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Chapter 94 High-Stakes Gamble
Chapter 94 High-Stakes Gamble
In a sense, what the mad dragon left behind was not just a physical ruin, but also an unforgettable, chilling nightmare deeply etched into the hearts of the town's residents and many adventurers.
The rescue operation lasted for most of the day, until nightfall, when the main trapped individuals were found, some alive and some dead.
Exhausted, Xia Lin and the others returned to the association's main hall to rest. Many wounded soldiers were temporarily housed there, and the atmosphere was oppressive.
Just then, news came from the association's treatment room: the survivor who had escaped from the forest and collapsed at the tavern's entrance had finally woken up after being given expensive healing potions and receiving emergency treatment from the priest, and was able to speak intermittently.
The room was filled with the pungent smell of medicine. The survivor—a prospective knight of the Church Knights—was still ashen-faced, but a sliver of clarity had returned to his eyes, though his eyes held a deep fear and pain.
Under the solemn gaze of everyone, he spoke haltingly, his voice trembling, recounting the elite squad's encounter deep within the Loran Forest:
How to track down an area that has been strangely corrupted by unusual magical traces;
How did they encounter an attack by a large number of corrupted and extremely ferocious monsters?
And finally, the terrifying undead dragon that dwelled at the heart of the corrupted region—
The strength of his teammates' resistance was as fragile and powerless as a child in the eyes of "Mad Dragon" Stark. In fact, that was indeed the case. Faced with the huge difference in strength, "Mad Dragon" only took one minute to eliminate most of the fighting force.
Finally, with his last ounce of strength, the bishop unleashed the silver flames of the church's sacred relic, which scorched the dragon's wings, creating a slim chance of escape for him and his few remaining comrades.
"Only—only I escaped—" The knight's voice was barely audible, filled with guilt and despair, "His Excellency the Bishop and the others—may—may already—"
He didn't say anything more, his meaning was self-evident. A severely damaged elite squad and dangerous monsters deep in the forest—something was bound to happen between them.
The room was deathly silent. Although they were mentally prepared, hearing the details of the total annihilation, especially the bizarre abilities displayed by the "mad dragon," still made everyone's hearts sink to the bottom.
There must be an explanation.
Almost simultaneously, the idea came to mind of the association's senior management and the guard captain.
It wasn't for justice or glory, but out of the most practical considerations.
The former will only appear in the hero biographies transmitted by various bards, while the latter, if not handled properly, may result in a "letter of commendation" from your direct superior appearing on your desk a few days later.
That's when the good days are over!
A small team with a strong background, whose members all come from a large church organization in the upper city.
If they all disappear silently into the forest under the jurisdiction of Elwyn Town, and the town's forces do nothing, the subsequent trouble will be catastrophic, perhaps no less than that of the "mad dragon".
We must let the higher-ups see that Elwyn Town has done everything it could, even at great cost, to rescue, or rather, to search for the remains.
Despite our best efforts, we cannot win!
Having grasped this crucial point, the Adventurers' Guild and the Guard's leadership immediately began to exert their post-war "residual influence."
So, on the morning of the second day, as the rescue work came to an end and the town was still licking its wounds, the Adventurers' Guild issued a new, urgent, and extremely risky commission.
Organize several elite rescue teams to venture deep into the Loran Forest, search for any possible survivors of the church's rescue team, and bring back any valuable clues or relics.
The request was clearly stated in the margin: although the chances were slim, even the slightest possibility should not be abandoned. As the town's main armed force, the Adventurers' Guild had a responsibility to conduct this attempt.
However, it is clear to anyone with a discerning eye that behind this "responsibility" may lie a deep fear of the wrath of those in power.
To revitalize the adventurers, who were just reeling from the dragon calamity, demoralized, and generally impoverished, and to encourage them to take on this dangerous mission, the association spared no expense, offering astonishingly generous terms:
First, the base reward for the mission is extremely high. Those who participate and return safely can receive a substantial sum of gold coins, enough to squander for more than half a year. If spent frugally, it could even be enough for an adventurer to achieve "financial freedom" ahead of schedule.
Secondly, special exchange privileges will be granted. All adventurers participating in this mission, regardless of whether they are already official professionals or what their original guild points are, will immediately gain the right to exchange their "extremely low-discount points" for the treasures on the second floor of the Adventurers' Guild, as long as they complete the mission and return safely! There you'll find plenty of coveted combat skill manuals, magical equipment, and rare potions!
Third, all forest loot belongs to the individual. During the mission, all spoils obtained in the forest—whether monster materials, minerals, herbs, or even equipment that the missing team members might have left behind—belong entirely to the finder; the association will not inquire about their origin. This is clearly stated in black and white on the mission parchment.
As for whether the church forces behind the missing team members will pursue the adventurers who hoarded the spoils, only the gods know. The Adventurers' Guild reserves the right to the final interpretation of the commissioned mission.
The Adventurers' Guild's only requirement is to find the survivors or confirm that all members perished, and to bring back as many identity tokens or key intelligence as possible.
Generous direct rewards, coveted shortcuts to acquiring advanced resources, plus the "wild" treasures that may be hidden within the forest itself —
These three temptations, combined, were like three potent drugs, instantly injected into the veins of a large group of adventurers who were starving due to the ban and had just been terrified by the dragon.
Fear remains, but greed and wishful thinking begin to grow wildly.
What if—what if I get lucky and find an enchanted longsword belonging to a church knight?
What if—that mad dragon has already escaped, and only some mindless monsters remain in the forest?
What if—if I come back alive, I can exchange it for that Whirlwind Slash combat technique!
Despair and desire intertwine, fear and ambition battle.
The answer is almost self-evident: human nature is often susceptible to the temptation of gambling, especially when the rewards are tempting.
The profession of adventurer inherently carries the attributes of a gambler. They live on the edge, risking everything for a few lucky breaks and rewards far exceeding those of ordinary people.
Hunting goblins is a gamble, exploring ruins is a gamble, but now, a gamble with even higher risks but potentially dizzying rewards is laid out before us.
Many adventurers who survived the "Mad Dragon's" might chose to go all in and take a gamble.