Chapter 82: Leaving the City in Search of the Team

The mainland had long fallen silent beneath the night, and all living things were at rest.

Since the last great war, the colossal battle between Sparta and Gabriel, nearly a year had passed.

Across the entire continent, the two major legions were still recruiting and stockpiling strength, steadily enlarging their military power. Beyond the native inhabitants already enlisted in the armies, no further natives would be drafted. All new recruits came from the outsiders who had suddenly appeared on a certain day after the war ended.

They were like lions sent from the heavens, numerous in number and astonishingly fierce in combat.

And yet, aside from scattered skirmishes in a few regions, no new large-scale battle had broken out within that year. The upper ranks of the Dark Rampart Legion and the Angel Legion seemed to have reached some unspoken understanding.

Was the war coming to an end?

The natives of the continent of Garlin were all thinking and talking about it, though they paid it little real mind.

The war would not be allowed to spread into the places where humans lived; it was fought only in desolate, uninhabited lands. Beyond that, no matter which army you belonged to, in the eyes of the natives you were cheap labor with a bit of utility.

From tasks that required adventurers to step forward, to laundry, cooking, and shopping, to every trade and calling in the wide world, the footprints of the outsiders were everywhere.

And you had no idea which army he came from, or whether he was even on your side.

The players were equally baffled.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a war game? Why had it spawned so many flashy oddities? Was the game developer trying to give people a chance to become a celebrated marshal? This was clearly the rhythm of hiring real people to do work for virtual data.

After muttering a few weak complaints, Li Xin took advantage of the night, left the Kesdun Grand Hotel, hailed a taxi, and headed toward Suran Avenue in the north of the city.

In Room 101, on the first floor of Unit 1, Building 1, in the Brightlight Complex, lived a young married couple named Zhang. The husband worked at a well-known research institute in the city; the wife ran a small same-city shopping store. The Brightlight Complex was an upper-mid-range residential development in Santiago, which showed that the couple’s income was considerable.

Of course, in the eyes of outsiders, they were just an ordinary pair, dutifully working nine to five, occasionally going out for exercise and relaxation, and spending most of their time shut up at home.

Ding-dong.

The crisp chime of the doorbell echoed through the darkness, rousing the motion-sensing light from its sleepy haze and waking the Zhang couple, who had long since fallen asleep.

“Who is it?”

Through the intercom, Zhang Youcai looked outside and saw a fair-skinned, slightly plump man.

Li Xin smiled faintly and nodded, then drew the standard lion emblem with his right hand. Zhang Youcai instantly roused, recognizing the man’s identity.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Xin stated his purpose: he wanted to borrow a vehicle and go to Black Heap Mountain.

“This...” Zhang Youcai looked awkward.

“Recently, on the southern continent, the Holy Light Angel Legion has intensified patrols and guard rotations. Santiago is close to Black Heap Mountain, but the road passes a barracks stationed by a company of the Holy Light Angel Legion.

“I’m afraid that if they happen to stop and inspect you, what then?”

It turned out that Zhang Youcai was an intelligence agent planted by the Black Lion Legion in Santiago.

Li Xin immediately understood. So that was the reason for the concern. Though he was not afraid alone, anything could still go wrong. If that happened, his identity as a death soldier would be exposed.

“Is there any effective solution?”

“Yes.” Zhang Youcai answered without hesitation.

“As far as I know, an adventurer team from a neighboring city is departing tomorrow at dawn to complete a mission in Arirang Mountain. Since you’ve already become an adventurer, you could try joining their team.

“Strength in numbers. With an adventurer team as cover, you’ll save yourself a great deal of trouble.”

Zhang Youcai took out his phone and quickly made a call. Tomorrow at four in the morning, under the Yellow Path of Heaven, they had to set out on time.

After parting from Zhang Youcai, Li Xin hailed another taxi and headed straight for the hotel where the off-city adventurer team was staying.

At four the next morning, a group of eleven, plus Li Xin, making twelve in all, set off in three large off-road vehicles, speeding northeastward.

Black Camel Mountain Grassland was only fifty kilometers from Santiago. Of Li Xin’s four quests, two lay along the route, and two were farther north in the Black Camel Mountain region; he would first have to complete the Death God activation quest before anything else.

Along the way, the adventurers of the Soaring Adventurer Team kept glancing at Li Xin in the back seat, where he slept with his head tipped back. He was a C-rank adventurer, and very strong. Their team’s strongest member was only B-rank.

“Hey, Old Guo, what’s his background? Why did the captain suddenly agree to let him join?” one person asked the driver in a low voice.

“You ask me, and who am I supposed to ask?” Old Guo replied, turning his head in displeasure.

“I heard it was an introduction from a friend, so the captain gave special permission,” said another, who seemed to know more and could not resist showing off.

The Soaring Team had stayed in Santiago to rest for three days, and news of every major and minor event in the city had naturally reached someone’s ears.

The informed man quickly and concisely explained Li Xin’s background, and the adventurers in the car all gasped in disbelief.

A single person, completing a near-S-rank quest and becoming a C-rank adventurer?

Was that a legend?

It sounded like blatant embellishment, a joke, surely.

“Heh... Gerard, don’t just spout nonsense. That was a near-S-rank quest. Without an adventurer of A-plus rank or above, who could possibly complete it so easily?” Feli sneered again and again, shooting a dismissive glance at Li Xin, who was still half-asleep.

“Look at that guy. Sleeping like a dead pig. Does he look like some super powerhouse?”

“Anyway, I don’t believe it.”

Perhaps out of envy, jealousy, and resentment, none of the four people in the car believed it. They only assumed it was a fabricated story made up by the Santiago Adventurers’ Guild to grab attention.

In the middle vehicle of the three, the captain and deputy captain of the Soaring Team were also talking.

“Captain Feiyang, I can’t accept the reason Zhang Youcai gave. If he’s a normal adventurer, why would he still be afraid to travel alone?” the deputy captain, Wen Hui, questioned.

“Do you think he’s carrying some priceless treasure and is afraid of being targeted?”

“Carrying a priceless treasure?” Feiyang shook his head with a smile. “Look at him. Does he seem like it?”

“Hard to say. These days, rich people all like to play poor.”

“Heh. Wen Hui, are you really stupid or just pretending? Where does this road lead? Black Camel Mountain. That’s the headquarters of the Black Lion Legion...”

At that, Deputy Captain Wen Hui gave an awkward laugh. “Captain Feiyang, I was only joking.”

“In my view, that kid is clearly a traitor...”

Before Wen Hui could finish, Feiyang cut him off sternly. “Walls have ears.”

Wen Hui was embarrassed and nodded sheepishly.

“Zhang Youcai has already paid the fee. We’re only taking one person along the way. Adventurers don’t meddle in army affairs, so we should speak less about it. As long as we safely get him across the Red Forest Line, our task is done. Once Zhang Youcai’s final payment arrives, we can return to the Santiago Auction House and buy those few weapons.”

Feiyang spoke softly, took a sip of water, and went on. “They say he killed a near-B-rank expert with one strike. Whether that’s true or false, we must treat it as true. While carrying out the mission, be sure to keep a close watch on him, so he doesn’t play the mantis while the cicada stalks the locust behind.”

Wen Hui nodded heavily. “Don’t worry. I know what to do.”