Maximilian felt a sense of relief; with Leo’s involvement, the chances of success would significantly increase.
“Mr. Ramsey, when do we depart?” Leo asked.
“In two hours, we’ll take a helicopter directly to the destination.”
“Let me introduce you. You know Knox and Vivian. This is Roland…”
Two hours later, a helicopter roared out of Langstel, heading northwest.
Inside the cabin, it was silent. The group had tense expressions, a sign of the impending battle.
Leo, feeling bored, leaned his head against the fuselage and pretended to nap.
Seeing Leo like this, the others relaxed and took the opportunity to rest.
About three hours later, it was already evening.
A red light suddenly flashed inside the cabin, followed by a short, low hum.
Everyone immediately opened their eyes and looked at Maximilian.
Maximilian remained calm and took a deep breath. “Check your gear and prepare to disembark.”
The helicopter hovered a few meters above the ground, and the green light indicating disembarkation lit up.
Maximilian stepped forward, opened the cabin door, and shouted, “Jump.”
Without fear, they jumped out of the helicopter one by one, landing steadily without needing any ropes or equipment.
Once everyone had disembarked, the helicopter wobbled twice as if in farewell and quickly disappeared into the night sky.
The group quickly surveyed their surroundings and found themselves in a vast mountainous area.
In the dark, wolves howled, and the wind whistled through the trees, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Knox grimaced. “What kind of place is this?”
“Raven’s Ridge,” Maximilian said calmly.
Raven’s Ridge was known as a haunted place with countless graves. At night, ghostly flames flickered, making it terrifying.
Knox forced a smile. “I was right; this place is haunted.”
Leo laughed. “What, are you scared?”
“Ridiculous,” Knox scoffed. “Scared? Even if I met a ghost, I’d skin it alive!”
Roland didn’t speak but expressed his attitude with a cold snort.
Vivian laughed nonchalantly. “Yeah, what’s there to be afraid of? I’ve even slain a ghost king before.”
Maximilian smiled. “Good, let’s move. We still have some distance to cover.”
The group composed themselves and followed Maximilian towards their destination according to the locator.
Along the way, the wind howled eerily, and ghostly flames flickered in the wilderness.
Despite the terrifying scene, Leo and the others were unaffected and focused on their journey. About half an hour later, they arrived at the foot of a jagged peak.
Maximilian signaled for everyone to stop and whispered, “This is it. There’s a cave halfway up the mountain where the Moonstone Sect’s temporary headquarters is located.”
“When we go up, be cautious. I suspect there are hidden sentries nearby. The later we’re discovered, the better our chances.”
“Understood,” Knox and the others nodded.
“Alright, move out!” Maximilian said seriously.
“Yes!” they responded enthusiastically.
“Let’s go!” Maximilian led the way towards the cave.
After about a hundred meters, Leo suddenly stopped and whispered, “Wait.”
“What’s wrong?” Everyone froze in surprise.
Leo didn’t answer but released his senses.
Soon, he confirmed something and his eyes gleamed coldly. “Two hidden sentries: one at ten o’clock, three hundred meters; another at one-thirty, two hundred fifty meters.”
Everyone was shocked: Hidden sentries? We didn’t notice!
Maximilian was skeptical. “Are you sure?”
“No doubt,” Leo nodded confidently.
Maximilian turned to Roland. “You handle the one on the left. Knox, you take the right. Do it cleanly.”
“Got it,” they nodded and stealthily moved into position.
Leo and the others waited patiently to avoid detection.
Ten minutes later, Knox’s voice came through first. “One sentry down.”
Maximilian nodded approvingly while Leo smiled slightly.
A minute later, Roland reported in. “One sentry down.”
Vivian chuckled softly. “Leo is still as sharp as ever.”
Leo laughed. “You’re too kind; it’s just a minor skill.”
“Let’s move,” Maximilian ordered as he sprinted ahead with Leo and Vivian following closely.
Soon after, Roland and Knox rejoined them, both giving Leo a thumbs-up.
Leo smiled back and returned the gesture.
After advancing another three or four hundred meters, they spotted a large dark cave halfway up the mountain with faint firelight emanating from it.
Everyone instinctively looked at Leo.
Understanding their signal, Leo released his senses again and quickly reported. “No hidden sentries outside the cave. Two guards are at the entrance by a fire.”
Maximilian frowned. “This complicates things. It’s hard to approach unnoticed. We’ll have to go in strong.”
“Then let’s do it,” Knox said grimly.
“I’ll take point,” Roland said directly.
Leo smiled. “These guards shouldn’t be too hard to deal with. Wait here; let me try something.”
He took a deep breath and punched the mountain rock with a muffled thud.
Suddenly, two muffled cries came from the distant cave entrance before falling silent again.
What happened?
Everyone looked at Leo in surprise.
Leo smiled. “All clear.”
“Well done,” Maximilian praised him. “Let’s go in.”
They nodded and headed for the cave entrance.
As they walked, Roland suddenly approached Leo and whispered, “You’re strong. Let’s see who’s better later.”
Leo was taken aback but before he could respond, Roland quickened his pace and overtook him.
Leo smiled slightly: This guy has quite a competitive streak.
Soon they reached the cave entrance and peered inside. A large bonfire burned brightly with two giant stone cocoons beside it-clearly where the unfortunate guards met their end.
Knox marveled at Leo’s stealth attack. “Leo, your ambush was flawless, even providing them with coffins. Impressive.”