Chương 51: Sorry

Meanwhile, Gark's condition was even more horrifying. Blood had soaked completely through his clothes, and it was still pouring out from the wound. Vaelis first sprinkled a layer of coagulation powder over the injury. Then he pressed a clean linen cloth firmly against it, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. But even after that, the crimson stain continued spreading rapidly across the cloth. The sight was enough to make anyone's heart tighten. Vaelis added several more layers.

Only after several minutes did the bleeding finally slow down. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm and let out a breath of relief. Gark's life was no longer in immediate danger. The legendary orc-blooded battle frenzy was real after all. He had actually dared to charge straight at a Mid-tier Swordsman. And even with an injury this severe, his willpower had not collapsed. He had endured the pain without breaking. Gark clenched his jaw tightly. Even his green skin had become noticeably pale.

Fortunately, the wound was finally under control. Grey watched the entire process with narrowed eyes, shaking his head repeatedly. Compared to Gark… The injuries he had suffered against the Mistwraiths were nothing. Just watching it was painful. After stabilizing Zelier and Gark's injuries, the team turned their attention to the six corpses from Drake's Squad. Dealing with them was simple. Burn them. Once the bodies were reduced to ashes, who could possibly identify a pile of charred remains?

Grey and Marcus worked together to carry the corpses to an open area away from the trees. They stacked them together. While doing so, they also stripped away the armor, weapons, and money pouches from the bodies. They poured strong liquor over the pile. Then Marcus tossed a match into the center. The flames erupted instantly.

"Whoosh!" Marcus stared expressionlessly as Drake's head distorted and twisted beneath the burning flames. The forest fell silent once again. The only sound was the crackling of the fire. Zelier slowly sat down with his back against a tree. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He stared at the dancing flames, his thoughts drifting somewhere far away.

"What are you thinking about?" Cyr's voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Nothing…" Zelier shook his head slightly.

"This is my first time attacking humans."

"So I'm a little shaken." Cyr crossed her arms. Beneath her hood, her eyes stared forward, almost as if she were lost in thought as well. The bonfire burned brightly, occasionally sending sparks flying into the air. Gark lay nearby resting. Marcus patrolled the perimeter of the clearing, staying alert. Meanwhile, Grey was sorting through the equipment and valuables left behind by Drake's Squad.

"I'm sorry." Cyr suddenly spoke.

"What?" Zelier looked confused.

"You're still young."

"Sixteen or seventeen years old, at most…"

"If I hadn't acted…"

"You wouldn't have had to experience something like this so soon." Cyr lowered her voice.

"So…"

"I'm sorry."

"Are you actually apologizing?" Zelier looked surprised. Cyr calmly met his gaze. Neither of them looked away. After a moment, the familiar curve returned to Cyr's lips.

"Guess."

"I can't tell." Zelier shook his head.

"But it's not a big deal."

"Actually, I should thank you."

"Thank me?" Now Cyr was the one who looked confused.

"Yes." Zelier turned his gaze back toward the fire.

"To be honest…"

"I wanted to kill them too."

"People like that are just future problems waiting to happen."

"Better to strike first." When Zelier saw Marcus and the others earlier, they had clearly intended to let the matter go. Cyr stared at Zelier's profile. After a long while, she finally let out a soft laugh.

"Hmph…"

"Maybe you really do have the potential to become a bad person like me."

"Is that so…"

"If you ever need anything."

"Or if you have an assassination request…"

"Come find me." Cyr placed a small token into Zelier's hand.

"Go to No. 7 Dark Lane."

"Knock on the door five times."

"Show them this token."

"I'll receive your message."

"Oh…"

"Alright." Zelier accepted the token.

"Done! Inventory finished!" After a while, Grey shouted. His face was practically glowing with excitement.

"These bastards had twenty gold and seventy-two silver coins between them!"

"And there are several pieces of high-quality armor and weapons too."

"Selling them will bring in quite a bit!" The equipment of the three Mid-tier warriors was clearly valuable. The quality was far above ordinary gear.

"We'll divide the money directly."

"As for the weapons and armor…" Marcus spoke.

"If you trust me, leave the selling to me."

"The profits will still be divided according to the same ratio."

"I have some channels."

"But we'll need to wait a couple of days."

"Selling this much high-quality equipment all at once would attract attention."

"And we also need to avoid any investigation into Drake's Squad disappearing." Everyone nodded in agreement. Marcus could be trusted. After their encounter with Drake's Squad, they had wasted a considerable amount of time. They needed to leave Ashwood Forest before nightfall. On the way back, Vaelis carried most of the equipment and supplies. Marcus and Grey supported Gark from both sides. Gark was unbelievably heavy. Even Grey was forced to grit his teeth under the weight.

Because of his injured leg, Zelier couldn't properly put strength into walking. He struggled to move independently and also needed support. Cyr took responsibility for helping him. She placed Zelier's right arm over her shoulder. Then she wrapped her left arm around his back and firmly supported his waist. Cyr's body looked slender and delicate. But her strength was astonishing. Even with most of Zelier's weight leaning against her, she didn't sway in the slightest. A crisp, refreshing scent entered Zelier's nose.

It was like the cold rush of air when opening a door in winter. It instantly cleared his mind. By the time the sun disappeared below the horizon, the team had successfully left Ashwood Forest. After retrieving their stored carriage from the village, they returned to Blackstone Town. The moment Marcus entered the Adventurer's Association, the surrounding conversations immediately quieted. Numerous gazes secretly turned toward them.

Everyone knew Marcus's Squad had accepted the goblin extermination commission from the Mist-veiled Caverns. It was considered a difficult request. Had they actually completed it?

"Mission completion." Marcus placed a bag of goblin ears onto the counter.

"The goblin extermination commission for the Mist-veiled Caverns has been completed."

"A total of twenty-five ordinary goblins, three Hobgoblins, and one Goblin Shaman."

"Check them."

"Alright!" Aila immediately opened the bag. She poured the contents onto the counting tray and began checking the numbers with a small counter. Marcus's announcement caused whispers to spread throughout the hall.

"They actually completed it…"

"Marcus's Squad has gotten seriously impressive lately."

"They're incredible."

"Didn't Drake's Squad try to steal this commission from them before?"

"It's not like it was Marcus's achievement."

"He's only a lower-tier warrior."

"He just has strong teammates…"

"Have you heard?"

"They have a mage in their party."

"And apparently they've teamed up several times already…"