# Chapter 9: Gift
Iron Fort City, Slum Back Alley.
This was an abandoned factory district. In the large courtyard, aside from overgrown weeds, there were many rusted cargo crates stacked about. At this moment, in what should have been a desolate and empty courtyard, stood many beastfolk with defiant gazes and lazy expressions.
Among them were some orcs, some serpentfolk, and even feral beasts standing upright. There was even a Treant clan member taller than the factory buildings, sitting on the surrounding wall.
This Treant clan member had a nearly 1-meter-long, arm-thick 'cigarette' clamped between branches that resembled large hands. After taking a deep drag, he didn't exhale but instead let green smoke seep out from the branches on his head.
Not far away was an ox-horse combination—more precisely, a Centaur and a Minotaur were conversing in low voices. Their gazes occasionally drifted toward a nearby snake sister, though neither dared to approach and strike up a conversation.
This snake sister belonged to the Tuoman branch of the Serpentfolk clan. Aside from the venomous fangs in her mouth, each fingertip of her right hand concealed a cat-claw-like venomous fang. The poison of the Tuoman branch had no antidote.
The reason such a diverse gathering of talents had assembled here was due to the assistance of the local big shot, Eugin. It could be said that over ninety percent of the capable but notorious individuals in the slums had been summoned by him through various channels.
From this, one could see just how strong Eugin's two-faced heart was. He was clearly preparing to gather more of his own people, then continuously test Su Xiao's methods. If Su Xiao had extraordinary abilities reaching to the heavens, Eugin wouldn't easily develop rebellious intentions. But once he discovered that Su Xiao was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, Eugin would gradually reveal his two-faced nature.
Please don't misunderstand—Eugin wasn't planning to defect or anything like that. He simply wanted to become a Beastfolk Lord. Especially for a lord without territory, the ownership rights to the lord's insignia had always been somewhat ambiguous, carrying the implication that it belonged to whoever was capable. This was also why Grand Commander Kane was willing to use the lord position as a bargaining chip.
Regarding Eugin's behavior of gathering allies, Su Xiao was very appreciative. That's right, appreciative. His biggest worry right now was recruiting people. Once he gathered 100 elite units, he could set out to hunt on the main battlefield. After engaging the enemy, his team would certainly suffer casualties. At that point, he could replenish the team's numbers by recruiting routed troop leaders from the main battlefield.
Su Xiao was certain that even with the Sun Lord's bonus, the initially formed team wouldn't be a boss team. Only after undergoing the tempering of the main battlefield, with rounds of elimination and new additions, could it become a boss team. At that point, they could strike at areas like White Hoof Port and Ancestral Lighthouse on the opposite side of the main battlefield.
Not to mention the massive faction reputation gained from raiding these places, once a surprise attack succeeded, the material warehouses in these two key Sea Clan locations would yield large quantities of supplies.
Actually, there was an even more ideal formation: finding a flying-type exotic beast, capturing it alive, and using it as a flying unit to transport boss team members. This would make both surprise attacks and retreats much more flexible.
Inside the abandoned factory, a wooden table was set up with contract scrolls placed on it. Su Xiao sat behind the table, facing a line of beastfolk of various forms waiting to be processed.
The assessment was very simple. First, check the information. As long as they reached the "Elite" level, they could sign the contract scroll and join the lord's command. It was so simple that the dozen or so beastfolk who had already joined felt a sense of unreality.
"I was originally the third squad leader of the Blood Jaw Legion. I once because—"
Before the snake sister across from him could finish, Baha said, "You're hired."
"But I once—"
The snake sister was about to voluntarily confess her dark history when she saw Eugin, Viper, and Evil Fang. This immediately put her at ease. If these three were recruited, then the crimes she had committed were about the same as a child stealing a lollipop.
Recruitment proceeded smoothly in this wonderful atmosphere. By noon, a team of 120 members had been formed. The leader was human, and the second-in-command was a pure-blood beastfolk. Moreover, the team included Treant clan, Blood Beast clan, Feral Beast clan, Red Dwarf clan, Centaur clan, Half-Blood Elf clan, and Soul Ghost clan. Among the many races within the beastfolk faction, this team contained at least a third.
Some applicants who failed to join the team left cursing. Clearly, expecting these ruffians to show grace was unlikely. Fortunately, no one cared about this.
At Su Xiao's signal, Amu carried over a sealed large box filled with Sordo. Sordo was the high-denomination currency of the Beastfolk faction. Made from precious metals, it appeared dark gold in color. Most contractors were more accustomed to calling it Beastfolk gold coins, or simply "gold coins."
With a bang, Amu smashed open the corner of the large box, and gold coins spilled out with a clatter. The beastfolk present stared wide-eyed. Understandably, if they had been well-off, they wouldn't have been staying in the slums of Iron Fort City.
These former beastfolk elites or leaders were only skilled in combat. But having been expelled from their respective legions, they had basically no source of income.
"Everyone, look this way. Ten Sordo each. From now until noon, you can use this money however you personally wish."
Baha, Amu, and Bubu Wang began distributing the gold coins. Since there weren't many people, it was finished quickly. Eugin weighed the money pouch containing 50 gold coins in his hand. Looking at Viper and Evil Fang, who had empty hands, he asked with confusion, "You didn't get any?"
"We look down on such small change."
Evil Fang spoke with a disdainful smile, while Viper kept his eyes lowered and said nothing.
Eugin poured out 20 gold coins from his pouch. This made Evil Fang's expression change completely, almost prompting him to say, "Big brother, I'll follow you from now on."
"Use these 20 Sordo to find some fun. Excuse me, you two."
Eugin left with a smile, completely ignoring the two silently cursing behind him. As for giving Viper and Evil Fang 10 gold coins each, Eugin wouldn't do that. Rewarding subordinates was something only a lord had the authority to do. Eugin might have rebellious bones, but he wasn't stupid at all. On the contrary, he was quite attentive and serious about maintaining Su Xiao's lordly dignity.
If someone stepped forward to question whether Su Xiao, as a lord without territory, should have real authority, Eugin would definitely take the initiative to kill that person.
The beastfolk who received gold coins gradually left. Before long, only Viper and Evil Fang remained. The two were drinking gloomily, occasionally glancing at Su Xiao's side, then muttering something unintelligible.
"..."
Su Xiao, who was organizing the contract scrolls, frowned. He looked at Viper and Evil Fang. Noticing his gaze, both of them shuddered, then trotted over to the wooden table and stood with their hands bound, awaiting orders.
Su Xiao casually picked up two money pouches from the table and tossed them to the two across from him. "Get lost."
"Yes, yes, yes. Getting lost right away."
Evil Fang grabbed the money pouch and fled. Viper didn't leave immediately. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sir, I'm worried those guys won't come back after taking the money."
"..."
Su Xiao paused in his action of checking names on the scrolls, then looked up at Viper across from him.
"It's like this, sir. Those guys don't really care about contracts. And in Iron Fort City, there are professionals who provide contract avoidance services. I'm not saying you care about this money, sir, but letting those guys get benefits for nothing without doing work for you—it makes me angry! I—"
At this point, Su Xiao raised his hand to interrupt him. He picked up another money pouch and tossed it to Viper. Viper caught it and immediately stuffed it into his bosom, while saying, "Sir, I'm not trying to curry favor. I'm really worried about your losses—"
"Amu, hang him up and beat him."
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, Amu stood up.
"I'm leaving, right now."
Viper retreated with a fawning smile, but his eyes were fixed firmly on the remaining money pouches on the table. He left somewhat reluctantly.
Su Xiao put away the contract scrolls. At this stage, his subordinates were truly "talented." There were those with rebellious bones, those who were lightning-fast turncoats, and those who combined cunning with cruelty. The team had 120 members. Checking each one's information, none had loyalty exceeding 50 points. Some groups of ten together couldn't even muster 100 points of loyalty.
Su Xiao picked up a gold coin from the table. With a ding, he flicked it into the air. The gold coin spun midair before falling. However, no foot stepped on it.
This made Su Xiao wonder—could it be that Kaiser hadn't entered this world yet? Calculating the time, that guy should have entered as a disguised identity among the second batch of contractors, taking a spaceship into this world.
On a whim, Su Xiao took out a Soul Coin. With a ding, he flicked it into the air. The spinning Soul Coin brought some light particles. Just as it was about to fall, a hand—both dry and not particularly large—firmly grasped it.
"My dear friend, were you looking for me?"
Kaiser, in his human-jar integrated state, appeared with a sly smile. However, the Soul Coin in his hand had already vanished without a trace. When a Soul Coin fell into Kaiser's hands, this was only natural.
"I've assembled a small team, but we still lack weapons and armor."
Su Xiao had been considering how to handle this. Over a hundred sets of leader-grade armor and weapons represented a huge expense. Without territory, he absolutely couldn't afford this expenditure.
Baha began explaining the current situation to Kaiser. The more Kaiser listened, the more the light of greed shone in his eyes. Finally, he slapped his thigh and said, "My dear friend, have you forgotten? Grand Commander Kane promised us several hundred sets of armor, along with the voucher."
Saying this, Kaiser placed a voucher on the table. It was the one Baha had taken out while explaining the situation. This voucher was for a 2000-gold coin allocation from the material warehouse, but it had already expired.
Before long, Kaiser took out various bottles and jars. In less than an hour, a document for weapon and armor requisition lay on the table. It bore Grand Commander Kane's personal signature and the stamp of the Grand Commander's insignia. Seeing this, Baha asked somewhat uneasily, "Won't Kane turn against us over this?"
"Of course not. We're requisitioning supplies from Iron Fort City. These supplies aren't Kane's, so why would he turn against us?"
"And the lord of Iron Fort City..."
"No problem either. This is Kane's personally signed document. This is a huge favor. The city lord and the grand commander are three ranks apart in official position. The lord of Iron Fort City would be more willing than anyone to recognize this document as genuine."
"Then how do we get past Iron Fort City's supply depot? Even if Kane and the city lord both recognize this document, if the Iron Fort City supply depot doesn't accept it, we're stuck."
At this point, Baha showed concern. Without these weapons and armor, the hundred-plus beastfolk recruited wouldn't be willing to set foot on the main battlefield.
"How could I not recognize a voucher I issued myself?"
Kaiser looked at Baha with a sly smile. Baha suddenly understood—the quartermaster of Iron Fort City was right in front of him. He had been wondering why Kaiser hadn't come to assemble. It turned out he had already started reaping benefits.
Kaiser had just entered this world and immediately became Iron Fort City's quartermaster. This wasn't a coincidence. That guy had long guessed that Su Xiao would definitely go to the main battlefield to earn reputation. And the best starting point for the main battlefield was Iron Fort City.
"My dear friend, should we manipulate the reputation aspect..."
Kaiser rubbed his hands with a sly smile. The implication was clear—to operate and speed up reputation acquisition.
"Not for now."
Hearing Su Xiao say this, Kaiser showed a suspicious expression.
"Wait until I have territory. Then find a way to become the Sea Clan's quartermaster."
"Well, hmm~, that's quite good."
A faint yellow light appeared in the center of Kaiser's pupils. Various schemes were brewing in his mind. Buying from one's own faction store? No, the truly masterful operation was to buy from the enemy's faction store.
The Beastfolk and Sea Clan had been evenly matched for years. From the wealth of the Beastfolk faction store, one could infer the state of the Sea Clan's faction store. If he could buy from there, the level of sour and refreshing pleasure could be imagined. The amount of resources obtained might even give Su Xiao the capital to charge toward the "Absolute Strong" rank.
Su Xiao fully expanded the mission list, selected battlefield-type missions, and began searching for suitable ones. The content was as follows:
[Faction Mission: Capture/Raid White Hoof Port]
Difficulty Level: ★★~★★★★ (Faction mission difficulty is ★~★★★★★)
Mission Brief: Because the Sea Clan occupies White Hoof Port, which is close to the main battlefield, and uses it as a landing buffer zone, several Beastfolk legions are under tremendous pressure.
Capture White Hoof Port Reward: 38,000 Reputation Points (must occupy for at least 2 natural days).
Raid White Hoof Port Reward: 500~37,000 Reputation Points (based on enemy kills and building destruction during the raid).
Mission Time Limit: 3 natural days.
Mission Penalty: -1,000 Reputation Points.
[Faction Mission: Destroy Ancestral Lighthouse]
Difficulty Level: ★★★★★
Mission Brief: Destroy this landmark building to demoralize all Sea Clan legions.
Mission Reward: 45,000 Reputation Points.
Mission Time Limit: 5 natural days.
Mission Penalty: -5,000 Reputation Points.
[Faction Mission: Soul Spring]
Difficulty Level: ★★★★★
Mission Brief: Destroy the Soul Spring on Floating Light Island, causing the soul mist over the island and surrounding sea area to dissipate, exposing the Wraith Clan to sunlight.
Mission Reward: 54,900 Reputation Points.
Mission Time Limit: 10 natural days.
Mission Penalty: -3,200 Reputation Points.
None of the top faction missions on the list were suitable for immediate execution. While killing enemies on the battlefield or destroying important enemy buildings could earn reputation points, the efficiency was much lower compared to cooperating with faction missions.
Su Xiao scrolled down for a while and soon found a very suitable faction mission. This involved a small Sea Clan fortress on the edge of the main battlefield. According to reliable intelligence, a batch of energy crystals would be transported from the Crystal Forest tonight, staying overnight at this fortress for both subsequent processing and rest for the transport team.
This mission only rewarded 1,200 Reputation Points, but including kills and plundered supplies, the total profit should be around 3,000 Reputation Points. Considering that the team had just been formed, using this small fortress as a test run was the best choice.
Time passed minute by minute. When noon arrived, the abandoned factory still seemed empty. Only Su Xiao sat steadily, along with Eugin, Viper, and Evil Fang beside him. As for the remaining 100-plus members, they had apparently taken the gold coins and decided not to return. Or rather, they didn't really believe Su Xiao was a lord.
"Sir, I'll go catch those guys one by one."
Eugin spoke. This statement was both a show of loyalty and contained an element of testing.
"Everyone has their own aspirations. Besides, look—some people are coming back."
As Su Xiao spoke, a Centaur rushed into the abandoned factory. The moment he burst in, this Centaur, whose entire body was soaked with sweat, collapsed to the ground. Face pressed against the floor, he gasped for breath. The muscles on his body occasionally spasmed from soul-wrenching pain—it looked painful.
The next second, a wailing Treant clan member rushed in. The moment he fell to the ground, a stream of green sap sprayed from his mouth. Whether this was the Treant clan's version of spitting blood was unclear.
The beastfolk who had signed contracts in the morning gradually rushed into the abandoned factory. The previously quiet atmosphere suddenly became lively.
Su Xiao checked the time. It was exactly 12 o'clock. All 120 members of the lord's team had arrived.
"Everyone is very punctual. No one was late."
Baha's words drew angry glares from all the beastfolk. One Swift Leopard clan member suddenly disappeared from his spot, his claws reaching for Su Xiao's neck.
With a crackling sound, a transparent coating blocked the Swift Leopard's attack. The folding arm blade on this Swift Leopard's arm snapped open, like metal claws, as he tore at Su Xiao wildly, planning to capture the leader first and force Su Xiao to hand over the contract scrolls.
Crackle! Crackle!
Sparks flew everywhere. After a smooth and powerful combo, the Swift Leopard failed to break through the soul coating of [Wild Hunt Night]. This was understandable. Having 140,000 durability points of soul coating broken by a Swift Leopard elite was truly too much to ask. Plus, he hadn't yet received the bonus from the Sun Lord title.
What had started as a thrilling assassination suddenly became awkward. The Swift Leopard leaped back with all his strength. Just as he was midair, Su Xiao placed his hand on the sword hilt at a not-particularly-fast speed. As the Blade Demon Spirit was released, it formed into a blade whip made of dark blue smoke-like energy. With a precise arc, it struck.
Slap!!
Blood feathers exploded. A broken arm blade spun and embedded itself in the wall. As for where the Swift Leopard had gone—the large patch of blood mist dissipating in the air was all that remained of him.
"Everyone, if you're dissatisfied with the contract terms, then don't waste both our time. Come at me together. Although I'm a lord and not skilled in martial arts, I do know a bit about combat."
As Su Xiao spoke, he drew the long blade from his waist, releasing his blood energy toward these beastfolk for the first time. As the blood energy spread, the eyes of the beastfolk present immediately became clearer. In a very short time, their loyalty rose from an average of about 20 points to just over 30 points per person.
There were many reasons for this. It wasn't just fear of Su Xiao's aura. It was also because the beastfolk present felt that following such a powerful lord actually had some prerequisites. With some longing for the future, their loyalty naturally increased.
Compared to these guys, Viper's loyalty increase was quite astonishing, jumping directly from 10 points to 85 points. Considering his turncoat personality, such an increase wasn't surprising.
Evil Fang's loyalty increase was normal, reaching 30 points. Only Eugin—this guy's loyalty seemed locked at -20 points. On the surface, he appeared full of admiration and respect, but his loyalty hadn't increased by a single point.
"Don't just stand there. This way."
Baha flew toward the exit of the abandoned factory. A few minutes later, all the beastfolk boarded several transport vehicles. It was worth noting that the Beastfolk's transport vehicles were generally very large, with three-tier structures. By simply removing the internal seats, large-bodied races like the Treant clan could sit inside.
Several transport vehicles departed from the slums, wound through the city, and finally entered the supply depot's parking lot. As soon as they got off, Kaiser, dressed in a formal suit, strode forward with his chest puffed out. The uniquely oversized formal suit made Kaiser still look shifty-eyed.
"Where are you from?"
Kaiser stood with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat impatient. Seeing this, Baha discreetly slipped a money pouch over. The guards on either side of Kaiser immediately chose temporary blindness.
"Ahem~, let me see the requisition form."
After Kaiser examined the document, his expression immediately changed. He adopted a somewhat fawning tone and said, "So it's Commander Kane's personally signed document. Please, right this way."
While making a "please" gesture, Kaiser ordered the guards at the warehouse door, "Open Warehouse No. 5."
"But... Mr. Kaiser, without the city lord's—"
"Look carefully. This is Commander Kane's personally signed document," Kaiser said as he stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Are you stupid? Don't worry about what's going on between those big shots. You and I are just following orders. We offend no one."
Due to Kaiser's height, the guard who leaned down to listen nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes. Whatever you say, sir."
Soon, the warehouse was opened. Strangely, after the lord team's members entered the warehouse, the door was closed again.
With a click, the lights inside the warehouse came on. Baha said, "Hurry and find armor and weapons that suit you. Ten minutes at most. Go!"
Hearing this, all the beastfolk knew there was something shady going on and began quickly selecting armor and weapons. Su Xiao walked between rows of shelves. Every time he touched a piece of armor, he stored it in his storage space.
The entire process took 20 minutes. The lord team drove away from the supply depot. Shortly after they left, a black vehicle stopped in the supply depot's courtyard. The lord of Iron Fort City got out, his steps somewhat hurried.
Kaiser, hiding in the shadows, saw the city lord arriving in haste. He composed himself, then rushed out. Before the city lord could react, Kaiser had already knelt and hugged his leg. With tears and snot streaming, Kaiser loudly cried out, "Lord City Lord, you must seek justice for me!"
"!"
Lord Feizi showed an angry expression and was about to reprimand him when Kaiser interrupted his spellcasting, loudly sobbing, "Sir, someone just came with Commander Kane's document to withdraw supplies. I only said I needed to see your document, and those people kicked me that far away."
"Speak. Who withdrew the supplies?"
Lord Feizi was inwardly furious, murderous intent hidden in his eyes.
"He called himself Bai Ye. He's a lord."
"Who?!"
Lord Feizi's brows were tightly furrowed.
"That person called himself Lord Bai Ye."
"This..."
Lord Feizi looked as if he had put on a pain mask. After taking the supply list and pondering for a moment, he said, "Pretend this never happened."
"How can that be?!"
Kaiser's expression was as if he was about to explode. Seeing this, Lord Feizi narrowed his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Lord City Lord."
Kaiser immediately wilted. Lord Feizi could only comfort him, saying, "I know you tried your best to stop them. You've worked hard. I feel at ease leaving this place to you."
...
Main Battlefield, Edge Zone, Dense Forest East of the Crystal Forest.
Su Xiao sat on a tree branch, checking the time. It was only three in the afternoon. According to intelligence, the transport team would arrive at the small fortress from the Crystal Forest around five in the evening with a batch of energy crystals. As for why they didn't use teleportation arrays—both the Beastfolk and Sea Clan had tried, and the energy crystals all exploded.
Therefore, this strategic material could only be escorted by transport teams. First, it was transported from the Crystal Forest to the small fortress for processing. Then, another escort team from the fortress would send it to White Hoof Port, passing through Ancestral Lighthouse, then transferring at Reef Island, before finally reaching the Sea Clan's main base.
"Lord, the latest intelligence has arrived. In about 2 hours, the enemy transport team will reach the vicinity of our ambush point."
A Soul Ghost clan scout spoke. This person wasn't a member of the lord team but was the scout responsible for providing intelligence for this faction mission after Su Xiao accepted the "Intercept Transport Team" mission. Since this faction mission was available almost year-round, there was naturally a corresponding reconnaissance team.
"Who's leading this transport team? What's their approximate combat level?"
Baha asked. Hearing Baha's question, the scout replied, "This time, the leader is a Spellcaster."
"A Spellcaster?"
Su Xiao was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the Sea Clan to trust Spellcasters more than he had imagined. From the scout's meaning, this Spellcaster seemed to be acting independently with a group of Sea Clan members, without other Spellcasters nearby. This greatly reduced Su Xiao's killing intent.
The reason was that Su Xiao remembered something. Previously, the Crow Woman had held the [Necronomicon] and brought it back to Arcane Eternal Star. Could this Spellcaster also achieve this?
If so, it seemed he could send another gift to Arcane Eternal Star. Last time, he had the Crow Woman bring the "gift" called the [Necronomicon] to Arcane Eternal Star, and they were "overjoyed." This time, as long as he captured this Spellcaster alive, he could let them choose one from the [Necronomicon], [Soul Crown], and [Nether Bone Ring].