Chapter 70: Let us do our jobs.

The carriage rattled violently, each jolt sending a sharp, jarring thud vibrating up through the strained wooden frame.

Inside the cramped and heavily padded cabin, Kai braced a gloved hand against the wall, his fingers digging into the upholstery as he tried to maintain some semblance of dignity.

He was seated with his back to the horses, facing the rear, and the constant, rhythmic jarring made it difficult to focus his eyes, let alone his thoughts.

Right beside him, Carlotta sat with composure, though even her usual stoicism was being tested by the relentless, bone-shaking motion of the road.

Nevertheless, her posture remained upright.

Opposite them sat the two adventurers they had hired for the escort mission.

To Kai’s immediate right, a burly, axe-wielding warrior named Grok looked utterly miserable. His helmet was off, resting on his knee, revealing a sweat-drenched, balding head that glistened in the dim light of the cabin.

He shifted constantly, unable to find a comfortable position for his massive frame within the confines of the transport.

Beside Grok, seated nearest the forward wall, was Melty. Her long purple hair had been swept up into a high, intricate ponytail that bobbed with every bump in the road.

She wore a long, flowing dress that seemed entirely impractical for travel, the hem draping down to cover the backs of her black shoes.,

Being the mage that she was, she rested an ancient-looking staff across her lap. The wood was gnarled and polished by years of use, a weapon of choice meant to amplify her casting, yet she held it now like a lifeline.

But their presence meant absolutely nothing to Kai.

With his hands folded neatly in his lap, he looked past them, his gaze unfocused to the outside world as he stared intently at the translucent blue system notification hovering before him.

[Live chat is currently unavailable…]

’I have been checking this exact screen every single day since I found out other players could not log out of the game,’ Kai mused internally.

’And since then, there has not been any sort of new information whatsoever. I know I should not be worried, panic serves no purpose, but even I am becoming quite curious about this virus. Why was I the one linked to it to begin with?’

He tilted his head to the side just a fraction, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

’I mean, if you think about it objectively, my death practically brings the salvation of millions of players. I do not necessarily blame them for wanting me dead if they are told I am the sole reason for them being trapped here. It is a simple equation of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the one.’

At the same time, logic did not override instinct.

He did not want to die.

Kai, as of recent days, was quite aware of the changes occurring within his own psyche.

There were things he had done recently, ruthless, efficient actions, that if he had committed them in his former world, the guilt would have consumed him.

It would have eaten him alive.

Yet now, when he did what was necessary, he felt absolutely nothing.

With this shift in mentality, Kai understood one fundamental truth.

If it ever came down to a choice between his own survival and the lives of millions of people he had never met a day in his life, he would choose himself.

He would make that choice a million times over without blinking.

Mid-thought, a rough voice suddenly called out to him, slicing through his contemplation.

“You there, what is your name?” Grok asked, his beady eyes looking directly at Kai.

Kai snapped out of his inner mind, the system window vanishing from his vision as he turned his attention toward the mercenary.

“Aron,” he replied with a flat voice.

“You must have already been using the product, seeing as I can’t see your stats. Lucky guy, your levels and ranks are completely hidden from me.” Grok grinned, a greedy glint in his eyes.

Then Melty followed up, a somewhat weird frown twisting her features as she scrutinized him.

“And why are you wearing a mask? It is creepy and makes me uncomfortable. Who hides their face like that?”

Carlotta turned her head slightly, closing her eyes in a visible attempt to calm herself down before she did something rash.

“Does my rank affect your task in some way?” Kai replied calmly, his arms remaining folded.

He shifted his gaze back to the front, not even deigning to look in their direction anymore.

“If you are simply here to guide and guard this carriage, then do so. My appearance and my status do not concern you in any way.”

“What?” Melty grunted, clearly offended by the dismissal.

It seemed like she was about to say something else, perhaps a retort about his arrogance, when Grok suddenly covered her mouth with a thick hand.

“Please, pay no mind to her,” Grok said, his tone shifting to something visibly ingratiating. “She can be rather emotional at times. So tell me, surely if we are guarding this carriage, you can hook us up with an artifact or two? Just a small bonus for the road?”

“That is not in my power to do,” Kai said. “I am afraid you will have to speak to the merchant himself for that.”

Grok sighed, leaning back against the wood. “You are really a piece of work. Fine, be like that.”

He sat upright, leaning over to whisper something into Melty’s ear. The two exchanged a glance that lasted a second too long.

Kai sighed internally.

’The hell is their problem? No, actually, I know exactly what it is.’

Slightly glancing at them from the corner of his eye, he could see the thick, red aura leaking from their bodies like steam.

’I am sure Carlotta has noticed this as well. But if the guild were the ones who sent these people, then this is not entirely for security. Assassination? Robbery? I would not be surprised if that was the case. As for the girl, she seems like the kind who is used to having men fall at her feet anytime she complains.’

Kai looked out the small window of the wagon, watching the trees blur past.

’If she were to attack me in any way, I will make sure her death is long, painful, and serves as a lesson to anyone else watching.’

…

After a while of driving in tense silence, the frantic voice of the driver echoed from the front, snapping everyone to their senses.

“Monster attack! Monster attack! They’re on us!”

Kai opened his eyes, his demeanor shifting instantly.

’That is the signal. If the driver is panicking that much, the situation must be escalating quickly.’

From where he sat, he triggered his detection skill.

An invisible wave of sensory data flooded his mind, expanding outward from the carriage.

He could sense the heat signatures of monsters bursting out of the forest line, sprinting toward the carriage with predatory speed.

They were shaped like wolves, but they were completely different beasts.

They possessed long, jagged horns atop their heads, and their bodies were massive, huge enough to rival the height of a grown man. Their fur crackled and sparked with live lightning, hinting that if anyone were to move too close to them, there was a good chance of being electrocuted on the spot.

However, a quick scan revealed the upside: the monsters were level 56 or lower. There was no reason for him to act.

He could let the two hired hands earn their keep.

Which they immediately did.

Grok stood at the tail of the wagon, balancing easily despite the speed. He watched as the huge monsters chased them down, obviously catching up with terrifying agility.

“That is a lot of them! Melty, you ready?” He yelled over the rushing wind to get her attention.

“I guess so,” she shouted back, gripping her staff. “Wait, are these people not going to help us?”

“They are here as bodyguards for the merchant! They won’t act unless it involves him directly. This is our job right here, come on!”

“Urgh, fine! Let’s get this done fast then.”

“Right!”

Grok shoved his helmet onto his head and leaped from the moving carriage. His boots scraped against the concrete road, creating sparks as the wagon sped away, leaving him to face the horde.

He didn’t hesitate.

He clenched his fist, his mana flaring up in a visible aura as he landed a direct, earth-shattering punch on the lead monster.

The creature crashed to the side, tumbling violently as a huge chunk of its HP disappeared in an instant.

As for Melty, though she didn’t leap down from the carriage like her partner, she was still able to render devastating support from the rear opening.

With her wand glowing and stretched out in front of her, she began firing rapid, ice-like projectiles. The shards whistled through the air, stabbing into the lightning wolves before they could get anywhere near the carriage wheels.

The fight raged on for a while, the sounds of snarling beasts and magical explosions fading slightly into the distance as more and more monsters died in combat.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Kai shifted.

“Carlotta,” Kai called out to her softly.

Carlotta looked toward him instantly, her eyes wide.

“Is something the matter my lord… I mean, Mr. Aron?”

“Think nothing of it, but bring your head here. I want you to rest on my shoulder,” he said to her, his voice calm but commanding.

A huge smile etched itself onto Carlotta’s face at the unexpected request.

“Right away, my lord.”

She slid across the seat and clung to him tightly, pressing her entire body against him as if she planned to burrow into his skin.

She buried her face in his shoulder with content.

But Kai didn’t mind the contact.

After all, he knew what was coming.

Then—

Baam!!!

…

[A/N]

100 ps- 2 extra Chapters

200ps – 4 extra Chapters.

50gt- 2 extra Chapters.

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