Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 163 Choice
Having gone this far, how could Li Wei dare not give him face?

He then stood up solemnly and said, “My lords, I have no other ambitions. I just want to see if I can reach the top of the newcomer list. After all, the newcomer mission is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don’t want to have any regrets.”

Upon hearing this, Black Wolf's expression remained unchanged, but Ron and Hathaway visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Night Owl raised an eyebrow, glared at Li Weiyi, and said, "You have no ambition at all. If you want to compete for the top spot on the rookie rankings, you can just lie back for the next month. But if you want to compete for the Rookie King title, you're far from good enough!"

"Because the newcomer rankings are calculated based on plunder points, five months ago, you were only sixth in plunder points among all newcomers, but just five months later, your total plunder points ranking has reached second place on the newcomer rankings, only a little bit away from first place,"

"However, being number one on the rookie leaderboard doesn't count as being the Rookie King. Only killing the final boss counts. I think you should understand the difference here. The former is a time when there are no heroes, allowing a nobody to become number one on the leaderboard. Only the latter is a sudden emergence, a true winner."

"Let me put it this way, the current number one on the newcomer list is far superior to a hundred of you in terms of basic development, internal affairs management, interpersonal relationships, controlling people's hearts, PUA of companions, and even sniping and suppressing title missions. He is simply a succubus-level master of internal affairs. He can unite a group of people to fight alongside him, but he can never kill the final boss."

"He thought he had figured out the rules and successfully sniped the title mission, but as the saying goes, what makes him successful can also make him fail. He now has almost no room for development. There are no veteran players who joined midway to help him expand the storyline, and no core players to help him trigger the final boss battle. He's stuck in one place, and when the three years are up, he'll have to leave."

"However, you really have a chance to compete for the Rookie of the Year award."

"Of course, I'm just saying there's a chance, George. Profits and risks go hand in hand. You'd better think it through. What does the final boss represent? Based on your current strength, your only chance to kill a final boss is in the quarry battle, by killing the black-robed witch Missy."

"But at this point in the story, because of her sister Hathaway's death, the black-robed witch Missy will be in great pain, which may cause her bloodline to awaken and mutate further, growing into a fully-fledged witch with a four-star difficulty level."

"Otherwise, why do you think that at this stage, all the players are four-star, experts who can handle the chaotic killing battlefield with ease?"

"I can't reveal more details. I can only say that the difficulty at this moment is much higher than the chaotic killing battlefield you can enter right now."

That's all I have to say. Your destiny is in your own hands!

After saying that, Night Owl gave Li Weiyi a meaningful look, and then, like a gentle breeze, he blew away all the fireworks and curtains.

There was only a dining table in front of them, and only Li Wei, Ron, Hathaway, and Penny remained in the fortress.

This is indeed the final round, at least for Li Wei.

Next, Ron will have four four-star subordinates and friends, and Hathaway will also have four four-star subordinates and friends, and all of them will have their restrictions lifted so they can use item cards. Even if Li Wei is the head of the family and can recruit 12 of the best three-star mercenaries, he still can't beat them because the mercenary recruitment limit is only 12 people.

After thinking for a moment, Li Wei sat down again. Ron and Hathaway also sat down at their respective corners of the table. Only Penny stood in the corner, looking at Ron with burning eyes. Who would have thought that she would also have love?
Ron, though slightly older, is actually a knight of the Royal Guard and will pursue her passionately from now on.
Very good!
Although she knew this was a plot point where she was being used, it was still better than being forced to settle accounts with Fila.

Li Wei glanced at Penny, then at the silent Ron and Hathaway; the family meeting was about to begin.

The appearance of those two department heads eliminated the plot-driven element of the impeachment process. Or even if it hadn't been eliminated, with only four people remaining, the impeachment process would have been the same, and the outcome would have been no different.

Just then, a ticking sound rang out, signaling a countdown – the countdown to the family meeting, with three minutes left.

Neither Ron nor Hathaway spoke. Li Wei was also waiting; he was now ready to bide his turn and support whoever offered the best terms.

Of course, you could also choose not to support anyone and take command of the twelve mercenaries. Yes, that's possible.

But if I did that, once the mission is settled and I return to headquarters, I'll inevitably be targeted by the heads of both departments. There's no other way.

So why bother? Why put yourself in a disadvantageous position when you could have already gained something?

Soon, with only one second left on the countdown, the two acted simultaneously. Two black item cards flew out, as if time had frozen—it was like exploiting a bug! [Family members Ron and Hathaway have used a five-star item card together, the "Covering the Sky" card, to obscure the vision of the gods. They will each gain 30 precious seconds.]

“George, if you’re willing to help me, I can bid for that royal heavy armor and give it to you. I also guarantee that you will become the Rookie King. You won’t have to face the final boss alone. As long as you participate in the kill, you will get the title of Rookie King.”

Ron spoke first.

Hathaway immediately offered her price!
“George, what do you, a scout, need heavy armor for? A soldier about to go into battle should be clear about his position. Ron wants to kill the Mad Baron Mark, who's like a steel can. What good is it for you to fight a can like that? The final boss you should be killing is the Black-Robed Witch Missy. If you help me, your Tracker title and your pet will both be upgraded, and you'll easily become the Rookie King. I'll also give you a five-star stay card. Without this…”

At that moment, the black item card suddenly shattered, and time was up.

However, they have basically expressed their demands, that is, what benefits they can offer. This is all they can do. Even their leader can only hint at it through non-mandatory settlement opportunities.

Next, it's up to Li Wei to make a choice, and he must make a choice before the family meeting ends, otherwise it's meaningless. It would mean that Li Wei is neutral, and in that case, Ron and Hathaway might team up to kill him in advance to avoid the biggest uncertainty.

George, the head of the family, has a family contribution of 2054 points. He will continue to serve as the head of the family. Since the family camp has been upgraded to level 5, eight new players will join the family in the next 24 hours, becoming new family members. At the same time, 12 new mercenaries can be recruited. This means that, theoretically, mercenaries recruited in the previous month can be selected first.

[The family members arriving this month are: Mike, the four-star hunter who remains loyal to George; Roddy, the four-star farmer; Snape, the four-star fisherman; Carson, the four-star lumberjack; Fila, the four-star cook; Craig, Hathaway's uncle and a four-star craftsman; John, Ron's friend and a four-star hunter; and Pania, Hathaway's cousin and a four-star blacksmith.]

[Twelve mercenaries can be recruited this month, with the highest recruitable mercenary level being three stars.]

These pieces of information flashed by, and everything seemed normal, but it was already abnormal. Apart from Li Wei and Penny, all ten family members were four-star veterans. Damn, that's exciting.

Does Li Wei have a third option?
Yes, that is to settle the score immediately, not participate or get involved, and freeze his contribution here. If it were a month ago, he might have actually done that, but now that he has the opportunity to win the Rookie of the Year award, why give it up?

So, there was really no choice. Hathaway was right. He was a scout, why would he need heavy armor? Did he think he wasn't fast enough, agile enough, or silent enough?

Killing the black-robed witch Missy would be the best option for him to hunt her.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wei looked directly at Hathaway and said with great guilt and self-reproach, "I am very sorry that Uncle John's ideas are so different from ours. I didn't do well enough. Hathaway, you often advised me not to be stubborn. I was wrong. I just hope I still have a chance to make up for all this. I am very confused right now. Hathaway, can you tell me what I should do?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Hathaway's eyes. It wasn't easy; this guy had finally made the right choice. She glanced at Ron, but his gaze remained calm, seemingly unconcerned, or perhaps he truly kept his emotions hidden.

“Oh, George, my dear George, you have already done enough. I am glad that I can share this heavy burden with you. I know you are worried about your friend Sir Tuk. The legion of the Mad Baron Mark will arrive soon. It will be a tragedy. Teacher, I implore you to go to Vidor. You are a great Royal Guard Knight. Perhaps only you can save the day.”

Hathaway then looked at Ron. What Li Wei had just said was tantamount to delegating power to her, letting her preside over the family meeting. There was nothing more to say; it was part of the deal.

At this moment, Ron also sighed and got into the zone.

“Baron Mark the Mad, the bloodline cursed by the gods within him has probably fully awakened. I can’t handle it alone. Moreover, because of that trade route, we must guard against his legion not attacking Victor Town but heading straight for our camp. That would be a serious problem. Therefore, I need at least ten mercenaries to cooperate with me. At the same time, Mike, Roddy, Snape, and Carson must also fight alongside me!”

“If it weren’t for that, I couldn’t guarantee that I could stop Mad Baron Mark and his legion.”

"In addition, Ms. Penny is a good tailor and must be very professional at suturing wounds. I would like to ask her to come with me to the town of Vito as a field nurse."

Ron was also bargaining.

(End of this chapter)