The ever-increasing strength of the elven warriors was exactly what Elowen wanted to see.
Indeed, although talent limitations are decided at birth, they can still be surpassed through relentless study and training!
Take Fischer, for example.
Elowen vaguely remembered when she first joined the guard.
She was just a girl who was good at archery.
But it's important to note that the elven race has no shortage of archers, so initially, Fischer didn't stand out in the guard.
Because archers have their limits, most archers choose to improve their stamina and supplement their combat power with melee skills.
Fischer, however, was an exception.
Whenever there was a break, Elowen would always find Fischer practicing archery.
Curious, Elowen once asked Fischer why she focused all her energy on archery instead of improving her overall combat power.
Elowen vividly remembered that Fischer didn't answer the question at the time but gave him a contemptuous look instead.
Shortly after, Fischer answered with her actions.
To this day, Elowen still doesn't understand how Fischer managed to shoot arrows in different directions from the same bowstring.
It was all the result of Fischer's hard work and dedication.
"So, Meryl, what will you do?"
On the battlefield, the fight continued! Stay tuned with m _v _lemp _yr.
In just three minutes, Meryl was already sweating profusely, her stamina nearly exhausted.
She had no choice but to constantly move at high speed to avoid being hit by Fischer's rain of arrows.
Today, Meryl truly experienced what it means for one person to be an army.
Fischer alone could shoot arrows as dense as a rainstorm, comparable to an entire battalion.
It was unimaginable how much practice and sweat this must have required.
But...
"I have endured countless hardships and sweat for this day as well. Even if I lose, I won't lose so disgracefully!"
Meryl gritted her teeth, lowering her stance like an agile leopard, continuously dodging and weaving in the limited space.
As her movement space was increasingly compressed, Meryl chose to break through head-on!
Seeing this, Fischer couldn't help but sneer.
"A last-ditch effort, trying to make a final counterattack?"
"Master John didn't say. Why don't you give them names yourself? Next group, step forward!"
...
Outside Talcavano City, in the blazing plains!
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, mercilessly casting its intense heat over the desert, making the sand underfoot blisteringly hot.
In just two hours, everyone's enthusiasm had been completely drained.
"How much longer do we have to cross this fiery plain? I'm about to die from the heat..."
Since being swallowed by the mountain toad, their heat-absorbing bracelets had been corroded by stomach acid.
Thinking they would soon leave, they hadn't bought replacements.
Clearly, they had miscalculated.
Looking ahead, even at the farthest point visible, there was still only yellow-brown desert and wasteland, with no end in sight.
"Almost there... At our current pace, we should reach the abandoned Mine 1 in about an hour. Once we're there, we can rest and wait for the temperature to drop before continuing. Besides, there are a lot of treasures buried around Mine 1."
"Grave robbing, huh? Be careful, or the Talcavano City guard might arrest you..."
John joked weakly, then asked, "Uncle Mac, why was Mine 1 shut down?"
"I heard that the minerals in Mine 1 were nearly exhausted. If they kept mining, it could have caused a massive collapse. After filling it with sand and stones, they closed the mine.
Of course, I don't believe that reason.
The mineral output of Mine 1 is said to be more than double that of the other two mines combined.
How could it be depleted so easily?
But since it was ordered by the lord, we can't question it."
Additionally, the journey to Mine No. 3 was not as arduous and was much closer, so gradually everyone accepted the situation. Speaking of which, when I was younger, I used to work in Mine No. 1."
Old Mac tugged at the corners of his mouth as if reminiscing. Sweat constantly dripped from his bronzed skin, but Old Mac didn't mind at all, clearly accustomed to such extreme temperatures.
"Could there be some monster there? Or maybe your city lord is hiding some unspeakable secret."
"I don't know. Over the years, there have been frequent incidents of unauthorized mining at Mine No. 1, but whenever discovered, the punishment is quite severe—those caught are expelled from Talcavano and banned from entering the city ever again. So, no one dares to go near it anymore."
"So what do we do?"
"Don't worry, if we're just passing through, we won't have any problems. The guards stationed there aren't that heartless. However, if there's a chance, I'd love to explore Mine No. 1 again."
Old Mac smacked his lips, looking very eager.
For a skilled craftsman like Old Mac, the three most important things are family, companions, and ore. Now, having the chance to observe closely, Old Mac naturally didn't want to miss it.
"Uncle Mac, are you sure we should go in? I have a feeling something bad might happen..."
John rubbed his temples and muttered, "Let's hope we get a bit lucky..."