Back at the makeshift camp of the human survivors, under the leadership of Captain Rockfall and Ted, the group had already set up the tents provided by the elves. A bonfire crackled at the center, and a large pot of something—no one could quite tell what—was boiling above the flames. The enticing aroma of hot soup wafted through the air, making Aldric's stomach rumble in response.
"You're back!" Ted greeted them warmly, handing Aldric a few fruits he had never seen before. "Those pointy-eared folk are just like that—so damn arrogant. I've run into them twice in the jungle, and not once did they speak to me. Later, people in the camp started saying elves don't need to talk—they just send messages with their minds."
Sir Gonz took one of the fruits and bit into it, chewing as he replied in his usual low voice, "They don't like communicating with races whose lives are too short… though sometimes, they get along fine with halflings. But it's a pity they don't eat meat. Honestly, with how long they live, I think their lives must be pretty miserable."
Aldric glanced at his teacher, finding it rare to see the Witcher engaging so naturally in small talk with ordinary people.
"They have incredible seafaring skills," Captain Rockfall added. "I saw their golden warships once at Victoria Harbor—they were twice the size of the Queen's flagship of the Kingdom of Albion!"
"If I could live for thousands of years, I'd probably look as majestic as those elven knights too," Terry chimed in, unable to resist joining the conversation.
The warm firelight and the rich aroma of food filled everyone with a sense of safety. For the first time in days, they felt they could finally relax and enjoy a peaceful evening.
When most of the meal was done, Witcher Gonz leaned closer to Ted and his two subordinates, speaking in a low tone: "The elves confirmed our suspicions. The Rogue Camp has been destroyed. What we saw that day—the smoke and fire—that was its final trace. But the elves also said the warriors there held out long enough for nearly half the people to escape."
The fire crackled softly. The air around them grew heavy. The survivors from Rogue Camp no longer smiled, and even those who hadn't been there fell silent.
After a long pause, Ted murmured, "So the Rogue Camp didn't make it after all... We dug that deep moat thinking it would protect us. Guess old George won't be pestering me for beer money anymore. Not that his beer was any good anyway…"
The guard who had taken an arrow to the knee patted Ted's shoulder, joined by another survivor. "We'll get through this, boss. When we reach Port Anthony, we'll rebuild Rogue Camp again."
Gonz nodded slightly and patted Ted's shoulder. "Enough for tonight. Get some rest. Tomorrow at dawn, we leave for Port Anthony. The elves will be gone in three days at most. We have to be out of this forest before then."
Captain Rockfall offered Ted a few words of comfort before leading his sailors back to their tents, leaving Ted and his two men silently warming themselves by the fire.
Inside his own tent, Aldric opened his task menu to check his new mission.
[New Quest: "The Far South in Storm and Shadow"]
Danger: Moderate ~ Hazardous.
It was just a message delivery quest—why was there a chance it could become dangerous? What kind of hidden peril awaited at Port Anthony? Did the mission's difficulty change depending on his choices? And how was he supposed to tell Gonz about this?
These questions swirled in his mind until, eventually, Aldric drifted off to sleep.
…
The chirping of birds and the scent of flowers greeted him when he opened his eyes. Thanks to the life-support pod's adjustment, his in-game sleep had been perfectly restorative—he felt clear-headed and full of energy.
"After a night of high-quality rest, you feel fully recovered from your exhaustion. You have gained 200 Life Experience Points."
"With proper rest, good food, and the elves' miraculous herbs, your status has improved from Severe Injury to Moderate Injury."
"Your simple treatment on NPCs has achieved excellent results. You've learned a new basic skill: First Aid (Intelligence)."
"You still have unallocated basic skill points and an unchosen class specialization."
"We wish you a pleasant and productive day, Player."
A chain of system prompts flashed before his eyes, signaling the start of a new day.
Opening his character menu, Aldric assigned his newly obtained First Aid skill under his current class—Witcher. The unchosen class specialization the system mentioned referred to Weapon Specialization, which he still hadn't picked.
In real life, Aldric had trained for nearly ten years in the Sword Hall, a subsidiary of the Wuju Martial Institute, mastering a wide range of melee weapons. Even now, he hadn't decided which weapon he should specialize in within the game.
The Sword Hall or the Scarlet Edge Hall, had originally been the Central Martial Arts Academy, founded back in 1927 during Aldric's previous life. After enduring the brutal war of that era, it had been disbanded in 1948. But in this world, despite surviving the same devastating conflict, the Central Academy had miraculously persisted through its darkest times.
A century later, in 2090, it was incorporated into the newly established Wuju Martial Institute of Cathay, renamed Scarlet EdgeHall—"the Hall of the Sword." Its name embodied the ideal that a sheathed sword remains humble and simple, but when drawn, its brilliance cuts through all.
The Wuju Institute itself was founded to promote and preserve national culture, functioning as a massive multidisciplinary institution. It housed the Radiant Scroll Pavilion, which focused on the study and interpretation of the Hundred Schools of Thought and ancient texts, while Scarlet Edge Hall carried forward five millennia of martial tradition.
It didn't just study traditional Cathaian martial arts—it collected, researched, and analyzed combat techniques from every culture in the world. Using modern science, its scholars aimed to deconstruct and reconstruct the "invincible martial arts" once spoken of in legend.
Of course, in Aldric's eyes, this grand institution could be summed up in three words: a youth center.
In this interstellar age, dominated by endless technological marvels, hand-to-hand combat was little more than a sport. The pursuit of being faster, stronger, and better still fit within the spirit of athletics. Thus, one could often see elderly martial arts masters of near-mythical skill either serving as research subjects or teaching preschoolers how to hold their stances. Meanwhile, the younger, more handsome martial artists with real talent usually ended up taking the route of celebrity idol careers.
Aldric, however, had been a prodigy even among the new generation of Scarlet Edge Hall. His natural talent as a transmigrant gave him an edge beyond ordinary humans. He had earned two National Champion titles in the Youth Divisions of both the Unarmed Combat and Sword & Blade disciplines and still held the Hall's record of twenty-one consecutive victories in round-robin duels.
In-game, he had once wielded his mentor's weapon—the White Wolf's Claw, a variant of the medieval longsword. In his hands, it was devastatingly effective. That was why Aldric decided to postpone his specialization choice until he found a weapon worthy of it.
By the time he exited his tent, everyone had finished packing up. The Witcher stood ready in a finely crafted elven chainmail, giving orders for the group to move out.
As the Witcher's apprentice, Aldric was also given a new piece of armor—a beautifully made leather cuirass. No one could tell what creature it had been crafted from. Its deep brown hue gave off a sense of sharp practicality. The shoulders and chest were reinforced with four layers of overlapping leather plates, while the abdomen was designed in a scale pattern reminiscent of sharkskin, allowing the wearer to move with complete freedom.
[Elven Ranger's Leather Armor]
The newly standardized equipment of Elven Rangers, created for war. Stripped of all ornamental patterns and hollow designs, it utilizes the elves' unique tanning techniques to maintain agility and protection in combat.
Requirements: Strength 8, Constitution 8
Material: Leather (Excellent)
Craftsmanship: Exquisite
Defense: Sturdy
Trait – Agile: The unique elven craftsmanship removes any Dexterity penalties while wearing this armor.
…
"At last," said the rangers, "we can finally feel safe."
A generous starting bonus—finally, Aldric felt like he was getting the main character treatment. With a lighter heart and a faint smile, he joined the group as they set off toward Port Anthony.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Hey guys, I'm changing Euras Union to Empire Union due to being it called more of an empire.