Chapter 591: Chapter 591: The Centurion’s Commission
Li Yao had arrived at the so-called northern outpost by noon, but all he saw was a scene of utter devastation.
The giant stone outpost had collapsed halfway, and the small village formed by the outpost had become chaotic and broken.
The human inhabitants here seemed lifeless, their gazes dull and numb, as though they had lost all vitality.
Li Yao quickly found the officer in charge and asked, “What happened here?”
The officer, a Centurion, sighed and said, “More than a month ago, we were attacked by the Stone Tower Tribe. The outpost couldn’t hold them off, so we had to retreat temporarily. Still, many people didn’t escape in time.”
Li Yao fell silent. The Stone Tower Tribe was the ogre tribe he was destined to deal with. Being captured by ogres was a dire fate.
“Young man, the monsters here are not easy to deal with. If you want to seek adventure, you’d better choose another place,” the Centurion said with a sigh.
Li Yao considered this for a moment before asking, “I notice that you’ve made no efforts to rebuild, but why haven’t you moved on after all this time? If other monsters notice your weakened state, you may not get a chance to escape next time.”
“Ah, these are matters beyond your concern. Just leave; this place isn’t suited for adventures,” the Centurion shook his head, clearly unwilling to explain further, and made no indication of issuing a quest.
Li Yao knew that it was unlikely there would be no quests in a situation like this. It was just that he hadn’t met the triggering conditions yet. A thought popped into Li Yao’s mind, and he drew out his sniper rifle.
Understandably, the Centurion’s eyes widened with excitement, “The Giant Slayer! How did you come into possession of this gun?”
After relaying the story of how he had obtained the gun after defeating the sea monster at the port to the Centurion, Li Yao added, “The Captain told me that after acquiring this gun, I should come to this place. So, here I am.”
“Hmm, at least that traitor still has some conscience,” The intensity in the Centurion’s resentful gaze eased considerably.
Li Yao, now puzzled, asked, “Traitor, what are you talking about?”
“Are you aware of the existence of our human Marine Kingdom?” the Centurion countered.
Li Yao nodded, “Of course I know. The reputation of the navy admiral is widely known. Years ago, he commanded the most powerful fleet in the world.”
“Yes. We used to be referred to as the invincible fleet, following the Admiral in battles across the ocean, nobody dared to stand against us. However, the Duke betrayed the Admiral, caused his death and led to the fragmentation of the Marine Kingdom. We couldn’t escape and have been laying low here ever since.” The Centurion sighed, “Stranger, I asked the traitor about the condition of the kingdom, but he refused to tell me. Can you provide me with the specifics?”
“In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure either. All I know is that the Admiral’s son has closed off the entire kingdom and no one can locate the island where the kingdom is based. The princess established a new city sheltering the refugees, a portion of the Admiral’s fleet is roaming aimlessly at sea, and a Duke has turned into a pirate.” Li Yao recounted an approximate situation which he knew.
“The once invincible fleet has fallen so low.” The Centurion’s expression was full of sorrow, “My commanding officer, Mimika, also fell in the last battle. We have been preparing to rescue our fellow soldiers ever since.”
“Was Mimika your commanding officer?” Li Yao was taken aback.
“Yes, this gun was entrusted to his friend, the Captain you mentioned, by Mimika on his deathbed. I never thought that we would find a suitable candidate so quickly.” A glimmer of hope twinkled in the Centurion’s eyes.
Li Yao frowned, but he quickly understood. These men deeply resented the princess and were not on her side.
Looking around at the disastrous conditions of his surroundings, Li Yao was struck with an idea. The NPC characters seemed incredibly skilled. They were unwilling to join the princess, but what if he was able to persuade them to join his guild? That would be a substantial gain.
They were soldiers of the invincible fleet. With them, he was confident that he could train a new fleet.
It was not the right time to reveal his plan, so he said, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but generally, humans who are captured by ogres end up becoming their food. Yet you mentioned a rescue mission?”
The Centurion shook his head, “Initially, we thought they would be… but our Scout conducted an investigation and found that they were merely imprisoned and not killed. The Scout said the ogres are building a new sacrificial field, seemingly preparing for some evil ceremony?”
Li Yao sighed, “With all due respect, attempting a rescue with your current forces is suicide.”
“I am aware. That’s why our Mage is working tirelessly to repair a traction magical array. We sent a scout to deliver scrolls to the imprisoned soldiers; the scrolls activate the magical array, enabling them to be teleported home. However, our scouts are limited, and we’ve lost most of them after the ogres became aware of our actions. I dare not send any more.” The Centurion looked at Li Yao and said, “Seeing that you can use our commanding officer’s weapon, you must be more than an ordinary Hunter. Could you help us with the rescue mission? Don’t worry, for each person you rescue, we will reward you more.”
Although Li Yao originally intended to agree, he thought of winning over these people and adopted a righteous tone, “I’ll accept the mission, but there’s no need for any rewards. You are already in a tough spot.”
“We can’t do that, it’s a rule.” The Centurion argued.
“This is how it will be done. As you mentioned, given that I’ve acquired your commanding officer’s weapon, I can’t sit idle when such an event arises. I’ll depart now, and you should activate the magical array once you estimate that I’ve reached the destination.” Li Yao then accepted the mission.
There were no item rewards, but for each person he saved, he would gain 0.01 experience, with a minimum experience gain of 45%, which was an extremely high experience reward.
Obviously, the system was offering a lot of experience due to the high difficulty of the mission. The Stone Tower Tribe’s ogres were formidable; even the junior ogres were of boss level, ranging from levels 23 to 26.
According to the Centurion, the tribe had thousands of Ogre Warriors and a total population of twenty to thirty thousand.
In his previous life, Li Yao was unaware of the specific situation, but hearing it now, he could understand why the tribe was so powerful and could claim such a vast territory.
“Here is a map of the Ogre Tribe that our Scout investigated. It might be useful to you.” The Centurion earnestly handed the map to Li Yao, “Whether you succeed or not, we all thank you.”
With the blessings and high hopes of everyone around him, Li Yao left the outpost.
Despite knowing it was all a digital illusion, Li Yao felt a lump in his throat, and at the same time, his determination to rescue the people deepened.
From the information he’d gathered, Li Yao drew a conclusion. The Nightmare God was getting impatient and wanted to harness the power of the Touch of Darkness to attain the divine status of the ancient gods.
No matter what, Li Yao knew that his upcoming mission was not going to be easy. Gazing at the distant tribe where countless bonfires were burning, he started to ponder his strategy…