Li Xi smiled again. There were many fools every year, and today was especially so. He ignored them, tossed the five people onto the ground, and said to the still trembling mage and archer, "I don't want your personal belongings anymore. I'm leaving these five to you. Do whatever you want, as long as they don't die. I only need to know the location of their hidden wealth."
The archer and the old mage couldn't believe such good fortune. They nodded like garlic, "My lord, rest assured. We are experts in this. We guarantee we can even make them reveal what's buried in their ancestors' graves."
"I don't care. If you fail, you'll have no value, and I'll replace you."
The archer was so eager to prove his loyalty that he was practically offering to cut open his own stomach for Li Xi to see his heart. To survive and avoid being gifted to the bear goblins, both the archer and the old mage had dredged up every torture method they had ever known from the depths of their memories.
"To facilitate your management, from today onwards, you three will be Number One, Number Two, and Number Three. In the future, when you see me, you will say, 'Report from Number One, Report from Number Two, Report from Number Three.' These five will be arranged in order after you."
The beautiful female slave owner was the first to react. Did names matter? Of course, they did. But Li Xi hadn't even asked for their original names, which meant they were less than individuals in his eyes. "Number One understands."
The archer regretted it so much he slapped his thigh, beating the old mage to it. "Number Two understands."
The old mage, frail and elderly, managed to get the last word. "Number Three understands."
Li Xi was very happy. He had captured two groups of people in one day, which meant at least two chances for a lottery draw. Including the two chances with Feilin and his group, at this rate, by the time he reached Pabiti, he would be drawing so much his hand would cramp.
As Numbers Four to Eight were undergoing modifications by Numbers One to Three, far away in Aisinger, in a dark underground world, a bar-like establishment built within a cavern was dimly lit, except for a few specific spots. It was a place where legal repercussions were avoided, seemingly existing outside the world and beyond the gaze of the gods. A mission board, similar to those in mercenary halls, hung high, displaying tasks that would surely cause an uproar if revealed to the public.
From assassinating emperors to popes, from overthrowing governments to slaughtering entire races, everything was available here. It was as if all the darkness in the world could be found in this place.
At least several hundred people were coming and going, most scrutinizing the missions, while some exchanged information.
The mission to assassinate Feilin's small caravan had already been posted for all to see. The information was detailed, listing Feilin, Zuolin, Nuohan, and even providing precise strength assessments for each warrior. Only Li Xi was marked as a C-class mercenary with a bounty of a hundred thousand, a sum that made everyone's hearts throb as they looked at the glaring figure.
Even in their dark world, the underbelly of the main continent, such large sums for seemingly easy missions were rare. One hundred thousand could buy a noble title.
Everyone was observing the news. If it weren't for the distance, they would have set off long ago. Many cursed their counterparts operating near Kadu City and Pabiti. A team of less than twenty people, with the highest level being only a Battle Mage, yet a bounty of one hundred thousand gold coins. This was a severely inflated price; a normal assassination of such a team would fetch no more than twenty thousand.
However, this mission had been posted for two days, and there was still no notification of completion. Many were discussing it privately.
"I heard the Hunter Squad failed. No one survived except the leader who escaped."
"Your news is outdated. Just this morning, the Ten-Man Gang made their move. Those scoundrels were lucky. I think this mission will basically be completed by them."
"Who's to say? After the Hunter Squad, the target's strength must be at its lowest. If the Ten-Man Gang can't complete it now, they should just drown themselves in a cesspool."
"Ten thousand gold coins. That's enough to retire from this line of work."
But just as everyone was envying the Ten-Man Gang, the mission on the board changed. People assumed someone had completed the mission, but instead, the bounty had been increased. The original one hundred thousand was now one hundred fifty thousand. The other information remained unchanged, except for Li Xi's entry, where the C-class mercenary designation was now followed by a remark: 'Suspected to possess A-class mercenary strength. Those taking the mission, please proceed with caution.'
A-class mercenary. The moment these four words appeared, a ripple went through the bar, whether people were drinking and chatting or taking on missions. The highest mercenary rank was S-class, but there were fewer than ten S-class mercenaries on the entire continent, each capable of taking down a city alone. And below S-class, A-class was king, with very few individuals. On average, not even one A-class mercenary could be found per city. These were all renowned experts, so the sudden appearance of one naturally caused surprise.
Despite taking on various tasks that were disavowed by the world and operated outside the law, their strength was only slightly above that of ordinary people, without any exaggerated abilities. For example, the Ten-Man Gang, who were dealt with by Li Xi's shadow clone without his main body even making a move, were considered mid-tier here.
As for high-difficulty missions like assassinating emperors or popes, or overthrowing governments, no one had ever taken them since they appeared, let alone completed them.
"With the strength of those outside, they definitely won't earn this one hundred fifty thousand gold coins. Should we get involved?" Many teams or individuals who considered themselves capable began to ponder setting off. They figured they might still be able to pick up scraps upon arrival.
"If we leave now, even by boat, it will take ten days to arrive. I think in that time, not even a single hair will be left."
Many teams gave up. However, quite a few teams, who happened to be free and looking for opportunities, accepted the mission and began heading towards Feilin's caravan.
Unfortunately, the day after these people departed, the information on the mission board changed again. The bounty of one hundred fifty thousand became one hundred seventy thousand. Li Xi's information was updated from 'suspected of possessing A-class mercenary strength' to 'confirmed to possess A-class mercenary strength.'
The confirmation of this news came at the cost of two renowned teams being completely annihilated.
Before the mission board was updated, many perceptive intelligence brokers had already learned the news. Among them was Lawrence, an old hand who had been in the dark world for half his life, sitting in the most prominent position in the bar.
His subordinates were everywhere, and with magical teleportation, information traveled faster than even the emperor's hourglass.
Among the information he collected about these two incidents were details that those two teams were considered excellent, with completion rates above seventy percent, and their combined strength was only stronger than, not weaker than, the Ten-Man Gang.
Especially the water mage Rider in the Blood-Drop Team, he possessed the skill level of a Battle Mage, with magic cultivation even higher than Zuolin. Intelligence indicated that in a few more years, he had a high probability of advancing to Grand Magus.
They had ambushed at a lakeside, leveraging the advantageous terrain for what they believed was a sure victory. Unfortunately, Li Xi, the mercenary, had used water magic to counter Rider's master-level spell, causing the wild lake to more than double in size. The Blood-Drop Team's fate was capture for all members.
As for the second team, the Sickle Team, it was composed of Minotaurs, Beastmen, and mostly powerful Orcs. Their average strength was high Tier 4, and when enraged, it reached high Tier 5. Lawrence looked at the intelligence report:
"The Orc Zov, with time bought by his teammates, went into a rage, his strength temporarily exceeding Tier 6. However, he was only hit twice by Li Xi, and all his bones were shattered. The entire team was captured alive. The entire process took less than a third of an hourglass, including the shouting and driving of prisoners. The actual combat time was less than fifteen breaths."
"Evaluation: Li Xi not only possesses A-class mercenary level strength but is also strongly suspected of having S-class capabilities. He is particularly skilled in water magic and close combat. His magic level is suspected to be that of a Grand Magus. During his engagement with the Hunter Squad, Li Xi used two breaths to cast a nearly forbidden-level water magic. His physical strength is suspected to be at the peak of Tier 6."
Even the intelligence broker Lawrence, upon receiving such information, found it hard to believe. Orcs, one of the only two races capable of rage on the continent, had proven combat power. Especially royal races like the Tigermen, when enraged, dared to resist giants. Yet, Zov was defeated in two punches. Had Zov been drinking fake wine before the fight? Or had something gone wrong with the world?
Even more exaggerated was casting a nearly forbidden-level water magic in two breaths. Was the informant fabricating it while on a prostitute's bed? But if he was such a powerful mage, why did he have even more astonishing close combat abilities? Was this Li Xi an ancient dragon transformed into a human with shapeshifting?
Even though the informant was his most trusted subordinate, Lawrence still couldn't believe it. A bounty of one hundred seventy thousand. These desperate assassins, living in the shadows, would surely charge forward with red eyes, their lives testing the true strength of this newly emerged Li Xi.
Two more days passed. The mission on the Feilin caravan was still posted. Lawrence sat at his private tea table, a vague sense of foreboding filling him. Suddenly, the small teleportation array on his wrist lit up, and a piece of paper was transmitted.
Lawrence eagerly unfolded it. With just a glance, he was stunned.
"The Styx and Abyss Squads formed a joint army of one hundred people, with five Tier 6 powerhouses, twenty Tier 5 powerhouses, and the rest mostly Tier 4. Two Grand Maguses, ten advanced mages, and ten master archers ambushed Feilin's caravan fifty miles outside Pabiti City."
"The Grand Maguses initiated a surprise attack with Meteor Fire Rain, followed by other advanced spells no less than ten in number. The archers fired in unison, but Li Xi blocked them with a massive, bizarre iron gate. Then, Li Xi again took two breaths to cast his nearly forbidden-level water magic, three times in a row. The sheer volume of water created a vast ocean, blocked the road, and shifted small mountains. Pabiti, fifty miles away, was affected. The joint army suffered heavy casualties and was utterly defeated, all captured."
Lawrence's hands trembled as he held the flimsy piece of paper. A joint force of one hundred, with such immense power, could have conquered a baronial territory. How could they have been so easily defeated? And casting a nearly forbidden-level water magic three times in a row? Even a Grand Magus couldn't do that.
As Lawrence's brain was almost shutting down from shock, the Feilin caravan mission on the board changed again. The bounty was now five hundred thousand, a fortune that even many dragons didn't possess, stimulating everyone's adrenaline to the extreme, their eyes instantly turning blood red, glowing.
Li Xi's information was updated again, very simply: 'Tier 6 warrior level, water-element Grand Magus magical level.'