Wizard: I brought the wrong system.

Chapter 368 Survival
After crossing the makeshift suspension bridge made of three logs tied together, the peasant woman guarding the checkpoint finally noticed Yaro.

Yaro appeared to be about the same age as Hami, but his appearance and demeanor were completely different from the local commoners. In addition, the leather armor he wore, even when covered in dust, clearly indicated that it was no ordinary item.

This kind of attire was something that none of the team members that Old Xiaer had taken out could afford, not to mention that Yaro also had a heavy sword on his back that was clearly extraordinary.

Facing the middle-aged peasant woman's scrutinizing gaze, Yaro greeted her generously, "Good evening, Mrs. Wenlin."

"Good evening, good evening..." Aunt Wenlin glanced at old Xia Er and asked hesitantly, "Who is he...?"

"This is Lord 'Moon,' a powerful figure I encountered by chance on my way back," Old Charles emphasized the pronunciation of 'Lord'.

Aunt Wenlin understood what Old Xiaer hadn't explicitly said—this was a powerful figure who could travel alone in the Land of the Dead!
With such equipment, such great strength, and without the terrifying appearance of a Witcher, this young man is very likely a noble and formal knight, just like Lord Claire!

Having learned this, Aunt Wenlin's eyes flickered slightly. She took a deep breath and took half a step forward:
"Lord Yue, could you... please help us..."

Before Aunt Wenlin could finish speaking, Old Xia hurriedly interrupted, "Alright, don't talk nonsense!"

Just then, the wooden ladder was pulled up again, and several ragged little boys emerged from the nearby haystack, only to be driven back by old Charles's glare.

Turning around, old Charles was hunched over, his stooped figure making him appear even shorter, his voice filled with barely concealed nervousness: "Lord Yue... please... don't take her words to heart."

Yaro glanced at the few little heads still peeking out, then at the anxious middle-aged woman beside him, and then at the tense old man next to him.

Hami, who speaks in a stiff and formulaic manner; Xiaer, who is cautious and wary; and the aunt who decisively seeks help... These three people may be ordinary or insignificant, but they each use their own ways to protect their companions and try to save their homeland.

Compared to the other civilians Yaro had encountered before, Old Xia and his companions possessed a rare and admirable resilience.

In them, Yaro seemed to see some of the shadows of those people from his previous life.

"One might be an exception, but we've already encountered several. Why is there such a fundamental difference in mentality between the commoners within the earldom and the refugees on the outskirts and the commoners within the viscountdom?"

"Lord Yue..." Seeing the inexplicably silent Yaro, old Charles became even more nervous.

Yaro, however, could sense that old Charles's one arm, which was behind his back, was constantly swinging, signaling the peasant woman to quietly take the children away.

Yaro shook his head, putting aside his distracting thoughts, and smiled faintly, "It's alright. Arrange a place for me to rest. I know Baron Claire. When he returns, have him come find me."

Yaro didn't blame old Charles for being wary.

Judging from Viscount Corey's actions, old Charles's approach was indeed the best way for commoners to survive.

But this level of vigilance is ultimately unpleasant.

Now that he knew this wasn't a trap set by the Fernando wizarding family, and that Baron Claire would be back soon, Yarrow was no longer interested in putting on a show with old Charles.

Old Charles secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but feigned surprise: "Lord Yue knows Baron Claire too? That's wonderful! Don't worry, as soon as he returns, I'll tell him you're waiting for him!"

"Lord Yue, please follow me. Our camp is still behind that cliff."

There is a crevice in the cliff behind the checkpoint, which extends from the top of the rock to the ground, as if it were cleaved by a giant axe.

Scattered bone fragments littered the narrow entrance, and fresh scratches covered the bluestone on both sides. Black bloodstains joined together, staining the entrance a dark red.

Stepping into the narrow passage, the top of the sky blocked out all the remaining light of the setting sun.

The ground beneath our feet was unusually sticky, the air was thick with a fishy stench, and the damaged barricades, roughly repaired, had been reinstalled in the canyon, making the road here exceptionally difficult to traverse.

A cold wind blew, carrying a faint sobbing sound.

Yaro activated Cat-Shaped Fist - Run, sensing his surroundings while his mind raced with thoughts. "All the soldiers of the Earl's Territory have been deployed to the front lines. Under the sudden onslaught of countless undead skeletons, the unprepared civilians will inevitably be routed."

"Perhaps they only managed to hold out after fleeing to this natural stronghold?"

"Many undead skeletons are no less powerful than professional soldiers, and they are all immune to piercing attacks. Even with such a formidable place, the civilians do not have overwhelming strength and cannot hold the pass against thousands. I wonder how many people died to defend it?"

A crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out beneath his feet, but Yaro saw that the two people leading the way did not stop, so he remained silent.

Then, more and more bone fragments appeared underfoot, until they merged together.

Hami seemed to know Yaro's doubts and explained, "We retreated to the other side before we could reorganize our counterattack. After that, the cleanup only swept away the complete bones, so there are more bone fragments at the back."

The canyon passage was only about a hundred meters long. After exiting the canyon, a wooden platform more than three meters high came into view. The platform was circular and completely surrounded the exit. On the platform, there were three boys holding long wooden hammers.

"It's Old Man Charles and Hami! They've returned safely!" the boy on the platform shouted in cheers.

Soon, a series of footsteps came from behind the platform, and a dozen or so boys, about the same age as Hami, quickly appeared in front of the wooden door below the platform.

"What have you been doing? Why did it take you so long to come back?"

"Hami! That's great, are you alright?"

……

The boys huddled together, chatting noisily and incessantly.

Old Charles said anxiously, "Alright, everyone disperse! What are you all doing gathered here?"

The boys, however, were not afraid of him and continued to chatter and laugh.

"Hami, tell me, what were you all doing just now?"

"Old Man Charles, you're so biased! Why did you only take Hami and not me?"

……

Although the teenagers spoke lightly, many of them had injuries, and the bloodstains on their bandages were still bright red, indicating that they had been injured recently.

"Alright, alright! Hami, you and the others go and eat first, I'll take Lord Yue to rest."

As he spoke, old Charles turned around: "Lord Yue, please come this way."

Yaro nodded slightly.

Behind the high platform was a semi-open military camp. The people living nearby were all teenagers similar to those in Hami. In some of the open spaces, old men were leading the teenagers in intensive training.

Outside, women and children gathered in small groups; some were fetching water, some were cooking, and others were carrying timber to build more campsites.

Beyond that, however, lay a verdant expanse.

Under the vast sky, rows of wheat sprouts are neatly arranged on the ridges of the fields, and a low-lying city stands tall.

That place should be the town of Giro that old Charles mentioned.

(End of this chapter)