

From deeper memories, she saw his past, including the family tragedy he had told Nuo about.

Medea sighed. She, too, had experienced the warmth of family in her childhood, and then the pain of loss. She empathized with Asker’s past.

Then, Medea saw that after entering society, he started working at a game company.

From that time on, he began to understand the gaming industry and first encountered the full-immersion virtual reality game “Steel and Fire.”

Freed from the limitations of keyboard and mouse, “Steel and Fire” no longer tested players’ so-called APM (Actions Per Minute), but emphasized experience and awareness, which allowed him to thrive in this game, quickly climbing to the top of the player rankings.

Later, when “Steel and Fire” entered the e-sports industry, he resigned and became a professional player, not because he loved the game, but simply to earn more money to support his family.

Then he transmigrated…

This transmigration had a huge impact on Asker’s worldview. The most typical example was:

To this day, he still hadn’t figured out whether he had transmigrated or was trapped in the game, connected to a life support system.

The reason was simple. The original full-immersion VR game was already quite realistic. Players would feel pain when injured in the game (of course, their real bodies wouldn’t be injured), and they would feel hungry if they didn’t eat for a long time (even if they ate in the game, their real bodies would still be hungry).

In other words, it was entirely possible that Asker had actually been kidnapped, connected to a life support system, immersed in a nutrient solution tank, his consciousness immersed in the server world, playing the game…

Theoretically, the possibility of being connected to a life support system was even greater than transmigration, because the former could be explained, while the latter (soul transmigration + partial body transmigration) couldn’t be explained scientifically at all.

Therefore, Asker still couldn’t be sure (at least subconsciously) whether these girls around him were really humans from another world, or virtual NPCs in some full-immersion VR game.

Because of his father’s experience, Asker himself was extremely resistant to the idea of “falling in love with a virtual NPC,” so he hadn’t developed any real feelings for any of the girls around him so far.

Even though they all met, or even far exceeded, his criteria for a partner, both in appearance and personality.

Medea just wanted to laugh at this. Asker couldn’t figure it out, but couldn’t she tell whether she was a real person or a simulated program?

Wait, what if I’m just a thinking program? Medea was speechless, thinking of a possibility that even she was afraid of.

After all, this world was exactly the same as the game world in Asker’s memory! This coincidence was a bit too much!

“All programs are designed by people, and they must have some function,” Medusa said coldly in her mind. “May I ask why a programmer would design a useless program like you? Wasting resources with all your random thoughts, and you’re even dual-threaded!”

“That’s true,” Medea hurriedly agreed. “And we even argue with each other! Such a program is redundant and inefficient, it doesn’t make sense!”

Although she had barely managed to convince herself, Medea was troubled again because she found that she couldn’t convince Asker.

How could she prove that she was a living person, not a virtual program designed with super-high AI?

Or, going a step further, how could she prove to him that this world was real, not a false world built with programs and code, deceiving him through sensory input?

“There’s no way,” Medusa said angrily. “It’s like, how can you prove to someone that their thoughts originate from themselves, not ideas you implanted after brainwashing them with your psychic abilities?”

“You just gave me an idea.” Medea suddenly realized, “I definitely can’t convince him, but I can brainwash him!”

“When my Mind ability reaches level II, I’ll implant thought fragments like ‘This world is real’ and ‘The person he loves most is me,’ subtly changing his desire to go back.”

“That’s not a good idea,” Asker’s voice rang out.

Medea: …

“Ah, you’re awake.” Medea hurriedly rushed to his side, as if nothing had happened, and asked with concern, “How are you feeling? Are you okay? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“What do you think?” Asker looked at her with dead fish eyes. “Why don’t you try rolling down a mountain a few hundred times while being barbecued by flames and smashing into the bottom of a valley?”

“Ah, speaking of which, I have good news for you.” Medea smiled and pressed a finger against his lips.

“Your androphobia is cured?” Asker asked in surprise.

“Not quite.” Medea said. “I’m just no longer afraid of you.”

“So you’re not going to treat me as a man anymore, is that it?” Asker was speechless.

“No, no, no.” Medea smiled. “I was just moved by your heroic act of saving me, which refreshed my impression of you. Although I’m still repulsed by those ordinary, ugly, and rude male pigs, you have been upgraded to a masculine, heroic, and charming image in my heart.”

“In other words, you are special in my heart. Aren’t you touched?”

“Stop it,” Asker looked towards the sky. “My whole body hurts.”

Chapter 91: Mind Reading

In the vast expanse of white snow, a small area was slowly collapsing.

Tiny snowflakes melted into water, trickling down towards the bottom of the depression.

Then, a fair and slender arm reached out from the hollow, flames flickering around it, quickly melting and loosening the surrounding snow and ice.

Medea pulled herself halfway out of the snowdrift, gasping for air, as if still reeling from the disaster. Then, a choked sob, laden with complex emotions, escaped her throat.

“Ugh…”

Tears welled up and evaporated instantly in the heat of the flames.

However, she quickly pulled herself together and frantically began digging through the snow.

Even if he was dead, she had to see the body.

She didn’t use her flames, just dug with her bare hands, her fingers quickly turning blue and purple.

Finally, a face emerged from the excavated snow.

Medea didn’t pull him out immediately but carefully removed the snow covering him. Then, with trembling fingers, she gently checked for his breath and pulse.

Pressing her fingers against his carotid artery, she felt a strong beat beneath.

He was alive.

In that instant, Medea felt a wave of relief wash over her, the tension draining from her body.

Then, she realized something else.

Even with her fingers in direct contact with his skin, she felt no surge of her androphobia.

That’s right, you suppressed your fear, Medusa’s cold voice echoed in her mind. You’re no longer afraid of him.

“My androphobia is cured?” Medea asked, then realized something was amiss.

Not exactly. You’ve simply reclassified him in your mind. He’s no longer categorized as a ‘threatening male’ in your subconscious. Medusa sneered. For you, he’s now a special case. A male, yes, but not one of those males.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Medea sensed Medusa’s disapproval.

It’s not good at all. It’s terrible. Medusa’s voice was laced with frustration. I meticulously crafted a plan to harvest his pain, and now, before I could even implement it, you’re telling me you’re no longer repulsed by him? Are you joking?!

“Oh, come on, Medusa!” Medea retorted impatiently. “You just can’t stand seeing me happy!”

Didn’t you create me to bear your pain? Medusa shot back. If you cure your androphobia, what purpose do I even serve? We might as well just merge back into one.

Medea ignored her, gently stroking Asker’s unconscious face.

I want to taste him, she thought.

So eager, are you? Medusa sighed. I have no interest in your lovey-dovey nonsense. I’ll retreat to the depths of your mind.

She fell silent, and Medea knew she had withdrawn her awareness.

Medea leaned down and gently touched his lips.

Warm.

He tastes good. Medea licked her lips, a look of surprise…and delight on her face.

She began to examine Asker’s body.

Large areas of his skin were burned, and there were impact injuries from the fall.

Such injuries would be fatal for an ordinary person, but as a level 5 physically-oriented Transcendental, he was merely unconscious, his vital signs stable, albeit weak.

Such a pity, Medea thought wistfully.

After suppressing her desires for over twenty years, she naturally had needs. Now, she had finally encountered a man she could touch… She recalled the prophecy from the Dragon Kingdom fortune teller.

After the thunderstorm, all things begin to grow.

Unfortunately, Asker’s current condition wasn’t conducive to more… strenuous activities… Medea gazed at him longingly for a while before standing up to assess their surroundings.

They seemed to be at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by snow-covered ground. More snowflakes fell from the sky, and the temperature seemed to be dropping.

Medea went to a nearby rock face covered with snow and summoned a flame, pressing it against the icy surface.

Thanks to the slight improvement in her androphobia, her “Fire I” ability flowed more smoothly. Given time, she could completely digest the remnants of the potion.

The flames melted through the snow, revealing the rock face beneath.

She had intended to melt a snow cave, but the rock face had a deep alcove, a natural shelter.

Carefully carrying Asker over, Medea gathered snow and ice, partially blocking the entrance she had melted with her flames, leaving only a small opening for ventilation.

This would keep out the cold wind.

Asker was still unconscious. Medea sat beside him, holding his hand in hers, gently warming his cold skin.

If only Nuo were here, she thought suddenly.

No, no, it’s better if no one is here, just the two of us alone, Medea quickly changed her mind.

However, this thought felt too selfish, and she glanced at Asker guiltily.

He… would hate me for thinking that, wouldn’t he?

Another thought flashed through Medea’s mind: she wanted to peek into Asker’s heart, to see what he truly thought of her.

Her Mind ability was currently only at level I, only able to read surface thoughts. Going any deeper risked being detected.

However, Asker was unconscious and couldn’t detect or stop her, so this thought took root and grew, unstoppable.

Just a quick peek, just to confirm, she told herself.

Medea’s mental tendrils extended, stealthily entering Asker’s mindscape.

Human consciousness was like an iceberg, with 10% of the surface consciousness exposed, and 90% of the deep consciousness submerged in the sea of the subconscious, intertwined with the collective consciousness.

Asker, being unconscious, had an almost blank surface consciousness. Medea carefully probed towards his deep consciousness.

The deep consciousness, belonging to the subconscious layer of the human body, was composed of fragments of consciousness, with no logical connection between them.

Medea’s mental tendrils sifted through these fragments like a visitor in a vast library, patiently examining each book.

It seemed that Asker, in his past, lived in a large city, even more prosperous than Constantinople.

Medea saw some memory fragments, some seemed to be his home, some seemed to be at school, where people spoke a language with clear and round pronunciation, which Medea found somewhat familiar.

It should be the “Dragon Language” of the Dragon Kingdom.

Chapter 90: Avalanche

“They’re above!” shouted a mercenary from the Iron Cross.

Everyone looked up and saw countless Snow Monster figures emerging on the cliffside to the left of the mountain path.

Without hesitation, the Iron Cross gunmen raised their rifles and fired upwards.

Bullets flew, and the Snow Monsters roared in fury. Asker, staring at the carnage above, suddenly frowned.

Snow Monsters, as social creatures, weren’t completely mindless like Thornbirds. Since they lacked long-range attack capabilities, why would they deliberately expose themselves and get shot for no reason?

Thinking in reverse, if there was a reason they had to expose themselves, it meant… the Snow Monsters were trying to lure the mercenaries to shoot?

Shooting…

Asker’s expression suddenly changed. He remembered a dungeon plot from the game forums of his previous life.

It wasn’t on Mount Taygetus, but on Mount Gaerhalm, the northernmost peak of the continent. Two player teams clashed during a dungeon run. Because they were far apart, the gunmen and mages attacked first.

Then, the intensive gunfire triggered a greater disaster.

An avalanche.

“Everyone, gather around me!” As Asker shouted, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

The Snow Monsters on the cliffside had all fallen to the ground, frantically digging and burrowing into the snow, using the snow layer to bury themselves.

And from higher up the mountain, a torrential flood of snow and mud cascaded down. Worse, to shoot the Snow Monsters above, most of the mercenary gunmen had gathered together and were now right in the path of the avalanche.

In just three or four seconds, the avalanche reached them, and many mercenaries were caught off guard and swallowed by the torrent of snow and ice. The chaotic scene was filled with shouts, gunshots, and the monstrous grinding sound of snow and ice against rock.

Azure Longsword reacted the fastest – to be precise, Asker was the first to realize the danger and give the warning. Although the girls didn’t understand what was about to happen, they still quickly rushed towards him.

By the time Andrea and Hermann also realized what was happening, the avalanche was already upon them, too late to react.

On the inner side of the mountain path where they were, was a nearly 90-degree rock cliff.

Theoretically, by clinging to the base of the cliff and hiding in the dead corner, they could avoid being swept away by the avalanche.

However, the danger of an avalanche wasn’t just being swept away, but being buried alive. If the scale of this avalanche was large enough, the base of the cliff could quickly be sealed by a 5-10 meter layer of snow.

In this world, there were no mountain rescue helicopters. Being buried in the snow and unable to get out meant a slow and certain death.

On the outer side of the mountain path was a gentle slope, about a 30-degree incline, dropping about 100 meters before becoming steep.

Teleporting back to Furnace Island was too risky at this time, with so many Iron Cross mercenaries present, too many eyes.

If anyone witnessed the team teleporting away en masse, Asker would have to turn against the Iron Cross and silence them.

Otherwise, if this kind of thing spread, it would inevitably attract unwanted attention – mass teleportation, even if it wasn’t a semi-plane fragment, must be some kind of high-level and rare transcendental item.

His gaze swept across the outer slope in a split second, and Asker finally found a protruding rock.

He quickly led everyone to hide at the base of the rock, but Asker realized that this place wasn’t as safe as he had expected.

The rock could block the avalanche – only within the small area beneath it.

And Eleanor and Sidlipha were both wearing heavy armor, taking up most of the space.

The other girls had almost no room to stand, they could only desperately squeeze under the rock, hugging each other to hold themselves steady, their faces pale with fright.

Asker and Medea stood on the outermost side. The former grabbed Eleanor’s arm armor. The latter was about to grab Asker’s arm when she suddenly hesitated.

Her androphobia acted up.

In that instant, before she could bring herself to grab Asker, Medea’s feet slipped, and she was swept away by the avalanche.

Damn it! Amidst the girls’ screams, Asker decisively let go of Eleanor’s arm armor and jumped down into the snow flow below.

His mind was stretched to its limit, his gaze scanning the area below like a hawk.

The snow flowed down at an incredible speed, but Asker’s downward charge was even faster. Each time he leaped and landed, it was on a faintly visible bulge in the snow layer – beneath it was a rock not yet completely covered by snow.

The friction of snow was much less than that of rock. If his next landing didn’t penetrate the snow layer and land on rock, there was a risk of his boots slipping and losing his balance.

He was still more than 20 meters away from Medea. Asker raced down the slope, his gaze locked onto the fiery red hair in the snow flow below, when his feet suddenly slipped.

It wasn’t that he had misstepped, but the surface of the rock he had landed on happened to be covered with a thin layer of ice, causing his boots to lose their grip.

At the moment his body tilted and he was about to lose his balance, Asker swiftly spun and drew his sword, the blade piercing through the snow and into the soil below, allowing him to quickly regain his balance.

The next second, he let go of the hilt and kicked off the slope forcefully with both feet.

In the brief moment he regained his balance, Medea was swept further down by the avalanche, more than ten meters away, so he had to adopt a more aggressive pursuit strategy.

He changed from running to jumping, using gravity to accelerate.

Asker, leaping in the air, was like an eagle gliding over the snow, his body almost curled into a ball, only his arms outstretched for balance.

Just as he was about to land, his feet slammed into the snow, propelling him back into the air.

After three or four consecutive leaps, he quickly approached Medea, even able to see the expression on her face – like a small animal facing a natural disaster, full of fear, despair, and unwillingness.

Then Asker pounced, catching Medea in his arms.

“You!” Medea, dizzy from the avalanche, was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that it was Asker holding her tightly.

Flames of fear erupted from her body, instantly scattered by the surrounding snow and ice.

“Let go!” Medea shouted.

“If I let go, you’ll die!” Asker roared back.

Don’t let him go! Medusa also screamed from within. She could feel a surge of pain pouring out.

Medea’s fear and terror of being held by a man, and Asker’s pain from the flames and high temperature, were rapidly increasing her power.

“You’ll die if you don’t let go!” Medea watched in horror as the flames rising from her skin quickly spread up his arms.

Asker’s cotton armor was burning, the chainmail underneath glowing red hot. The flames licked at his cheeks like snakes, battling the surrounding snow and ice.

His hair was on fire, his eyebrows singed, sparks dancing in the air like fireflies.

Yet, the man’s expression remained resolute and calm, as if the flames had no temperature, as if he felt no pain. He just held her tightly, preventing her from being swept into the abyss of death by the avalanche.

Damn it! I have to… suppress…

This damn fire!

Medea screamed hysterically. She couldn’t even hear her own screams, her consciousness soaring into the clouds, while below was a vast mountain range of endless fear, disgust, and hostility.

Massive clouds pressed down rapidly – it was her will, her powerful resolve, desperately suppressing the negative instincts surging from her body with a force that felt like her soul was burning.

Finally.

Asker’s body suddenly jolted, and Medea felt a tremor within her as well.

The moment they landed at the bottom of the valley, the man twisted his body, using his back to absorb the impact that would have been fatal to her.

Then, a boundless wave of snow and ice crashed down, engulfing them in a world of white.

Chapter 89: The Calm Before the Storm

“Something’s not right,” Hermann said suddenly.

“Hmm?” Andrea was startled.

“We’ve been walking for about forty minutes. We should be well out of the previous Snow Monsters’ territory.” Hermann glanced around, his voice wary. “We should have encountered more by now.”

“Yet it’s been eerily quiet,” Andrea mused. “Could they have fled, knowing they’re outmatched?”

“Where could they flee to?” Hermann countered. “Snow Monsters can’t tolerate temperatures above 20 degrees. Only the anomalous Mount Taygetus in the entire Peloponnese maintains a climate cold enough for them.”

“I suspect they’re hiding, planning an ambush.”

“Right, tell the men to be on guard.” Andrea paused, then added, “No! Maintain vigilance, but act as if we suspect nothing.”

Hermann: …

Here he goes again… He was fantasizing about a Snow Monster ambush targeting Azure Longsword, giving him an opportunity to “rescue” them and negotiate favorable terms…

Hermann didn’t need to ask to know what Andrea was thinking.

“Don’t be naive. You think they haven’t noticed anything?” Hermann asked.

“What? They’ve noticed something amiss?” Andrea lowered his voice, glancing back nervously.

“Of course,” Hermann said. “Look at their formation.”

“The blond woman with the shield is in the center, ready to provide support in any direction. The girl with the gun is beside her, serving the same purpose.”

“All the non-melee professions are positioned around the shield-bearer, each protected by at least one melee fighter.”

“The red-haired psychic is on the outer side of the mountain path, next to their leader, Asker. The masked mage girl who used gravity earlier is on the inner side, with the black-haired swordswoman guarding her back.”

“The flaxen-haired young woman is at the rear of the group, with the Norman woman wielding twin axes walking beside her, clearly to protect her in case of emergency.”

“Finally, that particularly petite girl is lagging about ten steps behind the group, constantly looking around. I suspect she’s their scout.”

“Indeed.” Andrea, prompted by Hermann’s observations, realized the seemingly scattered formation had a carefully planned logic, like a spiderweb.

“They’ve concentrated their main strength on the flanks and rear because we, the Iron Cross, are in front, acting as a buffer.” Hermann concluded. “In other words, they’ve already factored us into their tactical plan. Any adjustments we make will likely be detected.”

“Trying to deceive them is pointless. It’s better to deploy our troops openly.”

“You are right.” Andrea had to admit Hermann was correct. Since the other side was already aware of them, any attempts at subterfuge would only make the Iron Cross appear dishonorable.

“Everyone, be on alert!” Andrea commanded loudly.

The mercenaries immediately tightened their formation, closing the distance between them for quick support in emergencies.

“Just noticing now?” Medea said with a sneer, observing their movements.

“You seem to have an issue with them,” Asker noticed the hostility in her tone.

“Of course, didn’t they start by being hostile to us?” As she said this, Medea suddenly paused. “Asker, do you know them?”

“Oh, you’re reading my mind again.” Asker said. “Yes, I know both of those men from the Iron Cross mercenary group.”

“Tell me about them,” Medea said, curious.

“You can read minds, see for yourself,” Asker waved his hand dismissively.

“I want to hear you tell me,” Medea insisted.

“Andrea, his fief is near Freudenbeck in the Holy Roman Empire. He was originally a minor lord.” Asker explained. “This guy has a wandering nature, leaving his fief to his family to manage, while he joined the Iron Cross mercenary group.”

“He’s straightforward and has a clear sense of right and wrong. If he dislikes someone, he’ll make it obvious, but he’s fiercely loyal to his brothers, willing to go through fire and water for them, even to the point of bankruptcy. That’s his personality.”

“Sounds stupid,” Medea commented. “Continue.”

“The blond mercenary beside him is Hermann, the eldest son of Bernard, Count of Saxony in the north of the Empire,” Asker introduced. “Legally, he should have inherited his father’s duchy or title.”

“But something happened in Saxony, I’m not quite clear on the details. Anyway, he was later stripped of his inheritance rights, and the Count of Saxony chose his younger brother Albert as his heir. That’s why he became a mercenary.”

“Hmm…” A thoughtful expression appeared on Medea’s face, the kind of expression Asker knew very well—it meant she was plotting something.

“Whatever you’re planning, wait until we get that axe, understand?” Asker reminded her. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

“Do you think I’m the type to act recklessly?” Medea didn’t deny that she “had plans,” but just rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

Asker sighed. If he were to use D&D alignments to describe her, Medea undoubtedly belonged to the typical “lawful evil” type. It wasn’t so much for profit, but rather out of pure enjoyment and instinct that she weaved conspiracies and schemed against others.

However, having such a person in the team wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – at least her mind-reading and mind-control abilities were an indispensable part of Asker’s tactical system.

He had to find an opportunity to correct her twisted personality. And then there was her troublesome split personality…

Asker suddenly felt that this girl had a bit too many unstable factors.

As Asker was thinking this, Medea silently read his mind.

See? Medusa sneered from within her mental body. The only reason he tolerates you is because you’re still useful to him.

Once you’re no longer useful, he’ll discard you like trash.

Isn’t that only natural? Medea retorted. I’m only in this team for the benefits.

If your relationship is truly only about profit, why bother with all that? Medusa sneered. Helping him consolidate the team? Building a harem? Please, who are you trying to fool? You’re just trying to create conflict and escalate it.

“What benefit would I gain from the team falling apart?” Medea countered.

If the team falls apart, the women around him will leave him. What benefit would that bring you? Medusa ruthlessly exposed her. If he knew your true intentions, what do you think he would think of you?

“Shut up,” Medea snapped, her cheeks burning with shame and anger.

Fine, I’ll shut up, Medusa said coldly, but you know that won’t solve the problem.

The inner voice fell silent. Medea stared at the snow-covered ground, her expression unreadable.

Chapter 88: Buying Materials

The battle was over.

Most of the Snow Monsters were dead, their corpses strewn across the battlefield. A few had escaped, but the mercenaries were too exhausted to pursue them.

They were busy collecting their transcendental materials, wary of the other group taking advantage.

Andrea waved over a mercenary.

“Which spoils are ours, and which are theirs? Can you tell the difference?”

“Of course,” the mercenary, clearly relieved that the battle was over, replied casually. “The Snow Monsters they killed have clean, linear wounds (caused by the Thermal Blade). Easy to distinguish.”

“And the ratio of spoils between the two sides?” Andrea asked, frowning.

“3 to 7,” the mercenary replied.

As for who had three and who had seven, it went without saying.

Andrea dismissed the mercenary and sighed, worried.

Hermann remained silent beside him. He knew that Andrea wasn’t really concerned about mixing up the spoils, but was looking for an opportunity to take advantage.

Finding none, and with the other side taking 70% of the spoils, how could he not be worried?

After collecting all the transcendental materials, the group continued up the mountain.

Hermann quietly lagged behind the group and approached Azure Longsword.

After he explained his intentions, the girls were quite surprised. Buy materials?

It wasn’t impossible… Asker pondered for a moment and then gestured for Nuo and Medea to talk to him.

That’s so mean! Nuo thought to herself.

Business negotiations were a process of constantly probing the other party’s offer and bottom line. They were sending out Medea, their mind-reading trump card. How could they even negotiate?

They might as well just take his pants while they were at it.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but look at him with pity.

Hermann: …

Clearly, the blond nobleman also realized this, a troubled expression appearing on his gloomy face.

“Well, since everyone knows, let’s not waste time.” Medea sneered, her eyes narrowing at Hermann. “I know your bottom line is 340 silver marks per Snow Monster fat; I also know your demand is high, so you absolutely need the materials we have.”

“And from the very beginning, I’ve been perfectly aware of your leader’s hostility towards us.” She folded her arms, a predatory smile spreading across her face. “So, our price is clear.”

“340 silver marks. Not a penny less.”

Hermann’s expression shifted several times. He said with difficulty:

“I need to discuss this with Andrea.”

“Medea…” After Hermann left, Nuo pulled her arm worriedly. “Aren’t you pushing them too hard?”

“They have a lot of enemies with Frost Sequence abilities, so they urgently need Frost Sequence transcendental materials to make corresponding cold-resistant supernatural items,” Medea said. “If I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to extort them, I wouldn’t be worthy of being called a psychic.”

Nuo was speechless.

Hermann found Andrea and explained the situation. Andrea almost jumped out of his skin:

“340 marks?! Why don’t they just rob us?!”

“Mind Witch,” Hermann said simply.

Andrea instantly understood and deflated like a punctured balloon.

Negotiating with a mind reader rendered all bargaining tactics useless. Your maximum acceptable price, your willingness to buy – all laid bare before the opponent’s ability.

How utterly miserable.

“What if we don’t buy?” Andrea asked, his eye twitching.

“They know we’ll buy,” Hermann reminded him of the mind-reading ability.

“I shouldn’t have sent you.” Andrea said, distressed. “I should have sent some clueless mercenary, just to relay messages from a distance, to avoid face-to-face negotiations.”

“Like what the Normans do with the Hanseatic League,” Hermann said.

“Is there any supernatural ability that can erase the other side’s memory?” Andrea asked, grasping at straws.

“There is,” Hermann replied. “Kill them. Dead men tell no tales.”

“Are you serious?” Andrea asked, alarmed.

“Of course not,” Hermann said. “Realistically, we’re probably no match for them.”

“No way.” Andrea scoffed. “Wanting to and being able to are two different things. We outnumber them ten to one, and they’re all elite. I might believe my command skills are inferior to his, but my men can’t beat his?”

Hermann didn’t reply. He had no concrete evidence, only a gut feeling.

In any case, he would set this matter aside for now… Although the Iron Cross mercenary group was basically resigned to paying, Andrea still clung to some unrealistic hope, intending to delay and see if there was any opportunity.

For example, if Azure Longsword encountered danger later, the Iron Cross could come to their rescue and earn a huge favor.

Or, if they encountered other supernatural creatures later on, whose transcendental materials happened to be what Azure Longsword wanted.

In short, find a reason to make Azure Longsword lower their price.

The group continued up the mountain. The journey was surprisingly safe, seemingly all the nearby Snow Monsters had been eliminated in the previous battle.

Andrea used his greatsword as a walking stick, leaning on it as he trudged through the snow, muttering something under his breath.

Hermann, walking next to him, heard clearly: Why aren’t there any more monsters?

Hermann: …

Stop dreaming, just get the money ready.

“Sidlipha?” Asker asked from behind in the Azure Longsword group. “How’s your potion digestion coming along?”

“About one-sixth left,” Sidlipha replied.

“Still one-sixth left?” Asker was surprised. Wasn’t it a quarter left last time? How long did she intend to digest a mere Frost I? A potion of this level, a player could completely digest it in two days of overnight grinding!

Seeing Asker’s displeased expression, Sidlipha cowered and quietly tried to slip away.

“Stop.” Asker said.

Sidlipha obediently stopped.

“Do you know why I want you to diligently digest the potion?” Asker asked.

Sidlipha shook her head repeatedly.

“There’s a weapon in these mountains, and we have to get our hands on it,” Asker said.

“What weapon?” Sidlipha immediately became interested.

“The Axe of Boreas, ever heard of it?” Asker said. “Also known as the Axe of the North Wind.”

“Is this Axe of the North Wind powerful?” Sidlipha asked.

“Powerful,” Asker replied.

“That’s great!” The simple-minded Sidlipha immediately cheered.

“The prerequisite for obtaining that battle axe is that you must have the ‘Frost’ and ‘Giant’ potion sequences.” Asker said. “The Axe of the North Wind is extremely cold and heavy. Only those with Frost abilities can withstand its low temperature, and only those with Giant bloodline abilities can lift it.”

“Then I’ll work hard to digest it and take the Giant I potion as soon as possible!” Sidlipha declared resolutely.

Seeing Sidlipha’s renewed enthusiasm, Asker finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, besides the two necessary sequences, to pull out the Axe of the North Wind, one also had to pass its character test, the so-called compatibility judgment between the weapon and its owner.

This was also the reason why Asker hadn’t told Sidlipha about this – if she went into the character test with a strong sense of purpose, it might backfire.

However, with Sidlipha’s simple mind, she would probably be very compatible with that axe.

Chapter 87: Mind Control

“Mind Witch” was the Western term for a psychic.

The Western Solomon Catholic Church forbade its followers from taking potions to become Transcendents, and those who were already Transcendents were treated as witches, subject to inquisition, burning at the stake, hanging, or immediate beheading.

However, the actual practice varied depending on the individual.

For example, physical Transcendents, such as those with “Sharp Weapon,” “Blunt Weapon,” “Strength,” or “Resilience,” only gained enhancements to their physical attributes and passive buffs. They were no different from ordinary people who had absorbed transcendental power.

The Church generally turned a blind eye to these physical Transcendents who were difficult to identify. As long as you didn’t go to the Church and report yourself, they generally wouldn’t bother you.

As for psychics with abilities like “Fire,” “Frost,” “Mind,” or “Life,” if you dared to show off your flashy abilities in public, you had to be prepared to be hunted down by a wave of witch hunters and Templar Knights.

Of course, this only applied to Transcendents without power or influence. Having powerful backing was a different story.

Within the Holy Solomon Empire, because Emperor Otto openly opposed and defied the Church, Transcendental forces were relatively more active. It was no problem for the Iron Cross mercenary group to keep a few Arcane Transcendents.

However, the “Mind” ability was rather sensitive. On the one hand, it was always associated with evil acts like “mind reading” and “brainwashing.” On the other hand, it was also the most common sequence among Eastern heretics.

Therefore, even the Iron Cross mercenary group didn’t dare to openly train Mind Witches… they only cultivated them in secret.

I can’t believe there’s a Mind Witch in Azure Longsword? A thought uncontrollably surged in Andrea’s mind.

Report her!

Medea, who was controlling the Snow Monster, suddenly sensed something, turned her gaze towards Andrea, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Report me, oh?

The malicious thought swirled in Andrea’s mind before he forcefully expelled it.

Reporting her would be completely detrimental to himself, because now, any mercenary group of a decent size would try to cultivate a few Transcendental mercenaries.

If A reported B, and B reported A in return, the Church would investigate thoroughly, find both sides guilty, and then the Night of the Long Knives would ensue, with blood flowing like rivers. This kind of thing had happened many times in history, so there was a tacit agreement among the major mercenary groups:

Don’t be a snitch.

Once someone reported, it would lead to a chain of reports and mutual accusations, eventually dragging everyone down, making the report itself a completely self-destructive act.

If Azure Longsword were an unknown small mercenary group, then perhaps reporting them could cause some trouble.

The problem was, with the strength of this Captain Asker, even Hermann admitted that he couldn’t see through his mind. How could he be a nobody?

At worst, they would just stay in the East and never set foot in the Church’s territory, then turn around and report the Iron Cross mercenary group for having Transcendents.

By the time headquarters investigated and found the culprit, he might not even be able to keep his position as the leader of the Eastern division.

After considering the pros and cons, Andrea immediately dismissed the idea and nonchalantly turned his head to look ahead.

However, he subconsciously overlooked one thing: Medea wasn’t a pure Mind ability user, she also possessed the abilities of the Conspiracy Sequence.

Sensing his malice through Conspiracy, and then using her Mind ability to read his mind, wasn’t a difficult thing for this woman.

Medea’s eyes rolled, and she silently took note of this.

Hmph, I hold grudges… she muttered to Medusa in her mind.

“I see,” Andrea said to Hermann. “The reason they can achieve such high efficiency in focused fire is because their supernatural abilities complement each other, creating a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.”

“Yes.” Hermann also saw the key. “At first glance, it’s the three girls’ focused fire attack that is clean and efficient, able to kill the Snow Monster in a short time.”

“Actually, the core roles are played by the red-haired woman and the masked girl. One is responsible for controlling the Snow Monster and bringing it into the encirclement, the other uses gravity to restrain the Snow Monster, making it completely unable to resist.”

“That’s right,” Andrea said.

Then the two fell silent.

Understanding this tactic didn’t mean they could replicate it.

First, did the Iron Cross mercenary group have Transcendents with similar Sequence abilities?

Yes, but they were all at the Iron Cross headquarters, acting as special forces to carry out covert operations.

At this point in time, with the magic tide just rising, traditional military strategists on the continent hadn’t yet realized the changes that the emerging supernatural powers could bring to the existing military system.

The Western Church’s hostility and restrictions on Transcendents also greatly hindered the militarization of supernatural powers.

So far, due to concerns about the Church’s attitude, most mercenary groups were only willing to recruit low-key, physically-oriented Transcendents.

The Iron Cross’s approach of specifically cultivating Arcane Sequences and attempting to build a dual output system of physical and magical damage was already quite forward-thinking and risky.

Even so, it was ultimately limited by the times.

And what Asker’s command displayed at this time was a more advanced tactical system from several versions later.

The tank compressed the battle line, controlled and pulled the enemy, and the DPS focused fire to kill. The entire system was as precise and efficient as a scalpel. Just like the Gulf War in 1991 that shocked the world, it opened the door to a new era for Andrea and Hermann.

So this is how Transcendents can fight!

“But what’s the use?!” Andrea exclaimed furiously. “More than half of our transcendental materials are going to fall into the hands of Azure Longsword!”

“How about offering to buy them from them afterwards?” Hermann pondered.

“You think our efficiency in killing Snow Monsters can’t compare to theirs?” Andrea glanced at him sideways.

“That’s right, that’s what I think.” Hermann said honestly. “Do you still want to try again?”

Andrea: …

He did want to explore the new tactic further. However, on the one hand, the front-line mercenaries were already exhausted. Just the previous operation of deliberately letting the enemy through had already caused significant blockage and stagnation.

On the other hand, the mercenary gunmen also had considerable resentment towards this tactic, feeling that deliberately letting the monster through the defense line was extremely disrespectful to the gunmen’s lives.

Even if the commander realized the shortcomings, the mercenaries below hadn’t changed their old way of thinking! If something went wrong and led to casualties or even the crippling of the team, Andrea would have nowhere to cry.

Therefore, despite his unwillingness, Andrea could only sigh helplessly and said with a seemingly firm resolve:

“Fine, then we’ll buy them from them after the battle!”

You may be willing to buy, but they may not be willing to sell… Hermann thought to himself, but seeing Andrea’s conflicted expression, he wisely didn’t mention it.

T/N:

Sorry for the hiatus, a refund of coins was made to people who purchased caps.

Chapter 86: A Question of Efficiency

With the efficient kills by Azure Longsword, the pressure on the Iron Cross mercenary group was significantly reduced.

After all, their line had retreated, and all the enemies on the right flank had been ceded.

Andrea still felt a pang of pain, thinking, That’s half of the Transcendental materials.

But he wasn’t foolish enough to say it out loud.

Only those they could kill were walking transcendental materials; those they couldn’t kill were enemies, and there was no point in thinking about them.

Currently, the gunmen were all attacking the Snow Monsters on the front lines. If they didn’t want their kills stolen, it was simple: have the gunmen fire at every Snow Monster in the back as well.

But if Andrea really did this, according to the rules, Azure Longsword would definitely stand idly by, and then the Iron Cross mercenary group would have to face the entire horde of Snow Monsters head-on.

He would have to be insane to attract such a large-scale aggro.

After the line contracted, the Iron Cross mercenary group was no longer short-handed and could implement a rotation of “one squad fighting on the front line” and “one squad resting in the rear,” greatly reducing the risk of casualties, and the battlefield situation began to improve rapidly.

Azure Longsword on the other side was much more formidable. Eleanor and Sidlipha alone held back most of the Snow Monsters, only occasionally letting one or two through for the girls behind them to focus fire on.

Wait, focus fire?

Hermann’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly seemed to realize something.

He continued to observe and finally discovered a shocking fact.

Azure Longsword’s killing efficiency was much higher than that of the Iron Cross mercenary group!

In the same amount of time, they had killed two Snow Monsters, while Azure Longsword had already killed five!

He told this to Andrea, who immediately exclaimed in disbelief:

“That’s impossible! We outnumber them ten to one!”

“It has nothing to do with numbers.” Hermann said with a gloomy face. “For powerful supernatural creatures like Snow Monsters, slashing them ten times on the front is not as effective as stabbing them once in a vital spot.”

“Look at how Azure Longsword is fighting.”

Andrea looked over and, in just a moment, discovered the same thing as Hermann.

“Deliberately letting Snow Monsters through? Then focusing fire to kill them?” Andrea exclaimed. “Isn’t that too risky? If the Snow Monsters that get through can’t be dealt with immediately, the front-line warriors will be attacked from both sides!”

“And once the front line collapses, the situation will snowball, and even a complete wipeout is possible!”

“Yes, the military education we received since childhood also emphasized maintaining a tight defense line and formation pressure.” Hermann sighed. “But the facts are right in front of us: once this high-risk tactic is successfully executed, the killing efficiency of focused fire is far greater than frontal confrontation.”

“Because focused fire can easily attack vital points from the side or rear, while the front line can only attack from the front. Snow Monsters are supernatural creatures known for their physical strength, they’re not afraid of frontal assaults at all.”

“Should we also try it? Let a Snow Monster through and then focus fire?” Andrea couldn’t wait any longer. If they continued like this, Azure Longsword would probably take most of the materials from this wave of Snow Monsters.

“Are you confident?” Hermann glanced at him.

“How can I be confident?” Andrea said. “This tactic…if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t even believe it could be executed reliably—the slightest mistake could lead to a collapse of the front lines!”

He gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, then made up his mind: “Let’s do it!”

With Andrea’s new order, the Transcendental mercenaries at the front were a little confused.

A dynamic battle line was like a soap bubble of uneven thickness. Usually, the commander’s deployment and orders were to send people to wherever it was weak, to prevent holes from appearing in the bubble.

And now Andrea’s order was, “Create a hole in the bubble,” “Deliberately let an enemy through,” “Then quickly plug the hole again.”

The mercenaries were speechless: What kind of tactic is this?!

Creating a hole was easy, just withdraw the mercenary stationed at that position.

The problem was, once a hole appeared in the defense line, there was no guarantee that only one enemy would get through.

Not to mention quickly plugging the hole again. The enemy wouldn’t just stand there foolishly and let you fix your mistake after seeing your weakness, would they?

If it were a small mercenary group, these mercenaries would never obey such a foolish order.

However, this was the Iron Cross, after all, one of the few militarized mercenary groups on the continent. No matter how stupid the orders from above were… as long as it wasn’t a blatant suicide mission, they had to strictly follow them.

So the Transcendental mercenaries, with trepidation, used all their abilities and finally managed to deliberately let a Snow Monster through, then desperately plugged the hole in the defense line again.

The Snow Monster, suddenly finding itself behind the enemy lines, was stunned for a moment, then became excited. Correspondingly, the mercenary gunmen immediately panicked.

What was wrong with the front-line mercenaries?! They actually let a Snow Monster through to the rear! Did they want them, the gunmen, to engage in melee combat with it?

Then Andrea’s focus fire order came down. Although terrified, the gunmen could only quickly open fire, trying to kill the Snow Monster as soon as possible.

Hit in the face by a barrage of bullets, the Snow Monster became even more enraged by the pain and began to pounce on the gunmen’s line.

The reserve Transcendental mercenaries, prepared in advance and commanded by Andrea, stopped the Snow Monster.

Then came a perilous battle, almost capsizing several times, before they finally managed to kill the Snow Monster with focused fire.

That’s not right? Andrea was a little confused. While timing the battle, he was also observing and comparing with Azure Longsword.

In the time it took the Iron Cross to kill this Snow Monster with focused fire, Azure Longsword had already killed two more!

What was going on? Both were using focused fire, how come Azure Longsword’s efficiency was still twice as high?

Hermann, who was watching from the side, was also confused. He hadn’t expected that after stealing the other party’s tactic, their results were still inferior. Could it be that the combat power of the Iron Cross mercenaries was not as good as Azure Longsword’s?

How is that possible! Their Iron Cross mercenary group was also one of the best on the continent, okay? The number of Transcendental mercenaries alone was considerable, how could…

Wait a minute?

Hermann suddenly noticed something amiss and called out to Andrea:

“Look over there!”

“I’m looking!” Andrea said irritably. “Those little girls’ combat moves are very ruthless, of course I can see that!”

“I’m not asking you to look at the girls!” Hermann said, exasperated. “Look at the Snow Monster!”

“Snow Monster?” Andrea was taken aback, and he looked again. He saw two more Snow Monsters break through Eleanor and Sidlipha’s defenses and charge straight into the girls’ encirclement.

Then, one of the Snow Monsters suddenly reached out its massive arm and grabbed the other Snow Monster tightly.

Grabbed it tightly…

What the fuck! Andrea’s face changed drastically. Could this Snow Monster be a traitor working for Azure Longsword?!

How did they do that!

You actually managed to plant a traitor among the Snow Monsters?!

The girls launched another round of skillful focused fire, taking down the two Snow Monsters, leaving Andrea dumbfounded.

Holy shit! They even killed the traitor… Azure Longsword, what the hell are you?! Wait, could it be…

“Could it be the Mind-Controlling Witch?” he exclaimed.

Chapter 85: Luring and Focusing Fire

“Lucas is injured! Get him out of there! Hans, take his place, gunmen, covering fire!”

“Tranlo, hold the left flank, don’t let the Snow Monsters break through! Reinhardt, shift left and provide support!”

“What’s happening on the right flank?! Nielsen, put some effort into it, I don’t want to be sending your pension to your blonde widow!”

As the pressure on the front lines intensified, Andrea had to issue commands constantly, pulling exhausted or injured mercenaries from the front and deploying reserves to plug the gaps.

Hermann fought hard on the right flank. His Frost Sequence ability was almost negligible against the Snow Monsters, who also possessed Frost abilities, so he relied on his combat skills honed since childhood.

Retreating to the cover of his companions, Hermann took a few breaths to recover his stamina and glanced behind him, seeing the girls of Azure Longsword stand up.

Finally going to make a move? He thought. It made sense. It wouldn’t benefit them if the Iron Cross mercenary group was wiped out here.

Andrea, commanding the entire battlefield, also noticed Azure Longsword’s movements.

Unlike Hermann, his first thought was, Are they planning to take advantage of the chaos to kill me, steal the materials, and run?

He discreetly moved forward a few steps, using the gunmen as cover.

Asker, completely ignoring his little movements, calmly instructed Miel:

“Pull the monster.”

Miel raised her sniper rifle and steadily pulled the trigger.

A bullet, trailing a flash of muzzle fire, shot out and struck a Snow Monster in the eye.

That Snow Monster was waiting in the back, not yet engaged in the fight with the Iron Cross mercenaries, and thus, still considered “unclaimed.”

Unlike the power of an ordinary rifle, this sniper rifle bullet almost instantly blew out one of its eyeballs.

The injured Snow Monster roared in pain, its reason consumed by rage. It charged, pushing through its companions and the human mercenaries, heading straight for Azure Longsword.

“Right flank, contract! Fall back!” Andrea made a decisive decision, ordering the right flank to retreat and leaving the Snow Monster to Azure Longsword, reducing the pressure on his own front lines.

Eleanor stepped forward, her shield colliding with the Snow Monster. Focusing her mind, she visualized the stories from The Song of Roland, the image of a valiant knight filling her mind.

“…We are about to die, with little time left to live…”

The knight’s words echoed in her ears.

“…But the enemy will pay a heavy price…”

A pure white light gradually emanated from Eleanor’s sword and shield, coalescing and intensifying, brilliant and radiant.

“…Take up your swords, and kill with abandon…”

“…Make a final stand!”

With the knight’s fervent roar, Eleanor’s glowing sword slammed into the Snow Monster.

The white light exploded.

Damn it, failed again!

Eleanor wasn’t discouraged. She calmly held her shield in front of her chest, blocking the Snow Monster’s counterattack.

According to the “Indomitable Holy Sword” described in The Song of Roland, the white light was a manifestation of her strong will, sharpening her sword, reinforcing her shield, making her unstoppable.

Under the strike of the white-light-imbued sword, all tangible things would be shattered.

However, in actual practice, it was the opposite: no matter what she struck, it was the white light that exploded first.

Eleanor guessed it was because her will wasn’t strong enough, but she already knew that learning Transcendental sword techniques was difficult, so she just kept practicing repeatedly.

The Snow Monster swung its powerful arms, hammering her shield again and again with loud clangs. Eleanor calmly retreated, bent her knees, and slightly tilted her shield, skillfully deflecting the force of the blows.

Then, Sidlipha, wielding her twin axes, charged out from beside her, Whirlwind Slash!

The whirling axes, like a tornado of blades, instantly forced three or four Snow Monsters back, sending blood and flesh flying.

Under Asker’s guidance, Sidlipha could even change the height of her axe blows during the spin, the blades either slashing across the Snow Monsters’ relatively soft abdomens or deflecting their heavy punches.

Eleanor seized the opportunity and charged forward with her shield. Her coordination with Sidlipha was already quite skillful. The moment Sidlipha’s Whirlwind Slash ended, she shielded her with her shield.

“Duck!” Medea’s voice rang out in their minds.

The two quickly ducked their heads. The Snow Monster in front of them, about to attack, suddenly made eye contact with Medea behind them.

Then, it lost control, its arms flailing wildly, knocking away the surrounding Snow Monsters.

As a supernatural creature that focused heavily on physical strength, Medea’s “Mind” ability was practically the Snow Monster’s natural enemy.

The Snow Monster, controlled in a daze, quickly passed Eleanor and Sidlipha, charging into the circle of girls behind them.

Ordering the Snow Monster to lie on its back, Medea withdrew her psychic ability. Thira followed up with Gravity Amplification, pinning the now conscious Snow Monster under its own weight, preventing it from getting up.

The moment the gravity intensified, Mia’s backstab pierced the Snow Monster’s eye, Peggy’s Thermal Blade sliced its neck, and Miel’s sniper bullet accurately pierced the wound, almost completely severing its cervical vertebrae.

Even a supernatural creature with strong vitality couldn’t withstand this round of three fatal attacks, dying instantly on the spot.

“Good job, again.” Asker said.

Sidlipha and Eleanor on the front lines immediately understood, continuing to entangle the surrounding Snow Monsters, preventing them from breaking through to the rear.

Medea seized the opportunity and once again used her “Mind” ability to control an unsuspecting Snow Monster.

That Snow Monster lowered its body and charged, knocking away the other two Snow Monsters that were besieging Eleanor, and then charged all the way into the encirclement of the Azure Longsword girls.

Another round of merciless focused fire swiftly killed the Snow Monster on the spot.

“Good, this time try to improve efficiency, pull two over.” Asker said.

“My ability can only control one Snow Monster at a time,” Medea replied.

“Luring doesn’t have to rely on psychic abilities,” Asker hinted.

Medea was stunned, and various devious ideas immediately popped into her mind.

Among the Snow Monsters fighting Eleanor and Sidlipha in the distance, another Snow Monster suddenly went berserk. It first punched the Snow Monster on its left, sending it flying, then charged to the right, knocking the Snow Monster on its right to the ground and beating its head fiercely.

After this series of infighting, most of the attacked Snow Monsters, enraged, gave up their attacks and turned to deal with this crazed companion.

Then, this Snow Monster, leading seven or eight enraged victims, charged towards the center of Azure Longsword’s formation.

“Oops, did I lure a bit too many this time?” Medea covered her mouth and smiled.

“It’s okay,” Asker said. “We’ll brute force it.”

Chapter 84: Team Combat

After a bitter fight, the Iron Cross mercenary group finally finished off the Snow Monsters.

Most of the Snow Monsters were killed, and a small number escaped.

Andrea was elated. On the one hand, Azure Longsword hadn’t made a move until the very end.

On the other hand, this also meant a large amount of transcendental materials, and this year’s team performance was looking promising.

Hermann, however, had some concerns. Snow Monsters were social creatures with family units. If you attacked a son, you had to kill the father as well, otherwise, the father would call the whole village of Snow Monsters to gang up on you.

Andrea said it didn’t matter, even optimistically stating that it would save them the trouble of searching for them one by one.

If they really had to search for them one by one, it would be a test of eyesight, meticulousness, and luck. Matters involving luck were hard to say. What if Azure Longsword had a burst of luck and found a large group of Snow Monsters? Wouldn’t that be equivalent to them taking all the transcendental materials?

Hermann felt that something was wrong with Andrea’s thinking. The Snow Monsters in these mountains were unclaimed. According to the rules they had agreed upon, whoever killed them first got them. How could Andrea preemptively claim all the Snow Monsters in the entire mountain, not intending to leave a single one for Azure Longsword?

If they killed one with their own strength, you think it’s stealing transcendental materials from you? That kind of thinking wasn’t right.

However, he and Andrea were childhood friends, so he guessed that Andrea had been badly outmaneuvered by Azure Longsword in the past and didn’t say much.

It was good to let him vent his frustrations.

However, would that Asker really let Andrea have his way so easily?

Hermann narrowed his eyes, staring at the seemingly unconcerned members of Azure Longsword, his expression growing increasingly gloomy.

After pondering for a moment, he decided to go over and test the waters.

“Captain Asker?” Hermann walked over and asked casually.

Asker was tapping Sidlipha on the head with the hilt of his sword. Without turning around, he replied, “Hmm?”

“What are you doing?” Hermann tried to keep his tone gentle.

“Training,” Asker said.

“Training what?” Hermann couldn’t imagine any training that mainly involved tapping someone on the head. “Uh… Training the hardness of your skulls?”

The girls around him giggled. Asker chuckled and explained:

“No, it’s to accelerate the digestion of transcendental power and the transformation of mental strength by rhythmically tapping on the head.”

So this could also promote the digestion of Transcendental power? Hermann was surprised and couldn’t help but observe the location and technique of Asker’s tapping.

“Does this really work?” he asked, thinking that although this captain didn’t look impressive, he seemed to know quite a bit.

“Probably not.” Asker stood up. “It’s just a mystical method, there’s no scientific basis.”

Hermann: …

“Hey!” Sidlipha complained. “If it doesn’t work, why did you keep tapping my head for so long!”

“A blockhead needs more tapping.” Asker said. “Maybe one day it’ll open up.”

“I’m going to tap you back!” Sidlipha pulled Asker over and started hammering his head.

This girl was tall and strong, so Asker was caught off guard and pulled into her arms. The girls were stunned for a moment and hurriedly tried to stop her.

“Sidlipha, you can’t do this!” Nuo scolded her, blushing. “You’re a lady! How can a lady be so intimate with a man?!”

“Huh, I can’t?” Sidlipha tilted her head.

“Of course not!” Nuo exclaimed.

Hermann looked at them speechlessly, feeling his IQ drop.

Is this… the legendary intelligence-reducing attack? Hermann decided not to probe any further, lest he suffer more negative effects.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Hermann suddenly noticed Eleanor, his gaze resting on her face.

“Excuse me, have we met before?” he asked, puzzled.

Eleanor looked at him in surprise, then paused.

Hermann? She suddenly recognized this guy. It was the eldest son of Bernard, the Count of Saxony in the north of the Holy Roman Empire. They had met before.

“That’s a rather old-fashioned pick-up line.” Eleanor said with a smile, trying to cover up her surprise.

Hermann shook his head and looked away from her face to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.

Eleanor secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After dealing with the Snow Monsters, the Iron Cross mercenary group began collecting the transcendental materials – the Snow Monsters’ abdominal fat – and then continued up the mountain.

During their advance, their formation had noticeably changed. Some of the Transcendental mercenaries deliberately lagged behind, separating Azure Longsword from Andrea, who was personally carrying the materials.

Their wariness and vigilance were unconcealed.

“What the hell,” Mia muttered. “Why are they acting like we’re thieves?!”

The other girls also looked indignant.

Asker remained indifferent, following them at a leisurely pace.

Seeing his calm demeanor, the girls, who were initially angry, gradually calmed down.

Hermann walked at the very edge of the group, keeping a close eye on Azure Longsword behind them.

Therefore, the changes in the girls’ expressions didn’t escape his notice.

As long as the captain didn’t speak, even if they were being treated coldly and with hostility, they could endure it temporarily?

It seemed that this Captain Asker had very high prestige within the team.

He was pondering these thoughts when he heard the mercenary in front shout a warning again:

“200 meters ahead! A large number of Snow Monsters!”

Here they come? Hermann drew his sword and axe, ready for battle, and sighed inwardly.

As expected, after letting those few Snow Monsters escape earlier, they had brought back more enemies.

But on the bright side, these Snow Monsters should be all the enemies in the vicinity. Once they were killed, it would be much easier to continue deeper into the mountains.

“Open fire!” Andrea’s command rang out.

In fact, there were at least fifty Snow Monsters charging towards them. On such a chaotic battlefield, even if they designated a specific Snow Monster to focus fire on, the gunmen might not be able to accurately understand his meaning.

It was better to let them fire freely.

Intense gunfire erupted, and the Snow Monsters at the front retreated, their roars becoming even more furious.

Although most of the bullets only embedded themselves in their muscles, unable to penetrate deeper and cause damage, the resulting rigidity still interrupted their charge.

The Transcendental mercenaries took the opportunity to charge forward, wielding weapons imbued with arcane powers like fire and lightning, slashing with the immense force granted by Strength and Agility, and their impenetrable swordsmanship, creating a bloody storm among the Snow Monsters.

Asker could even see several mercenaries who had clearly taken “Sharp Weapon” or “Blunt Weapon” potions. Although they looked only around twenty years old, they wielded their weapons like veteran warriors with decades of experience, skillfully dodging or parrying the Snow Monsters’ attacks, and accurately hitting their vital points with blades and warhammers.

However, this stalemate lasted only for a moment before gradually shifting in the mercenaries’ favor.

The reason was simple: the Snow Monsters had too much HP, and the mercenaries were starting to get exhausted.