novelraw Chapter 536: The Peculiarity of Collective Sanity
Chapter 536: The Peculiarity of Collective Sanity
At the same time, sixty li to the south, inside Karndorf Fortress, it was as warm as spring. The stable magic field brought by the Tier-2 Mage Tower gracefully and calmly kept the Great Frost outside the doors.
And the one presiding over this Tier-2 Mage Tower was Falcon Karl's youngest daughter, the Rank 3 Caster, Anna.
At this moment, accompanied by Alovier, she stood on the high city walls, gazing at the snow-covered northern heaven and earth. Liwei Keep was in this direction, but it couldn't be seen.
"Has that Assassin Squad not made a move yet?"
Anna seemed to be talking to herself, but Alovier didn't answer, pretending not to hear. Although he was a trusted general of Falcon Karl, he deeply knew how formidable the methods of this father and daughter were, and how unfathomably deep their shrewdness ran.
A 4th-Tier Mage as awesome as Mountain Eagle Parker, an old fogey of several hundred years, had lost so inexplicably.
So what Assassin Squad, what move? I didn't hear anything. Don't speak recklessly of things that are detrimental to unity.
"Alovier, how do you evaluate this Li Wei?"
But Anna, who was enjoying the snow and ice today, seemed to have caught an interest and still asked. Dressed in a red robe against the backdrop of the sky full of wind and snow, she looked mysterious and beautiful, but Alovier only felt it was dazzling and didn't even dare to look directly for too long.
"To reply to Your Excellency, I haven't had much contact with that Li Wei and have only met him a few times in total. I truly don't know how to evaluate him. However, Li Siyuan seems to have a rather extensive relationship with this Li Wei." Alovier suggested cautiously. Better you die than I, and what he said was the truth anyway. He couldn't fathom it and didn't want to try; his heart was as clear as a blank sheet of paper."Alovier, you're too slippery. You are my father's most trusted person, and you have 5% of the founding shares on my father's Pioneering Card. I treat you as closely as an uncle. What are you afraid of? I was just expressing my feelings. After all, that Li Wei almost became my husband, and he can also be considered an old friend of mine. You definitely wouldn't have guessed it, but ten years ago, when I was bored and went to be a mercenary, I met him. My second personality actually liked him quite a bit..."
Alovier remained silent. These were not words he should be listening to. This Anna was actually already two hundred years old, right? But outwardly, she always liked to claim she was eighteen, um, just turned eighteen...
Of course, these were all minor details. What was truly important was that this Anna was her father's most important strategist. In order to avoid executing missions for the Nine-Star Council, she had always suppressed her strength and not upgraded. Of course, part of the reason was also to deceive Mountain Eagle Parker. That guy Parker hadn't mocked Anna secretly less because of this—a Rank 3 Caster of over two hundred years, what was the difference between that and a pig!
But now that this Anna had come to his Karndorf Fortress, nominally to take charge of the caster division and Mage Tower here, she must actually have very important schemes.
"My father actually doesn't want to see Li Wei assassinated, so he is trying to mediate, but it's very difficult. Alovier, what do you think would be the best way to handle this matter if you were the one to deal with it?"
Anna pressed step by step. It wasn't to make things difficult, but because Alovier was a 4th-Tier Dawn Knight, with extremely powerful combat strength. Previously, in order to confuse Mountain Eagle Parker, he had only used half of his full strength. He clearly could have upgraded to a 4th-Tier Radiant Knight, but forcibly dragged it out and didn't upgrade. Otherwise, how could that Li Yue have had the opportunity to be the first to scale the walls and capture the city?
In fact, if Alovier hadn't maintained an appearance of being as useless as rotten mud for over a century, he wouldn't have been able to deceive Mountain Eagle Parker, causing him to slacken his guard and ultimately suffer defeat in one morning, with no chance of rising again.
Hearing this, Alovier finally asked solemnly, "May I ask Your Excellency, is this Lord Karl's intention, or... Of course, I don't mean anything else, but the matter is of great importance, so I must be cautious."
"It is my father's intention, because he is also unsure whether this assassin was sent by my grandfather. Over the past half month, he has probed indirectly once, but received no reply. However, both publicly and privately, he does not wish for Li Wei to be assassinated. You might not know this yet, but just ten days ago, perhaps because Li Wei was reorganizing his army and preparing for war, resulting in an increase in overall loyalty, my father's Sanity increased by one point again. That is to say, this Li Wei alone is able to provide my father with two points of Sanity."
"Do you know what this means?"
Anna spoke calmly. This was a point that she and Falcon Karl hadn't expected either. Sanity was a very hidden special attribute, and personal experience, strength, and equipment didn't have much impact on it; instead, it heavily depended on the group and team status.
This thing couldn't be increased by relying on free attribute points, nor could Origin Particles do anything.
It could only be generated by a team, by a collective society.
This was a very complicated calculation formula, and it was unknown what it was anchored to. In short, the reason Falcon Karl tried every means possible to eliminate his younger brother, Mountain Eagle Parker, was because his existence had constantly been dragging down his Sanity...
"Two points of Collective Sanity? Then this Li Wei is quite capable!"
Alovier was finally moved for once. He pondered for a long time, and finally nodded, "Alright, I understand. Next, I will contact Li Wei and see if his Tier-2 Flame Mage Tower has successfully upgraded. If not, I can help..."
Hearing these words, Anna finally nodded in satisfaction. Her previous talk of marrying Li Wei was also just a cover, but when Li Wei was able to provide two points of Sanity, she immediately realized that it was best to marry over there after all.
But times had changed. A month ago, Li Wei probably would have happily married her. And under pressure from all sides, if he wasn't willing to give 30% of the founding shares, 20% or 10% could always be given. Wasn't the essence of a matrimonial alliance precisely this? Did he really think she was just after a "just turned eighteen"?
However, after experiencing the previous incident, things wouldn't go so smoothly. Li Wei already had a grudge in his heart. So, helping Li Wei get rid of or drive away this Assassin Squad was the best bargaining chip.
Of course, this required Alovier to upgrade his 4th-Tier Dawn Knight Card to a 4th-Tier Radiant Knight Card. He personally wasn't willing to upgrade because that involved the difficulty of mandatory missions issued by the Alliance of Myriad Heavens Lords and the Nine-Star Council—she was guessing, so it wasn't a violation; this was a privilege only smart people had.
Therefore, she specifically came here, using all sorts of persuasion, reasoning, and emotional appeals...
Because the only one who could save Li Wei was Alovier. When Alovier in his prime state led eight hundred heavy cavalry, with the black war standard fluttering, it would truly be like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting. The entire force's Delusion Breaking could be stacked up to 30 points. Any Assassin Squad would have to be driven out under this kind of imposing aura and flee far away.
And if the opponent didn't announce their affiliation, just killing them outright wasn't impossible either.
This was class restraint.
"Buzz~"
Inside Liwei Keep, with Hathaway slowly controlling it, the fully upgraded Tier-2 Flame Mage Tower slowly activated. A visible magic field was forming, first enveloping the entirety of Liwei Keep, making the inside as warm as spring. Then this magic field continuously pushed outward; wherever it passed, the accumulated snow melted, the Frost Mana was transformed, and all dangerous factors were eliminated.
At the same time, Tucker also activated another Necromancer Tower. The true purpose of this Mage Tower was that, with it as the center, within a radius of one hundred li and for twenty-four hours, one hundred allied personnel would receive the Near-Death Rescue of the Necromancer Tower at the moment they were about to die in battle, preventing the Temple Knight Mark from having to go to the front lines as well.
Additionally, with this Necromancer Tower, paired with an All-Heavens Temple, those who died in battle in the future could be resurrected directly within the territory, without needing to return to the Flame Territory to resurrect.
However, this Necromancer Tower could equally be used for combat, for transforming Frost Mana, and for helping with maintenance.
At this moment, the two Mage Towers combined their strength, and in less than an hour's time, they covered and enveloped the surroundings of Liwei Keep, as well as the valley inside Liwei Keep, along with that perimeter wall fortress defense line. Now, troops could be stationed there again.
This commotion was huge, making it almost impossible to hide it from the three assassins in Fierzway Fortress to the north. "When it's a lost cause, one should give up! Since Liwei Keep has already upgraded the Tier-2 Flame Mage Tower, supplemented by a Necromancer Tower, this shows he is fully prepared. There is no longer any need to proceed with this battle. You Ji, according to what we agreed upon previously, I am withdrawing. Goodbye."
While speaking, that grey-robed mage decisively left directly with a teleportation.
That warrior sighed helplessly, and similarly left without a word. The mage had already left, so what was there to play with? 4th-Tier Legends didn't court death like this. So what if you could perceive and suppress the entire field?
Without propitious circumstances, that was just throwing one's life away.
Already being 4th-Tier Legends, they couldn't possibly be unable to see through even this!
Up until this moment, that assassin Peregrine finally gave a helpless, bitter smile. Yes, no matter how much the employer gave or how good their relationship was, it had no meaning in the face of death. He had never died in battle all the way up to 4th-Tier Legend; did he really want to break the rule today?
The reason he invited that mage and warrior was actually because he wanted to use Inspiration Suppression to mislead the two Rank 3 Casters in Liwei Keep, forcing them to make mistakes in their haste. After all, how could a Tier-2 Mage Tower be upgraded successfully so easily?
Once the upgrade failed, as the infiltration of Frost Mana increased, then that would be his best assassination opportunity.
Otherwise?
If he still persisted, then he was truly a pig's head.
He would just wait for the next opportunity.
Without realizing it, this assassin Peregrine also left.
And at the same time, Alovier also applied for a conversation with Li Wei through the faction channel.
At this moment, under the escort of the Guard Legion, the Ice Legion, and the Blazing Legion, Li Wei was inspecting the valley of Liwei Keep. He even once ascended the easternmost fortress. This place was a full fifty li away from Liwei Keep, far enough away. If an assassin was peeking from the side, they absolutely wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
Especially since Li Wei only had less than a thousand troops around him at this moment...
But the result greeting him was only the bitter cold wind and endless ice and snow.
"Huh? Your Excellency Porcupine, may I ask what your instructions are?"
Li Wei was very surprised; it was quite unprecedented. Speaking of which, he still had a very good impression of this Alovier.
"Brother Li Wei, the Great Frost is arriving. Karl is very worried about the situation on your side, so he specially asked me to come and inquire. I wonder if your side is already prepared?"
Alovier spoke flawlessly. He couldn't just come out and say this or that right away; he had to leave room for maneuvering for both sides.
"Many thanks for old brother's concern, and also many thanks for Lord Karl's care. Lord Karl truly treats me like a father and older brother. However, please relay to Lord Karl, Lord Governor, that everything is fine here. We are currently preparing for the new year's spring plowing." Li Wei said without thinking. This was the truth anyway.
If the assassins weren't coming to attack, he still had to live his life, right?
"Haha! Then truly congratulations. If you have any matters in the future, feel free to mention them to me."
Alovier laughed a bit, and then politely ended the conversation. He didn't mention a single word about Anna's previous request. It was impossible to mention. Since Li Wei was already preparing for spring plowing, it meant they had already finished upgrading the Tier-2 Flame Mage Tower.
Under these circumstances, even that Assassin Squad couldn't possibly risk a strike. 4th-Tier Legends were powerful, not idiots.
At this moment, Alovier pretended to look at the vast snowy scenery in the distance. As for the Anna beside him, whose face was turning black, he could only pretend not to see her.
For some things and some people, missing out meant missing out.