Chapter 608: Seven Years
Seven years later, on the Scorched Plain on the outskirts of the Thunder Domain...
The intermittent crackling of burning firewood and the occasional rumble of thunder intertwined with each other.
Even so, Gould was sleeping soundly next to the campfire.
Describing him as a dead pig might not be entirely accurate, considering that Gould, having indulged in high-purity specialty rum, was sprawled on the ground in his transformed state, resembling a six-meter-tall black bear with fur harder than steel.
Seemingly caught in a pleasant dream, Gould chuckled, clutching his heavy sword before affectionately kissing it.
The other Rank One and Two knights were not faring much better.
Apart from Sein and Reina, who sat farther from the bonfire, most knights were somewhat inebriated.
Natalya was even worse off, draping an arm around Sein, her breath heavy with the scent of alcohol.
Sein might have pushed her away in the past, and he was certainly strong enough to do so.
But now, perhaps due to their growing familiarity, he tolerated her harmless, non-combative gesture.
Despite their drunken state, the knights’ combat readiness remained unimpaired.
They could activate their battle qi to instantly purge the alcohol from their systems when needed, even if the special rum Sein concocted was infused with an elemental potion.
Their current inebriation was purely by choice, a state they relished and were reluctant to abandon.
Take Natalya, for example; though she appeared to lean heavily against Sein, seemingly unconscious, she might very well be secretly savoring the moment...
Sein himself had little interest in drinking wine, finding little appeal in substances that could dull the brain and nerves.
Had it not been for Gould’s insistence, he would have steered clear of drinking.
The last time he had chosen to drink was four years ago, when he was in high spirits following a victorious battle alongside Reina and Gould, where they defeated a Rank Three creature. Encouraged by his comrades, he had indulged.
That experience led him to apply his apothecary skills to concoct his own special rum, turning him into the go-to supplier for those who appreciated a good drink, like Gould.
They would prefer Sein brew an extra bottle of rum over an additional healing potion.
For them, the rum was as beneficial as a healing potion, if not more so for boosting battle prowess.
Gould’s heavy snoring and Natalya’s soft breathing did not disrupt Sein’s thoughts.
In fact, the snores from the Rank One and Rank Two knights around him were so thunderous that they blended with the actual thunder crashing periodically from the sky.
Over the years, Sein had grown accustomed to the cacophony, maintaining a clear mind even amidst the noise.
“Unbelievably, it’s been ten years since I first set foot on this interplanar battlefield. According to the command center’s plan, we’ll launch an attack deep into the Thunder Domain in half a month. This will likely be the last time they can drink so freely for a while,” he sighed.
Since completing the Thunder Range mission seven years ago, Sein had traveled extensively, undertaking countless missions for the Order of the Steel Fist.
After trading in his mission points over the years, he was set to receive over three thousand magicoins in war rewards when the conflict concluded.
Had he not exchanged his mission points for various resources recently, his earnings could have been even higher.
The war rewards alone demonstrated his significant increase in earnings since advancing to Rank Two, compared to when he was only Rank One.
It went without saying that Sein’s earnings were among the highest for Rank Two entities.
As a mage, his potential for accumulating war profits was inherently greater than that of knights primarily engaged in physical combat.
Though Gould had also been working diligently over the years, his total earnings likely did not exceed two thousand magicoins.
After all, he lacked the skills to concoct potions, repair equipment, set elemental wards, or operate magic towers to fend off enemies, all of which Sein could manage adeptly.
In fact, Gould had to rely on Sein to repair his war-damaged gear and supply the essential potions used in battle.
This clearly illustrated why Sein thrived in this war and continued to expand his network within the Order of the Steel Fist.
In terms of value, a well-versed Rank Two mage like Sein was worth as much as a Rank Three Sky Knight.
In any case, the war was not over yet. By the end, it was estimated that Sein’s total magicoin earnings could exceed five thousand.
The stronger one was, the faster they could acquire resources.
Even without substantial wealth, Sein’s abilities were more than sufficient to support his experimental research.
Currently, Sein’s thoughts were primarily on the battle in half a month.
In recent years, the Magus World’s army had been steadily encroaching on the habitats of the Thunderfall World’s native creatures.
Following the large-scale battle at the Thunder Plains over seven years ago, the Magus World had engaged in several medium-scale battles with the creatures of Thunderfall World.
These battles mostly ended in victory, except for two smaller-scale engagements that ended in defeat.
Sein and his comrades were fortunate not to be involved in those devastating losses.
Overall, the few failures did not overshadow the successes, and the overall war situation remained under the control of the Magus World.
Today, over seventy percent of Thunderfall World's territory had been completely occupied by the Magus World.
Only the northern Thunder Domain and the southeastern Thunder Pool, still controlled by Thunderfall World’s native armies, remained unconquered.
The war in the Thunder Domain was more intense because it was home to the King of Garths, the strongest Rank Four creature of the Thunderfall World.
Conversely, the situation around the Thunder Pool should be less severe now, especially since two Rank Four knights from Magus World had worked together to severely wound the Violet Thunder Guardian three years ago.
Since that encounter, the Rank Four elemental creature had not reappeared on the battlefield and was rumored to be hiding in the Thunder Pool—the navel of the Thunderfall World.
Far from Sein’s campfire, continuous roars pierced the dark night, mostly emitted by Thunderfall World’s native creatures who had aligned with the Magus World Army.
Many creatures from the Thunder Range, subdued over seven years ago, had continued to follow the unit led by Sein and others, as those who tamed them had the right to command them.
The Giant Thunder Lizards showed particular trust toward Sein, as he was the one who had initially signed a contract with them.
Over the years, Sein has tirelessly protected the interests of these Thunder Range creatures in every way possible.
He had even offered them inexpensive healing potions to treat their injuries on numerous occasions, thereby deepening their trust in him.
Having interacted with these creatures of Thunderfall World for some time, Sein could detect a note of sadness in their low, beastly roars—a special emotion that suggested the immense pressure they felt fighting against their former god, the King of Garths.
Thankfully, the command center had spared these native creatures, who had already turned against their old loyalties, from being deployed to the Thunder Pool battlefield.
After all, these creatures were unlikely to confront the guardians of this plane under any circumstances.
Forcing them beyond their limits would only provoke an immediate rebellion among these emotionally tormented beings.
After glancing at the night sky, Sein turned his attention back to Reina, who was sitting not far from him.
Unlike the others, Reina was not fond of drinking and was rarely coerced into it by Gould and the others.
Sitting further away from the campfire, she was currently enjoying the thigh of some creature.
This female knight had a huge appetite and seemed to be eating at every possible moment outside of battle and brief rests.
Her sitting posture was somewhat unseemly for a knight, but she never concerned herself with such trivialities.
Given her immense size, Sein’s gaze inadvertently landed on the dark space between Reina’s legs, which was directly in his line of sight and at eye level.
Almost reflexively, he shifted his gaze upward to the sky again.
Unfortunately, the sky was obscured by thick thunder clouds, leaving no stars visible.