The gazes of the many Sarkaz mercenaries in Mudrock's squad were all fixed on Lucas Reeve. Even Surtr, who was in the back, looked at him.
Others might not know.
But Surtr was completely bewildered.
Laevatain had this function too?
Hasn't it always been inside the sword? How did it know its way around outside?
Surtr cutely tilted her head, her stoic and beautiful face showing a Surtr-style expression of confusion. Then, she grabbed another handful of snow from the ground and stuffed it into her mouth, munching away. Without ice cream to eat, she could only use this snow as shaved ice to soothe her craving.
"Are you telling the truth!!!"
The Sarkaz mercenary who had just experienced a terrifying Oripathy outbreak, lying weakly on the ground, asked Lucas Reeve respectfully in a frail voice.
He was truly afraid.
Although everyone said that Sarkaz mercenaries were brave and unafraid of death, how could anyone truly not be afraid of death? They only wished for their lives to end on the battlefield, not from such a pathetic disease.
He had just personally experienced that despair.
It was as if thousands of fine needles were constantly piercing every inch of his skin, blood vessels, bones, muscles, and nerves. This suffering, which was worse than death and more painful than being sliced to pieces, was something even the brave Sarkaz mercenary had barely survived. He was alive, but he definitely wouldn't survive the next outbreak.
No one knew when the next outbreak would be.
It could be in a few years, or it could be tomorrow or a week later.
Everyone looked at Lucas Reeve, like a drowning person in a river who sees a boat slowly drifting over in the distance. Although they didn't know if it was real, they had nothing left to lose. They might as well believe.
"It's true."
Lucas Reeve nodded.
"However, it's just a palliative medicine. It can alleviate the pain of Oripathy and reduce the suffering during an outbreak. It can't cure Oripathy, only extend one's life a little."
Lucas Reeve's words were spoken lightly, but to the ears of the many Infected Sarkaz, they sounded like a heavenly chorus.
The way they looked at Lucas Reeve completely changed.
What flame monster?
This was clearly a flame angel!!
Even....
The previous terrifying memories of Lucas Reeve suddenly became much more benevolent.
As the captain, Mudrock naturally couldn't completely believe him.
However, it seemed she had no other choice now.
Food was scarce, the wounded were waiting for treatment, the threat of Oripathy loomed... and she still hadn't found a reliable place to settle down.
Mudrock herself had Oripathy.
And the severity of her Oripathy was not light. However, due to her race and physical strength, she could still handle the current level of her Oripathy. There wouldn't be any problems in the short term, but the people around her...
The eyes of all the Sarkaz mercenaries were fixed on their captain. In the team, Captain Mudrock was the backbone.
After a moment of thought, she nodded.
"Alright!!"
"Meeting Miss Surtr today and... and.... and...."
"I'm sorry, what was your name?"
"Lucas Reeve." "Laevatain."
Lucas Reeve and Surtr spoke at the same time, which put the Sarkaz mercenaries in a difficult position. Fortunately, they could just pick one. Whoever found one name more catchy would use that one...
"I'd like to ask for some details, Mr. Reeve."
Mudrock walked over with her massive frame and stopped in front of Lucas Reeve's palm-sized flame body.
"Which place are you talking about?"
"It's also in the Ursus snowfields, called the Reunion Movement. You'll know when you get there."
Reunion Movement!!
After hearing Lucas Reeve's words.
Everyone in Mudrock's squad looked at each other.
They had heard this name more than once, and all the rumors were bad. Moreover, they had even been mistaken for the Reunion Movement and attacked by Ursus soldiers today.
Seeing the expressions of the group, Lucas Reeve raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of it?"
"Yes..."
Mudrock nodded and recounted today's experience to Lucas Reeve truthfully.
"Oh~~"
Lucas Reeve came to a sudden realization, not finding it strange at all.
Lucas Reeve briefly explained what kind of organization the Reunion Movement was and why Ursus specifically targeted them.
Since Lucas Reeve didn't look like he was lying, and the reputation of the Ursus government wasn't great either, after some simple consideration, they chose to temporarily believe him. They would march towards the Reunion Movement's location first thing tomorrow morning. Lucas Reeve looked at Mudrock's map. They weren't far from where the Reunion Movement was. At full speed, it would take about a day.
Moreover.
According to the originally planned route.
Mudrock was also preparing to head south. After all, further north was just an uninhabited ice field, a dead end. According to the original plan, Mudrock's squad was preparing to go to Leithanien, so it was on the way to check out the Reunion Movement.
It had to be said.
The portrayal of the Sarkaz squads as demons was purely due to the deliberate slander by interested parties in various countries. At least, after spending so much time with them, the Sarkaz mercenaries in Mudrock's squad were all genuine people, straightforward and not bad at heart. Moreover, Mudrock's nature was not evil either. Although her hands were stained with a lot of blood, it was all done out of self-preservation.
"Laevatain."
After chatting for a while longer, Lucas Reeve was preparing to return to the sword for a nap. He never expected to have so many different 'dorms', from a necklace to a handgun, then to a beast bone, then a stone, or a young girl's soft body. This was the first time Lucas Reeve had lived in a sword, and he wasn't quite used to it.
Just then.
Surtr called out to Lucas Reeve.
"Hm?"
"Why do you call yourself Lucas Reeve? Although I don't know your origin, the name Laevatain is deeply imprinted in my mind."
"Because...."
Lucas Reeve made up a random reason.
"Laevatain is the name of the sword and the flame power, while Lucas Reeve is the name of my soul."
"?"
Surtr scratched her face, shifted her butt, and sat directly on the log through her skirt, which was a bit uncomfortable.
"I don't get it...."
"Uh... you can think of it as... my official name is Laevatain, and my nickname is Lucas Reeve. Just call me whatever you want."
"Oh..."
Lucas Reeve didn't know if Surtr understood. He went straight into the sword to begin the work of separating his soul from Laevatain's power.
Seeing Lucas Reeve enter the sword.
Surtr's high-arched eyebrows suddenly drooped slightly.
Surtr was used to traveling alone. For her, her only friend was probably Laevatain. But, Laevatain only had power and no consciousness. But today, after Laevatain gained its own consciousness, Surtr was quite happy. At least in the future, she might have someone to chat with from time to to time on her journey.
However.
Because she hadn't chatted with anyone for so long, she still appeared arrogant and cold today. A normal person would probably not want to have anything to do with Surtr anymore. After all, with such a cold and aloof attitude, it's easy for people to misunderstand it as looking down on them!!
She had even uncharacteristically taken the initiative to say a word to Lucas Reeve just now.
This progress!!
Was huge!
Of course.
This 'huge' was just Surtr's own opinion.
In the eyes of outsiders.
She was expressionless, her voice lacked emotion, she was a person of few words, and her gaze was cold and calm. It gave people the impression that she was high and mighty, and that speaking to them was a great honor.
To put it plainly.
It was the look one gives to trash.
Of course, this excludes those bros who like to be XXX's dog at the drop of a hat. For them, this kind of look is the best in the world.
Since they were on the snowfield, they naturally needed people to take turns on watch. Mudrock's squad had a clear division of labor, with someone on watch every few hours. And Mudrock's squad didn't have that many tents. Originally, Mudrock was prepared to give her own tent to Surtr and not sleep herself.
But when she told Surtr this.
Miss Surtr rejected her with her trademark icy gaze.
She had wandered the land of Terra alone for so many years and was used to living in the open, with the sky as her blanket and the earth as her bed. Staying in such a small tent was actually uncomfortable for her.
Surtr's life over the years could be described as colorful.
She had slept in the wilderness of the Gobi, in the great desert, in wastelands, on top of graves, and on park benches in mobile cities. Of course, she had also experienced life under a bridge with a small blanket. And her constitution was exceptionally special. She didn't need to eat much to maintain her stamina, and she was not afraid of cold or heat, nor was she bothered by mosquitoes. In the sub-zero snowfields, Surtr could wear a skirt and sleep directly on the ground in the howling north wind, and even fall asleep. This was also a talent...
A talent that many people envied.
This kind of life...
Why was she never muddy or dirty!! Her skin was still so fair and smooth!! Her hair never got oily, it's not fair!!
The north wind howled all night. The Sarkaz sleeping in the tents shivered with cold, curled up with their legs drawn in, but Surtr slept soundly, hugging her greatsword.
The next day.
Surtr, who had slept all night, had become a snowman. She moved slightly, and the snow covering her like a blanket fell off. A pair of snow-white, jade-like arms stretched out from the snow, even sparkling in the morning sun. The skin on her arms was very supple, not frostbitten at all by the snow.
Then, her slender body was completely exposed from the snow. She stretched in the sunlight, her impressive chest straining against her skirt and her slender waist forming an S-shaped curve.
Some of the Sarkaz mercenaries who woke up early were slightly dazed when they saw this and wanted to look a few more seconds, but they all averted their gazes, afraid of being turned to ashes.
To save food, they didn't have the habit of eating in the morning. They usually only ate a little when they got hungry around noon.
After packing up the tents and other supplies.
Lucas Reeve emerged from the greatsword in the form of a small fire person and began to lead Mudrock's squad according to the map, while Surtr followed behind coolly.
These Sarkaz mercenaries were quite talkative.
Not many dared to actively talk to Surtr, because Surtr was too 'cold and aloof'. The keep-your-distance aura she exuded made it difficult for people to approach her. On the contrary, it was Lucas Reeve, the flame monster who was the most feared at first, who showed a very talkative and humorous side. After a few words, he easily hit it off with these Sarkaz mercenaries. In contrast, Surtr seemed to have been left out, following behind alone.
No...
Or rather.
She was the one isolating everyone present!
Surtr's heart was in turmoil. She wanted to talk, she wanted to communicate with Laevatain, but... but... she just couldn't bring herself to say it.
The journey was long.
The stamina of these Sarkaz mercenaries was nothing to scoff at. They easily endured a continuous twenty-four-hour march through the snow. They should reach the Reunion Movement's encampment in a few more hours.
And...
Now, Lucas Reeve had a dilemma.
The communication channel with his other three soul fragments had been completely sealed off. This meant that Lucas Reeve was completely cut off from all contact with Jessica, Lisa, and Alina, not even able to talk to them. Fortunately, Lucas Reeve had been smart enough to give each of the three a small soul pearl and had instructed them from the beginning to crush it immediately if something major happened. Although Lucas Reeve couldn't communicate with the soul fragments, he could still clearly sense the shattering of the soul pearls.
————
Reunion Movement.
It had been several months since they had arrived here under Lucas Reeve's leadership. Without the harassment of the Empire's Army Groups and the pickets, everyone in the Reunion Movement was living a very carefree life. The weather was far less cold than in the north, and at night, they would turn on the large heater that Lucas Reeve had specifically left here, so sleeping wasn't cold at all. Moreover, in this environment, they didn't need Lucas Reeve to worry about various vegetables anymore. They could grow their own. Life was peaceful and self-sufficient, very comfortable.
Even the tents had been replaced by one wooden house after another thanks to the diligent hands of many Reunion Movement members, almost identical to the ones they lived in in the village before.
And many of the young people in the Reunion Movement had also joined Patriot's troops, training there. Although they couldn't become Shieldguards, they still became passable soldiers or Scouts.
However.
Just then, a Scout ran back in a hurry and said hastily to Patriot, who was training the troops.
"Mr. Patriot, bad news!! A force of over a hundred people seems to be approaching us with a clear objective from not far away."
Over a hundred people?
Talulah, who was next to him, was stunned.
It couldn't be an Army Group. How could an Army Group send only a hundred people?
However.
Since their objective was clearly them, it meant that the other party knew of their existence. They had to be on guard.
"Alina, call Mr. Reeve."
Talulah said to Alina.
However, Alina was a little troubled.
"Talu... I've already called Mr. Reeve, but he hasn't replied...."
"????"
All the Shieldguards assembled, ready for battle at any moment.
After a while.
A force of over a hundred people did indeed approach.
However.
When these people appeared in everyone's vision, Patriot was stunned.
"Sarkaz!"
It wasn't an Army Group... but Sarkaz. And looking at their equipment, they seemed to be in distress...
However.
Even if the other party wasn't an Army Group, Patriot was not going to let his guard down.
Just as everyone was about to get close.
Suddenly!
The earth collapsed.
Magma erupted from the ground, and a huge, headless upper body of a flame monster emerged from the magma. This scene directly scared a lot of the Reunion Movement people, and even Patriot's expression became solemn.
A god!!
However, at this moment, the flame monster let out a familiar voice.
"Long time no see, Mr. Patriot, Alina, Talulah, FrostNova."
"???"
A question mark appeared above the heads of the four.
"Mr... Mr. Reeve!!!"