While the outside world was in chaos, with waves crashing and turmoil brewing, Lin Jin calmly entered the tavern within his newly established town.
The Tavern was a system feature available to most players, providing a chance to recruit heroes and receive quests.
The heroes available in the tavern were tied to the town's level, the strength of the lord, and the town's prestige. The higher the level of the town, the stronger the heroes that could potentially be recruited.
As for quests, they were nothing special either. Even the highest-tier quests had minimal rewards. Lin Jin wasn't interested in them. The rewards from quests were paltry at best. He could easily get more value by sending his Undead Army into battle than from any quest.
The best heroes that appeared in the tavern were usually of B-quality. As for quests, they were B-quality at best as well. To recruit truly powerful heroes, Lin Jin would need to explore the world and complete Epic-level quests.
However, Lin Jin wasn't here to look for powerful heroes. He was simply looking for a runner—a hero to handle the more mundane tasks.
"I want to recruit a hero!" Lin Jin said directly to the tavern keeper.
"Of course, my lord! Here is a list of available heroes!" the tavern keeper said as he handed Lin Jin a sheet of parchment. The list had ten names and portraits.
Lin Jin glanced at the names, and not one of them was even B-quality. As expected, the best available heroes were of C-quality, with some being even lower.
"None of these are what I need. Do you have any stronger heroes?" Lin Jin asked, unimpressed.
"Would you like another list, my lord? There is a small fee to access it. It will cost 10,000 units of gold!"
Ding! "Would you like to pay 10,000 units of gold to refresh the available heroes?"
"Yes!"
No hesitation—Lin Jin was fully prepared to pay the price. For most players and guilds, spending such a large amount of gold early in the game to refresh a list for a B-quality hero would be absurd, but for Lin Jin, 10,000 gold was nothing.
"Here is another list, my lord!"
The tavern keeper handed him another sheet, and Lin Jin glanced at it—C-quality heroes again.
"Another one!" Lin Jin waved his hand with a smile.
Pay to Win, that was the plan. He didn't mind paying the price. A quick Ten Pulls was the easiest way.
C-quality heroes again.
"One more!"
This time, his persistence paid off. The list in front of him finally showed a B-quality hero.
Nagath (Undead Wizard)
Quality: Excellent (B)
Description: Nagath is a renowned sorcerer who, in his pursuit of eternal life, performed a ritual of necromantic sacrifice, transforming himself into an Undead Wizard.
Requirements: 200,000 gold, 10,000 souls, 500 mercury.
"Recruit!"
Without hesitation, Lin Jin chose to recruit him.
The prices were indeed absurd, but if Lin Jin could have found a way to resurrect heroes on his own, the cost would have been far less. The price for trading with the Gods of the Underworld was steep, and most players couldn't afford it.
After paying the resources, the tavern curtain parted, and from behind it stepped a figure in tattered Undead robes, his face old and weathered.
"Great master, I thank you for awakening me and granting me new life. I shall serve you eternally!" the Undead Wizard, Nagath, said as he bowed respectfully before Lin Jin.
Ding! Nagath's loyalty is 100!
As Nagath bowed to Lin Jin, his loyalty score appeared on the screen. Lin Jin nodded in satisfaction. This was a typical aspect of the Undead Faction, which differed from other factions. Heroes recruited from the tavern, typically those who had been long asleep in the Underworld, automatically formed a soul-binding contract upon awakening.
To Lin Jin, this meant that he could control the fate of these heroes. If he desired, he could end Nagath's existence with a mere thought, sending him back into the endless void of the Underworld. Such was the power of the Undead faction.
The system's explanation provided an interesting contrast to the other factions. For example, heroes from the Hell faction were notorious for their low loyalty. Hell heroes, being highly cunning, required immense strength to be controlled, as their loyalty could easily waver. On the other hand, the Holy Empire faction's heroes were fiercely loyal to the Holy Light, but their devotion to their faith was their primary concern. If these heroes felt betrayed by their faith, they would not hesitate to turn against their leaders. In contrast, Undead heroes were bound by soul contracts, ensuring their unshakable loyalty.
Lin Jin smiled at the newfound power he held. Unlike the other factions where loyalty was dependent on faith, the Undead Faction's loyalty was rooted in the soul-binding contract, a far more reliable system.
With Nagath's loyalty confirmed, Lin Jin decided it was time to make use of this new hero.
"Nagath, go explore to the west of the town!" Lin Jin instructed. He handed Nagath a Bone Dragon to assist him.
With Uther and Leticia already out in the field, Lin Jin didn't require more combat heroes at the moment. Nagath would serve as an explorer for now, mapping out the unknown areas of the island. After Nagath completed the exploration, Uther and Leticia could focus on clearing out target enemies, which would boost efficiency considerably.
Nagath gave another respectful bow and left with his Bone Dragon, heading towards the western part of the island.
Once Nagath departed, Lin Jin returned to his palace to rest, feeling the need to recharge after his strategic moves. Meanwhile, his Undead Army continued its return to the Tomb Town, bringing with it vast resources and newly conquered lands.
Back on the roads, the Undead Army steadily made its way back. Lin Jin, having returned to the town first, gave orders for the army to follow the same path back to the Tomb Town.
Though it was a somewhat risky move—ordering the army to march back could expose them to potential ambushes from enemies—it was mitigated by the presence of a small unit of Terror Knights stationed near the Teleportation Gate. With this precaution in place, Lin Jin was confident that enemy forces wouldn't pose much of a threat.
With Nagath's exploration underway, Lin Jin's plans were progressing as expected. The Undead Army was now much larger and more formidable, with powerful heroes and Undead creatures at his disposal. As he had anticipated, this would be the beginning of a new phase in his conquest.
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