Kage, the barbarian, was still cursing, his voice the loudest in the entire underground space. He was genuinely terrified. He had cursed Li Xi before and even sent people to kill Li Xi, but now he was truly grateful for Li Xi sparing his life. Otherwise, the head on his neck would have likely been taken for a bounty. He had never been so humiliated since his debut. It was no wonder Kage couldn't hold back.
"Enough," a golden giant, emanating a ferocious aura like a thunderbolt, stepped out. His physique even dwarfed Kage. A single command silenced the more than a hundred mercenaries who had been arguing, and many of them quietly retreated to the back of the crowd upon seeing him, afraid that the furious golden giant would cast his gaze upon them. Their earlier aggressive curses immediately turned them into cowering quail.
The golden giant looked at Kage, who had been the loudest, his gaze like two thunderous plows that tilled Kage several times. Kage, who could pierce through several defensive lines, was forced to lower his head and remain silent. "Since when do we need to provide all the intelligence for a mission? Are you all babies who haven't been weaned, or pampered noble ladies who need to be served? You cry and wail at the slightest trouble. If you don't want to do it, then get lost. No one is forcing you to stay here."
Kage was indignant, but his earlier furious rant had completely vanished. Like a wronged young wife returning to her parents' home, he began to complain to his uncle. "Lord Adrian, it's not that we can't bear casualties or failure, but when a master like Li Xi appears in a mission, you should at least inform us. Hiding the intelligence of top experts when posting a mission is like sending us to our deaths, isn't it?"
"That's right, my lord. This is clearly the person who posted the mission has ill intentions," other mercenaries, seeing Kage dare to retort to the golden giant, also stood behind him in support.
Adrian knew that the people behind the scenes had done wrong, but he had been pushed out to quell the public's anger and couldn't pour more fuel on the fire. "I know you've been wronged. On my personal behalf, every brother who went today will receive two thousand gold coins for medical expenses, and five thousand for those who died."
Perhaps fearing that Li Xi's solitary appearance would dampen everyone's motivation for missions, he paused and added, "Next time we go on a mission, I will go with you. I dare not say I can kill Li Xi, but I can definitely hold him back."
"Is this acceptable now?"
Upon hearing that the golden giant, Adrian, was willing to personally intervene, the previously indignant crowd immediately regained their fighting spirit. With this lord taking action, there was no need to fear Li Xi. As for the gold coins, getting two thousand for free was an unexpected bonus.
Just as everyone was happily preparing to recover from their injuries for their next mission, only Lawrence, sitting in a corner, wore a playful smile. As an information dealer who possessed many secrets, Lawrence made a simple comparison with the existing intelligence and realized that although Adrian was strong, he might not necessarily be Li Xi's match, even if Li Xi wasn't human.
Looking at everyone who seemed to have regained their vigor and were already planning how to enjoy their earnings, Lawrence wondered how many of them would return alive after the next assassination.
...
Outside the ancient castle walls,
Li Xi's shadow clone, after healing the last mercenary, dismissed himself despite the pleas of everyone present, including several priests who cried and clung to his legs, begging to be accepted as disciples.
Li Xi's main body on top of the castle said to Princess Philean below, "The danger has been resolved. I'm going to have a chat with Lord Gallidos and the others about tonight's events. If you're in danger, just call out, and I'll appear before you immediately."
"I..." Philean was annoyed by Li Xi's abrupt departure, but after saying only one word, Li Xi disappeared again.
"Brother Li Xi, I have to thank you again this time. Without you, we would have lost all face." Gallidos said with a face full of shame, blaming himself for not discovering the infiltrators. As a seasoned S-class mercenary, he had almost made a mistake, and his face burned with shame.
"It's alright. Mercenaries must complete their missions once they accept them, and this mission wasn't yours alone." Li Xi didn't dwell on Gallidos's discomfort. In this异世界 (yì shì jiè - otherworld), strange abilities were endless, and no one could guarantee they wouldn't stumble a few times in their life. Even with a ninja system, he wouldn't dare claim to roam the world unopposed. "I came to inquire about the situation. Given the intensity of the previous attacks, why did it suddenly become so much stronger today, as if they really intended to assassinate the princess? Do you have any intelligence on this?"
Gallidos's expression darkened as he handed a piece of paper to Li Xi. Upon seeing it, Li Xi's face changed drastically.
The information on the paper was not extensive, merely a copy of the assassination mission for the princess in the dark mercenary world. However, anyone with eyes could see that the people behind the scenes were serious.
"Brother Li Xi, I won't hide it from you. We did have our own selfish reasons for calling you earlier, but we didn't expect the people behind the scenes to actually act. We're going to have a difficult time in the days to come."
Li Xi's lips curled into a cold smile. "Don't be afraid. Everyone has two shoulders supporting a head. A stab will also create a hole."
As someone who guaranteed a 100% completion rate for his missions, Li Xi was naturally not intimidated by such difficulties. He would face whatever came his way. Higher difficulty meant a greater chance of drawing better ninja techniques, especially the lottery rewards for the mercenary level increase of his two shadow clones, which Li Xi had not yet used. Now it was a matter of who was foolish enough to run headfirst into him.
"Then who is the person behind all this?" Li Xi was very curious who could afford so much money; this was clearly immense wealth.
Gallidos shook his head, his tone slightly evasive. The number of people who could be the princess's opponent was few, and none of them were people he could afford to offend. "This is not something we should know. We only need to do our duty and ensure the safety of the two princesses."
Perhaps sensing Li Xi's lingering curiosity, he continued, "Don't ask Princess Philean either, she won't know who it is. Within this castle, only the Eldest Princess knows who is behind it all."
The Eldest Princess. Apart from meeting her on the first day, Li Xi had not seen her a second time. Yet, this woman, who remained in her study and never appeared in public, held firm control over every inch of the castle.
At this moment, Bruce, Alisha, and Ivan returned after arranging their subordinates. Seeing Li Xi talking with Gallidos, they immediately placed one hand on their shoulders and bowed with their bodies bent. This form of etiquette was only used when meeting elders or people of great respect, indicating their sincere admiration and gratitude towards Li Xi.
"Thank you, Lord Li Xi, for your help. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
The three of them spoke their true feelings with lingering fear. If not for Li Xi's timely healing of the injured mercenaries today, the three major mercenary groups would have suffered heavy losses. They were not regular armies supported by the nation; they had all reached their current standing through steady effort and precarious steps. Every team member was extremely valuable human resource, and each member was carefully selected elite. Normally, losing even a single digit number of people would make the three group leaders lose their appetite. In today's battle, after underestimating their opponents and then engaging in a free-for-all, each group lost dozens of men. However, without Li Xi's timely and proactive help in healing, this death toll would have more than doubled.
"We are all mercenaries. I cannot stand by and watch my brothers get injured. Since I have the ability, I will certainly help. Group leaders, you don't need to thank me. There are still many days ahead, and there will be many more opportunities for cooperation." Su Dan Novel Network
"As long as Lord Li Xi has any requests, just give an order, and the Mammoth Mercenary Group will do everything in its power to complete it," Bruce immediately declared.
"I can even give up my position as leader of the Red Rose Mercenary Group to Lord Li Xi. The entire group yearns for your leadership. Many young ladies in the group have also asked me to ask when you will come to visit them," Alisha said with a suggestive look in her eyes, making it difficult for Li Xi not to have impure thoughts. However, the members of the Red Rose Mercenary Group were indeed of high quality. Li Xi's shadow clone had encountered more than a few places he shouldn't have touched during the healing process.
"Haha, Leader Alisha, you jest. I have no intention of leading anything. Being a leisurely mercenary is best," Li Xi said, trying to avoid her as if she were a plague. He couldn't bear the thought of her trying to extract more essence from him.
"My Dark Shadow Mercenary Group's people are now yours. Your word is my command," Ivan, who seemed quiet usually, was the most willing to sacrifice his own interests once he made a decision. The Dark Shadow Mercenary Group, composed mostly of assassins, had no stealth, no flanking, and no ambushes before the battle. When faced with the first wave of powerful attacks, un-prepared assassins with daggers and light armor charged headfirst against attacking warriors, like eggs hitting stones. Their losses were even greater than those of the women in the Red Rose Mercenary Group. Naturally, the Dark Shadow Mercenary Group also had the most people treated by Li Xi. It was understandable why Ivan was so excited. If not for Li Xi, their mercenary group would have been downgraded due to its weakened strength.
"This attack is just the beginning. The coming days will be even more intense than today. For the princess, we must hold our defense," Zuo Lin said, joining the discussion after arranging for the exhausted spellcasters to rest. He had sought Li Xi's guidance on spellcasting questions in recent days and had become familiar with others.
"You mentioned before that the Eldest Princess has very high-level professionals guarding her. Do you know specifically how high?" Li Xi was unsure of their own strength. Now that the mercenaries were all here, the remaining power was hidden by the Eldest Princess, with those protecting her personally being the most powerful.
Gallidos glanced at Zuo Lin, his meaning clear. Zuo Lin was more familiar with this matter than he was, as Zuo Lin was part of the princess's retinue. Zuo Lin recalled for a moment, "I'm not sure who it is specifically, and I don't know their professional level. I've never seen this person before. I've only sensed from a few fleeting auras that this person is stronger than level seven. As for whether they have reached the level of an eighth-rank powerhouse, I don't know."
Li Xi stroked his chin, an eighth-rank, a domain powerhouse. He wondered how great the gap was between his current strength and that of a powerhouse at this level.
Time flew by, and it was already the evening of the next day. All the mercenaries were on high alert, constantly watching for any stir in their surroundings. As a result, nothing happened throughout the night, not even a shadow.
"Intelligence has come back. Those people need three days to recover from their injuries, and with insufficient manpower, I estimate it will take another five days before they have the strength to attack again," Gallidos said.
Li Xi remained noncommittal. Whether the enemy attacked could not be solely determined by their preparation. However, if they remained tense every night, even iron-willed men would become weary after a few days. Therefore, Li Xi sent out several shadow clones to patrol the perimeter, allowing the other mercenaries to get sufficient rest. This action propelled Li Xi's reputation to the brink of exploding, earning him countless "good guy" and "worship" cards.
As five days passed, those attackers could have healed themselves even with low-grade holy water, but the attack time predicted by Gallidos had still not arrived. This outwardly good news of the enemy not attacking caused everyone to worry. It indicated that the attackers believed their current strength was insufficient and that they needed to accumulate more power to take down the castle in one fell swoop. Therefore, they would face the strongest enemies next time.
Zuo Lin: "We have no other choice but to wait passively."
Li Xi: "Where is the location of the underground mercenary world?"
Gallidos: "Within the underground caves of Aysinger."
Li Xi: "Do you know how to get there?"
Gallidos: "We know how to get there, but our mission is to protect the princess, not to destroy the underworld."
Li Xi's gaze shifted. Rather than passively waiting, he preferred to take the initiative and strike at the heart of the enemy, catching them completely off guard.
Gallidos saw Li Xi's intention and immediately stopped him, saying, "Among us, Brother Li Xi's strength is the strongest. If anyone leaves, you cannot."
Li Xi could not stand being looked at like drowning victims looking at a life-saving piece of driftwood. After multiple analyses and discussions, the reasons why the attackers had not yet launched their assault were limited. Either they currently lacked the overwhelming strength to breach the castle, or they did not possess a means to counter Li Xi. Therefore, when the attackers appeared outside the castle walls next time, they would have complete confidence and the power to restrain Li Xi.
As for the being who surpassed level seven and was hidden in the shadows protecting the princess, they were not included in Gallidos's discussions. Uncertain forces were simply too difficult to quantify. Even when Gallidos sought an audience with the Eldest Princess and explained the dire situation, the Princess did not utter a single word about the protector. She simply told Gallidos to do as he saw fit and not to worry too much. Later, they could only hypothesize that if that person were indeed an eighth-rank domain powerhouse, then even if they failed disastrously, the mission would still be considered ninety percent successful. However, if that person was not an eighth-rank, then the final victory would depend on them.
Time reached the last five days before the mission's end. Li Xi once again smelled the same tense atmosphere in the air as before, and this time, the sense of urgency was more than ten times greater than last time.