Chapter 6: Pursuer in the Dense Forest

Revision Note: Thanks to the reminder from the Joy of Death Brother, I realized that the profession name "Jungle Guardian" truly sounds more like something suited to the Elven race, and is not appropriate for the Barbarians. So, I've changed the name of the profession; please don't mind if this affects your reading experience. The next chapter will be released after nine o'clock. Please continue reading, bookmark, and vote! Thank you!

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"I think I'll pass." Li Bin tossed aside the task sheet, speaking in a tone that was neither warm nor cold.

"Why?" The middle-aged woman clearly hadn't expected Li Bin to give up so straightforwardly and hurriedly asked.

"The units listed here are only level 3 to 4, and there aren't many of them. The tasks are trivial and time-consuming. I don't have that much time to build up my forces here," Li Bin replied casually.

"Then please leave," the middle-aged woman's face changed instantly upon hearing this.

"Whatever," Li Bin shrugged indifferently and was about to head for the door.

Just then, a voice came from another entrance of the room: "Mr. Li Bin, please wait a moment."

Li Bin turned and saw Lidas following behind a woman clad in high-grade leather armor, clearly an Amazon. The voice that stopped Li Bin must have come from her.

Li Bin glanced at the woman curiously, but before he could speak, the middle-aged woman who had been negotiating with him interjected, "Chief, what do you mean by this?"

"No particular meaning, Elder Like the Wind. I just wanted to meet the master Lidas spoke of. Is that not allowed?" The Amazon chief replied coldly to Elder Like the Wind.

"Of course not. But would even the chief be curious about outsiders?" Elder Like the Wind glanced at Li Bin as she spoke.

"It's not just curiosity. I wanted to see if Mr. Li Bin might be interested in the Forest Pursuers," the chief said with a smile.

"What!" The chief had barely finished speaking when Elder Like the Wind shot up in alarm.

Seeing the odd reactions around him, Li Bin asked curiously, "Forest Pursuer? What is that?"

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"The Forest Pursuer is a special unit of our tribe, produced only three times a month," explained Lidas, stepping forward upon seeing Li Bin's puzzled expression.

"Oh? What's so special about that, then? Why is everyone reacting so strangely?" Li Bin still couldn't understand.

"Because the Forest Pursuer is also our tribe's strongest level 6 unit, and to recruit one you must complete a special mission," the Amazon chief explained with a smile.

"Level 6 unit? What mission? What are their abilities?" All of Li Bin's curiosity was piqued by the mention of a level 6 unit.

"Forest Pursuer, created to guard the woods, skilled in all kinds of weapons, friendly with the flora of the jungle. Their arsenal includes a spear, a battle blade, and a composite bow. They have a giant bear to clear the way, a black panther for transport, and an eagle for scouting. To face her, one must withstand the flash of Like the Wind's blade, the rain of arrows, and the shelter of the forest." As Li Bin asked, the Amazon chief recited softly.

Lidas explained further to Li Bin: a level 6 Forest Pursuer boasts powerful close and ranged combat abilities, can go into battle with a bear, a panther, and an eagle, possesses unlimited arrow skills, and can use wind blades, arrow storms, and healing magic.

In short, just one Forest Pursuer could single-handedly defeat a squad of level 4 units.

Hearing this, Li Bin looked up at the Amazon chief and asked seriously, "What is the mission, and how many Forest Pursuers are the reward?"

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"The mission is simple," the Amazon chief finally revealed a hint of a satisfied smile. "Deep within this valley lies a temple. I need someone to retrieve an item from inside."

"Temple? Whose temple? Are there guards?" Li Bin instantly realized the mission would not be easy.

"I'm not quite sure, but I've heard there might be gods inside."

"Gods?" Li Bin jumped at the word. According to the game's lore, everyone below level 20 is ordinary; level 20 to 30 are legendary figures, and those above level 30 have only one title: god.

With Li Bin's current level 2/3, facing a god is nothing short of suicide.

Seeing Li Bin about to refuse, the Amazon chief quickly said, "Don't worry. The god isn't always present. Besides, I'm not asking you to slay a god, merely to retrieve an item."

"But it still needs to be retrieved. Why don't you go face a god yourself? Even if the god isn't around, he'd leave behind guardians. I don't want to face anyone above level 15," Li Bin shook his head, refusing the chief's offer.

"Two squads," the Amazon chief interrupted him calmly.

"What did you say?" Li Bin stared at the chief.

"As compensation, two squads of Forest Pursuers. Just bring back the item," the chief said, enunciating each word.

"This..." Li Bin wrestled with himself for a long time before finally saying, "Alright, I'll do it."

"That's settled, then. Here is the task list, and here is the map. In the name of the chief, I temporarily permit you to recruit any units below level 5 from our tribe," the chief said impassively. "As long as you have the money, you can recruit as many as you want."

"Chief, you can't do this," Elder Like the Wind finally lost her composure.

"Why not? I'm the chief, my word is law," the Amazon chief replied coldly.

"Do as you please," Elder Like the Wind snorted angrily and stormed out.

Li Bin knew this was not the time to ask about the internal affairs of the Amazon camp. Guided by Lidas, he quickly recruited three squads of level 3 Amazon Panther Fighters and two squads of level 4 Amazon Eagle Archers, assigning all of them under Lidas's command.

Then, Li Bin left the Amazon camp full of questions and headed deeper into the valley.

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After walking some distance, Lidas approached Li Bin. "Master, is there something you'd like to ask?"

"If you won't tell me, asking is pointless," Li Bin shot Lidas a cold look.

"It's not like that, Master. The chief is a good person, and she has her reasons for doing this." Lidas lowered her head. "Actually, based on the chief's observations these past years, the temple doesn't contain any gods or guardians. It's just occupied by a band of boar-men, and the item we're looking for is something those coarse creatures will never notice."

"Then why doesn't your chief just say that outright? Wait..." A thought flashed through Li Bin's mind. "Your tribe can only recruit three Forest Pursuers a month—what about other units?"

"Twelve level 2 Amazon Bear Warriors per week, eight level 3 Amazon Panther Fighters per week, six level 4 Amazon Eagle Archers per week, four level 5 Amazon Priestesses per week, and four level 5 Amazon Guards per week."

"So if that's the case, we've just recruited at least a month's worth of your tribe's forces?" Li Bin's expression changed as he realized something.