Treasure Chests and Refugee Camps

Chapter 22: Treasure Chests and Refugee Camps

Just as Li Wei had anticipated, the gargoyles' ability to traverse land was far inferior to their flight. By simply forming a defensive circle with the militiamen and having the crossbowmen fire at will, they were able to secure an easy victory.

Though it was an easy victory, it still cost the life of one militiaman. A rock-gray gargoyle had seized a gap when the militiaman thrust his spear, extending its stone claws to tear the man's head apart.

However, it was quickly blasted into rubble by USP bullets and several arrows!

By the time all 15 gargoyles had been reduced to piles of stone fragments, only three militiamen remained fit for combat. The five crossbowmen, however, were unscathed, serving as the backbone of Li Wei's forces.

Walking toward the quarry to locate the magic orb, Li Wei was about to reach out and touch it when his gaze inadvertently swept over a corner of the quarry, where a faint golden light was emerging.

"It's a treasure chest!"

This discovery filled Li Wei with pleasant surprise. Setting aside the task of securing the quarry, he strode quickly toward the chest.

Just like its appearance in the game, the box radiated a soft golden glow. Opening it would typically yield gold coins or experience points, but here, it was clearly different from the game.

Taking advantage of the fact that Bai Jie had not yet entered, Li Wei opened the chest.

A flash of light flickered, and a pile of gold coins appeared inside, along with a battle axe that shimmered with a cold light.

"Found 1000 gold coins!"

"Found Centaur Battle Axe!"

It was a weapon!

Stowing the gold, Li Wei picked up the battle axe. "[Centaur Battle Axe], Attack +6, 'You find a battle axe embedded deep in the ground. After much effort, you finally pull it free.'"

The metal axe body was incredibly heavy, and the streamlined handle was wrapped in linen. It felt perfectly balanced in his grip, and the sharp blade glinted coldly. Li Wei's arm muscles tensed as he swung the axe with a fierce chop toward a nearby tree.

The trunk, as thick as a human thigh, was cleaved in two by the sharp blade as if it were made of paper.

"Good!"

With Li Wei's strength already at 9 points, the weight of this axe was just right; the heavy sensation in his hand gave him a great deal of confidence.

Furthermore, Li Wei discovered that the attack power of the units under his command also gained a +6 attribute bonus. When he put the Centaur Battle Axe down, that extra 6 points of attack vanished.

Li Wei began to understand: equipment in the Heroes of Might and Magic world didn't just boost the wearer; the units under his command also received corresponding attribute improvements. Now, those five crossbowmen, with this extra 6 points of attack, were effectively equivalent to having two or three additional crossbowmen; their damage output per volley had increased significantly.

Even so, he could not afford to be careless.

At this moment, Li Wei suddenly remembered the white scroll he had obtained after 'biting to death' that Vampire Count in Dawn City. Due to the urgency of the situation at the time, he hadn't examined it closely, but now it came back to him.

Retrieving the scroll from his tunic, Li Wei inspected it carefully. It was an ordinary parchment scroll, with a bright red wax seal securing the silk thread that bound it. After breaking the seal, Li Wei opened it.

It was covered in text. Although written in an unknown script, Li Wei strangely understood the meaning of every word; he assumed this was also a power derived from Shadow Street.

"Enchantment Scroll: Life Drain. Can imbue a melee weapon with magic. When using the weapon to strike an opponent in combat, there is a certain chance to convert 30% of the damage dealt into vitality. 'This is the mysterious power of the vampire!'"

An enchantment scroll?

Li Wei suddenly recalled that while on Shadow Street, he had seen someone selling similar scrolls. It was a stall that clearly belonged to a veteran; there was an enchantment scroll priced at 3000 points that added 2 points of strength to a weapon. Li Wei had taken note of it at the time.

This Life Drain scroll was undoubtedly worth far more than that one, meaning it was an item valued at over 3000 points.

Li Wei currently lacked a decent melee weapon, so he didn't intend to use the scroll yet. While the Centaur Battle Axe was good, its value was limited to this Heroes of Might and Magic world.

After putting the scroll away, Li Wei occupied the quarry. He had originally intended to lead the remaining militiamen and crossbowmen to capture the final resource point, the 'Gold Mine,' without delay.

However, once he found Bai Jie resting outside the quarry, he had to temporarily abandon his plans to depart immediately.

Ever since they had split up from Zheng Yutong and Wang Kai, Li Wei and his group hadn't rested for a full day. The militiamen and crossbowmen had surprisingly high stamina and were naturally fine. Li Wei, having been strengthened, felt a bit drowsy but it didn't affect his mobility. Bai Jie, however, whose stamina remained at the level of an ordinary person, was struggling to keep up with such an intense pace.

He saw her leaning against a tree trunk, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her pristine medieval-style shirt and leather armor were now filthy and disheveled; through the unfastened buttons, her fair neck and skin were visible.

"Let's rest for a while. I'll go find some food!" Li Wei said, looking at the somewhat pale Bai Jie with a sense of helplessness.

At this moment, he missed Zheng Yutong—not for any other reason, but because it was clear that the veteran possessed some sort of item capable of storing supplies. Their food had originally come from her, but now Li Wei had to fend for himself. After all, he hadn't prepared beforehand.

Leaving the remaining three militiamen and two crossbowmen to protect Bai Jie, Li Wei took three crossbowmen to hunt for prey.

This was a forest, a natural hunting ground, so it didn't take much effort for Li Wei to bag some small animals. His USP pistol ammunition was running low, so he simply put the handgun away; in any case, such weapons seemed effective only against units below Tier 2.

As for the Centaur Battle Axe in his hand, Li Wei liked it more the more he used it. Although it didn't increase his four basic attributes, it boosted his attack power, which was equivalent to an indirect increase in strength. Just like the wild boar before him—Li Wei sent it to the afterlife with a single swing of the axe.

"Take the prey, we're heading back!" No sooner had Li Wei finished speaking than two crossbowmen stepped forward, placing two bamboo poles under the boar's body and securing it with ropes. This way, they could easily transport it by dragging the bamboo frame.

Just then, the other crossbowman who had been scouting ahead ran back quickly and saluted Li Wei.

"My Lord Knight, I discovered a hidden woodland ahead. There is a large camp tent there. Would you like to go take a look?"

Under Li Wei's orders, this crossbowman had been patrolling within a radius of several kilometers and was required to report back if he discovered anything. Clearly, he had found something.

"A camp? A tent?" Li Wei summoned the strategic map. In the location the crossbowman described, the map only showed a forest; there was nothing unusual.

But Li Wei preferred to trust his scout. Regardless of what was actually there, it was certain that something was amiss. Wouldn't it be a pity not to go and see?

Accompanied by the three crossbowmen, Li Wei hurried to the dense forest. Once they passed through the dozens of meters of thicket, they were surprised to find a clearing hidden within the woods. In this clearing, a small camp appeared before Li Wei's eyes.

Only then did the strategic map on the Yellow Paper display this area.

"Refugee Camp discovered!"

Li Wei stared blankly at the prompt on the Yellow Paper, momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected to encounter this type of building here. Refugee camps were a fairly well-known structure in Heroes of Might and Magic; here, by spending a certain amount of resources and gold, one could recruit randomly appearing creatures.

With a heart full of trepidation, Li Wei walked into the camp.

The campfire on the ground still held glowing embers, surrounded by scattered stones and wooden stumps. Several tents were arranged in a triangular formation, enclosing the campsite, and a magical orb of light—much like the one at the resource site—floated within. Li Wei did not hesitate; he stepped forward and pressed his hand against the orb.

The creatures in a Refugee Camp appear randomly, meaning that regardless of their level, the probability of any creature appearing is the same. Here, you might sometimes encounter only a few emaciated militiamen, while at other times, you could recruit powerful beings like dragons or angels.

I hope for good luck!

A virtual light screen appeared before his eyes, much like a visual system. After a few taps, Li Wei saw a virtual image of a creature manifest.

It was a knight mounted on a warhorse, his entire body covered in black armor. Even his warhorse was clad in specialized black plating. Wearing a full-face helmet, only his crimson eyes were visible, and he held a long-handled saber that radiated an aura of terror.

"Level 6 creature, Dread Knight. Attack: 70, Defense: 65, Damage: 80-110, Speed: 40, HP: 500. Special Skills: Curse, Critical Strike. Overall Rating: B3. Recruitment cost: 2000 gold, 200 points!"

Li Wei's eyes lit up. Although he knew high-level units could appear in a Refugee Camp, he hadn't expected his luck to be this good.

The Dread Knight was the most powerful existence among Level 6 units; some even compared them to Level 7 units. Whether in attack, defense, or special skills, they were perfect.

"Recruit Dread Knight!" Although he found it strange to spend his points, Li Wei couldn't afford to worry about that now. He still had plenty of points, but his gold was pitifully low. If not for the treasure chest he had discovered by accident, Li Wei likely wouldn't have had enough money to recruit the Dread Knight.

After confirming, Li Wei's gold dropped from 2000 to 0, and his points decreased by 200. At the same time, the sound of hooves echoed from within one of the tents.

"May darkness shroud the land. Master, Dread Knight Mordel reports for duty!"

A towering Dread Knight emerged from the tent. His warhorse was already more than two heads taller than Li Wei, to say nothing of the knight himself. His pitch-black armor emitted the sound of clashing metal, and his sharp knight's saber was over three meters long; the massive blade, exceeding a meter in length, could surely cleave through any enemy blocking his path.

Powerful, far too powerful!

This was a creature with a B3 rating. The sheer weight of his intangible aura caused Li Wei to instinctively step back twice. Li Wei couldn't help but compare him to the vampire he had encountered earlier, and the result left him shocked: even when facing more than five Vampire Counts, this Dread Knight likely wouldn't be defeated.

Furthermore, this Dread Knight actually had a name?

"Mordel, how do you have your own name?" Having gained absolute control over the Dread Knight, Li Wei asked the question weighing on his mind without reservation.

This was the first unit he had ever encountered that claimed a name for itself.

The question clearly surprised the Dread Knight. His crimson eyes brightened noticeably before dimming once more.

"The great Mordel Family fought bloodily in the war against the undead army twenty years ago. For the honor of knighthood, the Mordel Family was willing to sacrifice everything, even their precious lives, but..." As he spoke, Dread Knight Mordel erupted with a sharp, piercing killing intent.

Leaves drifting down from the trees were instantly sliced into fragments as they neared Mordel, and Li Wei happened to witness the scene.

"...but we were betrayed. Betrayed by those despicable spies to the evil undead. Thus, for the sake of vengeance, I accepted the baptism of death and became a Dread Knight. Great Master, are you willing to help Mordel complete his revenge?"

Before Li Wei could react, a blood-red message popped up on the Yellow Paper.

"Quest: 'Redemption of the Dread Knight'. Help Dread Knight Mordel complete his revenge against his enemies. Quest Rating: A. This quest is optional. If refused, Mordel will still help you complete the main quest 'Reclaim Dawn City'. If accepted, you will voluntarily abandon the main quest, and completing 'Redemption of the Dread Knight' will return you directly to Shadow Street! Rewards will be assessed based on the final completion level!"

Seeing these words, for the first time, Li Wei's hands trembled as he held the Yellow Paper!

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