Chapter 422: Should Have Run Away

Velton POV

He snapped the metal case back closed and observed as the image in front of him vanished. That had been Sten, and he had asked Velton about the mission. Velton omitted some details, but that was par for the course. It would anger Sten, and Velton would have to be responsible for his team’s actions.

Velton had learned that it was much easier to hide their poor decisions rather than try to change their behavior. He attempted to do that a few times in the past.

Never again.

As the night progressed, the more they relaxed. He and his men had just raided a small village on the edge of the mountains. It was generous to call it a village, even if it was. They only had a few Tier 4s, which was relatively small considering that the northern regions typically cultivated more Tier 4s than usual due to the harsher environment.

What made it worse for them was that only one of those people had a combat-focused path. The others were crafters and definitely not fighters. Velton and his team made quick work of them.

They didn’t have that much to take. Velton hesitated over whether or not it was worth it. The only upside was that a few men whom he disliked had died during that raid. He almost wanted to laugh at them. They should be ashamed that they died to a bunch of hicks.

The village didn’t have many valuable items or treasures, only a bunch of flowers and plants. However, the people were another story. While slavery was generally not legal in many places on the continent, there were plenty of people who still dabbled in the business. They offered a high price for slaves and maintained a good relationship with the Frost Bear Clan, knowing that they provided a significant amount of “supplies”.

Slavery was a complex topic. Most came to realize that, in most cases, it wasn’t the most optimal or efficient workforce. It was sometimes just easier to pay someone and let them work willingly. There was also the factor of how slavers have been punished over the years.

He recalled a story that his grandfather used to tell him. A very long time ago, when slavery was still around, a young slave boy managed to escape his captors. This very same boy then went on to become one of the most powerful people on the continent with a singular goal in mind. Kill all slavers.

His grandfather seemed almost reverent of how the man brutally slaughtered hundreds of thousands on his way to wiping out slavery.

With that being said, Velton didn’t really have a strong opinion about slavery. He didn’t particularly care for it, but he liked the money and rewards he got for bringing them in. Just the merit points alone he earned from the clan were enough to convince him that it was worth it.

He was enjoying the night, but he wished they could have made it back to the base with the prisoners. Their addition made it a much more difficult task. But perhaps it was for the best. Camping was a nice change of pace.

He was about to get up and go to bed when he felt a weird prickling feeling from [Advanced Danger Assessment]. He pursed his lips and spread his senses outward. He wasn’t able to detect anything outside the barrier and shrugged his shoulders once he made sure there wasn’t any danger.

However, it was by pure chance that his senses got pinged once again. This time, he felt like it came from inside the camp. That was odd because the item that was protecting them was given to him by Sten himself. Not even a Tier 4 would be able to break through without a very powerful skill. If that were to happen, the barrier should have alerted them to the breach.

Yet, it was a fact that his skill told him that something dangerous was inside the barrier’s walls. He quickly sent his senses to the tent where the prisoners were being kept. He really hoped that one of the horny idiots didn’t get any funny ideas. They weren’t allowed to touch the merchandise, and if the clan found out, they would be in a lot of trouble.

After a few moments and not detecting anything, he expanded his search, and his eyes widened when he saw the two dead bodies tucked behind some tents.

He immediately sent out an emergency signal to the rest of his men, who didn’t react as quickly as he would have liked. They were too drunk and were disorganized upon hearing the alarm. Some of them were forced to waste a healing potion to get rid of their drunken state.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Spread out and find the intruder!” He yelled out, his voice firm. However, on the inside, he was quite nervous. This person who infiltrated must have gotten past the barrier somehow. That, or they had been inside since the start. That was an even more worrisome thought.

He quickly gathered some men and headed over to the central tent where the prisoners were. When he arrived, he paused upon spotting a figure covered in a black cloak standing in front of the barrier that held the prisoners.

The only reason why Velton didn’t immediately attack was because his danger-sensing skill was screaming at him not to. He didn’t know why it was behaving this way. It had only done so around people who were much stronger than he was. But this person in front of him didn’t have the presence he had experienced from other Tier 5s or powerful Tier 4s.