socalfunplaces Chapter 56 The Journey: Rescue and Trials
Chapter 56 The Journey: Rescue and Trials
The entire group moved swiftly through the dense forest, the withered branches and leaves crunching softly underfoot.
They had to catch up with the women, children, and elderly who had moved ahead of them as soon as possible. No one knew what ferocious beasts those unarmed women and children might encounter in the deep mountains!
An experienced hunter, familiar with the area, walked beside Rogge, occasionally waving his knife to clear away the overgrown vines and quietly adjusting the general direction.
With his keen insight, Rogge led the way by choosing the safest, shortest path.
The entire procession moved extremely fast, and no one spoke.
The tragedy of Duanpo Village, the brutality of the pirates, and the images of their loved ones falling lingered in everyone's minds, leaving them no time to rest.
As the sky gradually brightened, sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The woods became increasingly bright, and the morning mist slowly dissipated, revealing ferns and entwined vines glistening with dew.
As Rogge walked, he checked his spoils:
[You have gained 960 experience points and additional combat experience. You have reached level 10!]
[Rogge (Level 10) (Experience: 108/1000)]
[Combat Power: 530 (Tier 1)]
[Strength: 9]+
Agility: 8+
[Physical Fitness: 8]
[Intelligence: 15 (16)]
【Charm: 17 (18)】
(Note: Your appearance is less attractive due to your sparse and messy beard.)
There are currently two suggested routes that can both increase charm:
He regularly shaves his beard to maintain a fresh and handsome appearance!
Or continue to cultivate that tough-guy image!
Note: These two choices will determine how women and men perceive you!
[All Weapon Proficiency: 98]
[Withdrawable Experience Points: 350 points (3 Withdrawable Experience Candies)]
[Gained 3 attribute points (can be used to enhance attributes!)]
Honors: 0
Honor: "Predictable Code of Conduct" under the feudal system—your bottom line will not be crossed, and your promises will be kept!
(He kept his promise and led the villagers to safety. Expected reward: +2!)
You have earned the title "Savior of Broken Amber Village"! (Estimated Honor +3)
Note: Some villagers in Duanpo Village are unaware of your achievements and have not yet received their rewards.
Reputation: 7
Reputation: Your "benchmark of group influence" - based on your influence and behavior, reflecting the positive perception of you by the social group.
(Based on your performance, seven villagers have expressed their respect for you, and you can recruit them!)
[Weapon: Mertenheim Military Sword +29 attack power!]
[Equipment: Chainmail hood with nose guard + 44 head armor!]
……
Rogge was thrilled; the battle had greatly enhanced his expected strength!
After allocating all three attribute points to Strength and Dexterity
His strength has reached level 10 in all aspects, which is more than he has trained hard for more than a month!
Indeed, as long as one is lucky enough to survive, the battlefield and the army are the best places to temper a person!
During the battle, he joined forces with Virgil and God, and the three of them successively hunted down and killed three pirate raiders!
Three fierce pirate raiders ultimately died by Rogge's sword!
Roger secretly rejoiced, thankfully it was he who delivered the final blow.
If Virgil and the others kill them, they will not gain "system experience", but only a small amount of "combat experience"!
The native inhabitants of this world cannot receive "monster kill experience" from the system like he does!
There were never any shortcuts to Virgil and his friends' growth!
Every bit of progress they made,
They all need to be tempered in blood and fire, undergo monotonous military training day after day, and replenish their energy with a large amount of high-value meat!
The experience points they gain are the source of Rogge's withdrawable experience.
And Rogge's "Experience Candy" can be given back to them!
As long as there are enough loyal subordinates, this makes it possible for Rogge to systematically cultivate a small number of talents!
Rogge still doesn't fully understand the principle behind how "experience candies" can be obtained out of thin air.
He could only attribute it to the special abilities he gained from his time travel.
Based on the fragmented explanations provided by the system, Roger had a vague guess: he was able to capture "the primordial life force overflowing from the transformation of individual lives!"
All living beings release growth potential energy during the process of increasing strength, individual transformation, and the sublimation of potential.
These potential energies containing "vitality" were captured by Rogge and eventually condensed into crystal-clear candy shapes!
In this battle, both Virgil and Gold showed significant improvement.
In addition to their growth from past training, Roger converted a total of seven "Experience Candies" into the experience points they gained!
In addition to the more than two thousand experience points that Roger gained from leveling up, besides the ones he gave away not long ago, he now has a total of more than twenty experience candies in his hand!
Roger sighed softly, feeling a pang of regret.
A single experience candy doesn't significantly improve Rog's physical attributes; a qualitative change requires accumulating a large quantity.
Each point of improvement in physique requires him to consume dozens of experience candies!
Furthermore, as one's physical condition improves, the demand for experience candies increases!
Currently, Rogue, relying solely on the experience points he gains with Virgil and God, is far from being able to consume experience candies like candy.
Rogge is currently more concerned about the negative effects of the "Experience Candy"!
……
The group continued to move forward through the forest, the path under their feet becoming increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse, and the surrounding trees growing taller and denser.
Just then, a startled cry came from behind Rogge:
"Old Kui! Old Kui is dying!"
Roger's heart tightened, and he immediately rushed over.
A burly militiaman was carrying Lao Kui on his back; his coarse cloth shirt was completely soaked with Lao Kui's blood.
At this moment, Lao Kui's face was as pale as paper, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible.
The axe was still stuck in his back.
The surrounding villagers gathered around, and seeing the dying old Kui, many of them couldn't help but sob softly.
No one dared to pull out the axe, and Roger himself, who knew nothing of medicine, was equally hesitant to make a move!
Pulling out the axe rashly could cause massive bleeding and kill Lao Kui!
Hearing the cries all around him and seeing the villagers' desperate and helpless eyes, Roger knew he could no longer stand idly by.
He was somewhat aware of basic techniques like applying pressure to stop bleeding and cleaning and disinfecting the wound, but he had no idea how to apply them in this situation.
The most crucial thing right now is to wake up Lao Kui!
Only he knew how to treat the wound, and only he could direct everyone to minimize the risks!
He himself is a doctor, and his treatment was far more effective than Rogge's rash actions!
Rogge took out five "Experience Candies," and looking at the small, dark blue pills in his palm, a look of pain appeared on his face!
Roger gestured to the man carrying Old Kui to put him down, carefully pried open Old Kui's tightly clenched teeth, and fed him five experience candies one after another.
The candy melted in his mouth, and Roger breathed a sigh of relief.
Previously, a single experience candy was enough to keep old Yar alive.
This time he went all out with strong medicine; five pills should be enough to pull Lao Kui back from the brink of death.
This is not a losing proposition.
Roger silently calculated in his mind that Old Kui, who had returned from covering the retreat, now had extremely high prestige in Broken Amber Village!
Saving him is equivalent to winning the hearts of half the village.
Moreover, Lao Kui himself is quite skilled and is also a physician.
If we can recruit him, he will provide us with far more than five experience candies in the future!
Seeing this clearly, Giss couldn't help but whisper:
"Master Rogge, what exactly did you feed Old Kui just now...?"
I've tried it too...it's incredibly effective!
Upon hearing someone ask, Roger's heart stirred slightly.
He could treat Lao Kui for free, but he didn't want his efforts to go unnoticed.
Now is a crucial moment for his development and for winning people's hearts.
Roger glanced up at him and said calmly:
"It's a life-saving medicine from my hometown, made from extremely rare medicinal herbs."
It's enough to keep them clinging to their last breath; there's not much left.
The surrounding villagers quieted down, their eyes filled with gratitude and awe as they looked at Roger.
Roger paused, then continued:
"I found some crafting materials in Broken Amber Village and managed to refine a batch... Now there's really very little left!"
In those big cities, one such pill could at least buy a cow!
The villagers nodded, naturally understanding just how precious the life-saving medicine was!
Someone in the crowd then asked:
"Master Rogge, what specific medicinal materials are needed to make this medicine?"
"Let's see if we can find some more for you to refine..."
"What exactly do you need?"
After a moment's thought, Rogge said calmly:
"Wild ginseng, century-old wild ginseng, the one as big as a radish is the best!"
Wild Ganoderma lucidum, the kind as big as a millstone...
Upon hearing this, the villagers all silently lowered their heads, but a few still kept the medicinal herbs in mind...
We must see this through to the end.
Rogge turned to look at old Jarl on Gis's body.
Old Yar also suffered a serious injury, with a dislocated shoulder, and his face was also pale and his breath was weak.
Roger was helpless when it came to his dislocated shoulder.
Rogge hesitated for a moment, then took out another experience candy:
"Old Yar is also badly injured. Give him this medicine too; it will make him feel better."
"Thank you! Thank you, Master Roger!"
Gis hurriedly took it, his voice trembling with excitement, his face full of undisguised gratitude and flattery.
He had just heard it too; one of those little blue pills was worth a cow!
And Roger had already given him two!
Thinking of this, Giss couldn't help but tremble. He had eaten a whole cow that morning!
Having done all this, Roger stood up and addressed the crowd:
"Alright, let's keep going!"
After packing their things back together, the group continued their journey deeper into the back of the mountain.
After continuing on for another half an hour, a joyful shout suddenly came from behind:
"He's awake! Old Quay's awake! Master Rogge, come quick!"
Roger was overjoyed and immediately hurried back.
Old Kui had opened his eyes. Although his gaze was still somewhat dazed, he had regained some of his spirit.
He moved his lips weakly and said in a hoarse voice:
"water……"
Someone immediately handed over a water pouch, but Roger only let Old Qui moisten his throat. He had lost too much blood, and drinking too much water to dilute his blood would be tantamount to suicide.
"The axe is still on our backs, and we dare not pull it out."
"How are you feeling right now? Can you tell us what to do?" Roger asked softly.
Old Kui took a while to catch his breath, glanced at Roger with some surprise, then his expression changed, and he said urgently:
"Find...find a flat place, but don't pull out the axe yet!"
"Let me catch my breath, then I'll teach you how to pull it out!"
Old Kui's face was full of relief at surviving the ordeal.
He was thankful that the villagers hadn't rashly pulled the axe out of his hand; otherwise, he might have really died...
The group found a flat, open space, and under Old Kui's repeated instructions,
Roger carefully pulled the axe out of him and applied a bandage to stop the bleeding.
After doing all this, Lao Kui was already exhausted, but he did not faint again.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; Old Kui's life had finally been saved.
……
As noon approached, the sun rose directly overhead, the mist in the forest completely dissipated, and the air became muggy.
When the team climbed over the last earthen slope
A wide-open clearing in the woods came into view.
The women, children, and the elderly who had been evacuated earlier were gathered there, sitting and resting in twos and threes.
They were clearly disoriented, unsure of where to go, and their faces showed fear and unease.
Several children nestled in their mother's arms, crying softly.
The old women sat on the rocks, gazing in the direction of Duanpo Village with vacant eyes.
When they saw the militia behind them, they were stunned for a moment, and then burst into suppressed sobs.
Rogge stood on the slope, gazing at the crowd ahead, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Duanpo Village is gone; their home is gone!
Hundreds of villagers are homeless. Where will they go next? How will they survive?
The real test has only just begun!
……