Oath of Black Edge (Combined Chapters)

The final item from the Dark Gold Chest was a guaranteed quest item: Absolon's Head, which is not included in the drop list.

Overall, the rewards from this counterfeit treasure chest far exceeded Bai Xiaowen's expectations. Bai Xiaowen hadn't anticipated that he would be able to draw a Dark Gold Equipment from such a low probability.

One can imagine how lucrative the rewards would be if an Awakened One were to kill Absolon using their own strength—after all, he is a high-level lord. Don't be fooled by the mere one-level difference between level 7 and level 6; the difference in strength is enormous.

Upon returning to Blackrock Fortress, Bai Xiaowen immediately sought out Nicholas and submitted the mission.

"You actually managed to kill him!"

Upon seeing Absolon's head, Nicholas was completely shocked. He had faced Absolon head-on before and knew how terrifying this Lord Tier powerhouse was.

After a long pause, Nicholas's expression changed from astonishment to joy.

"A-Tier Hero Quest: Kill the Enemy Chief- Submitted, Completion Rating: Satisfactory"

"You have earned 10,000 Human Allied Army Merit Points."

That's all the notification; there are no other rewards.

Logically speaking, the rewards for an A-Tier Hero Quest shouldn't be so meager. Bai Xiaowen previously completed the B-Tier Hero Quest "The Truth of the Plague," and in addition to the Merit Points, he also received a special item called "Broken Oath."

However, Bai Xiaowen knew in his heart that he had killed Absolon by taking a shortcut, and that the mission evaluation was already quite good. The final reward would definitely not be comparable to completing a mission with real swords and spears.

10,000 Merit Points is also quite good, equivalent to one and a half pieces of Gold Equipment.

Then, Nicholas remarked with emotion, "I never imagined that the war to defend Blackrock Fortress would end in this way."

With that sigh, Bai Xiaowen received the second hint:

"S-Tier Main Quest: The Flames of Blackrock has been submitted. Quest Rating: Good."

"You have gained 1500 Human Allied Army Merit Points."

"You have obtained 3 Broken Oath".

"You possess 7 Broken Oath, fulfilling the completion requirements for the side quest: Black Edge's Oath. Submit now?"

"Submit."

Bai Xiaowen suppressed his joy, finally obtaining seven Broken Oath, which could be combined to form Permanent Team-Building Item.

"You have lost 7 Broken Oath".

"You have obtained Oath of Black Edge *1".

Bai Xiaowen glanced at the description of the Oath of Black Edge, which was exactly the same as the mission description, so there was no need to elaborate.

As for the actual bonus effects after the team is formed, the team leader needs to draw them when the team is formed.

After obtaining this Permanent Team-Building Item, Bai Xiaowen felt completely at ease. Even if this trip to the Kane Plane only yielded this Oath of Black Edge, it wouldn't have been a complete waste.

It should be noted that the "level 6 or below" restriction of the Oath of Black Edge only applies to the level of the team leader when creating the team and the level of the team members when joining the team. In other words, before level 6, Bai Xiaowen can choose to create a team at any time and can also recruit awakened members below level 6 into the team.

As for whether a member reaches level 7 or higher after joining the team, it will not have any impact.

"Dio, Job, and Ferdinand reported to me that the Necrotic Plague infected and Plague Undead throughout the Northern Frontier have been forcibly transformed into Zombie ... Was this also part of your plan?" Nicholas said. "You once promised me that you would exterminate all undead creatures transformed by the Necrotic Plague within the Northern Frontier..."

Bai Xiaowen nodded.

Literally speaking, all the Plague Undead in the Northern Frontier have now turned into Zombie, which is another kind of "elimination," and should also be considered as Bai Xiaowen completing his mission.

Nicholas gave a wry smile, "No wonder the Umbrella Plan was so well-prepared; you must have already been brewing this crazy idea back then."

Bai Xiaowen nodded again.

"I really don't know how to describe my feelings right now," Nicholas shook his head and mocked himself. "Perhaps in the eyes of a clever person like you, I, and he, are just pawns?" Nicholas pointed to the table, at the unseeing, grotesque head of Absolon Hertzlit. "I should be glad that you chose the side of humanity."

"Your Highness, I must correct one point," Bai Xiaowen said, "I chose the human faction because I am Human Race, not Orcs or a troll."

Nicholas waved his hand. "Forget it, no need for so much talk. You killed the enemy commander; no one in the Human Allied Army will doubt your loyalty. And me, with this guy's head, I can finally report back to the Imperial Capital..."

After a pause, Nicholas continued, "Your merit in eradicating the Plague Undead in the Northern Frontier should have been recognized by the Imperial authorities. However, the methods you used were undoubtedly unacceptable to the people, and the authorities must also consider public sentiment. Therefore, I will award you this prize in my personal capacity."

Bai Xiaowen could understand Nicholas's meaning. This could actually be seen as punishment for taking shortcuts to complete the S-Tier Hero Quest [Anti-Plague].

The official reward is definitely much better than the private reward. If Bai Xiaowen kills all the Plague Undead and cures all the infected who have not yet mutated, he will receive the official reward.

However, Bai Xiaowen took a shortcut, turning all the infected and Plague Undead into Zombie, cutting off their hope of rescue. Such an action was bound to be both praised and criticized. Even if the imperial authorities supported Bai Xiaowen's actions in their hearts, they would not reward Bai Xiaowen.

However, since it is S-Tier Hero Quest, even if the rewards are reduced, they won't be too bad.

Nicholas said, "I'll give you two choices..."

Spirit Realm Rules Message:

"S-Tier Hero Side Quest: Anti-Plague has been submitted. Quest Completion: 44.95% (Unsatisfactory)."

Please select your reward plan from the following options.

"Reward Option A: 1 White Stone Fief Permanent Enfeoffment Decree"

[White Stone Fief Permanent Enfeoffment Decree: Grants White Stone Fief as your permanent fiefdom. You can view and manage your territory at any time through the Lord Panel (regardless of whether you are in the Kane Plane).]

"Reward Option B: 12,000 Merit Points; You can also choose two pieces of Gold Equipment from Quartermaster Basil Heber as an additional reward."

Bai Xiaowen's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Of the two reward schemes, Scheme A is somewhat vague. What is a permanent fiefdom? Bai Xiaowen's memories do not contain any information on this, and the description of the "Permanent Fief Deed" given by the Spirit Realm Rules only states that one can view and manage the territory, without specifying the exact benefits.

Option B, on the other hand, directly outlines the benefits, and they are quite substantial.

12,000 merit points are equivalent to two pieces of Gold Equipment, not to mention the two bonus pieces, making a total of four pieces of Gold Equipment! What's more, these Gold Equipment are selectable, allowing you to choose the ones that fill your empty equipment slots, providing an immediate boost to your team's strength.

However, the fact that two alternatives have been presented proves one point.

Plan A and Plan B should be roughly equivalent – at least, the Permanent Fief Deed by Plan A is not much inferior to the four pieces of Gold Equipment in Plan B.

The observant Bai Xiaowen also noticed that the prefix for the Permanent Fief Deed was "White Stone Fief," not "White Stone Town"!

Despite the slight difference in name, White Stone Fief was the first fiefdom hundreds of years ago. It has not been reduced in succession and its area is more than ten times that of White Stone Town, and even includes the current Redleaf Fief!

"I choose the first option, the Permanent Fief Deed of White Stone Fief," Bai Xiaowen said.

Nicholas nodded and said, "My magical advisors and chief of staff, after learning of your extradimensional identity, both opposed granting you this permanent fiefdom, advocating for a second reward instead. However, I believe... the Northern Frontier now needs a human stronghold; the isolated Blackrock City alone is insufficient. Although the Remnants ' attack has been thwarted, the threat to the Northern Frontier remains."

"Is Your Highness preparing to leave?" Bai Xiaowen asked.

"That's right, I'm preparing to lead my army through the Zombie horde and back to the Imperial Capital," Prince Nicholas said.

"I hope to travel with His Highness the Prince; we are going to Redleaf City," Bai Xiaowen said.

Although Bai Xiaowen had "WD-03 Disguise Fluid," it wasn't just him and Li Shuyi who were returning to Redleaf City; the White Stone Army soldiers under his command, as well as the group of knights Cecilia had left for him to command, were also going back.

With Nicholas's Imperial Legions leading the way, following them would save a lot of energy, so Bai Xiaowen certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to hitch a ride.

Nicholas, of course, had no objection to this.

Back at the headquarters, Li Shuyi whispered, "I never thought it was possible to complete an S-Tier Hero Quest through such a clever trick, and Nicholas was even willing to take responsibility."

"It's probably related to the mainstream values in the Kane Plane," Bai Xiaowen said. "After arriving in the Kane Plane, I've come to realize that the mainstream values here place great importance on 'contracts'...which is the precursor to the Western concept of the spirit of contract. No matter what the process is, as long as the result meets the requirements of the contract, it must be fulfilled."

Li Shuyi thought for a moment, then nodded and smiled, "It's a bit like the Three Kingdoms Plane World, emphasizing trust and loyalty."

"They are somewhat similar, but there are still significant differences," Bai Xiaowen explained. " In the Three Kingdoms Plane World, trust and loyalty are based on moral principles, adhering to one's own moral conscience. In the Kane Plane, the concept of contracts is based on legal principles, adhering to the law... However, when drafting contracts, one can play word games and exploit loopholes, just like in modern commercial contracts."

Li Shuyi nodded and said, "When we first came in, the heartless butler we encountered, Jobb, used a contract to effectively seize the silver mining rights in White Stone Town... It seems that the concept of trust and righteousness in the Three Kingdoms Plane is better."

"Alright, let's not talk about that for now... I've got the Permanent Team-Building Item, let's create a team now."

Bai Xiaowen took out the Oath of Black Edge and chose to use it.

"You have used a special item: Oath of Black Edge. Upon testing, the Oath of Black Edge is classified as Elite Tier."

"You have created an Elite Tier squad. The squad can currently accommodate a maximum of (2) members, whose level cannot exceed (6)."

"Please draw the bonus effects for the Elite Tier squad. You can draw three times, and finally choose two bonus effects."

Bai Xiaowen sighed inwardly. The Oath of Black Edge item, painstakingly pieced together from seven Broken Oath, was only of Elite Tier squad quality. He couldn't help but wonder how rare the Team-Building Item Hero Squad would be—perhaps requiring a direct confrontation with a lord?

Bai Xiaowen chose to draw a prize.

"Buff A: Resilience: Passive, increases the Life Value of all party members by an additional 30 points."

"Buff B: Brutality: Passive, increases the Critical Hit rate of all party members by an additional 5%."

"Buff C: Tether: Active skill, instantly Tether a squad member within 100 meters to your side. This skill has an 8-hour cooldown, and can be used by all squad members, sharing the cooldown time."

The so-called shared cooldown time means that if one person uses the Tether skill, the other team members will be unable to use the skill again during the 8-hour cooldown period.

All three bonuses are quite good. However, the headache is that one of them must be eliminated.

"Option A, which increases Life Value, is basically a must-choose..." Bai Xiaowen said. "Option C can save your life when facing dangerous bosses, so you should also choose that. This means we have to give up option B... It's a bit of a pity, because the Critical Hit rate bonus from option B would be very helpful for your damage output."

Li Shuyi's current damage output relies heavily on Critical Hit, in addition to attack speed.

First, there's the +4 effect of the Demonfire Jade Pendant, "Scorching," which doubles the fire damage on Critical Hit. Additionally, after reaching level 4, the new passive skill "Thunder Mark" requires Critical Hit to stack; the higher the Critical Hit rate, the faster it stacks.

After thinking for a moment, Li Shuyi offered her opinion. "Xiao Wen, I think that for the three buff effects, choosing one related to survival is enough. My survivability isn't bad right now, and I also have your summoned creatures protecting me."

Bai Xiaowen pondered for a moment. The main reason he chose AC was for the safety of Li Shuyi, a melee DPS. As for himself, with Life Sharing, the 30 Life Value points were not very significant.

It's important to know that there are many items that increase constitution and Life Value, but very few that increase Critical Hit rate.

Furthermore, the squad has just been created and is only level 1. The squad can be upgraded later. After upgrading, the squad's bonus effects will be improved, and the extra critical Critical Hit from the "Brutality" effect will be higher. The growth curve is better than simply increasing some Life Value.

"Then let's choose options B and C. Option A is out," Bai Xiaowen decided.

After confirmation, the Spirit Realm Rules sent a notification:

"You have established an Elite Tier squad, with the confirmed bonuses being: Brutality, Tether."

"The current total number of team members is 1/2. You can invite one Awakened individual below level 6 to join your team."