NOVEL NEXT Chapter 185: Offering Strategies
The last piece of equipment: the Blood Wing Cloak.
[Blood Wing Cloak (Sealed)]
[Equipment Quality: Hero Level (Golden)]
[Equipment Position: Back]
[Equipment Requirements: Basic Power 30, Basic Agility 30]
[Attributes: Agility +7, Back Armor +7 (cumulative with upper body armor)]
[Additional Skill 1: Graceful: Passive, cloak's common ability, reduces the hit value of enemy attacks to your back by 10 points.]
[Additional Skill 2: Wing Expansion: Open wings formed by blood energy to fly briefly in the air for 30 seconds. Cooldown time: one natural day.]
[Durability: 48/60]
[Explanation: When brushing past the white clouds, you must consider landing promptly to avoid a crash landing.]
This cloak is also a piece of peak golden equipment, suitable for advanced awakened users until "graduation". It offers +7 agility for practicality and a flight ability that is quite rare at the awakened stage for functionality!
Unfortunately, Bai Pu can't wear it, as his basic agility is only a pitiful 14 points, a whole 16 points short!
Evidently, this equipment is more suitable for the Blood Spider. To Bai Pu, its value lies in trading it with the Witch Family to which the Blood Spider belongs—yes, we're talking about the senior known as the [Wushan Divine Lady].
Giving it away for free is impossible. Bai Pu believes in fair trade, equivalent exchange.
As for trading directly with the Blood Spider?
Let's forget about it. Bai Pu thinks the Blood Spider doesn't seem like the type to do business, and he doesn't want to take advantage of an uninformed girl.
...
Duke William and his entourage entered Malmö City without any grand welcoming ceremony.
As for the main force of the Divine Luo Expeditionary Army brought by Duke William, they were stationed at the camp outside the city.
In the City Lord's Mansion in Malmö, Bai Pu met Duke William again.
Compared to last time, this imposing Duke still didn't wear a helmet. His long golden curls were as impressive as a mighty lion, but the previously black-gold light armor was replaced with a silver shimmering, exquisitely crafted full heavy armor!
At this moment, Bai Pu's spiritual power and perception ability were much stronger than before he changed roles, and because of this, he felt Duke William's strength was unattainable, like a towering mountain covered in snow!
Clearly, after crossing the sea to reach the area of the world of [Flesh and Blood Plague: Mutant], due to the World Waymark, Duke William's strength skyrocketed to the peak level of this mid-level Spirit Realm, much stronger than the First Generation Mutant!
By this time, Duke William had already received Cwieg's report.
Bai Pu then submitted the first stage mainline task: the Expeditionary Army's Scout to Duke William, who nodded slightly and acknowledged with a "good".
With this "good", Bai Pu received a prompt from the Spirit Realm Will, his reputation within the Divine Luo Expeditionary Army increased by 300 points, he obtained 280 merit points, and his favorability with Duke William increased by 20 points.
The merit reward range for Mainline Task 1 is 100~300 points, and Bai Pu's performance already approached the maximum merit reward, of course, because while gathering intelligence, he defeated two Enhanced Leaders, clearing the surrounding areas of Malmö City.
It's worth noting that there are competitive tasks against the Blood Ring for these First Generation Mutant Leaders. The awakened ones of the Blood Ring are also trying to capture these monsters! Bai Pu killing two meant thwarting most of the Blood Ring's conspiracy.
As for why it wasn't a full 300 merit points, it was because of the infected scout.
Bai Pu estimated that if he had acted with the scout team, he might have prevented the scout from being infected and turning into a Deep Red Death Plague.
Cwieg said, "This time, the scout team gathered intelligence and found a severe situation. The Blood Ring monsters seem to be researching a new Flesh and Blood Plague toxin! Several of my scouts transformed into a new type of Dead Plague with deep red, ulcerated skin after poisoning."
There is more than one scout that mutated!
Bai Pu was mentally prepared for this; after all, it couldn't just be him who struck lucky and met the only scout that mutated.
The emergence of the Deep Red Death Plague is bound to be a major event to pass to the Divine Luo Expeditionary Army's camp, Bai Pu couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.
As for why Bai Pu wanted to hide it, of course it was because this major event was disadvantageous to himself.
The new plague toxin's appearance means that Qin, a Flesh and Blood Alchemy expert, is likely to be entangled here.
As expected, upon hearing this new situation, Duke William first looked at Qin to ask for her opinion.
Qin gave her answer, needing a week of research to produce an antidote against the variant.
Duke William's heart was slightly comforted, then he looked at Bai Pu again.
"Dior, I greatly admire your strategic vision demonstrated last time. You've been active on the front lines these days, and are clear about the intelligence on the peninsula, right? What excellent advice do you have for the battle situation?"
Bai Pu was well-prepared for this, in fact, he had anticipated Duke William's questioning! He immediately spoke confidently:
"The Blood Ring's strength is very powerful, and based on the layered control of the Blood Ring Curse Seal, this army is extremely terrifying, completely unaffected by morale, making it impossible for ordinary armies to compete against."
Duke William pondered in silence, but Cwieg nodded in agreement:
"Yes, I felt it during the attack on Malmö City. Generally, armies rout when casualties exceed thirty percent, considered elite if they can hold up until fifty percent casualties.
"But the Blood Ring monsters in Malmö City persisted until the last one! If it weren't for our numbers being several times theirs, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to take it down."
Bai Pu continued, "It's difficult to win in a confrontation on the frontal battlefield. So why not think about conducting a surprise attack?"
The mention of a surprise attack piqued Duke William's interest. He raised his deep blue eyes to glance at Bai Pu: "Go on."
That glance was enough to make Bai Pu feel as if he was being seen through completely. This was because Duke William's immense strength caused his spiritual will to be as sharp and piercing as the noble stabbing sword inscribed with the Vulture Eagle Badge at his side.
Knowing well that Duke William wasn't easy to deceive, Bai Pu didn't beat around the bush and directly presented his views.
"That damned Flesh and Blood Plague toxin is the infamous creation of the Blood Ring Empire's Royal Alchemy Academy. If we can send an elite team to sail north to Stockholm, infiltrate the Royal Alchemy Academy, and eliminate those evil alchemists serving the Blood Ring, we won't have to worry about new variants of the Flesh and Blood Plague virus appearing in the future."
Duke William pondered and said, "I have considered your idea before. However, the Royal Alchemy Academy is heavily guarded and located within the Blood Ring Fortress—which was originally Chukrona Castle! Not only are there elite Palace Guards, but also the Blood Ring Prime Minister, Duke Oxensterna. Not to mention, Blood Ring Emperor Gustav is also in the Royal Palace."
Bai Pu stated, "If we exert great pressure on the Blood Ring Fortress on the frontal battlefield, I think the Blood Ring Emperor definitely won't sit still, and the elite army guarding the Blood Ring Fortress will be significantly deployed! This presents an opportunity..."
Bai Pu then described the reasons for his judgment.
This is related to Emperor Gustav's style, who, in real history, was a ruler known as the "Northern Lion", always making personal appearances in wars, sometimes even commanding from the front lines! In real history, he died on the battlefield of the Battle of Lutzen.
And in this world named Flesh and Blood Plague, Gustav similarly likes to personally lead expeditions. The Blood Ring Army enslaved Norway and defeated the Slavs all under Emperor Gustav's direct command.
"Even so, infiltrating the Blood Ring's Royal City is still extremely dangerous. I must be responsible for the lives of my loyal warriors," Duke William said.
"Actually, this strategy only requires a very small number of people to go secretly. I'm willing to go, as long as you prepare a warship for me and assign a guide familiar with the Blood Ring Fortress," Bai Pu volunteered.