Chapter 46: The Evil Dragon Strikes

Hastily pulling up the attribute panels for Number 1 and Number 2, he looked closely and saw that, sure enough, they were slightly different from the beginning.

[Name: Number 1 (Number 2)]
[Category: Summoned · Retinue]
[Status: Level Promotion in Progress]
[Attributes: Standard Template · Lake-town Guard]
[Strength: 8 (Improving)]
[Agility: 6 (Improving)]
[Intelligence: 4 (Improving)]
[Spirit: 4 (Improving)]
[Physique: 6 (Improving)]
[Skills: Basic Archery LV3 (Slightly Accomplished), Curve Shot LV2 (Glimmering Insight), Rapid Fire LV2 (Glimmering Insight)]
[Trait: Dividend (You will gain 50% of the contribution points from kills made by your retinue)]
[Cannot leave this world]
[Evaluation: Even summoned entities with only basic intelligence will gradually awaken their dormant souls after experiencing combat.]

Following the explanation from the Hall, Li Xia finally understood. This type of basic unit was very similar to the units in Red Alert; if they survived combat, they could gain something akin to "experience points."

They were simply invisible, and once enough accumulated, they would undergo an "awakening," which meant a level up.

They could only be upgraded by up to three levels, and right now, Number 1 and Number 2 were in the middle of transitioning from ordinary archers to elite archers.

It wasn't just the human faction that worked this way; other factions operated similarly. It was just that Li Xia, having not purchased the data, hadn't known about it.

..............

When Li Xia brought his six followers to the guards' quarters, he discovered that a few more people had unexpectedly appeared in the human faction, wondering if they had been stimulated by him.

Quite a few faction quests had been accepted by them, though they were all solo quests that Li Xia no longer looked down upon. Even the recruitment warrants, which cost 100 contribution points each, had been exchanged for a few.

Seeing Li Xia approach, old Joel waved enthusiastically and greeted him:
"Good day, Xia. I don't know what's gotten into everyone, but the Lake-town Guard has never been this popular. Even the security guard side has taken in several new people."

"It's never a bad thing, old Joel. Are there any quests suitable for me?"

"Of course, I've got them all saved just for you, my boy!"

Li Xia browsed the quest panel and accepted all the team-appropriate quests in one breath, though there weren't many to begin with.

Silently calculating in his mind, it seemed that even so, his contribution points would barely be enough to reach the second tier, but wanting to exchange for the highest-value Enlightenment Potion was still far out of reach.

Even if he counted all the several hundred contribution points from the recruitment warrants, it still wouldn't be enough.

Li Xia believed that the Hall of Light certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to place items that couldn't be redeemed into the reward pool.

Therefore... there should be public open quests coming up later as a channel for contribution points?

Looking at the next stage of the main quest, which was set to open in 3 days, perhaps those other contribution points lay within the main quest itself.

...................

"Swish——"

Arrows flew through the air, plunging deep into the beast's body. A wolf the size of a small calf let out a painful howl and collapsed, trembling.

Six archers stood in a row like six rifles, blocking the pack of wolves from advancing a single step.

Occasionally, when a few crossed the line, Number 1 and Number 2 would suddenly accelerate, their arrows flying out like head-to-tail connected chains.

Li Xia only needed to stay in the back and effortlessly collect contribution points—this was the importance of early-stage investment.

Sometimes, spending contribution points yielded much higher efficiency than clutching them tightly in your fist.

However, he wasn't just entirely coasting; he also took out his own yew bow and began to consciously practice shooting.

Basic archery and basic marksmanship were not the same thing. Previously, Li Xia had thought the two skills would merge just like when he learned martial arts before.

But that was destined to remain wishful thinking. Of course, it was also possible that there were still some hidden conditions that hadn't been met.

The arrows matching the yew bow cost 5 contribution points each, so naturally, he couldn't bear to use them. The arrows for his six followers were all bought from the Lake-town market.

Though their power dropped a tier, their advantage lay in being cheap and abundant—a bundle of fifty cost only 1 gold coin.

Drawing the yew bow, his bow-holding arm and drawing arm forming a straight line, with his feet set apart sideways, Li Xia's posture at this moment was as standard as a newbie who had just started learning archery.

"Swish."

The arrow flew out and struck squarely into a hungry wolf's backside. The hungry wolf let out a miserable yelp, howling and leaping in place like a mad creature.

The other wolves were startled, actually whimpering in low tones and showing an urge to retreat.

"Heh heh heh heh."

Numbers 1 and 2 lowered their bows and made somewhat strange gestures toward Li Xia, seemingly expressing astonishment. They couldn't speak; they only expressed themselves with those strange "heh heh" sounds.

Even these two "heh hehs" were envied by the other four archers, because those four couldn't even produce such a sound.

Li Xia sheepishly lowered his bow and nodded slightly, as if he were extremely satisfied with that shot.

In reality, he had been aiming for another wolf's head........

Next, the arrows shot by Li Xia flew with a mind of their own, wild, unrestrained, and completely unpredictable.

The "heh heh" sounds of the two bodyguards echoed across the field, while the other four, who were clumsy with words, muttered quite earnestly as well.

In short, the atmosphere was very... entertaining.

..................

Over the next two days, Li Xia shuttled back and forth along the path of faction quests with his six generals.

The firepower of the six archers could not be underestimated. Even for tougher targets that couldn't be shot to death with arrows alone, Li Xia stepping forward with his long spear would easily sweep them away.

If too much time hadn't been wasted on traveling, Li Xia could have swept through all these team quests in a single day.

However, these quests no longer featured enemies like Bofis; most of them were beasts, trolls, and the like.

Aside from some crafting materials, there weren't many treasure chests either, but factoring in the contribution points, it wasn't a bad deal.

The sun gradually sank westward, and Li Xia once again returned to Lake-town.

When he hurried to the guard post to turn in his quests, he discovered that those Apostles who had joined the human faction were also here, apparently forming a small team.

The five Apostles consisted of both men and women, each with two guards standing behind them, though those guards looked noticeably much stiffer than Li Xia's.

Perhaps that was because these people had joined the security guards, whereas Li Xia had joined the archer guards.

The retinues belonging to the others held spears, not bows.

Li Xia withdrew his gaze and walked toward the notice board.

Yet a figure abruptly blocked his path. Li Xia raised his head to see that it was a female member of that small team, quite decent-looking.

Only, that pretty face was icy cold as she said harshly:
"What is the meaning of this? Clearing out all the faction quests. Aren't you being too selfish?"

As if he hadn't seen her at all, Li Xia walked right past her and turned in all his quests.

His contribution points had now reached 1,100, and his reputation level had reached Revered.

"What, feeling a guilty conscience? Feeling great about clearing out the faction quests, huh?"

Li Xia paused his steps and looked at her with the gaze one might give a mentally disabled person:
"If... you had joined earlier than me, would you have left the quests for me?"

"You!"

The woman wanted to say something more, but Li Xia's indifferent gaze swept over her, causing the words stuck in her throat to vanish completely, unable to be uttered no matter what.

Her sixth sense was screaming wild warnings, as if the moment she spoke those words, this man would kill her.

Right at that moment, a prompt from the Hall of Light abruptly appeared before the eyes of all the Apostles.

[The Dwarf faction has completed all faction quests; Thorin Oakenshield has arrived at the Lonely Mountain ahead of schedule.]
[Smaug, the last dragon of the Third Age, has been awakened.]
[The second stage of the main quest has opened early.]
[Main Quest: The Battle of Smaug]
[Quest Objective: Survive until the end]
[Hint: Smaug is about to strike!]