Out of the original ten-member group, only six remained.
No one had expected that after traveling only a few segments of this trade route, nearly half the group would already be dead.
Just then, the wooden tablets at the waists of the remaining members grew hot simultaneously.
The ancient runes on the surface of the seventh road marker slowly lit up.
Mist flowed down along the stone marker as lines of dark red text emerged from its depths.
【Caravan casualties: 4】
【Acting Caravan Master dereliction of duty】
【Caravan Physician dereliction of duty】
【Porter dereliction of duty】
【Guard Captain dereliction of duty】
【Remaining members, please elect a new Acting Caravan Master】
【The new Acting Caravan Master will appoint the missing duties】
As the words lit up, a new black wooden tablet squeezed out from a crack in the stone beneath the road marker.
Three words were carved onto the front of the tablet.
【Acting Caravan Master】
Everyone's eyes fell upon it.
This identity represented power, but also responsibility.
It was a true double-edged sword.
Use it well, and one could secure the greatest benefits.
Use it poorly, and it would cost them their life.
Xu Zhiheng was the perfect example.
Kolo gripped her axe handle and stared at the wooden tablet for a moment.
She actually didn't want to take it.
She didn't understand caravans, nor did she like commanding others.
But if no one took it, this road might not let them proceed at all.
She had just taken half a step forward when Reece moved first.
He walked up to the road marker and stood his broadsword on the ground.
The blade struck the stone slabs with a heavy thud.
“I'll do it.”
Kolo stopped in her tracks.
The others looked up at him as well.
Standing before the road marker, Reece didn't reach for the wooden tablet immediately.
His broad shoulders were tense, but his expression was calmer and steadier than anyone else's.
“Honestly, I don't want this role at all,” he said, his gaze sweeping over the residual black blood on the ground.
“But I want to get out of here alive. And I think you all do too.”
When he finished speaking, no one present refuted him.
Reece continued, “I've been in caravans before. I know how a normal caravan is supposed to operate.”
“If you can trust me, I'll do my best to lead the rest of us out.”
He paused, his gaze honest. “I can't guarantee everyone will survive.”
“But I won't use human lives as stepping stones for a few chests.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, as if everyone was weighing whether his words were trustworthy.
Severn was the first to speak. “I have no objections.”
He glanced at the dense fog behind the road marker, his voice weary. “Having someone willing to step up now is better than having no one in charge.”
Ryan had lost his initial cheerfulness; he nodded with a serious expression:
“I have no objections either.”
Milo hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice:
“I agree.”
With Reece willing to take over and Severn, Ryan, and Milo having voiced their support, even if Kolo or Rena opposed it, they wouldn't be able to change anything.
Isolde stood to the side, looking down at the wooden tablet.
The debts from her past life had been mostly settled on this trade route.
All that remained was to successfully clear the dungeon and obtain what she came for.
If Reece could actually pull the team back together, it would actually be a good thing for her.
As expected, professional matters were best left to professional people.
Seeing that no one objected, Reece knelt down and reached out to touch the wooden tablet.
The moment his hand closed around the tablet, his original 【Cargo Escort】 tablet at his waist glowed faintly.
Immediately after, a new line of words materialized beside it.
【Acting Caravan Master】
Reece looked down at it, then stood up and faced the remaining members.
“We are redistributing the duties now,” he said, his voice steady and clear as his gaze swept over them. “I know none of you want to carry an extra tablet.”
“But if we want to get out, someone has to fill the vacancies.”
“I'll explain my reasoning for this distribution. If you think it's unreasonable, feel free to speak up.”
His gaze fell on Milo first. “The Porter role goes to Milo.”
Milo gasped in surprise. “Me?”
“Yes.”
Reece said, “You were originally the Witness. You can't charge to the front, and you can't wander too far from the group. With the cargo chests following you, they will at least stay in the middle of the formation.”
“What you need to do is very simple.”
“Don't run around, and don't cower to the side out of fear. As long as you stay steady, the cargo chests will stay steady.”
Milo gripped the wooden tablet in his hand tightly. He wanted to say he couldn't do it.
But when he turned his head and saw the blood trail left behind when Su Xiaoman was dragged away, he forced the words back down.
Finally, he muttered, “I'll do my best.”
Reece looked at Rena. “The Caravan Physician role goes to Rena.”
Ryan froze, incredulous. “She knows healing?”
Reece shook his head. “She doesn't need to know healing spells. There are potions left behind by Su Xiaoman on the ground.”
“Of everyone still alive, she is the calmest. It's most appropriate to give it to her.”
Rena raised an eyebrow slightly, letting out a soft laugh. “You trust me that much?”
“I don't have the luxury of choice right now,” Reece replied bluntly. “So you must state clearly in front of everyone how the potions will be used.”
“Low-grade for stopping bleeding, mid-grade for treating injuries, and high-grade will only be used on injuries that threaten to stop the caravan's progress.”
“You can make the judgment calls, but you cannot hoard them, nor can you play favorites.”
His voice deepened.
“If you intentionally withhold potions to harm someone, I will revoke this duty on the spot, and the potions will be redistributed.”
These words were quite blunt, but Rena merely offered a faint smile.
“Fine by me.”
She bent down and picked up the potions left behind by Su Xiaoman.
Three low-grade healing potions.
Three mid-grade healing potions.
Two high-grade healing potions.
One bottle of poison.
The quantity wasn't large.
But as long as the remaining members stopped courting death and survived the last few segments of the trade route, it should be enough.
She put the potions away. Watching her movements, Milo recalled the glowing object that had flashed by earlier, and he opened his mouth several times but hesitated.
Rena seemed not to notice, quietly organizing the items in her hands.
Reece's gaze finally landed on Kolo.
“The Guard Captain role goes to you.”
Kolo frowned. “I'm already the Pathfinder.”
“Which is exactly why it should go to you.”
Reece said, “Now that Damon is dead, no one can face the treants' attacks head-on.”
“Of those left, you have the highest mobility and can block the most dangerous threats.”
Kolo didn't agree immediately, so Reece added:
“I won't make you face them alone. I am still a Cargo Escort, and I'm also the Acting Caravan Master.”
“Once we reduce the amount of cargo, I'll be responsible for keeping track of the chests, which should minimize your burden as much as possible.”
Kolo stared at him for a moment.
This man was far more capable than Xu Zhiheng.
Kolo nodded in agreement. The 【Pathfinder】 on her wooden tablet glowed faintly, and the words 【Guard Captain】 appeared beside it.
Only after all the duties were settled did Reece turn to look at the fifteen cargo chests.
“Now, let's deal with the cargo.”
The things Xu Zhiheng had stubbornly refused to abandon before his death sat neatly in the middle of the stone path, resembling a row of silent coffins.
Reece looked at everyone, his voice clear. “I plan to keep only six chests.”
“One chest per person. Pick your own.”
“Once we get out, you can keep them for yourselves or trade them with each other. It's up to you.”
This plan was both fair and clever.
Everyone got something, and everyone now had a reason to cooperate actively.
Severn was the first to walk over, choosing a chest of ore.
Ryan selected a chest containing rare materials, including beast bones.
Milo hesitated for a long time before hugging a chest of gold coins.
Kolo also chose a chest of gold coins, her mood improving slightly.
With this chest of gold coins, she wouldn't have to worry about running out of carrots.
Reece kept a chest of sealed herbs and spare supplies.
When it was Rena's turn, she paused in front of the remaining chests for a long time.
She looked at one, then another, her brow furrowing slightly.
To be honest, making this choice was indeed a bit difficult for her.
After all, whenever she encountered such situations in the past, she would take everything.
Having to choose only one chest from a pile of goods was actually a hassle.
Her gaze swept past ores, old silverware, and tattered fabrics, finally stopping on a wooden chest filled with miscellaneous items.
That chest looked the most unremarkable.
Inside were worn-out account books, broken silver clasps, several wax-sealed small boxes, and a sealed wooden box bearing a rose wrapping gold coat of arms.
The wooden box was buried under a pile of clutter, its edges slightly blackened.
It looked as ordinary as could be.
Yet Isolde's gaze lingered on it for a split second.
She had a feeling that this item was definitely not as simple as it appeared.
Thus, she reached out and selected that miscellaneous chest.
When the others saw her choice, their expressions became slightly subtle.
No one understood why Rena would choose such a thing, nor did anyone plan to trade with her after they got out.
Looking at the remaining chests, Milo asked in a low voice:
“Those abandoned chests... won't they cause trouble?”
Reece said, “I can't guarantee whether they'll cause trouble.”
“But bringing all fifteen chests will definitely cause trouble.”
Having said that, he looked at the road marker and announced, “I am now the Acting Caravan Master.”
“I decide to abandon the excess cargo and keep only six chests.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the discarded chests suddenly vibrated slightly.
Fine black roots stretched out from the shadows beneath the chests, dragging them bit by bit toward both sides of the stone path.
Everyone held their breath. Even when the chests had completely slipped into the mist, no new roots attacked them.
The duties were allocated, and the cargo was downsized.
After Milo accepted the 【Porter】 wooden tablet, the six cargo chests slowly slid behind him.
Compared to the long, trailing line of fifteen chests from before, these six chests looked much more manageable.
Rena slung the medical bag over her shoulder.
Kolo hoisted her heavy axe and stood at the front of the group.
Ryan raised his bow, once again keeping a close eye on the mist on both sides.
Severn took a deep breath, relighting the flame on his staff.
Reece held his broadsword in his hand, standing slightly behind the cargo chests.
The mist behind the seventh road marker slowly parted.
A narrower, wetter, and darker trade route emerged from the fog.
The silhouette of the ancient tree in the center was already clearly visible.
Inside the cracks of the tree trunk, a golden light flickered, scattering fine specks of light with the wind.
Reece said in a deep voice, “Let's go.”
Six people, six cargo chests.
They stepped onto the seventh segment of the trade route.
Rate on N.U.
