Chapter 14: Pressed into Service

“Given the current situation, as you can see, the airship is in this condition, I can’t safely take you to Abila City in the Principality of Warner,” Gagaga said apologetically. “So here I can only offer you a few choices. One is to wait here with me until our company’s headquarters sends someone to repair the airship; the other is to use a teleportation array in Xianyang Continent. I heard that the array can take you to the Fick Continent, where the Principality of Warner is located, but you’ll have to make your own way from there. And to express our apologies, please accept this.”

Li Bin took what was handed to him and saw that it was a Greater Town Portal scroll. With this, he could return to his own city with his troops at any time.

Though it could be used only once, it was a precious treasure.

At that moment, Gagaga also returned the life pendant to Jessica, gave Reed a longsword, and presented a spellbook to Sannai.

After all this was done, Gagaga finally sent a distress signal to their company’s headquarters.

Li Bin was deeply moved by Gagaga’s handling of the matter. He knew this incident was not Gagaga’s fault, and yet Gagaga not only apologized but also gave them gifts. This made Li Bin feel even more embarrassed to trouble him further.

After promising to let the Joshua Company handle all commercial activities involving his territory’s troops, Li Bin set off with Reed and the others, following the map Gagaga had provided to search for the teleportation array to Fick Continent.

According to the map, they had landed in a favorable position, less than three hundred kilometers from the Grand Gate. Between them and the gate lay two sovereign nations: one was an undead kingdom called Ghostrock City, the other a hellish domain named the Infernal Sea.

From the ranking list of judgment territories in Gagaga’s hand, it was clear that both countries were minor states with only four or five cities each, ranking beyond ten thousand.

With the forces Li Bin commanded, it was unlikely they would provoke a confrontation, and passing safely through these territories should be simple.

Confident, Li Bin quickly led his team westward.

They had not gone far when Li Bin spotted a skeletal cavalryman patrolling ahead, carrying on his back a massive white bone bow taller than himself.

Behind him stood three layers of barricades made of white bones, and behind those, four or five squads of skeleton archers stood in neat formation. Judging by their bows and equipment, these were at least level-five skeleton archers, and a few had even advanced to become skeleton marksmen and skeleton sharpshooters.

At the rear of the barricades flew two enormous banners—one bearing a skull above two crossed arrows, the other a burning ghostly visage.

As soon as the skeletal bow cavalryman saw Li Bin and his group, he galloped forward. “You there—are you a player?”

Li Bin paused, then nodded.

“Good, just the one I need. Sign this and come with me.” Without waiting for a response, the skeleton thrust a sheet of paper into Li Bin’s hand.

Li Bin glanced down—it was a temporary mercenary contract, stating that the signee voluntarily joined the forces of Ghostrock City and would fight for them, allowed to leave only upon fulfilling certain combat objectives.

“I suppose this ‘signee’ refers to me?” Li Bin said with a wry smile.

“Who else would it be?” the skeleton replied loudly. “If I weren’t short on hands because of the war with the Infernal Sea, I wouldn’t bother recruiting greenhorns fresh from the novice continent like you.”

“Then you shouldn’t recruit me at all,” Li Bin answered with a smile, intending to return the contract.

“No way. My task is to recruit thirty squads of player troops—just one short. You wouldn’t want to see me punished by the city lord, would you?”

“Whatever punishment you face has nothing to do with me,” Li Bin replied, still smiling. “Besides, I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be joining your battle.”

“What do you mean it has nothing to do with you? I’m doing you newbies a favor,” the skeleton protested loudly. “You lot have lost your cities and now wander the continents—just fodder for us lords. This time, you’re going whether you want to or not.”

“And if I refuse?” Li Bin’s expression hardened at the skeleton’s attitude.

“Then don’t blame me, Cartisdu, for being rude.” As he spoke, the skeleton raised his right hand, and the skeleton archers behind him drew their bows.

Seeing this, Li Bin sneered. Behind him, two bone dragons began to flap their wings gently.

Faced with the appearance of the most powerful undead units, Cartisdu realized he’d bitten off more than he could chew. Still, to save face, he said, “So what if you have bone dragons? Our main city in Ghostrock has them too. I doubt yours can do anything to me.”

Hearing this, Li Bin hesitated. If the main city had bone dragons, it must at least be a level-nine city. Was it wise to oppose such a nation over mere pride?

While Li Bin was still pondering, Cartisdu seized the moment to shout, “Seize him! Whoever catches him gets a bone dragon as a reward.”

Li Bin was startled. Glancing around, he saw that more than twenty squads of undead troops had surrounded him without his notice. Though their strongest units were only level six, sheer numbers put considerable pressure on Li Bin.

He realized these were conscripts Cartisdu had gathered, and felt a surge of sympathy for them. But the situation left no room for hesitation.

He exchanged a glance with Reed and pointed toward the weakest of the undead squads. Their leader, a player, never expected to be Li Bin’s first target and recoiled in fright with his troops.

That brief retreat shattered the unformed encirclement. Cartisdu, assuming Li Bin intended to escape, shouted, “All units forward! Surround him! Complete this battle and it’ll count as a service!”

But Li Bin only sneered. Behind Cartisdu’s skeleton archers, a squadron of harpies wreathed in green mist was quietly closing in.

By the time Cartisdu realized what was happening, Li Bin’s three air squadrons had already taken control of the skeleton archers.

Seeing this, Cartisdu stubbornly demanded, “What do you want? Are you really going to make an enemy of Ghostrock City?”