by Zhuang Bifan
Charles's words drew a few stern and angry glances from Joseph and a few of the patriarchs onto him. Of course, that was including his grandfather, the patriarch of the Caesar Family, Claus.
Although their reaction created fear in Charles, his words did the job by reminding Joseph and the others of the asset in their team. Joseph took a deep breath as he gazed upon Hoffman and Lin Li.
"That's right, we have all heard of President Felic's successes. I guess no one would be more worthy to be a pathfinder than President Felic," said Joseph as he laughed coldly.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/another-world%E2%80%99s-versatile-crafting-master_11275087605321405/wealth-breeds-arrogance_48008999831920424 for visiting.
Lin Li yawned lazily upon hearing his words. "Patriarch Joseph, I hope you can understand something. You are the one who invited us into this collaboration. We did not beg you to do that. You'd better show some sincerity in your words and actions."
Lin Li was not trying to threaten that he would withdraw from the group. He understood that everyone had their reservations with regard to Prince Brahere's mausoleum. If everyone were to hold themselves back like that, not only might they not get to the treasure, they might also perish together. The role of the pathfinders was the most arduous and tedious thing to do in any adventure. They were akin to the cannon fodder of the mission. Lin Li was not keen to be a cannon fodder. As he was also not a person who would sacrifice himself for the benefit of others, he would only consider such dangerous tasks if he could be given enough benefits.
"What do you want?" Joseph asked defensively. He naturally knew what Lin Li was implying in his speech. Although he was not comfortable with it, he could not help but continue the conversation.
In fact, Joseph and the others were determined to let the Tower of Dusk be their cannon fodder. It would be a really safe and advantageous task to follow after other people. However, he knew that Lin Li's experience was an extremely valuable asset in this mission. Hence, he did not dare to be too forceful facing Lin Li. He knew that if he were to agitate the man and make him leave the team, it would be a loss to the mission.
"Felic, you…" Hoffman wanted to stop Lin Li. He thought Lin Li was seriously considering to be the cannon fodder.
Lin Li smiled at the people in the marquee before he turned to look at Joseph. "Actually, my conditions are very simple. Firstly, I will not let my men be the pathfinders, but I can myself join the team of pathfinders. As for how many men or whether I bring anyone along, it wouldn't be my decision. So, the rest of you can decide who else to join the team of pathfinders. On top of that, as my reward for joining the team of pathfinders, I want the two mines in Khangarcia from the Mithril Alliance, and the priority to choose the prize from the mausoleum."
Lin Li's conditions stunned everyone in the marquee. What a big appetite! Two mines and the privilege to choose his prize just for his participation as one of the pathfinders? What about the other pathfinders in the team?
"President Felic, your request is too absurd. If every pathfinder were to have such a request, I guess we should withdraw this mission," said Joseph as he tried to suppress his rage. He was also incredibly furious about how Lin Li targeted his mines instead of possessions of the other three forces. Of course, if he were to mention that, he would definitely offend the rest of them. Hence, he held back on this.
"I don't care about the rest. If anyone thinks they have the ability to do it, I don't mind withdrawing. I don't have to be a pathfinder anyway," said Lin Li as he waved his arms. He leaned back indifferently.
The marquee that was still hustling when they heard Lin Li's conditions earlier turned silent immediately after seeing Lin Li's attitude. They knew that Lin Li was right. That man certainly did not beg to join the team of pathfinders. If they felt that his appetite was too big, they had the power not to let him join the team. However, the problem was that no one from the group had the experience of braving places like the Sky Castle and Osric's mausoleum.
"I think this can work," said Elvis all of a sudden. He broke the silence in the marquee.
That's definitely fine with you when the two mines in Khangarcia aren't yours! Joseph screamed internally as he glared at Elvis. He was so remorseful about his decision to have invited this blind old man.
"Master Elvis, I don't mind the two mines, but as for the privilege to choose the treasures from this mausoleum…" As the leader of the Mithril Alliance, Joseph was pressured to appear generous. Hence, he could only raise a condition that concerned individual privileges.
"It is just the privilege to be the first to choose the treasures. I bet there will not only be one or two treasures in Prince Brahere's mausoleum. Are you scared that he's going to ransack everything? However, this condition has to be discussed further," said Elvis. Elvis definitely did not want to lose out on the valuable treasures. The quality of the treasures would still play a great role in any mission. If the others were to claim all the rare magical equipment, it would be of no use to leave behind a mountain of gold.
"What do you think, then?" Joseph asked excitedly. He drew everyone's attention to Elvis.
Elvis coughed softly and he rolled his eyes as he turned towards Lin Li. "President Felic, I am sure no one would be agreeable if you were to have the priority to choose from all of the prizes. Why don't we set a limit? We can give you one opportunity to be the first to decide your rewards. After that, we would adhere to the rules that have been agreed upon by everyone."
"One? Sure, I will settle for one then. But, since the two mines in the Khangarcia are the only valuable things in the land, I want to have the territory of Khangarcia as well." Lin Li agreed to his suggestion immediately. He did not fuss about the privilege. He just asked for an additional territory.
Mines were mines. Territories were territories. Lin Li had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. He would not like it if his mines had to be in a foreign territory. That meant that he would not have the right to exploit the mines as freely. In fact, he requested the right to have the priority to choose his treasures as he thought that that would allow him to bargain for Khangarcia's territory. He did not expect that he would still have the privilege.
"Alright, I promise you!" Joseph replied in submission. He believed that the benefits he could gain from the mausoleum would outweigh his territory and two mines. Besides, he did not have confidence that Lin Li would definitely survive being a pathfinder.
Lin Li received a handwritten contract from Joseph, and let Joseph and the rest discuss whom they wanted to engage as the other pathfinders. They then decided that the team would be made of people from the Mithril Alliance and the Caesar Family. The solving of this issue naturally made things easier. They delegated the remaining tasks, and everyone started to prepare their teams for the expedition into Brahere's mausoleum.
The two adventure teams came together, and the four major forces formed the greatest partnership in the Breezy Plains. They had over 30 Legendary powerhouses and 600-700 elites from different occupations who were above level-15. Such a force would definitely have the capacity to destroy an entire kingdom. It was fortunate that this huge canyon of Gargas was a site that humans rarely visited. If not, they would definitely create chaos and cause the kingdoms around them to prepare for a war.
When the team got to the entrance of the mausoleum, everybody was very cautious, yet at the same time, some of them lost their focus. The people who lost their focus had something in common—their gazes were all fixed on the mages from the Tower of Dusk.
Many knew that the Tower of Dusk was a relatively new establishment with only two or three years of history. It was not easy for them to gather enough men to form a team of mages. As such, no one had high expectations on their level of combat ability. However, after they got ready for battle, the power displayed by the mages from the To
wer of Dusk stunned the people from the Mithril Alliance and the Caesar Family.
The team of 100 men were all Archmages above level-15. That was including 30 of them who were already at the peak of level-19. Each of them had a staff with a fist-sized high-level magical gemstone, and was clad in robes that had been inscribed with mageweaths with defensive, enhancing, and recovery properties. The most absurd was that each of them was wearing a complete set of high-level magical accessories, rings, necklaces, and badges. The effects from that magical equipment alone were sufficient to boost their combat ability by more than a fold.
It was already difficult to find a real jewelry master in the mainland of Anril. The lack of supply made the cost of any magical accessory ridiculously high. For instance, the value of one magic ring would be that of 10 magic staffs, even though they had the same magical capabilities. Hence, many felt that having a magic ring would be an add-on if one already had a magic staff. But, the mages from the Tower of Dusk were different. Each of them had a set of high-entry magical accessories that emitted a tremendous magical wave. Seeing that they had these accessories that covered them from head to toe was sufficient to generate fear in anybody.
Chapter 867 - Nasty Goblin
The Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family were long-standing forces with over 1,000 years of history, but if one were to compare them to the Tower of Dusk, they would look really shabby. Even the higher-ups from the two forces felt envious and embarrassed when they saw how the mages from Tower of Dusk dressed.
The people in the Glittergold Trade Union could not help but gloat at the two forces. Being very used to the extravagance of the Tower of Dusk, the Glittergold Trade Union was already numb to such a scene. Everyone knew how wealthy the Glittergold Trade Union was, and that the union would definitely splurge on its men. However, if one were to compare the Glittergold Trade Union with the Tower of Dusk, no one would dare to say that the Glittergold Trade Union was wealthier than the other.
Everyone's attention was brought back to the present by the scolding of their higher-ups, yet they could not help but gaze upon the team from the Tower of Dusk subconsciously.
"Master Felic, seems like you have stunned them significantly with your investment," remarked Hoffman.
"It's just some magical equipment. What I want is their safety," replied Lin Li calmly. To him, magical equipment was made to be used. It would be useless woods and stones if left in the treasure vault. What Lin Li treasured was talents, and that was the foundation which the Tower of Dusk rose on.
After being awed by the dazzling jewelry, the Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family were not as composed as the Glittergold Trade Union and Tower of Dusk. Even their higher-ups could not help but curse in jealousy as they get their stupefied followers back on track.
After this short episode, the team finally entered the palace-like mausoleum. The 50 men from the Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family were heading the pathfinder team, while Lin Li was leading Connoris and Angelano behind them.
Joseph nearly burst from his rage when he saw only three representatives from the Tower of Dusk. However, he did not have the right to blame them. He had only himself to blame for underestimating the shamelessness of the tower when he agreed to allow them to send any number of people they'd like for this task.
The interior of the palace was not as magnificent and grandiose. Instead, it had an immense sense of elegance and beauty. The surroundings were decorated with magical gemstones that continued to radiate gentle rays of light despite the passage of time. Their light created a dreamy atmosphere within the palace.
There were many exquisite works of art displayed within the palace. There were delicate and vivid statues that exuded an air of grandeur and also beautiful scrolls that could capture any human soul. Although these masterpieces were not as valuable to Lin Li and the other adventurers, they would definitely reap great wealth from selling any of the artworks. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%E2%80%99s-versatile-crafting-master_11275087605321405/nasty-goblin_48009005485840361 for visiting.
Lin Li did not know if legends were true in saying that Brahere spent his entire life in pursuing art. However, the masterpieces in the palace were enough to qualify Brahere's great attainments in art as unprecedented.
Although the goal of these adventurers was the rare magical treasures buried within the mausoleum, they could not help but slow down to admire these works of art. They were so captivating that even the Warriors, who were known to be tough and barbaric, were transformed into masters of art appreciation. They gasped at the beauty of every work of art they saw.
Suddenly, the team stopped. Then, two Legendary-level Assassins—Sylvia and Jerry from Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family, respectively—could be seen rushing towards Lin Li. They were the leaders in charge of the pathfinder team.
"Why did we stop?" Lin Li asked curiously as he shifted his gaze from the works of art onto the two men.
"President Felic, that spot in front was where we stopped. The magic gears there were extremely hard to deactivate. Could you help with that?" Being opponents of the Tower of Dusk, the two people from the Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family weren't sounding really friendly when they said that. The fact that Lin Li was one of the pathfinders but only followed behind the group only heightened their sense of distaste for him.
"We've arrived?" Lin Li froze when he heard that. "That's a very short distance! Is this your previous progress?" asked Lin Li skeptically after turning to look at the path behind him.
Lin Li's astonishment was not invalid. Although this palace took up a relatively huge amount of land, the team had only progressed close to 1,000 meters away from the entrance of the palace.
Sylvia and Jerry were still hoping to see Lin Li make a fool of himself before this, but Lin Li's question painted a deep blush on their cheeks immediately. He was right. They had lost a dozen lives along such a short distance. This tragedy would make sense if they were an unqualified adventure team. However, the Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family both had 1,000 years of history. There wouldn't be anything more shameful than experiencing such a tragedy.
"President Felic, why don't you go and take a look yourself. If we are not able to get through these magic gears, I'm afraid our adventure efforts will have to stop here," retorted Sylvia indignantly. Underlying his words was his skepticism that Lin Li would be able to solve the problem.
Lin Li smiled as he shook his head. He turned to the goblin beside him, and said, "Angelano, you can go with them. Let's not waste time here."
Angelano specialized in alchemy puppets and colossuses. Hence, much of his knowledge was related to magic gears. His Guru-level Alchemy skills would enable him to resolve many of such problems caused by magic gears.
"Well, since I was tricked to come here, I shall be at your service," complained Angelano in a dissatisfied tone. He controlled the alchemy machine and brought himself to the front of the team with big steps.
Sylvia and Jerry were extremely confused when they saw Lin Li only sent a goblin over, but they did not dare to inquire further for fear of receiving more derogatory remarks. They recovered from their shock and quickly followed behind Angelano.
Angelano's shrill and harsh voice could be heard shortly after.
"Darn it, how could you be hindered by such a thing? I really cannot believe you are here to explore a relic, and not for a leisure walk. Can you grow some brains? How can you even die at this spot? Can't you see such an obvious thing?"
Angelano did not do any close observation when he got to the front of the team. A quick scan of the magic gear was enough for him to detect all sorts of loopholes it had. His frustration was not invalid. If he had to interfere in solving such a simple trap, it would mean that he would have to take care of many other things ahead.
"C-can… Can you even solve it?" asked Sylvia and Jerry indignantly. Th
ey had been well respected for their status as Legendary powerhouses. It was vexing enough to be ridiculed by Lin Li earlier. How could their ego not be hurt by Angelano's scolding?
"Tsk, what is there for people in the Legendary-realm to be proud of? If you can't deactivate such a magic gear, you should feel too ashamed to introduce yourself as a Legendary-level Assassin," complained Angelano as he rolled his eyes at the two people. He then proceeded to give orders to the people around him with gestures. "Hey, you, go to that pillar there. And you, stop looking around, yes, I'm talking to you. Do you see that tile there? Yes, beside the head of that corpse. Just walk towards there…"
Since Sylvia and Jerry chose to become Assassins, they naturally knew that real Legendary-level Assassins in the Dark Age were expected to reach the Master-level in dealing with all types of magic gears and traps. Hence, they could only sulk at Angelano's derogatory remarks instead of standing up against him.
On the other side, people who were appointed by Angelano all looked incredibly bitter. They all tried to make glances at their leaders, Sylvia and Jerry. These people were the pathfinders for their previous expedition, and they had witnessed how their comrades died when they stepped into that region. There were some who got cut into pieces, and others who were burned into ashes. They all died horrible deaths. However, that goblin was now telling them to walk over! Wouldn't they be digging their own graves?
If the goblin was from their team, they would have greater courage to take the risk. But, the fact that the goblin was from the Tower of Dusk, which wasn't on good terms with the Mithril Alliance and Caesar Family, made them skeptical about the real intentions of that goblin.
After seeing no one responding to his orders, Angelano's rage grew even more. "Goddammit, do you think I want to waste my time with you? I'm not going to repeat what I just said. If you can't remember what I said, you can just go and die!" Angelano lashed out at the men furiously. He turned his alchemy machine away from the scene and went back to Lin Li.