Li Ziran looked at the confidence-brimming Karen, then thought of the One-eyed Frog on his belt, and could only worry.
This job was a real headache.
He had only wanted to steal a chicken. He had never expected to become the main force.
With so many eyes watching, how was he supposed to gather corpses?
Difficult!
His thoughts were a tangled mess. This barely counted as his first mission. Joining a slave corps was bad in just this way—many things had to be done whether he wanted to do them or not.
Li Ziran had to calm down and sort out how to handle this. He could not foolishly let others lead him by the nose.
Dwarves were not even as tall as his knees, yet their race possessed brains that all living beings dreamed of. Their minds, which never took a winding path, could easily solve mechanical alchemy problems that defied imagination.
Because they were especially proficient with machinery, Dwarf slaves fetched outrageously high prices on the market. An alchemy Dwarf Apprentice could probably be worth as much as a magic Apprentice.
There were some of this species on the Wasteland, but most served large mercenary corps and rarely looked favorably upon Slave-Catching Groups.
Moreover, anyone capable of operating a Teleportation Array was certainly no ordinary Dwarf. If that Dwarf was also a member of the slave corps, there was even more to be said.
The simplest way to judge the caliber of a slave corps was to look at the diversity of races within it, especially rare races.
A beginner slave corps like Karen's, with three Dark Elf archers and a junior fire Mage, was considered rather outstanding.
Though the rankings were somewhat vague, this was an age-old rule of thumb on the Wasteland.
A person could only eat as much meat as their ability allowed. This rule was especially important in the slave trade.
Corpse Dragon!
The term surfaced in Li Ziran's mind again without warning. He was unfamiliar with the undead field. The only thing he had dealt with was ordinary Skeleton summoning, and even that had relied on the power of Necromancer's Rope.
Strictly speaking, corpses and living beings were clearly different.
Living beings functioned through neural networks. Only by drawing elemental power from the Elemental Tide through those neural networks could they live. But within a corpse, the neural network was utterly useless.
He had heard a Necromancer say that undead creatures functioned because magic power accumulated within their remains, forming a unique Necromantic Power.
This Necromantic Power formed a unique Necromantic Network.
Magic was Li Ziran's greatest weakness. Whenever he brushed against this field, his mind immediately turned into a pot of porridge.
This was the subject he feared most. He would rather perform two more difficult organ surgeries than touch such an unfamiliar field.
But he knew that some steps had to be taken. In this era ruled by the Elemental Tide, every last detail of a living being was inseparable from magic power.
He had been trying, but had yet to achieve anything.
"It's a little difficult." Li Ziran forced out a smile. "Is there a strategy?"
Karen shook his head. "No. Do it your way. Don't worry, even if you mess it up, it won't matter much."
Li Ziran did not see it that way. Words like those had to be heard in reverse—mess it up, and it would cost him his life.
On the fiercely competitive Wasteland, especially among those who had traveled thousands of miles to make a fortune here, the Survival Law was followed even more closely.
They had not come here to do charity.
"Am I the chief surgeon?"
"Of course!" As if afraid Li Ziran had not heard him clearly, Karen emphasized it again. "I believe in you. Besides, I plan to take thirty percent in this distribution."
One-third?
Li Ziran's brows knit slightly. If they truly faced a Swamp Kingdom this time, the difficulty would certainly not be small. To overcome such a challenge while taking one-third of the gains, a low-level slave corps would inevitably need to make a considerable investment.
Karen had quite an appetite!
That meant his mission would be very heavy. He could not understand it. Even he himself had no confidence, so why was Karen so full of confidence?
"Tell me the specific plan."
"There is no plan." Karen answered frankly.
Li Ziran was stunned. He laughed directly at the corps leader. "You're joking with me, right?" He was a little angry. In a crucial conversation like this, he had never liked so-called jokes used to liven up the atmosphere.
Though he had never intended to serve the slave corps wholeheartedly, he did not want the slightest carelessness in surgery.
Who would dare perform surgery without preparation?
"No, that is the truth. Don't mind it; it is my habit. I never make plans for any operation. Plans restrain me. We only need to set a goal, then move toward it. You will get used to it in the future. There is a high degree of freedom in my team, so I do not need plans to restrain you." Karen was very solemn.
But in Li Ziran's eyes, that solemnity was excessive. Though he admitted that such an idea sounded comfortable, and admitted that freedom could create miracles, he understood the essence of survival even better.
Before survival, exploitation was the best method. No matter how many twists and turns one used, only by endlessly exploiting those below them could those above endlessly raise their own value.
Whether labor or ability, as long as one existed within the food chain, no one could escape.
All he could think was, what made Karen believe that if he were allowed to act freely, the slave corps could take thirty percent? Was this even a mission?
It was completely like children playing house!
"Tell me the exact situation, in detail, including my competitors." Though his heart resisted, Li Ziran became very serious. He wanted to live, not casually joke around.
After the surgery, there would be plenty of time for idle chatter.
Karen hesitated for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
"Li, since you have joined the slave corps, you have the right to know many things. Judging from the swamp torn open by the Elemental Tide, we have been lucky enough to encounter an independent Swamp Kingdom. This kingdom will probably disappear in about two days.
"It is ruled by Medusa. According to our current scouting reports, there are one hundred and twenty-seven adult Medusas, more than eight hundred Crocodile Warriors surrounding them, over three thousand Snake Women, and more than ten thousand Swamp Fishmen. This batch of goods is plentiful and intact."
"It isn't ruled by Medusa!" At that moment, a voice suddenly interrupted Li Ziran's listening. It came from the One-eyed Frog at his waist.
"Not ruled by Medusa?" Li Ziran murmured softly.
"What?" Karen asked, clearly displeased by Li Ziran's interruption.
"Nothing. I just think the lineup is rather huge. We simply can't swallow it with our strength alone." Li Ziran made an excuse.
Karen smiled. "Of course. If it were just us, we would have run long ago. But this time, the Cannon Slave Corps is taking the lead. They are an advanced Slave-Catching Group with countless methods. Including us, seven slave corps are participating in the hunt, with a total force of two thousand. Swallowing this swamp will be as easy as turning over one's hand!"
Li Ziran was a little dazed. If he had not known Karen's character, he would definitely have taken him for a fanatic.
A complete kingdom, even the lowest-level one, possessed a complete system. A complete system meant sound systems of development and warfare.
Forget an advanced slave corps—even if a super slave corps took part, it would probably be difficult to breach it.
The only thing Li Ziran could think of was the Wasteland's current annexation of the swamp. Without the swamp's cover, the combat strength of the Snake Women and Crocodile Warriors would drop by at least half.
Clearly, the slave corps intended to exploit this favorable terrain.
But even so, this collision was equivalent to a large-scale army battle. Moreover, the swamp side had no path of retreat. Their resistance would surely be ferocious.
The Survival Law told him again and again that he was standing on the mouth of a volcano.
This was not getting rich. This was courting death!
Leave!
Li Ziran had formed his own plan. No matter how profitable it might be, he had to find a way to get out as soon as possible.
He needed to have a proper talk with Medusa, preferably to understand the entire sequence of events.
"It is very difficult." Li Ziran hid his inner thoughts behind a smile. "Fine, I will participate. This is my first step after coming to the slave corps. I will definitely prove myself with my own ability!"
"Good, Li!" Karen was delighted. "Then we will gather at the Cannon Slave Corps' camp. Your abilities will definitely make them stare in astonishment!"
"Good, Karen. Could you find me an assistant? The stronger, the better. I will need one." Li Ziran wanted to send the corps leader away. He needed to buy some time.
"This... is that necessary?" Karen did not want to waste time.
"Yes, it is necessary. You must understand, this time it is a Corpse Dragon!" Li Ziran deliberately emphasized the most important thing.
Though Karen was still hesitating, when he saw Li Ziran's increasingly resolute expression, he could only say helplessly, "Fine. I will bring one to you shortly."
After Li Ziran waited until the other's back had completely disappeared, he suddenly turned and slipped into the toilet. At that moment, this foul-smelling little space instead gave him an unusual sense of security.
He had been about to untie the red rope at his waist, but the One-eyed Frog had already broken free on its own. Wrapped in a green membrane, it rapidly grew to the height of an adult. Before Li Ziran could speak, it blurted out first.
"He is lying. You cannot believe a single word he says. He is wickedly cunning. If not for him, my sisters and I would never have ended up stranded outside..."
The Medusa girl spoke extremely fast, as if she wanted to paint Karen as a heinously evil villain in a single instant.
Li Ziran could infer some things. This Medusa had certainly encountered Karen before, and Karen had used certain methods—deception, perhaps—to capture Medusa.
In Medusa's eyes, Karen was naturally bad.
But in Li Ziran's eyes, all of it was simply the Survival Law.
He admitted that Karen had methods, but he did not want to become enemies with someone like him because of Medusa.
"Tell me, why did you interrupt me? You said this place is not ruled by Medusa, so who controls it?" Li Ziran asked sternly. He needed to gather information.
"He said he would help us find a new habitat. My aunt took him into the Medusa camp..."
"Get to the point!" Li Ziran cut her off directly. Karen had not given him much time, and he had no desire to listen to her tale of suffering. "Who controls this place?"
Medusa was frightened by Li Ziran's fierce gaze and blurted out, "The Swamp Dragon!"
"The Swamp Dragon?"
Li Ziran asked in astonishment.
Dragons were the world's most supreme creatures. Their inborn dragonhide could devour rare energy from the Elemental Tide, allowing them to evolve into the ever-changing Dragon Race.
Every Dragon was an overlord that this world could not resist.
"Yes, the Swamp Dragon!"
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