Chapter 1353
Chapter 1353 - 1339: War Hall
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8 min read
"We thought you’d stay in the ’Fortress’ until the day you left..."
As Big Cat’s stronghold and R&D base, the research institute was brimming with defense systems – heaven knows how many traps a Quasi-God Big Shot had hidden in there, and the kind of boosts her inheritor might receive within its walls.
Probably, as long as Lu didn’t come out, his safety could be assured – at least until the clueless losers foolishly knocked on the door and became cannon fodder.
𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
"Ha, if I really did that, I’m afraid I’d never see the day of departure."
Theory is theory, reality is reality. Amidst a pack of wolves, a strong presence is far more effective than a secure fortress... really waiting in the ’Safe Zone’ for the Storm to pass, they have ten thousand ways to drag you out/ deceive you/ force you out.
Although Lu wanted to slack off a little longer... to accumulate some strength, the feedback from Lulu suggested that he could not wait any longer.
This was the World Trade Tower of the Mountain-Sea District, and though the name might sound clichéd and its construction began in the early nineties, the endless white jade steps carried a beauty that transcended the era.
Arms, Magic Potions, Life – from little matches to mercenaries, everything was for sale here.
Just as the Development Zone of the Ancient City had gradually become a gathering place for the Exotic Races, Wanjing too needed a spot to accommodate the nearly infinite influx of visitors from Exotic Realms and dangerous elements.
An exotic child in a hurry stumbled right in front of Lu Ping’an; if he hadn’t quickened his step at the last moment, he might have collided with the boy.
"Ouch, watch where you’re going..."
Bowing his head, he looked at the horned toddler with an innocent face, his eyes pure and naïve, and the silly smile with a long snot trailing from his nose... Facing "children", Lu Ping’an’s smile was particularly gentle.
Those overly pure white pupils, though still lifeless and with Blind Eyes, reflected the "child" before him.
"Your thing has dropped."
The young man helped the "child" up, then with a light pat, a white Broken Tooth appeared... that tooth ground into a dagger.
"Don’t forget it next time... if there is a next time."
Following his lifeless gaze, the "child" noticed that the Broken Tooth had gently embedded itself in his own arm.
A shocking scream echoed through the hall, but the passersby only glanced casually and lost interest immediately.
"Lu Ping’an..."
Having dropped the no longer moving Assassin, Lu Ping’an was about to leave when Big Cat called out to him.
"What’s up? That guy’s bones were ancient – probably older than my grandfather."
"No, that dagger is the main Poison Teeth of the Soul Binding spider, high-level stuff, quite valuable."
With that, Lu Ping’an understood.
"...Oh, sorry, this doesn’t seem like your stuff. Perhaps, it’s mine?"
The youngster turned around, looked at the Dwarf Assassin on the ground who was already out of breath, casually picked up the dagger, wiped it clean, and then put it back in his shopping bag... This time, Lu was prepared for a major shopping spree.
And even though a murder had occurred, the pedestrians on the street didn’t stop... they didn’t even seem to find it strange. This "indifference" and "acclimatization" made Lu Ping’an consider reevaluating the level of Chaos present here.
"This thing isn’t cheap, huh? What’s it used for?"
"For those below Rule-level, it’s considered a one-hit kill, and it can also be used to capture and bind Souls, making it quite good for hunting those with lots of secrets..."
Lu Ping’an glanced at the dagger’s hilt, where a picture depicted a little old man with two horns, screaming.
"Is there a way to extract it?"
"If the time is very short, it’s possible, but it would destroy the weapon. This one... it must have been made from hunting a Rule-level Soul Binding Spider. The craftsmanship is also very high; the material’s power has been fully activated. Heh, they really went all out. This is no cheaper than a real Decree-level weapon. If you find the right buyer, it could sell for an extremely high price."
Lu Ping’an stroked his chin, realizing that not only was this definitely targeting him, but the opposition had a very powerful background.
As a pure material product with not a hint of contamination in its fluctuation, hidden in the sleeve of that dwarf, it indeed was a very dangerous toy.
"Heh, I can’t be bothered to think about it anymore."
Lu Ping’an fiddled with the blade of the dagger, reflecting his own face... casually using it to trim a bit of stubble that had just sprouted, his mood improving even further.
He couldn’t be troubled to think about exactly who wanted him dead... there were too many, impossible to clearly consider.
Probably every professional who had reached this stage was the same, entangled in too many grudges and interest relations. Not having a few hundred deadly enemies who wish for your demise only meant you were a strongman with too much fluff.
"Come on, let’s see what treasures we can fish out here, pieces to assemble our precious puppet to be both cool and cute..."
The great marketplace was not as simple as merely one or two shopping centers; in reality, it encompassed numerous commercial areas, special factories, and districts where people from exotic realms congregated.
The "Outer Ring" of Wanjing was not something any exotic races or churches could settle in; besides the local dominant ethnic groups, there were various aggressive yet ineligible-for-the-inner-ring dangerous races.
"...This is kind of interesting."
Lu Ping’an wandered around for the morning and eventually reached one of his intended destinations.
It was an area akin to a trading hall, with people constantly standing up to shout, then pinning certain cards on the walls while others kept ’one, ten, a hundred’ counts.
This scene made Lu Ping’an feel somewhat surprised and somewhat familiar; it seemed like the old era’s stock trading floor that he remembered operated in a similar fashion.
But what they were trading was far from simple securities.
"Unknown world number 33123, requires two teams of elite mercenaries, willing to undertake slaughter missions. Mid-term hire, Decree standard pay tripled, Rule-level starting at a hundredfold, including territory rewards. Oh, and those who provide their own Exploration permits can expect 1.2 times the compensation."
"I need a high-tier dancer... not a sacrifice nor an Evil God, at least that’s what my temporary employer says. He’s willing to offer the position of mayor of a remote planet, with a population around fifty thousand. You just need to pay taxes, and you can do whatever you want."
"Listen up, guys. The Dark Katet mercenary group screwed up. Their core members were deceived by the locals, leading to the failure of the campaign, causing at least the loss of two prosperous magic mining areas... Their reputation is finished for one, but the employer needs an A-grade mercenary group to clean up. The locals are very in line with human aesthetic standards, very cunning, and good at exploiting sympathy... We need some ruthless ones."
Amidst the hall’s clamor, each of those traded cards represented a genuine war commission.
Those that could make it to this "War Hall" were not fights involving just one or two people; mostly, they were war contracts for various mercenary groups and high-tier professionals.
This could be the most expensive and dirty site for Life Trading in the Eastern Country and, naturally, was a necessary route for Lu Ping’an and his party.
"This is interesting... Our commission should have been posted already, why has there been no response?"
Lu Ping’an took out a record, looked at the number on it, and slowly searched the wall.
"An unknown planet, currently in a Plane War with several Evil Gods, needs a large number of war mercenaries, capable of providing various special local products, including rare treasures that enhance spiritual power..."
Lu Ping’an found it, stroked his chin, and had to admit that even he, aware of the conditions and rewards of this hire, had no interest in moving an inch.
"Perhaps, we need to up the stakes... How about a whole city?"
— End of Chapter 1353 —