I entered the game in advance and found that I was invincible

Wow, there are so many different races.

Jung Sang-hoon marvels at the city's diversity.

It's not just skin color, some people's physical features are very obvious.Therefore, Long Xiangtian and his party were not conspicuous at all.

The vibe of the city seems to be free and diverse.

As long as it pays taxes to the royal family, the city can enjoy a certain freedom.Although laws vary from country to country, in this city, if a slave can live here for 3 months without being caught, he is considered free.

Immigrants will flock to the city.As long as the rights of others are not violated, no authority interferes with their daily lives.

What are you going to do now?
First, I need to gather some information.

In the past, he hadn't heard of anything special happening at Blue Indium.

His starting area has always been a remote part of the kingdom of Appen, and it took him a while to get out.

After 40 years, he naturally launched an investigation, but too much time passed, and they didn't learn anything.

What should be done with these captives?

Take them to the inn.

Sending them to labor camps was the norm, but in this case, he had to prove his identity, and he preferred to keep a low profile.

Because there are so many criminals, their rules are very strict.

After Long Xiangtian was sure that his group had successfully settled down in an inn, he attacked alone.

Generally speaking, in such a free city, the merchants will hold all the power.

In Blue Indium, Callis and Erica are the main forces.Although they have a cooperative relationship and jointly run the city, they are also competitors.

In the past, for some reason, there was a dispute between them, which led to a civil war, which Kalis' side emerged victorious.

Isaac didn't reveal everything.

Even years later, he has been reluctant to speak publicly about the details of what happened.Undoubtedly, because he had been involved in some disgraceful things.

For this reason, he has not been able to understand the whole picture of the matter.It was only later, through his intelligence agency, that he was able to learn that Edward Teach was involved.

I'd like a glass of stout.

Long Xiangtian entered a tavern and placed an order with the middle-aged bartender.

The bartender looked at his clothes, then handed him a beer glass and asked.

Are you a mercenary?

Yes.

Mercenaries are common in Randym, as merchants come and go and opportunities abound.

The bartender nodded at him.

Today must be your rest day.

My employer has been playing around with the lights these days.

Then he must be very rich, because the prices in this city are not cheap at all.

A bartender talks to countless customers every day, so he happens to know a lot.Long Xiangtian chatted with him because he wanted to see if there was anything useful to learn.

Have you noticed that there are more suspicious people around here?
"Since you mentioned, there are more adventurers than usual, and these adventurers behave strangely and have strange accents.

Considering the time, they are likely to be players who have just come out of the canyon battle and are exploring the city.

Still, he couldn't jump to conclusions.

Judging from his past experience, he knew that the civil war in Lanzhou probably occurred at a certain time now.

What about their appearance?

They are all different, some are dressed in shabby clothes like sailors, while others are like high-ranking nobles, dressed in colorful clothes.

The problem is, they're all in the same camp.

After learning all about the situation from the bartender, he put a silver coin on the counter.

I would appreciate it if today's conversation was just between the two of us.

Sooner or later someone would come to him.

The bartender swallowed, then quietly put the silver coins into his pocket.

He realized that Long Xiangtian was not an ordinary mercenary.

Edward Teach had undoubtedly had his men infiltrate the city.

Given the circumstances, that felt like a safe assumption.

The pirate better known as Blackbeard is a cunning strategist who knows how to play on people's fears.

No doubt he'd find a way to get hired by Callis or Erica.

When Long Xiangtian was looking at the tavern, some guests had a dispute.

You bastard!What did you say?What did you say?Be sensible, who do you think you are raising your voice at me? !
Quarrels in broad daylight.

The bartender took a look and gave them a hard look.

Give up, aren't you a mercenary under the merchant Erica?Not sure why you look so weak. "

what are you saying?Based on your nonsense, you must be working for Callis!"

Obviously, the relationship between the two factions is not the most friendly right now.

Long Xiangtian ordered another glass of beer for himself, and continued to listen to the argument between the two mercenaries.

Is there something wrong with this?Erica's faction is led by a young woman, so the mercenaries lack any military discipline.

Don't talk such trash.Erica is far smarter than Sebastian and has a lot of business sense.

So why was your caravan raided not long ago?He was even attacked by some unknown gangsters.

Erica's caravan was attacked by bandits and all the goods were stolen.

Some of their employees died and the contract was not fulfilled.All this has done great damage to their reputation.

Those are not ordinary bandits! Even our elite mercenaries are helpless against them!

It's just an excuse.We're not afraid of you guys, following a woman who hasn't even raised a sword.

Unable to refute, Erica's mercenaries had reached their limit and punched each other.

As the fight began, spectators gathered to bet on who would emerge victorious.

Don't you think the blond over there is more punchable?
No, I think I'll pick the brunette.

Since they all drank a lot, they behaved rather poorly.

Eventually, the mercenary serving under Erica stumbles onto a nearby table as he tries to dodge an incoming punch.

Food, plates, cups, everything fell to the floor.

When the mercenary of the Kalis faction stood above him smiling.

This is enough.

Someone interrupted.

who do you think You Are! ?
Calis' mercenary shouted angrily, his face flushed.

The new opponent who intervenes is a handsome young man, but all this is an illusion.

It was actually Long Xiangtian, but he was wearing his Jester mask, which he had put on before stepping into the tavern.

This is his reward on the 99th floor of the Tower of Dusk.

While it doesn't actually change his appearance, those around him see him as a completely different person.

I won't repeat it, go out and stop making trouble.

Long Xiangtian grabbed the mercenary's collar and said confidently.

His eyes stared fiercely through the mask.

Callis' mercenary was taken aback, and he swallowed hard.

Hu He
His drunkenness faded in an instant as he felt an instinctive pressure emanating from the young man.There's something dehumanizing about this.

He decides to run away, and in the process trips himself in fear.

Are you OK?

Long Xiangtian supported the groaning mercenary working for Erica to stand up.

you. who are you
Let's go outside and talk.

He may have caught a breach in Erica's faction.After saving another silver coin for the wine, Long Xiangtian walked outside.

***
Ryan, a third-rate mercenary.

This is his name.Born in a low-class family, he has only learned some basic sword skills, and his life is quite difficult.The kind where you don't know when you're going to get a dagger buried in your back, and you don't know if you're going to wake up to see it the next day.

For some reason, he successfully joined a big faction like Erica, but his situation didn't improve much.

As a third-rate mercenary, he is the bottom one.Not to mention he had to buy weapons and armor himself.

He's been working there for two years and hopes to move up the ladder.

He's been through many dangerous crises, but this time he's not so sure he can make it.Because Erica's faction has been in trouble lately.

Are your customers churn?

Yes, many people other than our long-time loyal customers are trying to avoid doing business with us due to Callis' interference.

Because his primary function was escorting caravans, Lane was well aware of the difficulties facing the Erica faction.

An economy in which artisans in cities produce goods, which they then rely on merchants to sell abroad on their behalf.

Naturally, being able to acquire and retain customers is a top priority.

It is because you are a new business group with a weak foundation.

While it looks like we're the faction that lost out to Kalis, they're no match for us if the game is fair.

Erica is the eldest daughter of a famous long-distance businessman. Using her excellent business acumen, she merged many small shops and created her own faction.

Callis, the businessman, felt threatened and decided to play something dark.No doubt he was involved in the recent robbery.

Have you taken any countermeasures?I'm not entirely sure since I'm far from the inside, but Erica probably won't continue to take hits like this.She must be planning revenge.

However, it is said that they cannot solve it alone and need foreign aid.

Long Xiangtian walked with Ryan in the back alley, thinking about what he just learned.

Did Edward Church cooperate with Erica?
He's a calculating man, so he won't bet on a losing horse.If it wasn't a pirate, who did Erica turn to for help?

It is quite complicated to unravel the interests of each person, and it is difficult to make an educated guess based on the information he currently has.

Just when he was about to ask Ryan another question.

Tahaq!
I am sorry.

A running street urchin in dirty tattered clothes bumped into Ryan.

But Ryan didn't think much, just shook his hand.Are you a mercenary?
Yes.

Mercenaries are common in Randym, as merchants come and go and opportunities abound.

give me back.

His movements couldn't escape Long Xiangtian's sharp eyes.This is a common tactic used by pickpockets and thieves.Pretend to run into your targets while stealing their belongings.

The boy was quite flexible, so Ryan never noticed it.When the thief wanted to run, Long Xiangtian moved quickly and grabbed his neck.

Don't you know what happened to the thief?

Sorry, please forgive me this time.

He acts because there is nothing for him to eat.Abandoned by their parents, children wander the alleys of the city, struggling to survive.

Although what he did was really wrong, he couldn't bear to chop off his hand as punishment.

Shall I give you a chance?
No doubt, anything is preferable when the alternative is losing limbs, so the boy nods back with a petrified expression.

How well do you know the city?

Hmm. The business district is on the east side, and the workshop is on the west side.
Orphans like him, in order to survive, can only shuttle through the city, looking for any opportunity.If used well, he may be a fairly effective means of obtaining information.

If you do what I say, I'll give you something to eat.

He needed them to keep an eye out and try to spot anyone who looked suspicious.

Even if nothing came of it, he would promise to give them some food.There will also be bonuses if they do find something.This applies to any orphan, not just boys.

ok, I get it.

The boy disappeared into the back alley with a baguette in his mouth.

Ryan scratched his head, embarrassed.

I owe you another favor.

Don't worry, I know how you can repay me.

what can I do for you.
Please arrange a meeting with Erica for me.

The quickest way to find out what he needs to know is to meet face to face.

He also has a Jester mask that hides his true colors, so he doesn't have to worry about that.

I'm not that sure.

Then you might as well pass on my news to her.

Since she's in a tough spot, she's more likely to commit her audience to someone who offers an olive branch.

His next steps will be crucial.He needs to figure out if he can get one of the materials for the colorful ring by helping Erica.

He still doesn't know where Isaac got it in the past.Since he was running out of time, he had to make a judgment call.

Long Xiangtian followed Ryan, he was thinking about how to face Erica.Filled with steam, a beautiful young lady lay in a bath of warm water with a worried expression on her face.

She is Erica Donovan, the second most influential person in Randym Harbor, after Sebastian Kalisina.

what should I do..

Her relationship with some of her major clients has been deteriorating due to the recent attack on her caravan.

To make matters worse, the stolen items were all luxury items.

This means huge economic losses, not to mention that it is difficult to procure replacements in a short period of time.

I really have to make a decision about Sebastian.

At present, all preparations have been completed, and they are only waiting for the green light.

They have recruited elite mercenaries and porters to monitor the movement of the Kalis faction.

Waiting to fight until she's outnumbered would be ideal, but they're not out of place for now.

Erica looked down at her body, pausing on her chest as she thought of all the humiliation she had been forced to endure.

A grown-up beauty that any man would fall for, but that doesn't do her any favors when she wants to lead.She just gets ignored time and time again because of her gender.

I need to take this opportunity.

If she could get over the grievances between Callis and her, no one could look down on her anymore.

Erica stepped out of the tub and wrapped her delicate body in a pink towel.

While she was busy drying herself.

Erica, a man is coming for you.

She heard the maid's voice behind the door.

what does he look like
He's a mercenary with a weapon.He came with Ryan, one of our faction's mercenaries.

"...let him in, I'll see him in a minute.

Any mercenary willing to work for her cause is welcome.

After quickly drying her hair, Erica put on a red dress and headed to the waiting room.As soon as she opened the door, she saw the red-haired young man sitting casually on a chair.

What did you come to me for?
I want to sign a labor contract.

Straight to the point.This attitude shows that he has a certain confidence in his skills.Erika's green eyes scanned him from top to bottom.

First of all I want to hear more about your experience.How long have you been a mercenary?

five years.

Hearing Long Xiangtian's arrogant tone, the mercenaries guarding Erica frowned.

Erica didn't mind, though.Her current situation does not allow her to be picky.

I don't know if you already know, but mercenaries are generally divided into different levels, between 1 and 3 levels.What level do you want to challenge?
Premium.

The room became silent.

Erica became very interested when she answered.

Each level corresponds to a certain degree of difficulty, are you sure you want to choose the special level?
Yes.

In their entire business school, there is only one special mercenary.At least Ryan thinks so.

When Wu He was still meeting her gaze calmly, a gray-haired man standing behind Erica came over.

He has sharp eyes, which is different from ordinary mercenaries.He still doesn't know where Isaac got it in the past.Since he was running out of time, he had to make a judgment call.

If so, then you should confront me.

Are you Darius the gray wolf?

Yes, I'm a bit of a celebrity around here.

Darius' rude response showed his dissatisfaction with Long Xiangtian.

He seemed ready to draw his sword at Erika's command.

This is not a place for dueling, let's go to the public training area.Today's weather is also good.

I understand.

After receiving Long Xiangtian's approval, Erica led her mercenaries out first.

Although it is not known when the battle with the Kalis faction will take place, she is willing to go public, which is quite a bold move by her.

She seems like a confident woman.

Although she has lost civil wars in the past, she doesn't feel like a weakling.

Maybe she suffered an inner betrayal.

Since it's just to judge your skill level, don't take it too far.

After coming to the training area, Erica made the rules of the duel.They should try to avoid any unnecessary provocation or harm to the opponent.