Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

[Sonia's Roar] has a more powerful effect on enemies who fear you. The Ursus soldiers felt a loud bang explode in their minds, their thoughts went blank, and only pure fear remained. Before Roy could even utter another word, they immediately dropped their weapons and ran into the forest.

"No...don't let them escape!"

Barlot immediately spoke up to stop them, saying that if these people escaped, their and Roy's identities would be exposed. At that time, Roy would become a thorn in the side of the Ursus army, just like the Forest Rangers. Everyone on this land knows that being killed by Ursus is not terrible; what is truly terrible is being targeted by him!

Roy saved her, and Barlot didn't want him to face danger again in the future, but Roy just turned around and gave her a reassuring look.

"When I was in the air, I could already see other forest ranger teams approaching here. They can't escape."

Moreover, even if some escaped, Roy had Skadi lying in wait outside the forest.

It's somewhat possible that they could escape from me, but to think they could escape from Skadi is pure fantasy.

Upon hearing Roy mention the name of the forest ranger, Barrot paused for a moment, then lowered her head somewhat helplessly and apologized:

"You know now, I'm sorry, I kept it from you all this time."

“It’s alright. Protecting your country is a noble thing. It’s normal for you to keep it from a stranger for your safety.” Roy stepped forward, ruffled the girl’s hair, and pressed her down to the ground. Under her slightly flustered gaze, he took out bandages and ointment.

"I...I was just doing what I was supposed to do." Her voice stammered, whether from the pain of having her wound touched or for some other reason.

Roy simply nodded: "Greatness is not outside of this."

PS: Happy New Year!

Volume 1: Chapter 132 Assisting the Forest Rangers

Once the Ursus army dispersed, it completely lost its deterrent power, far inferior to the individual combat prowess of the Conqueror Knights and the Forest Rangers skilled in special operations.

Even though Roy didn't deliberately chase after them, within just half an hour, screams and curses echoed through the forest, foreshadowing the less-than-ideal fate of the fleeing Ursus people.

A few minutes after the screams completely subsided, Roy, carrying Balot on his back, was finally stopped by a group of people wielding crossbows.

Wearing a dark green jacket with light gray trousers, and with their faces covered by a thick fur hood and night vision goggles, their fingers were always on the trigger of their crossbows. Even someone completely unfamiliar with forest rangers would have the impression that "these people are professionals" at first glance.

Roy stopped and watched the leading Elafian man step out of the group, then spoke:

“First Ranger Guard Team, Anbennal, friends ahead, please put our team down. We will not make things difficult for you.”

Hearing the term "friends," Roy paused slightly, then said with some surprise, "I thought I'd have to do it with you guys again."

Forest Ranger Anbennal smiled slightly and explained, "Leaving aside how many people in Kazimir are unaware of your reputation as a Knight of the Ages, even if it were our first meeting, we would never turn our blades against a friend who protected our comrades under the Ursus. Helping others is helping ourselves; this is the principle of the Forest Rangers."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Barrot, who was getting off Roy's back, and said:

"Moreover, our comrades brought us crucial intelligence."

“You have lived up to your parents’ expectations. You have made the entire forest ranger proud of you, Barrot.”

Seemingly touched on her deepest, most tender spot, Balot's taut nerves finally crumbled, and her voice trembled with tears as she sincerely said:

“Uncle Anbenal, there is a traitor among the forest rangers. My master is dead, Brother Mandel is dead, and Miss Hamira is dead. Only Anna and I are left in the third patrol. The rest have been wiped out.”

Anbenal nodded solemnly.

He already knew these things. He had learned from the few Ursus men he had just captured that there was a traitor within the Forest Rangers' ranks. In fact, the Forest Rangers' losses in this internal spies incident were far more than that. Of the thirty Forest Ranger squads, eleven were wiped out in the attack, and four were left with only one unit remaining. Nearly half of the Forest Rangers were paralyzed, meaning that the border patrol line was currently undefended. Although he had sent messengers to notify the War Knights to be on alert, he had not yet received a response.

To fill the gaps in the defenses, headquarters has sent out these garrison units as well. The leader is not unaware that this may leave headquarters vulnerable, but on one side is the country that needs to be protected, and on the other side is the organization established to protect the country. They have no choice.

Now that things have come to this, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the situation is extremely critical.

This is one of the reasons why he took the initiative to show up and meet with Roy.

"Knight Heng."

Suddenly summoned, Roy looked at the tall Erafia man with some confusion. Anbenal solemnly said:

"Although it may be a bit abrupt, the forest ranger urgently needs your help. Could you please...?"

[Beep, a large-scale chain quest has been triggered.]

[Large-scale chain mission one: The forest ranger's plea for help.]

The Forest Rangers, based in the Qazimir Forest, have long been a vital civilian force against the Ursus invasion. However, they have recently suffered a major blow due to an internal traitor, and are now forced to ask you for help.

[Mission Objective: Assist the forest rangers in completing the deployment of defenses along the Uka border.]

[Secondary objective: Assist the forest rangers in identifying the traitor hidden among them.]

[Mission Rewards: Depending on mission completion, you will receive a CB-level module or a collectible of the corresponding level, and unlock the next stage of the chain mission.]

Chain quests? Will completing one trigger the next one immediately?

Listening to the prompts in his mind, Roy fell into deep thought. As everyone knows, Roy's last major mission was the [23rd Kazimierz Knights' Tournament Special Championship!], in which the Eternal Knights rose to fame, and the rewards for that mission were extremely generous.

The Last Knight, the Kiss of the Kheshig, Stella!, Sonia's Roar, Chongyue, the Disaster Lab ID Card—so many modules and collectibles have boosted Roy's strength by more than double!

What? It seems like one is missing?

Does "The Stranger" even need to be mentioned? Keeping the deity in your heart is enough. Besides, he didn't actually improve Roy's strength at all.

Since that's the case, Roy will naturally accept this mission, but there's a condition.

Seeing Roy fall silent, Anbenal and Balot's hearts sank.

Anbenal's invitation to Roy to assist the rangers was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a well-thought-out one.

From a relational standpoint, Roy has already helped Balot repel the Ursus and knows Balot's identity as a forest ranger. In the eyes of the Ursus, he can no longer be considered neutral, and if his actions are exposed, he will inevitably face Ursus retaliation. Assisting the forest ranger in filling the gaps in their defenses would not only prevent the Ursus from attacking but also secure the forest ranger's protection, making it far more beneficial than harmful to him.

In terms of strength, the Eternal Knights are a much-needed asset right now. When he saw the signal flare heading towards Balot, he witnessed firsthand the meteor streaking across the sky; its blinding light reminded him of the legend of the Pegasus descending upon the light among the war knights. With his assistance, Anbenar was confident that the Forest Rangers' chances of surviving this crisis would increase significantly with the second round of the sun!

Ultimately, the choice rests with Roy, and he can only offer advice. Roy's hesitation is understandable. A renowned gladiator knight has already done more than enough by exposing himself to the Ursus's encirclement to save a forest ranger; there's really no need for him to go any further and risk his life.

Ursus's revenge is in the future, but if they help the Forest Rangers, danger is imminent, especially if there's a leak from within.

Realizing his invitation was rather abrupt, Ambennal wanted to withdraw his outstretched hand:

"I apologize, it was indeed a bit abrupt. We sincerely thank Sir Heng for saving our team members, and I will arrange for someone to escort you back to the Grand Knight Territory."

Barlot looked up and tugged at Roy's sleeve: "Roy..."

Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by Anbenal's head shaking.

He cannot force others to make choices.

"Well, I didn't say I wouldn't help." Roy snapped out of his daze, sensing the awkward atmosphere, and said with a wry smile, "It's just that I have important things to do, so..."

“I understand,” Anbennal said.

"That's good, then I agree." Roy smiled. "The treasure is in your hands now."

Volume 1: Chapter 133 Tell me if you've read it or not!

On the Ukrainian-Kaduna border, the Ussus Third Army Group has a concealed outpost.

With so many wars fought, Ursus has accumulated rich military experience and traditions. Perhaps the people of Ursus have no shortage of talented generals. The late emperor once jokingly remarked that in present-day Ursus, even a random teenager from any school in a border city could be organized into an army and put to battle!

The story of Sonia in the dead of winter tells us that what he said was true, but it contains not only things to be proud of, but also much deeper suffering that cannot be expressed in words and recorded in history.

However, the leaders of the Third Army did not care about the future a few years from now or what would happen in Chernobog. They only wanted to start one war after another to undermine the increasingly weak pro-war faction under the Emperor's suppression.

General Brechester was in charge of commanding this army, but the actual controllers of the army were two high-ranking and powerful figures from the pro-war faction: Grand Duke Baikal and Viscount Dunkel. However, a strange scene was unfolding in the camp.

Outside the fortress, which was specially built underground for concealment, General Brechester, the commander of the army, stood like a sentry with his long sword at his waist, head held high and chest out, in front of the entrance. Inside the bunker, Grand Duke Baikal and Viscount Dunkel, who should have been the actual controllers of the army group, were sitting respectfully on either side of the lower seats, waiting for instructions from their superiors.

Their shared gaze fell upon the only chair placed in the center of the underground mansion, but instead of a person, it sat an old-fashioned telephone that was connected.

The room was quiet, filled with a suffocating stillness. The two figures, who were influential in the Ursus political arena, held their breath and waited silently for the adults on the other end of the phone to respond to their report.

However, after a long time, there was no sound in the air except for the gradually suppressed panting.

"Has the signal been lost, Your Majesty?"

Viscount Dunkel whispered, urging Grand Duke Baikal to go and check. Grand Duke Baikal was naturally reluctant; he had poured more effort into this bunker than into his own grave, and there was a 99% chance that the communications here would be functioning perfectly.

But the silence howled in his ears like a death knell, driving him to step forward and check the phone for that one percent chance.

Just then, a voice came through the receiver: "So, you called specifically to inform me that the plan didn't go smoothly?"

Grand Prince Baikal, startled, immediately threw the microphone onto the chair, as if afraid of being tainted by some evil spirit. But the elegant yet chilling hum that followed from the microphone forced him to answer immediately:

"No, of course not. We want to request the assistance of your Serpent Scales."

"You mean, because of one Kazimir man, you lost several scout teams, not only failing to complete your mission to eliminate the forest rangers, but also losing my Serpent Scales?" The voice on the other end was somewhat amused. "If that's the case, I should have sent the Serpent Scales from the beginning. Why would I need you?"

What use are you anyway?

Grand Prince Baikal's slightly plump face twitched slightly, a chill running through him. He could only plead immediately:

"No, no, Kosichek, you must understand, we're not dealing with ordinary people. The forest ranger has received assistance from outsiders. That person calls himself Marna, and he can leap into the air and then descend from it. Ordinary stealth methods are simply ineffective against this kind of aerial reconnaissance, and drones are unlikely to harm him. Even if we send more scouts, it will only increase casualties. We need stronger help!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Grand Prince Baikal felt as if a pair of sinister red eyes were scrutinizing him across mountains and rivers. Fortunately, this chilling feeling didn't last long, and the Koschke viper flicked its tongue again:

“You may have your own methods against him, yet you chose to come to me; this is a test.”

"Of course I won't pursue this matter. However, it's best if it doesn't happen again."

"I will send someone over in a few days."

Seeing that Kosiché had actually agreed to the request, Grand Duke Baikal and Viscount Dunkel exchanged a glance, somewhat astonished.

Is this guy really that easy to talk to? He agreed so readily to send his most elite "Serpent Scales" troops? While it was indeed he who first proposed attacking Kazimir and reigniting the Uka War to gain the rightful place for the pro-war faction, everyone knows that no nobleman is truly devoted to the affairs of the state; they all have their reservations. For example, as Kosiché said—one of them, a Grand Duke, and the other a Viscount, might not lack the means to deal with that "Marna."

But after the initial surprise came joy. Without having to use up his trump cards, he could still learn some of the strength of this reclusive Duke Koschei, and also clear away the obstacles in front of the Ursus army. It was a triple win, worthy of a bottle of champagne to celebrate!

"No, champagne isn't strong enough. How about a bottle of my treasured eaux-de-vie?"

Viscount Dunkel was also overjoyed and was about to open the secret treasure when a voice suddenly came through the microphone again: