Chapter 65 | Base Lord Edwin
"Lord Edwin is back, was the mission a success?"
Unfortunately, based on how Edwin and the other awakeners looked, it was far from that, their faces grim and their bodies battered.
All of them were battered and bloodied, with one even missing an arm, his stump wrapped in a crude bandage, and others heavily injured, leaning on their companions for support, their armor cracked and broken.
As soon as they saw that, the healers of the base rushed to their side to help them out, their hands glowing with healing energy, while Edwin simply sighed with a heavy expression on his face.
"We failed," he shouted, his voice carrying a note of defeat that echoed through the crowd. "The Wendigo trapped us in its territory, killed four of our men, and escaped before we could even land a serious blow."
The commotion around the entrance of the base intensified at the news, whispers spreading through the crowd like wildfire as the gravity of the situation sank in.
"Damn it, how many people have we lost already to that thing?"
"I mean, that’s why the Awakener Association put a bounty on that thing, it’s just way too fast and smart for us to handle."
"Another mission failure, huh, I wonder if Lord Edwin will get demoted because of all this."
Meanwhile, Alicar pushed through the crowd to be able to view the people better, all of them were equipped with good equipment, had scars that spoke of experience, and had likely been in this base for several months, their faces hardened by countless battles.
[Name: Edwin Aldridge]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 24]
[Potential: Decent.]
’Highest-level awakener I’ve met in the First Layer yet besides Viktor,’ Alicar thought, his eyes narrowing with interest as he assessed the man. ’And yet that Wendigo thing still manages to overwhelm him?’
An epic-rank monster was indeed a terrifying thing, capable of defeating awakeners several levels above it, even in a well-coordinated group with proper preparation.
And yet, despite the danger and the obvious risk, Alicar’s mind was already made up, a decision forming in his thoughts.
’I need that thing’s corpse to make money,’ was Alicar’s only thought at that moment, ’That way, I can buy more items and also prove my strength.’
After returning to the base, Edwin and his battered soldiers entered a massive building in the center of the Ironhold Base, its stone walls imposing and its doors heavy with iron reinforcements.
"They know where the Wendigo is," Alicar spoke, his voice low but filled with conviction. "That’s the perfect opportunity for us."
"Are you serious?" Leon looked at Alicar as if he was crazy, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I mean defeating the Goblin Commander was impressive but the Wendigo is epic-rank..."
"Yes, and?" Alicar replied with a wide smile, his confidence unshaken. "As long as we level up our attributes and skills, nothing can defeat us."
"...True, perhaps," Leon conceded, though his voice still carried a hint of doubt.
Leon was still extremely skeptical, but seeing how far they had gone, he couldn’t help but believe that there might still be a chance, though it would only be 0.1% in his mind.
While they were waiting for the base lord and his soldiers to leave, Leon and Alicar finally held an actual conversation that wasn’t only about fighting and survival.
"So, did you find anywhere to live?" Alicar asked, his tone casual. "After two years, it must have been crazy trying to adjust."
"Oh boy," Leon laughed, shaking his head at the memory. "If only you knew."
He talked about how he appeared right in the middle of his old living room, startling the new tenants who had no idea who he was, and had to escape as the old tenants were about to call the Awakener Association on him for trespassing.
Thankfully, things turned out for the better as Leon managed to make some money from his initial hunts to acquire a new apartment, small and humble but his own.
"Its pretty empty, but I’m focusing on items right now anyway so it doesn’t matter," he said with a shrug. "Furniture can wait, power can’t."
Alicar also spoke about himself, though in not much details, simply stating he spent most of his time completing his Advancement Task in the Initial Stage.
Around twenty minutes passed like this, their conversation flowing easily, until eventually, the doors of the building in the middle of the base swung open with a heavy groan.
And from it, Edwin, the base lord, as well as the awakeners that had been with him came out, their faces still bearing the marks of their recent defeat.
"Do not fret, people," he shouted proudly, his voice carrying across the gathered crowd. "The Awakener Association has already decided what is the next best course of action."
"Well, tell us, then!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"What’s the point of this, they’re just gonna fail again!" another voice added.
"I wonder if the Wendigo is as strong as they make it out to be..." a third murmured.
Murmurs filled the air, with Leon and Alicar silently staring at Edwin, who seemed much more angry than before, his jaw tight with frustration.
"Our next expedition to the Woodlands is tomorrow," he said bluntly, an annoyed expression etched on his face. "And accompanying us will be a few awakeners who the Awakener Association calls ’prodigies’."
It seems like Edwin had truly wanted to prove himself by defeating the Wendigo, but after so many failures, the Awakener Association had sent some people it trusted could finish the job, much to his chagrin.
And those people were a group of four young awakeners who stepped forward with confident grins.
"Oh, I know them!" Leon said with a grin, his eyes lighting up with recognition. "They’ve been the talk of the First Layer due to how fast they’re growing."
As for Alicar, he stared forward with the most neutral of expressions, his face betraying nothing.
Because those so-called prodigies were, as one might expect, Alex, Daan, Levi, and another girl standing beside them, her presence equally confident.
Alicar peered into their souls, noticing that they were now all level 22, having grown significantly since their days in the Initial Stage.
And as for the girl, her potential was equally impressive.