Chapter 568 - 567: Former Comrades-in-Arms

Chapter 568: Chapter 567: Former Comrades-in-Arms

The road beneath their feet had given out at some point. They had no choice but to follow the natural meadows, slowly advancing up the mountain along its ridges and valleys.

On this mountainous terrain, the ridges were nearly devoid of tall trees; only the low-lying valleys held scattered groves of spruce.

Grass and moss carpeted the ground, interspersed with bare rock. The rolling terrain offered no cover, allowing one to take in the lay of the land at a glance.

The most common creatures here were marmots and rabbits. There were basically no large animals to be seen.

Occasionally, they would spot massive creatures flying from the mountains down toward the spruce forests below—probably monsters like Scorpion-tailed Lions or Wyverns on the hunt.

Whether it was because the creatures sensed Colin’s party would be a tough fight or for some other reason, they mostly left the squad alone. As a result, the party was limited to catching wild rabbits and the like, with no meat from any larger game to eat.

Fortunately, their supplies from a while back were well-stocked, and they also had Owlbear meat, which was practically indistinguishable from Bear Meat. Otherwise, Orelia would have had to use her Create Food and Water spell to feed them.

But that would leave the party down one Tier Three Divine Skill for combat. It was a choice they wouldn’t make unless absolutely necessary; after all, you never knew what you might encounter in the wilderness.

「One week later, at noon.」

The party continued up the mountain, following a ridge. To their right loomed the towering Witch’s Hammer Mountain Range, and to their left lay the rolling hills of the Northern Lands. The very ground they walked on was part of the range itself.

Dorn pulled out his waterskin for a long drink, then glanced back at Colin. "How much longer?" he asked.

"Should be close. Just a few hundred more meters," Colin said, looking at the map.

They hadn’t gone much farther when several figures appeared on a distant ridge. The figures were looking their way, seemingly waiting for Colin’s party to get closer.

"Hey, Colin, remember me?"

As they drew nearer, a familiar voice drifted down from the mountain.

Colin looked closely and saw that the speaker was the one among the figures wearing a Magic Robe.

The man had a massive beard. Drawing on his years of experience dealing with Dwarves, Colin could tell at a glance that the face beneath all that facial hair was smiling.

Beside the bearded man stood a hooded Elf, a Halfling in Leather Armor, and a burly human wearing a Plate Armor Chest Guard.

’Since they came over to greet us, they must be the Gray Squad that Asvir arranged.’

But... Colin was puzzled. ’Do I know him?’

"The Blights in Silverpine Village, short-timer," the Elf beside the Mage said.

"Oh, it’s you guys," Colin said, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He suddenly remembered: this was the Gray Squad that had led them against the Blights in Silverpine Village.

He suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment. ’It’s one thing to forget their names, but I’ve even forgotten what they look like.’

"Looks like you’ve got a proper team of your own now," the Mage said, his eyes sweeping over the people behind Colin. His gaze lingered on Ale and the others for a moment before returning to Kase at the front.

He cleared his throat. "And the members of your party are... rather unique."

"At least we get along great."

"Hmph." The Mage chuckled. "Still, I never expected you two to improve so quickly. Who would’ve thought that just over a year ago, you were the lowest-tier ’New Blood’ on the Field Staff? I’m almost starting to wonder if you’re the chosen of some Deity."

"Chosen?" Kase frowned in confusion.

"A mortal chosen by a Deity," the Mage explained, waving his hand dismissively. "The God’s Divine Power flows directly into your body. Simply put, once you become one of the chosen, you’re practically no different from a Demigod. Of course, I’m just joking."

"Enough chit-chat," the Halfling said. "We’ve got a hideout nearby we can take you to. This place is seriously out of the way."

"Lead the way, then," Colin said.

The two parties set off together up the ridge. Before long, they came to a cave entrance that wasn’t particularly well hidden.

They stepped inside and found themselves in a massive cavern.

The cavern was quite spacious; Colin estimated it to be about a hundred square meters.

In the exact center of the ceiling was a round, basin-sized opening. Directly beneath it lay a small, clear pool of water, its edges lined with fine sand and smooth stones. The place looked quite clean.

A few small tents were pitched beside the pool, and two packhorses were tethered nearby. This was clearly the other party’s camp.

"We’ve scouted that ruin several times already," the Mage told Colin. "As far as we can tell, there’s nothing dangerous. When are you planning to go in for a look? We’ll wait for you out here."

"Let’s go tomorrow," Dorn cut in. "This will be our first time exploring a Dungeon that isn’t an Undercity, right? I’d rather we be well-rested and face it at full strength."

"Settled, then," the Mage said. "You can leave your gear here. At least while you’re inside, we can make sure this Hoar Horse of yours doesn’t run off and start a family."

"We appreciate it," Colin said.

"It’s no trouble at all," the Halfling chimed in, standing on his tiptoes. "For us, this is practically a paid vacation. You know how risky an adventurer’s life can be. It’s much safer to hang back here."

’That’s a very stereotypical Halfling thing to say,’ Colin thought.

As they talked, the party members began unloading the luggage from Big Hoof Treasure’s back and setting up their camp near the pool.

As Colin’s party got busy, the members of the Gray Squad didn’t just stand around watching.

The Mage came over, puffing on his pipe. "I heard you were the ones who dealt with Frostclaw, is that right? We spent over ten days looking for it in the Supreme Forest. It was only when we got back to Moss Stone Village that we learned someone had already beaten us to the punch. That bear was no easy opponent, I bet. You guys are really something."

"He turned into this," Kase said, patting the Giant Axe resting beside him.

The Plated Armor Strongman spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, "That’s a fine axe. You’re very capable. That bear was a tough opponent."

"They call me the Bear Hunter, you know," Kase said with a smug grin.

"Is that right? The name certainly fits," the Elf said teasingly.

Kase retorted, "I don’t talk to long-ears who don’t have a title."

Hearing their conversation, Colin couldn’t help but puff out his chest with a bit of pride.

Playing along, the Mage asked, "Is that Plate Armor you’re wearing made from a White Dragon?"

"It’s made from the bone plates of a White Dragon," Colin said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, how did you manage to take down a White Dragon?" the Mage pressed.

"Well, since you asked about the White Dragon, that’s quite a story..."