by Zhuang Bifan
Marko had never thought that Mr Hahn merely wanted them to get rid of a level-10 Adventurer…
How powerful was a level-10 Adventurer? Probably like those from the Adventurers Guild in Aminya, risking their lives every day for a few hundred gold coins and fighting low-level magical beasts. That amount of money was not even enough to pay for a meal for Marko and his friends…
Marko shook his head as he felt incredulous—this Mr Hahn was really something. Did he have to take these level-10 Adventurers so seriously? Fancy having Granger gather all of them for this—all four of them here were the best Bandits among Aminya's Adventurers, and all of them were at least level-15. Reggie especially had reached level-16 a month ago, and would be considered pretty strong even in the whole Breezy Plains.
"Say, Brother Reggie, isn't Mr Hahn being too cautious…?"
"Don't talk so much, just do as Mr Hahn said. Anyway, we should wrap this up quickly and go rest soon. We'll be going into the Scar of Death tomorrow, and that should be more than enough work for us."
"True…" Marko nodded.
After the short conversation, the four of them followed along the side of the mountain behind the campsite, and vanished into the night like ghosts.
Lin Li was studying a map in the tent. It was the map that Ujfalusi had copied down through the evil spirit; every tree in the Blackstone Mountains was indicated clearly on it, and it included details like which magical beasts appeared at which place, where rare herbs grew, and where there were rare mineral veins to be found. Everything had been clearly labelled on the map.
"This Malfa Family is something indeed…" Lin Li stared in awe at the map. If the Malfa Family could produce such a map, then it meant that someone amongst them had been able to explore the Blackstone Mountains. This was no joke—there were countless magical beasts in the Blackstone Mountains, and the magical beasts in the area after crossing the Scar of Death were especially powerful. Needless to say, even someone in the Legendary realm might not be able to guarantee their own safety after passing through the Scar of Death…
But the Malfa Family managed to do it—someone amongst them had to have crossed the Scar of Death and explored nearly the entirety of the Blackstone Mountains, or he would not be holding this map right now.
But what shocked Lin Li the most was the patch of white at the top of the map…
It was strange as there was a clearly unfinished line that was abruptly cut off as though someone had poured ink on a priced painting.
Lin Li knew that the patch of white was the main peak of the Blackstone Mountains, and it was not white because it had not been drawn, but because someone had wiped it away for some reason.
Lin Li was willing to bet his head that someone in the Malfa Family had indeed scaled the peak of the Blackstone Mountains!
After having fought the Crimson Python and eating with Tutankhamun, Lin Li knew better than anyone now what a truly dangerous place the Blackstone Mountains were. He believed that even if his teacher Andoine were to come here, he might not be able to climb to the peak of the mountain range, either. Luck aside, the person who had drawn this map might be much more powerful than Andoine…
Another thing looked strange to Lin Li.
Everything was recorded on this map—everything except the nest of the Crimson Python…
"This is too strange…" This question had haunted Lin Li for a long time as a map that recorded even mineral veins and herbs should definitely display the location of the Crimson Python's nest as well. It was a Legendary magical beast, after all. How could the person drawing the map be so careless? Wasn't he afraid that someone from the Malfa Family might stumble upon a Crimson Python's nest one day?
Moreover, the Malfa Family was here for the Crimson Python, so what use would a map without any information on it be?
But the map had a detailed description of the Scar of Death. According to it, that place was a living hell—there were even Undead creatures alongside crazed magical beasts there. Hence, Lin Li found it weird that the Malfa Family had the confidence that a bunch of Adventurers around level-10 would be able to cross through such a living hell.
…Unless Emendas had far more powerful tricks up his sleeve?
"Ujfalusi, don't let the evil spirit sleep tonight, keep an eye on Granger instead. I feel like the Malfa Family is going to do something big…" Lin Li held the map, deep in thought, but failed to think of anything. Hence, he decided to just give an order since he was tired of trying to understand it anyway—he might as well try his luck. This Granger seemed to be deeply trusted, so if Ujfalusi continued to keep an eye on him, maybe they would uncover more secrets…
"Alright, Master."
"Oh, those rats are here…" Just then, a few shadows appeared on the Warlock's Eyes. Lin Li smiled; it seemed like Hahn was bent on getting rid of him…
"Master, shall I do something?"
"No." Lin Li shook his head. If Ujfalusi did something, those people would most likely be turned into Skeletal Warriors; it would be tricky if anyone became suspicious because of that. Lin Li thought for a while before he took out an oil lamp from his pocket.
"F*ck, there's only half of it left?" Lin Li felt his heart clench when he looked at the magical crystal encrusted on the oil lamp—it was a level-15 magical crystal he had just placed in the oil lamp before he left the Tower of Dusk. It only lasted him for one or two summonses before there was only half left. Damn it, this possession of Osric was not for everybody indeed…
Lin Li gritted his teeth, and ignored the pain in his heart before he rubbed the oil lamp.
Then, black fog engulfed the tent…
***
At the same time, the four Bandits stopped in their tracks.
"Marko, bring them in. I'll stand guard outside. Remember, the youngest mage only; don't touch the rest, especially the girl. Oh, and make sure you do a neat job. Don't make much noise, or we'll be in trouble if anyone hears it."
"Don't worry, Brother Reggie, it's only a few low-level Adventurers. How much time can I take? Just wait here for the good news. I'll be back soon."
Marko was smiling as he said this, and clearly did not take the other's words to heart. If it were any other time, the serious Reggie would probably chide him for it, but this time, he did not say anything and nodded his head. "Mm-hmm."
Frankly speaking, even Reggie was sure that a few level-10 Adventurers were no cause for worry. Given Marko's level-15 ability, he could easily deal with 10 of them if he did not make any major errors.
In a flash, Marko disappeared into the night with two companions.
Reggie found a spot out of the wind, and surveyed the campsite quietly as he waited for news from Marko. But, it soon had been over half an hour…
As he waited, Reggie felt uneasy. While he did not think that a few level-10 Adventurers would bring Marko and the rest any problems, he did wait a long time. "Could they be in trouble…?"
Reggie took a look at the quiet campsite before he gritted his teeth and blended into the dark as he inched towards the tent…
Then, Reggie heard a blood-chilling voice.
"Come in, the wind is strong outside…"
Chapter 386 - Benefactor
As a level-16 Bandit, Reggie's reaction was astonishingly fast. No sooner had the voice been heard than he brandished the dagger at his waist and sliced the thick fabric of the tent as though it was paper. The tent fell in a heap, and at the same time he retreated quickly, diving into the shadows of the mountains…
"Bloody hell, this guy is more than he seems indeed…" Reggie pressed himself into the mountain behind him and blended into the dark around him. Nobody would notice that there was someone hidden in the darkness if they did not take a closer look. This was a skill every Bandit had to know, and a high-ranking bandit like Reggie had long perfected this skill of his.
But even a high-ranking Bandit like Reggie could not help breaking into a cold sweat as he hid in the dark. Never in his dreams had he thought that
someone could hide their abilities so well.
Reggie knew better than anyone else how powerful his companions were. They were the three most powerful Bandits in the whole Aminya City besides him! Even an opponent a few levels higher than them would not be able to hold their ground if the three of them struck at once, or else Reggie would not have let Marko lead them into the tent…
But Reggie knew he was wrong now…
The people in the tent were much more powerful than he had imagined. Marko and the rest had probably been subdued almost as soon as they had entered the tent. They had not even been able to let out a warning call. Reggie knew that the targets were way more than he could handle alone.
The good thing was, he managed to get out…
Reggie believed that not all was lost, since he made it out. He was a level-16 Bandit, after all, and once he was hidden in the darkness, even someone at level-17 or level-18 might not be able to find him. He thought it best to tell this to Mr Hahn; if Mr Hahn was willing to step forward, then the people in the tent would most probably let his companions go—they were only four people, after all. They would never be able to fight the whole group.
Perhaps even Lin Li might be in awe of his plan. This Reggie was something indeed; he had managed to slice open the tent and jump into the darkness in the blink of an eye. But, in that short period of time, Reggie had already managed to think this through and come up with the most effective and simple plan…
Unfortunately, no matter how effective or simple a plan was, it had to be feasible…
Just like what was going on now. Reggie had only just taken a step before he felt his c.h.e.s.t tighten, and as he looked down in shock, he realized that there were red vines climbing up his body.
"Sh*t, the Blood-vine Spell!" Reggie paled as he watched the vines spread like wildfire. The name Blood-vine Spell was not even familiar to most mages, as there were too few people who knew of this spell. It was so unheard of that Reggie had never even thought he would actually ever see this spell himself.
Yet, to think that he would see these blood-red vines in the Blackstone Mountains tonight.
Reggie finally understood now why the voice from the tent had sounded so confident—it was because they knew that he would never be able to escape. His long perfected skill of sneaking around in the darkness was nothing more than a joke in the face of these vines that covered the whole mountain…
The existence of the Blood-vine Spell was a nightmare to every Bandit as it meant that the enemy mage did not even have to find out where they were hiding—all they had to do was to chant the spell and wait for the blood-vines to grow everywhere, killing the Bandit in the darkness.
Even though Reggie was capable of breaking free from the vines, what good would it do? It was meaningless to break free from the vines as it would expose his location and make him vulnerable to a powerful mage. It would not save him, and might even anger the mage more.
Hence, after seeing the blood-vines on his body, Reggie wisely ceased his struggles.
"I already said the wind outside is strong, stop running around…"
The voice coming from the tent chilled Reggie to his bones, and he gulped down with difficulty, trying to say something, only to realize that his throat was blocked off and he could not make a noise no matter how hard he tried to.
"Alright, come in."
The only good thing was the mage in the tent did not seem to want to kill him now. Just as the voice was heard, the blood-vines on Reggie dropped and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. It only took a moment before all that was left of the vines were the ones tightly binding his hands, preventing him from displaying his power as a level-16 Bandit.
But Reggie did not dare complain, as he knew that the vines were merely a warning. The mage in the tent was using this as a way of telling him not to resist. Since he could use the vines to bind his hands, then he was capable of making them constrict his throat as well…
Reggie inhaled deeply before he walked out of the darkness and into the tent.
When he walked in, the fallen tent had already been propped up again, and it was done by his companions. Marko's face was even sickly pale as he trembled helplessly while holding up the tent as though he had been through a traumatic experience.
When he saw this, Reggie felt all his hair standing on ends. Nobody knew Marko better than Reggie did here, and he was well aware that this reckless level-15 Bandit had a lion's heart. Even when he was facing the claws of magical beasts up close, he never trembled when he held his dagger.
Reggie could not imagine how traumatizing something had to be to scare Marko like that.
The tent was not spacious. Because it had fallen earlier, everything was in a mess, looking shabby and trashed. However, Reggie felt like he was walking into a Demon Lord's palace when he walked in as the place was filled with a mysterious and powerful aura.
"Norfeller, go and teach those fellows how to fix the tent…" Standing a bit to his right was a young mage, carefully studying a map on a piece of sheepskin. He could tell that it was a newly drawn map from the fresh ink. The young mage raised his head, and only gave him a glance when he walked in before telling one of his companions, "Go and get the other Bandit over. I need to ask him for help on something…"
"Alright, Master." Norfeller nodded his head and walked over slowly.
For some reason, Reggie felt his hair stand on ends when the pale-faced young man walked over. It was an almost instinctive fear—just as though Reggie was a magical beast that met its natural predator—but he did not know why this was so.
Only when he saw the light reflecting off a blade as the vines binding his hands were cut did he recall that this man did not make a sound when approaching, and did not even seem alive, but like a floating spirit. Reggie could not believe that there would be someone better in the art of sneaking than him. He was clearly right in front of him, yet he could not even hear his footsteps. If they had been in any other place and were all hiding in the darkness, he might have already died with just a flick of his knife…
Even though Mr Hahn had said that this Norfeller was a level-10 Warrior, Reggie now knew that he was definitely a Bandit of at least level-17 or even level-18 in some areas. Reggie was as harmless as an unarmed child in front of him, not even having the power to retaliate.
Wait a minute…
What did he say just now? Reggie frowned before he suddenly realized that this devastatingly powerful Bandit had called the mage 'master'…
"My God…" Reggie could not believe his ears. A Bandit at the peak of level-17 was definitely one of the most powerful people in the Breezy Plains. He could not believe that such a powerful person was merely a servant!
Then how powerful of a mage must his master be…
Reggie stood and stared wide-eyed. His face was as pale as a sheet too. Although the vines binding his hands had been cut, he still could not move a finger in front of this scary young mage.
"Don't be so tense, Mr Bandit, I only asked you to come in because I have something I need your help with…" Lin Li lowered the map in his hands. When he looked at Reggie, his face was filled with such warmth and smile that it did not seem like he was speaking to a Bandit that had been trying to sneak an attack on him, but to an old friend instead.
"What… What orders do you have?" Reggie gulped. The warm smiled looked even scarier than a growling demon in his eyes.
"If I'm not wrong, Mr Emendas will send the few of you to survey the Scar of Death tomorrow morning. Coincidentally, I am very interested in the Scar of Death. If you can find a way to satisfy my curiosity, then I'll be happy to forget whatever happened tonight…"
"No problem." Reggie gritted his teeth and agreed without hesitation. He was well aware that he was in no place to negotiate, and the other party would not give him a chance to do so anyway. Even though the young mage looked mild, the aura coming off him was much scarier than that of the Bandit. If he had so much as struggled a bit earlier outside,
he had no doubts that the vine would have strangled him immediately…
"Very well." Lin Li nodded his head with satisfaction. This Bandit was smart, and it was always easier to talk to smart people. He was sure he would get what he wanted from the Scar of Death, or he would not have been at such ease; if this Bandit wanted to put up a fight, he would have to deal with him the hard way. Ujfalusi was a Lich, after all, and was good at interrogation involving tortures…
"Oh, right. Mr Bandit, you're good friends with Granger, right?"
"Yes…" Reggie answered honestly. It had already come to this, and he did not care about hiding his relationship with Granger.
"That's wonderful. You see, as an Adventurer from Doland, I'm a huge admirer of him. Can you tell me how is Granger doing in Aminya?"
Lin Li stared wide-eyed, and his face was filled with such curiosity that Reggie wanted to roll his eyes…
Damn it, you admire Granger? Whom are you fooling? Given your abilities, he's not even deserving of being your shoe carrier, so why would you admire him?
Of course, this was all merely Reggie's internal thoughts, and he would never dare say it out loud…
"When I got to know him, he was still a low-level Adventurer…"
Lin Li did not interrupt Reggie at all, and merely listened from the side quietly.
According to Reggie, Granger was merely at level-8 when he'd arrived in Aminya, but for some reason, he got to know a benefactor from the Malfa Family, and his journey had been incredible smooth sailing from then on. That benefactor had led him into the Malfa Family, made him an official member, and arranged for him to learn from a high-ranking Warrior. Hence, Granger jumped from level-8 to level-14 in a few short years, being only a step away from becoming a true high-ranking Warrior.
"What benefactor?" Lin Li was suspicious. He had met Granger a few times, and even though the latter seemed quite smart, he was nowhere near talented, and his personality was even worse. Lin Li knew from the way he had led the Crimson Python to Black Clouds Town that he was a greedy man who supported those in power. Such a person could never achieve anything great in life, and any benefactor who had their eye on him was definitely not looking to groom a talent…
