Volume 8: Super Mission ‘Vitality vs. Death Intent’ Chapter 11: Dark Clouds Over the City

Li Bin assigned the three Azure Dragons to Reed, tasking him with handling the acid-spitting creatures, while he prepared to lead the others in a systematic search for the headquarters of the Green Leaf Alliance.

However, once Bai Lingyu and the others heard about the Gate of Withered Wood—a place offering an opportunity to deal with seemingly powerful troops—they borrowed the Cursed Mages and the Nether Spirit Lantern from Li Bin to venture into the instance dungeon.

Li Bin waited outside the Gate of Withered Wood for a day before Bai Lingyu and Trist emerged, each accompanied by two Azure Dragons. Even Almu, who usually acted alone, managed to secure one.

The three had very different ways of handling their Azure Dragons. Bai Lingyu killed his two on the spot to draft structural diagrams, collecting every component decomposed from their bodies, claiming he wanted to research the crafting methods for puppet dragons.

Trist’s method was even more extreme; he sacrificed his two dragons to his patron deity on the spot. Soon, he received the deity's approval, who took the two corpses and sent him a more powerful Red Dragon in return.

Watching this, Li Bin’s eyes kept darting toward the three Azure Dragons behind him, contemplating whether he should convert them into heavy-armored corpse dragons or similar units.

Fortunately, Almu did not become a dragon slayer; he simply used his Azure Dragon as a mount, flying through the sky with great delight.

However, from his high vantage point, he quickly noticed something unusual. From atop his dragon’s back, he shouted, "Li Bin, look at the city ahead; it’s shrouded in dark clouds. That looks exactly like the special skill of that troublesome knight you just recruited."

Upon hearing this, Li Bin realized Frostmourne was missing. He hastily sent the Spirit Bell to investigate, but before it had gone far, Frostmourne returned, wounded.

As soon as he saw Li Bin, Frostmourne shouted, "Master, there is something very wrong with the city ahead."

Li Bin, who had been intending to expel him from the ranks, paused and asked, "What is wrong with it?"

"This... I..." Frostmourne found himself momentarily unable to articulate.

Seeing this, Li Bin assumed Frostmourne was lying and prepared to dismiss him. Frostmourne cried out in frustration, "Master, please, you must believe me! That city is definitely problematic."

Li Bin looked at him with cold disbelief. "How can I believe you? You snuck away on your own, and now you come back telling me the city you attacked is suspicious? How can I trust you?"

Seeing the situation worsening, Sansheng and Suifeng intervened, saying, "Master, Frostmourne is the most level-headed among the three of us. He wouldn't gamble his future career on a lie."

"He is gambling with his life right now," Li Bin roared. "I do not want heroes who run off on their own before they have even reached the elite hero rank."

Li Bin's words provoked a strong reaction from Frostmourne. He shouted, "Even if you no longer consider me a hero, I will accept it, but please, you must go and see that city for yourself. There really is something wrong with it."

Li Bin stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "We will head to that city now. If it truly is problematic, I will strip you of your status as a combat hero as punishment. If there is nothing wrong, you can find somewhere to die."

With that, Li Bin gave orders to Reed, who dispatched Blood Night and the newly recruited Azure Dragons to fly toward the city first.

Li Bin then turned to Sansheng and Suifeng. "The same goes for you both. I don't care what roles you play; if you refuse to follow orders, then don't bother being combat heroes."

When Li Bin arrived at the city with his main force, the skill Frostmourne had used to shroud the city had dissipated, revealing the Nature-faction settlement to Li Bin.

Li Bin glanced at the city from afar and asked without turning, "Frostmourne, tell me, what do you think is wrong here?"

"There, do you see it?" Frostmourne pointed behind the city walls. "Judging by its size, this should be a Level 3 village, yet it possesses three massive magic towers and heavy city defenses. How can one not be suspicious?"

Li Bin nodded, looking at the city. "What were you thinking at the time? Why did you use your skill to seal the city, and how did they react?"

Frostmourne became agitated; he knew this was the moment that would define his future. His unauthorized departure and subsequent attack on the city had been for this very moment.

"At the time, the walls were guarded by treants, grand elves, and other Nature-faction troops," he said decisively. "I was worried I couldn't defeat them alone, and I feared they might escape, so I unleashed my skill. I knew the nature of the skill—it wasn't particularly powerful, but it could stall the enemy."

"And the enemy's reaction?"

"They reacted swiftly. The grand elf archers fired at me immediately; they could track my movements even in the darkness," Frostmourne answered honestly. "It was clear they had undergone at least some training in blind-firing."

Li Bin pondered for a moment before saying to Frostmourne, "Give up your status as a combat hero and join the Terror Knight ranks. Your future performance will determine your fate."

Leaving Frostmourne behind, Li Bin slowly approached the city. Before he could get a closer look, hundreds of arrows rained down on him. Shortly after, the sound of dragon roars echoed from within, confirming to Li Bin that he had found the right place. After all, as Frostmourne had noted, it was highly irregular for a city of this size—a mere Level 3 village—to harbor dragons.

Li Bin pointed at the city and shouted, "Prepare for battle! Ready to siege!"

But the first shot of the siege did not come from Li Bin; it came from Bai Lingyu’s forces. Her rocket launcher was a true siege weapon, far more destructive to city walls than the two catapults Li Bin possessed.

A single blast tore a hole in the front of the wall. If the treants inside hadn't used their own bodies to plug the breach, Li Bin might have already stormed the city.

However, as the battle progressed, Li Bin’s mood grew worse. The number of troops in the city far exceeded Frostmourne’s estimates—there were at least eleven Azure Dragons alone, and the other units were deployed in full squads.