Chapter 14: The Black Moonstone Guild

"That can't be right. I remember Elder Breeze's troops were stronger than this," muttered Cross Marching Sheep, watching as Li Bin easily defeated Elder Breeze.

"The information I received also said her forces were greater in number. But she assigned some of her heroes to other players, hoping to use their strength to seize the position of Amazon Chief. She only came here to stop me from advancing," Li Bin sighed deeply. "You could say she was undone by her own ambition."

"That's understandable, though. We're all beginners now. If someone could secure a settlement of their own, it would bring immense benefits for future development," Cross Marching Sheep admitted, though he resented Elder Breeze. From a player's perspective, her actions were not unreasonable.

With these thoughts clarified, Cross Marching Sheep decided not to press Li Bin further. He gathered his troops and prepared to leave. At that moment, a ghostly crow flying from the direction of the Amazon camp caught Cross Marching Sheep's attention.

Li Bin caught the crow and his face grew grave, creating an atmosphere that piqued Cross Marching Sheep's curiosity. After hesitating for a while, he approached Li Bin and asked, "Brother, what happened?"

"I didn't expect the Amazon camp chief to be struggling so much. It seems I need to lend a hand," Li Bin sighed softly.

"You're going to help her?" Cross Marching Sheep exclaimed. "Didn't you just say there are a bunch of level-six soldiers in the Amazon camp? If they can't handle it, what can you possibly do?"

"Elder Breeze has already respawned. She requested a batch of troops from the Black Moon Stone Guild and plans to lead them to attack the Amazon camp once her death penalty ends. Now the Amazon chief is trapped inside and can't escape, so she asked me to find a way to eliminate these troops first," Li Bin explained.

"I see," Cross Marching Sheep paced in a circle, then looked up and asked, "Brother, are you confident you can handle Elder Breeze?"

"She only had a small force earlier. Given the current situation, my chances aren't great," Li Bin assessed both sides' strength and made his judgment. "Unless I can reach the Amazon respawn point in the shortest possible time and strike while Elder Breeze hasn't recovered from the death penalty, otherwise I really have no solution."

Hearing this, Cross Marching Sheep hesitated, then said to Li Bin, "Brother, if you trust me, let me help you."

"Really?" For some reason, Li Bin felt a genuine fondness for Cross Marching Sheep's straightforwardness. "You can really help me?"

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a newbie. My special skill is Rapid Logistics. My level may be low now, but under my command, troop movement speed is twice as fast as others. I wonder if you..."

"I understand. Send me a team invitation," Li Bin replied, seeing through Cross Marching Sheep's concerns. After all, in the game of Judgement, every player is a commander of their own army, and teaming up often means relying on others. Unless it's organized by a major guild, few are willing to accept such invitations.

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Cross Marching Sheep did not disappoint Li Bin. After joining Li Bin's legion, their marching speed doubled instantly. What would have taken half a day, they completed in just a third of the time.

When they found Elder Breeze, less than half of her death penalty time had passed.

Seeing Li Bin and his army appear, Elder Breeze, marked by a glaring red cross above her head, looked visibly distressed. She was currently under the death penalty, her attributes reduced to a mere tenth of their original values.

This penalty would last for a whole day. Normally, she could rest in camp, halving the penalty duration, but given her current relationship with the Amazon camp, entering without being killed again would be fortunate.

Going to a city to reduce three-quarters of the penalty time wasn't an option either—the nearest city was five days away. She might as well wait it out here.

What she hadn't expected was for Li Bin to arrive so quickly, before she could even recall all her heroes for protection.

Now, beside Elder Breeze stood only a young woman accompanied by a few squads of Amazon female warriors. Seeing Li Bin, the woman immediately raised her spear and shouted, "Back off, undead! Take another step and I'll—"

"And you'll do what?" Li Bin interrupted her. "Do you believe I can't keep your master here for another seven days?"

"Sister, stand down. He's right. If I die again now, I'll face a seven-day death penalty," Elder Breeze stopped the young woman from retorting.

"Sister? She's a player?" Li Bin eyed the woman closely.

"Yes, she is my sister. Just entered the game, knows nothing yet. Please don't hold it against her," Elder Breeze pulled the woman behind her.

Li Bin watched the two for a long time before finally saying, "Elder Breeze, I don't want to be your enemy. If you promise not to target the Amazon camp these next few days, I'll let you go."

"Even if I promise, so what? Our guild won't let the Amazon camp off the hook," Elder Breeze sighed.

"What your guild needs is an Amazon camp obedient to them. Until someone appears who can truly control the place, they won't make a move," Li Bin replied confidently.

"So you want to claim the Amazon chief's reward and leave immediately, is that it?" Elder Breeze saw through Li Bin's intentions. "You're shrewd, and lucky, too. All the preparations we've made for so long, it's as if we've handed everything to you on a silver platter."

"That's not quite fair. We're all beginners now, striving for our own future development. It's only natural."

"Is that so?" Elder Breeze sneered. "You clearly don't understand the guild's efforts. Fine, go ahead. I promise you, but you only have three days. If you're still in the Amazon camp after three days, don't blame our guild for razing the entire settlement."

"Your promise is enough. But you'd best not leave those assault troops behind. If your chief gets suspicious, I might not be able to leave so easily," Li Bin laughed heartily and departed, leaving Elder Breeze and her sister fuming.

Returning to the Amazon camp, Li Bin found the battle there had mostly ended. He and Cross Marching Sheep were warmly welcomed by the Amazon chief.

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A brief explanation regarding player-issued quests: unless a player willingly offers resources or experience to create a quest, all tasks related to their controlled cities or tribes are system-generated. The player issuing the quest is merely a high-level messenger, but they at least retain the right to decide to whom the quest is given or withheld.

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