I'm not a Witcher anymore.

The border town was already bustling with activity in the early morning. When Zig arrived at the weapons shop, two horse-drawn carriages with sidecars were already parked in front of it.

The carriages were large and sturdy, large enough to carry large quantities of iron ore.

Joel and two of his men were checking the wheels, axles, and harnesses to make sure there wouldn't be any problems on the road.

Four packhorses stood quietly to one side, occasionally flicking their tails to shoo away flies.

Besides Sieg, Joel also employed three other adventurers.

At this moment, the three had arrived one after another and were standing by the carriage waiting.

Joel saw Sieg and waved:

"Mr. Zieg, you've arrived. Please, let me introduce you to everyone."

He clapped his hands, signaling everyone to gather around.

The four adventurers formed a small circle and began the necessary self-introductions.

The first to speak was the man carrying a long spear.

He was in his early thirties, with a lean build, firm muscles, and sun-darkened skin.

He carried a long spear on his back—the shaft was straight, the tip was sharp, and it was clearly well-maintained.

A short sword hung at his waist, and there were several repaired cracks on the leather armor on his chest, indicating that he had been in many battles.

Finn.

He simply stated his name without any unnecessary words.

The second was a burly man wearing heavy armor.

He was the most robust of the four, nearly 1.9 meters tall, with shoulders as broad as a door.

He was fully clad in plate armor, which, despite some wear and rust, remained thick and reliable.

He had a one-handed warhammer hanging at his waist and an iron shield on his back, both heavy and substantial.

"Ingram."

His voice was deep and resonant, as if it came from the depths of his chest.

He glanced at the others, his gaze lingering on Zieg for a moment before he nodded.

Zig noticed that Finn and Ingram were both wearing obsidian nameplates.

This means that the two of them are at the same level as him, both being Obsidian-level adventurers.

The last one was a female halfling.

She patted her chest: "Ravenna."

Zig sized up the halfling.

She is only about 1.2 meters tall, a typical half-body type.

Furthermore, she looked much younger than everyone else present.

She even looks like an underage girl.

She had brown curly hair, a slightly chubby face, and round cheeks and big eyes that made her look innocent and naive.

He wore light leather armor, had two short swords hanging at his waist, and carried a short bow on his back.

Of course, appearance doesn't tell the whole story.

Aside from humans and dwarves, halflings and elves are generally much older than they appear.

Many halflings look like they are around thirty years old, but they are actually over one hundred years old.

But elves are even more terrifying...

A two-thousand-year-old elf might still look like a teenage girl.

Therefore, Ravenna, who looks like a young girl, is probably around the same age as Geralt.

"Zig."

Zieg didn't give a long self-introduction either, simply stating his name.

After the four people finished introducing themselves, Joel cleared his throat.

"Alright, everyone's here now. Let me briefly explain the arrangements."

"We're going to the Undead Settlement to collect a batch of iron ore, and we'll also send some weapons there. The journey will take about two and a half days, and if all goes well, we can make it back in four or five days."

"You might encounter wild beasts, bandits, monsters..."

"Anyway, I'll leave it to you all."

……

As evening fell, the wilderness began to reveal its true face.

As the sun sets, the last rays of orange-red light disappear below the horizon.

The sky gradually changed from bright blue to a deep purplish-gray, and the distant clouds looked as if they had been stained with blood, tinged with an ominous dark red.

The grassland, which appeared peaceful and harmless during the day, now exuded an unsettling atmosphere.

As the temperature suddenly dropped, the ground began to emit gusts of cold air.

Those bushes that looked ordinary in the sunlight now resembled crouching wild beasts in the twilight, ready to pounce at any moment.

Strange noises came from afar.

Occasionally, a huge shadow would sweep across overhead.

Zig looked up.

But nothing could be seen in the sky.

Only the gradually thickening night and a few sparse stars.

Joel looked around nervously and muttered to himself.

"Damn, it's been so long since I've walked this road... why does it feel even more dangerous than before?"

Before it got completely dark, the caravan found a relatively safe place.

This is a slightly raised mound of earth.

With a wide field of vision, it is not easy to be ambushed;

There are several huge rocks behind it, which can serve as a natural barrier;

The ground is relatively dry and will not accumulate water or become damp like in low-lying areas.

"This is it." Finn jumped off the carriage, looked around, and said, "Hurry up, everyone, it's getting dark."

Everyone immediately got to work.

Ingram and Finn unloaded the pre-prepared planks from the carriage.

These planks are not for building tents, but for erecting a simple defensive fortification around the camp.

Although it looks rudimentary, it can at least block ranged attacks from goblins such as arrows and slingshots.

It can also give people a sense of security psychologically.

Zig, Ravenna, and the two men Joel brought also helped out.

In less than half an hour, the simple wooden fence was completed.

Although it's just an irregular semicircle, it can at least block attacks from most directions.

The huge rock behind blocked the other half, forming a relatively closed defensive circle.

Since they hadn't brought a tent, they could only lay their sleeping bags together tightly.

Several sleeping bags were arranged in a circle, with a blazing campfire burning in the middle.

The dry firewood was lit, and the flames leaped and crackled.

The orange-red light dispelled some of the darkness and brought warmth.

This arrangement not only maximizes warmth but also facilitates mutual support in case of danger.

Joel took the dry rations from the carriage.

Rye bread, dried meat strips, and a small piece of cheese.

It wasn't a lavish meal, but it was enough to fill our stomachs.

He distributed them to everyone, and then poured some ale from the sachet.

"Have some wine to warm yourself up, it'll be very cold tonight."

The group sat around the campfire, eating their dinner in silence.

Beyond the campfire lay a thick darkness.

After dinner, everyone began to rest.

Finn and Ravenna were in charge of the first half of the night.

Zig and Ingram were in charge of the second half of the night.

Joel and his two buddies did not participate in the night watch.

Despite having someone on watch at night, Zig remained vigilant even in the wilderness.

He remained in a light sleep state throughout.

The body is relaxed, but the consciousness is not fully immersed in the dream.

They are highly sensitive to any unusual noises in their surroundings.

I dared not sleep as soundly as I did in the hotel.

After all, in such a dangerous environment, a moment of carelessness could cost one's life.