Marcus was now outside the city gates of Berm, and he walked further until the periter of the city could no longer be seen behind him.
Since it’s six kiloters and the sun’s heat was beating him harshly, there’s no way he’d walk to the location.
He opened his system and then browsed for a vehicle since there was already a pathway that rchants or traders used to navigate different towns or cities.
The interface appeared in front of him.
He went straight to the Light Vehicles tab.
[Humvee (HMMWV) – 60,000 MC
JLTV – 180,000 MC
Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (Militarized) – 40,000 MC]
Marcus paused on the second option.
JLTV.
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Oshkosh platform.
Better armor than a Humvee. More stable. Designed for rough terrain.
He tapped it.
A detailed preview appeared.
Four-wheel drive.
Reinforced hull.
Independent suspension.
And—
A mounted weapon system on top.
M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.
Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly.
"...That’s good."
He checked the price again.
180,000 MC. It’s cheap, he has thirteen million military credits. It won’t even make a dent to his balance.
Without hesitation, he purchased it.
[Purchase confird! Item is now transferred to your inventory!]
Marcus shifted his gaze to the corner of the interface.
[Balance: 12,809,540 MC]
"Okay, now ti to get to the farm," Marcus muttered to himself as he went to the driver side of the vehicle and pulled the door open.
He stepped inside and settled into the seat.
The interior was compact but well laid out. Reinforced panels. Clean dashboard. Controls exactly where he expected them to be.
Marcus adjusted the seat slightly.
Hands on the wheel.
Foot on the pedal.
"...Feels right."
He turned the ignition.
The engine ca to life with a low, steady rumble.
Marcus glanced ahead at the road.
Then shifted into gear.
The JLTV rolled forward.
He pressed the accelerator a bit more.
Speed picked up.
The vehicle handled the dirt road easily, suspension absorbing the uneven terrain without issue.
***
Thirty minutes later, he finally arrived at the outskirts of the farm.
Marcus slowed the vehicle as the land opened up.
Wooden fences stretched across the fields. Livestock pens were scattered around. From a distance, it looked normal.
But as he got closer, the damage beca obvious.
Sections of the fence were broken. So posts were snapped clean. Others were bent inward like sothing forced its way through.
Marcus brought the JLTV to a stop near the entrance.
He turned off the engine.
The sudden silence made the place feel heavier.
Just the sound of animals shifting and the wind brushing through the fields.
He stepped out and closed the door.
His eyes moved across the area.
The cows were gathered closer than usual. Pigs stayed near the inner parts of their pens. None of them were spread out.
Like they knew sothing.
A few workers were fixing the fences, but their movents weren’t relaxed. They kept looking around, checking the surroundings between each hamr strike.
Marcus adjusted the sling of his M4 across his chest and walked forward.
One of the workers noticed him.
"Hey—who are you?" the man called out.
"Adventurer," Marcus replied. "Here for the goblin problem."
The man froze for a second, then turned his head toward the house.
"Boss! Adventurer’s here!"
Marcus kept walking.
A mont later, the farmhouse door opened.
A man stepped out.
He looked to be in his forties. Built like soone who worked his own land. His clothes were worn, and his face showed it—tired, but still sharp.
He walked toward Marcus without hesitation.
"You’re from the guild?" the man asked.
Marcus nodded.
"Marcus Manfred."
The man stopped in front of him and looked him over.
Recognition hit a second later.
"...You’re the one from the wyvern attack. I’m Roderick Hale."
"Pleasure to et you."
The man exhaled.
"Good," he said. "Then maybe this actually gets handled."
Hale turned and gestured toward the fence.
"Co. Look at this."
Marcus followed.
Up close, the damage was worse.
Claw marks ran along the wood. Not deep enough to be from large beasts—but too consistent to be random.
Marcus crouched and looked at the ground.
Tracks, they were small and a lot of them.
"...Recent," Marcus said.
"Last night," Hale replied. "They hit us again."
Marcus stood up.
"How often?"
"At first? Every few days," Hale said. "Now it’s every night."
Marcus nodded.
That explains the escalation.
He looked toward the treeline.
Dense forest. Hard to see past the first layer.
"...They co from there?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah," Hale confird. "There is a cave there, possibly their nest."
"A cave?" Marcus repeated.
He shifted his gaze back to the treeline.
From here, it was hard to see anything beyond the first layer of trees. Dense growth. Uneven ground. Plenty of places to hide an entrance if you didn’t know where to look.
"About half a kiloter in," he said. "You won’t see it from the road. It’s tucked behind a slope. Covered by brush."
Marcus looked back at him.
"You’ve been there?"
"Close enough," Hale replied. "Not inside. I’m not stupid."
Marcus gave a small nod.
"I was told that you have posted this quest before but others failed..."
"They were killed," Hale said.
He didn’t say it loudly.
Just flat.
Like he already repeated it too many tis.
Marcus didn’t react. He kept his eyes on the treeline.
"How many?" he asked.
"First group—three," Hale said. "Second group, they pulled back. One didn’t make it."
Marcus nodded once.
Hale looked at him for a mont.
Then he spoke again.
"...Can you actually finish this?" he asked.
"I will," he said.
Hale held his gaze, searching for sothing.
"...You sound confident," he said.
"I’m pretty sure the wyverns are much stronger than goblins. I can handle it."
"...How long?" he asked.
Marcus glanced back toward the forest.
asured distance.
Estimated terrain.
Enemy count.
"Within the day," Marcus answered.
Hale frowned.
"...Within the day?" he repeated.
Marcus nodded.
"I’ll clear the nest," he said. "And whatever’s inside it."
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