Chapter 9: They May Make a Killing, But I Never Lose

Feeling the intense gazes of many soldiers, Matthew subconsciously raised an eyebrow, realizing he might have been presumptuous.

Being a step ahead might earn one the title of a genius, but being many steps ahead would only make one seem like a madman.

However, Matthew did not decide to change the order and whispered into the anxious Butler Ralph's ear,

"When I made a contract with Yaya, I saw some visions. On the way to the territory, we will encounter a deadly threat..."

"Visions? A deadly threat?"

Butler Ralph inadvertently widened his eyes, suddenly recalling that My Lord was about to turn 18, the right age for awakening one's talents.

It was very likely that he had awakened a talent for "prophecy" during the contract-signing process with the young dragon.

Just like earlier that day, My Lord had remained silent for several days, and the first choice he made was to avoid Black Dragon's deadly threat.

"Perhaps that was a sign of prophetic ability?"

"Or rather, My Lord's propheticability might have already awakened, and it had been kept hidden within the family to avoid the tragedy that happened over a decade ago..."

"Looking at it this way, My Lord must have been preparing all these years..."

Matthew, of course, did not realize how much Butler Ralph had imagined in that moment. To better add to his persuasiveness, he spoke with a certain tone,

"Moreover, I've mastered Advanced Alchemy now. With these materials in my hands, I can produce even more expensive magic equipment."

"These items will be the primary source of funds for the early development of our territory..."

Hearing that Matthew had mastered Advanced Alchemy, Butler Ralph was mentally prepared this time and managed his expression well, showing no change, though his heart was racing.

He looked again into Matthew's dark eyes and found that he was completely inscrutable, his heart trembling slightly as he nodded in compliance.

Turning around, he took out three shiny gold coins and placed them in Elder John's hand, coughed lightly, and then proclaimed loudly under the expectant gaze of the soldiers,

"Did you all hear My Lord's orders? This is a rare opportunity, and you'll definitely regret missing it!"

"But remember, you mustn't get hurt frivolously."

"Because the cost of treatment will be more expensive than what you earn, and then your years of service will be extended..."

Hearing the somewhat cheerful tone of the old butler and the gold coins in Elder John's hands,

All of the soldiers excitedly glanced at each other, clutching their weapons tightly, their eyes blazing as they scanned the mist outside.

Now, they seemed not to fear the possible emergence of monsters but rather looked forward to their arrival.

Moments ago, they were fighting more or less for My Lord.

Now, it was more for themselves!

Seeing everyone's spirits greatly lifted, Matthew, the instigator, sighed with relief in his heart.

Directly mastering Advanced Alchemy, of course, was a bit unrealistic.

In his previous life, he really was a Demigod level Alchemist, familiar with many special formulas and crafting techniques.

However, much of the alchemy experience and processes were done with the assistance of the game system, a foolproof operation.

This meant Matthew's theoretical knowledge was strong, but his practical ability needed step-by-step improvement.

But he wasn't deceiving the butler—given tools and materials, he could quickly improve his Alchemy skills.

All of this was to get through the current crisis!

The appearance of the Black Wolf was like flipping a switch; more and more Mutant Creatures began emerging from the fog and attacking the convoy.

This time, three Black Wolves with missing body parts charged out.

Some were missing ears, some had lost tails, and others were limping without a leg.

Under the blood-red moonlight, contorted blood-red muscle tissue grew from their wounds, looking like small tentacles extending out.

This was a sign that the mutation was becoming more and more severe.

Butler Ralph did not take action this time, standing quietly by Matthew's side.

Understanding My Lord's abilities, his only thought was to protect him with all his might.

After all, if the territory's development failed, My Lord still had the path of the Arcanist to rely on.

The pleasantly surprised Elder John rubbed his hands together, tilted his chin up toward Leon beside him, and while adjusting his stance, focused on the lame Black Wolf and said,

"Just like I said earlier, don't think about killing it with one blow, first chop off its other foreleg, avoid its mouth, and then you can chop off its head."

Leon swallowed nervously and stood apart from Elder John, holding his longsword tightly.

The Black Wolf leaped forward, and Elder John took a deep breath, his broadsword sweeping upward with precision and slicing open a large gash in the Black Wolf's softer underbelly.

A foul-smelling blood gushed out, spilling onto the ground as the Black Wolf's gaping mouth bit into the dirt.

Leon darted forward agilely, slashing his longsword diagonally across the forelimb the Black Wolf was using to try to push itself up.

Crack!

The Black Wolf's forelimb was crudely severed, bringing its body crashing down to the ground once again.

"Good!"

Elder John's eyes brightened with praise for Leon's timing and accuracy as he stepped forward and swung his weapon, instantly beheading the Black Wolf.

Their encounter was over quickly, and the other two Black Wolves also failed to make much of an uproar.

"Shields up!"

Angela's crisp command rang out, and the soldiers at the front obediently followed, smashing their shields against the two attacking Black Wolves.

Bang! Bang!

Despite their indifference to pain, the two Black Wolves lost in the contest of strength and fell from mid-air, crashing to the ground.

"Longspear thrust!"

Seizing the opportunity, the soldiers thrust their longspears through the gaps in the shields, ripping open the bellies of the two Black Wolves, piercing through their bodies, and stabbing into the dirt.

The Black Wolves, supposed to be severely injured, struggled wildly to rise as if unharmed, even though doing so caused their abdominal wounds to tear even larger!

However, though they weren't dead yet, their movement was now restricted, and Angela's commanding orders soon followed.

"Circle with shields, strangle, and behead!"

The pitiful howls of the Black Wolves quickly disappeared amid the sounds of chopping. The four soldiers with shields slowly stepped back as the four with spears efficiently drove their longspears into the heads of the Black Wolves.

A nimble Wanderer darted forward, pulled out a slender dagger, and tampered with their corpses, then shouted with surprise:

"Haha, we're in luck!"

A somewhat sullen Leon watched the Wanderer collect ten Gold Coins from Butler Ralph's hand, noticing the soldiers divide the money with joy and felt an immense pain in his heart as the charming little gold coins moved further from his reach.

The other soldiers who didn't participate in the fight also felt as though they had missed a chance to get rich.

They all widened their eyes, closely watching the swirling blood mist, seemingly starting to look forward to the arrival of battle.

Elder John, wiping the bloodstains from his weapon, kicked at Leon's shoes and said irritably:

"What are you looking at? Clean your weapons, check your clothes. As long as you don't die, those gold coins will come your way sooner or later."

"I've never even seen a gold coin..."

Leon muttered softly but then quickly composed himself, very obedient, obviously respecting Elder John's teachings.

Sitting on the carriage, Matthew, his face hidden behind the mask, was smiling as he listened carefully to the exchange between Leon and Elder John, the clear and pleasing notification ringing:

"Ding, your subordinates have killed a Mutated Black Wolf, gaining 10 EXP!"

"Ding, your subordinates have killed a Mutated Black Wolf, gaining 20 EXP!"

"Ding, your subordinate... has gained 10 Experience Points."

"Wait, why are there only three notifications? The Mutated Black Wolf killed by Ralph isn't counted?"

Matthew instinctively raised an eyebrow and began analyzing the differences.

"Logically, with Butler Ralph being closer to me as my actual subordinate..."

"I get it, it's all about money!"

"Perhaps in the system's eyes, I 'hired' these subordinates with money, creating a relationship similar to that between NPC and player, or a quest, allowing me to receive Experience Points!"

"If that's the case, then would I also gain Experience Points if I were to take action personally?"

"..."