As soon as Lin Li said that, everyone's eyes fell on him. A thought came to the minds of more than a dozen members of the Silver Hand at the same time.
"This fella is rich …"
Who was Thuzadin? He was the only Necromancer among the many mercenary corps in Alanna, and he had the strength close to the level of an Archmage. It was no exaggeration to say that at least half of the credit for the achievements of the Rising Sun Mercenary Corps today could be attributed to Thuzadin. If it weren't for Thuzadin, how could they have the chance to squeeze into one of the top ten mercenary corps in Alanna?
But just now, this famous Necromancer had died in the hands of a low-level warrior …
No one could have imagined that the battle would end in such a dramatic way. Just when everyone was in despair, a low-level warrior raised the crossbow and used a crossbow bolt with Divine Power to easily shoot and kill a figure close to the level of an Archmage.
This fella's luck was really too good …
It just so happened that Thuzadin had failed to cast a spell and was at his weakest, and he just happened to have a crossbow bolt with Divine Power. Thus, these coincidences happened to send Thuzadin to a dead end, and at the same time, sent this fella to the position of a VIP of the Silver Hand.
Shooting Thuzadin was equivalent to saving more than a dozen people of the Silver Hand, including Captain Serena herself. Such a favor could not be thanked in a few words. Just this alone was enough to make the whole Silver Hand regard him as a VIP. Under such a background, even if he made any request, Captain Serena would probably agree without hesitation …
For such an encounter, the people of the Silver Hand were envious, and could only summarize it with one sentence: "We're rich."
Unfortunately, a certain low-level warrior who had made a fortune did not have the awareness of making a fortune.
This fella was holding the crossbow in his hand, and muttered strangely, "This whatever mage looks very powerful. It turns out that he's faking it. He was shot to death in just one shot. I thought he would release some powerful magic …"
Hearing these words that deserved a beating, Serena felt her eyebrows twitch violently. She managed to suppress the urge to beat him up, and replied with difficulty, "He … He's unlucky …"
"Oh …"
"Mr Felic …" Hank was probably the one who knew Lin Li's background the best among everyone present besides Sean. The more Hank listened to Lin Li's words, the more he felt that something was amiss. Hank was very clear about what this fella did. How could a person like him say such ignorant words?
But just as Hank opened his mouth, he suddenly discovered that the young mage was looking at him. Although the smile on his face was still gentle, the warning in his eyes was clear to Hank …
This threatening look made Hank jump in fright.
Hank didn't even dare to think about the consequences of angering this young Magician. Back when he lived in Blackhills Town, those bandits had angered him. What had happened to them in the end? When he was at the Thousand Leaves Pub, the Ruby Moon Mercenary Group also angered him. What happened to them? Hank did not want to be hacked to death by the monster beside him, nor did he want to be stabbed to death by an icicle in his chest …
Therefore, Hank wisely buried his head.
Seeing that Hank had stopped talking, Lin Li revealed a satisfied smile.
What a joke. If you expose me with just one sentence, wouldn't everything I've done before be in vain?
It was a coincidence. In the beginning, Lin Li tried his best to restrain the magical wave emanating from his body in order not to be discovered by Thuzadin. With his mental strength, it was naturally a piece of cake for him to do such a thing, and there was no difficulty at all. If Lin Li wanted to, he could even control his own magical wave to the extent of complete stillness. Even a Legendary-level figure would not be able to judge his true strength from the magical wave emanating from his body.
And the fact proved that it was indeed a successful sneak attack.
Thuzadin did not realize that among the dozen people in the corridor, there was a mage whose strength was not inferior to his.
A Mana Retroaction at the critical moment had completely determined the outcome of the battle.
As for the Sun's Spike, it was actually not as crucial as everyone thought. After controlling Thuzadin with a Mana Retroaction, Lin Li had at least several ways to kill Thuzadin easily. The Sun's Spike was just one of the most effortless ones …
After shooting Thuzadin, Lin Li suddenly remembered Hank's previous proposal.
To be honest, he was really a little tempted by this proposal.
The Silver Hand was a big tree. Hitching a ride to the Fire Plume Ridge with them would save him at least half of his strength. By then, he would have a map and a carriage. If there were any trivial matters that he needed someone to run errands for him, he could also borrow a few people from the Silver Hand.
But the problem was that this was a fair world. After enjoying the rights, he naturally had to fulfill his obligations. If the Silver Hand encountered any trouble after arriving at the Fire Plume Ridge, wouldn't he be in trouble too?
So, Lin Li hesitated for a moment, and politely refused. He did not like trouble, and even more so, he did not like to help others solve their problems.
But when Thuzadin died, there would be no trouble at all.
He was now the savior of everyone present, and he was also a low-level Warrior. What obligations did you expect a low-level Warrior to fulfill? He could not bear too heavy an obligation, and there was no need for too light an obligation. He was the savior of your leader. How could you ask your savior to run errands for you?
So, Lin Li carried the Cross Sniper Crossbow on his back and wore the Fire Salamandrid leather armor. He dutifully played the role of a low-level Warrior.
Sure enough, keeping a low profile is the way to go …
Lin Li thought so proudly, but he forgot that this kind of behavior was actually called pretentious …
As Lin Li expected, after Serena heard that he was going to the Fire Plume Ridge, she enthusiastically invited him to go with her. Serena's excuse was, "Let's go together. In case anything happens, we can take care of each other."
Of course, an excuse was just an excuse.
Whether it was Serena herself or Lin Li, who was pretending to be serious, they both knew the meaning behind those words — Young man, the Fire Plume Ridge is a very dangerous place. With the strength of a low-level warrior, it's better for you to follow us …
Anyway, just like that, Lin Li hitched a ride to the Fire Plume Ridge before dawn.
After chatting with Serena for a while, Lin Li gradually understood that as early as two days ago, the Silver Hand had set up a camp in the Fire Plume Ridge.
And this time, it was not only the Silver Hand that was going to the Fire Plume Ridge. Among the three major mercenary corps in Alanna, two were going this time, plus four powerful mercenary corps that were strong enough to enter the top ten in Alanna.
As for why these mercenary corps gathered in the Fire Plume Ridge overnight, Serena did not say it clearly. She only said that there was a very, very big mission to complete. For this mission, the six major mercenary corps had even blocked the road from Blackhills Town to the Fire Plume Ridge.
When he heard this news, Lin Li could not help but feel lucky. Fortunately, he hitched a ride with the Silver Hand. Otherwise, just how to pass through these checkpoints would be enough to give him a headache.
It was not because he was afraid of these adventurers. Although a few mercenary corps were strong, in Lin Li's eyes, they were not a force that he could not contend with. With his current strength, there were few things that could make him afraid, except for a behemoth like the Marathon Family.
But this would bring him trouble. In case of a conflict, it would inevitably affect this trip to the Fire Plume Ridge. If he delayed his return, causing him to be unable to make it in time for the invitation from the Pharmacists Guild, then it would be a bit of a loss.
All in all, this fella joined the Silver Hand mercenary corps as a low-level warrior for the time being.
Under the full moon, a few carriages carrying everyone sped in the direction of the Fire Plume Ridge …
…
Blackhills Town was indeed frighteningly lively tonight. Thuzadin's continuous Corpse Explosion Spells almost tore down the inn. It was not until the carriages were far away that the innkeeper, who had been slapped in the face, raised his head from behind the counter with some lingering fear.
"Thank God, I've finally sent these fellas away …" Looking at the billowing dust stirred up by the carriages, the middle-aged man's face showed an expression of relief.
But then, he had a headache for his inn. Before this group of fellas left, they left enough compensation, but how could the second floor, which had been ravaged by the Corpse Explosion Spells, be cleaned up in a day or two? Looks like I'll be busy for a while again …
"What a jinx …" The middle-aged man sighed. When he was about to go to the second floor to clean up, he suddenly heard a sound of hooves coming from afar.
Then, he saw a few carriages coming from the night sky. At first, he thought that the Adventurers who had just left had returned, but when he saw the family emblem on the carriages, his face immediately turned pale with fright …
It was a privilege that only aristocrats had to paint their family emblem on the carriage. The middle-aged man ran the inn in Blackhills Town, and had seen many aristocrats. But he had never thought that these carriages were painted with a golden hammer!
"People from the Marathon Family!"
Just as the inn owner's face turned pale, the carriages slowly stopped at the entrance of the inn.
A young man stepped down from the carriage. He looked to be less than thirty years old and had a head full of long golden hair. Even in the dark night, he was exceptionally dazzling. He had a handsome face and red eyes. Wrapped in a long black robe, his entire body was filled with a kind of evil charm. When the corners of his mouth curled up to reveal a smile, it immediately made people think of a word — evil smile!
"What a rural place …" The young man seemed to complain softly after he got down from the carriage. Then, he turned around and waved to the inn owner. "You, come here."
"Dear sir, what can I do for you?" This was a member of the Marathon Family. When the inn owner saw him waving, he hurriedly nodded and bowed to greet him.
"Did someone cause trouble here tonight?"
"How did you know?" The inn owner was shocked.
After all, he was just a merchant. No matter how knowledgeable he was, it was impossible for him to understand that a mage could determine countless information with just a trace of residual magical wave …
"You don't need to know how I know. You just need to answer my question. Take a good look at this. Is there such a person staying in your inn?" After saying that, the young man took out a portrait from his pocket and handed it to the hotel owner who was bowing and bowing.
On the portrait was a young man who was also wearing a black robe. He looked to be in his twenties, and had short black hair and black eyes. His face was delicate and pretty, and he had a gentle smile. At first glance, people could not help but have a good impression of him.
The inn owner frowned and looked at the portrait for a long time before nodding uncertainly. "There seems to be such a person …"
"Where is he now?"
"He just left."
"Left?"
"Yes, about half an hour ago, he left in a carriage."
"Half an hour ago …" The young man thought for a while, and took out a bag of gold coins from his pocket. This bag of gold coins was heavy; there were about a hundred of them. The young man held the gold coins in his hand, and waved them in front of the inn owner. "Think carefully, where did this person go in a carriage? If you can remember, this bag of gold coins is yours."
"Oh yes, let me remind you, if you dare to lie to me …"
"I dare not, I dare not …" The inn owner hurriedly clarified. He was telling the truth. This was a member of the Marathon Family. Even if he was given a hundred guts, he would not dare to lie to a member of the Marathon Family for a bag of gold coins.
The inn owner frowned tightly. After thinking hard for a while, he finally remembered. "Oh yes, I remember now. The adventurers with him seemed to have said that they were going to the Fire Plume Ridge!"
"Fire Plume Ridge?" The young man put the gold coins in the hands of the inn owner, and walked quickly to the front of a carriage. He whispered a few words to the people in the carriage. After a while, he raised his head and issued an order to the other carriages. "Before dawn, we must reach the Fire Plume Ridge!"
It was only a two-hour journey from Blackhills Town to the Fire Plume Ridge. Lin Li lay in the carriage, and soon after he closed his eyes, he felt the unique temperature of the Fire Plume Ridge.
"Mr Felic, we are here." Hank stopped the carriage, and carefully woke Lin Li up.
"So fast?" Lin Li rubbed his eyes; his face was still a little sleepy. When he came out of the carriage, he suddenly stopped. "Hank, my name is Felic, not Mr Felic. Also, I am a level-five warrior, not a mage. If you mistake me next time, you may have a little trouble …"
"…"
The six mercenary corps had set up six camps at the foot of the Fire Plume Ridge. Among them, the Silver Hand's camp was the outermost. After Lin Li got off the carriage, he saw hundreds of tents densely connected together at a glance, which meant that there were at least thousands of adventurers …
For a moment, Lin Li could not help but be puzzled. What kind of mission could attract six powerful mercenary corps at the same time?
The three major mercenary corps of Alanna were not a joke. Lin Li was not clear about the strength of the other two, but because of Ina, he had some understanding of the Silver Hand. Even if he did not mention the famous Silver Storm, the Silver Hand had thousands of adventurers of all levels, and there were at least hundreds of them who had reached level-ten and above.
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Lin Li would really find it hard to believe that there was a mission that the Silver Hand could not complete alone, and had to cooperate with several other mercenary corps.
Cooperation was not a common thing for mercenary corps …
As the saying went, people of the same trade were enemies. This was especially so for heavyweights like the three major mercenary corps. They were enemies among enemies. The three major mercenary corps of Alanna each controlled thousands of adventurers. With such a large number of adventurers, it was naturally inevitable that there would be some conflicts, especially when it came to conflicts of interest. Such conflicts would be abnormally sharp, and it would be harder to get them to cooperate than to ascend to heaven …
But this time, the mission really made them cooperate, and it seemed that they were cooperating well. At least when they set up camp together, they did not fight as soon as they met.
Lin Li followed Serena and the others all the way to the Silver Hand's camp with some doubts.
The Silver Hand's camp was well arranged. More than a hundred tents occupied a large open space, and around the tents, a few temporary sentry towers were built. A few sharp-eyed archers were standing guard on the sentry towers, and under the sentry towers, a team of fully armed warriors was patrolling back and forth in the camp.
Good vigilance … This was Lin Li's evaluation of the Silver Hand.
So he was a little puzzled. How could the vigilant Silver Hand let their leader be blocked in the inn, and almost killed by a group of adventurers who were not very strong?
Unfortunately, before he could finish his doubts, he found a familiar figure …
The tent in the center of the camp was the largest in the whole camp. There was no doubt that this was the temporary headquarters of the Silver Hand, and that familiar figure came out of this tent. He looked to be in his twenties, dressed as a warrior, and his golden hair was particularly dazzling in the morning sun.
"F * ck, why is it this guy!?" Lin Li was shocked. It was actually Elijah who came out of the tent!
After going to the black market together that day, he had not seen this guy. Lin Li was a little puzzled at that time. He had clearly asked him to come to the Guild of Magic the next day to get the Bull's Strength Potion, but he had not seen him. Only now did Lin Li understand that this guy had actually come to the Fire Plume Ridge one step ahead of him …
Thinking about it, it made some sense. This guy was also one of the leaders of the top ten mercenary corps. It was not surprising that he had a share of this mission.
But why did he choose to appear at this time when he was coming …
Lin Li was really troubled. It was not a good thing to bump into Elijah at this time. If this guy was not sensible and exposed his background in one sentence, then there would be big trouble …
"Captain Serena, you're finally back …" Elijah saw the people of the Silver Hand coming from afar, and immediately went to greet them anxiously. But just halfway, the expression on Elijah's face froze because he found Lin Li in the crowd. "Fe … Felic …"
"Captain Elijah, is it really you?" Lin Li did not dare to give him a chance to speak. If he called out Mage Felic, how was he going to explain? Just as the expression on Elijah's face froze, Lin Li had already greeted him with a face full of surprise. He gave Elijah a warm hug. "When are you going to pay me back?"
"…" Elijah almost bit his tongue. Didn't you owe me three bottles of Bull's Strength Potion? Why did it suddenly become me owing you money?
But fortunately, Elijah was also a smart person. When he saw the strange expression on Lin Li's face, he knew that this young mage definitely had something to hide. He did not dare to be negligent, and hurriedly went along with Lin Li's words. "This … Can you delay this matter for a while?"
"Delay again? You've already delayed it for a few months … "Taking advantage of the opportunity of pressing for the debt, Lin Li lowered his voice and said to Elijah," Remember, other than the matter of you owing me money, you don't know anything else. Do you understand? "
"Understood …" Elijah nodded, but the expression on his face was unusually awkward. A dignified leader of the top ten mercenary corps was actually being pressed for a debt in public. If this were to spread, he did not know where he would lose his face.
"Captain Elijah, why are you looking for me?" Fortunately, at this time, Serena spoke in time to avoid Elijah's embarrassment.
"It's like this, Captain Serena. I've already done what you asked me to do yesterday. Now the blueprint is in your tent. Do you want to go and take a look now?"
"I'll go right now." Serena nodded, and called Hank over to let him help Lin Li and the others find a place to settle down.
In the beginning, Lin Li actually wanted to call Elijah along. Firstly, he wanted to unify their opinions, and secondly, he wanted to find out more about the mission. It didn't matter if Serena refused to talk about it, but Elijah wouldn't refuse to talk about it either, right? Unfortunately, Serena did not give him the chance. Before entering the tent, she called Elijah over again, saying that she had something to discuss with him.
In desperation, Lin Li had no choice but to follow Hank, and find two tents near the campfire in the north of the campsite.
"Hank, come in and have a chat." Lin Li had been dozing off in the carriage just now, and had forgotten to ask a lot of questions. Since he had time now, he was not in a hurry to rest. He simply asked Hank to stay behind, and asked the question that he could not figure out along the way. "Tell me, how did you get blocked by the people from the Rising Sun Mercenary Corp last night?"
The reason why Lin Li wanted to know the reason was not because he was a nosy person.
The words that Thuzadin said before his death left a deep impression on him.
"So … So it's you …" Anyone who heard such words from a Necromancer would not be able to help but shudder. What was the difference between being targeted by a Necromancer and being targeted by a venomous snake?
That was why Lin Li was eager to know what was hidden in there …
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