Chapter 245 - 16: Overnight Riches, Miracle Maker

Chapter 245: Chapter 16: Overnight Riches, Miracle Maker

The safe point where new recruits arrived was no longer safe. Relocating to the cave entrance to rest was the wiser choice.

Once the entrance was sealed, the cave became a safe Sanctuary.

Just three hours earlier, a tragedy had unfolded at the safe point.

At the time, the Battle Banner Legion was in the middle of a fierce assault on the 14th Monster Tribe—a tribe of Dark Horror Dogmen.

Dark Horror Dogmen were a species created by Ancient Wizards by modifying Kobolds. Adults were a great deal stronger than Kobolds and most possessed the Berserk ability.

Compared to Dark Goblins, the Dark Horror Dogmen surpassed them in speed, agility, and even strength. Their combat prowess was quite impressive.

Ordinary recruits wouldn’t have dared to provoke them, but under Mo Ning’s command, the Battle Banner Legion hammered them until they were crying out with pathetic whimpers.

It was then that a large pack of Shadow Werewolves burst from their lair and attacked the dozens of recruits resting at the safe point.

There were over a hundred of them. Their combat strength was no less than that of the Dark Horror Dogmen, and they were even faster.

As many as 16 recruits were killed on the spot. The survivors promptly retreated into two cave entrances the Battle Banner Legion had already cleared, regrouping to fend off the pack.

The Shadow Werewolves prowled outside the caves for a while, but seeing they had no advantage, they dragged the bodies back to their lair.

Of those killed, only three were recruits from the current batch; the other thirteen were from the previous one.

Mo Ning led the legion to slaughter the Dark Horror Dogmen. When he returned to the safe point and learned of the situation, he didn’t hesitate for a second, leading his troops straight into the Shadow Werewolves’ den.

He flicked his wrist, sending a Thunderbolt Arrow across more than a hundred meters and straight into the mouth of the howling werewolf leader. The monster was electrocuted so severely its eyeballs burst, its brains spraying out of the sockets.

This swift, precise, and ruthless Beheading instantly shattered the morale of the entire Shadow Werewolf pack.

But this was merely vengeance for those who had died so horribly.

While clearing the battlefield, the legion found the half-eaten skulls of more than ten recruits inside the lair.

Mo Ning sighed and ordered a short funeral for the fallen.

He personally recited the funerary rites, then ordered his men to use a Trick to cremate the skulls.

’He’d only done it because he felt they had died too tragically, wanting to grant them some final dignity.’ But to his surprise, he found that his legion’s loyalty toward him had quietly risen.

He also had Princess Phoebe return the ashes of the thirteen recruits from the previous term to Carter, the strongest among them.

「At this moment.」

The Battle Banner Legion was gathered inside cave #43, their joyful laughter echoing as the very air seemed to brim with the thrill of victory.

The spoils of this campaign were astonishing—no, they were nothing short of glorious.

In total, the legion had annihilated 18 Monster Tribes. From the corpses alone, they had collected a staggering number of over 2,800 Totem Fangs.

This included 20 Leader’s Fangs, which were equivalent to 360 Ordinary Fangs.

By this calculation, each of the legion’s 196 members would receive an average of 14 fangs.

As for the Spiritual Materials harvested from the monsters, it was no exaggeration to say they were piled mountain-high.

The logistics team had to expend considerable effort just to come up with a preliminary estimate: the total value of the materials exceeded 15,000 Black Tower Points.

To the new recruits, this was an absolutely astronomical sum.

Meanwhile, the legion’s losses were negligible. Only a dozen or so members suffered minor cuts and scrapes, which healed quickly after applying some ointment.

Mo Ning sat in a rattan ball chair, chatting softly with Anya, Reina, and Princess Phoebe. The gazes of everyone else who looked their way were filled with reverence.

The young man’s performance, from every conceivable angle, perfectly matched everyone’s ideal of a true leader.

"Mr. Mo Ning, in all the new recruit labyrinth trials of the past several decades, no team has ever achieved such an incredible haul. You are the one who truly forged this miracle."

Princess Phoebe’s voice carried a rare note of excitement.

Normally, even an exceptional ten-person team would earn a few hundred Black Tower Points at most from killing monsters and harvesting Spiritual Materials. An average of a few dozen points per person was already an enviable sum.

But Mo Ning’s performance had been simply monstrous. He had relied on his extraordinary prestige and power to assemble a massive army and crush one Monster Tribe after another, creating this unprecedented miracle.

Princess Phoebe reached up and removed her veil. Her perfect, beautiful face was flushed with excitement, adding a hint of charm to her features.

She lowered her voice, but her tone was exceptionally earnest. "I asked around privately, and many people think you’re giving up too much of the profit. Twenty percent is a huge sum—at least 3,000 Black Tower Points.

"Of all the recruits from both terms participating in the trial, only you could open that Treasure Chest. That reward was rightfully yours. We don’t believe that’s a valid excuse for the leader’s interests to be compromised."

Anya and Reina nodded in unison.

Both young women agreed it was a huge loss to give up so many Black Tower Points; they could practically feel the financial sting on Mo Ning’s behalf.

Reina even added, "Without you, many of them would have struggled to collect even three Totem Fangs. They’ve already gotten more than enough."

Princess Phoebe lowered her voice even further, offering a practical suggestion:

"Mr. Mo Ning, no one else knows the grand total of the profits yet. You should take thirty percent..."

Mo Ning shook his head, gently interrupting the princess. "I understand your kind intentions, but I’m already very satisfied with what I’ve gained."

’The recruits only knew he’d gotten a Magic Wand and Casting Gloves; they had no idea they were high-Quality items of even greater value.’

’Besides, there was a massive reward waiting for him when the trial was over. He was already content.’

He paused, a slight smile gracing his lips. "I’ve always believed that a reputation for generosity is more valuable than three thousand Black Tower Points."

Princess Phoebe paused, taken aback. A flash of sincere admiration appeared in her beautiful eyes. "That’s true. Very few people your age understand that."

「Just then.」

A legion member on guard duty at the entrance rushed over and reported loudly, "Legion Commander, a recruit from the last term calling himself Carter requests an audience!"

The man put special emphasis on the words "requests an audience," his tone filled with vicarious pride.

The Battle Banner Legion’s performance had completely overshadowed that of the previous term’s recruits. How could the current recruits not feel a thrill of excitement now that their predecessors were coming to them, humble and supplicant?