Generous Rewards

The battle to defend Lingyun City lasted for most of the night, ending in the early hours of the next morning.

More than 20,000 Soldier Ant, thousands of Flying Ant, and hundreds of Violetgold War Ant, along with many strange and unusual new ant species, constituted a massive army. What was even more deadly was that this army knew no fear and never retreated despite heavy casualties.

Compared to this, humanity seems rather weak and powerless.

In the end, all the ants died, and humanity paid a heavy price. According to statistics, more than 800 people died, more than 1,000 were seriously injured, and almost everyone was slightly injured. But at least Lingyun City was saved in the end.

While ordinary Soldier Ant may look intimidating, they are ultimately just level three monsters. At this level, they are generally only targets for Green Mission, especially now that intelligence about ants is so comprehensive. An experienced Senior-level Hunter can easily take down a dozen or so single-handedly. Although the Violetgold War Ant are strong, their numbers are small, and their role in a battle of this scale is limited.

In comparison, the truly troublesome ones are the Flying Ant. These agile insects can fly to the rear to harass, disrupt formations, and attract attention, giving the frontline troops an opportunity to attack. It can be said that most human casualties are indirectly caused by these Flying Insects.

But no matter how powerful ants are, they are ultimately just low-intelligence monsters. At first, they could make some simple responses to the environment, but after the Polluter died, they lost their command and just charged blindly. Facing humans who relied on the city walls, formed battle formations, and cooperated with each other, they could hardly gain an advantage. Moreover, during this siege, both the guards and the hunters showed amazing fighting spirit.

This is not only because the guild offered a generous bounty, but also for survival!

Lingyun City is humanity's only stronghold in the Savage Wilderness. The day it opens has not yet arrived. If it is breached, the people inside will have nowhere to retreat, and every single one of them will become ants' dinner.

Moreover, many professional hunters consider this place their second home and have invested most of their wealth here. Whether it's for their lives or their fortunes, they have to fight for it!

Of course, there was another crucial factor that ultimately led to victory.

That means the five Cannon Ant that posed the greatest threat to Lingyun City at the beginning of the war were wiped out!

"On behalf of the Wildlands Hunter Guild, I thank everyone for their contributions to the defense of Lingyun City!"

In the conference room on the second floor of the Wildlands Hunter Guild, Ling Yi spoke excitedly.

Those present were all participants in last night's operation to remove the artillery battery.

Ling Hui and one of his deputy captains successfully completed the mission, but another deputy captain was killed in action. Ling Hui rushed to their aid and managed to kill the Cannon Ant before the barrier disappeared.

Father Qin, Lu Kui, and Xuanyuan Wuji all looked pale. They had all suffered serious internal injuries from the Hundred Times Gravity Attack last night, and they had clearly not recovered by then.

As for Luo Jun, with the Water Healing Construct to heal his injuries, he is now full of energy and radiant, and no one can tell that he was also injured last night.

"I am Ling Family, and the guard unit was established to protect the guild!" Ling Hui stood up and declared, "It is our duty to go through fire and water for the Lineage and the guild. We can talk about anything among our own people, but please give priority to the hunters, Manager!"

Ling Yi nodded. "Don't worry, the Ling Family will not mistreat its heroes, especially the brothers who sacrificed their lives. I will apply for the highest possible treatment for them!"

"Next, regarding your rewards..." Ling Yi looked at the four hunters, opened his Hundred Treasure Box, and revealed five magical artifacts.

Luo Jun dealt with a cannon emplacement alone, and was promised one million Wildlands Coin plus two Rare Treasure Item. Xuanyuan Wuji and the other two, because they worked together to take down a cannon emplacement, were each rewarded with two hundred thousand Wildlands Coin plus a Rare Treasure Item.

Xuanyuan Wuji and the other two looked at Luo Jun. Luo Jun had made the greatest contribution to this mission, so he should be the one to choose first.

Luo Jun examined the five treasures; their functions and effects were all quite good. It seemed that the Wildlands Hunter Guild hadn't been perfunctory and was quite sincere.

Ultimately, he chose a belt and a large pistol.

Name: Body Protecting Belt

Grade: Rare

Description: Standard equipment of a Great Emperor army. Judging from its quality, this is protective gear that only high-ranking officers, at least Legion Commander, are entitled to.

Function 1: Shield. Once activated, an invisible shield forms over the entire body, capable of blocking most types of damage. If the shield is depleted and not damaged within one minute, the user can replenish it by injecting energy proportionally. If the shield is completely destroyed, it requires a one-hour cooldown before it can be reactivated. Activation consumes thirty Breath Vital Energy.

Function Two: Transformation: The belt can change its appearance according to your preference. Each transformation requires Five Breaths Vital Energy.

Note: The greatest distance in the world is when your knife is only one centimeter away from my neck, yet you can't stab it in!

Name: The Crime Hunter

Grade: Rare

Description: The sidearm of a famous bounty hunter, which he used to send countless heinous criminals to prison.

Function 1: Reloading: This pistol can automatically generate bullets by injecting vital energy, with each bullet consuming one breath.

Function Two: Powerful Shot: A Powerful Bullets can be generated by infusing Ten Breaths Vital Energy at once, delivering a stronger attack. Furthermore, the bullet has an additional destructive effect on vital energy.

Note: I'll bet you a coin whether my gun has any bullets!

Luo Jun chose these two items to make up for his shortcomings.

Firstly, as a cultivator at the Body Refinement Realm, they lack the protection of Body Protecting Qi. Secondly, they lack personal weapons. Although the River-Sinking Stone Hammer is powerful, it can only be used in the Savage Wilderness and cannot be stored in the Hundred Treasure Box, which is too inconvenient.

Seeing that the remaining three had also chosen their respective treasures, Ling Yi snapped his fingers, and several staff members brought over a few more leather suitcases, each filled with stacks of Wildlands Coin.

"These are the bonuses promised to everyone," Ling Yi said with a smile. "Of course, the guild will also distribute rewards according to the bounty for the other bugs you encounter while killing the turret bugs. You won't be shortchanged."

Xuanyuan Wuji, Mister Qin, and Lu Kui each received twenty stacks, which were counted and packed into bags. In front of Luo Jun, there were two whole boxes.

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback. Even if his reward was one million, compared to the others, two large boxes still seemed a bit too much.

"Mister Ye, your reward is two million," Ling Yi said with a smile. "This is to thank you for killing the Polluter and eliminating a hidden and dangerous enemy for Lingyun City!"

After encountering the Polluter, Xuanyuan Wuji and his companions reported to Ling Yi upon returning to the city. Ant Queen, the guild immediately dispatched people to the scene to collect the Polluter's remaining limbs in an attempt to identify him.

In the guild's assessment, Xuanyuan Wuji, Lu Kui, and Mister Qin are all potential Champion-level. According to their testimonies, this Polluter was able to overpower all three of them, indicating that he was no ordinary person. He must have been a top expert before the pollution incident, and could not have been an unknown figure.

Ling Yi was greatly surprised by this, firstly because he was surprised that the appearance of the ant nest was actually a conspiracy against Lingyun City, and secondly because he was surprised by the strength displayed by "Mister Ye".

"Of course, I also know that a mere million is not enough to offset Mister Ye's contributions to Lingyun City. This is just the reward I am giving you within my authority. I will report the situation to the Lineage truthfully and apply for more rewards for you."

A mere one million?

Luo Jun's eyes practically popped out of his head at the two boxes. Two million Wildlands Coin, even if directly exchanged for cash, would amount to twenty million! Luo Jun had never seen so much money in his life; its value would be even higher if used in Lingyun City!

No, a great hero like myself cannot be defeated by money!

Luo Jun steadied himself and turned to look at Ling Yi.

"I've accepted the money. As for the extra reward you mentioned... I do have something I'd like to ask the Ling Family for help with."

(End of this chapter)