If one does not wish to die as an insignificant worm, the best strategy is to strive with all one's might to protect that feeble candle of life swaying in the wind before it is completely extinguished.
This was precisely what Grian had bravely chosen to do. He had to do this to affirm the value of his own life. Otherwise, if he was to deny the value of his own life, then what reason would there be for his survival?
Therefore, Grian made his stance clear. In his view, this was the only thing he could do at the moment, and it was a challenge to his own courage!
Everything that would happen next was beyond his control. Life or death was lingering in the balance of Violet's whimsical decision.
"Since you are reluctant to speak..." Violet paused, pondering on how to deal with this group of people before her.
She had her own considerations.
Indeed, her initial show of mercy was a clear indication of her true intentions.
From the beginning to the end, she never intended to kill, but chose a more difficult path - to expand her team.
A one-sided massacre, apart from making enemies, accomplishes nothing, so such an action is meaningless.
It can even be said that it is a waste of energy.
This was the style that Violet had adopted as a Battlefield Valkyrie, as worms, no matter how they resist, will always remain worms.
The act of killing was the simplest and most effective way to solve problems.
Whether the opponent was a soldier or a civilian, in her view, the only difference was that some worms ate meat, while others grass.
But now, her soul had changed.
Lin Xiaozheng, who had always been diligent and industrious since childhood, knew this very well. There was a time when he even regarded the following statement as his motto: "Never attempt to make enemies, because that will eventually lead to a terrible dilemma."
One day, a person who makes enemies on all sides will face adversary on all fronts, and no matter how strong that person might be, they will inevitably come to a situation where they... can't afford to lose.
A person who can't afford to lose transforms into a lunatic, which means that even before the enemy makes a move, they have already defeated themselves.
Apart from lamenting, there are no other words to describe such a pathetic person.
So, just as if the same scene was being reenacted for the thousandth time, Violet made use of her routine strategy and easily defeated Grian.
Then she ceased her attacks and threatened to turn him into her servant.
The reason was simple: she didn't want to make enemies over her victories.
Now, after careful consideration, Violet realised she needed a group of fighters, so from the start, they couldn't really be considered her enemies.
In Violet's eyes, there were only two types of people: enemies and subordinates. They were strong and experienced in battling magical creatures, and although they might not be the most powerful individuals, in terms of professional conduct, they were certainly the best.
The ones who usually don't pass the test, are already devoured by the beast's mouth or else conquered by spirits.
So, adhering to the principle that professional matters should be handled by professionals, Violet, amidst the stunned gazes of this group of mercenaries, generously sent them back to town to await her message.
Everyone, both the mercenaries and Kars, doubted if they had heard wrong.
Among them, the only one who remained calm was Grian.
He was indeed the one Violet had deemed as promising. Besides his initial underestimation of Violet's capabilities, he hadn't made any other mistakes in the face of adversity.
This guy truly was a talent, and Violet would indeed find it a pity to kill him rashly.
Following Violet's casual dismissal, Grian, without any further conversation, stood up and acted accordingly. As Violet had discarded him as if tossing out trash, he clearly realized his standing in her eyes.
He thought to himself: Perhaps, it's the kind of...merely adequate food that couldn't quite satisfy one's hunger or have any particular taste.
It's a waste to throw it away, but also inconvenient to keep it in one's pocket all the time. Hence, while it seemed generous, this was probably Violet's only option.
Given her personal strength, she was more than capable of defeating the entire Bronze Shield mercenary guild alone.
Grian couldn't help but mock himself, fearing that if he didn't return to town, he would likely become a cannon fodder in Violet's challenge against the Bronze Shield.
With this thought in mind, he hurried and even drove his subordinates away, urging the members of his mercenary group to leave the place as quickly as possible, as though they were escaping.
The events of today were indeed very unlucky, and hopefully, such things won't occur in the future.
Unfortunately, while he got one thing right, he underestimated another. That is, once on Violet's ship, it wouldn't be easy to disembark.
Watching the retreating men, Violet had already assigned them another task before Grian left, which was to return to town.
And the task she had assigned was simple, to help Violet monitor the fat town head who looked like a pig.
She wondered, how could a mere town leader afford such a large sum of money to support her?
After much thought, the only one who could profit if she wasn't able to recoup the money, would be the town leader himself.
Therefore, undoubtedly, this money wasn't borrowed, but his personal fortune.
And the amount seemed quite substantial. Perhaps, after capturing the long-abandoned Black Crow Castle from the Bronze Shield, the money needed to refurbish the castle would have to depend on this 'town leader'.
So, she couldn't let him escape. In necessary circumstances, she could spread rumors to lure this fellow into a trap.
After watching the mercenaries depart, Kars asked Violet with bewilderment, not only about the skeleton, but also why she did what she did—he was curious.
In his eyes, Violet seemed to have completely changed into another person whom he didn't recognize.
In order to avoid revealing himself, Lin Xiaozheng sauntered up the hill while deep in thought, kicking the ball of interrogation back to Kars.
She asked Kars: "How do you make something extremely valuable, and how do you make it worthless?"
The answer was simple: become its master, and that's all there is to it.