Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 13: The Arrival of Misfortune

 

The reason the Netheril Empire was able to grow and expand despite being squeezed between barbarians and orcs was due to its strong development and cultivation of arcane masters.

 

Of course, what brought them success with arcane masters also became their downfall!

 

When an empire's armed forces begin to take extreme measures, significant hidden dangers and flaws inevitably arise.

 

Suppressing his excitement, Steward Ralph raised his voice and shouted:

 

"You should be grateful to have the lord here. These aberrant creatures are nothing more than lambs to the slaughter."

 

"But at the same time, don't let your guard down. Don't rely on the lord to handle everything."

 

"You must play your part, earn your rewards, and prove your worth..."

 

Angela, who had just returned with a large piece of flesh essence, bit her lip and lowered her head slightly. Beneath her silver mask, there was a trace of unease on her face.

 

However, Matthew gently patted her shoulder and said softly, with a warm tone of reassurance:

 

"Don't worry. With me as your support, you can freely display your talents."

 

The young knight had never experienced such treatment before, and she was filled with a sudden surge of loyalty and determination.

 

She nodded solemnly, saluted, and began commanding the soldiers to clean up the battlefield and prepare to continue their journey as quickly as possible.

 

Glancing at his empty mana reserves, Matthew reminisced about the real-time feedback he received from killing the aberrant crocodile. Looking at the 800 experience points and 4 skill points he'd accumulated, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

 

"Indeed, recruiting a bunch of henchmen is absolutely necessary..."

 

"Stepping in at crucial moments not only establishes authority but also allows me to rightfully claim the kills."

 

After dealing with that large wave of aberrant creatures, their numbers once again dwindled.

 

The soldiers were able to relax a little.

 

Angela had the soldiers rotate and rest.

 

She also made sure that those who hadn’t yet fought worked together to kill some aberrant creatures, building up their battle experience and honing their skills.

 

Angela did this to prevent any mishaps later, in case inexperienced soldiers faltered or panicked in a crisis.

 

How are veteran soldiers made?

 

By training rookies into them!

 

Matthew, however, saw things more clearly. Originally, out of the 20 soldiers, only half were warrior-class fighters, with only Old John and Captain Sean reaching level 3.

 

After several hours of fighting, four more soldiers had stepped onto the warrior's path, becoming level 1 professionals.

 

The other soldiers had also improved their skills to varying degrees.

 

Matthew was most impressed by Leon's rapid progress.

 

In just over an hour, Leon had learned Basic Blade Techniques LV1 from Old John and had made significant progress in White Wolf Swordsmanship, approaching LV2.

 

His extraordinary rate of growth left Matthew astonished.

 

As expected, in times of chaos, the chances of heroes emerging increase dramatically.

 

Is this because the old order has been broken, giving more people opportunities?

 

Or is the world itself sensing the impending danger, struggling to resist and adapt?

 

Without intervening further, Matthew was happy to quietly enjoy the rewards of everyone else's battles.

 

30 experience points weren’t much, but 10 wasn’t too little either!

 

Unknowingly, Matthew's accumulated experience was approaching 900.

 

At that moment, Ralph glanced at the enchanted chest full of flesh essence, did some quick calculations, and nervously whispered in Matthew's ear:

 

"Of the 3,000 gold coins provided by the family, 2,500 were spent on various supplies. Of the remaining 500, we've already handed out 230 gold coins..."

 

The smile beneath Matthew's mask froze instantly, and he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, like his first time playing a game.

 

As expected, no matter the world, money is something you can never have enough of!

 

However, even though spending was fast, it hadn’t been without gains.

 

The soldiers were now highly motivated and more or less won over by Matthew.

 

Judging by the reverent glances they occasionally shot his way, they were clearly within his control.

 

Matthew found the cost quite reasonable: spending a few hundred gold coins to establish the image of a powerful, reliable, and fair lord.

 

A very worthwhile investment!

 

Of course, Steward Ralph would need to be "reassured" as well.

 

His combat ability might not be the strongest, but his management skills were outstanding, making him someone Matthew could confidently rely on. Matthew said gently:

 

"It's alright. Keep spending without worry. If we run out of gold coins, we can barter for better-quality weapons."

 

"Once we return to the territory, I will immediately process these flesh essences into life potions and enchanted weapons."

 

"As long as we can find buyers, we should be able to exchange them for a significant amount of gold and resources."

 

"Based on the materials we've collected so far, earning 1,000 gold coins is entirely possible, with at least triple the profit."

 

Relieved once again, Ralph nodded in agreement, continuing to distribute gold to the soldiers, keeping track of their merits and maintaining morale.

 

In his heart, Ralph couldn’t help but reflect on Matthew's astonishing spellcasting abilities.

 

Thinking of Matthew's decisive actions today, Ralph realized that his lord likely had cards up his sleeve that even he didn’t know about.

 

This only made Ralph more reassured!

 

In the sky, the blood-red moon had turned completely crimson, leaving no trace of white.

 

Under the eerie red light, the entire world appeared distorted and terrifying.

 

The convoy had covered about two-thirds of the journey and was nearing the edge of the Misty Swamp.

 

A dense, chaotic noise gradually began to rise from afar.

 

At first, it was just some faint, crackling sounds, which everyone thought were the calls of insects or birds, or perhaps the howls of aberrant creatures.

 

But soon, when a horde of dark figures began to swarm forward, Old John, who was scouting ahead, shouted sharply:

 

"Enemy horde up ahead!"

 

Leon, seeing the approaching blood-red figures, felt a wave of anxiety. His breathing became heavier beneath his mask.

 

Old John patted him on the shoulder, speaking in a calm, steady voice:

 

"Don’t panic. Stay calm, and you’ll deal with the danger and kill the enemy."

 

"The more reckless you are, the greater the chance of death..."

 

Forcing himself to calm down, Leon breathed steadily, focusing intently on the incoming enemies, grateful for Old John's guidance.

 

"Stop the advance!"

 

Angela took out a monocular and peered through the fading mist to see hundreds of aberrant murlocs.

 

Her face changed, but then she remembered Matthew’s reassurance and quickly suppressed her emotions, calmly issuing orders:

 

"Pull all the wagons together, forming a ring with the rears facing out, leaving the draft horses inside."

 

"Each group of three soldiers, retrieve long wooden shields from Cart 7 and set them up to block gaps."

 

"Trained militiamen, step forward. Get spears from Cart 10 and assist the shield-bearers in sealing off any openings."

 

"John and Sean, you’ll each lead the first and second rows of spearmen. Make sure they know their positions and teach them how to strike effectively..."

 

"Archers, step up. Climb onto the wagons and shoot down at the larger aberrant murlocs from above."

 

"Remember, aim carefully before shooting. Target their heads to be effective; otherwise, you’re just wasting energy and arrows."

 

"Cart drivers from Cart 9, take out the oil jars and distribute them evenly around the perimeter."

 

"More shields—quickly dig a trench around the convoy, then use the shields to block it."

 

"Anyone else, grab a spear and be ready to stab at any aberrant murlocs trying to squeeze through gaps under the wagons."

 

"..."

 

Angela's commands came faster and faster, with Ralph stepping in to help with the organization.

 

Matthew silently rubbed his nose, watching the swarm of aberrant murlocs approaching, feeling a strange mix of apprehension and relief.

 

"I knew misfortune wouldn’t be dispelled so easily..."

 

"If we hadn’t killed those two aberrant crocodiles earlier and had abandoned all the supplies to flee, we’d probably be caught between the aberrant murlocs and the aberrant crocodiles by now!"

 

"Indeed, the more you try to avoid danger, the greater it becomes, until there’s nowhere left to run, nowhere to hide!"

 

Glancing at his attribute panel, Matthew stood up amidst the soldiers’ watchful eyes, calmly gripping his staff and looking into the distance. His tranquil demeanor captivated the soldiers.

 

Don’t mind me—I can only offer this much support for now!