Sinice seemed unable to recover from Avril’s words, and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Li Xi was utterly speechless. How could this woman be so venomous to make such a good person like Sinice angry?
Not bothering to explain, fearing that it would only make things worse, Li Xi put these matters aside and quickly arrived at the mercenary hall. Just as he was about to greet Aisi, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly ten days, she wasn't there.
Li Xi didn't think much of it, assuming Aisi was busy. He first submitted his mission, bringing his mission progress to six completed. With two more D-rank missions, he would be promoted.
Just as Li Xi was about to rush home to claim his grand prize, a conversation between two mercenaries caught his attention.
“Priest Aisi has been missing for two days already. I wonder how she's doing now?”
“Yeah, they say they found a clue about Bohr, but everyone who went out hasn't returned. It's really worrying.”
“Aisi is missing?”
Li Xi was shocked. He stepped forward and grabbed the two chatting mercenaries. “I just returned from a mission. What were you saying about Priest Aisi missing?”
The two also wore E-rank badges on their chests. Seeing Li Xi’s dusty appearance, as if he had just returned from a long journey, they explained, “Do you know that Bohr is a traitor and has kidnapped the City Lord’s young master?”
“I know. It happened before I left last time.”
“After that, a city-wide bounty was issued to find him. And they actually found a clue. It turns out Bohr never left the city; he was hiding beneath the merchant Belos’s manor. Priest Aisi and the others learned of this and led over a hundred mercenaries down there. But not a single one has come back since. Even those who went down later to gather information have disappeared. They're neither seen alive nor their bodies found. More specific information has been sealed by the City Lord’s mansion, but I suspect the bad news far outweighs the good.”
Li Xi carefully analyzed the information. “That’s not right. Wasn’t the Abyssal Demon Stele beneath the manor discovered? How could Bohr still be hiding in there?”
“You wouldn’t know this. I heard there's another space further down. Bohr is like a mole in the wilderness; no one knows how much underground space he has dug out. So he could hide there safely for many days. I don’t know how he was discovered.”
Li Xi understood. It was like nested dolls, one layer after another. Bohr was indeed cautious, understanding that the most dangerous place is the safest.
“Is anyone going down there now?”
The two mercenaries frantically shook their heads. “No one dares to go down now. Even though the mission rank has been upgraded to C-rank and the reward is five hundred gold coins, no one dares to go. A suicide mission is worthless no matter how much money you offer. Everyone only has one life.”
Hearing that the mission was C-rank, Li Xi felt like cursing. Wasn’t this targeted at him? He could barely take D-rank missions now, but he had to go for Aisi. She was his intended future wife; it would be too heartbreaking if anything happened to her.
Thanking the two mercenaries, Li Xi headed towards Belos’s manor. He soon arrived to find the entire manor surrounded by a large number of city guards, with many military weapons and equipment pointed towards the interior.
There were dozens of siege crossbows, similar to the ones he had seen in the bandit’s lair, all ready to fire. The arrowheads gleamed with a white radiance, having been blessed by the Temple of Light, possessing amplified destructive power against abyssal creatures. It seemed the situation was indeed grim, otherwise such luxurious equipment wouldn't have been deployed.
Li Xi walked directly towards the manor gate. A soldier stopped him. “Who are you?”
Li Xi showed his badge. “I am an E-rank mercenary. I just returned from a mission today. My lover went with others to capture Bohr earlier, and I need to find her now.”
Hearing that Li Xi’s lover was involved in the mission, the soldier felt a bit of sympathy for him. Based on their speculation, almost everyone who went in had perished.
“Wait here for a moment. I will go and report to the general. If the general allows you in, I will let you pass.”
“Thank you.” Li Xi clasped his hands in gratitude.
The soldier left to report to the general. Soon after, the soldier returned with a general in handsome armor. The soldier introduced Li Xi, “Mercenary, this is our General Mark.”
Li Xi sized him up briefly. He was a Level 4 Earth Warrior. He quickly saluted, “Greetings, General.”
General Mark observed Li Xi. He had heard the soldier’s report about a mercenary wanting to enter and had assumed it was someone taking on a mission. Now, seeing only an E-rank mercenary, whose death was almost certain, he asked, “You are the one who wants to search for your lover?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know the danger?”
“I do.”
“Brave fellow. Go ahead. May the gods bless you, and may Cado City be with you.”
General Mark was efficient and straightforward. With just a few words, he let Li Xi pass. Although he inwardly suspected Li Xi was walking to his death, there was always a slim possibility…
The soldier led Li Xi into the manor grounds. The former garden was gone, replaced by a large pit leading directly underground. “Go down. Someone down there will tell you where to go.”
“Thank you.”
Li Xi jumped down directly. The first level, the sewer level, held nothing unusual. The second level was where Li Xi had discovered the Abyssal Demon Stele and was now heavily guarded by many soldiers.
Seeing someone descend, these soldiers looked at him with curiosity, assuming he was another fool willing to risk his life for gold. However, seeing only a young man who had barely reached adulthood, with barely perceptible energy fluctuations, their curiosity died down. Anyone who dared to take on a mission like this was simply an idiot!
Li Xi glanced around. The Abyssal Demon Stele that had been placed in the center of the open space was gone. In its place was a large pit leading further down.
Li Xi jumped down, arriving at the third level, which he had never seen before. There weren't many guards here, only a few individuals. However, each of them exuded an aura more powerful than that of General Mark on the surface. The slightest fluctuation of their aura caused a strong gust of wind to blow through the otherwise windless environment tens of meters underground.
It went without saying that these individuals were rare powerhouses of Level 5 or above.
One of them, wearing a white robe with a golden sun emblem on his chest, was a bishop of the Church of Light, a direct superior to priests.
Another was a woman in leather armor, carrying a bow as tall as herself. On either side of her waist hung quivers. Such archers, who didn’t need spatial rings to carry arrows, were all legendary sharpshooters. Her arrows could be considered grenades; she was a walking artillery piece.
There were also two burly warriors in heavy armor, their faces hidden, holding shields as thick as an inch, guarding an old man in a grey mage robe. This old man looked unremarkable, even having some sleep in the corner of his eyes, but anyone who suddenly saw so many strong individuals would first look at this old man.
He was like the focal point among them, a single flower amidst a field of green, even if the flower wasn't particularly beautiful, no one, not even a god, could ignore him.
This was the first time Li Xi had seen a high-level mage. The magic energy surging from him was like the ebb and flow of a tidal wave. As Li Xi observed them, they were also observing him. The others looked away after a glance, only the old mage’s eyes flashed with brilliance before he instantly concealed it.
Li Xi wasn't inexperienced with mages; there was old Monk, whose cunning was finer than a strand of hair. But compared to the old mage before him, Monk’s magic energy was like a drop in the ocean.
“Greetings, esteemed sirs.”
These five experts looked at Li Xi, who had just jumped in. No one spoke for a long time. Finally, the female archer asked, “Little mercenary, what are you doing here?”
Li Xi had to repeat the story of his lover.
“You are a responsible man, but the situation here is too dangerous. Even we dare not venture lightly without specific intelligence. You should go back.”
This was the female archer’s reply to Li Xi.
Before Li Xi could retort, the old mage unexpectedly spoke, “He’s looking for his girlfriend, not to die. I believe the power of love will help him overcome all difficulties. Back in my day, it was for love that I lived to this age. Love is truly the most beautiful thing in the world. Young man, come here, I will teleport you.”
Li Xi was dazed. What was this “power of love”? Was he in a movie? Infinite Love?
However, if he could be sent over, Li Xi would believe in the power of toilets if it meant going forward.
“Master Demanga, you…” the female archer was perplexed as to why the most powerful mage present would allow an insignificant mercenary of less than Level 3 to pass. This was undoubtedly sending him to his death.
The old mage, as if possessed by a charlatan, said, “You must believe that the greatest power in the world is love. You are still young and don’t understand these things.”
The female archer was so angry she wanted to say that if he understood love so well, why was he still alone at over a hundred years old? But considering the difference in their strength, she forcibly suppressed her resentment.
Then, the old mage’s hands danced lightly in the air, and a pale silver spatial portal appeared out of nowhere.
“Hurry in. Based on my experience, this portal can transmit you between four hundred and five hundred kilometers. We don’t know the situation on the other side, so you must be careful.”
Master Demanga smiled at Li Xi, a smile that reminded Li Xi of Avril, whom he had just broken up with – seemingly gentle and kind, but hiding a hidden agenda.
This was another old schemer, Li Xi immediately labeled the old mage.
“Thank you, Master.”
Li Xi took a few steps and crossed into the portal. Just as he was about to enter, Master Demanga’s voice reached his ears, “My home is at 109 Gadro Avenue. Little friend, you can visit if you have time.”
Li Xi turned back in surprise, meeting a pair of eyes that seemed to see through him, and guiltily replied, “Certainly, certainly.”
After speaking, Li Xi completely disappeared into the teleportation array. The third underground level fell silent again.
The bishop of the Church of Light pondered for a long time, unable to discern anything special about this little mercenary. Finally, unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked Demanga, “Master, is there anything special about this little mercenary? That you would personally invite him to your home? You know, even the City Lord cannot enter your home.”
“Oh, you mean this. I saw he resembles my grandson who died many years ago. When people get old, they always like to reminisce about the past.”
Demanga opened his drowsy, cloudy eyes, like a next-door old man on the verge of death.
Seeing that Demanga wasn’t telling the truth, the bishop didn't dare to press further. He cursed inwardly, *old undead*, but outwardly, he smiled and congratulated the old mage on finding such a fated person.
Coincidentally, Master Demanga was also cursing him inwardly. *You have eyes but see like a dog, you can’t even smell the scent of a dragon. That kid is clearly a dragonborn.*
Demanga simply turned around, presenting his backside to the bishop, and focused all his mental energy on the teleportation portal before him. They had nothing more to discuss. Such a believer who only knew how to worship gods had no room for anything else in his mind. Without the gods, such a person would be fit only to be a swine.
Li Xi emerged from the portal. Before his eyes could adjust to the change, he saw a group of long-tailed snake-men with red eyes charging at him with greatswords, as if he had done something to offend them.
The appearance of the long-tailed snake-men could be described as a thick, stout snake that had grown arms and legs, allowing it to stand and attack.
Long-tailed snake-men were a rare race in the abyss. They were frightening in appearance, averaging two meters in height, with a tail that trailed three meters behind them on the ground. Their strong arms allowed them to wield two greatswords simultaneously. When enraged, they could prop themselves up to a height of three meters using their tails. With their strong bodies, they could fight a Level 3 human warrior to a standstill.
While their surface statistics appeared formidable, their actual strength was not that great, only around Level 2.
Li Xi instinctively clasped his hands together.
“Water Style: Water Severing Wave!”
A high-pressure water jet shot out from his mouth. The snake-men charging towards him in the cave didn’t even have time to utter a cry of pain before their heads were instantly severed by Li Xi’s slight sweep.
This attack lasted only one second, but hundreds of snake-men were killed. There was no living creature left in the cave. Li Xi then had time to survey his surroundings.
The teleportation array he had stepped out of was established within a cave, with an exit not far ahead. The ground, besides the long-tailed snake-men he had killed, was littered with dismembered human remains. Seeing the residual snake bites on them, Li Xi guessed these were the people sent later to gather intelligence. They had come out and been overwhelmed by Level 2 snake-men. If he hadn't arrived soon, even these remains would have been eaten. Sudan Fiction Network.
Li Xi walked to the exit and looked out. At the foot of the mountain was a canyon. The sounds of battle were deafening. The remaining warriors, led by humans, numbered only about thirty. They were holding the canyon exit in a wedge formation, protecting the priests behind them.