My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 129 Followers

On the morning of the third day, when the 11th Regiment was ready to set off again, a large number of people had already gathered at the entrance of the checkpoint.

"Look, look! They're really going into the forest again!"

"I heard they wiped out a kobold lair yesterday, killed over thirty kobolds, and even discovered kobold treasure!"

"More than thirty of them, and there's treasure inside? How much money would that be?"

"I heard that everyone received more than a dozen silver coins..."

""

"Damn, we've been waiting here for three days and only got 15 silver, while they made that much in a day?"

1

A murmur of discussion arose, and more and more people gathered around.

Xiu Qi stood at the front of the line, his face expressionless.

Cade, pipe in hand, wore a smug expression. Allen, carrying his beloved longbow, also smiled. The younger team members stood tall and proud, basking in the envious glances from those around them.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out.

"Captain Hugh!"

Gareth approached with his squad. The Level 3 Shieldbearer captain wore a broad smile, but his eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

"I heard yesterday that you went into the forest and wiped out a den of kobolds, so my team and I discussed it and decided to go with you today!"

Xiuqi looked at him without saying a word.

Behind Gareth, Lya, Sim, the wanderer, and the young mage stood to one side. The young warrior named Sim, though still somewhat resentful, was much more subdued than the day before.

"Are you sure?" Xiu Qi asked.

"I'm sure," Gareth said decisively. "Instead of waiting here for three days for 15 silver, I'd rather go into the forest with you. I can earn money and get some combat experience. And..."

'

He paused, then looked intently at Xiuqi: "I want to see for myself how your team fights."

Xiu Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay. But once we're in the forest, you have to follow my instructions."

Gareth's eyes lit up, and he nodded without hesitation: "No problem!"

At the same time, three more teams emerged from the crowd.

"Captain Xiuqi! We want to be with you too!"

"Take us with you!"

"We promise to obey orders!"

The three squad leaders were all young men in their twenties. They were all dressed in fine armor, their faces showing a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Xiuqi glanced at them.

These three teams all returned the day before yesterday. Judging from their equipment and demeanor, their strength should be quite impressive.

"Have you thought this through?" Xiu Qi asked. "There are still small waves of demonic energy in the forest; people might die."

The young team leaders exchanged glances, then answered in unison, "We've thought it through!"

"We saw the battle record on the wooden sign yesterday," one of the captains said. "Squad 33 killed 1649 silver demons in three days with zero casualties. We'll definitely learn something from you guys!"

"That's right!" another captain chimed in. "Instead of waiting in the checkpoint for three days and getting 15 silver, we'd rather go on an adventure with you guys!"

Even if I don't make money, it's worth it to learn some skills!

Xiuqi looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay. Let's do it together then."

Inside the tent in the center of the checkpoint, the clerk looked at the assembled crowd outside, his expression quite interesting.

"Four teams..." he murmured, "Four whole teams, all going to follow that Xiu Qi into the forest?"

A mage in a dark blue robe stood behind him, also gazing outside. A hint of admiration, and a touch of deep thought, flashed in his eyes.

"This Xiuqi is no ordinary person," the mage said slowly. "For a mage apprentice to gain such trust and have people willingly follow him on adventures... this cannot be achieved through mere strength."

The clerk asked cautiously, "Sir, should we stop them?"

The monk shook his head.

"Why stop them? They volunteered to enter the forest to wipe out the demons, which is a good thing. If all the teams that stayed behind had this kind of awareness, the demon tide would have been wiped out long ago."

He paused, looked in Xiu Qi's direction, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"I'd like to see what miracles this young man can create."

At the edge of the gray forest, seven teams are ready to go.

The 11th Division consists of three squads, Gareth Squad, and three other young squads, making a total of seven teams with more than thirty people.

Xiu Qi stood at the front of the group, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Once inside the forest, maintain formation and do not act on your own. If you encounter danger, follow my instructions. If you get separated, retreat towards the checkpoint."

Everyone echoed in agreement.

Xiuqi nodded and turned to face the forest.

"Set off."

More than thirty people marched into the gray forest in a grand procession.

The atmosphere in the forest today is completely different from the previous two days.

Perhaps because the demonic tide had indeed receded, or perhaps because yesterday's kobold lair had boosted everyone's confidence, the atmosphere along the way was exceptionally relaxed.

Gareth walked beside Shuki, the Shield Captain smiling broadly as he chatted with Cade about their past adventures.

"Remember those kobolds we encountered in the mine?" Gareth said with a laugh. "You slipped and fell into a trap, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't stand up straight."

Cade rolled his eyes: "You have the nerve to say that? You laughed so loudly that you attracted the kobolds, almost getting us both killed."

"Haha, so they survived, didn't they?"

The two smiled at each other.

Link walked on the flank of the group, the young hunter carrying a longbow on his back and a satchel at his waist containing the notes Captain Allen had given him. He had already read through the notes several times, carefully studying each page and benefiting greatly from them.

Selena walked beside him. The young priestess was dressed in a simple white robe today, her blonde hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She occasionally glanced at Link, then at Hugh in front of her, a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

"Link," Selena said softly.

Link turned his head: "Miss Selena?"

"How long have you been with Captain Xiuqi?"

Link thought for a moment: "It started from that goblin lair mission. It's been... about half a month."

"More than half a month..." Selena murmured, then smiled slightly, "More than half a month, and you've grown from an ordinary hunter to what you are now. Captain Xiuqi, you're really amazing."

Link nodded seriously.

"Yes. Without Captain Xiuqi, I might still be an ordinary hunter in Summertown, or even... I might already be dead at the hands of goblins."

He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute: "So I will always follow him. No matter where he goes, no matter what dangers he may encounter, I will follow him."

Selena looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her azure eyes.

She didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

The Bird Poet scouted from high above for nearly two hours, only spotting a few scattered traces of demons. Moreover, those demons fled immediately upon seeing Xiuqi and his large force.

"The demonic tide has indeed receded." Cade walked to Xiuqi's side. "I heard that the deep rift was sealed by the three masters, and the demons on the outer perimeter were either killed or escaped back into the depths."

Xiuqi nodded.

He knew this day would come sooner or later. The cards were good, but you couldn't keep farming them indefinitely.

"Then expand the search area," he said. "Split into two teams, one going east and the other west. If there's danger, use fireworks."

Gareth immediately agreed: "We'll go east, you go west. We'll meet here at dusk."

The two teams split up and searched in different directions.

Xiuqi led the 11th Regiment westward.

After walking about three miles, Link suddenly stopped.

"Something's up." The young hunter crouched down, carefully examining the marks on the ground. "It's... a Rust Monster."

A rust monster?

Xiuqi narrowed his eyes. He had seen a record of this creature in the academy's "Monster Compendium"—a level 1/2 challenge monster, shaped like a giant beetle with four thick legs and a disc-shaped body.

Their most terrifying ability is their ability to rust metal.

Any metal object that comes into contact with them will begin to rust, corrode, and eventually turn into a pile of scrap metal within seconds.

This is a nightmare for adventurers who rely on metal weapons.

"How many?" Xiu Qi asked.

Link carefully examined the tracks: "Eight. Judging from the tracks, they must have been there not long ago."

Xiuqi looked ahead.

It was a jumble of rocks, with scattered stones and complex terrain. It was the rust monster's favorite habitat.

"Prepare for battle," he said. "Everyone, be careful not to let your weapons come into direct contact with the Rust Monster's body."

Ado was the first to rush into the pile of rocks.

The ogre's massive body moved nimbly through the terrain, its bright yellow eyes scanning the surroundings before quickly spotting its target—

Behind a huge rock, eight rust monsters were lying on the ground, gnawing on something.

These creatures were about five feet long and less than three feet tall, with disc-shaped bodies covered in grayish-brown carapaces. Their heads were small, located at the front of their bodies, and a pair of small eyes gleamed dimly.

What's most striking are their legs—four thick legs covered in a strange, rusty red substance. That's a corrosive liquid they secrete, which quickly corrodes any metal that comes into contact with it.

Ado had no concerns about weapon contact. Although his mace was made of metal, he had his own way of dealing with the Rust monsters. The ogre picked up a rock the size of a human head and smashed it hard at the nearest Rust monster!

boom!

The stone struck the Rust Monster's carapace, leaving a shallow dent. The Rust Monster, in pain, let out a piercing screech and charged towards Ado on all fours!

The other three rust monsters also reacted and pounced on Ado at the same time.

"Ado, retreat!" Xiuqi ordered.

The ogre obediently took a few steps back, and at the same time picked up the stone again and threw it at the rust monster.

Link drew his longbow from behind, but instead of using arrows with metal arrowheads, he used specially prepared wooden arrows.

call out!

The wooden arrow struck the eye of a rusty monster with pinpoint accuracy. The monster screamed and rolled over, but quickly rose again and continued its charge.

"The wooden arrows aren't powerful enough," Link frowned.

Max flanks from the side, and the goblin warrior, though wielding a two-handed greatsword made of metal, doesn't slash directly but instead strikes with the blade.

boom!

A rusty monster was sent flying and crashed into a rock. But where the greatsword touched it, rust had already begun to appear.

"Max, step back," Hugh said.

He raised his right hand and began to cast a spell.

【Shuqi's Elementary Deflection Field】—but not for defense, but for trapping the enemy.

With Xiuqi's continuous practice, the defensive range of the Elementary Deflection Force Field has become increasingly larger.

A pale silver-blue force field unfolded in front of him, rapidly expanding to form an invisible cage that enveloped all eight rust monsters.

The rust monsters found themselves trapped. They frantically rammed into the force field, but were all bound by it.

"Ado, use the stone," Xiuqi said.

Ado understood.

The ogre began picking up stones and smashing them down on the rust monster trapped in the force field.

boom! boom! boom!

Stones rained down, and cracks began to appear on the rust monster's carapace, with dark yellow fluid seeping from the wounds.

Three minutes later, all eight rust monsters were dead.

Xiu Qi withdrew his force field and walked to the corpse to examine it.

The Rust Monsters yielded no valuable loot—their shells, though hard, contained corrosive substances and were unusable as materials. Their body fluids were also corrosive and therefore unusable.

The only thing that can be collected is the corrosive glands inside their bodies. Alchemists will pay a high price to buy them to make special potions.

Xiuqi took out his dagger and carefully dissected the corpse of a rusted monster, extracting a pair of glands the size of soybeans.

The glands are dark yellow and have a pungent, sour smell.

"Eight, eight glands." He stood up and put the glands into his spatial ring. "The market price is about 5 silver coins each."

Eight rust monsters, a total of 40 silver coins.

Although it wasn't as fruitful as the previous two days, something is better than nothing.

More importantly, the battle did not result in any losses.

As the sun sets, golden rays filter through the tree canopy and fall upon the way home.

Seven teams, totaling more than 30 people, slowly made their way back along the route they had come from.

Unlike the tense and cautious atmosphere on the way there, the return journey was filled with laughter and joy.

The young team members walked together in small groups, chatting about the day's battle, their individual gains, and what they would do after returning to the city.

Which tavern to celebrate at?

"I hit three kobolds today!" a young archer exclaimed excitedly, his face beaming with pride.

"I killed two goblins!" another warrior retorted.

"Tch, I just killed a Rust Monster!" Blake, the greatsword warrior of the 11th Squad, said smugly.

The crowd burst into laughter.

Blake and Sim walked side by side; the two had become good friends.

Blake told Sim about the great battle at the pass a few days ago, how the demons killed each other, and how Captain Hughes commanded with composure.

Sim listened intently, his eyes filled with longing.

"I really want to see that scene with my own eyes," he said.

"That scene was horrific!" Blake shook his head. "It's a miracle we came back alive."

Cade and Gareth walked at the front of the group, both smoking pipes, the smoke swirling in the sunset.

Gareth looked at the gray-robed boy walking at the front of the group.

The setting sun cast a pale golden glow on him, yet his steps remained steady and his demeanor composed, as if everything that happened today was just another ordinary day for him.

"He's bound to become a big shot someday," Gareth murmured.

Cade didn't answer, but simply exhaled a puff of smoke, which slowly dissipated in the setting sun.

Link and Selena walked side by side at the back of the group.

A satisfied smile graced the young hunter's face. In today's battle, he had hit three more Rust Monsters; his archery skills were becoming increasingly stable and accurate.

"Miss Selena!" Link suddenly spoke up.

Selena turned her head.

"Will you continue your adventures after this demonic tide ends?"

Selena tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Maybe we'll go back to the county town?"

"Go back to the county?"

"Yes." Selena nodded. "My mentor and my companions are at the temple of the Church of Dawn. This trip was originally meant to be a training exercise. Now that the demonic tide is over, I should go back."

Link was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Will you come back?"

Selena did not answer immediately.

She gazed into the distance, where the setting sun cast a warm glow on the figure of the gray-robed boy at the front of the group.

"I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe not."

Link lowered his head and remained silent.

Selena looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Link, you'll definitely become an outstanding ranger in the future. Follow Captain Hugh closely, he'll take you even further."

Link looked up and gazed into Selena's bright eyes.

"Thank you," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Selena nodded, then quickened her pace and walked forward.

Link stood there, watching her figure disappear into the crowd.

As the sun sets and dusk deepens, the twilight deepens.

Just as everyone was chatting and laughing and about to leave the edge of the forest, bang!

Ahead, in the direction of the checkpoint, a dazzling deep purple firework suddenly exploded.

The purple was so rich and eerie that, as it bloomed in the afterglow of the setting sun, it resembled an eerie violet or a demon's eye slowly opening.

The smiles on everyone's faces froze instantly.

"Dark purple warning..." Cade murmured, his voice so hoarse he could barely speak.

"A massive demonic tide," Allen said, and the Ranger Captain's face instantly turned deathly pale.

Xiuqi's eyes narrowed.

wrong.

The deep purple fireworks were launched from the direction of the checkpoint, meaning that the target of the demonic tide attack was not the depths of the forest, but...

Level!

"Damn it!" Gareth roared, "The checkpoint has been attacked!"

Without hesitation, Xiu Qi turned to look at everyone, his voice piercing the frozen air like an ice pick.

"Everyone, full speed ahead! Maintain formation, don't fall behind!"

More than thirty people rushed toward the checkpoint like arrows released from a bow.

Link ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest.

He thought of his companions left behind at the checkpoint—the squads that hadn't gone into the forest with them, the soldiers stationed there, and the officers of the Adventurers' Guild...

They're still there!

Hodor strode forward, the ogre's massive body moving like a shifting mountain as it ran. A low growl escaped its throat—a growl of anger and worry.

Max followed closely beside Xiuqi, the goblin warrior's crimson eyes fixed on the front, his hands already gripping the greatsword tightly.

Everyone ran with all their might.

One mile, two miles, three miles...

When they finally broke out of the forest and saw the border area clearly, everyone stopped in their tracks.