Above the mage

Chapter 776 Mercenaries

The Irwinayas range has a majestic ridgeline, with its high peaks perpetually shrouded in thick, leaden-gray clouds.

A biting wind swept through the frozen snow-capped peaks, tearing at the solid ice and emitting a continuous, eerie howl that chilled to the bone.

The mercenary leader, Corwin, stood at the edge of the snow-capped mountain.

He looked back at the snow-covered mountain road behind him, his eyes still brimming with lingering fear.

The well-prepared elite mercenary group of thirty-seven found their journey across this formidable snow-capped mountain a deadly path strewn with corpses.

The team was repeatedly attacked by ubiquitous snow fissures, ferocious ice elemental ley line creatures, and sudden blizzards.

Now, in the snow-capped mountains behind them, lie the remains of 2,030 companions.

He buried three of them himself.

The snow layer was frozen solid like rock, and using magic to dig up the tomb would be a pointless waste of precious magic power.

In order to preserve his fighting strength to deal with subsequent crises, Corwin could only hastily bury his comrades' remains with thick snow, leaving no tombstone to mark them.

The wind was so fierce that it could swallow up human voices.

Corwin raised his voice, shouting over the howling wind to the rest of the group, "Everyone, keep up! We've crossed the Erwinraya and reached the northern border!"

The remaining thirteen men wrapped themselves tightly in their fur coats and followed Corwin, hunching over as they plunged into the swirling snow.

Although we had left the snow-capped mountains, the weather was still extremely harsh and cold.

However, compared to the extreme weather that is practically a dead end on the snow-capped mountains, the irregularly appearing ice fissures, and the ice elemental creatures that occasionally emerge to attack, this ice field on the edge of the northern border can be considered a mild zone.

The long trek through the snow-covered mountains and the harsh conditions had forged an exceptionally strong resilience and cold-resistant ability in everyone on the remaining team.

Moreover, they eventually arrived at the tundra, a frozen wasteland rarely visited by people on this continent.

Although the return journey is still blocked by snow-capped mountains, and how to get back is still unknown, these things are not important for now.

After walking steadily for a while, the group finally emerged from the windy pass of the snow-capped mountain and arrived at a gentle, sheltered snow slope.

The fierce winds were blocked by the snow slope, and the surrounding area finally returned to peace.

Corwin raised his hand to signal the team to stop and rest, and everyone began to replenish their supplies in the field.

The two remaining wilderness mages in the team immediately cast spells.

A pale blue magical halo spread out, covering the entire rest area and creating a constant-temperature barrier to insulate it from the extreme cold of minus seventy degrees Celsius outside.

Then, the portable dried meat was unpacked, a pot was taken out, and snow water was used to start simmering the meat broth.

The scout mage was on alert for any unusual activity around him.

During the break when everyone was resting, Corwin took out a roll of waterproof cowhide and sheepskin map from his inner pocket.

The sheepskin surface is engraved with somewhat imprecise patterns and depictions of the symbols of northern tribes.

This is a map of the northern region provided by the employer.

It may be rough and the information may be delayed, but it's better than nothing, and the general direction should be correct.

He repeatedly checked his location against the surrounding ice field terrain, and after a moment he confidently pointed to the northeast.

"One of the largest tribes in the North, the Zhenbing tribe, is in this direction."

"The Aes are a nomadic people whose settlements may move at any time. The information on the map can only be used as a reference, and no one knows how many years ago the map was drawn, or how accurate it is."

"Only the Zhenbing tribe is the only one among the many Ace tribes in the North who has built a settlement on the snowfield that can barely be called a city, and they will not easily move its location."

"We'll head there; we can get the necessary supplies there, and we can also gather intelligence to complete our mission."

"Understood, Captain!" The thirteen mercenaries responded in unison, their hoarse voices revealing undisguised excitement.

After a long and arduous journey that left more than half of the survivors dead or wounded, they finally came to an end and successfully entered what is now known as a forbidden zone for life on this continent.

Mercenaries are inherently a profession that involves living on the edge of a knife and licking blood.

They walk through the wilderness, risking their lives to earn money.

The death of comrades is commonplace, and no one wallows in grief.

Moreover, everyone knew in their hearts that reaching the North alive meant they had already survived the most deadly ordeal.

A deep male voice rang out from beside him; the speaker was Kana, a retired veteran from the mercenary group.

A grotesque scar runs across his right eye, from his brow bone to his cheekbone. It is a permanent scar left from his early years when he followed the Imperial Army to clear out bandit groups on the border of Terra.

His military service gave him battlefield experience and wilderness experience far exceeding that of most people in the team, and he quickly rose to the position of deputy regimental commander.

Kana rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold: "Hang in there a little longer, everyone. The reward for this commission is enough for all of us to retire from our mercenary lives, wash our hands of this business, and never set foot in any dangerous places again, so we can live out the rest of our lives in peace."

These words instantly ignited the team's morale.

Everyone knew that the Erwin Laya snow mountain was a place of near-death experiences, yet they still accepted the commission without hesitation.

It wasn't that they were fearless; it was simply that the pay offered by their employers was too outrageous.

It was so terrifying that it made this group of desperate criminals, struggling on the edge of life and death, willingly risk their lives to enter the forbidden area.

No one knows the true identity of the anonymous employer, but in the face of such a high salary, his identity and background are no longer important.

Looking at his excited team, Corwin remained calm and spoke to them with a stern warning: "Guys, although we are almost at the point of reaping the rewards, the closer we get to victory, the less we can afford to let our guard down."

"The most common mistake in missions is complacency and underestimation of the enemy just before reaching the finish line. Everyone must remain vigilant and not let their guard down."

"Boss, we're not newbies, so don't worry!" the team members responded one after another.

As veteran mercenaries who have been on missions for years, they have heard plenty of stories of mishaps at the very edge of success, so they are naturally not going to fall for it easily.

"But I'm really curious, who would offer such a huge reward just to gather intelligence on this snowfield?"

Corwin muttered, "What's there to care about in this godforsaken place?"

For most people, the North is a desolate wasteland.

Their impression of this desolate place was one of barrenness, death, and cold.

Not to mention outsiders, even creatures from the earth's veins don't want to come here.

"The fact that they can afford such a huge reward just to gather intelligence on the Northern Frontier shows that this reward is insignificant to them. Private merchants, lone mages, and small to medium-sized forces all lack this financial power..."

However, possessing such wealth inevitably implies an extraordinary status, yet one must choose to remain anonymous and conceal their identity.

"After hearing this, Kana pondered for a moment and slowly analyzed, "Moreover, I feel that this style of doing things is somewhat familiar."

"You mean?" Corwin raised an eyebrow and looked at Kana.

Kana nodded slightly: "The Empire always conducts intelligence gathering in this way before sending troops to Terra and Midgard."

"Impossible!" Corwin said in disbelief, "Midgard and Terra are far apart, but they can still be reached by ship or airship, so there are ways to send troops."

"The northern border is blocked by the Irwinaya Mountains; how could an ordinary army possibly get through?"

'

"Besides, what benefits would there be in occupying the North?"

"This place is so desolate. Even if it has abundant mineral and magical plant resources, so what? No matter how abundant the resources are, they can't be transported out."

Gold that can't be taken away isn't gold; it's just wasteland.

There's no reason why the empire shouldn't understand this principle.

The aftershocks of the Unparalleled Fighting Tournament are still unfolding.

At least in Mithril City, this wave will last for many days.

As one of the undisputed protagonists of the French Bulldog Tournament, Gao De has even had to use disguise techniques to change his appearance before daring to go out these past two days.

Otherwise, you'll be recognized instantly.

Even if people dare not easily crowd around the monk, the unconscious gazes cast upon him will make Gao De feel uneasy.

Because of the existence of the "broadcast" rune array, after the decisive battle, he has become the most sought-after "star" in Mithril City.

Not to mention that the authorities are "adding more" to the effort.

On the afternoon of the day the competition ended, the latest and final power rankings were compiled and released in a rush.

Each copy was priced as high as five silver dragon coins, far exceeding the usual price, yet it was still snapped up by the public the moment it was released, making it extremely difficult to find.

Thanks to his amazing performance in the battle against Ellie Warwick, he was ranked second on the power rankings, second only to Luminous, who has consistently held the top spot since he made his move.

In fact, Gaode Maps garnered more attention than Liuying, which topped the list.

There's no other reason than that his level as a mage in the third ring is too conspicuous.

The top ten on the combat power ranking are all fourth-ring mages, except for him, who is the only third-ring mage.

Everyone here is a genius, an elite. So why are you able to defeat opponents of a higher level?

Such an outrageous statement is bound to attract a lot of attention.

Although the North has always been isolated from the world, and the Irwinray Mountains stand as a natural barrier, preventing outsiders from entering.

However, a small number of adventurers and mages still managed to enter this region by sea, bringing with them many northern specialties and fragmented information.

Therefore, Corwin knew that although the North was desolate, there were actually many large and small Aes tribes scattered across the vast northwestern snowfields.

They are not exactly friendly to outsiders, but they are not hostile either; it is perfectly acceptable for them to communicate or exchange supplies.

However, after two days of arduous travel, the mercenary group had not encountered a single tribe.

There was no trace of human activity, and no members of the Ace tribe were encountered.

.

It was as if all the Ace people had either died out or migrated somewhere else.

Kana lowered his voice and said to Corwin with a solemn expression, "Captain, something's not right. It's too strange. We've traveled so far, searching for each of the Aes tribes marked on the map. Even if time has passed, there's no reason why we haven't seen a single Aes tribe."

"In this situation, they either have to migrate as a whole, or they will face annihilation."

"But whether it's the former or the latter, it shows that this permafrost has undergone tremendous changes."

Based on what we have seen and heard so far, and considering that someone has spent a lot of money to investigate the situation in the North, it is easy to conclude that this is definitely not a detail that can be ignored.

Something unusual must have happened in the North.

Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, and this strange discovery sent a chill down their spines, making them realize that danger lurked ahead.

However, the expedition resulted in heavy casualties, with twenty-three companions forever resting in the snow-capped mountains, and the entire team paid an irreparable price.

There's no turning back now; we can only grit our teeth and move forward.

They continued their journey towards Phoenix, the location of the Zhenbing tribe marked on the map, but with increasing caution.

"Commander." At that moment, a small, thin figure quickly turned back through the snow.

He is the team's dedicated scout mage, responsible for exploring the way forward and avoiding leyline creatures and unknown dangers.

The scout mage's face was tense, and his breathing was rapid. "What did you find?" Seeing that the other party's expression was not right, Corwin immediately understood that the other party must have discovered something unusual.

The scout nodded, took a cloth bag from his waist, and then emptied the bag into his left palm.

"This is..." Korwin stared at the object in the scout mage's hand, his gaze turning serious. It was a handful of soil.

The soil was loose and damp; you could even squeeze out a wet mark between your fingers.

"Commander, a large area ahead is covered in the same mud as this." The scout mage reported the entire scene he had scouted out with disbelief.

"The entire frozen soil has been thoroughly tilled and turned over, with neat soil layers and orderly furrows, just like... just like farmland that has been deliberately cultivated by humans."

"It's just that we're still in the land reclamation stage and no crops have been planted yet. The surface snow covers most of the traces, so you can't find them without careful investigation."

As soon as he finished speaking, an older mercenary in the team immediately shook his head and retorted, "Ridiculous! Clearing land in the North? Are you crazy? Even wild grass can't survive here. Who would waste manpower to cultivate land in such a desolate place?"

"What's the point of clearing this land? Are you going to bury corpses?"

The words may be rough, but the principle is sound; that's indeed the truth.

only..

Corwin remained silent, reaching out to take the cup of loose soil from his palm, rubbing the damp soil between his fingers.

Let the soil slowly slip from your fingertips.

As the cold wind swept across the icy plains, the unease in his heart fermented wildly.

I have a feeling that something is getting off this trip to the North.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The seven mage members of the Golden Flower Dynasty team have reunited.

However, this gathering is not for training or competition, but to go to the City of Glory to receive the winning reward.

The Unparalleled Magic Fighting Tournament is a continent-wide magic fighting competition jointly organized by the Holy Empire, Linhai City, and the Golden Flower Dynasty.

.

With such high standards, the corresponding rewards are equally impressive, jointly offered by the three parties, with the Holy Empire contributing the lion's share.

To demonstrate the dynasty's emphasis on top-tier mage talent, and also to recognize the outstanding performance of the seven members and publicize the team's victory over the powerful Holy Empire, the royal family decided to hold a grand ceremony in the capital to honor them and present them with awards after the ceremony.

In this situation, they would naturally not travel to the City of Glory by airship, but directly through a teleportation array, making their journey much faster.

Upon arriving in the City of Glory, the group stepped out of the teleportation array, where a carriage was already waiting.