Chapter 14: Before the Battle

"Where are we going? Continue heading north?" Mage Kiya asked nervously, looking at Shaoke as if afraid to hear bad news from him.

"No, we're not heading north for now. Didn't we discover a large number of low-level magical beasts here yesterday? I think it's time for us to seriously carry out our mission. This is our duty. If all goes well, we'll leave here in three to five days and continue northward." Shaoke tightened his cloak and glanced at the ordinary staff in his hand, thinking, "I'll replace it with a better one as soon as I get promoted. This one's appearance really doesn't match the mysterious aura a mage should have."

"Mage Xueye... are all these soldiers coming with us? What about the camp?" Mage Kiya grew even more nervous after seeing Mage Yija fidgeting with his staff. He noticed his companion was in worse shape than he was.

Looking at the tense faces of the two new mages, Shaoke felt quite impatient but couldn't vent his anger or show it. "Mage Yija, Mage Kiya, stop overthinking. Don't forget, we are powerful mages. Moreover, this is our current duty. Remember what we're here for." Shaoke couldn't be bothered to console them further and lifted the thick felt tent flap to step outside. "I'll wait for you outside. Relax, these magical beasts are only first-tier or zero-tier, and there aren't many of them. Even without us, those brave soldiers could handle them. Don't keep everyone waiting too long. As for guarding the camp, that's not our concern. It's the captain's responsibility."

After leaving the tent, Shaoke saw most of the soldiers preparing the necessary items for the mission. The morning in the Misty Forest was still shrouded in a layer of white fog, thicker than in the town. Such conditions weren't helpful for outdoor activities and usually lasted several magic hours, only improving around noon. Fortunately, the soldiers were already accustomed to this environment, so Shaoke didn't need to worry about it.

At that moment, the captain, who was directing the busy soldiers, hurried over, saluted, and said, "Lord Mage Xueye, are the other two mage lords ready? Please wait a moment. The soldiers will be prepared soon."

"No rush, they're still getting ready. Have the soldiers prepare, and we'll set off at any time." Shaoke nodded in thanks to the strict, old-fashioned captain and explained the situation of the other two mages, which made him feel quite uncomfortable, though he didn't dwell on why.

The captain acknowledged the order and loudly urged the soldiers to speed up. He left over thirty men to guard the camp against magical beast attacks; they were also responsible for building the camp's defenses. The remaining soldiers would follow the mages to hunt the magical beasts.

After a while, just as Shaoke was growing impatient, Mage Kiya and Mage Yija emerged from the tent together, indicating they were ready. Shaoke thought, "Good thing you came out in time. If you'd taken much longer, the soldiers would have gotten annoyed. Even though we're mages, we can't act like divas."

When the two somewhat uneasy mages joined Shaoke, the soldiers had already prepared the necessary weapons and tools. A scouting team of over a dozen men had been sent ahead to locate the gathering spots of the magical beast groups, making it easier for the soldiers to surround and kill them.

As per usual, the physician wasn't brought along for this mission. Although Physician Ino repeatedly insisted on joining, after the captain firmly refused, he grumbled and returned to the tent he shared with his father. "Fine, I won't go. It's freezing, and I finally got a break. Why was I so foolish? Poor kids, I hope you don't get your little hands stuck to those rough sword hilts."

Shaoke and the two mages followed the soldiers, slowly moving in the direction of the scouting team. Seeing that the two mages were still agitated and uneasy, Shaoke deliberately asked, "What's wrong, Mage Kiya, Mage Yija? A bit scared?"

Noticing the soldiers around them eavesdropping, Mage Kiya whispered, "No, no, Mage Xueye, it's not what you think. I'm just excited and can't wait for the magical beasts to arrive." He refuted the assumption and stated his stance. Mage Yija simply lowered his head slightly, letting his golden hair cover his flushed face, while constantly twirling his staff to distract himself from his timid feelings.

Hearing Mage Kiya's explanation, Shaoke felt slightly better and forced a smile. "Alright, Mage Kiya. Although we won't charge to the front lines like the brave soldiers, if there are too many magical beasts, we'll still need to provide support."

Hearing this, the two mages sighed softly in relief, as if the danger wasn't as great as they'd imagined. But then, Shaoke's next words made them tense up again.

"Hmm, I remember when I first arrived, Mage Feiyi and Mage Loki encountered a herd of about a hundred Snow Deer. Fortunately, they were discovered in time and eliminated quickly. Although over a dozen soldiers were injured, no lives were lost. Back then, seeing blood everywhere, my mind went blank, and I almost couldn't cast spells accurately." Shaoke was indirectly comforting them. In reality, he hadn't been disoriented at all back then; he had accurately killed many magical beasts and earned praise from Mage Feiyi and Mage Loki.

"We won't encounter such a large herd of magical beasts this time, right? Mage Xueye," Mage Kiya asked uneasily.

"Yes, perhaps we won't encounter such large herds. Don't forget, we are mages. We possess magical power that these brave soldiers don't have, so we should be even braver than them." Shaoke had to encourage the two new battlefield mages from every angle, hoping they'd stay calm when the time came. "Don't worry, this mission is mainly to let you experience the atmosphere of real combat with magical beasts in the wild. We won't be targeting overly large herds."

The team gradually quieted down. As they moved farther from the camp, the soldiers, who had been chatting enthusiastically earlier, slowly stopped talking and instinctively maintained silence to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for the scouts ahead. At this distance from the camp, magical beasts could appear at any time.

Shaoke also stopped talking with the two mages and fell into silence. "It's strange. Back when I fought that large herd of Snow Deer with Mage Feiyi and Mage Loki, I wasn't scared at all—only excited. Even seeing soldiers killed by magical beasts didn't frighten me. Is it because I've witnessed so much conflict in this world, or because I possess the unique indifference—or even cold-bloodedness—of people from another world?" As he pondered, Shaoke couldn't help but smile. Fortunately, he was still wearing the large cloak intended for enchantment, and since no one was staring at him, no one noticed the usually stern mage inexplicably smiling. "I've spoken more in the past half month than in an entire year before. Once we return, I must strive to advance to the Mage rank and leave this place as soon as possible. By then, those two will be able to handle outdoor missions on their own."

And so, after traveling for about another magic hour, the scouts returned to report to the captain. They had discovered a herd of "Mud Boars" about five hundred meters ahead. The herd wasn't too large, consisting of roughly twenty to thirty adult mud boars, with the rest being juveniles.

The captain informed Shaoke of the situation and ordered the soldiers to prepare for battle. They cautiously surrounded the herd in a crescent formation. Although these mud boars were first-tier magical beasts, they couldn't successfully cast offensive spells like Snow Deer. They could only cast low-tier defensive spells, and even then, their success rate was quite low.

The soldiers weren't afraid to fight these low-tier mud boars. Magical beasts that couldn't cast offensive spells, even if their melee abilities were stronger than ordinary animals, were no match for these soldiers who trained rigorously in the north year-round. Moreover, the soldiers outnumbered the mud boars two to one and had mage support from behind.

Shaoke tried to speak in a relaxed tone to the two first-time combat mages. "Relax. Even without us, these soldiers could easily slice through these low-tier mud boars like bread. Their long blades and great axes aren't just for show."

Hearing this, Mage Kiya and Mage Yija eased some of the greater anxiety triggered by the news of the approaching magical beasts. They thought, "When the time comes, we just need to chant the incantations as we practiced and lock onto a target."

Regardless of what the two mages were thinking, the hunting team quietly closed in on the mud boars. Shaoke and the two mages stayed slightly farther back but still within spellcasting range. There were about twenty-five or twenty-six adult mud boars, their bodies covered in a thick layer of hardened mud for protection. Dozens of young mud boars occasionally dashed across the snowy ground or used their snouts to dig through the snow, hoping to find something tasty to fill their hungry bellies, or to bring to their parents to show off their abilities.