This isn't a souls-like game at all.

Ye Yiyi took out the telescope and looked at the wide river reflecting the morning light, then moved towards Fort Lupe.

This is a large city built along the river and standing on a vast plain.

With the stone castle in the middle as the center, various brick and wood mixed buildings radiate out in a radial pattern, and are finally surrounded by a huge stone wall.

At regular intervals on the city wall, there are tall towers with conical domes, on which hang flags with a black background and white edges, and the pattern is a white swan with its neck lowered.

That is the coat of arms of the noble lord of Lupeburg.

There is a moat under the city wall, and the water comes from the Aner River next to it.

In addition, outside the moat, there are a large number of buildings and shanties densely packed together.

Further out, there are endless farmlands.

"It's quite decent, a bit like the Middle Ages."

He put away the telescope, walked down the hill and entered the farmland.

It was not clear from above just now, but when walking on the dirt road in the farmland, Ye Yiyi found something was wrong.

The crops here not only gave him a wilted feeling, but were also much shorter than the crops he had seen in other villages.

"What do you mean?"

He was a little confused. How could such malnourished crops be seen in such fertile land bordering the south?

Continuing forward, passing the serfs with numb eyes and the silent peasants, Ye Yiyi gradually approached the walls of Lupe Castle.

The way into the city is through a steel gate that hangs over the moat.

As they were about to enter the city, Ye Yi dismounted and walked.

As soon as we reached the city gate, we heard a bustling noise coming from inside the city wall.

He looked over and realized that it was a convoy preparing to leave the city.

Looking more closely, he realized that the convoy was composed of a group of mercenaries wearing various armors and carrying weapons.

Their armor and weapons were of varying quality. They didn't look like a mercenary group, but more like a convoy composed of mostly free mercenaries.

He led the horse aside to let the caravan go first, and then he mentioned it to the tax officer in charge of collecting taxes at the city gate - that is, when paying the city entrance tax.

"What are they doing? Are they going to fight somewhere?"

The tax collector in black and yellow striped clothes was writing down numbers on a piece of paper. Hearing the sound, he looked up at him impatiently.

After seeing the tall horse that Ye Yiyi was leading, the huge sword behind him, and the spotless black armor, he couldn't help but be stunned.

"Are you also a free mercenary? Then you're late."

"What's late?" he asked curiously.

The tax officer rolled his eyes, didn't answer, and continued to count with his head down.

"Cang! Cang!"

Two copper coins fell into the tax collector's open hands.

So the guy with the unwashed eye boogers in his eyes immediately raised his head with a smile.

"Of course it is..."

Chapter 172 Lupei Rainforest and Stone Gold Earth Dragon

"Of course it's because of Lady Lupe's bounty."

The tax collector weighed the copper coin in his hand, then pointed to the sign behind the city gate.

"The specific reward information is there, go and see for yourself."

Ye Yiyi followed the tax collector's yellowed finger and looked into the city gate. Indeed, in a corner behind the gate, he saw a vertical wooden board covered with various yellowed papers.

But there was no one in front of the sign, and passers-by had no interest in looking at it, as if it were just a decoration.

Seeing this, his face immediately turned dark.

If I could understand the notice, why would I ask you?

"But I'm illiterate," he said calmly. "I can't read."

"Pfft~"

The tax officer was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Real illiterates don't say the word 'illiterate.'"

He had a meaningful smile on his face, looked him up and down, and then spoke.

"For the sake of money—cross the Aner River and head west to the Lupe Rainforest. Someone previously discovered a stone-gold earth dragon on the outskirts of the rainforest, so Lady Lupe has issued a reward for the dragon's stone-gold heart. Do you understand now?"

"Stone Gold Earth Dragon?"

Ye Yiyi frowned slightly and turned to look at the mercenary convoy that had not yet gone far.

"Are you going to hunt earth dragons with just these few people? Are you trying to save your life?"

"The earth dragon is injured, so it's not that dangerous." The tax collector waved his hand impatiently. "Are you going into the city or not?"

"..."

Ye Yiyi led Virgil into the city gate, but his expression was a little solemn.

The Stone Gold Earth Dragon, although it has the name of a dragon, its essence has nothing to do with a dragon.

Judging from its appearance, it is a giant earthworm with a weird appearance.

The prefix "stone gold" means that it feeds on rocks and metal minerals.

I don’t know if it’s due to its habits, but the surface of the Stone-Gold Earth Dragon is covered with a thick layer of stone-gold shell.

In the game, this stone-gold shell is extremely hard and immune to all physical damage except strike attributes.

In addition, the Stone Gold Earth Dragon can also spray a pale yellow gas that can soften metals and rocks.

As for its performance in the game, it can reduce the durability of weapons and armor, which is really disgusting.

In addition, they are huge in size, and even a wounded earth dragon cannot be dealt with by a group of ordinary mercenaries.

"This is going to die..." He couldn't help but mutter.

"Besides, the Stone Gold Earth Dragon's armor is so tough. What kind of creature would be able to break through its defenses and drive it from the center of the rainforest to the outskirts?"

Ye Yiyi was too lazy to guess, it must be an unintelligent creation.

"It seems that the ancient ruins in the middle of the rainforest attracted these unintelligent creatures.

"Let's find a holy monument first, then I'll set off for Lupe Rain Forest."

After making his decision, he asked for directions and followed a street filled with foul-smelling excrement until he arrived at a cemetery at the foot of the city wall.

"When will these idiots learn to stop littering?"

Ye Yiyi's expression was gloomy, but the dung beetle on her shoulder that had turned into red shoulder armor seemed very excited.

For it, wherever there is shit, there is a restaurant.

Medieval streets like this one with shit everywhere are like free buffets!

Looking around the cemetery, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The residents here still respect the dead and don't throw shit in the cemetery.

Under a tree near the city wall, Ye Yiyi found a holy tablet emitting a faint golden light.

To his surprise, there was a bunch of white flowers placed in front of the mottled tombstone.

He looked around but saw no similar flowers.

"The owner of this tomb is very popular." He thought to himself.

When it was lit up, the golden light curtain spread and the name of the holy monument appeared in Ye Yiyi's mind.

[Tongxiao Plains·Lupe Castle Cemetery]

They were about to set out to explore the Lupe Rainforest. While the holy tablet was there, Ye Yiyi bent down and adjusted the spell slot.

There are ten spell slots in total, namely:

[Ridiculous Illusion][Insect Servant][Incomplete Metamorphosis][Magic Meteor][Magic Star Hail][Magic Blade][False Life Grant][Surging Growth]

"I've been using tracking magic arrows for a long time, so this time I'd like to try a change and see how effective the magic meteors are.

"I haven't tried the effects of the fake life grant yet, so it's a good idea to try it together."

Just as he was concentrating on adjusting the spell position, a burst of light footsteps suddenly sounded not far behind him, and finally stopped behind him.

"Are you here to give flowers to my father too?"

A rather childish child's voice came into Ye Yiyi's ears.

He turned around and saw a child standing in front of him holding white flowers.

This child was dressed differently from other children Ye Yiyi had seen in the city.

This clean cloth dress and the short boots on his feet are completely different from those children who are wearing coarse linen clothes, are dirty, short and thin.

Moreover, his tender cheeks were very delicate, his light golden hair was a little long, covering his ears, and his sexual characteristics were not obvious, so it was impossible to tell whether he was a boy or a girl.

Although he is not tall, he has a well-proportioned figure.

Ye Yiyi noticed the white flower in his hand.

Did he seem to have mentioned Dad just now?

"No, I'm just passing by."

Ye Yiyi smiled gently and answered softly.

"But I saw a bunch of white flowers here, so I stopped to take a look... Is this your father's grave?"

"Not."

To Ye Yiyi's surprise, the child shook his head.

He watched the child place the white flowers in front of the tombstone, then clasped his hands together, half-knelt on the ground, and closed his eyes as if praying.

Through the intellectual characteristics of telepathy, Ye Yiyi vaguely sensed the child's emotions.

Worship, admiration, hope... and a hint of despair?

He looked at the holy monument with a thoughtful expression.

A monument exists to commemorate heroes.

In other words, this child’s father was once a hero?

Soon, the child finished praying, stood up and looked at Ye Yiyi.

"Are you a mercenary?" he asked in his childish voice.

"Yes, little guy, do you have anything you want me to do?" Ye Yiyi looked at him with a smile.

Hearing this, the child's eyes suddenly lit up.

He turned his head and looked out of the cemetery, as if looking for someone, then he turned his head and whispered:

“Do you know the Lupe Rainforest?”

Ye Yiyi became interested. Was this triggering a side quest?

"I know, what's wrong?"

"My father is stationed there," the child said. "Can you give him something for me?"

"Gang?" Ye Yiyi was a little confused.

It sounds like his father is a living person, but where did this holy tablet come from?

"Who is your father?" he asked tentatively.

"My father is a very powerful Knight of the Fire Crown!"

At this point, the child immediately became excited.

"He's been stationed at the outpost in the Lupe Rainforest for three years and hasn't been home. I miss him a little and want him to come home and visit."