Chapter 16: Fula is Warming the Bed! Ten Days Later!

Hart's eyes also lit up; he seemed to understand Roko's plan.

To stimulate the greatest combat power with the minimum cost.

"Yes, Young Master!"

"This subordinate understands!"

Hart's voice carried a hint of excitement.

Roko lowered the curtain and returned to the table.

"As for the specific battle plan, we will discuss it after a few days of training, once we have a clear grasp of our current strength."

"In these next few days, strengthen the camp's security, and have the scouts continue to monitor movements in the direction of the River Valley."

"Yes!"

Several Knights replied in unison, their eyes showing a bit more conviction toward this young master.

Although he was young, this calm mind and ruthless method made them feel a touch of awe.

Night had completely fallen.

The nights on the border of New Wind Province were bone-chillingly cold.

Unlike the warm and humid Twilight City, the wind here seemed to carry blades, stinging the face.

The light of the campfire danced in the wilderness, dispelling the limited darkness, yet it could not fully resist that pervasive cold.

Inside the wooden shed, the light of the oil lamp also appeared somewhat weak.

After Roko finished handling some simple matters, he felt a hint of sleepiness wash over him.

After many consecutive days of rushing and planning, even the physique of a Quasi-Knight was struggling to hold up.

He stood up, preparing to return to his slightly better "room," which had been partitioned off with wooden boards, to rest.

He pushed open the crude wooden door.

The room was very dark, with only the faint moonlight from outside filtering in, outlining the contours of objects.

However, Roko's footsteps paused slightly.

He keenly sensed that there seemed to be a trace of an unusual aura in the room.

And... a somewhat different temperature?

His gaze fell toward the simple bed made of hay and animal skins.

By the moonlight, he saw the quilt slightly raised in a small arc.

It seemed something was hidden inside.

Roko did not speak immediately, just standing quietly at the doorway.

The small figure inside the quilt seemed to sense his arrival, trembling almost imperceptibly.

Then, the quilt was lifted open a crack.

A pair of heterochromatic eyes, still emitting a faint glow in the darkness, were revealed, looking secretly at Roko at the door with panic and shyness.

It was Fula.

Her small body was curled up in Roko's bedding, wearing that simple cloth dress, her little face flushed red, and even the tips of her silver-gray cat ears were stained with a lovely shade of pink.

She had been discovered!

Fula's heartbeat accelerated instantly, like a beating drum.

She just felt the night was too cold, and seeing that her master hadn't returned yet, she thought she would use her own body heat to help warm up the master's bedding.

She had no other thoughts, really!

But, she had been caught red-handed by her master!

What to do? Would her master be angry? Would he think she was a shameless bad child?

Immense shyness and panic instantly overwhelmed her.

"Meow!"

Fula let out a short, panicked cry and sprang up from the bed.

She didn't even dare to look at Roko's eyes, keeping her head down and standing by the bed, at a loss for what to do.

"Master..."

"I, I didn't mean to..."

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, carrying a sobbing tone, and her body couldn't stop trembling slightly.

"I, I just wanted to help you warm the bed."

After saying this, she rushed out of the room like a startled rabbit without looking back, her petite figure quickly disappearing into the darkness outside.

Roko stood where he was, watching her fleeing back; the air seemed to still hold the faint milky scent of the young girl, as well as the lingering warmth that had not yet dissipated from the bedding.

He walked to the bedside and reached out to touch the quilt.

It was indeed warm.

This silly little thing.

The corners of Roko's mouth curled into an extremely faint arc involuntarily.

In the darkness, that smile vanished in an instant.

He took off his outer garment and lay into the bedding that still held Fula's body heat.

Hmm, it was indeed much warmer than before.

The arrival of Roko's party had not been able to be completely hidden from the indigenous inhabitants of this wilderness.

In a dark mountain hollow dozens of miles away from the temporary camp, a few green-skinned, pointed-eared Goblins.

At this moment, were surrounding a small campfire, gnawing on unknown, charred-black chunks of meat.

An exceptionally thin Goblin scout came scrambling in, jabbering away.

Although they did not share a language, its terrified gaze and the gesture pointing into the distance were enough for the other Goblins to understand.

There are outsiders.

And a significant number of humans at that.

Beside the campfire, a slightly larger Goblin wearing a few bird feathers on its head stood up, a flicker of unease and greed flashing in its murky eyes.

This is a lawless zone, rarely frequented by humans.

But it is not absolutely safe.

The memories passed down from their ancestors are filled with the fear of human Knights overrunning their tribes and burning their nests.

Those humans wearing tin cans are too terrifying.

The Goblin leader waved its claws irritably, signaling the scout to get lost.

It needs to think.

Will the appearance of humans break their peaceful life?

Next, should they hide, or go see if they can scrape together some benefits?

Time is like sand between fingers, slipping away quietly.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

These ten days were full of torment and change for everyone in the camp.

Hart Gelin acted like a cold machine, strictly executing Roko's orders.

He integrated the family guard Knights, the soldiers aided by two Baron uncles, the surrendered horse bandits, and those serfs with slightly stronger physiques all together.

On the training ground, dust flew, and roars intertwined with the sound of whipping.

Basic formations and simple hacking were dull and tedious.

What was more important was discipline and absolute obedience.

The freedom and land promised by Roko were like a sweet piece of bait hanging in front of everyone.

The temptation was huge.

But the pain and despair of the training were also real.

During this period, three serfs forced into training could not bear this hellish life and attempted to escape at night.

They thought the night could cover everything.

But they underestimated the perception of a Great Knight Peak powerhouse, and they underestimated Hart's determination to execute orders.

The next morning, when everyone was assembled, what they saw were three heads impaled on spears, hanging on the camp's wooden fence.

The blood had not yet fully congealed, dripping down the spear shafts.

The wide-open eyes of the dead still held terror and unwillingness.

Hart's cold voice echoed in the cold wind.

"Anyone who attempts to escape or disobey orders, this is the outcome!"

Killing the chicken to warn the monkey.

It is cliché, but it is always effective.

Fear instantly shrouded everyone's heads, and no one dared to harbor ulterior motives again.

The intensity of the training actually increased a bit because of this.

Compared to the noise and bloodshed on the training ground, Roko and Fula's side seemed much quieter.

Most of the time, they were in the wooden shed or the open space next to the camp practicing the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】.

Roko tempered his body step by step, feeling the slow growth of his strength.

His talent was only B-, and although the 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 was top-tier, the effect on him was far less immediate than it was for Fula.

However, Roko was not discouraged; the path of cultivation is inherently dull.

Moreover, he still had the Attribute Panel.

As long as he worked hard, there would always be some gains.

And Fula's talent was displayed to the fullest during these ten days.

Her progress could be called rapid; her realm of Zhun Qishi Chuji had long been stabilized, and there were even faint signs of breaking through to the middle stage.

The 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 circulated more and more smoothly within her body, and occasionally, her punches and kicks already carried a trace of imperceptible force.

It's just that...

Ever since that night ten days ago when she snuck into Roko's bed and was discovered, this little Maonv had become a bit strange.

She still followed Roko everywhere, taking care of his daily life.

But she always kept her head down, her eyes dodging, not daring to meet Roko's gaze.

Her fair little face would often turn bright red because of an accidental glance or a casual remark from Roko.

Even those furry silver-gray cat ears seemed to have lost their vitality, hanging limply most of the time.

Roko noticed her changes but did not point them out.

Some things only become more awkward the more you explain them.

Time will dilute everything.