Chapter 261: Chapter 255, Gray Bear Mountain Village l
Translator: 549690339 |
As directed by Fang Hao, the skeleton warriors removed the Nightstones from the cave walls and gradually retreated to the second level.
They continued to gather all the decayed equipment on the second level, finally withdrawing to the first level where the cave entrance was located.
The bodies of the one-eyed trolls still lay on the ground, the cave was pervaded with the heavy scent of blood.
“Dispose of the bodies and bundle them up to take back.”
The skeletons lifted the bodies of the trolls and piled them up outside the cave.
The bone dragon bathed the bodies in its death breath, the flesh falling off and leaving – a pile of white bones.
Fang Hao’s storage space was filled with weapons and equipment. A large part of the loot would need to be carried back by the bone dragon.
All the spoils of war were packed carefully, and everyone climbed onto the dragon’s back.
The bone dragon flapped its wings and flew towards their territory.
The bone dragon flew quickly.
However, Fang Hao’s gaze fell down below where he saw a fortress, as small as a matchbox.
This was the stronghold of the Gray Bear. As a skeleton, he had been led to this place by the mercenaries.
Fang Hao’s eyes flickered, and he immediately formed a plan in his mind.
With a gentle pat on the bone dragon’s neck, it immediately changed direction. Folding its wings, it swooped down swiftly.
Inside the Gray Bear fortress.
In the leader’s hall, Gray Bear was sitting in a chair with a grim face.
Across from him was a robust man dressed in heavy armor.
This man was the leader of another bandit camp, commonly referred-t to as the ‘Spirit Wolf’.
The origin of this moniker was a story spread among the bandits.
He was supposedly the emissary of the Death God in the human realm, and anyone who regarded him as an enemy would suffer endless torture, even after death.
Of course, Gray Bear didn’t believe this.
Bandits and robbers would all give themselves ferocious names just like his own ‘Gray Bear’, and rumors of his ability to transform into an enormous bear when angered.
All of which was to terrorize the villagers and bandits in the mountains.
“You’re full of shit! Who the hell told you that my forces are insufficient and that the fortress is indefensible?” Gray Bear swore from his chair.
“Humph! Gray Bear, don’t push your luck. I’ve generously proposed a marriage alliance. We can manage this fortress together. If I take over, you and the fortress will still belong to me,” the man sullenly replied.
The news of Gray Bear fortress’s ambush on the merchant fleet’s had already spread.
All the bandits who had lost their footing due to the Lyss army’s encirclement had their eyes on this fortress.
In the past few days, spies from various bandit groups had shown up and were observing the situation in Gray Bear’s territory.
“Take over? You?” Gray Bear sneered disdainfully, but his heart was filled with apprehension.
He was well aware of the situation in the fortress. In the event of a fight, his side was doomed to lose.
But he couldn’t bear to give up his fortress, especially not to the man in front of him.
No matter how dire the situation, he couldn’t bear losing to such a man.
Boom!
The man slammed his fist on the table and roared, “I didn’t come here for your opinion. I want to be the bandit leader of this area, the Wolf King….”
The man had his own ambition. He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to combine all the scattered bandits and become the leader of all the bandits in the region.
Startled by the man’s sudden outburst, Gray Bear involuntarily reached for the weapon at her side.
The man squinted at her, saying coldly, “This is your last chance, either agree or die here….”
Gray Bear noticed that the man’s henchman was already close to the door outside.
The moment she said ‘no’, that henchman would immediately charge out and order an attack.
Gray Bear’s gaze darkened. She felt tricked by this man.
The newcomers she had taken into her fortress these past few days, they all must have been the man’s embedded spies.
They were here for these negotiations.
Gray Bear’s eyes flickered rapidly, “Damn you….”
However, before she could finish, there was a sudden, fearful cry of chaos from outside.
“It’s a bone dragon….”
“The undead are coming, hide!”
The door was kicked open and a bandit stumbled in.
“Boss, the undead are attacking us, we need to hide.”
Gray Bear and Dark Wolf shared a glance, hastily stepped outside, and saw massive bone dragons landing around the stronghold.
Large undead soldiers perched on their backs.
Their leather bags filled with white bones.
What on earth was happening?
The bone dragon’s colossal white claw crushed the wooden fence of the stronghold. A dark-haired human swept his gaze over the bandits below, speaking in a chilly voice, “If you wish to live, bring out your leader.”
The hiding bandits’ gazes simultaneously snapped to their leader’s hall.
Gray Bear swallowed, glancing at Dark Wolf next to him, “The stronghold is yours, you go.”
“Shit! Don’t talk nonsense, they’re looking for you.”
“Go on, we’re all familiar with each other, you’re a man, aren’t you? Let me go-”
“Don’t say that, we’re not that close.”
Fang Hao’s gaze fixed on the leader’s hall in the middle, spotting Gray Bear hiding inside.
He spoke coldly, “Gray Bear, do you wish to die?”
As her name was spoken out loud, an invisible pressure suddenly enveloped Gray Bear.
It felt as though an unseen hand squeezed her heart mercilessly, making every beat a struggle.
“Boss, ask him what he wants,” a lackey on the side pulled Gray Bear’s sleeve.
Gray Bear jolted awake, forcefully suppressing the anxiety in her heart, asking, “Sir, what do you need me for?”
“A week ago, you raided my convoy. How should we settle this matter?” Fang Hao stared straight at Gray Bear.
The latter frowned, recalling the events of a week prior.
No, the only fight a week ago was robbing a textile merchant, and they had lost more than half their men then.
They hadn’t had any engagement with the undead.
“Sir, we haven’t…”.
“I give you an opportunity, submit to me, and I will spare your lives,” Fang Hao cut straight through Gray Bear’s defenses.
Gray Bear got the hint.
Whether she robbed an undead convoy a week ago wasn’t important anymore, the man in front of her had no intention of hearing her explanation.
His goal was making her and her men submit to him.
Gray Bear hesitated.
This was different from bandits vying for control of the stronghold.
The oppression brought by the undead was even stronger, the fear of death lingering in her.
There were over eighty of them left. How many could break through the ten bone dragons and the towering skeleton warriors on their backs?
Probably very few.
She glanced at the ‘Dark Wolf next to her, who promptly avoided her gaze.
Instead of letting the other bandits claim her stronghold, it would be better to bet on the undead.
“Sir, my men and I are willing to submit to you. We hope you won’t make things difficult for us.” Gray Bear knelt on one knee, laying down her weapon on the ground.
“Good!”
Fang Hao dismounted his bone dragon, with Anjia and Demitrija standing guard on either side.
“Sign this, this place will serve as a transit station on the way to Lyss City. The safety of the caravans on this route will also be your responsibility.” Fang Hao found a blank Slave Contract in the Book of Lords.
Gray Bear looked at Fang Hao, then at Anjia and Demitrija.
When her gaze landed on Demitrija, she shrank back.
It was indeed the same caravan from back then, she had a deep impression of this lizardman from their encounter in the mist.
Bloody Iron Mercenary Corps, they’ve led her to her doom.
“Yes, sir.” Gray Bear quickly bit her fingertip and pressed it onto the Slave Contract.
The contract’s light enveloped Gray Bear, binding her actions with rules.
[Human Warrior Reed, current loyalty: 65.]