Mercenary Wars

Chapter 22 Tidal Land
Many of the newcomers who had never seen the world gasped.

Gao Jianuo noticed that near the body of the small snake there were some corpses of small animals, such as worms, mice, etc., as well as another slightly larger snake. Without exception, they were broken into two pieces, and the broken parts of the bodies happened to form a straight line.

At this moment, the captain of the warriors suddenly walked straight towards the border of the Tidal Land, causing a burst of exclamations: "Captain!"

Then, amid the stunned expressions of those who exclaimed, the captain arrived safely at the place where the little snake was buried, then leaned his body and leaned steadily on the empty space, as if there was an invisible wall behind him.

"Ha!" The captain sneered at the new recruits.

Ryan explained: "The Tidelands haven't really opened yet. Small animals might have a chance to cross the border, but humans can't even get a hair in."

The captain pointed to the dead animals on the ground. "During the closed tidal zone, even ants can't get in or out. During the loosened zone, there's a chance small animals can get through, but they're more likely to be cut in half along the way."

"Since snakes absolutely cannot pass through, this border is also commonly known as the 'Snake Cutting Line.'" He added, "If you're a coward, once the Tidal Lands open, stay outside the Snake Cutting Line and you won't be in any danger... Of course, those who have signed preliminary and short-term contracts must get in, unless you want to pay the penalty!"

The Grey Eagle Mercenary Group's temporary camp was not far away, so the group went there immediately, settled down, and waited for the Tidal Land to open.

During this time, most people feel good and the experience is like a picnic, relaxing and enjoyable.

The only unpleasant thing was that as the temporary camp expanded, they had a little "territorial conflict" with the neighboring Bloodsail Pirate Camp and almost got into a fight. In the end, the matter was resolved with the coordination of the church pastor.

"These pirates are such a shameless bunch. The sheriff should send them all to jail!" Some people were indignant about this.

"How is that possible? The Bloodsail Pirates, with the privateering license issued by the Duke, contribute countless taxes to the Duchy and the Church every year..."

"Bah, they were beaten to a pulp by the pagans not long ago. I think they are contributing taxes to Dibuto!"

"Yes, I also heard that the Bloodsail Pirates once robbed Mosastu merchant ships. They are clearly traitors to the Principality and Mosastu!"

"No way, they dare to rob Mosastu's ship?"

"I heard it from my uncle, a bard who knows a lot! He also told me that the current Pope likes—"

"Shut up! People from the church are right next to us!"

Gao Jianuo did not participate in or pay attention to these disputes. He spent most of his time practicing swordsmanship and only chatted with people around him during meals.

The content of the conversation was mainly to learn about the information of the Tidal Land. After all, before this, he had only heard of this place in rumors.

"Are you the pharmacist from that day?" The enemy warrior with a blue sword tattoo on his right arm finally recognized Gao Jianuo and asked during dinner one day.

Gao Jianuo nodded. He actually already knew the other person's name, John.

John: "Are you also planning to enter the Tidal Lands?"

Gao Jianuo: "I haven't thought about it yet. I will make a decision after the opening day."

John seemed to be hesitant to speak, and after thinking for a while, he said: "If you are ready to go in--"

At this moment, the crowd of hundreds that had already gathered outside the Snake Slashing Line suddenly became agitated, and bursts of exclamations were heard: "The tide is rising, the tide is rising!"

"The Tidelands are open!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look towards the Tidal Land.

As the moon rose, the scene near the Snake Line suddenly shifted into a shimmering flow of light and shadow, as if refracted by the pervasive tide, presenting a captivating display of color under the cold moonlight. "It's truly opened!"

"Moza is above, the moss of forgetfulness is waving to me!"

Just a dozen seconds later, some people rushed over like a race and crossed the snake-cutting line in an instant.

What was strange was that after these people rushed into the tidal area, their backs gradually became blurred, and finally completely disappeared in the dim and quiet scenery behind the Snake Line, as if they had entered another world.

"Hurry up, first-level soldiers! Today is your best chance!" the captain shouted in the camp. "But remember, every other day, the Serpent Slash Line's restriction level might not change, but it's more likely to increase or decrease by one level—this is almost always the case in the Tidal Lands of the Stonetalon Mountains."

"If you don't want to be trapped and die in the Tidal Lands, you must return before the next moon rises!"

At his instigation, several first-level Grey Eagle mercenaries also crossed the Snake-Slaying Line with their weapons, and disappeared from everyone's sight one after another.

It was not until about half an hour later that almost everyone who could and was willing to enter had entered, and the crowd gradually calmed down from the commotion, but the whispered discussions continued.

John also remembered what he was about to say: "If you are ready to go in, I can protect your safety. What do you think, pharmacist?"

"I am a second-level warrior, with the holy name of 'Michael'," he added.

Gao Jianuo understood John's intentions; he simply wanted more medical coverage. He had initially been reluctant to accept the offer. Firstly, a pharmacist's job was to make medicine, and he couldn't really provide much medical assistance. Secondly, he felt John was a bit unreliable.

But after hearing the name "Michael", he changed his mind.

St. Michael is a saint known as the "Protector," and his blessings are often related to protection.

"Michael." Gao Jianuo repeated the name and immediately confirmed that John was right. The method of verifying the authenticity of the holy name was so simple, just recite it in person, and you will feel it.

"Yes," he agreed immediately. "In return, when you are injured, I will give you priority access to medicine and medical assistance."

John smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, my name is John Hedashia Michael, nice to meet you."

"My name is Gao Jianuo." Gao Jianuo hesitated for a moment, but still did not reveal even a single word of his holy name, which seemed to make a trace of loss flash in John's eyes.

"Hydashia, this seems to be a sacred name for the water element?" he asked.

"Yes, Hydachia is one of the most common holy names among coastal residents," John added. "It is also because of this holy name that I chose the blue sword pattern."

A whole day passed.

When the moon was about to rise again, the people who had entered yesterday came out one after another from the tidal area.

Most people were safe and sound, but they also came away empty-handed. It was obvious that neither luck nor misfortune favored them.

It seemed that some individuals hadn't emerged. Common sense suggested they had likely perished inside. Of course, there was also a lesser possibility—they were simply too bold to ignore the risk of the Snake Line's random fluctuations.

There are also lucky ones.

When several young people came out of the tidal land, the leader, who was wearing a wizard's robe, was holding two pieces of moss, one red and one blue.

(End of this chapter)