My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 127 The Gray Forest Dungeon

"And then?" Allen asked with a smile.

"And then?" Gareth said, "We stayed in the pit all night until the next morning when another adventure team came by and rescued us."

"The leader of that adventure team was a female ranger who gave us a real dressing down," Cade recalled. "She said, 'It's a miracle you two idiots are still alive.'"

Gareth nodded: "Then she took us back to town, treated us to a hot meal, and taught us the most basic reconnaissance skills."

He paused, his gaze becoming distant: "That female ranger was my mentor. She was the one who told me that the most important thing for an adventurer is not fighting, but surviving."

The laughter around the campfire gradually subsided, replaced by a warm silence.

Blake looked at Gareth with eyes full of admiration: "Captain Gareth, how did you become a Level 3 professional?"

Gareth smiled, a smile that held both pride and humility.

"Hard work, perseverance, and luck," he said. "It took me eight years to become a professional. It took another five years to go from a level 1 shield user to level 2. I only broke through to level 3 two years ago."

Along the way, we lost companions and made friends; we experienced failure and tasted victory.

He looked at Cade: "Cade joined the industry a year later than me, but we've been through so much together. He could have been promoted to level 2 too, but..."

"It's just that I'm not qualified enough," Cade said frankly, without the slightest jealousy or disappointment. "Some people's ceiling is just that, and no matter how hard they try, they can't break through it. But I don't regret it. I've lived a very fulfilling life these past twenty years."

Gareth paused for a moment, then patted Cade on the shoulder forcefully.

"In my heart, you will always be my best friend."

Cade paused for a moment, then smiled, a smile full of relief.

The atmosphere around the campfire grew increasingly relaxed.

Young players like Blake, Lynn, and Tom surrounded Gareth, listening to him recount his exciting adventures.

Gareth shared his experiences over the years in detail, sometimes thrilling, sometimes humorous, captivating the young people.

Allen and Cade were drinking and chatting on the side, occasionally chiming in with a few words, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Selena sat quietly to the side, the young priestess's self-glow occasionally falling on Xiuqi, occasionally glancing at Gareth, her eyes flashing with a thoughtful light.

Xiuqi remained quietly seated, calmly listening to the stories, occasionally raising his glass for a sip.

Gareth laughed too, and after he finished laughing, he looked at Cade with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"Back then, we were both complete novices, knowing nothing. We just survived by sheer grit."

Cade laughed too, smoke curling around his lips.

"Yes, we didn't know anything back then, we just rushed forward. We almost died several times, and we survived by luck."

"Luck is also a part of ability," Gareth said seriously, "but to have survived this long, it's not just luck that's kept me alive."

He looked at the young people around him, his tone becoming serious.

"Remember this: there are no shortcuts on the path of an adventurer. Talent is important, equipment is important, but what is most important?"

The group looked at each other, but no one answered.

Gareth himself provided the answer: "It's a partner. Someone who can support you from behind, someone who can lift you up when you fall, someone who can come back alive with you."

His gaze fell on Xiu Qi, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

"A good captain is more important than anything else."

There was a moment of quiet around the campfire.

Xiuqi remained seated calmly, his face showing no change in expression.

But Cade and Allen exchanged a glance, both seeing the same understanding in each other's eyes: Gareth's words were meant for Hugh.

"Oh, right." Gareth suddenly remembered something and looked at Cade, "Are all three squads from your unit going to stay and guard the area?"

Cade nodded: "That's right."

A flicker of surprise crossed Gareth's face: "Leave them all?"

"We'll all stay," Allen said firmly. "Our captain stayed, so of course we have to stay too."

Gareth was silent for a moment, then looked at Leah.

A hint of surprise flashed in the female ranger's gray eyes.

"Do you know what?" Gareth said slowly, "Of the 35 regiments and 105 squads that returned, only 20 chose to stay and remain."

This number stunned the young men of Team 11.

"Twenty?" Blake exclaimed incredulously. "How can there be so few?"

"Because of fear," Gareth stated bluntly, "because they know the next three days might be more dangerous than the previous three. Because after seeing the bodies of those who perished, many people don't want to follow in their footsteps."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face in the 11th Regiment.

"The 20 teams that stayed behind account for less than 20% of the total. Half of the regiments didn't have a single team left behind."

Silence fell around the campfire.

The young people then realized just how different their decision was.

"And you..." Gareth looked at Cade, "your entire team, all three squads, were left behind. In the entire mission, only your team managed to do that."

"7

He turned to Xiuqi, his eyes full of admiration.

"Captain Xiuqi, you are amazing."

Xiu Qi shook his head slightly: "It was their own choice."

"No," Gareth said seriously, "The players' choices often depend on the captain. You chose to stay, so they chose to follow. That's the charisma of a leader."

Lia nodded silently to the side, while the female ranger's gaze lingered on Xiuqi, lost in thought.

After chatting for a while longer, Gareth stood up.

"It's getting late, and you have to be on duty tomorrow, so we won't bother you any longer."

Cade stood up too: "So eager? Sit a little longer."

"No, thank you." Gareth patted him on the shoulder. "We'll have a good drink another day after we get back to the city. Let's invite Captain Hughie too."

Cade laughed: "Absolutely."

Gareth left with his players.

After leaving the 11th Regiment's camp, the young soldier named Sim couldn't help but speak.

"Captain, are you trying to recruit Captain Cade? Is our team needing new members?"

Gareth didn't say anything, he just glanced at him.

Sim felt a little uneasy under that gaze and quietly shut his mouth.

But the wanderer responded, his tone slightly displeased.

"Even if we're going to recruit, shouldn't we recruit high-level professionals? That Cade is only level 1; his strength is far inferior to ours!"

"We're an elite team; the captain and vice-captain are both Level 3 high-level professionals. Although the three of us are only Level 2..."

"Level 2, not just any ordinary Level 2 professional. Becoming a member of our team isn't something just anyone can do."

"Yeah," Sim chimed in. "I just looked at that 11th squadron. Apart from the two squad leaders who are Level 1, the rest aren't even professionals. That Captain Xiuqi is just a mage apprentice. If these guys joined our squad, wouldn't they just be a liability?"

The young mage walked at the back of the group, and as he listened to the conversation between the two, he couldn't help but frown.

He had a good relationship with Leah and had a vague idea of ​​the captain's true intentions.

"You're overthinking it," he said calmly. "The captain's target for recruitment isn't Cade at all."

"Not Cade?" Sim paused, then asked, "Then who is it?"

The wanderer was also stunned, then realized: "You mean... that mage apprentice?"

The young monk nodded.

"How is that possible?" Sim's eyes widened. "A mage apprentice, not even a professional, what qualifications does he have to join our team?"

"Qualifications?" the mage retorted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Do you think someone who isn't even a professional could lead a team without any professionals to take down four Thorn Demons?"

Sim opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

The wanderer also fell silent.

The mage ignored them and quickened his pace to catch up with Leah.

"Vice Captain," he asked in a low voice, "what do you think of that Xiu Qi's strength?"

Leah glanced at him, a hint of admiration flashing in her gray eyes.

"You noticed?"

"Yes." The mage nodded. "The captain's target should be him."

Leah paused for a moment, then asked in return, "What do you think of his abilities?"

The monk did not answer immediately.

He recalled the gray-robed boy's every move by the campfire.

Silence, calm, with almost no superfluous expressions or words.

But those eyes...

"I can't see through him," the monk finally said, his voice tinged with seriousness.

Leah raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh?"

"When I first met him, he seemed like an ordinary newbie, his arcane fluctuations were so weak they were almost imperceptible," the mage said slowly. "But upon closer observation, you'll notice something's off."

"The arcane energy around him was like flowing water. It seemed crystal clear, as if you could see right through it, but the water flowed endlessly, as if there was no end in sight."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "Such a person is either pitifully weak, or..."

'

"What is it?" Leah asked.

The mage took a deep breath: "Either his methods of concealing his strength are so sophisticated that even I cannot detect them."

Leah was silent for a moment, then the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"To make our genius mage utter the words 'I can't see through it,' this Xiuqi is indeed quite interesting."

The young mage gave a wry smile: "Vice-captain, please stop teasing me. I'm just stating the facts."

Leah patted him on the shoulder: "I'm not joking, I mean it. I've always trusted your judgment."

She gazed toward the 11th Regiment camp in the distance, a thoughtful look flashing in her gray eyes.

"A person who can get Captain Gareth to personally recruit him is indeed extraordinary."

At the same time, deep within the gray forest.

The moonlight was blocked by the dense canopy of trees, and there was almost no light on the ground.

Only the dark red flames remaining on the demon's corpse occasionally illuminated the surrounding scenery.

tragic.

Only this word can describe everything before my eyes.

At least hundreds of demon corpses were scattered on the ground, with the corpses of various lower-level demons such as Primal Demons, Fearful Demons, Lesser Demons, and Thorn Demons piled up like mountains.

Among them were even more horrifying corpses—

Standing over nine feet tall, with skin as dark red as lava, huge, curved horns on its head, and a pair of demonic wings burning with flames spreading from its back.

Horned Demon.

Challenge a high-level demon of level 11.

At this moment, this once majestic demon lord is lying in a huge, deep pit.

A horrific wound pierced its chest, and the tip of the sword protruding from its back still retained a divine light.

Its head was severed and rolled into a pool of blood ten paces away. Those dark red eyes, which had once burned with hellfire, were now completely dim.

Beside the horned demon's corpse lay an even more grotesque corpse.

That was a female demon.

She had a voluptuous figure, pale skin, and a pair of enormous wings spread out from her back. Her face was so beautiful it was almost eerie, and a faint smile lingered at the corner of her mouth.

The lustful demon.

That was a high-level demon of challenge level 12.

But her body suddenly became transparent and gradually faded.

She disappeared.

At the critical moment, this cunning succubus used some kind of spatial magic to escape into the deeper underground.

"Damn it." A deep voice echoed in the darkness.

The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing golden plate armor. His armor was covered in wounds and bloodstains, but the insignia of the Knights on his chest still shone brightly.

Grand Master of the Royal Knights, von Krieger, a master-level professional.

"She got away." The Grand Master sheathed his sword and coldly stared in the direction where the succubus had disappeared. "Finding her again next time won't be so easy."

"They ran away, so be it," another voice rang out, old and steady.

The speaker was an elderly man dressed in a dark blue robe, holding a staff inlaid with a huge sapphire. He had a snow-white beard and a kind face, but his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Grand Mage of the Royal Mage Order, Meril Eldron, Master-level professional.

"There are more troublesome things than that lust demon," the archmage said, looking ahead.

There, was a bottomless crevice.

The crack is about ten feet wide and more than fifty feet long. The rocks at the edges were melted and solidified by some powerful energy, forming a strange vitrified surface.

From the depths of the crack, one could faintly hear the roars of countless demons.

You can also feel waves of chaotic and evil energy gushing out of the cracks like fountains, polluting everything around them.

"Spatial rift..." The third voice rang out, solemn and heavy.

He was an old man dressed in a white robe, with the holy emblem of the Lord of Dawn hanging on his chest, and holding a scepter inlaid with jewels in his hand.

Archbishop Gregory Clement of the Papacy, a master professional.

The bishop walked to the edge of the crack, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

A soft white light emanated from him, enveloping the entire crack.

But the cracks showed no reaction.

The moment the white holy light touched the edge of the crack, it was swallowed and annihilated by some invisible force.

The archbishop opened his eyes and shook his head.

"No. This rift has fully formed, establishing a stable passage to the demon plane. With my power, I cannot close it."

The Grand Master and the Archmage exchanged a glance, both seeing solemnity in each other's eyes.

"What if the three of us work together?" the leader asked.

The high priest pondered for a moment: "We can give it a try, but the chances are slim."

"Then let's give it a try."

The three of them stood still and began to prepare at the same time.

The Grand Master raised his longsword, and a dazzling golden light emanated from its blade. It was the holy power bestowed by the God of Justice, enough to purify all evil.

The archmage raised his staff, and the surrounding arcane energy began to converge wildly. Blue and white light condensed at the tip of the staff, forming a huge ball of energy.

The archbishop clasped his hands together and began chanting the most powerful sealing prayer. The holy light of the Lord of Dawn gathered around him, transforming into halos that enveloped the crack.

Three forces simultaneously blasted towards the crack!

boom!!!

The entire underground space was trembling. Rocks were falling from above, and the rock walls at the edges of the cracks were beginning to crumble.

But that crack....

It only trembled slightly.

Then, all three forces were simultaneously devoured and annihilated.

The cracks still exist, still radiate chaotic and evil energy, and the roars of countless demons can still be heard.

The commander sheathed his sword, his face ashen.

The high priest put down his staff and took a deep breath.

The archbishop opened his eyes, which were filled with exhaustion.

"It's no use," the archbishop said in a deep voice. "This rift has deeply merged with the demon plane, becoming a stable spatial passage. Unless we possess the power of an ancient god, otherwise..."

'

He didn't go on.

But everyone understood what he meant.

Ancient gods.

That was a realm they could never reach, no matter how hard they tried.

"So we have no choice but to give up?" the Grand Commander asked unwillingly.

"No," the archmage said slowly, his tone calm and rational, "Just because it can't be shut down doesn't mean there's no way to do it."

He looked at the crack, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"Since we can't turn it off, let's make use of it."

"Use it?" The commander frowned.

The archmage nodded: "Turn this place into a training ground. A battlefield specifically for honing elite adventurers."

"Demons are pouring out of the cracks in an endless stream, so we'll set up defenses here and advance layer by layer. Let our warriors fight the demons here, gain experience, and improve their strength."

"Each level is a test of life and death. Each level can transform a person."

He paused, then looked at the Grand Master and the Archbishop.

What do you think?

The commander was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"A crazy idea... but it's feasible."

The archbishop nodded in agreement: "Rather than let this crack become a threat, let's turn it into our whetstone."

Let those demons become nourishment for us to cultivate the strong.

The three exchanged a glance, and each saw the same determination in the other's eyes.

"Then it's settled," the Grand Master said. "Upon returning, immediately report to His Majesty the King. At the same time, gather all available forces to establish a permanent defensive line around this rift."

"From this day forward, this place will no longer be a dangerous forbidden zone deep within the Gray Forest. Instead..."

'

He paused, his gaze piercing through the crack, looking into the unfathomable darkness.

"It is the elite training ground of the Kingdom of Red."

The commander nodded and turned to look behind him.

There stood more than forty high-ranking and royal elite professionals.

Some were warriors, some were mages, some were priests, and some were rangers. Each of them bore the marks of battle, but each of their eyes were bright and resolute.

"From this day forward!" The Grand Master's voice echoed through the underground space, "A permanent defense line will be erected in the Gray Forest! This rift will become the battlefield for the kingdom to train its elites!"

"Yes!" More than forty people responded in unison.

The sound echoed in the darkness, lingering for a long time.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, illuminating the deep, bottomless crack.

The demon's roar continued from within the crack.

The roar seemed to carry a hint of... madness and anxiety.

But what they didn't know was that the humans they once considered prey had made a crazy decision—to turn this place into a battlefield for hunting them.