Chapter 63: Survival or Development
Chapter 63: Survival or Development
When Lu HaiKong returned to the mountain fort, Wang Chao, Ma Han, and the others had already tied up Li Xiong and locked him up with the previous bandit leader.
After a busy day, Lu HaiKong took Wang Chao, Ma Han, and the rest directly to the mess hall for a meal.
At some point, Lu HaiKong, the foodie, had lost his ability to concentrate on a meal. Even while eating, he was summarizing the day's events.
The first half of today's plan went perfectly. From their ambush to the end of the battle, it took only a dozen minutes for Lu HaiKong to capture over a hundred raiders from Dark Wind Fort without a scratch, using just eleven men.
This battle was a stunning success, and even the system rewarded Lu HaiKong handsomely. Several system notifications popped up, which Lu HaiKong only had time to check after returning to the fort.
"Congratulations on winning a battle. Your Leadership has increased to 7 points."
"Congratulations on winning a battle. You and your subordinates have gained personal experience and a small amount of Martial Skill Experience."
"Your Bandit Chief has leveled up to level 2."
The Bandit Chief's level-up was still useless, seemingly following the rule of one level per five points. However, the Leadership increase was a pleasant surprise for Lu HaiKong.
With a Leadership of 7, Lu HaiKong could now recruit 70 subordinates. However, these subordinates could only be regular bandits or infantry, and he couldn't recruit leaders or chiefs unless he established his fort or took Wang Damazi's position. For now, he only had ten slots for leaders.
So, recruiting 70 infantry wouldn't be very useful. Lu HaiKong temporarily didn't plan to develop regular bandits because they had poor mobility, which was inconvenient for his situation, and their limited combat power made them a larger target in greater numbers.
However, the Leadership increase was still crucial for Lu HaiKong. He had always wanted to establish his fort, and to do so, he needed a 'Rally Token.' Lu HaiKong had met almost all the requirements for using the token, except for the Leadership requirement of 10 points, which he was still striving for.
Now, he only needed 3 more Leadership points. If he gained one point per battle, his fort wasn't far off.
Besides personal level and Leadership, there was another piece of information in the system notifications that caught Lu HaiKong's attention: the 'small amount of distributable Martial Skill Experience.'
Lu HaiKong checked his Martial Skill Experience and found an additional 3,000 points. He immediately allocated these points to 'Bull Power,' pushing it to the peak of level 2. With some effort, he believed he could raise it to level 3 in a few days.
Wang Chao, Ma Han, and the others also received 3,000 Martial Skill Experience, which Lu HaiKong instructed them to invest in 'Basic Inner Strength' since their 'Gale Blade Technique' and 'Thunderbolt Gun Technique' required it.
After this battle, Lu HaiKong considered his gains significant. Still, these gains paled in comparison to the tens of thousands of gold he had almost obtained but lost.
Although Lu HaiKong had recovered two thousand gold, the missed opportunity for tens of thousands of gold still saddened him.
"Gao Shun, you let tens of thousands of gold slip through your fingers. How can I make up for that loss if I don't bring you here to be a bandit with me?
"Dong Hai Jun, what are you thinking about?" Wang Fatzi's voice suddenly sounded from behind Dong Hai Jun, startling him so much that he almost dropped the bowl he was holding.
"You! Sneaking up on me like that!" Dong Hai Jun glared at Wang Fatzi, dismissing his thoughts as he continued eating from his bowl.
Wang Fatzi smiled gently and sat down in front of Dong Hai Jun, his signature warm smile on display.
"Why are you staring at me? Go away! I can't eat with you watching me like that," Dong Hai Jun said.
Dong Hai Jun and Wang Fatzi had become quite familiar with each other over time, and Dong Hai Jun was especially casual around Wang Fatzi, as he now considered this chubby fellow a friend.
"You can look if you want. After all, you'll be eating a few more meals here in this bandit camp. I bet even you don't know how long you'll be here," Dong Hai Jun said, pausing his eating for a moment before continuing without paying attention to Wang Fatzi. It was clear that Dong Hai Jun's appetite wasn't great, as he put down his bowl after a few bites and wiped his mouth, looking at Wang Fatzi seriously.
"I was planning to take you with me when I leave in a few days, but after thinking about it, I realized I should ask for your opinion. I got news that there will be a campaign to eliminate bandits in Shanwu County soon, and I plan to leave. Do you want to come with me?" Dong Hai Jun looked into Wang Fatzi's eyes and said sincerely, word by word.
"Come with you? What can I do as a cook?" Wang Fatzi maintained his smile, but for a moment, it seemed like there was a hint of genuine joy in his expression, though it might have been a misconception.
In the 1619 version of the novel, it is written clearly without any mistakes!
"You can be a cook if you want, or do whatever you like. I'm inviting you because you're my first friend in this world, and so far, my only one," Dong Hai Jun said, and this was one of the few times he had spoken the truth from the bottom of his heart.
No matter how reclusive a person may seem, everyone craves connection. Dong Hai Jun was someone who tended to repress his emotions, and even when suddenly thrown into this game world, he instinctively hid his fear and anxiety behind a smile. Wang Fatzi was the first person he had interacted with, and for Dong Hai Jun, he held a special significance—like a friend, like an older brother.
Wang Fatzi froze for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "You're being so sentimental! With your big and sturdy build, you should be embarrassed to say such things."
"Just tell me, will you come or not? It's fine if you don't want to, I can just knock you out and take you with me later!" Dong Hai Jun adopted a domineering attitude, as if saying, 'You can have your own thoughts, but in the end, you'll listen to me.'
This guy had spent over a month as a bandit, and while he hadn't developed other skills, he had certainly mastered the art of being a domineering leader.
Wang Fatzi smiled, as if he had already known what kind of person Dong Hai Jun was and what he would say. To be honest, this kind of domineering concern for a friend was something that was hard to dislike.
But Wang Fatzi's smile gradually faded, and his expression turned serious, "Have you thought about what you'll do after leaving this bandit camp? Do you just want to survive in this world with your followers, or do you want to make a name for yourself? Survival or development, which is your choice?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
