Regeneration System-Chapter 68 : little rewrite.

The journey to the Eastern Province had begun in earnest. Kain and Talor rode in the back of a sturdy, wooden wagon, surrounded by crates filled with supplies bound for various settlements. The merchant leading the expedition, a burly man named Garret, had a no-nonsense demeanor. He gave them a once-over before setting off, ensuring they knew their place.

"You two keep your eyes sharp. Bandits don’t give a damn about how young you are," Garret warned as he adjusted the reins on his horses. "We don’t stop for long, and if something happens, you better be ready to fight."

Kain nodded, gripping the handle of his hammer while Talor rolled his shoulders, making sure his daggers were easily accessible. Though their mission was to leave the academy under the guise of an escort job, they both knew the roads would not be kind to them.

The first day was relatively uneventful. The wagon rolled through well-traveled paths, passing by occasional travelers and merchant groups. The sun hung high, baking the dirt roads and sending waves of heat into the air. Kain and Talor took turns keeping watch, scanning the surrounding woods and hills for any sign of movement.

As night fell, Garret pulled the wagon to a stop near a clearing by a shallow river. A small fire was made, and rations were handed out. The food was simple—dried meat, hard bread, and a small flask of water—but it was enough.

"You two ever been this far east before?" Garret asked, biting into a chunk of salted pork.

Kain shook his head. "No. First time."

Talor glanced at him before smirking. "Technically, first time outside the academy walls for this long."

Garret chuckled. "Well, you’re in for a ride then. The closer we get to the province, the rougher things get. You might think the academy was hard, but out here? There’s no backup. No rules. Just survival."

The fire crackled, and for a while, they ate in silence. Kain stared into the flames, lost in thought. He was closer to finding out what had happened to Thorne, but the road ahead was dangerous. He knew that much.

The second day started early. The group moved before sunrise, using the cool morning air to cover as much distance as possible. The landscape gradually changed as they progressed eastward—rolling hills gave way to jagged rock formations, and the once lush forests thinned into sparse woodlands.

Around midday, trouble finally found them.

A sudden snap of a twig caught Kain’s ear. He barely had time to react before a crossbow bolt whizzed past his head, embedding itself into the side of the wagon.

"AMBUSH!" Garret roared, yanking the reins to stop the horses.

From the trees, five figures emerged, their faces covered with scarves. Each held a weapon—two with crossbows, three with curved blades. One, a tall man with a jagged scar running down his arm, stepped forward.

"Alright, hand over the cargo and no one gets hurt," the man said, voice smooth but firm.

Garret spat on the ground. "Like hell we will."

Talor was already moving, slipping into the shadows of the wagon. Kain took a step forward, gripping his hammer tightly.

Scar Arm chuckled. "Oh? You’re actually thinking of fighting? Brave, but stupid."

The fight began in an instant. One of the crossbowmen fired, but Talor was faster, throwing a dagger that struck the attacker’s arm before he could reload. Kain charged, raising his hammer as he met one of the swordsmen head-on. Their blades clashed against his armor, but with his increased strength and defense, he barely felt the impact.

With a grunt, Kain swung his hammer in a wide arc, forcing two of the attackers to leap back. Garret had drawn a short sword, engaging the scarred leader in a duel. Talor weaved through the fight, taking advantage of the chaos to land precise strikes on exposed limbs.

Kain spotted an opening and took it. With a powerful swing, he slammed his hammer into one of the bandits’ ribs. The man crumpled, wheezing in pain. Another enemy tried to flank him, but a quick shield parry sent them stumbling.

The fight lasted only minutes, but the intensity made it feel much longer. The remaining bandits, realizing they were losing, turned and fled into the woods. Garret wiped his blade on a fallen cloak and spat.

"Damn vultures," he muttered. "You two alright?"

Kain exhaled, catching his breath. "Yeah."

Talor grinned, flicking blood from his dagger. "That was fun."

Garret gave him a look before sighing. "We keep moving. No telling if they’ll come back with more."

The rest of the day passed with tense silence. They traveled until the sun began to set, finally stopping near an outcropping of rocks that provided some cover.

Garret leaned against the wagon. "We’re about halfway there. If we keep this pace, we’ll reach the Eastern Province in three more days."

Kain sat down, rubbing his arms. "That’s assuming we don’t run into more trouble."

"Always assume trouble, boy." Garret tossed him a waterskin. "That way, you won’t be surprised when it finds you."

The night was restless. Kain took first watch, staring out into the dark woods, ears straining for any signs of movement. He wasn’t afraid—he had faced worse. But something about this journey unsettled him.

He wasn’t just traveling to another province. He was walking into the unknown, searching for a friend who had vanished without a trace.

And he had a feeling that the answers he sought would not come easily.

The caravan pushed forward, weaving through the rough, uneven terrain of the borderlands between the central territories and the Eastern Province. The road was little more than a dirt path, often disappearing under patches of tall grass and gnarled roots that had overtaken the neglected trade route. The wagons creaked with every jolt, their wheels struggling against the deep grooves in the earth. Despite the rough ride, Kain and Talor remained vigilant, knowing full well that the dangers of the road were far from over.

As the sun climbed higher, casting its golden rays across the landscape, Kain adjusted the straps on his armor and scanned the horizon. The fields slowly gave way to dense forests, their towering trees casting long, shifting shadows across the path. Birds flitted from branch to branch, their calls filling the air, masking the occasional rustle in the undergrowth that made Kain’s hand twitch toward his hammer.

Talor, ever the observer, nudged Kain with his elbow. "You’re too tense. It’s a long road to the Eastern Province, and if you keep acting like every shadow is a threat, you’re going to wear yourself out before we even get there."

Kain grunted. "After what happened to Thorne, I’m not taking any chances."

Talor sighed, shaking his head. "I get it. But this is a mission, not a war zone. We need to balance alertness with endurance." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Despite Talor’s words, Kain couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. His instincts had been honed through months of training and hunting, and right now, they screamed at him to remain on edge.

As the caravan continued, the escort party remained in formation. There were eight hired guards, including Kain and Talor, all tasked with protecting the three merchant wagons filled with goods bound for the Eastern Province. The lead wagon was manned by an older merchant named Garret, a man with a thick beard and a shrewd gaze. He had hired them personally and had taken a liking to Kain’s quiet efficiency and Talor’s easygoing charm.

By late afternoon, the road narrowed further, forcing the wagons into a single-file line. The thick canopy overhead dulled the sunlight, casting the group in an eerie twilight. The sounds of the forest were muffled here, replaced by the rhythmic clatter of hooves and the occasional muttered conversation among the guards.

Kain rode alongside Talor, his grip on the reins firm. "This area’s perfect for an ambush," he muttered under his breath.

Talor nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Yeah. Too many blind spots."

As if summoned by their words, a sharp whistle cut through the air. Before anyone could react, an explosion of movement erupted from the trees. A group of bandits, clad in dark leathers and wielding a mix of swords, bows, and crude spears, sprang from the underbrush.

"AMBUSH!" a guard shouted, drawing his weapon.

Kain didn’t hesitate. He kicked his horse forward, drawing his hammer in one swift motion. A bandit lunged at him from the side, swinging a rusted sword, but Kain deflected the blow with his shield before slamming his hammer into the attacker’s ribs. The sickening crunch signaled the end of the man’s fight as he crumpled to the ground.

Arrows rained down from the trees, forcing the caravan guards to take cover. Talor dismounted, rolling behind a wagon for cover as he loosed an arrow of his own, striking an archer perched in a tree branch. The bandit toppled, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Garret, the merchant, shouted from his seat. "Keep them away from the wagons! If they take the goods, we’re as good as dead!"

Kain surged forward, meeting two bandits head-on. One wielded a spear, thrusting toward his midsection. Kain twisted his body, letting the weapon slide past before bringing his hammer down onto the spearman’s shoulder, sending him sprawling. The second bandit tried to take advantage of the opening, but Talor’s dagger whizzed through the air, burying itself in the man’s thigh. He howled in pain before Kain finished him with a brutal strike to the chest.

The battle raged on for several minutes, but the guards held their ground. Slowly, the bandits began to retreat, their numbers thinning as the hired fighters cut them down one by one. Those that remained quickly melted into the forest, disappearing as swiftly as they had come.

Breathing heavily, Kain wiped the sweat from his brow and surveyed the aftermath. The caravan had taken some damage—one of the wagons had a broken wheel, and a few of the guards nursed minor injuries—but they had won.

Garret dismounted, assessing the situation. "Damn vultures. Knew this route was risky, but this is worse than I expected."

Kain frowned. "They were organized. This wasn’t a random attack."

Talor crossed his arms. "Agreed. That wasn’t desperation—that was precision. Someone sent them."

The thought lingered in the air, unspoken but understood. If someone had orchestrated this ambush, then it meant that either the merchants or someone in the escort was a target.

Garret sighed. "We need to get moving. We’ll make camp ahead, but we can’t stay here."

With a few swift orders, the group set to work repairing the damaged wagon and tending to the wounded. Kain and Talor stood at the edge of the path, gazing into the forest, both knowing that this wasn’t the last challenge they would face on this journey.