Chapter 103: Overwhelming with Basic Attacks

"Challenge?"

Luo Yong glanced at the so-called steward across from him, who was already getting riled up over a mere disagreement, and thought to himself that his team members weren't exactly pulling their weight, so there were some things he simply couldn't say.

For instance, that only by defeating my vice-captain would one earn the right to challenge the captain himself...

Ahem.

In the end, he would have to shoulder everything alone.

With that thought, Luo Yong shook his head in resignation, stepped down from the Death Dragonfly, and said, "I may be a squad leader, but my level isn't all that high. Since you're so eager, I'll play with you today — a few exchanges."

Even as he spoke, he was already dropping from mid-air, while his mount, the Death Dragonfly, hovered in place above.

"Huh?"

Bailen was baffled. This suicidal descent of his opponent... what on earth was he trying to pull?

In his view, the only reason Luo Yong hadn't been swarmed by the other Death Dragonflies in the Weeping Land of the Gods was that he had subjugated a Level 15 Death Dragonfly, leaving him marked with the aura of a magical beast. Combined with the severe rank suppression within beast communities, that had kept him safe so far.

But dropping down like that, stripped of the Death Dragonfly's protection, landing right in the Weeping Land of the Gods — wasn't that just begging for death?

Even Bailen himself, carrying a secret treasure that could conceal his aura, wouldn't dare plunge into such a perilous place.

Then he watched as the leader of the Gale Squad abruptly slowed his descent halfway down.

And stopped completely just before touching the ground.

That level of magical control — even he couldn't manage it!

In truth, this wasn't Luo Yong's first time leaping from a great height. He rapidly multiplied his anti-gravity spell, making his body as light as a feather, floating like a wisp of down.

Even a headlong plunge wouldn't hurt him.

Moreover, he had deliberately chosen this spot — a battlefield that wasn't particularly advantageous for himself, but even less so for his opponent.

Half a meter beneath his feet was solid ground, surrounded by towering reeds.

The kind of reeds sturdy enough to support Death Dragonflies three to four meters long, with weights beyond words.

Then he extended a single finger, unleashing a secret technique passed down from Blue Star — a fusion of the Lion's Roar and the One Yang Finger:

"Come at me, then!"

"What the hell—" Bailen witnessed all of this and immediately felt his blood boil. He was a wind-element mage, the Messenger of the Wind, not a damn loach — why on earth was he being dragged into a fight among these reeds?!

He didn't want to go down, but he truly wanted to teach this fellow a lesson.

The thought of having stepped forward voluntarily in front of so many of his teammates, taking this matter upon himself, only to return without saying a single word — where would he put his face?

How would he ever hold his head up in this line of work again?!

Besides...

He stole a quick sidelong glance. Outside the Weeping Land of the Gods, many pairs of eyes were still watching!

"Damn you!" Bailen cursed inwardly, descending slowly. He didn't head straight for Luo Yong; instead, he circled halfway around, wary that the man might have set some trap in the shadows.

If he carelessly fell into one, that would be just as humiliating.

After a moment, he finally reached Luo Yong's vicinity. He was about to say something when he saw that the other man had already landed on solid ground at some point, standing there at ease, waiting for him.

"Too slow! What a waste of time!" Luo Yong shook his head, sounding rather displeased.

"I'd say you're tired of living..." Bailen muttered darkly, his voice low, a strange smile playing on his lips.

He suddenly realized that from here, he couldn't see the outside.

And likewise, the people outside couldn't see what was happening in here. No matter what occurred within, no one would know.

That meant...

Even if he went for the kill and then drifted away, even if someone came to investigate, they would find nothing!

Because this was the Weeping Land of the Gods!

Those who died here became food for the Death Dragonflies!

"The one tired of living is you." Luo Yong pulled out a fire-element tactical scroll and activated it directly, not giving the other man a chance to spout more nonsense.

Because he had no intention of taking his life.

No need for last words.

"You— what are you doing!?" Bailen felt a jolt of terror, shouted loudly, and rapidly retreated, weaving and fleeing through the countless reeds.

And he didn't dare fly too high or too fast, afraid of alarming the Death Dragonflies around them.

BOOM!!!

A thunderous roar.

In the Weeping Land of the Gods, which had been quiet for only a short while, a tremendous blast resounded once more. A violent surge of magical energy swept through instantly, and countless Death Dragonflies erupted into the sky in a frenzy, seething with rage.

Patches of multicolored radiance linked together across the air. Teams that had been standing a little too close were caught directly in the chaos — many collapsed and had to be dragged away to safety by their companions.

Even the larger mid-sized groups that had already carved out their territories had no choice but to retreat for the moment.

"That bastard Bailen — what the hell is he doing out there?!" Handsome cursed, directing his team to retreat even further.

Feeling the magical force behind him, Bailen was sent tumbling by the shockwave, his body slamming into a giant reed as he spat out a mouthful of old blood.

"You goddamn... used a tactical scroll that indiscriminately crushes anything below Level 20..." Bailen said weakly, staring at Luo Yong as he approached slowly.

As Luo Yong drew near, not a single thing could come within three meters of him — not the splattering mud, not the boulders blasted into the air, not the severed limbs and mangled remains of the unlucky Death Dragonflies caught in the explosion.

Everything that came close to him turned weightless, as though a repulsive force was pushing all matter away.

At this moment, Luo Yong walking toward Bailen — his unhurried stride, that scene of being impervious to all — seemed to Bailen like a god descending!

"No... this can't be..." He stared wide-eyed, utterly unable to believe it, shaking his head as he dragged his body backward in retreat.

He was afraid.

But his crawling speed was nowhere near Luo Yong's pace.

"Stay back!" he shouted, flailing his arms wildly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, covered in dust — no longer looking like a presentable steward at all.

"..."

Luo Yong had originally planned to toss out a couple of menacing lines, but looking at the scene before him... had he perhaps used too much force?

That was only one tactical scroll!

Mages just couldn't take a blast like warriors could.

Last time, those Demon Swordsmen had held out for quite a while before surrendering...

With that thought, Luo Yong shook his head, said nothing more, and simply raised a hand in a gesture. A Level 15 Death Dragonfly descended and landed before him.

"Contract!"

Luo Yong directly used a contract scroll. He'd also thought ahead — if he returned and Seli saw the Death Dragonflies, everyone else having one while she had none, well, that just wouldn't do!

Buzz!

Suddenly, several Death Dragonflies dove down, charging straight at the prostrate Bailen, clearly about to treat him as prey.

That was something Luo Yong hadn't anticipated.

"Ah!" Bailen cried out in despair. His aura-concealing equipment was no longer working.

He'd never imagined he'd end up as dragonfly food one day, had he?

Shwish!

A flash of cold light swept past, followed by a series of thudding sounds, and countless fragments of mangled remains splattered across Bailen's body.

His mouth fell open, but no words came out. He thought he was already dead, already fallen into hell.

Luo Yong, meanwhile, retrieved his weapon, and before the other Death Dragonflies could dive in for the kill, he strode to Bailen's side, opened a teleportation gate, and hauled him by the scruff of his neck into the camp.

"Huh? Captain, you're back!" Wendy and the others were in the middle of dividing up the newly acquired Glorious Set. Since rewards weren't exchanged for quest items on a one-to-one basis... well.

"Let's go again — it's still not enough!" Ailia said.

"Captain! Captain!" A tiny figure came running out of the general store, tugging hard at Luo Yong's clothes, tilting her head up and gazing at him with pleading eyes.

She said nothing at all, yet it was more effective than any words.

"Don't worry, there's a share for you too." Luo Yong pointed at the two Death Dragonflies that had emerged from the light gate with him, and said, "One of them is yours."

"Wow!" Seli let out a cry of delight, released Luo Yong, and dashed over, shouting "Thank you, Captain!" and "Dragonfly! Dragonfly!" all at once.

"Captain, who's this loser?" the Storm Mage sidled over, staring at Bailen lying collapsed in the camp with an odd expression.

"A steward of the Fearless Group. Said he wanted to challenge me — and this is how it ended." Luo Yong said flatly, as if he'd done something utterly ordinary.

"The Fearless Group?"

"A steward?!"

The nearby female team members exchanged glances, shock written all over their faces.

"Bailen the Messenger of the Wind?"

"No way — he's Level 18, one of the Fearless Group's top experts!"

"Captain, you— you... how did you beat him?" Ailia asked, brimming with curiosity.

"He probably got mercilessly flattened by a tactical scroll!" Wendy said with a knowing look.

"A tactical scroll? That... is that even allowed? Isn't that cheating?" Ailia squinted.

"So what if it's cheating?" the Barbarian Priest said with full confidence. "Aren't they the ones who always bully others by relying on numbers and high levels? Now they get a taste of being bullied themselves!"

"Exactly!"

"The captain really lives up to being the captain!"

"The method might be a bit crude and straightforward, but I like it!"

A whole gaggle of troublesome older sisters chimed in together, denouncing the Fearless Group.

"Captain, they're not going to let this go." Wendy, now understanding the full picture, said with some concern.

"No worries. You all have flying mounts now, and with the Glorious Set, if the Fearless Group ever dares to provoke us again, just spam tactical scrolls and flatten them into next week!" Luo Yong said casually.