Chapter 106: Advanced Warrior
The dangerous Secret Realm deep within Thorn Valley wouldn’t affect Duane’s Territory in the short term.
But it also served as a warning to Duane: he could never relax when it came to training the Warriors under his command.
Only by having more powerful subordinates would he possess the means to defend against the various risks that might arise in the future.
The Delicious Fish Soup could restore one’s stamina, and the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup could enhance the Strength of ordinary people and even Basic-level Warriors.
These two extraordinary ingredients needed to be utilized well.
Therefore, in the coming days, Duane would not only encourage his Guards to train but also have Kaelon, Raymond, and the others lead teams into the wilderness to hone the Warriors’ combat skills.
Although this process might lead to casualties, they would never grow stronger without real combat experience.
Besides, Duane’s supply of Fire-attribute Demon Beast Meat was dwindling by the day, and he needed to send out hunting parties to replenish what was consumed.
Seeing Duane’s worried expression on the way back to the mine, Kaelon volunteered, "My Lord, if you’re really that concerned, Gaius and I can go back there and investigate."
Gaius hesitated. That experience was a nightmare for him, and to be honest, he had no desire to enter that Secret Realm again.
’But I just joined the Baron’s service,’ he thought. ’I can’t look like a coward.’
"The Guard Officer is right. We can go and investigate to get a handle on the Secret Realm’s current situation."
Duane mulled it over before finally shaking his head.
’Based on their last experience, Kaelon and Gaius would be fine as long as they left the Secret Realm within five or six days, but what good would that do?’
’Instead of exploring inside the Secret Realm, it would be better to scout the area outside it and see how many Demon Beasts have had their minds warped by its influence.’
"We do need to gather intelligence on that area, but only on the Demon Beasts outside the Secret Realm. There’s little value in going inside."
Duane said slowly, "But before that, we need to strengthen our defenses in the direction of Thorn Valley. Perhaps we could consider building two fortresses a bit farther out."
Simone caught on. "You’re trying to prevent those contaminated Demon Beasts from invading your Territory?"
"’Contaminated’ is a good word for it." Duane nodded. "Those contaminated beasts and Demon Beasts will be stronger. If a group the size of the last Frog Fish Monster horde were to be contaminated and invade our Territory, the situation would be dire."
Kaelon, Simone, and Gaius’s hearts tightened at the thought.
All three parties involved in the last battle against the Frog Fish Monsters had suffered losses.
If the Frog Fish Monsters had been any stronger, the casualties would have been much higher!
Gaius suggested, "That Secret Realm is located deep within Thorn Valley. If contaminated Demon Beasts do come our way, they’ll either pass through Hutou Village and Forest Village, or approach from the south of Lingang Village."
"So, the fortresses you mentioned, My Lord, should be built in those three locations."
Kaelon added, "We’ll also need to reinforce the defensive forces in those three places."
The three began to discuss how to allocate the existing 70 Guards and 100 Militia members to handle the defense of both the Thorn Valley and the Hot Spring Mountain Range fronts.
Their final conclusion was that they didn’t have enough men. They hoped Duane would recruit more people.
Ideally, the Guard Army should be expanded to 200 men and the Militia to 500.
Duane’s head throbbed as he listened.
’A Territory with thirty thousand people usually has a standing army of three to five hundred,’ he mused. ’Black Forest Island’s situation is unique, so an extra two hundred would be normal.’
’But we can’t keep up with the logistics.’
’Even if these men don’t wear Armor, or even Cloth Armor, they still need weapons, don’t they?’
’So many weapons... even if we just gave them all clubs, it would take ages to carve them.’
"When we get back, you three, along with Raymond, Julian, Ralph, Haien, plus Captains like Michele, Jack, and John, and all the Middle Level Warriors, will hold a meeting to figure out a plan."
Duane said in response to their request for more troops.
"Everyone is aware of the threats on Black Forest Island, so we definitely need to start preparing. We have to consider how to balance production, secure a supply of weapons and equipment, maintain order within the Territory, and so on."
"Owington, you’ll attend as well. Record the final plan you all agree on and report back to me."
Duane actually had his own plan, but seeing his men so engaged in discussion, he was eager to let them participate.
Black Forest Island was indeed his Territory, but if it were to expand in the future, he would need more people to help him govern it.
By involving more people now, he wouldn’t be at a loss for who to rely on when he truly needed them in the future.
The men readily agreed.
Hardy was particularly excited. He was just a squad leader under Gaius’s command and never expected to have the opportunity to attend such a high-level meeting.
His mind was already racing, figuring out how to present his own suggestions.
Back at the mine, the Warriors carved off a large piece of the snake meat and handed it over to the camp’s cook.
After enjoying a delicious meal, Duane headed for the Hot Spring Mountain Range, accompanied by Kaelon and Simone.
Meanwhile, Owington took his squad to pick the tea leaves and bring them back to the Lord’s Villa.
The air on the outskirts of the Hot Spring Mountain Range was still mild, but the deeper they went, the more oppressive the heat became.
Duane encountered several mountain boars, but unfortunately, they were just ordinary beasts, not worthy of him getting serious.
Finally, atop a small mountain several miles in, he came across a thick-hided, red-tusked boar.
It was a Level 2 Demon Beast. Although it lacked the protective scales of the Blazing Giant Snake, its hide still made it difficult for Duane’s Longsword to pierce through.
The boar’s unique ferocity was especially apparent; even covered in its own blood, it only grew more vicious.
During the fight, a moment of carelessness from Duane nearly resulted in the beast’s sharp tusks leaving two bloody holes in his body.
Fortunately, he ultimately won, though not without a scare.
[Spirit Swordsmanship Skill Level has advanced to Perfection]
[Attribute points +0.5]
In an instant, a flood of information surged into Duane’s mind, further elevating his mastery of Spirit Swordsmanship.
"Kaelon, let’s test our swords."
The moment the words left his mouth, he charged.
He now felt that by just circulating a little Fighting Qi, his entire body felt as if it were blessed by the Wind, becoming incredibly light.
Kaelon didn’t know why the Baron suddenly wanted to spar and had no time to ask. He hastily drew his sword to defend himself.
The sound of clashing metal rang out, followed by a continuous series of strikes.
Duane’s Sword was incredibly fast, his angles were tricky, and his moves were unpredictable.
Without using Fighting Qi, Kaelon found himself completely suppressed by the assault.
Whenever he tried to counterattack or go on the offensive, Duane would interrupt him at the perfect moment.
’The Baron...’
Simone’s eyes lit up with amazement. He never expected the Baron’s Swordsmanship to be so profound.
’Even I would probably be no match for the Baron in pure Swordsmanship.’
"I give, I give..."
Kaelon quickly shook his head, stopping the spar. "My Lord, your talent for Swordsmanship is simply monstrous! I’m no match for you!"
’I’m the one who personally taught him Spirit Swordsmanship, and now he’s completely overwhelming me.’
’It’s common for a student to surpass their master, but for it to happen in just three months... that’s unheard of.’
Duane let out a hearty laugh.
His Perfection Level Spirit Swordsmanship gave him complete control over his movements. As he fought, it felt as if the very terrain and air were working in his favor.
In that state, he felt as if he had even grasped Carter’s Combat Technique, Swift Step.
He checked his attribute panel and invested the 0.5 attribute points into his Spirit Attribute.
After he spent 0.1 points to increase his Spirit to 3.0, his Level changed.
In that instant, the Fighting Qi Seed in Duane’s chest fully blossomed. It was like a second heart, but instead of blood, it pumped Fighting Qi.
His originally blue Fighting Qi now had a hint of cyan.
’So this is the Cyan Snake Combat Technique, formed under the influence of the Breathing Skill!’
Duane closed his eyes to feel the changes. The Fighting Qi pumped by his new "heart" nourished his body. As his body improved, it fed back into the cycle, making his Fighting Qi even stronger.
When a Warrior’s Fighting Qi grew strong enough to form a Fighting Qi Spring in their abdomen, they would become a Tier Warrior.
’I’m an Advanced Warrior now!’