Chapter 126: On the Warship (Part-25)

“Yes,” Elder Lu continued. “They are called sky raiders because they rob in the skies. Unlike ordinary bandits who turn to crime out of desperation, these people are trained as sky raiders from birth.”

“They fly a black banner marked with a skull, and their emblem is a badge depicting a ferocious beast with its mouth wide open. Because of that emblem, warriors across the Four Domains call them the Reaper Bandits.”

“They don’t prey on the weak or the unknown. They have no interest in ordinary targets. Instead, they specialize in attacking warships in the sky. The two great palaces and the three major clans of the Four Domains have all suffered losses at their hands.”

“They come without warning and leave without a trace. Their strength is terrifying. No matter how many you kill, new experts appear the next time. No one knows where they come from or when they will strike. Once they appear, they leave no survivors. That is the Reaper Bandits.”

Ryan finally understood. No wonder the enemy had attacked without warning or negotiation. They were not here to bargain. They were here to slaughter and plunder.

After a moment, Ryan asked again, “Has no one in the Four Domains ever tried to investigate their origins? With how dangerous they are, it seems like the Four Domains should have united to wipe them out.”

Elder Lu’s expression grew heavy. “They did try.”

“The six great powers of the Four Domains, including Western Mansion, once joined forces. A thousand experts were sent beyond the domains to investigate. That team was made up of high-rank figures from all six forces. Every one of them was powerful.”

“But they never came back.”

“Not a single message, not a single trace.”

“That expedition cost the six forces dearly. Western Mansion alone lost hundreds of elite warriors. No one knows whether they are dead or alive. After that, no one dared to send another investigation force beyond the domains.”

“So the Reaper Bandits were allowed to run rampant.”

“When we encounter them, if we’re lucky and have strong experts present, we might wipe them out once, like what happened today. But more often than not, luck isn’t on our side. They always have stronger experts than us.”

“This time, you saw it yourself. Western Mansion had me, but the Reaper Bandits had a Lord rank expert even stronger than me. We had Upper Exalts, but they had even more. If not for you, Li Wei, this would have ended in total annihilation.”

He paused, then sighed softly. “Fortunately, they don’t appear often. It can take a long time before one encounter happens. But when they do appear… all one can say is that the unlucky ones happened to meet them.”

Elder Lu finished speaking slowly, his tone heavy, as if carrying the weight of countless bloody encounters.

“Mm. I understand now. In the Four Domains, the Reaper Bandits are like a malignant tumor. Disgusting, stubborn, and impossible to ignore.” Ryan nodded, finally piecing everything together.

No wonder everyone on the Void Warship had been so terrified when the Reaper Bandits appeared.

An enemy that couldn’t be eradicated, that emerged from nowhere to harass and slaughter from time to time, was enough to drive anyone mad.

A cold resolve formed in Ryan’s heart. As long as he grew strong enough, he would one day trace these thieves back to their source, find their lair, and uproot them completely.

Such filth should not exist.

And the moment this thought took shape—

“Ding, congratulations to the player Ryan for receiving a mainline mission: ’Explore the Reaper Bandits’ nest and exterminate the Reaper Bandits.’ Mission duration: unlimited.”

Ryan froze.

Another mainline mission?

Just from thinking about it?

At this point, Ryan already had three unfinished mainline missions.

The first was to challenge Shangguan Siyu at Heaven’s Gate half a year later.

The second was to wipe out the dark forces behind the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps.

And now, this third one.

All three had one thing in common. They were born from his own thoughts and intentions.

A strange realization flickered through his mind.

Could it be that whenever he formed a strong resolve about something important, the system would respond with a mainline mission?

Thinking of the terrifying rewards tied to mainline missions, Ryan felt his blood heat up.

If that was really the case, then in the future, he would have to think carefully whenever he encountered something worth doing.

“Li Wei.”

Elder Lu’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.

“I’ve answered quite a few of your questions,” Elder Lu said with a faint smile. “Now, can you answer one of mine?”

Ryan’s heart tightened slightly. “What would Elder Lu like to know?”

The God of War System was his greatest secret. He could not reveal it, nor could he explain many of the things surrounding his strength. If Elder Lu pressed him too deeply, Ryan truly wouldn’t know how to respond.

As if seeing through his hesitation, Elder Lu chuckled softly. “Relax. Everyone has their own secrets. I won’t pry into yours. I only want to ask one thing.”

“What is your attitude toward Western Mansion?”

“My… attitude?” Ryan paused.

This was not about power or secrets, so his heart relaxed.

Thinking back, Ryan had only taken the Western Mansion entrance examination because of his father, Lan Gengxin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered at all.

But as time passed, his impression of Western Mansion quietly changed.

This place was not as cold or complicated as he had imagined.

Whether it was Wang Zongyao, Tang Wuying, or Elder Lu, they were all upright people. Powerful, yet not arrogant. Strong, yet willing to protect the weak.

At least, among the people he had encountered so far, Western Mansion felt… worth standing with.

Ryan raised his head and looked directly at Elder Lu. “If I am fortunate enough to enter Western Mansion, then Western Mansion’s affairs will be my affairs. If Western Mansion is ever in trouble, I will step forward.”

“Good.” Elder Lu nodded, clearly satisfied. “That answer is enough.”

After a brief pause, Elder Lu hesitated, then continued, “Li Wei, there is one more thing. I would like to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor?” Ryan was slightly surprised. “What kind of favor?”

Elder Lu spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. “I want you to take first place in this entrance examination. And if possible, help as many candidates from the Thirty-Six Cities of the North District as you can to enter Western Mansion.”

Ryan fell silent.

Taking first place was not an issue. That alone posed no difficulty.

But helping candidates from the Thirty-Six Cities of the North District?

They were not his relatives, nor particularly close to him. Ryan was not a saint. He did not feel obligated to exhaust himself for strangers.

Seeing his hesitation, Elder Lu sighed. “I know this request is troublesome and may even affect you. But you also know the situation of the North District. It worsens every year. The number of slots decreases, and the other three districts suppress us together.”

“Our candidates are not weak. Every year, geniuses are born. Last year’s overall strength even reached a peak. But because of joint suppression, they never had a chance to shine.”

“Why doesn’t Western Mansion intervene?” Ryan asked, frowning.

He had heard Bai Ye mention this before. The unfairness was obvious. Why would Western Mansion’s higher-ups allow it?

Elder Lu shook his head. “They can’t intervene. Under Western Mansion’s competition system, this situation is unavoidable. Fierce competition breeds true strength. That is one of the reasons Western Mansion has stood firm in the Western Region for so long.”

“The North District has unfortunately become the stepping stone for the other three districts.”

“To change this, senior management alone is useless. The only way is for North District candidates to stand up and prove their strength. And right now, Ryan, you are the strongest among them.”

Elder Lu looked at him steadily. “I have no one else to ask.”

Ryan stared into Elder Lu’s expectant eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.

“Alright. I understand. I will take appropriate action and help candidates from the Thirty-Six Cities of the North District enter Western Mansion.”

“You agree?” Elder Lu’s eyes lit up with joy.

“Yes,” Ryan answered calmly.

The moment his words fell…

*Ding!

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