"So, where exactly are we?"
Taking control of the conversation smoothly, Lin Fei began to subtly probe for information he wanted. He noticed that he had changed somewhat; he used to be able to speak so confidently and manage the conversation's pace only in the game. Perhaps it was because he still saw this place as part of the 'Sword of Amber' world.
His experiences in the game had given him the confidence to address these young people as if they were still mere children, naturally exuding an air of self-assurance. This confidence unconsciously affected those around him, including Freya and others, who gradually began to focus more on Lin Fei.
Nearby, a few young people also looked up in their direction—
"This is the Red Pine Forest; don't move," the girl with the ponytail said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself.
Lin Fei looked up in surprise—this girl was destined to be a Valkyrie in the future, and she had quickly learned to regulate her emotions, though she still seemed somewhat inexperienced.
"Red Pine Forest?"
"Wait, how did you end up here?" Lin Fei was astonished again. He recalled this place as 'Dwarf Valley' in the game, a habitat for level fourteen brown bears. But this was south of Bucce, and Bucce's militia had no reason to be in this direction.
"We came to find you."
"To find Miss Roman, she's a friend of our leader."
"And Roman is a member of the Third Squad." The group spoke in unison.
"You fought off Madara's advance troops?" Lin Fei looked at Freya, who was the real concern for him.
"Impossible!" The girl looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "How could you ask such a dumb question?" "The guards helped evacuate the villagers from the north. We got separated from them. Besides, there are more and more monsters on the main road, so we had to head south. And I'm worried about Roman…"
"So you ended up here?" Lin Fei felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
The girl nodded matter-of-factly, her long ponytail bobbing with the movement.
Freya felt something strange immediately—this young man wasn't Captain Marden, so why did she feel like she was somehow lessened in his presence?
Lin Fei couldn't help but smack his forehead. He wondered whether to call these young people naive or foolish for thinking of rescuing others when they couldn't even save themselves.
No, perhaps it was simply a kind heart.
But unnecessary kindness on the battlefield only endangers oneself.
Lin Fei fell silent, his heart unable to avoid a pang of frustration. He had burned down his grandfather's estate to alert the village, but history seemed to be following its original path—or rather, repeating itself.
And now there were these young fools. "Martha, what kind of joke are you playing?"
He sighed inwardly, realizing that his ability to change things was still very limited. The inertia of history could not be stopped by mere efforts. Indeed, he needed to become stronger, but before that, he had to survive.
"Captain Marden, it seems I can't save you after all."
How could Madara's Black Rose attack the borders before the May Eternal Memorial Ceremony? Such an obvious conspiracy, surely it was meant to be demonic, wasn't it?
Lin Fei felt a void inside him. His previous struggles had led him to see that history hadn't changed at all. Such a blow was truly disheartening.
But, after all, he was just an ordinary person, and he had done his best.
"Charlotte!"
Just then, a pleasant voice rang out in his ear, like a lark's joyful song. Lin Fei turned to see the astonished and delighted face of the merchant girl, with another girl in gray-white leather armor following her—presumably the one who had come to notify them.
Roman rushed over to his side, cautiously watching him as if afraid he might disappear suddenly.
"I knew it; you're alright, Charlotte," she said with a relieved smile.
"By the way, Charlotte. Freya wouldn't let me return to Bucce, and I…" The merchant girl hurriedly explained, as if afraid he might be upset.
Lin Fei noticed the shiny tear streaks still on her face and couldn't help but feel his heart soften.
"It's okay, I'm fine now," he replied gently.
"Really?"
"Really." Lin Fei nodded.
"Roman, don't move him. Mr. Charlotte is seriously injured," Freya said, frowning. Did these two even realize how severe the injuries were? He was almost dead, wasn't he?
"It's alright." Despite saying so, Roman still stuck out her tongue and stepped back.
Lin Fei smiled. The merchant girl had that little temperament. Watching the two beautiful girls standing side by side, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pleasure.
He suddenly realized he hadn't changed so much after all—change was just from a different perspective. Since arriving in this world, the world had already changed.
If he hadn't traveled here, perhaps the merchant girl and Charlotte might have encountered misfortune by now. Madara's bandits had no mercy.
He looked at the others, including the young people with Freya. How many of them would have survived the war?
He remembered clearly that in that war, the border militias and guards were nearly wiped out.
But now he was here, and perhaps history would deviate from its course. There were many things he did not know, but at least these people around him should be preserved. These young people were the future seeds of this kingdom…
Lin Fei absolutely could not allow history to repeat itself.
"Alright, back to the main topic. Do you know how serious the situation is now?" The young man sighed, trying to make himself appear less distressed. To be honest, what he needed most right now was rest, but the current situation clearly didn't allow for it.
He looked at the others. Freya and the young militiamen were all stunned.
Only Roman playfully blinked.
"Huh?" The ponytail girl asked, puzzled.
Lin Fei coughed weakly and asked, "I mean, what are you planning to do next? If I'm not mistaken, Madara's undead must have taken control of the main road, right?"
The surroundings fell silent—
"You… how did you know?" Freya looked at him in surprise.
I know because I've experienced it firsthand, Lin Fei thought. However, the surprised looks from around him made him feel a bit smug.
Being a prophet has its perks.
Yet even the small satisfaction couldn't hide his worries: Madara's April offensive was swift and thorough, and he needed to come up with a more comprehensive plan to protect himself.
And these young people.
At the moment, Bucce was facing the flank of Madara's army, led by the future infamous 'Black Baron' Instalon. Although he was just a twenty-something hot-headed youth at this time, this war marked the beginning of his rise.
And what did Lin Fei have? At this point in history, he was merely an unknown figure.
But Lin Fei understood that his only advantage right now was foresight. This advantage could indeed save him in the upcoming encounters—but he needed to seize the opportunity.
He had only two options.
One was to navigate the relatively safe Sharpstone Valley. He remembered that it would be until the seventeenth day before Instalon's deputy, 'One-Eyed' Tagus, would control that area.
However, the distance was too great, and he was concerned he wouldn't make it out before they completed their encirclement. Unless he had horses, but where could he find horses for ten people now?
Therefore, there was only one path left: to break through from the Sharp River banks before the 'Corpse Wraith' Wessa and 'White Knight' Eberton's two squads closed in.
Until late April, there was only a skeleton squad led by a corpse mage stationed there.
He couldn't help but touch the cold ring on his index finger. With the Wind Element Ring, breaking through a line of eleven skeleton soldiers and a corpse mage shouldn't be too difficult, right?
But before that, he had to ensure that every member of this militia squad followed his orders. This was why he had been so forceful from the beginning.
Lin Fei glanced at everyone.
"This is a reasonable assumption; anyone with basic military knowledge would come to such a conclusion. Blocking the main road is to cut off communication and clear a path for their army. The next step is to eliminate the remaining forces of Eluin centered around Bucce," he said, drawing on his experiences to make it sound as dire as possible. Then he paused, emphasizing, "Which means us."
Silence fell, with only the sound of others' light breathing.
"So, what are you planning to do now?" Lin Fei asked weakly.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure.
There were over ten skeleton soldiers guarding the main road to Bucce. Surely they couldn't just fight their way out? Although there was a kind of youthful confidence that these enemies were no big deal, facing death was something else entirely.
Freya looked worried; she hadn't considered all this when making her decision. They were militia, but in the end, just a group of inexperienced young people.
The ponytail girl didn't speak, but her face showed clear confusion and helplessness.
And the others' eyes were already on Lin Fei. His experience made him seem steadier than anyone else here, and this impression was often subtle, making him appear more reliable in times of crisis.
"Charlotte?" Roman asked.
Lin Fei turned, giving her a reassuring smile.
"We need to prepare for the worst." Then he looked at everyone, intending to dispel their remaining naive mindset.
He had done this before. In guilds, newcomers often had an overly optimistic view of their first battle, and once hit by reality, they would become lost and collapse in the face of experienced teams.
In truth, the gap between players wasn't as big as imagined; it was all about mindset.
And veteran players had to be responsible for giving these newcomers a reality check.
"The worst-case scenario?"
Lin Fei was about to speak when a rustling sound came from the forest. Everyone turned in unison toward the noise, only Freya frowned and called out toward a cluster of heather, "Josen?"
"It's me, Captain Freya."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
But Lin Fei subtly waved at the ponytail girl, signaling her to stay alert. Freya noticed his gesture and was momentarily startled but quickly understood—there was no provision in Eluin militia training for leaving posts without permission.
Lin Fei trusted the Eluin militia's military discipline absolutely. Though these young people were naive, it didn't mean they had forgotten the basic regulations of daily drills.
On the battlefield, there was no room for negligence—
"What happened, Josen?" Freya asked, placing her hand on her sword hilt.
"Sorry, Captain, I—I was captured…"
The heather parted with a rustle, and two figures emerged. The first was a pale, tearful young man with his hands raised high.
A corpse mage followed closely behind, its fingers pointing at the young man's head while its eye sockets glowed with green flames, surveying the others.
"Heehee, caught a bunch of little mice."
Everyone froze.
"Josen!"
"How could you—"
Then came a chorus of disbelief.
Note:
Indomitable Spirit
The first awakened talent is called the Bloodline Talent. Not every character possesses it—at least, the protagonist isn't aware of this yet.
Indomitable Spirit has two main abilities:
Stubbornness: For its duration, this ability renders the user immune to all physical damage, unless they are decapitated or their heart is destroyed. Additionally, the user's willpower is boosted to 10 energy levels, allowing them to remain conscious for up to five minutes even after receiving fatal wounds or ceasing to breathe.
Self-Healing: This ability enhances the body's natural recovery processes, but it only takes effect once the injuries are stabilized.
The Bloodline Talent will gradually strengthen and reveal more characteristics as the character grows in power.