Chapter 251, "Ink-Scaled Leather Armor"
"Damn, level 13."
A mount reaching level 13.
According to the rules of this world, level 10 is the third tier for Professionals, and at that level, one could easily become a gang leader or mercenary group captain.
Level 13 is already considered a high level.
You could even be a steward in Blackstone Town with that.
Leaving Blackstone Town and Rentam City, Wu Heng discovered that the world outside was completely different from what he had imagined.
Before, he thought that being a steward meant being a top-tier powerhouse, but after arriving in Rentam City, he found that even the leader of the Mountain Bandits' Warhammer Gang was level 16.
Now, having left Rentam City and headed to Gold-Silver Island, even the pirates' mounts were level 13.
It's the same world, yet the differences are vast.
The skeletal dragon shook its body, lowering its head slightly, displaying an unexpected docility given its size.
Wu Heng patted its large head.
Li Yanhong cautiously hid behind him, saying, "Is it a dragon, like Daenerys's pet from that TV show? The kind that breathes fire."
Wu Heng looked at the dragon and thought for a moment, "It's a type of dragon, but this one can't breathe fire."
If this dragon could breathe fire, the pirates wouldn't need to throw Windfire Grenades.
According to the dwarf captain, it was more like a dragon-shaped beast.
"It's just bones now, so obviously it can't breathe fire, but it still looks pretty fierce," Li Yanhong said, still a bit surprised.
Its mere presence exuded a powerful intimidation, even without considering its attack power.
It was indeed quite formidable.
"Want me to help you ride it for a flight?"
"Ride what? Sit on bones?" Li Yanhong retorted.
Wu Heng chuckled; he was just teasing her.
Riding a dragon isn't like riding a motorcycle.
If they fell from the sky, the only thing he could do would be to use [Resurrection] to bring her soul back.
......
After exchanging a few words.
Wu Heng began to check the dragon's stats.
[Skeletal Dragon (Level 13)]
[Level: 13]
[Attributes: Constitution 19, Strength 24, Agility 15, Perception 12, Intelligence 5, Charisma 6.]
[Traits: Hollow Skeleton, Basic Soulfire, Flight, Aerial Hunter.]
[Abilities: Bite, Claw Attack.]
[Aerial Hunter: The dragon avoids ground combat. If injured or trapped, it will try to return to the sky as soon as possible. When fighting in the air, Agility +5, Perception +3.]
Its stats weren't as exaggerated as one might expect.
Its biggest advantage was flight, with no special skills, and its attacks were just biting and clawing.
Similar to how beasts attack.
"From now on, you'll be called Dragon One. You're to follow us and not harm any living creatures unless attacked," Wu Heng gave it a simple name and issued a command.
Leading the skeletal dragon out of the warehouse, its massive and heavy form immediately drew the attention of everyone in the base.
People widened their eyes, their faces full of shock and disbelief.
"Holy crap, is that a dragon? A Western skeletal dragon?"
"A mutated vulture, maybe? There's no such thing as real dragons."
"Holy crap, a skeletal dragon! This thing was insanely powerful in the games I played."
"Sister Hong awakened an ability a few days ago, and now there's a skeletal dragon. Our shelter is about to soar!"
"It's already soaring, duh!"
The crowd began whispering to each other.
Li Yanhong clapped her hands and said, "This is our shelter's new skeletal member. It won't attack anyone, so don't make any threatening moves toward it."
"Got it, Sister Hong," the crowd responded with nods.
The people at the base were already used to skeletons.
And having such a fierce creature join them would surely strengthen the shelter overall.
"Alright, everyone back to work!" Li Yanhong continued.
The crowd dispersed and went back to their tasks.
......
Wu Heng and Li Yanhong took a walk around the passenger station, showing themselves to all the survivors.
As dusk approached, Wu Heng joined them in the dining hall for dinner.
Afterward, he went back upstairs to his room.
Li Yanhong followed him into the room.
She immediately jumped into his arms, standing on tiptoes to kiss him hard.
After a long while, they finally parted.
Li Yanhong pushed him down onto the bed forcefully, saying, "I promised to repay you. You're not leaving tonight."
Wu Heng slid his hand around her waist, "I'm not going anywhere."
Li Yanhong smiled and pulled off her shirt with a flex of her arms.
Her figure was already athletic, and with the boost from potions, she was strong and graceful.
Her muscles were well-defined, with visible abs, and her tanned skin made her look like a powerful lioness.
Time passed little by little.
Wu Heng glanced at Li Yanhong, lying unconscious on the bed.
The increase in his attributes, particularly Constitution and Endurance, was evident.
Wu Heng lightly patted her, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just tired."
"Can you go another round?" Wu Heng asked.
"You go ahead. I can't move," Li Yanhong gave up completely.
"Is this how you repay people? What kind of attitude is that? I want to file a complaint."
"Tch~!" Li Yanhong closed her eyes and ignored him.
Wu Heng leaned over and pulled her back into his arms.
......
The next morning, at Gold-Silver Island.
After breakfast, Wu Heng took Andviel and two skeletal attendants directly to the Guild.
Even though only half of the buildings were in use.
The Guild Hall was still bustling with people.
Most of them dressed in sailor or pirate fashion.
Some warriors wore sailor bandanas under their iron helmets, and thieves in leather armor had telescopes hanging on their chests.
Wu Heng stood in front of the notice board and glanced at it.
The commissions were different from those in Rentam City, focusing on sea patrols, killing pirates, and driving away sea monsters.
Most of the tasks were related to the ocean.
Wu Heng took Andviel to the counter and said, "I'm the new Deputy Steward. Which room has been assigned for my office?"
The staff checked his emblem and immediately bowed, "Deputy Steward, please follow me."
They followed the staff through the hallway and arrived at a room, "Deputy Steward, this is your office."
"Thank you." Wu Heng thanked him and pointed to Andviel, "This is my assistant. Please handle her registration."
A Steward or Deputy Steward could appoint assistants.
Their role was similar to a secretary, but they were not field agents like the Guild's envoys. They were considered local staff.
Typically, people would assign someone they trusted to this role.
Of course, some chose not to have an assistant at all.
The staff nodded, "Miss, please come with me for registration."
Andviel nodded and followed him.
Wu Heng entered the office.
The room was about 70 square meters, with carpeted floors, wooden bookshelves, and furniture, but not much in the way of decoration.
There were a few books about the Guild on the shelves, but nothing else.
Anything else he needed, he'd have to add himself.
Before long, Andviel returned.
She was carrying some armor and clothes.
"Master, the Guild has issued you Deputy Steward armor. They said your merit rewards will be arranged in the next few days."
She placed the armor and clothes on the sofa.
The armor was for Wu Heng, while the clothes were staff uniforms for Andviel.
The armor was a dark blue-black, with a fine layer of scales visible upon closer inspection.
[Ink-Scaled Leather Armor]
(Description: In addition to its excellent defensive properties, it is inscribed with the 'Shield of Protection,' which can activate in a crisis to protect the wearer.)
A magical item!
Outside, this would easily sell for hundreds of silver coins.
The Guild had money to spend.
"Master, let me help you try it on," Andviel said, holding the armor.
Wu Heng removed his old armor, and Andviel helped him put on the new one.
"It looks great!" Andviel said, admiring him.
Wu Heng pinched her cheek, "Your compliments are getting sweeter."
Andviel smiled happily, her face blushing slightly.
......
Lighthouse Street.
With nothing else at the Guild, Wu Heng took Andviel and the skeletons and headed over.
This was the street closest to the port.
It was also where the cargo warehouses were located.
Since the island was small, there wasn't much demand for weapons and gear, so most supplies were shipped in.
Or transferred through this location.
Wu Heng planned to purchase a batch of crossbows to meet the needs of the shelter.
"Deputy Steward Wu Heng~!"
As they walked along, a voice called from behind.
Turning around, he saw the dwarf captain from yesterday, accompanied by a few sailors, walking out of a nearby tavern.
"Captain, not setting sail?" Wu Heng smiled and asked.
He couldn't quite recall the dwarf's name, so he just said that.
"We sail tomorrow morning. Are you here on Guild business?" the dwarf asked as they walked together.
"Just browsing. I heard there are some good deals here," Wu Heng replied.
"What are you looking to buy? I know this place pretty well."
"Crossbows."
The dwarf paused and looked up at him, "Are you buying in bulk?"
"If the price is right, I might buy a lot."
The dwarf paused, then said, "It's noisy here, let's talk in the tavern."
They headed back to the tavern.
This tavern was even more open than those in Rentam City, with women in thin dresses kneeling on the tables.
They held their chests to catch the spilled drinks, pouring them into the mouths of nearby sailors.
The onlookers cheered and laughed loudly.
The whole tavern was full of lively energy.
The dwarf casually greeted the owner before heading upstairs to a private room.
Wu Heng and his group followed him inside.
A waitress brought drinks, served in rough wooden mugs that had clearly been in use for a long time.
"Deputy Steward, how many crossbows do you need?" the dwarf asked directly.
"How many do you have?"
The dwarf continued, "There are 120 heavy crossbows on my ship, all genuine 'Netale' goods. If you buy more than ten, I'll give them to you for 35 silver coins each."
The price was cheaper than in Rentam City.
Even though Wu Heng hadn't yet seen the quality of the crossbows, goods made for export wouldn't be of poor quality.
"What if I buy them all?"
The dwarf squinted, and the sailors with him looked a bit surprised.
"Buy them all, and I'll give them to you for 32 silver coins each."
"25 silver coins."
"That's too low. We barely make a profit at that price."
"Give me your final price. If it's reasonable, I'll buy them all and pay you in full right away," Wu Heng said decisively.
The dwarf thought for a moment before replying, "28 silver coins."
"Deal, I'll take them all." Wu Heng nodded, "What about bolts?"
"Bolts? We didn't transport any, but they can easily be made locally," the dwarf replied.
Wu Heng thought about the situation back at the shelter.
They could handle rough tasks.
But for more refined work, they really weren't up to the task.
Seeing his expression, the dwarf added, "If you want to buy bolts, I can recommend a local blacksmith."
"That works. Let's go check out your crossbows first."
"Don't worry, they're top-notch. Otherwise, I wouldn't have hauled them all this way."
......
They headed to the cargo ship.
Wu Heng handed one of the crossbows to Andviel.
She quickly inspected it and tested it with some bolts provided by the ship.
Thunk! The bowstring made a deep sound.
The bolt hit a wooden board in the distance.
"Miss, that's a great shot!" the dwarf praised.
Before he finished speaking, another bolt followed, hitting right next to the first one and piercing the board.
Andviel, a Ranger, was an expert with bows and crossbows.
Even though she hadn't used a weapon in a long time while serving Wu Heng, her skills hadn't diminished.
"Master, they're good," Andviel said, handing the crossbow back.
Wu Heng nodded, "Alright, I'll take the lot."
The dwarf beamed and immediately had the crossbows brought out.
Wu Heng and Andviel counted them, paid the required silver coins, and stored them all.
"Deputy Steward, do you also need bows? Elven wooden bows are of the highest quality, definitely worth considering."
Wu Heng looked at him, "Can you get them?"
"If you want, I can bring some next time I pass through."
Wu Heng nodded, "Alright, but let's agree on the price first."
"Don't worry, the price will definitely be better than what others offer."
After a brief discussion.
Wu Heng and his group left the cargo ship and headed back to their residence.
......
Back at the residence.
Andviel washed up quickly, tied on an apron, and went to the kitchen to help Minnie prepare dinner.
Minnie began asking about what had happened while they were out.
Having been cooped up at home, she was feeling quite bored.
Wu Heng listened to the two chat for a while.
Then he opened the portal and went to the Zombie World.
Standing outside the building, he waited for a moment, and Li Yanhong soon arrived.
She immediately said, "Ma Zhiyong and his people dismantled the heavy crossbows they bought last time. They were probably trying to reverse-engineer them, but their technique wasn't good enough, so they couldn't reassemble them."
Wu Heng had suspected they'd try to copy the crossbows.
But to take all ten apart and still not be able to put them back together? That seemed unlikely.
Wu Heng asked skeptically, "How do you know what's going on at their shelter?"
"They sent people over with the parts of all ten crossbows, asking us to help reassemble them."