Rhett shook his head and said, "Neither. In about half a month, I have something to give you that you might find interesting."
"Half a month is quite a long time..." Hypastos frowned, but after a moment, his expression softened, and he shook his head. "Fine, half a month it is. But if it causes any delay in your potion, don't blame me."
Rhett's lips curled into a smile. "Thank you, Tower Master Hypastos!"
Five days later.
Rhett and Locke rode swiftly, but as evening approached, they halted once more. The blue sky had faded into shadows, and the stars framed the gradually brightening moon.
They had just crossed a muddy wetland, leaving a trail of mud in their wake, but under Rhett's mental control, the disturbed earth elements returned to their original state.
"Hold on, Rhett, I sense something strange ahead!"
Locke was the first to stop. He closed his eyes tightly, frowning, while his nose twitched slightly. The wind that constantly moved around him carried the traces left by all things.
Rhett turned to Locke, knowing that a Wind Knight could capture more information through the flow of air. This was why scouts were almost always Wind Knights—they moved quickly and excelled at gathering intelligence.
After half a minute, Locke opened his eyes, his expression heavy, and said, "Ten kilometers ahead, about half an hour ago, there was a small-scale battle involving around four hundred people."
Rhett quickly asked, "Can you identify who they were? Was there any trace of orcs?"
"The distance makes it hard to be sure, but I can confirm there were no orcs!" Locke said, his face darkening.
"No orcs?!" Rhett's face instantly showed alarm as he feigned uncertainty. "No orcs—then who were our soldiers fighting? The location ahead is where I was supposed to meet Laedros. Those soldiers are likely the elite of the Sixth Legion... Do you think it's possible that a Saint-level orc got involved?"
"Absolutely not!" Locke took a deep breath and reassured him, "Judging by the concentration of blood and the spread of the remaining scent, the battle lasted quite a while, at least half an hour. If a Saint-level warrior had been involved, the fight would have ended in minutes."
Rhett nodded and said, "You're right. We should hurry to the scene."
Locke, still puzzled by who the enemy could be, wondered if there could be internal traitors...
With a sense of unease, Locke sped ahead, faster than Rhett, and reached the battlefield first.
What he saw shook him to the core. The ground was littered with severed limbs and corpses. Hundreds of elite knights from the Sixth Legion lay in pools of blood, and most horrifyingly, many had their internal organs or brains removed. Though the blood was thick, Locke, a battle-hardened warrior, noticed that the amount of blood didn't match the number of fallen soldiers.
"They're all dead... all of them!" Locke muttered, his breathing heavy.
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a giant sword partially buried among the bodies. He recognized it instantly—it was Laedros' sword, one he had seen before and remembered clearly! A deep sorrow welled up within Locke as he moved forward, careful not to step on any fallen soldiers.
When Rhett arrived, he found Locke sitting weakly on the ground, enveloped by the deep darkness that shrouded the battlefield, making the scene feel even more desolate.
He then noticed the mutilated body and damaged armor beside Locke. The familiar contours sent a shock through Rhett, and he anxiously surveyed the scene around him.
Seeing the disemboweled and decapitated soldiers, Rhett felt both shock and sorrow. He knew this was undoubtedly the work of the Blood God Cult's followers! But he hadn't expected this—although nothing had gone wrong in the last simulation, this time, just a slight delay on the way had led to Laedros' demise.
Seeing Rhett's grief-stricken face, Locke forced a smile and said, "Rhett, I know your legion commander died, and I can imagine how you feel..."
"When did this battle take place?"
Rhett's voice was cold, cutting off Locke's attempt to comfort him. He stared at Laedros' body, feeling a mix of anger, fear, and a faint sense of relief...
Locke gave Rhett a complicated look, sighed, and then offered his analysis: "Judging by the stiffness of the corpses and the wind's scent, the battle likely occurred about five hours ago."
After saying this, Locke stood up and pointed southwest. "I can sense that they headed in that direction. With so much blood on them, they couldn't have completely erased their traces. The wind has revealed their path to me. If we hurry, we might have a chance to avenge Laedros!"
"No need... I will undo this tragedy."
Rhett shook his head and looked up at the now starry sky. Seeing the confusion in Locke's eyes, he softly muttered:
"Let it end..."
As the words left his lips, a ripple spread out, and the surroundings began to change rapidly.
The bloody battlefield vanished instantly, the stars and moon receded, the cold wind howled, and sunlight warmed Rhett's back, its rising temperature reminding him that this was the real world.
[Simulation complete. Please select one attribute to retain.]
[1. Constitution]
[2. Battle Energy]
[3. Mental Power]
"Three."
After making his choice, Rhett watched as the glowing screen before him disappeared, and he took in his surroundings. He was standing at a checkpoint in the Coldstream Defense Line.
Indeed, the tragedy had only occurred within the simulation.
Rhett had anticipated the risks inherent in the real plan. After leaving the Sixth Legion's temporary base, he had considered the possibility that Laedros, who had marched ahead, might encounter unforeseen dangers. To prevent this and to ensure that no anomalies were detected when dealing with the Pale Knights' corpses, he had decided to conduct a preemptive simulation.
"It seems that was the right decision..." Rhett muttered to himself as he quickened his pace, racing back to the camp.
For safety's sake, he activated another Real Simulation. After all, his plan had yet to succeed, and an extra layer of security was needed.
Upon entering the Coldstream camp, Rhett encountered Hypastos. After exchanging pleasantries, he quickly stated his request, which Hypastos agreed to. However, an idea struck Rhett, and he added:
"Tower Master Hypastos, I have one last request. Could you take me quickly to Red Ridge? I have another task to complete, and time is of the essence, so I need your help."
Hypastos looked surprised and asked, "Red Ridge? That's over a thousand kilometers from the Coldstream Defense Line. With your speed, you should be able to get there in a day, right?"
"A day on the battlefield is enough to change many things," Rhett replied with a wry smile.
Hypastos shook his head and said, "Alright... You're impossible. Stand still then..."
Rhett stood still as instructed, and the next moment, he felt countless water elements converging on him, their icy presence forming what seemed to be a crystallizing shell around him.
He quickly spoke up, "Wait a moment, I have a comrade..."
Hypastos paused, and the surging water elements receded like a tide, instantly restoring the surroundings to their original state. Hypastos' expression was a mix of exasperation and amusement as he said, "This is your last chance—tell me everything you need in one go..."
Rhett chuckled sheepishly, "That's it. Just this."
Hypastos rolled his eyes. Taking Rhett and his companion to Red Ridge was a deliberate move on Rhett's part, as it would save them more than half a day's journey, ensuring they arrived in time to prevent Laedros' unit from falling into a trap.
Now, surrounded by the red ridges of the mountain, Rhett felt a wave of relief. As the ice around his body melted away, he said to Hypastos, "Tower Master Hypastos, I owe you for this!"
Hypastos smiled and shook his head. "Just repay me by killing more orcs. I'll be heading back now. Remember, if I don't see you in ten days, I'll leave without you."
"Don't worry, I'll keep our appointment!"
After Rhett finished speaking, he watched as Hypastos nodded and then dissolved into a mist of water vapor, disappearing into the air.
Rhett's eyes filled with admiration at the sight. "So this is the power of a Saint... Truly remarkable!"
At that moment, Locke approached, looking at Rhett with a peculiar expression. "Rhett, I didn't expect you and Tower Master Hypastos to be so close, that he'd personally bring us here. But why not have him take us directly to our destination?"
Rhett casually replied, "Taking us directly there would be no different from helping us complete the mission outright. It wouldn't be proper."
"True enough. Let's get moving then. We might reach the rendezvous point before Laedros and his men."
"Yes, time is of the essence. We must make every second count!"
Four days later.
The two men came to a stop as Rhett dispelled his earth armor and dismounted from Locke's back.
It was Rhett who called for the halt, having recognized the terrain. This was where the battle had taken place in the previous simulation. The distribution of earth elements, the shapes of the rocks, the types of plants—everything matched exactly!
Locke looked around and said quietly, "So this is the rendezvous point? Looks like we did arrive before them..."
As he spoke, Locke's nose twitched as he instinctively sniffed the air.
The next moment, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes. He stretched lazily, his hand lightly brushing his head as he made a casual gesture.
"Rhett, this journey has really worn me out..."
The seemingly ordinary words reached Rhett's ears, and when he caught sight of Locke's hand movements out of the corner of his eye, his heart skipped a beat. That seemingly natural gesture was actually a prearranged signal—there were enemies lying in ambush nearby!
Rhett heightened his alertness but maintained a calm exterior, replying casually, "Tired? Then why don't we find a place to rest? There are plenty of rocks around. Pick one you like, and we'll go sit."
"That one up ahead, the one that looks like a mouse, should do nicely."
Following Locke's pointing finger, Rhett spotted two dimly colored rocks hidden among a cluster of dark plants, blending in with the surroundings.
But this simple exchange had already told him that the three Pale Knights had not only arrived early but were also hiding there.
Rhett's heart was filled with a murderous intent. Even though he didn't know whether he and Locke could handle the three Pale Knights, this was a simulation, and he had nothing to fear. He could let loose and try his best!
So, he walked forward slowly, his mental power already highly focused and spreading out as he cast a spell—Quicksand!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh
A quicksand zone spanning several hundred meters quickly formed, but faster than the quicksand was the emergence of three ghostly figures from the ground.
They positioned themselves in a triangle, surrounding Rhett and Locke from above, right, and left.
"So fast!"
Locke's face changed at the sight of their speed. Although not as fast as when he used the Mystical Power of Speed, it was definitely faster than any Wind Knight he had seen without Mystical Power.
"Who are you? Which legion do you belong to, and why are you here?" Locke asked, sensing the hostility but still trying to ascertain their identity.
The three men had pale faces but were dressed in red light armor, their eyes filled with madness and killing intent. One of them rasped, "The dead don't need to know so much..."
"Hmph, bold words. I'm not interested in the identity of the dead either!" Locke squinted his eyes, not backing down. The fine sword in his hand glowed with a blue light as he said quickly, "Rhett, help me limit their speed. We'll focus our attacks on one of them first!"
"Understood!"
As soon as the word left his mouth, Rhett had already cast his second spell—Earth Dragon!
The ground trembled violently as earth elements gathered at Rhett's feet, lifting him higher as a massive Earth Dragon formed beneath him. Rhett stood tall on the Earth Dragon's back, looking down at the three men.
"Locke, be careful. I have a feeling these three are strange..." Rhett cautioned.
"Got it!" Locke's eyes also showed a hint of seriousness. He, too, sensed that there was something odd about the battle energy emanating from these three. It was unlike anything he had encountered from other knights.
"Stinger Strike!"
Locke pushed off with his toes, leaping into the air. Chaotic wind energy erupted around him, causing him to dart about like a hummingbird, fast and unpredictable.
One of the Pale Knights, his face covered in scars, faced the rapid, almost invisible strike. The muscles beneath his armor bulged, emitting a crimson aura from countless pores. This aura was drawn to the small round shield in his hand, instantly turning its surface into something sinister and malevolent.