Chapter 296: I also made 2000 gold coins.

Although people had died, the adventure had to go on.

The adventuring parties hurried through breakfast, broke camp, and set off.

The Light Squad marched energetically in the middle of the procession, every member looking bright-eyed and full of vitality. The sight made the other adventurers glare at them through gritted teeth.

They had been climbing the snowy mountain for only two days, yet they had already lost companions. They were convinced those rookies were responsible, but all they could do was glare helplessly.

Even now, they had no idea what powerful magic the rookies had used to silently kill sixteen highly capable adventurers.

There was still a long journey ahead, and they were about to enter the hunting group's territory. They couldn't afford any further losses, so for now, they had to conserve their strength.

The hundred-member adventuring party and the mercenary group swallowed their anger and resolved to use those rookies as living targets once they encountered the hunting group.

Naturally, the Light Squad was well aware of the other adventurers' resentment.

If looks could kill, they would probably have died a thousand times over by now.

Unfortunately for their enemies, there was no evidence against them. With no grounds to start trouble, and with every capable fighter needed to resist the hunting group, the other adventurers could only endure their anger for the time being.

Everyone spent the entire day climbing.

As they ventured deeper into the snowy mountains, increasingly powerful magical beasts blocked their path. Everyone remained on high alert, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

The Light Squad stopped holding back quite so much. All fourteen members worked together to kill the magical beasts that attacked them.

To maintain their cover, Shu Li and the other nine magic students had so far displayed only the abilities expected of ordinary mages. Seriu, Halis, Seidler, and Moresy remained the main combatants.

When the other adventurers witnessed Moresy kill a fourth-rank magical beast with a single attack, they all shuddered.

That Dark Elf was a Senior Grand Mage specializing in water magic!

In these snowy mountains, where water elements were abundant, he was practically in his natural habitat. His offensive power was effectively doubled.

No wonder he dared to bring a group of rookies into the Snow Mountain Labyrinth.

He must have been the one who killed those sixteen adventurers!

Only a Grand Mage capable of controlling water in any form could instantly freeze human bodies and take their lives.

Yose was secretly relieved that he had obeyed his leader's orders rather than acting recklessly to avenge his fallen brothers.

Otherwise, if he had confronted that Dark Elf, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Moresy noticed the numerous wary glances directed his way and responded with a friendly smile.

If these people knew the real "killer" was a low-ranking mage, would they be even more shocked?

As nightfall approached, the adventurers finally entered the hunting group's territory.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

The hundred-member adventuring party found a cave and claimed it as their campsite.

The cave's interior was cramped, barely large enough to accommodate a hundred people. The other adventuring parties had no choice but to pitch their tents nearby.

"Why did they choose this place?" Shu Li asked Moresy, puzzled.

"To defend against the hunting group."

Moresy cast a spell, effortlessly raising a circular wall of ice two meters high around their tents.

He then patiently explained, "A cave offers advantages for both attack and defense, allowing them to minimize their losses. Meanwhile, the adventuring parties camping outside will become the hunting group's first targets."

Hector looked astonished.

"So we're cannon fodder?"

Moresy snapped his fingers.

"Exactly."

"And we're the first batch of cannon fodder," Kumandi added coldly.

The mercenary group had secured the position closest to the cave entrance. The other adventuring parties had scrambled to claim the best remaining spots, leaving only the outermost position for the Light Squad.

If the hunting group launched a surprise attack during the night, the Light Squad would bear the brunt of it.

"Every advantage comes with a disadvantage," Ace remarked. "A cave might be easier to defend, but it also makes escaping much harder."

Hearing this, Shu Li nodded in agreement.

"Ace is right! If we can't win, we can seize an opportunity to escape. But the hundred-member adventuring party will be trapped inside that cave like turtles in a jar. With nowhere to run, they'll have no choice but to fight to the death."

His eyes shifted toward the golden-haired young man, shining with admiration.

Sure enough, Ace always had a different perspective.

He had immediately recognized both sides of the situation and incisively pointed out the drawbacks of camping inside the cave.

Sensing Shu Li's gaze, Ace turned his head and looked back at him gently.

Shu Li froze for a moment, then flashed a broad, toothy grin.

Before Ace could react, he quickly turned away and pretended to busy himself pitching a tent, concealing his burning cheeks.

That's the twelfth time I've been caught sneaking a look at him.

Moresy suggested strengthening the campsite's defenses.

Amanda, Budno, and Shu Li could all use water magic, so they joined him in constructing ice walls. They built one circular wall inside another until ten concentric barriers surrounded the campsite, then inscribed magical formations onto the ice.

If the hunting group approached the walls, the formations would activate, providing protection while emitting a piercing alarm.

The noise would immediately wake anyone who was asleep, giving them time to prepare rather than leaving them scrambling in confusion, completely defenseless.

The advantages of having so many mages in one party were on full display.

In less than ten minutes, the ice walls were complete, and the Light Squad leisurely began preparing dinner.

The other adventuring parties watched with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Eventually, one party's captain swallowed his pride and approached the Light Squad to ask for help.

"You want us to build you the same kind of ice walls?"

Shu Li tilted his head and smiled adorably.

"Of course! As long as you pay us."

The captain hesitated.

"How much?"

Shu Li held up five fingers.

"Five hundred gold coins."

The captain wavered for quite some time before reluctantly producing five hundred gold coins in exchange for the defensive ice walls.

Seeing this, the other two adventuring parties and the mercenary group followed suit.

Half an hour later, five campsites surrounded by circular ice walls stood outside the cave.

As though by mutual agreement, the camps were positioned on either side of the entrance, leaving a broad passageway between them that perfectly exposed the cave mouth.

The hundred-member adventuring party had intended to use the other adventurers as cannon fodder to shield the entrance.

Unfortunately for them, the other parties had no intention of cooperating.

With ten layers of defensive ice walls, each campsite was practically a miniature fortress. Their safety had improved considerably, and there was no longer any need for them to serve as sacrificial shields.

The hundred-member adventuring party's plan had fallen apart.

Standing at the cave entrance and staring at the ice walls on either side, its members wore uniformly grim expressions.

Yet they couldn't bring themselves to swallow their pride and pay the Light Squad to construct similar defenses.

Nasak had no choice but to order the mage in his party to imitate the ice walls and erect a barrier across the entrance.

Unfortunately, the mage was only an Intermediate Magic Instructor. The resulting ice wall was mediocre at best, barely adequate to withstand an attack or two.

After dinner, Shu Li happily counted the two thousand gold coins they had just earned.

Not bad at all!

We haven't even reached the Land of Snow, and we're already making money. This adventure is turning out to be fantastic!

"Moresy, this is for you."

He tossed the Dark Elf a pouch containing seven hundred gold coins.

Moresy lifted the heavy pouch.

"Why are you giving me so much?"

"You did most of the work, so naturally you deserve the biggest share," Shu Li replied.

He, Amanda, and Budno didn't want to reveal their true strength too early. Since they had constructed their ice walls using only the abilities of ordinary mages, their work naturally couldn't compare to Moresy's in durability.

Moresy smiled faintly and put the money away.

Shu Li then handed Amanda and Budno a pouch containing four hundred gold coins each.

Of the remaining five hundred, he kept four hundred for himself and contributed the final hundred to the team's common funds.

Amanda and Budno beamed as they clutched their money pouches.

Yesterday, Kumandi had earned a fortune selling potions. Who would have thought that today would be their turn to make money by building ice walls?

The others were green with envy and silently prayed that they, too, would have a chance to earn a tidy sum over the next few days.

"Let's get some rest early tonight," Shu Li said. "Don't sleep too deeply, but don't get overly nervous, either."

He extended a finger and poked the little magical beast, who was happily gnawing on a fruit held between his paws.

"Falm, don't slack off tonight," he instructed sternly.

"I know, I know."

Falm waved one of his short, chubby paws dismissively.

Seidler asked worriedly, "Are you sure it's all right to leave the night watch entirely to him?"

Tonight was different from the previous nights.

The hunting group would undoubtedly launch a nighttime raid.

No matter how powerful a low-ranking mage's contracted magical beast might be, surely it couldn't be higher than the fifth rank!

"Absolutely," Shu Li assured him. "Trust me. If the hunting group encounters him, running away will be their only option."

Assuming they even get the chance to run before they're burned to ashes.

A magical beast above the tenth rank could destroy an entire city if it got serious.

Moresy pulled Seidler to his feet.

"Don't worry! With an appetite like his, he must be strong."

Any magical beast bold enough to go hunting at night was not to be underestimated.

Seidler stopped worrying and allowed Moresy to drag him into their tent.

The others gradually returned to their tents as well.

Hector moved particularly quickly, diving straight into the tent shared by Dixio and Angel, leaving Shu Li standing nearby, staring after him.

What? After we rearranged the sleeping arrangements last night, he doesn't want to switch back?

Shu Li pursed his lips and slowly entered the neighboring tent.

Ace and Kumandi were already lying down, having left the space on the left for him.

Shu Li sighed inwardly.

Resigning himself to his fate, he removed his fur coat and lay down beside Ace, doing his best to maintain a safe distance between them.

Please don't steal my blanket again tonight.

"...Is something bothering you?"

Ace was lying on his side, his head propped up on one hand as he watched him.

Shu Li's breath caught.

He pulled his blanket up to conceal half his face and denied it as casually as he could.

"Nope! Nothing at all!"

Ace clearly didn't believe him.

"You looked at me twenty times today."

Shu Li nearly bristled like an angry cat. His gray-blue eyes widened in astonishment.

"Impossible! It was twelve times at most!"

The moment the words left his mouth, his face turned bright red.

A hint of amusement flashed through Ace's green eyes.

He did that on purpose!

But wait.

Would the Elven King tease him like this?

Shu Li tried hard to recall the time he had spent with the Elven King.

There didn't seem to have been any similar incidents. Even if there had been, Shu Li probably wouldn't have noticed.

After all, in his eyes, the Elven King was the embodiment of everything good and beautiful. He couldn't possibly have any flaws.

Did he deliberately change his personality to make his disguise more convincing?

That must have taken some effort.

Clutching his blanket, Shu Li gave Ace a long, searching look.

Unsurprisingly, his gaze met Ace's once again.

Ace reached out and gently ruffled his hair.

"We're companions," he said with a smile. "If there's something you want to say, just tell me. There's no need to hold back."

Shu Li shook his head vigorously.

"There's really nothing! I was just... looking around, that's all. Um... Anyway, let's go to sleep! Good night!"

He immediately closed his eyes and arranged himself into a sleeping position.

"Good night."

Ace lowered his gaze and didn't press him further.

Before long, the tent fell silent.

Although Kumandi hadn't said a word throughout their exchange, he had been paying close attention to both of them.

Sperien has been sneaking glances at Ace?

Why?

When asked about it, Sperien refused to explain and instead looked terribly bashful.

Kumandi frowned slightly.

He began recalling the various books he had read in the Fairy Library, trying to determine what category this kind of behavior—secretly stealing glances at another person—might fall into.

After pondering it for quite some time, he gave up.

There were simply too many possibilities. He couldn't match the behavior to any particular explanation with confidence.

The closest possibility was—

A secret crush.

Sperien has a crush on Ace.

Could that really be possible?

Kumandi sorted through his thoughts and decided to observe the two of them more carefully tomorrow.