The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 185

As it carried Han Ning, Vice President Zhao, and Yu Na up the cliff, the hillside halfway up the mountain, which had been submerged by the flood and turned into an isolated island, was already in sight.

A temporary tent was set up on the hillside.

At the edge of the tent, three figures wrapped in light down jackets were looking around.

"The leader of the dragons?"

Han Ning gestured for Xuebing to run ahead of the three. He jumped off Xuebing's back and his gaze fell on the older youth at the head of the group.

"It's me." The man nodded slightly, while also sizing up Han Ning, as well as Vice President Zhao and Yu Na behind him, and the enormous Xuebing.

Feilong was thinner than Han Ning had imagined, with a relatively fair complexion. He didn't have the fierce look of Hei Pi, but rather a scholarly air about him.

The woman to his right was wrapped in what looked like an expensive white fur coat and had exquisite makeup on her face.

To the left is a burly man, but standing next to Han Ning and Vice President Zhao, his size is only slightly inferior.

Looking at the imposing Han Ning and his group, Fei Long's eyes flashed with surprise, which quickly turned into a gentle smile.

He stepped forward, extended his hand, and smiled, "Chief Han? I've heard so much about you. I am Feilong, and these are my companions, Aya and Chen Hu." He gestured to the two people beside him.

"Hello, let's talk business." Han Ning had no intention of introducing his companions.

Feilong turned sideways and pointed to the erected tent.

"It's freezing outside, shall we go inside and sit down to talk?"

The tent was not spacious, with a waterproof tarpaulin on the ground and a simple tin stove in the middle, burning a few pieces of dry firewood and emitting a faint wisp of smoke that barely dispelled the chill.

Snowcakes hid among the rocks outside, acting as lookouts.

Under the glow of the furnace fire, the flying dragon cuts straight to the point:

"Chief Han speaks his mind, so I won't beat around the bush either. The Black Scorpion of Wanghu thinks he has us cornered because of his newly promoted Black Iron level strength."

"This betting war will be wagered on the Highland Outpost as the middle force. After our discussion, we have decided on a three-on-three round-robin format. The location will be on the deck of a frozen cargo ship at the edge of the mountains, and the time will be three days from now."

He pointed to a wooden box wrapped in a thick cloth placed by the stove. Aya stepped forward, lifted the cloth, and revealed what was inside:

A monster crystal, about the size of a fist, radiating a rich, earthy yellow glow.

A plant with curled leaves and a dark purple root that gleams with a metallic sheen.

A monstrous organization, about the size of a few walnuts, with dark green liquid flowing inside.

There was also a small bundle of sturdy, dark red grass stems.

"You should know about the monster crystal. The purple root is a peculiar plant that I collected in the mountains. It is tough and can be used as a high-strength rope. It also has amazing vitality and can reproduce on a large scale."

"These are baits made by the water ghouls to feed the monsters they raise. They contain abundant energy that can quickly enhance physical strength. They are spoils we obtained from some water ghouls, but they also contain the aura of a violent black tide. We usually use them as fertilizer for some plants, and some awakened individuals will consume them in small quantities."

"This bundle of grass stems has a calming effect and can be used as a temporary sedative."

"These supplies are a deposit."

"Now let me explain the rules. The rules are tentatively set at one person per side, with no limit on strength. If Chief Han helps our Iron Tiger win this match, in addition to this deposit, each brother who makes a move will receive an additional 100 Black Stone-level Monster Crystals."

He looked at Han Ning calmly:

"Three people have been confirmed to be fighting from Wanghu. One is a master of wind manipulation, who has most likely awakened wind-related abilities. Another is a power-type awakener with thick skin and amazing strength. The last one is Black Scorpion himself. The first two are at the Great Black Stone level, while the latter is at the Black Iron level."

The only sounds inside the tent were the crackling of the fire and the howling wind outside.

Feilong's gentle words carried a wealth of information.

Han Ning's gaze lingered for a moment on the energy-rich monster crystal, then he looked up at the flying dragon:

"Black Scorpion is a Black Iron level expert, how do you plan to deal with him?"

To be honest, the deposit that Feilong offered was very tempting.

That monster crystal was equivalent to the energy fluctuations of a small tree spirit leader in the Black Mist Forest.

Han Ning estimates that the energy level is at least 3000 points.

It's puzzling why the Flying Dragon didn't break through to the Black Iron level despite holding such an energy-rich crystal.

“Besides you, I’ve invited a master who was expelled from ‘White Shark’. He currently has no affiliation with any faction and just broke through to the Black Iron level seven days ago.”

“I plan to arrange for him to deal with Black Scorpion.” A cold glint flashed in Fei Lai’s eyes.

"Finally, if we successfully win this challenge, you will share 5% of the ruins exploration share."

"Chief Han, what do you mean?"

Han Ning was quite intrigued by Fei Long's question.

But he was only at the Iron level, and this amount of supplies wasn't enough to sway him.

His expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "The reward you offered is insufficient."

Chapter 212 Battle

Han Ning estimated that the majority of the resources Feilong provided to that Black Iron-level expert were probably the main source of income.

He was just an extra.

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Feilong was not angry at all. Instead, he showed interest and asked, "So, what kind of reward does Chief Han want?"

"I want at least 15% of the share, and also, increase the number of monster crystals like this to 10," Han Ning said, pointing to the monster spirit in the box.

"15%?!"

Even Feilong, whose expression was usually gentle, suddenly became unpredictable after hearing Han Ning's request.

Even as the discoverers of the ruins, they would only receive a 40% share.

This person immediately made outrageous demands, asking for 15%?

Moreover, he had promised another person, not just Han Ning.

"This……"

Before Feilong could speak, Chen Hu, who was sitting next to him, turned very gloomy.

"With that arrogant demeanor, could he also be a Black Iron level expert?"

Feilong, who was in charge, was taken aback. His unpredictable expression quickly subsided and became gentle again.

Only 15% of the share, 10 large black stone-grade crystals...

The Great Blackrock-level monster crystals are different from ordinary Blackrock-level spirits, and their value is at least 10 times that of the latter.

This made Feilong hesitate.

Just as he fell silent, Han Ning's voice rang out again:

"Dragon Chieftain, I'd like to ask you, are pets allowed to participate in this challenge?"

"Given that some people have awakened the ability to control monsters, each participant is allowed to bring a non-human into the battle."

"Flying Dragon replied."

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:

“10% is impossible. After all, our entire Iron Tiger team can only get 40%. If we give you 15%, we might as well allow Wanghu to join.”

He gritted his teeth,

"At most 8%, you can only get 6 of those large black stone-level monster crystals."

"But all of this is predicated on... whether you have the confidence and strength to match this reward?"

Feilong stared at Han Ning with a serious expression.

"Deal." Han Ning smiled slightly. "How would you like to test it?"

He hasn't demonstrated his abilities to Feilong yet, so it's normal for the latter to question his strength.

"How about this, I'll contact another participant now and ask him to help test your strength. What do you think?"

"I have no objection." Han Ning nodded.

"Okay, please wait a moment." Feilong said to the young woman next to him, and the slender and voluptuous woman turned and walked out the door.

"That person is unreachable, so Aya has to go and call him herself," Feilong explained, taking a sip of tea.

Time passed slowly as we savored tea.

About half an hour later, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Aya led in a strong man with muscles all over his body, who was at least 185 cm tall and whose eyes flashed with a fierce aura.

Just by looking at this person's physique and the impressive energy fluctuations, his Iron-level strength seems more believable.

"Brother Long, Mr. He has arrived."

"Mr. He, please have a seat." Feilong stood up.

"Hmm." The strong man gave a soft "hmm," his deep voice echoing in the thick tent as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. He Yu, and these two are..."

Feilong, as the client, introduced their identities to Han Ning and the others.

"..." He Yu's gaze swept over the faces of Han Ning, Vice President Zhao, and Yu Na. When his gaze fell on Yu Na's slender legs, he couldn't help but linger, a strange look appearing in his eyes.

Yu Na was a little displeased by his unrestrained scrutinizing gaze and gave a cold snort.

Han Ning keenly noticed the change in He Yu's expression. No wonder he was kicked by White Shark; this guy seemed very strange.

“Mr. He Yu, please be more polite. Staring at a lady is extremely rude.” Han Ning frowned and stared coldly into He Yu’s eyes.

Yu Na is now his companion, and offending Yu Na is disregarding his dignity.

“You…” He Yu was about to speak when he met Han Ning’s cold gaze and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his brain, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He Yu let out a low groan, and the ruthless expression on his face quickly disappeared.

In a flash, he quickly forced a simple, honest smile:

"I'm sorry, I misjudged you. I didn't expect your mental strength to be so formidable, surely it's above the Great Black Stone level?"

"Above the Great Black Stone level, that's not the Black Iron level?!" Upon hearing this, the flying dragon beside him had a glint in its eyes.

...