Individual Calculations

Chapter 69: Individual Calculations

Laura was struck by a strange feeling. She never expected that a mere scent would evoke so many thoughts. In Laura's mind, scents were usually associated with simple descriptors like "fragrant" or "stinky." But the scent she caught from Zhao Hai made her feel invigorated and full of vitality.

Laura was taken aback, but Zhao Hai took the opportunity to stop and turned to look at Laura's beautiful face. He calmly asked, "Miss Laura, do you have something else to discuss?"

Laura snapped out of her daze, her face reddening. She quickly let go of Zhao Hai's clothes and bowed, saying, "Apologies for my improper conduct towards you, respected Magician. May I know your name?"

Zhao Hai chuckled and replied, "Of course, my name is Zhao Hai." He decided to use his Earth name, as claiming to be Adam Buda would only lead to trouble.

Laura took out a Golden Token from her pocket and held it out to Zhao Hai. She said, "Mr. Zhao Hai, this is our Markey Delphi Merchant Union's Distinguished Guest Golden Token. With this token, you can enjoy a 20% discount at any Markey Delphi Trading Company on the continent. If you spend at the Markey Delphi Trading Company in the Purcell Duchy, you will receive a 50% discount. And if you wish to sell items to the Trading Company, they will offer you a price higher than the market value. Although I know this gesture pales in comparison to your benevolent rescue, it represents my gratitude. Please accept it."

Laura bowed and held the Golden Token high above her head, but Zhao Hai didn't reach out to take it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Miss Laura." He carefully examined the Golden Token, which was about the size of a palm. Made of pure gold, it had an elegant design resembling a blooming Red Spider Lily. The words "Markey Delphi" were inscribed in the center of the token.

Seeing Zhao Hai accept the Golden Token, Laura let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried that he wouldn't accept it. Laura felt grateful, but the main reason she offered the Golden Token was to establish a connection with Zhao Hai. In her eyes, Zhao Hai, as an Advanced level Dark Magician, was young and had the powerful Advanced level Warrior Green by his side. If she could form a relationship with Zhao Hai, it would greatly benefit her position within the Clan.

Strength was highly regarded on the Ark Continent. If Laura could become friends with an Advanced level Dark Magician like Zhao Hai, it would have a tremendous impact on her standing within the Clan. Seeing Zhao Hai accept the Golden Token, she felt relieved, as this meant she could gradually develop a closer relationship with him.

After Zhao Hai received the Golden Token, he put it in his sleeve, but instead of keeping it there, he directly put it into his Space. Only a moment had passed, and it seemed as though he had stored it away with a mere sleeve.

With the Golden Token in hand, Zhao Hai said to Laura, "Miss Laura, you have important matters to attend to. I won't keep you any longer. We may meet again in the future if the opportunity arises." With that, he turned and walked away. Laura didn't stop him but called out, "If you have time, please visit me at Markey Delphi Trading Company. You can go to any Markey Family shop and ask for my information."

Zhao Hai didn't turn around but waved his hand gently before climbing out of Alien's mouth. Meg and Green followed him, and they all entered Alien's body. The alien quickly left the battlefield.

Laura watched Alien disappear into the distance and let out a long breath. A 15- to 16-year-old girl with a small stature approached her. The girl held a box containing the Undead method ball and was dressed as a maid. With a height of just over one meter, she appeared petite and adorable standing next to Laura.

The girl asked, "Miss, can we really camp here?"

Laura looked at the corpses and broken bones on the battlefield and a cold glint flashed in her eyes. She said, "Of course, we will rest here for the night and set off early tomorrow morning. We must reach the Black Mountain stopper as soon as possible. Sergio, send someone to scout behind the embankment. This matter doesn't seem so simple."

A warrior nodded and quickly ran toward the embankment. Laura then turned to the maid and asked, "Ni'er, did I scare you?"

Although Ni'er's complexion was pale, she vigorously shook her head. Laura looked at Ni'er with affection and gently patted her head, saying, "Don't be afraid, Ni'er. I won't let anything happen to you."

Although Ni'er was officially Laura's maid, they had grown up together and had a sister-like bond. Due to Laura's dominant personality, Ni'er usually appeared as an older sister figure. Laura was also feeling sad at the moment, but she had to comfort Ni'er.

Laura knew deep down that their situation was precarious. The path they were taking and their entire plan were only known to a select few key figures within the Clan. However, the undead Mercenary Group had managed to ambush them here several days in advance. This indicated that someone had leaked their plans to the undead Mercenary Group, and the most likely culprit was someone from the Markey Family.

Though Laura couldn't pinpoint who exactly was behind this, she knew that her suspicions were limited to a certain range. She understood that within the Clan, there were probably more than one or two people hoping for her demise. Her father was the second in line to succeed the Clan, and his position had become more secure since Laura took over the family business. This had put pressure on the other potential successors.

In a powerful Clan, the competition for leadership was ruthless. Laura had come to understand this truth since she took over the business. However, she never expected that the Clan's members would resort to such extreme measures.

In this moment, Laura made a firm decision. No matter what happens in the future, she cannot rely too heavily on the Clan. At this critical juncture, the Clan was the most unreliable. This was also one of the reasons she wanted to build a connection with Zhao Hai. With Zhao Hai's support as a powerful Magician, Laura would have the confidence to start her own faction and not fear retaliation from the Clan.

Unaware of Laura's thoughts, Zhao Hai was puzzled about the intentions behind the attack from the undead Mercenary Group. However, he would soon find out.

Zhao Hai and his companions quickly left the battlefield and gathered inside Alien's body. Zhao Hai handed the Golden Token to Green and asked, "Grandpa Green, can this Golden Token help us achieve our plans?"

Green carefully examined the Golden Token and replied, "Yes, with this Golden Token, and considering our favor to Laura, it will greatly benefit our future development. Laura is the daughter of the second successor of the Markey Family and has been handling the Markey Family business in the Purcell Duchy. This connection will be advantageous for us."

Zhao Hai furrowed his brow and asked, "Could anyone suspect our true identity?"

Green shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be a problem, Young Master. After we sell the radishes and return to Black Wasteland, you can immediately send the undead Mercenary Group members to Carrion Swamp to subdue Undead Creatures. We can release those Undead Creatures we received and make it seem like they were wandering around Black Wasteland. This way, it will be difficult for anyone to enter Black Wasteland, and we will be safe. We can wait for the undead Mercenary Group members to arrive, and it will make us even safer."

Zhao Hai nodded and waved his hand. Eight members of the undead Mercenary Group appeared before him. The room inside Alien's body was spacious enough to accommodate them all. These eight people wore Black Magic robes similar to Zhao Hai's, and each held a Magic Staff. They had just arrived and immediately saluted Zhao Hai, saying in unison, "Master."

Zhao Hai nodded and ordered, "Remove your hoods." The eight people obeyed and removed their hoods, revealing Skull-like heads made of dark green Crystal. They had a certain aesthetic appeal, and the red Soul Fire in their eyes added to their enigmatic aura.

Zhao Hai nodded and asked solemnly, "Why did you attack Laura?"

The intelligence of the eight members was not significantly affected, and they promptly replied, "Master, we received information from a member of the Markey Family that Laura possesses an Undead method ball capable of increasing the level of Undead Creatures. That's why we took action."

Zhao Hai was taken aback and asked, "Are you saying that you received this information from a member of the Markey Family? Who told you?"

Suddenly, Green interjected, "Young Master, what are you saying? Can they speak?"