Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 190 Pioneering Mission

"Sir, breakfast is ready!"

The maid Xiao Ning's voice came from the first floor. Her voice was sweet, and she seemed very happy.

After listening to this in his bedroom on the second floor, Li Wei couldn't help but smile slightly. He liked the simple happiness of ordinary people, simply because he was also an ordinary person.

After getting dressed, Li Wei went downstairs but didn't rush to eat. Instead, she went to the small garden in the back. It was already November, and the temperature was starting to drop. The lowest temperature at night was expected to be several degrees below zero.

So he had to come and check on the winter wheat.

Fortunately, perhaps because the seeds of the one-star wheat are more resilient and vigorous, the wheat seedlings in the small garden are all very strong and show no signs of frost damage. However, even so, it is still necessary to find some planks and branches to cover them, since this is not the kind of winter wheat with cold-resistant properties. It will be fine after the next snowfall.

After finishing all that, a gust of wind blew, sending the leaves of the roadside trees flying everywhere, leaving a mess. The once colorful autumn was about to come to an end.

"Sir, will we continue rehabilitation training today? My father came back last night. He's a three-star mercenary. If possible, could I ask him to spar with you?" Xiao Ning asked expectantly.

"Sure, I'll cover the practice fees, but I'd like to know where in Ver City there are places to train archery?"

Li Wei asked that he was currently using swordsmanship training only as part of his rehabilitation, but archery training could not be neglected.

He also wanted to wait until he was fully recovered before going to the Ministry of the Interior to see if there were any temporary small tasks available, even if it was just being a henchman. He couldn't just sit around doing nothing; he needed to prepare for the chaotic killing battlefield four months later.

"Archery training? There are many training grounds, but they all charge fees. Sir, why don't you go to the Ministry of the Interior's training ground? It's free for you there. Also, my father would be happy to be your sparring partner. There are no fees involved. You just need to take him to the Ministry of the Interior's training ground. It's said to be a high-level training ground. I'm not even qualified to enter."

Wow, the Ministry of the Interior has pretty good benefits.

It would cost eight silver coins for a round trip by carriage, or could he run all the way? It's less than twenty li.

After thinking for a moment, Li Wei shook his head. He could vaguely sense that his physical condition had recovered to about 90%, but he still couldn't reach his peak condition.

Although everything seems to be working correctly in the properties panel.

So let's continue with appropriate rehabilitation training. He's a human being, not a machine; he can't be willful. Maintaining good health is essential.

"Xiao Ning, is there anywhere nearby where I can buy supplies?"

"Yes, sir. However, there are many places where you can buy supplies. For example, you can go to the market operated by the Ministry of the Interior or the supply storage platform directly operated by the Logistics Department. These two are the first choice for buying supplies of one-star quality or higher. You can also buy various item cards, and even hunting pets, weapons and equipment. They are the most complete places."

"For us, the first choice is the second-hand market in Jiao Hutong. It's a mixed bag, somewhat like a black market. You can also set up your own stall there. It's very lively, and sometimes you can find a bargain."

"Finally, there are the retail stores of the Vil City Farm. There are a lot of them, all over the city, with one outside every residential area. Here you can buy all kinds of grains, vegetables, and seasonal fruits at very low prices, almost like they're free. Of course, wasting food is a big crime in Vil City. We are all taught from a young age to know when to stop and not to waste food."

After listening to Xiao Ning's introduction, Li Wei had a choice: of course he should go to the Ministry of the Interior's self-operated market, because maybe his status would give him some preferential treatment.

He summoned a carriage and took Xiao Ning with him. Half an hour later, Li Wei arrived at the entrance of the Ministry of the Interior compound once again. However, looking around at the surrounding houses, none of them seemed to be open to the public.

Li Wei looked at Xiao Ning, who looked back at him obediently; she had never been here before either.

Fortunately, they soon ran into an acquaintance, Old John, not the Old John who split up the family, but the Old John who was forced to sever his own meridians and leave during the quarry battle.

This guy looks much younger than he did in the mission world; he's beaming and full of energy.

"Huh? You're Li Wei. What are you doing here? Didn't you do your title quest?"

This guy immediately followed up with a triple tap.

Li Wei was slightly taken aback. "Am I famous? I don't even know your name."

The guy chuckled and shook hands with Li Wei with his right hand. "My name is Duncan. Congratulations on winning Rookie of the Year, bro! A once-in-a-century Rookie of the Year! Now you're a celebrity not only in the Ministry of the Interior, but in Ver City too. But I'm really curious, don't you want a codename anymore? Doesn't anyone in the Ministry of the Interior have one for you? You've already missed your chance."

"I was injured before."

Li Wei could only say that some things are better left unsaid.

He had been seriously injured before, was very suspicious, and had a low sense of security. He didn't want to cause any trouble, so he didn't rush to register with the Ministry of the Interior.

Back then, the boss, Night Owl, didn't send anyone to urge him, nor did he hold any welcoming ceremony; he was very low-key.

Does this mean we don't value him?
But that was impossible, because Li Wei was almost entirely handpicked by her as the newcomer king, and she had offered many constructive opinions, even providing suggestions during the final settlement.

By a certain standard, this is Li Wei's examiner, mentor, a close associate, a respected teacher, and the first author on his papers.

So Li Wei could guess that either Night Owl was too busy at the Ministry of the Interior to take care of a nobody like him, or there were some disagreements at the Ministry of the Interior regarding his future arrangements, which affected the interests of some people.

He's a rookie champion, after all. If it were just an ordinary job with ordinary benefits, it wouldn't be worth it!

Li Wei needs to figure these things out for himself, and he needs to be able to remain calm and not be influenced by appearances.

He's not a competitive little kid.

"Oh! Well, there's nothing I can do then. You're here to buy supplies, equipment, and item cards, right? Go into the courtyard, turn left, and go to the first room. Look for the guy who looks like the old gatekeeper; that's our Ministry of the Interior's number three." Upon hearing that Li Wei was injured, Duncan gave a pleasant yet regretful smile, then enthusiastically gave directions. Finally, he glanced enviously at the maid Xiao Ning before hurriedly leaving.

He wasn't even qualified, no, he didn't have the spare money to hire such a young maid, so even after walking quite a distance, he couldn't help but look back again, his gaze quite complicated.

"Sir, are you unable to participate in the mission?" Xiao Ning asked softly, somewhat worried.

"Yes, I'm injured."

Li Wei had no regrets. He knew very well that the title mission was not simple. He still had four months left. Even if he was fully recovered and returned to his peak condition, he would still suffer setbacks at the hands of the newcomers. The key was that he did not want to bribe them.

He only uses his gold coins where they are most useful.

After entering the compound, turn left and go to the first room. Look for the old gatekeeper, who is also the third-ranking official in the Ministry of the Interior. This sounds very abstract.

However, Li Wei didn't see him when she came last time.

This time I saw him; his hair was completely white, and his face was full of wrinkles. He didn't have any of the youthful appearance or otherworldly air about him; he was just an ordinary gatekeeper in an ordinary neighborhood.

When the old man saw Li Wei, he immediately gave him a bright smile.

"Li Wei, I've been waiting for you here for a long time. Are you doing well at No. 53 Fengzhai?"

"Thank you for your concern, sir. It's a very nice place there."

Li Wei was very polite, while the maid Xiao Ning consciously stayed at the entrance of the Ministry of the Interior compound.

"Hehe, how's your injury? You look quite energetic."

"To be honest, I think I still need to undergo a period of rehabilitation training."

"Tsk tsk, you have a good attitude. No wonder you're the Rookie of the Year. Is there anything you need this time?"

"Yes, sir. I would like to purchase some item cards and supplies. Also, I would like to inquire about any small tasks the Ministry of the Interior may have. I think I can start working after this month."

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded. "Actually, there is something I want to ask you. Now that you are a three-star lord, when do you plan to apply for a territory mission?"

"Can I apply now? Do I need to complete the application within a specified timeframe?"

"In principle, yes, but it depends on the situation; there are three types in total."

"The first type of three-star lord mission requires you to participate in the Chaotic Slaughter Battlefield three times and accumulate 1000 battlefield contribution points. You can then join the newbie mission midway through and eventually obtain the camp built by the newbies, which is one square kilometer in size. This is the easiest and takes about four years in total."

"Of course, such territories require heavy taxes and are practically impossible to manage directly. However, the advantage is that you can have a place to repair equipment and obtain supplies at low prices. You can earn 50 gold coins in taxes every year without doing anything. For example, in the town of Vido, you might think that the lord is Sir Tuk, but there is actually a three-star lord with a nominal title here."

"In a sense, this is still a benefit for veteran core players. For example, if Hathaway completes the lord mission during your last mission, she will not actually manage the main control of Kah City, but she can obtain more cheap and good equipment and more good resources from it, and can obtain a profit of no less than 300 gold coins every year."

"Then there's the second type of three-star lord mission, which is a bit tricky. It requires purchasing some poorly managed territories. The difficulty lies in having extremely strong management, production, and development capabilities. It's like managing a company of one hundred people in real life, with production and sales integrated, and having connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles. This is what merchant players are like."

"However, such territories cannot be purchased in a lawful and peaceful world; they can only be purchased as pioneering territories that have lost their strategic value."

"As for the third type of three-star lord mission, it is to directly carve out a territory in the chaotic killing world, which is called the pioneer territory. This is the most difficult, the riskiest, but also the most rewarding, because after obtaining the pioneer territory, you are equivalent to a lord with real power. I think you should understand the concept here."

"So, Li Wei, which type of lord mission do you want to choose?"

After the old man finished speaking, he looked at him with a smile, appearing amiable, but in reality, he was a smiling tiger. Behind that smile was a harsh scrutiny and an unfriendly cold look.

I wonder where I offended this person?

But it doesn't matter,
Li Wei thought for a moment, "In principle, I would prefer the third option, but it seems I can't complete the title mission right now, so maybe I can postpone it."

“It’s right to take it slow, but Li Wei, you need to understand that the newcomer mission only comes once every three years, while the pioneer mission only comes once every ten years. If you miss this one, you’ll have to wait ten years. During this time, you either have to wait in line and wait for someone to die in these pioneer missions before you have a chance to get in line, but whether you can get in is still uncertain.”

"Four months from now, the great six-star lord will launch a new round of exploration missions. There are a total of twenty exploration cards. Our Ministry of the Interior has taken four, which means four slots. Our Chief Minister of the Interior intends to give you one of the exploration card slots. So, do you want it? You should think it over carefully."

"miss you!"

Li Wei blurted it out almost without thinking.

Yes, he needs to think about it before he figures it out. If he can apply at any time, why is he in such a hurry? Wouldn't it be better to develop his skills first?

But since you said it only happens once every ten years, and anyone who wants to join midway can only wait in line, damn it, ten years from now, he'll have to pay rent for his house at No. 53 Fengzhai in three years. What will he be like in ten years?

If you're slow on one crucial step, you'll be slow on every step of the way, and you'll be completely suppressed.

If another injury occurs during this period, leading to various hidden ailments, it will create a snowball effect of negative consequences, potentially lasting for ten years.

Ten years from now, who will still remember him as the Rookie of the Year?
In addition, Night Owl quietly arranged a pioneering position for him. He really is the head of the direct line!

(End of this chapter)