Chapter VII The Legacy of Professionals
It is really not an interesting thing to go on a journey, especially in the scorching sun, but in comparison, the heat is much safer than in the dark, and there is no reason to complain.
What is surprising is that the girl named Misaka Mikoto, who thought she was a spoiled noble lady, but she followed everyone's pace, even more at ease than the mercenaries, forcing people to have some associations, appearing alone on the border of the Blood Wasteland. She thought she was a young lady who had been separated from the guards, but if the fact was not the case, and she was originally alone...
Shaking his head, Rukaka quickly abandoned the idea that made him feel extremely unrealistic and went on a bloody wasteland alone. This was an adventure that even the silver-level mercenaries dared to make easily, especially when they went deep into the border with the cold land. If they encountered a plural huge beast, even the high-level silver-level mercenaries would have to hate them.
Compared with the huge wild beasts, the Cold Land has a terrifying existence known as the Destruction of Destruction.
The Destroyer itself is not strong. In fact, the strength of a single Destroyer is not much stronger than that of a zombie, but Destroyer never appears alone. They are one and a few group races among demons. The most terrifying thing is not the Destroyer itself, but there will always be one or even a number of Destroyer wizards in each group.
The Destroyed Demon Wizards are more terrifying than huge beasts. They can not only spray fireballs to cause huge damage, but the flames from hell cannot be extinguished once they are contaminated by ordinary people, and they will not be able to extinguish them until they are burned to ashes. The huge damage power of the Fireball is even difficult to escape even the Black Iron-level warriors who stand out from ordinary people. But what is even more terrifying is their ability to resurrect and die the Destroyed Demons, and exert the "Demon Sea Tactics" to the extreme.
Because of this, if you encounter a camp's destruction, even a large mercenary group led by several bronze-level warriors will not be able to do anything. If you unfortunately encounter a special destruction wizard named Bisuboshu, even if it is silver or even step into the "Law Gate", the golden-level powerful man who is comparable to a profession will have to escape.
He will rush through the blood wasteland alone, or even close to the cold land. Unless he truly masters the inhuman power above the middle level of the golden level and gains the rules, he will have this confidence, otherwise it will be no different from suicide.
Will the girl be a golden-level mercenary? Such speculation was rejected by Rukaka immediately. The growth of a mercenary requires the test of blood and fire. Although qualifications are also important, the experience of long-term combat is irreplaceable, which is impossible for a little girl in her teens to have.
Compared to these, Rukaka is more willing to believe that a girl who is a noble has better physical fitness than ordinary people - this is not surprising in this world. Some nobles will have special bloodlines, and even descendants of professionals will always inherit some special abilities. In fact, the so-called nobles are the descendants of the heroes who participated in the seal of the three demon gods in the doomsday battle hundreds of years ago. Such excellent bloodline is the real pride of the nobles - although there are very few nobles who can truly exert their bloodline power now, arrogance and extravagance always make people lose the motivation to grow.
Mikoto was also happy to see the misunderstandings of the mercenaries, and she was not willing to let others know her identity as a mage.
The world of "Diablo", because the players played various professionals in the game, also caused Mikoto to have a misunderstanding at the beginning, believing that there are many professionals in this world - at least they will never be a treasured species.
After a while of communication, Mikoto realized her mistake. Professionals are not rare species. She was not wrong with this because the so-called professionals have long been extinct in this world - at least in most people's perception.
What does this kind of cognition bring? Is it the excitement of vanity and satisfaction? Is it because of the glory chosen by God?
None of them, the only thing Mikoto could feel at this time was fear.
Since the three demons in this world were sealed hundreds of years ago, the four demon kings also hid in hell due to the suppression of heaven. Although there are still many demons on earth, the world is still stable for most people. Perhaps only Mikoto, who comes from the outside world, knows that this stability will not last. In the near future, not only the demon kings will descend to the world, but even the dark itself, the three demon gods in charge of hell will awaken one after another.
If there are so many professionals, then Mikoto can think that there are always tall men standing in front of this dangerous world. The so-called four demon kings and three demon gods are just NPCs that make people experience. Even if they don’t go there, there will always be countless people rushing to kill monsters.
But this is not the case. I am the only professional. Andaryl, Duriel, Mephisto, Diapolo, and even the strongest king of destruction, Barr, are the only one who can face it and must face it. This is the responsibility brought by the power of being a professional.
There is no tall man in this world who is holding on to him when the sky falls, because he is the only professional, the tallest man. The first thing he overwhelms when the sky falls is himself.
If you want to escape, Mikoto is not willing to expose her identity as a mage when facing these people at this moment. Or she has not yet had the confidence to face all this. The expectations and attention of others, Mikoto has no confidence to bear this glory and heaviness at this moment.
Perhaps she is not qualified to borrow the name Mikoto Misaka now - she thought that the brave girl who dares to take on everything was both proud and fearless. In order not to be her fault, she even sacrificed her life and wanted to save her. Although she was crying secretly behind her back, she was still so strong.
What pulled Mikoto back to her senses from her trance was Rukaka's voice:
"Misaka, I wonder, can we take a break?"
He had been hiking for three hours under the scorching sun, walking in the rugged wasteland. In order to prevent monster attacks, he had to keep his nerves tight. The rest he proposed was common sense. But he still felt a little embarrassed when he said this. After all, he was also rushing the road with his feet. The mercenaries, as the protector, were exhausted first. As the employer who spent money to hire his own group of people, was still energetic, especially because the other party was just a young girl, which was of course very ashamed.
Mikoto nodded without any ridiculous expression and agreed to let Lukaka breathe a sigh of relief, and she became more and more fond of this noble lady who was not arrogant.
The climate on the grassland is humid, and the previous rainfall has not lowered the temperature here. The stuffy and hot climate is very uncomfortable. Although it is a rest, of course there is no roadside teahouse here that can make people rest. Everyone can only sit or lie on the muddy grass, and it is a luxury to find a dry ground.
This is the life of mercenaries. Not only will they face the test of death every day, but they are also exhausted through hardships. But they are still lucky. Compared with those poor people who don’t know tomorrow in the hunger and cold, they at least have the strength to taste the harvest after returning to the camp after every full harvest. This is all they pursued at risk of their lives again and again.
"Head, water"
After a simple greeting, a thin-faced man took a pot of water from the small cart called "transporter" which was essentially a "corpse transporter" and threw it over. Lukaka caught it. Mikoto, who was sharp due to the professional's physical fitness, found that the water bag that Rukaka grabbed was stained with dirty greasy. Thinking of the location where the kettle was stored just now, she felt even more nauseous.
At this moment, Mikoto saw that the other party grabbed a pot again, obviously trying to throw it to her. She quickly shook her head as soon as she scalp started. However, the action was more like a spasm of electric shock than a shaking head.
It’s not because she was spoiled. Not only did the greasy kettle not say that it was unhygienic, but what made Mikoto’s face stiffer was that she really couldn’t tell whether the oil on the pot was the grease left by the barbecue or the corpse oil dripping from the monster corpse in the car. Corpse oil is such a terrifying term. Although she was used to eating gutter oil in her previous life, corpse oil still challenged her nerves too much. It was obviously not an unfair worry about corpses piled up in hot weather.
Mikoto's refusal made Rukaka stunned for a moment, then understood the reason why the girl shook her head and frowned in embarrassment, "Misaka, you can just let it go in this wilderness. Dehydration in hot weather will be troublesome."
Of course Rukaka was right, Mikoto also understood clearly that when it comes to drinking water, she did feel thirsty. Since she came to this world, she has not yet dripped in water - except for those two bottles of potions. She didn't care about fatigue and tension before, but now she gradually calmed down and felt thirsty. However, if she wanted to drink the liquid mixed with corpse oil, she felt that she would rather choose to die of dehydration.
"Captain Rukaka, I think since this is a grassland, there should be rivers nearby, right?"
Although there is no difference between river water and chemical pollution pools in previous lives, Mikoto is still willing to believe in the environmental protection of this world. The clear water in the river is always cleaner than in this kettle.
After hesitating for a while, Rukaka nodded, "I understand, Lord Mikoto, I will ask my brother to check around."
The reason why Rukaka hesitates is that he encounters monsters at any time here, and the actions of exploring everywhere are really unsafe. However, since he has received a commission, it is also the responsibility of the mercenary to fulfill the employer's request without involving principles.
However, Rukaka's words made Mikoto feel uneasy. Of course, she knew the danger of the Blood Wasteland to ordinary mercenaries, and her original intention was to investigate it herself. After all, as a mage, although her level was still pitiful, the only zombies and hard-haired rats in this field did not pose a threat to her.
But of course Rukaka would not agree to let her take risks. This is no longer just an employer's problem. A group of big men let a little girl explore the way alone, which is not allowed by men's dignity.
Suddenly Mikoto had an idea and remembered the map that had been left on the edge of her brain since she met these "guides". She casually pulled out the parchment that was not exquisite, but was finally solid from her belt. Although she didn't know where she was and couldn't understand it, since she was a mercenary who had been walking in the blood wasteland for a long time, it should be familiar with it.
Rukaka, who took the map with surprise, his eyes changed suddenly the next moment. It was like a man who had been hungry for more than half a month suddenly saw a beauty. Well, if Rukaka had no special hobbies, he and his men had been hungry for more than half a month, and he... although he was a little embarrassed and uncomfortable, he was not willing to admit it, but his identity was indeed a woman at this moment. However, Rukaka was not staring at himself, but the map. At this moment, he seemed to be not even speaking easily.
"Gaia is on! Sir, where did you get this map? Ah..."
Without Mikoto's answer, Rukaka also found the answer he could understand. This must be the collection of the other party's family, but if you can own such a collection, the girl's family is obviously not an ordinary little noble.
No wonder Rukaka attaches so much importance to it and even loses his composure. This map that seemed inconspicuous and even made Mikoto forget in the corner of her belt was too detailed. Mikoto was not familiar with it, but could not see the effect of the map. As Rukaka, who had been involved in the Blood Wasteland many times, he even found that yesterday they accidentally encountered abandoned houses that they could rest for a night were marked in it.
If this map is available to master all the terrain of the Blood Wasteland, their Silver Wolf Mercenary Group will be able to arrange their daily actions more reasonably, and even find a place to camp in Anzhai before night every day, which will turn the Blood Wasteland into their back garden.
Of course, this is not the reason why Rukaka is surprised. If it is just a blood wasteland, just hire some mercenary guards and carefully understand each terrain to draw it into a map. Although it consumes a lot of manpower and material resources, it will not be shocking. But the scope of this map is too wide.
It is widespread, and this too empty adjective cannot describe the incredibleness of this map, because it is not only the blood wasteland, but also the cold land, the stone wilderness, the dark forest... Gaia is above, and even the Forgotten Tower of the Black Wasteland entrenched by the Countess, and the farther Taimo Highlands, are extremely detailed.
Go deep into the hinterland where the monsters gather, carefully measure, carefully explore every corner, and then draw such a map, even the legendary golden-level powerful man will never be able to do it. You must know that the Destroyed Demon is already unimaginable terrifying, but in the legendary monsters, there are more existences a hundred times stronger than the Destroyed Demon, such as the Dark Archers, Dark Spearmen, Burning Dead Mages... Any of these terrifying demons appear here can wipe out the Silver Wolf Mercenary Group, while in the monsters' hinterland, they are in groups, thousands, and tens of thousands.
This made Lukaka think of those ancient heroes who have long been destroyed in the long river of history and have become fairy tales that have become children sleeping peacefully, and those inhuman strong men known as professionals. Legend has it that any of them can fight against groups of monsters, which is powerful enough for humans today.
Some of the nobles are descendants of professionals, which made Lukaka naturally attribute this map to Mikoto's false ancestors. This map is likely to be the legacy of professionals.
Chapter completed!