Chapter 568: Section 355: Big Guy’s Appetite
Two days later.
Iceberg Sea.
Zong Ge led the majority of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps in training at sea.
By now, they had drifted far from Ice Sculpture Island.
In pursuit of effective military training, Zong Ge had not returned to port for the past two days.
“Good news from Snowbird Port,” Sanda approached Zong Ge to report. “Our squad leader has successfully recruited Bu Quan. Now, we have an alchemy master in our ranks.”
Upon hearing this, Zong Ge’s eyebrows lifted.
He took the intel, scrutinized it carefully, and a look of pleasure crossed his face.
“This is really great.”
“A Silver Level alchemy master who hasn’t yet reached the limit of his bloodline. Such good fortune has truly befallen us.”
“Oh… it’s because of a deep-seated enmity between the Saber Gang and Bu Quan. What a pleasant surprise.”
Sanda nodded but also expressed concern, “This person is a genius of the highest caliber and immensely talented.”
“Although both parties are willing, the Alchemy Guild won’t likely let him go so easily. There could be trouble to follow.”
Having run a Mercenary Group himself, Sanda knew that Bu Quan was not an asset the current stage of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps could easily claim.
Zong Ge nodded slightly, “An alchemy master is like a never-ending gold mine, especially one as unique as this.”
“Bu Quan is very young. In time, her achievements could very well surpass those of a master.”
“Having such a companion is a good thing for all of us.”
“Haven’t we captured a lot of alchemy materials? These are the best resources for cultivating Alchemy Mages.”
At this thought, Zong Ge stroked his chin, “Was there no mention in the communication regarding the recruitment?”
“Not yet,” Sanda replied.
Zong Ge smiled, “Now that Bu Quan has joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group, word of it is sure to stir people’s hearts.”
“I bet the effects on recruitment will be tremendous.”
“Our squad leader has truly outdone himself this time.”
“Indeed, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group has become well-known throughout the kingdom because of this,” Sanda said, unable to hide his admiration.
There was a time when he too had dreamed such grand dreams, hoping his own mercenary group could gain national fame.
Little did he expect, after being stranded on Mysterious Monster Island, surviving by a hair’s breadth, and winding up in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, his old dream would be realized in such a way.
Sanda looked at Zong Ge and added, “The squad leader has established such a military achievement largely thanks to your training. Otherwise, how could he master such solid firearm skills?”
Zong Ge waved his hand dismissively, with no hint of assuming credit, “I only played an auxiliary role, he is the main actor.”
“Bu Quan is a genius in alchemy, but Long Fu… in my opinion, his warrior talent far surpasses that of someone like Bu Quan.”
Sanda’s expression grew complicated.
Zong Ge had once instructed the Dragon-man youth to conceal his warrior talent so as not to leak it and dampen the morale of the other mercenaries in their training.
But this secret was not kept from the survivors.
Sanda and the others knew this insider information.
At that moment, a mercenary came forward to report loudly, “Sir, a small island has appeared ahead!”
“Oh? Let’s take a look,” Zong Ge’s eyes lit up.
Although they had a map of the sea area, it wasn’t detailed enough to record every little island.
That was related to the peculiarities of the Iceberg Sea.
Soon, the vessels of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps arrived around the small island.
It was an iceberg drifting slowly on the sea surface, becoming a drifting ice island.
The mercenaries quickly discovered a new situation, “Lord Lion Flag, we’ve found a group of sea lions on the southeast corner of the Ice Island.”
Zong Ge reviewed the detailed report and personally observed through a telescope.
There were at least two hundred sea lions. The leaders of the sea lion pack were two Silver Level Magic Beasts, a male and a female, with about twenty Black Iron Level Magic Beast sea lions.
“Not bad, perfect for a training exercise,” Zong Ge praised and issued an order, preparing to attack.
Upon receiving the command, some waved flags, some blew horns, and all sprang into action.
The vessels of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps drew steadily closer. The sea lions became restless. The two leaders howled, and soon after, the pack joined in a loud chorus of howls that served as both a threat and a warning.
Zong Ge’s expression remained calm as he adjusted the formation of the ships.
The Black Iron Level demon energy ship Iron Lump took the lead.
The sea lions jumped from the edge of the iceberg into the water in droves, besieging the Iron Lump.
The Iron Lump, tough as it was, withstood the pounding and ramming from all sides by the sea lions, as well as their Magic-like attacks.
Zong Ge, stationed on the White Bandage, led the other vessels to quickly encircle the fray.
Mercenaries stood by the railings, wielding Alchemy Crossbows and Firearms, firing upon the sea lions.
Soon, the sea lions suffered heavy losses.
Enraged, the two leaders leaped into action, one boarding the Iron Lump and the other heading towards the White Bandage.
Zong Ge did not engage personally.
Menshi and Chi Lai were also ordered to observe the battle.
Led by Fast Leg, the Fast Blade Army, and the Backwater Army entered the battle, confronting the two Silver Level Magic Beasts.
Magic Beasts have a different constitution from the Human Race and Snow Elves, their skin is thick and their flesh hard, but lacking in intelligence, making them exceedingly suitable live combat targets.
After about sixteen minutes of battle, the sea lion leaders were furious to the extreme. Ignoring their injuries, they rampaged across the deck like mad.
Only then did Zong Ge give the order for Menshi and Chi Lai to take action.
Both battle groups were exhausted and withdrew smoothly.
It was challenging even for Menshi and Chi Lai to confront the leaders head-on. Despite their assistance from Fighting energy, they still couldn’t match the power of the Magic Beast sea lions.
This was a difference of race and bloodline.
Fortunately, both the Iron Lump and White Bandage were demon energy ships, able to sustain such intense battles.
Menshi was a Dwarf, boasting greater strength than the Human Race Chi Lai and had a lower center of gravity, primarily focused on defense, which allowed him to manage the situation with more composure.
Chi Lai’s expertise lay mostly in bombardment, slightly inferior in close combat; he could only try to maneuver around the sea lions as best as he could.
“Ahh, I’m coming!” The Big guy suddenly entered the fray.
Bang.
He charged into the Silver Level sea lion leader with his shoulder.
Both parties felt the strong recoil, their momentum utterly spent.
Zong Ge’s eyes lit up at the sight.
Chi Lai called out in a low voice, “Thanks!”
Then, he quickly pounced forward, his Firearms blasting the sea lion’s eyes.
Blinded, the sea lion was consumed with panic and rage, charging blindly once more.
The Big guy clenched his teeth, grappling with the sea lion as if he himself had transformed into a Magic Beast. Their fierce battle drew the attention of many onlookers.
Sanda’s eyes sparkled, “I never imagined that after the Big guy became Transcendent, his physical attributes would terrifyingly skyrocket to such an extent. He can actually go toe-to-toe with a Silver Level Magic Beast!”
“His Bloodline appears to be quite extraordinary.”
“Who could have thought, he’d actually become a Transcendent.”
Zong Ge voiced his regret, “Too bad, even though he has reached Bronze Level, he hasn’t mastered any Combat Skills, and even his fighting technique is painfully lacking.”
“If he could fill in these gaps, he would become a formidable weapon on the battlefield.”
Zong Ge watched the Big guy fiercely battling, his eyes gradually gleaming with excitement.
He developed a keen interest in training the Big guy.
Sanda, however, expressed concern, “My lord, please be mindful of one thing.”
“The Big guy has a fits of madness.”
“If he learns solid fighting techniques, or even Combat Skills, it would pose a growing threat to us.”
Zong Ge shook his head, firm in his decision, “With my strength, I can keep him under control.”
The battle ended swiftly.
After the two sea lion leaders died, the rest of the pack dived into the sea and fled in panic.
Zong Ge ordered shooting and bombardment, killing the majority.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Sanda reported the results, “Lord, with this batch of sea lion meat replenished, we can sail for half a day longer.”
Zong Ge heaved a sigh, “Let’s return tonight.”
“There’s no need to wait until we reach the warning line of our military food reserves before we return to the port.”
“I misjudged this time. I didn’t expect that after becoming Bronze Level, the Big guy could eat so much!”
Originally, the Big guy’s appetite far exceeded that of an average person, and after becoming a Bronze Level fighter, he could eat even more.
His food consumption had surged dramatically, nearly 80 times his previous amount, turning him into the main consumer of provisions.
The reason for this was that after becoming a Transcendent, a fighter’s body required much more energy.
Ordinary food had to be increased by at least 80 times to satisfy the Big guy.
However, if they switched to meals primarily made from Magic Beast Meat, his appetite would return to what it was before when he was just an ordinary person.
When the news of Zong Ge’s return to the port was sent back, the Dragon-man youth was overseeing recruitment.
The location of the recruitment was their own shop.
The shop’s location had been personally selected by Zi Di. With her business acumen, she naturally chose the best of the best, perfectly fitting the bill.
The line of people coming to sign up, wishing to join the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, started at the shop and stretched out in a long queue. The line was over two hundred meters long, extending all the way to the corner of the street.
“Long Fu squad leader, I am a Magic Apprentice, and I can currently concoct potions like odor removal lozenges and Fever Detection Reagent,” a Snow Elf entered the room and couldn’t help but get excited upon seeing the Dragon-man youth.
The Dragon-man youth had seen many such expressions already.
He had become famous nationwide, and after slaying the Saber Gang Gang Leader, many people at Snowbird Port admired him, some even worshipped him.
The Dragon-man youth put down the communication message in his hand, smiled at the Magic Apprentice being interviewed, and asked, “Can you make Magic cuisine?”
The Magic Apprentice looked surprised, then answered, “Oh, yes, I can make most of the ordinary Magic cuisines.”
“I can also do Bronze Level Magic cuisines, but the taste wouldn’t be very good.”
“Black Iron Level cuisine is very difficult for me.”
The Magic Apprentice, being only at Bronze Level, told the Dragon-man youth the truth.
The Dragon-man youth nodded, “If I were to hire you to make Magic cuisine, would you be willing?”
The Snow Elf hesitated, “Do you want me to serve as a Magic Chef?”
“I’d rather work in the Alchemy Workshop, making potions…”
“Actually, that’s the kind of job I came to apply for.”
The Dragon-man youth grinned, “I understand. If I doubled your salary, would you be willing to be the Magic Chef for our Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?”
“Doubled the salary?” The Snow Elf’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly agreed, “Of course, I’m willing!”
The Dragon-man youth reminded him, “If you join, you’ll need to move with the squad in the future.”
“No problem. Even going out to sea is fine!” The Snow Elf Apprentice nodded eagerly.
When the money was right, everything else was easy to discuss.
Next, they signed the Magic Contract.
“This is the fourth Magic Chef.”
“Once Xiao Gui comes back, we won’t have to worry about food and drink,” the Dragon-man youth was satisfied with the recruitment outcome.
Bang.
At that moment, the door to the interview room was flung open.
A Snow Elf entered, head held high with an icy expression, storming in.
“Long Fu squad leader, I am Teng Donglang from the Alchemy Guild. We must have a proper discussion about Bu Quan joining your team!”
“Even if you overcame the weak with strength, capable of slaying Teng Donglang, you don’t have the right to poach the alchemy talent of our Kingdom.”