Chương 45: The Kill Zone

In a village-like stronghold, a small stone house. A silver-haired, handsome man with a faint scar on his face leaned back on his chair, tapping the table with his finger as he looked at the brown-haired man in front of him.

"When are you going to take action, Mr. Alric?" The brown-haired man asked, nervously licking his lips. Alric didn't react, still deep into his thoughts. Not receiving the expected response, the brown-haired man pressed.

"The caravan has already entered the canyon." Alric glanced at him.

"And?" The brown-haired man froze. A suffocating pressure slowly filled the room, making him breathless.

"Although I have accepted Garrick's consignment, don't forget who you're standing before. I'll take action when the time is right." Alric coldly said. The atmosphere grew heavier, and sweat flowed down Nick's face.

'This man is undoubtedly a powerhouse of the same level as boss Garrick; I'll be killed if I antagonize him.' Nick turned his head away, not daring to look at Alric anymore. Glancing at the documents, the pile of gold, and the magic scrolls on the table from the corner of his eyes, Nick was puzzled.

'Why would Boss Garrick spend so much money just to get rid of one party and one newbie adventurer? That newbie might have killed some of our henchmen, but in the end, he's just an insignificant apprentice, and that party had no conflict with us,' Nick wondered. The more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

'Now that I think about it, Boss Garrick has been acting a bit weird recently. I wonder what he's up to.' After thinking about it for a while, Nick shook his head and pushed this thought to the back of his mind. In the end, it wasn't his problem. As long as he got paid, Garrick could scheme all he wanted. On the other side of the room, Alric was wondering the same. However, he didn't think much of it. As long as he received the proper payment, he didn't care about the target.

'Just a bit more and I'll gather enough to buy the [Makeover Potion].' Alric's palm unconsciously reached for his chest, only to touch cold armor. This woke him up from his reverie. He clenched his fist, rage bubbling through his heart.

'As long as I get the [Makeover Potion], I'll finally be able to repair the damage that cursed bastard left behind. Victor, your days are numbered!' Alric's expression twisted slightly. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. He could still remember that blade piercing straight through his back, injuring his heart and scratching his mana core. He still felt throbbing pain whenever he circulated mana through his body.

Alric took a deep breath, containing the overwhelming rage within, waiting for the day it was going to be unleashed. Nick was cowering in his seat. For some reason, he felt the atmosphere growing more and more oppressive. After what felt like ages, a knock suddenly sounded from the room's door, followed by the door opening and a scarred bald man entering.

"Boss, the brothers are in the prepared spots, and the caravan is nearing optimal position," the bald man slowly said. Despite his fierce appearance, he was soft-spoken and had impeccable manners.

"I see," Alric nodded and stood up. He placed his palm over the objects on the table, and one of the rings he was wearing glowed blue. The next second, the objects disappeared.

'A space ring!' Nick's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Even the most basic space ring is an extraordinary-rank magic item. He had only seen one in the possession of the Baron.

"Let's go," Alric said before walking out. The bald man and Nick, still stiff-faced, followed behind. …….. In the Morning Star Canyon, the Lorraine Chamber of Commerce's caravan was slowly moving forward. Kyle carefully examined the canyon's walls around him.

'Although it's quite smooth, there are still many cracks and traces of corrosion. If it was truly the result of a sword strike from that sword saint, then at least a hundred years have passed. Is he still alive?' Kyle wondered. He heard that lifespan increased with each rank, but he didn't know the extent of the increase. Shaking his head, Kyle's gaze moved over the guards and adventurers not far away. He noticed that their expression had become much more serious than before.

Even the occasional boisterous laughter had disappeared.

'They're all on edge.' Kyle's gaze moved to his companions. Even Luke and Aaron had solemn expressions. Noticing his gaze, Luke pointed at a section of the canyon ahead.

"If you look there, you'll notice that the canyon is much narrower. Moreover, the cliffs on that section had previously collapsed, so they're much lower than the other sections of the canyon, making it one of the most optimal places for an ambush," Luke said with a serious expression.

"I see," Kyle said, a look of realization flashing on his face. His expression turned serious as he looked at the gradually approaching narrow section. The caravan moved forward in silence, guards and adventurers clutching their weapons and cautiously looking around. As they slowly crossed that section of the canyon... Nothing happened. Kyle carefully looked around but didn't spot any sign of an ambush. It was only after they crossed the narrow section of the canyon that the caravan slowly relaxed.

That section of the canyon was the best place for an ambush. Trapping the caravan there would require just throwing a few big boulders down. Now, it's impossible to do so. A smile appeared on the adventurers' faces as they started laughing and bragging again. However, when they crossed the 100-meter section mark from the narrow strait, a blinding light suddenly burst from under the caravan, followed by the appearance of 6 tall semi-circular energy barriers, separating the caravan into three sections.

"What!"

"Enemy attack!"

"Get into position!" Shouts and cries of panic rang through the caravan as many people fell into panic. However, before they could fully react, a volley of arrows fell from the canyon's walls, striking the guards and adventurers.

"Ah!!"

"Help!" Wails of pain and alarm echoed throughout the canyon as both people and horses fell into panic.

"Don't panic! Get into position!" The captain of the guards yelled as he jumped off his horse and struck down an arrow heading for the employer. The adventurers and guards quickly reorganized under his command, with warriors and shield bearers standing in front of the arrow volleys, defending the people behind. He solemnly looked at the energy barriers splitting the caravan and tried striking it with his sword. The barrier rippled, but it couldn't be broken in a short time. Just then, the arrow volley stopped.

Dozens of bandits appeared on the edge of the canyon, quickly sliding down the walls and stopping not far away. At the head stood a strikingly handsome silver-haired man. He sat on his horse with astonishing grace, his presence stunning the caravan. His gaze swept through the caravan, briefly pausing on the dwarf before finally stopping on the captain of the guards.

"Lay down your weapons."

"Cooperate, and most of you will leave this canyon alive." He calmly said, his voice reverberating through the canyon.