"Go!"

While Lin Mo was facing off against the Large Slime, Alton and the rest of the squad burst out from the bushes, rushing to support him.

The Goblins were stunned when they saw their leader get taken down. Their will to fight instantly vanished, and they scattered, each fleeing for its life.

Solan drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and precisely shot a fleeing Goblin. Carson also attacked swiftly from the side, easily slitting a Goblin’s throat with the short dagger in his hand.

Ali charged in, swinging her Sword. She didn’t care if it was a Goblin or a Slime—she cut them all down with a single strike.

Before a seasoned Adventurer Squad, these low-level Demons stood no chance at all.

Alton, meanwhile, rushed toward Lin Mo, thrusting his Sword at the Large Slime.

Lin Mo had just finished a second round of Collision with the Demon before him, gaining another point of Skill Level for [Tenacity]. Seeing Alton approach, he gave up on the idea of farming more and coordinated his attack with him.

"Thrust!"

Alton’s precise sword strike sank deep into the Large Slime’s body. While its semi-liquid form helped it mitigate some damage, there was a limit to this ability.

Alton’s Skill was already pushing the limits of what it could withstand.

"Cross Slash!"

The two flashes of light from Lin Mo’s follow-up sword strikes met no resistance, easily slicing the Large Slime into four pieces.

A core, much larger than those of other Slimes, flew out, and Alton caught it with his hand.

"Nice work..."

Just as Alton was about to offer some praise, Lin Mo’s figure had already shot forward, heading straight for the dozen or so remaining Slimes and Goblins.

"Er..."

Alton scratched his head. ’Is he always this eager?’

In the end, Lin Mo managed to kill seven of the Demons, raising his Skill Level for [Stealth] and [Cross Slash] a little more.

The battle ended smoothly. Between the infighting among the Demons and Lin Mo’s astonishing performance, the victory seemed to have come a little too easily.

The other four members of the squad were busy cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the spoils.

Alton took out a map and began to think about where they should camp for the night.

Lin Mo wanted to help, but the other four refused, telling him to get some proper rest.

Most Adventurer Squads have an unwritten rule: the stronger members bear greater pressure and responsibility in battle. Consequently, tasks like scouting, setting traps, and cleaning up the battlefield are usually handled by the relatively weaker members. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

They were all veterans, and they worked efficiently. In no time, all the spoils were collected, and Alton had chosen a spot to camp.

Staying by the river at night wasn’t a good idea, as many nocturnal Demons would come there to drink. So, although it was a bit of a hassle, they walked some distance away and made camp far from the riverbank.

The summer days were long. It was already seven or eight o’clock, but the sky hadn’t completely darkened yet. Rick chopped down a nearby tree and started a campfire.

Carson and Ali went to set up some traps nearby, while Solan used the time to take a look around. As expected, he returned with a pheasant he had hunted.

The pheasant was quite large, closer in size to the turkeys Lin Mo remembered.

However, unlike turkey, this bird’s meat wasn’t dry at all. On the contrary, the tender meat glistened invitingly as it roasted over the Flame, and a sprinkle of salt they’d bought in town was all the seasoning it needed to be delicious.

Lin Mo held a chicken leg in one hand and a piece of bread in the other. Aside from the lack of a bowl of fragrant, hot soup, the meal was already lavish enough.

The time after dinner and before bed was the freest part of the day.

Carson was wiping and polishing his daggers, Rick was cleaning his Iron Armor, and Solan was checking the condition of his bowstring. Daily maintenance of one’s weapons was a required course for any Adventurer.

They all chatted as they worked on their own tasks.

Their conversation had little to do with their current adventure; it was mostly just idle chatter about their lives. For example, Solan, who never seemed to learn his lesson, had just finished eating and was already itching to bring up Alton’s daughter again.

"I’ve told you countless times, Solan, don’t you get any ideas about Bena. If I find out you’ve said anything weird to her, I’ll break your legs!"

As a protective father, Alton doted on his only daughter. He huffed and glared at Solan, looking just like an old geezer guarding against a suitor.

Carson and Rick chuckled from the side. Clearly, this was a common scene in their squad.

Lin Mo finished his roast chicken and bread, drank some water, and washed his hands.

Ali sat a little ways off, hugging her knees. Whenever they rested, she would always hide in a corner like this, staring blankly into space by herself.

Lin Mo could sense her unspeakable loneliness. Although everyone truly treated her as a member of the squad during their adventure, fighting side-by-side with her, once they were outside of combat and back to their daily lives, Ali seemed to become invisible to the group.

It wasn’t intentional exclusion or malicious bullying, just a simple inability to connect. It was like a natural, gradual estrangement.

Lin Mo took two slices of bread from his pack, pulled out a piece of cheese, and sliced off a piece of roast chicken to place between them. Then he started toasting it over the campfire...

A rich, sweet aroma wafted into her sensitive nose. The sudden appearance of this somewhat novel food before her made Ali’s eyes widen in surprise.

"I noticed you didn’t seem to eat much."

Lin Mo handed the sandwich to her. "This is a dish from my hometown. Want to try it?"

Ali didn’t speak, just stared at him with her azure eyes. Her gaze shimmered, a mix of three parts confusion and seven parts nervousness.

She raised her hand, slowly and almost mechanically, and brought the food to her mouth.

The melted cheese was exceptionally fragrant and sweet, and the toasted bread had the perfect amount of crispiness. The chicken in the middle was tender and juicy. With the first bite, the combined flavors exploded on her taste buds. Without a second thought, the movements of her hand naturally sped up until her little mouth was stuffed full, her cheeks puffed out.

Lin Mo watched this scene with a smile, then picked up a few fallen leaves and laid them on the ground. "May I sit here?"

"Mm... Of course!"

Ali mumbled and nodded. She pressed her lips together, as if deliberately suppressing something. Her discarded shoes lay to one side, and her pale toes curled as her body tensed up.

"Um..."

She finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and mustered the courage to ask, "Is there... something you need?"

"Not really. I just wanted to chat with you for a bit. It won’t take long."

"Chat... with me?"

Ali pointed at herself as if she had just heard something unbelievable.

She thought back on her life over the past ten-odd years. Other than a few of her own kind, like Lena, it seemed no one had ever said that to her before...