73 Chapter 73. Arrival at the battlefield

In the southern border of the Lapis kingdom, lies the infamous basalt wall, a natural landmark that acted as a wall separating the Lapis kingdom from the Ruby kingdom. It laid on top of a dormant volcano and formed many years ago when the volcano exploded forming a large wall of basalt creating just a narrow valley for caravans and merchants to go through.

However, now there were no merchants or caravans that were currently passing through as there were army camps set up on both sides of the valley. Countless green military tents on each side with numerous soldiers roaming around on each side, some happily conversing, some writing letters to their loved ones and some training in fights.

On the Lapis kingdom lines, the front line was on full alert, prepared for the enemies that seemed like they would attack in any second. Then came the second line, which was filled with most soldiers who were simply idling around, resting. And behind them was the medical lines, this was where any injured soldiers would be taken to heal or to give immediate first aid.

Countless injured bodies were lying on a simple brown cloth on the ground as they waited for the fifteen doctors who still had over three hundred soldiers to tend to. A simple carriage that was driven by an old man drove into the medical lines as it came to retrieve the dead who could not be saved and took them outside the battlefield to bury them.

Just outside the battlefield, about five kilometers from the front lines was a large stand that had a large wooden sign post that had 'War sign up for mercenaries and Sect disciples,' written in clear white chalk on the top. And there was a huge queue of about two hundred cultivators lining up behind it as they waited for the five attendants at the counter to finish with the current cultivators.

"You guys are here to sign up?" the male attendant asked.

"Yes, please! All three of us" Garrick replied with a smile.

"Good. Can I have a name that you would like to use?" the attendant replied unfazed by Garrick's failure of an attempt at gaining his attention.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Garrick was puzzled with the attendant's question.

"Well you see sirs, at the battlefield it is best to choose a nickname when you sign up. This is for your safety but you are in no way banned from using your real names," the attendant explained.

"I see! I would like you to sign me up under the name 'Lord of farming'!" Garrick answered as he proudly pumped his chest.

Leo broke out in laughter as he had thought that Garrick would use a more imposing name. Emotionless, the attendant immediately pulled out a badge and placed it on Garrick's hand. As the badge touched Garrick's hand, it immediately glowed in a bright light and stuck itself into his hand with his name written across his hand. "Please call up the next person," the attendant then spoke. Immediately, Wenella then walked up to the attendant and replied, "I would like to sign up as 'Widow Witch.'"

"Whoa! Impressive name, sister Wenella. I'm starting to think that I should've let you name me instead now," Garrick spoke as he appraised Wenella's naming skills.

After Wenella, it became Leo's turn, "hello, I would like to sign up as 'Killing Cloud."

"Ok! You guys are all done! Please spend time now to get used to the layout of the camp. You guys can join the attack tomorrow. Today's advances are done, please enjoy your time here and be careful, it would also be great to have another member in your group," the attendant respectfully spoke as she called up the next person and signaled for them to move over.

"Hahaha! You seed that brother Leo? We are now able to get on the rankings! This is going to be fun!" Garrick happily laughed in pride.

"Why did you name yourself 'Killing Cloud?'" Wenella curiously asked as she had thought Leo would use a more imposing name.

"Haha. Personal reasons," Leo spoke as he looked up at the clouds and was instantly reminded of an unrecorded time back at the village.

Realizing that he was suddenly lost in thought, Leo shook his head to bring himself back into reality, "We should go and check up on the rankings, that way we can see the rewards and the competition," Leo suggested as he started walking towards a large stone wall with a number of names that was right outside a large tent.

"Welcome! You guys must be new!" a voice called out from behind them.

"Hello! We are indeed new. We're here to find out how the ranking works," Garrick replied to the middle aged man in green robes.

"I see, I would be more than happy to tell you everything but you must pay fifty copper coins," the man greedily replied.

"You might as well steal from us then, how dar-"

"Here, tell us about it," Leo immediately cut in and brought out fifty copper coins and gave it to the man.

After receiving the copper coins, the man began to speak, "the ranking works depending on your war contribution points. There are two ways to gain these points.

The first one is the most common one which is through killing Ruby soldiers. There are different points given for each realm cultivator you defeat. Foot soldiers are worth ten point, archers are worth twenty-five, officers are fifty, Lieutenants are a thousand, and finally General are worth fifty thousand.

The second way to gain points is through the amount of people you save. We lose several thousands each time we attack, so you can gain points by saving injured soldiers in the battlefield. Each person you save will grant you twenty-five points so it's not that bad of a deal.

And as for the top rankings and such, you can check them out by tapping on the badge that is engraved on your hand. Tapping it once will show you your current points and tapping it twice will show you your ranking however if you want to see the rankings of others then you will have to go and check it out on the ranking stone over there."

After saying that, the man immediately walked off again and approached another group of cultivators that came from the stand and began to offer them information again.

"Interesting… Garrick, Aurora, let's go see what competition you guys will have," Leo spoke as he walked towards the ranking stone.

"Why are you speaking like that? Are you not going to participate?" Garrick curiously asked.

"I'm not going to kill anyone, I think I'll take the second option and try to save as many injured soldiers as possible," Leo replied with an embarrassed 'don't blame me' smile.

The top ten thousand will be given five gold coins, top thousand will get fifty gold coins, the top hundred will get an opportunity to learn a black ranked art of their choice from the palace and will receive a nobility title of baron, the top fifty will receive the title of a viscount along with a thousand gold coins and the top ten will receive a purple ranked art and a become an earl. And for the grand top five, each will get the title of marquis along with a request that can be fullfilled by the king. And finally the grand number one ranking will get the title of duke and will be granted a promise from the king along with the betrothing of a princess."

"Wow, the king must be really desperate to even put up a daughter," Leo commented in surprise. The situation must be extremely terrible for the Lapis kingdom for them to resort to such means.

The group walked forward towards the grey smoothly sculpted rectangular rock that was standing. And on the stone was a huge title that read, "Top fifty rankings."

And the eyes of the group started from the bottom of the rock and saw, 'No. 50, Chief of Ash, points 92118.'

"Wow! I guess it was quite stupid for me to have hope. These guys have probably been on the battlefield for over 3 years at least. I guess I can only aim for the top ten thousand spots," Garrick dejectedly spoke as he read upwards.

"No. 49, Paladin of the sun, points 111793..."

As he continuously read upwards. He found that the point difference between the No.49 and No.11 was only around 20000 points. But then No.10 position came in at a whopping 217422 points which completely blew Garrick's socks off. He warily read upwards and the numbers kept rising,

"No. 9, 457050.

No. 8, 502815.

No. 7, 635201.

No.6, 693712.

No. 5, 723212.

No. 4, 892121.

No. 3, 900001.

No. 2, 967008.

No. 1, 1049728."

"My goodness! Have they been killing since they were children!?" Garrick exclaimed in amazement and wondered as he could not comprehend how many lives they would've taken to reach this point.

Leo looked at Aurora and asked her, "Wenella, are you planning for the top spot?"

Wenella immediately turned her head towards Leo and gave him an annoyed look, "Did you just really ask that? Of course I am. If you aren't able to heal my disciple then I will ask the king himself."

"Sigh, okay. Do what you want, just inform me if you need any help," Leo replied with a satisfied expression.

Suddenly, a dash of footsteps sounded from behind them as a young woman around eighteen years of age ran into Garrick accidentally, knocking them both to the ground.

The girl revealed an extremely scared look as she looked up with extremely pleading eyes and she had a few bruise marks on her body.

"Help," she quietly said pleadingly as she quickly got up and prepared to run away.

"Haha! How pitiful. Your steal my kill and still dare to run," an angry voice of a young man sounded as he appeared among the large multitude of people.

"No! I didn't know! Please leave me alone!" the girl pleaded loudly as she knew that escaping was completely hopeless.

"Haha! No one get away from the Ice Deity's group," another man spoke out as countless men appeared surrounding Leo's group along with the girl.

Sigh...

Leo loudly sighed as he looked at the girl and asked, "Hey! Are you a part of their mercenary group?"

The girl immediately replied, "No."

Leo then observed her keenly as he used his heavenly eyes could tell that she was not lying. She was quite pretty so he could tell that there was something fishy going on.

"What's your cultivation realm?" Leo suddenly asked curiously.

"I'm a middle emission realm cultivator," the girl replied.

"Are you a part of a sect?" Leo suddenly asked in surprise.

But the girl did not answer as her main concern was shifted to the men who were slowly closing in on her.

Sigh...

Leo shook his head in disappointment as he looked out to the man who first appeared as seemed to the leader and loudly spoke, "Hello! Can you give me a minute to talk to this lady please?"

Each of the men stopped in their tracks as they looked at Leo with confusion.

"Thanks!" Leo smiled as he turned around to talk to the girl but he was suddenly interrupted by the leader, "And who might you be?"

"Oh... I'm just a nobody who's trying to have a conversation with a young lady," Leo replied with a harmless smiled.

"That woman is mine!" the leader shouted in a cold tone as he approached Leo, releasing his cultivation of refinement stage four.

"Meh... She can be yours if she wants to," Leo replied as he turned towards the girl and asked for her input.

"I'm not a member of any sect but I was a part of a mercenary," the girl replied shakily after receiving a deathly glare from the leader.

Leo could immediately tell that she was lying. Realizing that he wouldn't get the truth out of her, Leo looked towards Wenella and smiled, "I'm sure you could tell what is happening here. You can take care of it."

Wenella immediately gave Leo a cold glare as she immediately knew that Leo had just placed all the responsibilities on her shoulders but she was also quite angry with the man as she could tell from the girl's voice that the man was putting immense pressure on her.

She confidently stepped out and coldly spoke, "Okay! Listen up your scumbags! You better leave her alone from today onwards. You don't want to force my hand."

She then released her cultivation of refinement stage six. Immediately, everyone in the area was forced to their knees as they felt extreme pressure. Shock appeared on the leader and his men's faces as they looked at Wenella with fear.

"W-who are you?" he asked cautiously.

"W-"

"We're the Killing Cloud Mercenary," Garrick proudly answered, interrupting Wenella as she looked at Garrick with an annoyed tone.

"Now scram," Wenella coldly spoke and all the men were forced to retreat.

Seeing this, the girl was extremely shocked as she laid there on her knees. She immediately got up and walked over to then, "Thank you so much for saving me!"

"No need to thank us," Leo replied with a smile and he gave he a simple message with a hidden intention in it, "You must be brave and confident. If you were to die today. Although it is scary, being too desperate to live, your are not doing any good and you'll eventually become a villain."

"Ok, let's explore and find a place to sleep! Tomorrow calls for fun!" Garrick enthusiastically exclaimed with confidence as he walked off.

Wenella and Leo ended up laughing at him but ultimately joined the hype as they happily explored the camp.

"See you again," Wenella spoke with a warm smile as the girl reminded her of her disciple.

Eventually after exploring and learning about the geography of the place, the group set up camp down at the borders of the battlefield.

That day, ended with the Killing Cloud Mercenaries gaining a new member, Vanessa Asra, the girl who they saved from the so called Ice Deity group.