Chapter 51: . Mercenary Paradise

I am afraid that the entire continent of Wilharun will never find a place that is more prone to trouble than the City of Thousand Rocks.
To say it is chaotic, it does not only refer to the strangely shaped stone houses and earth buildings that seem to be simple, but in fact there are hidden organs everywhere; it is not to laugh at the unevenness between the houses, the materials are different, and the weaving A wooden ladder that forms a passage in the air; but generally refers to the main people living there: mercenaries.
The establishment of Rock City originated from the Big Bang eight years ago. After the inexplicable black mist enveloped the large mountains to the north of the country, various strange monsters that had never been seen escaped from the fog gradually, crossing the desert, waiting for opportunities to invade villages and small towns, and seriously threatening the southwestern protection forest. The safety of caravans and residents along the route.
In view of this, the Vrsaris military department made a decisive decision and appointed the first puppet regiment to go to northern Xinjiang to try to clean up the monster group that had not yet developed into a large scale. However, contrary to everyone's expectations, the invincible puppet soldiers suffered an unprecedented defeat in the black fog, and almost the entire army was wiped out.
According to the description of the survivors who escaped by chance, all the mechanical soldiers were in disorder after entering the black fog. Not only were they unable to command, but it didn't take long for the functional system to be paralyzed, completely losing their mobility and being easily destroyed by the monsters. . Not only that, all the power samurai who accompanied them were also greatly suppressed in the black mist, or they were not able to perform their operations smoothly, or their power was greatly reduced, and they could not perform their effects normally. After barely repelling several waves of crazy beasts, the commander was forced to abandon his plan, summon everyone and retreat, and after paying a lot of casualties, he fled back to the south of the desert.
After this battle, the terrifying ability of this nameless black mist was known to everyone-divine power suppressed, all magic-powered machinery would lose its effectiveness in the mist, and the power would be weakened, but it had no effect on mortals. Precisely because of this weird, sluggish divine power like a heavy object, that area of ​​black mist covering thousands of miles has since been named: Dark Swamp, which has become a forbidden place in the hearts of all power people.
After the puppet army was hit hard, the military department immediately learned a lesson and changed the plan. It appointed General Salerno, who was newly promoted to the general after the capture of the Arcadina Fortress, as the commander-in-chief, and gathered personnel in the mountains south of the desert. , To form a line of defense against monster attacks, this is the embryonic form of the Mercenary Guild.
After 8 years of development, this emerging mountain city has rapidly grown from a few hundred people at the beginning to a prosperous metropolis with a population of nearly 100,000, and the flow is several times that of a prosperous big city. Such a terrible expansion speed is really staggering. .
As the sun was in the sky, the Airship Weir finally surpassed the Gobi Desert after a long journey all night, and continued westward along the windbreak of the coniferous forest for a few minutes, and saw that the rock city was built by the entire mountain wall. The towering giant city gate. The hundred-meter-high gray-white weathered stone wall is filled with huge sharp iron barbs to guard against monsters that may come at any time. At a glance, the breath of murder can always excite people.
The airship landing platform is located on the flat ground not far south of the city gate. Behind the circular protective wall more than ten meters high, the airships of all sizes are neatly separated by simple demarcation guardrails, without unnecessary decorations. The wide and flat stone roads, sidewalks, large truck roads, and small transportation tracks are all marked in different colors, making it clear and orderly.
The Weir wiped the borders of the colored guardrails, and landed slowly amid the rapid hum of the ground crew. Rhea put on a gray travel cloak and stood on the side of the ship, quietly looking at the familiar busy airport in front, with a subtle mood. A few days ago, she still arrived here with confidence, wanting to complete the task reservation, but now, she is taking a 16-year-old boy and looking for another 16-year-old girl... Even if these two Everyone is no longer a novice, but to face the challenge of the S-level difficulty mission, it will inevitably make her a little worried about her future.
There was a tremor caused by the airship landing on the ground, Rhea turned back like a reflection, looked at the little doctor who was also wearing a cloak next to him, and after making sure that his complexion was intact, she cast her eyes on the one in front of him who took off his fur. , Is holding a towel to wipe the sweat of the captain with the bald head.
"Welcome to Rock City, Captain Casa..." She said with a sincere smile and a gentle tone but undoubtedly speaking of the next arrangements, "Please wait here for a while. I will ask someone to help transport the luggage to the station. You can follow them around the city to see the trading market, the guild hall, and the stone pavilion-there is a good place to inquire about the news. I will be back in the evening, I believe that by then, your proposal to me I will be more confident."
"Okay...Then I will ask everyone to carry their luggage to the deck first." The captain nodded in response several times, and tucked the towel into his belt with a dry smile.
"I'm tired of..." Rhea nodded and took her smile away, then stretched out his hand to adjust Yuno's cloak, pulled his hat down to cover his face, and took him down the gangway without looking back. . The location where the Weir was docked was in Zone C on the easternmost side of the airport, a long distance from the nearest northern exit. The two followed the same rhythm in tandem and proceeded northward tacitly along the sidewalk.
The air is filled with the smell of hot sand. Although it is mid-winter season, because the city is close to the desert, the climate is always hot and dry. Rain is rare, but there is always dust in the sky. The two of them didn't go far with the sound of the rumbling railcars, and they were attracted by a harsh high-frequency call. Yuno quickly covered his ears like a conditioned reflex, frowning, but Rhea seemed to be used to it. , Just slowed down and took a glimpse calmly.
The scream came from a cargo trolley covered by black leather cloth not far away. A dozen armed guards with guns guarded the car, following the car with a confident expression, and did not make people sick at all. The vomiting weird noise is a serious matter, because their helmets are covered with thick soundproof sponges. This sharp scream ceased in an instant, followed by a metal collision friction, and at the end there was only a thorn, the thick black cloth was cut through a crack, and a blood-red reflective pupil suddenly appeared in the crack. There, he didn't move, staring coldly at the sun-shrouded world outside.
The truck stopped abruptly with the tearing sound. A man wearing a blue robe and a round hat hurriedly got out of the car, put the long high-voltage stun gun in his hand under the black cloth, and immediately pressed the switch. The crackling electric sound was accompanied by dying screams, causing the passers-by to cover their ears involuntarily, avoiding the lingering pain. When the man took the gun back, there was no more noise in the truck, and only the thick scorched odor mixed with fishy smell permeated the surroundings, and people had to cover their noses.
The blue-robed man drew back his gun sharply, as if swearing something, and ran back to the cab with a stun gun. The truck drove again, and with the guards who had always kept pace, drove to the royal blue luxury airship on the south side of the platform. Rhea saw from a distance a huge golden trident wave emblem engraved on the airship’s flank. It was the new South Island. Heraldry of sects.
"Is that... the snake beast?" The little doctor asked in a less confident manner beside him. Although he had done several cleaning and suppression tasks, he still only counted how to distinguish these various monsters in various forms. layman.
"It's a subspecies... the blood-tailed snake beast." Rhea retracted her gaze from the airship, turned her head to look at Yuno, and said in a straightforward manner, "Its tail is blood-red and contains venom. The sound is also two to three scales higher than that of ordinary species. If you are close up, besides being careful about the venom spray, you also need to pay attention to the six pairs of retractable knife hooks hidden on both sides of its body... Remember?"
The little doctor nodded thoughtfully with a sullen face. The experience of these veteran mercenaries may not be useful to a healer like himself in the rear, but it is not wrong to know more, in case you encounter Also be prepared.
Rhea passed on her experience in detail, and then looked back at the back of the truck, her heart covered with a faint cloud. She has been working hard in Rock City since she was thirteen years old. She has seen countless dirty conspiracies, dog-blood farces and cruel fights. She clenched her teeth all the way to this day, and finally successfully obtained the few A-level mercenary qualifications. She also has her own team power, but she is more and more confused about the way to go in the future.
The snake beast subspecies in the car just now will be transported to the home of a rich man in the South Island as his or her proud collection or display, which will be admired and praised by everyone. I don’t know since when, those rich and leisurely big men rushed to publish various high-amount rewards for living monsters in the guild. It seems that if there is no such hideous and terrifying alien monster in the house, the noble will be lost. Decent.
Strictly speaking, these monsters do not belong to the world created by this divine power. Therefore, after being fatally wounded, they will condense into a black light and fly back to the space-time rift in the mist of the swamp. For this reason, you must hold one end intact. Monsters are much more difficult than destroying them. In recent years, countless mercenaries have offered these sky-high rewards, even at the cost of heavy casualties, even if they were so enthusiastic that they would provoke large-scale beasts.
As the managers of the guild leaders kept silent about this. For them, as long as they can attract more people to Rock City and work hard, any "slightly inappropriate" methods can be tolerated. What's more, even if the crusade and suppression missions are successful, the guild will hardly benefit. There is such a way to get money, why not use it?
Rhea doesn't think so. In her view, this craze for money is destined to cause more sinister disputes. People are chasing profit and are constantly corrupted by money, which will one day bring catastrophic consequences.
But all this is not something she can stop, and she will never talk about her worries to Yuno. She just glanced at the luxurious and beautiful blue airship, then turned and led the little doctor to continue walking north in silence. I almost saw the two familiar figures standing beside the heavily guarded gate, one tall and one short.
The tall young man was dressed in a short-sleeved linen robe with black and white stripes. He was sturdy, painted a few light gray totem prints on his square, wide face, with short white hair, and had a very honest grin. He is a member of Rhea's tribe and his name is Panta. He is a talented beastly power person. Although he is tall and burly, he does not like to fight. Therefore, he is not well-known in Rock City and currently serves as the team leader under her. .
The man next to him was almost as high as his waist, was short and chubby, dressed in a short gray cloak, and his round face was covered with a lot of black mud, but he didn't care, he smiled brightly and waved here. Raise his arm to signal. This person is also one of Rhea’s mercenary squad captains. His name is Anare. He is a native of the Great Lakes in the southern part of the western country. He is a slender figure, but he is a speed-type power. People are unexpected.
"Big sister head! Over here, over here!" Analei yelled excitedly when she saw Rhea from a distance. He is a loyal supporter of this Valkyrie. In Rock City, wherever Rui is, When Ya attends a formal occasion, this short young man with a hanging tail will definitely follow.
When Rhea saw these two men, a lot of smiles appeared on her face. She took a closer look outside the big iron gate, then led the little doctor to them, and asked slightly in surprise: "Just You two? What about the others?"
"I just got a cleanup mission, they all ran to grab points with the ghost wings guys." The fat young man explained with a grin, then he looked at the boy who was covering his face with a cloak and hesitated to ask, "This man ...... Isn't it Little Master Asker?"
Hearing the words, the little doctor pulled down the cloak, revealing a white and tender face, and greeted the two with restraint. Analei suddenly became excited again, eagerly asking him questions and asking questions, wishing to persuade him to stay in the regiment and never leave. The mercenaries are doing the business of licking the blood with the knife head. There is no reason not to be injured. They really admire the extremely scarce therapist. Moreover, this young master is still the lord of the future therapist family. What's the reason why people don't flatter?
Listening to his tongue-in-cheek talking to himself, Yuno gradually felt embarrassed and tightened his cloak tightly without showing a trace, but still maintained a graceful smile and was not rude.
Rhea immediately noticed his anxiety, stretched out his hand to pull his hood back, and scowled at Anarei softly: "Don't talk too much, you go to the apron No. 25 in East C area first, and carry your luggage. The meeting place..." She paused, looked at the tall, mighty and unspeakable clansmen, and carefully ordered: "Panta, there are quite a lot of things, you change into a beast type and carry more."
The tall young man blinked under the gaze of the female lord, and honestly responded, and Rhea continued to remind Anare: "After you go back, you take them to the city first, and I will explain to you before. Don’t forget to introduce the things you’ve been through...Be careful to ensure their safety."
"Don't worry, eldest sister, I remember it!" The fat young man still smiled wanton, bowed to the two of them, and compared gestures to his partners, hurriedly picked up his power, and ran to the task location like arrows. .
Pan Ta saw that his companion had walked away, scratching his head in a naive manner, and there was a wave of gray waves on his body. In a flash, he turned into a weird big bear with a height of four or five meters in black and white. He habitually shook his head for a few seconds to get used to it, sniffed the smell on the ground, and then strode towards the distance.
"Sister Rhea, I don't seem to have seen that big beastly person. Is it a new member?" Yuno pulled the edge of his hood and looked at the giant bear running fast in the distance with interest.
"Forget it... he has been cultivating in the ice field since he was a child, and it hasn't been long since he arrived in Rock City..." Rhea seems to have a headache for the big man who is not familiar with the world, and there is a sense of helplessness in her words. Ya and the others are still waiting in the workshop."
The matter has been explained, the two strode through the protective iron gate, stood in the shadow of the wall, and looked up at the breathtaking spiked city gate in front.
The strong sunlight at noon flashed dazzling golden light on the top of the spikes, which made the chill subside a lot, making it softer. At the opening of the door, countless convoys slowly passed through like ants, bringing this chaotic city with daily supplies, allowing this rock-built giant beast to grow stronger and deterrent to everyone. .
Rhea straightened her body and looked at the mercenary city in front of her, which was called her second hometown, but her heart was as still as still water, there was no longer the initial agitation, only ice-like cold. She looked back at the little doctor who raised her neck and looked excited, said softly "Go", pulled down her hood, and went straight ahead firmly in the face of the heat wave.
The four participants of the fortress mission are about to meet, and this eight-year journey finally ushered in the opening moment.