Origin Player.

Chapter 676 Dragon Hunting Team (10K votes requested)
The sky is bright again; the end of the year is approaching.

Inside the makeshift wooden hall, Jiang He briefly participated in the chieftainship ceremony.

Norland, Enzo, Green Ghost, Torenos, Vilte, and others are at the forefront of the crowd, their status rising significantly.

Given the total population of the Golden Sparrow Tribe, even if all able-bodied men were mobilized, the number of warriors would only be a little over 250. After deducting the necessary troops to guard the territory, the peak number of the battle group would be just over 200, but each one of them would be an elite.

Overall, the ratio of peak to elite warriors among Viking warriors is roughly 1:20, while in the kingdoms' armies on the continent of Truth, the ratio reaches 1:100. This huge disparity is one of the key reasons why the kingdoms often suffer defeats in small and medium-sized raiding battles.

As for the Norlund Legion when they first arrived, they clearly had a greater number of strong warriors, but those who dared to set sail in winter were no ordinary people to begin with. Moreover, the Norlund's warrior captains had a significant advantage, so they cannot be used as a benchmark.

After a round of usual cheers, Jiang He took her seat.

"Effective immediately, Norlund shall serve as acting Baron."

The crowd was initially taken aback, then erupted in uproar. No one expected that Jiang He's first words after taking office would drop such a bombshell.

Before Norlund could speak, Jiang He raised his hand to interrupt him and continued, "Enzo and Torenos will serve as the captain and vice captain, respectively."

"The Green Ghost is the chief priest, in charge of all the priests."

"Establish the Golden Sparrow Legion, with Norlund selecting one hundred warriors as the standing army. They will not need to work, and all supplies will be drawn from the Golden Sparrow Baron's treasury. Vilt will be the treasurer, and there will be ten chests of treasure. I estimate that this will last for about two years."

Norland stopped speaking, a result that Jiang He had clearly considered.

The group digested the news. Before this, the tribe only had warrior chiefs and barons, and there was no concept of a standing army. All Vikings had to engage in production in addition to rigorous training. Now that they had become professional warriors, their status had been suddenly elevated.

Jiang He stopped talking. He was just casually building up his base. The Vikings had a small population and the young and strong had heavy tasks. Compared to other old nobles, professional warriors were more dependent on him.

Inside the wooden palace, Prince Alfred, who was dealing with horse manure, quietly pricked up his ears. In this life where there was no hope of escape for the time being, observation was the only thing he could do.

After the appointment was completed, several Vikings with disputes stepped forward. The chief effectively assumed the role of a judge, but there were no written laws; everything depended on the specific rulings.

"Norund, you're in charge."

Jiang He put on a black cloak and stood up.

"Are you planning to go away for a while?" Norlund asked thoughtfully, the authority being granted by the other party was too great.

Jiang He nodded and said, "You know what you're doing, so I have nothing to worry about."

If something goes wrong, just kill him.

Norlund couldn't tell whether the words were true or false. After all, Augustus was never one to smile. He thought back carefully and realized that since they met at sea, the other party had never smiled even once.

“You will always be the Baron here,” Norlund said.

Jiang He's lips twitched. This curse was far more vicious than "going to hell."

……

In the afternoon, I had a simple lunch.

Jiang He found a warhorse, picked up a bag of dry rations, and set off. The warriors sent by Earl Blackstone had already arrived, but he had no interest in receiving them, as the main quest had already explained the situation.

[Hint: Main Quest ② has been released]
[Mission Name: The Heretic's Great Raid]
[Mission Objective: Capture the capital of the Wessex Empire and kill Wessex III]
[Mission Introduction: Since the founding of the Empire by the eldest son of the "First King," Wessex has existed for four hundred years. Just as the sun eventually sets, the Empire has also reached its end. Powerful ministers hold sway, supreme authority is vacant, and the three strongest figures in the Empire each have their own agendas. The rebel forces of the Elven and Human Alliance are growing stronger, and the Empire's ambitious members have pinned all their hopes on a northern expedition, sending 20,000 troops to attack the Three Kingdoms, attempting to revitalize the situation through military achievements and land acquisition.]
[But a conspiracy is brewing. The new emperor, Wessex III, ascends the throne before he is twenty years old, becoming a puppet. The Truth Cult nobles, defeated in the conflict, pass on their military deployment to King Lagra. A massive naval raid on the imperial capital is about to unfold. The kings of the Ice Sea gather, and civilization and barbarism are about to collide.]
[Quest Rewards: 2 Sub-Legendary Hunter Exclusive Skill Enhancement Scrolls / 1 Invitation to the Nine Provinces World (Tier 5 / No Mythology / No Overall Era Evolution / Beyond the Five Realms) / 1 Intermediate Initial Identity Enhancement Card]
[Task Time Limit: 100 calendar days]
[Task Penalty: None]
[Note: Emperor Wessex III is a Twilight player.]
Jiang He pondered that Origin had a high priority on the mission of sea raid. As a player of Twilight, as long as the new emperor operated properly and united players of the same faction from various forces, the minimum goal was to revive the empire, and the maximum goal was to drive all Origin players out of the Ice Sea World. The specific results depended on individual abilities.

In fact, this new emperor is indeed very active on the world channel.

"Hello everyone, I am Wessex III. I am not dead. All the recent rumors are false. I have one hundred tons of gold under the capital, and I urgently need two thousand silver coins to unfreeze it. After you send the money, I will take command of the three armies tomorrow. Urgent!"

"Hey, even if you're not a brother, I'll still chop you up."

"What kind of advertisement is upstairs?"

"Using the status upgrade card was a waste."

"Shut up, you little devil, I'm drawing."

"Any pros interested in Frost Dragons? Let's meet at the Tree Hole Bar at the foot of the White Frost Mountains. We're one short, tanks preferred. A succubus has already joined us, and there are perks!"

"How come there are competitors stealing my business!"

Jiang He rode his horse over the Black Stone Village Tower and headed straight for the White Frost Mountains, following the direction guided by the power of destiny. He could cosplay as a tank player, firstly because he didn't use the Great Heavenly Imperial Jiang King Armor much, and secondly because the Thorns could be freely shaped, so making a shield wouldn't be a problem.

...Deep in the North.

This place is all barren land covered in ice and snow.

Only relatively weak tribes were driven out of the coastal areas and relegated to the wilderness.

The White Frost Mountains are famous for their entirely white, frosty appearance.

A tribe of dwarves has lived here for generations, carving out the mountains and using lava as their main heat source. Because of their superb skills, the tribe has become a well-known trading place, with the size of a town.

The town's only bar was a lively place where dwarves, merchants, explorers, and mercenaries mingled together.

Five people sat around a round table.

"A pair of 3s." The alluring woman tossed out two playing cards, her heart-shaped tail swaying gently.

"I can't accept this." The handsome young man with a long, unguarded sword at his waist held up a sign and shook his head helplessly.

"Oh, you're not leaving even when the water's out? That's a bit outrageous." The succubus narrowed her eyes.

"If you're going to play cards, then play cards, but stay away from my brother."

A female priest with pigtails took the young man's arm, her face extremely wary.

"A pair of 4s." The cloaked old man played a card from one side of the round table, his aura as a mage exceptionally powerful.

"No." The succubus shrugged, she only had one pair of lines.

"Three 5s with four 2s." The cloaked old man suddenly played his card.

The succubus and the young priest were both stunned for a moment, and even the drunken, burly armored man next to them opened his eyes and raised his head slightly. The Twilight World was extremely vast, and the gameplay in different regions might be different.

The young man tentatively asked, "Three 6s with four 7s."

"No," the old man shook his head.

"Correct 3." The young man breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Two Kings, 8910JQKA, a pair of 8s, I'm out of here, you two." The cloaked old man flicked his hand and played his cards.

The young man shrugged the cards with a laugh and casually threw out two gold coins.

Just then, a figure clad in jet-black armor walked over, immediately attracting the attention of many. The five people at the round table were all peak-level heroes, and they were going to hunt the Frost Dragon King as a group; none of them were easy to mess with.

“I’m here to join the group,” Jiang He said.

The succubus stood up, sniffed the armor, and said regretfully, "The scent of handsome men. It's a pity we were already full yesterday. As you can see, there's the warrior, his priestess, Mr. Tank, and the mage. If too many people come up the mountain, the Frost Dragon King will easily sense their presence. After all, they are monsters of the highest level. Don't blame us for being careful."

“Of course,” the succubus said, running her fingers over her mask. Her icy eyes made her feel weak all over.

"You're free tonight, I can make it up to you."

"Is it full?" Jiang He asked.

“Yes,” the succubus replied softly.

Jiang He picked up the wine glass and threw the wine at the burly man. Unexpectedly, the burly man's figure flickered and then suddenly disappeared.

The succubus stopped teasing, and the young man and woman stopped being intimate. All five, including the cloaked old man, disappeared, leaving only a mature woman in a crimson court robe and a mountain of bones and high-quality armor under the table.

Exclamations erupted from the tavern.

From beginning to end, the card game was merely a one-woman show for the woman in red to amuse herself.

"Crimson, whose profession is illusionist and archer, is very happy to meet a powerful and perceptive tank player."

Crimson rose to her feet, her beauty quite striking, and she reached out her hand.

"Once my friends arrive tomorrow morning, we can set off. Two top-tier experts and three peak-level warriors will be more than enough to hunt down the Frost Dragon King and its flock, provided they can all withstand the White Frost Illusion."

Jiang He remained noncommittal. To be able to assemble such a team was basically the top-tier five-person squad of a Twilight player. Dragons were made of rare materials, and if they were easy to hunt, they wouldn't have survived to this day.

(End of this chapter)