Chapter 22 - Actually, I Have a Cheat Too

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

Big Trouble

 

 

Those who survived owed their lives to sheer luck. Many now wanted to step forward and condemn the Black Wolf and Raven mercenary groups, as the beast tide had only erupted because of them.

 

Most had never experienced the overwhelming terror of a large-scale beast tide up close, nor had they ever brushed so closely with death. Some had lost friends and family in the chaos, their grief and anger fueling resentment, even rage, toward the two mercenary groups.

 

However, seeing the dark expressions on Black Crow and Captain Locke's faces made them reconsider. The two leaders were not ones to be trifled with, and the smart ones knew this wasn't the right moment to voice their grievances, though many still felt disgruntled.

 

Some distance away, two adventurers hiding in the shadows began gossiping about Black Wolf and Raven with a hint of mischief and malicious glee, almost as though they were reveling in the turmoil.

 

Ge Yan wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they were close enough that every word floated clearly into his left ear and lodged there, with no way to let it out the other.

 

"The Black Wolf and Raven mercenary groups have ticked off quite a few people this time. They'll have a hard time restoring their reputation."

 

"Is it really that bad? Black Wolf has some powerful connections. Once this blows over, time will help people forget, and with one high-rank mission, their reputation will be back on track."

 

"That would depend on whether others allow it."

 

The man's cryptic smile sparked his friend's curiosity—and Ge Yan's too.

 

"Go on, what's going on? I mean, Black Wolf and Raven are both among the top ten A-rank mercenary groups. Would anyone actually dare to go after them?"

 

"Being in the top ten doesn't make them untouchable. The top of the list, the Starlight Mercenary Group, for instance, has centuries of history. Black Wolf and Raven, on the other hand, are barely a decade old. They've risen fast, but their foundation is weak, and they have few truly formidable warriors. If any other group had shown up, you think they'd have had a chance at that sacred beast?"

 

"You're not suggesting that Starlight...?"

 

"No, but not too far off. Do you even know who died in the beast tide?"

 

"How would I know? So many people died. I was too busy running to notice who bit the dust."

 

"I saw it myself. You know Alvar?"

 

"Alvar? Never heard of him."

 

"Ha, ten days ago, neither had I. Alvar's the grandson of Tangler, the vice-captain of the Alice Mercenary Group. I saw him with my own eyes—he didn't make it out of the tide."

 

"Are you serious? Alice is notorious for being fiercely protective of their members. That group is filled with maniacs, especially their captain. He even named the whole group after his daughter, Alice. When they first started, people mocked the name, waiting for them to fail. Well, they all ended up eating their words. Every last one of them."

 

"Just wait and see. Black Wolf and Raven are in for a world of trouble."

 

After hearing this, Ge Yan felt the weight of the situation, too. He had known fiercely protective people in his past life. Logic had no place with them—if you dared to mess with one of their family members, you were at fault, no matter who started it. But that was back in a lawful society, where conflicts were limited to verbal attacks. Here, in a world ruled by strength, those people thrived, their actions unhindered.

 

When Ge Yan snapped out of his thoughts, the two men had already moved on from their conversation.

 

The beast tide raged for nearly half a day before it finally subsided—quick, compared to prior years, when large tides had lasted two or three days.

 

The path of the thousand beasts left nothing but flattened ground and bloodstains. Small hills had been leveled, leaving a gruesome sight in their wake. Corpses were strewn about, some trampled so brutally that their organs spilled out, their faces reduced to pulp. Many onlookers couldn't bear the sight, retching at the horror before them.

 

Captain Locke and Black Crow walked ahead, their expressions growing darker, not only from the carnage around them but also from the glances others shot in their direction. They were beginning to realize the consequences were far worse than they'd anticipated.

 

"Look, the Shadow Winged Tiger is back!" someone suddenly cried out from the crowd.

 

All eyes locked onto the shadow that darted past. Captain Locke and Black Crow reacted instantly, one after the other, racing after it.

 

At this point, reclaiming the Shadow Winged Tiger was their only chance at salvaging some part of their losses. After all, if not for it, they would never have trespassed into Darkwind Ridge, and without that trespass, there wouldn't have been that fateful beast tide.

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