On the rooftop of the central tower, Li Wei and the others sat on the ground without a word between them, focused entirely on eating the bread Li Yue had produced and tearing into the braised pork knuckle Liang Yuzhi had handed out. Occasionally soone took a sip of water. A warm breeze swept past, carrying away the sweat, leaving a welco coolness behind.
The post-battle settlent hadn't arrived yet — because it wasn't over. Perhaps it would only trigger once they forced open the underground base's doors. But how to do that was a question in itself.
Their Level 4 Scavenger Camp could accommodate at most another hundred or two hundred people before it was full.
And yet this underground base likely held over a thousand natural persons.
More importantly, those natural persons almost certainly had a strict managent structure. They had been kept completely separate from the Fla Duke and the two or three hundred Ability Users — no direct contact between the two groups.
That was probably by the Fla Duke's own design.
Li Wei had gone to check the hidden rooms behind the concealed doors earlier. All dead ends.
In other words, under normal circumstances, the Fla Duke had kept all those Blood Plague-infected Ability Users imprisoned. He supplied them with food and drink while also providing small quantities of natural persons' blood to maintain their sanity. Their existence was both a danger to the natural persons and a wall of protection around them.
For these reasons, Li Wei suspected the natural persons in the underground base wouldn't simply comply.
The Fla Duke's death alone wouldn't make them obedient.
He turned this over in his mind, leaning against the rooftop wall with his eyes closed, resting. After more than half an hour, he opened his eyes and said to Liang Yuzhi, "Second Aunt, head back with Thomas, Leon, and Zhang Jinjun. The Scavenger Camp can't afford any mishaps. I'll have Adai keep watch for you."
"Got it!"
Liang Yuzhi didn't waste a single word — she stood and left. She still needed to keep grinding for her Rare Scholar Card, and she had Isabel to cultivate on the side. As for the post-battle settlent, whatever was theirs wouldn't be a single point less.
"Thomas, you and the others carry this one back." Li Wei pointed at the test subject, who was still unconscious from his wounds. "Keep an eye on him. If anything seems off, tie him up first."
Li Yue glanced over with a questioning look. Li Wei gave a slight shake of his head. He didn't want to force the issue.
Next month was when the Radiation Storm would hit. As long as the underground base's defenses held, it could weather the storm — but if they forced their way in and the Scavenger Camp couldn't absorb the influx of natural persons, the consequences would be severe.
He wanted to talk to the people below first.
"Xiao Yue, stay here and keep watch. I'm going down."
Li Yue nodded, then gave He Yuying a look that was sowhere between a smile and a smirk.
This woman had been trying to drag her feet during the battle — and hadn't even gotten the chance. Now she looked stunned.
Li Wei climbed down through the elevator shaft, all the way to the lowest level. He stood still and listened for a mont. The picture beca clear: roughly twenty ters away, behind a concrete wall at least a ter thick, at least twenty people were waiting in tense silence.
They were not unaware of what had happened outside.
But what approach should he take with them?
Many ideas flashed through his mind — being straightforward, showing goodwill, even pretending to be an envoy sent by the Frost Duke.
None of them felt convincing enough.
In the end, at a mont like this, words ant nothing. He knew it clearly: most people feared power far more than they valued kindness. If he spoke first, he would be surrendering the initiative. These natural persons had nowhere to run anyway — what was the rush?
The ones who should be anxious right now were not him.
He'd settle the battle results first.
After a brief silence, Li Wei climbed back out of the elevator shaft without hesitation.
He waved, and the group withdrew.
The mont they stepped out of the city and set foot in the outskirts, everyone felt a jolt — and then a cascade of notifications flooded their vision. The post-battle settlent had finally arrived.
[Under the leadership of Head of Household Li Wei, you have successfully and ahead of schedule triggered the hidden boss of the current Pioneering Side Mission — the Fla Duke. (Note: this description is used for ease of understanding only and does not imply the Fla Duke was pre-arranged by the Tactics Departnt. In theory, the timing of his loss of control is entirely dependent on the intensity of the Radiation Storm.)]
[Under the command of Head of Household Li Wei, you have initiated a battle of extraordinary difficulty, rated Five-Star . Note: Battle Mode differs from ordinary combat — settlent can only be processed after leaving the battlefield. You have now exited the battlefield and settlent is in progress.]
[This battle resulted in the cumulative elimination of 278 Level 3 Radiation Zombies and the defeat of the Fla Duke, completing the occupation of the current region. As a result, the Level 4 Scavenger Camp will be upgraded to Level 5, and a large amount of Pioneering Points has been earned. Note: Regardless of whether the natural persons consent, they have already beco freen under the Scavenger Camp's jurisdiction. They will be responsible for garrisoning this location — the effect is the sa.]
[The Level 5 Scavenger Camp can now unlock new buildings.]
[The Level 5 Scavenger Camp's mber cap has increased by an additional 4.]
[The maximum Contribution the family can accumulate has increased to 100,000 points.]
[Total family Contribution earned in this battle: 30,000 points.]
[The impact of this battle will extend to two neighboring Pioneering Side Missions, which will lack their necessary Pioneering Point sources in the second year. (Note: Under normal circumstances, defeating the Fla Duke requires the combined strength of three Pioneering branches...)]
[The bonus reward for this campaign is — Rare Title: Fla Baron! The highest contributor in this battle will receive this title. This title can be carried out of this world and can be linked to a territory, if one is possessed.]
[All player contributions are being calculated. Details as follows — (Note: calculation is based on the overall campaign difficulty, not purely on kill contribution.)]
[Head of Household Li Wei's contribution: 60%. Breakdown — agreed to initiate this campaign and bore all risk and responsibility: 5%; infiltrated as a scout in advance and obtained critical intelligence: 10%; destroyed two of the Fla Duke's life cores in combat: 20%; stepped forward to turn the tide when the situation deteriorated and all others were at a loss, and assisted teammates in destroying the Fla Duke's third life core: 20%; protected a critically wounded teammate while simultaneously eliminating a Level 5 Radiation Zombie: 5%.]
[Family mber Li Yue's contribution: 18%. Breakdown — destroyed one of the Fla Duke's life cores in combat: 10%; destroyed one of the Fla Duke's life cores with teammate assistance: 6%; cleanup kills: 2%.]
[Family mber Liang Yuzhi's contribution: 18%. Breakdown — assisted teammates in destroying the Fla Duke's second, third, and fourth life cores: 15%; protected teammates and completed cleanup kills: 3%.]
[Family mber Thomas's contribution: 1.8%. Breakdown — perford excellently in combat, assisted in destroying the Fla Duke's second life core, and completed cleanup kills.]
[Family mber Leon's contribution: 1%. Perford excellently in combat and completed cleanup kills.]
[Family mber Zhao Xuanxuan's contribution: 1%. Perford excellently in combat and completed cleanup kills.]
[Family mber Zhang Jinjun's contribution: 0.1%. Average performance in combat.]
[Family mber He Yuying's contribution: 0.1%. Average performance in combat.]
[Summary: Head of Household Li Wei has been awarded the Rare Title: Fla Baron. As he has not yet acquired a territory, the title cannot be linked to one — but he may now be addressed as Baron. Specific stat data is confidential and visible to the individual only.]
[Fla Baron Li Wei has earned 18,000 Contribution points. Current total: 28,600 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Li Yue has earned 5,400 Contribution points. Current total: 9,500 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Liang Yuzhi has earned 5,400 Contribution points. Current total: 8,900 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Thomas has earned 540 Contribution points. Current total: 2,740 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Leon has earned 300 Contribution points. Current total: 2,400 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Zhao Xuanxuan has earned 300 Contribution points. Current total: 2,500 Contribution points.]
[Family mber Zhang Jinjun has earned 30 Contribution points. Current total: 1,530 Contribution points.]
[Family mber He Yuying has earned 30 Contribution points. Current total: 30 Contribution points.]
[Total Contribution earned by the family to date: 56,200 points.]
—
Excellent. The Scavenger Camp had jumped straight to Level 5.
Li Wei smiled — genuinely, for once. The gains from this battle were truly enormous.
He imdiately switched to the Rare Title: Fla Baron, and the relevant information appeared before him.
[Title Na: Fla Baron]
[Quality: Rare]
[Life 50, Stamina 50, Strength 3, Agility 3, Defense 3, Spiritual Power 3]
[Property: Not yet unlocked — requires territory link.]
[Temporary Property: Exerts a powerful intimidating effect on certain natural persons. Disappears when the mission ends.]
—
Outstanding. A rare title worthy of the na.
Li Wei equipped the Fla Baron title on the spot and headed straight for the northern camp. This ti he didn't say a word — he simply stood outside the entrance for a mont. Then ca a low hum, and the entrance to the underground base slowly opened. Three figures erged: two n and one woman, all appearing to be in their fifties or sixties, clearly mbers of the base's managent.
He had no idea what his presence looked like to them, but the way all three stared at him — terror mixed with reverence — made it clear. The Fla Baron title apparently carried so trace of the original Duke's aura.
Li Wei was still considering this, just about to put on a friendly smile and say sothing diplomatic, when Li Yue stepped forward and said coldly:
"Skip the pleasantries. Right now you have two choices: endure the Radiation Storm in twenty-seven days, or open the base doors and cooperate. I don't care what excuses you have, what reasons, or what you think — none of it matters anymore."
"The Fla Duke lost control. We were sent by the Frost Duke to deal with him. This location is now under our managent. You're welco to resist — and we'll turn around and leave imdiately. Co spring next year, the Frost Duke might send an Ability User army to collect your remains."
"Get back inside. You have ten minutes to decide."
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