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Chapter 23: Dawn, Mountain Path
Brandon lowered his sword.
"It's really dark out here. It doesn't seem wise to venture out at this hour," With a smile, he cast a glance at the group of more than twenty people before casually walking through them, unperturbed by their vigilant gazes.
The young members of the Guard Unit instinctively parted to make way, while Breyson gripped his sword tightly, glaring at Brandon with a dark expression. However, he restrained himself, knowing that any altercation would only draw unwanted attention. Someone nearby had attempted to stop Bradon, but Breyson halted them with a gesture.
Tension mounted in the small woods.
But Brandon continued until he reached the edge of the woods, where he paused and spoke again. "Breyson, is defiance of orders what you learned in the Guard Unit? And such a poorly planned one at that. You should know Captain Marden's temperament. Did you really think you could coerce him into agreeing to your demands? If it were me, I would have simply slipped away with a few men, leaving one behind to inform him."
The group fell silent.
Breyson's grip on his sword loosened slightly as a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help wondering what Brandon was planning, and what his motive was.
"Tell me, when do you plan to launch your attack? So I can decide when to leave."
"Before dawn."
The young Vice-Captain of the Guard Unit pondered for a moment. Though skeptical of Brandon's motives, his plan did seem more enticing and feasible than their original one.
"In that case, you'd better hide near Foxwood. That area should be the safest location closest to Madara's undead army. Also, I'll accidentally stumble upon a piece of paper detailing your plan in the woods, and bring it to Marden. This way, he'll be aware that the attack is scheduled around the disappearance of the Red Star. How does that sound?"
"..."
"And remember, stay focused when dealing with skeletal wizards. Their spells only affect those with weak wills."
"Brandon, what are you up to? How did you spot Zeta and Layens? Where did you learn your swordsmanship?" Breyson's hand relaxed from his sword as he asked, his expression serious.
"That's none of your concern. Whether as mortal enemies or just people who don't get along, this may be our last meeting, and we may never see each other again. Perhaps we'll become nothing but memories. Anyway, we're all citizens of Eruin. So good luck to you."
Brandon waved dismissively, indicating that what he was up to was not important.
Breyson fell silent.
...
Leaving aside Breyson's rash actions that would undoubtedly enrage Marden, on the other side, Freya had gathered the militia squad but found themselves with nowhere to go. Eventually, the veteran of the November War had to organize a makeshift defense force from the villagers and prepare to break through to the north, towards Dagger River Bank.
Meanwhile, Jason, who had lost an arm, and little Phineas were seeing Brandon and Roma off. Freya had ordered Phineas to leave the militia squad due to his young age, leaving him discontent. However, a few words of praise from Brandon lifted his spirits, and he began clamoring to accompany them to Ridenburg for an adventure.
Of course, that couldn't be allowed. Otherwise, he'd likely meet Freya's wrath upon their arrival at Anzek. Though Brandon could use an extra hand, Phineas was too young for such tasks. So he could only ruffle the boy's hair, trying to console him.
Jason, on the other hand, stood nearby, hesitant to speak, his gaze filled with shame as he looked at Brandon. He knew he owed his survival to Brandon, and he couldn't blame anyone else for his own cowardice at the time.
"I... I'm sorry, Brandon. Thank you... for saving me back then."
"It's alright. We all have moments when we're scared. Jason, everyone is willing to have you back because they all believe you can change. Pull yourself together and don't let others look down on you."
"Thank you."
Brandon nodded, glancing at the sky—stars fading, heralding the dawn. With the loss of the light from the stars and the moon, this would be the darkest moment in this world. But it didn't matter, because the dawn was already breaking on the other side of the distant mountains.
Withdrawing his gaze from the dark silhouette of the mountains on the horizon, he and Roma lit torches. Though it might not be wise to light them in the darkness, they were heading away from Madara's control zone, and even if there were wild beasts, Brandon thought, the greatest threat in Beldor Forest was merely wolves, a handful of which he could easily handle.
Moreover, beasts naturally feared fire.
The two ventured southward through the dense forest, the flickering flames illuminating their path. Occasionally, shadows of animals darted by, fleeting glimpses of life. As they traversed a couple of hills, the landscape below gradually grew more rugged. What struck them as odd was the sight of trees around them seeming to wither, while jagged rocks jutted from the earth, particularly in the valley, where scattered stones littered the ground.
"Brandon?" Roma spoke up, feeling uneasy about the sudden change in surroundings.
"Yes, don’t worry. Just stay close to me." Seeing the scene, Brandon knew they were nearing their destination.
Brandon had explored Xavier Mountain Pass in the game previously. Renowned for its dangers, it posed a lethal threat to players below level twenty. Nonetheless, he was aware of one exception.
He couldn't help but recall some memories about this place from the game:
Xavier Mountain Pass lay in the southern part of Beldor Forest, cutting through the Usson River Valley amidst lush forests. It was originally opened to transport timber downstream to the Usson River, but as Madara's influence expanded, most of these timber yards fell into disuse.
Xavier Mountain Pass thus fell into decline and became a route used only by smugglers to bypass checkpoints. Later, a Golden Magic Tree took root here, draining the earth's nutrients and causing the surrounding forests to wither, killing any unwitting creatures that entered. Gradually, Xavier Mountain Pass became a forbidden death zone.
The level 31 Golden Magic Tree Leader had awakened to the Second Level Strength, making it as formidable as a swordsman of Iron Rank or a mid-level wizard. Even the regular army would hesitate to provoke such a formidable foe, especially considering it hadn't severed communication between Ridenburg and Buchi; therefore, the kingdom's knights saw no need to engage it..
In the game, this area was a famous monster zone, dominated by the Golden Magic Tree Leader during the initial three years of the game. The NPCs' response was to place a wooden sign at the entrance, inscribed in Dwarven, Elvish, and Cruze Common:
"Danger! Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!"
Of course, some foolish players initially tried to challenge their own limits, but even those who ventured in rarely caught sight of the Golden Magic Tree. It wasn't until about a year into the game that people began to explore the area in groups, but most only reached the Usson River Valley before being forced to retreat.
Even in the latter half of the second year, there were often rumors circulating in local bars about entire player parties being wiped out, becoming fodder for post-dinner conversation. Then came the Second Black Rose War, and the teams venturing into Xavier Mountain Pass became fewer but more professional.
Brandon remembered entering this valley during that era. His experiences in the game were unremarkable, neither too daring nor overly cautious. He recalled one particular adventure where their party had made it to the Usson Riverbank, where they could overlook the vast expanse of dense black forest and shadowy mountains to the south.
However, what stuck with him the most from that adventure wasn't the stark contrast between Buchi and the surrounding areas—it was the strength of the monsters they encountered and the frequency of their encounters within the zone. Overall, their party was pushed to their limits each day, and they eventually had to retreat.
But less than two months later, a guild called Liberty completely cleared the trouble in this area. The guild briefly gained fame, but it later became known that they weren't particularly strong; they had simply figured out a special way of clearing the zone. This method was later shared online, sparking a trend of soloing the Golden Magic Tree.
And Brandon happened to be one of the beneficiaries of that video, as he managed to acquire the Heart of the Golden Tree through solo runs.
At that time, the average player level in Buchi was around level 27, which was Brandon's level when he entered the zone. Fortunately, this time he only needed to pass through Xavier Mountain Pass, not to defeat the Golden Magic Tree leader. Moreover, he possessed the Ring of the Wind Sovereign and the Lustrous Stinger, which had a powerful purifying effect against dark creatures. Otherwise, he would have really been at a loss for what to do.
Thinking back, he couldn't help but sigh. The prices of magical equipment in the game remained high until the end of the first year back then. When he entered Xavier Mountain Pass, he lacked any equipment with a power exceeding 10oz, let alone artifacts like the Ring of the Wind Sovereign and Lustrous Stinger, which were simply out of his reach.
And now, due to his foresight, he already possessed two such items from the beginning, which made him feel somewhat unreal. If he managed to survive this ordeal, he couldn't help but feel excited about his future prospects.
But precisely because of this, he should cherish the opportunity before him even more. Tightening his grip on his sword, he turned to Roma, urging her to follow closely. The young merchant girl seemed to have a knack for adventure, deftly maneuvering among the rugged rocks and shadows of the valley.
Dawn finally arrived, the stars fading into obscurity. Surrounding them was darkness and silence, illuminated only by the flickering torches, casting deep shadows on the piled rocks.
From a distance, the two looked like fireflies in the forest.
Brandon remembered there was a sheltered alcove ahead where they could take refuge from the wind. It was too risky to enter Xavier Mountain Pass at this hour. It would be safer to wait until daylight to continue their journey, especially since they had already avoided the undead army’s activity zone.
The earliest Madara army to reach Ridenburg was the Kabiru’s troops, arriving on the third morning. That meant he still had a whole day to arrange his plans—plenty of time.
He glanced up and faintly saw a signpost ahead.
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