Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 601 - 414: Subjugation Mission, Recruiting Mythic Alien Races!
A trace of awe flashed in her eyes as she said, "I see. No wonder the Flower Elves can survive so peacefully in this forest. With such a powerful ally supporting them, it’s truly enviable. Though we Harpies are just a small tribe, we are also willing to serve the Flower Elves and the Blue Star People to help maintain peace in this forest."
The two sides exchanged some intelligence, establishing a preliminary degree of mutual trust. As Destiny had said, the spatial fragments of the Forest of Nature had expanded once again after the Energy Surge. Consequently, there were quite a few unlucky interlopers like them who had been swept in by the spatial turbulence. Many creatures and tribes that had originally lived in other corners of the Mythical World were forced to migrate to this forest due to the spatial disturbances.
As they chatted, the Eagle Mother, Destiny, casually tried to probe the purpose of Fang Zhou’s visit. Seeing her being so direct, Fang Zhou decided to stop being evasive.
"I want to hire some Harpies as subordinates to explore the unknown parts of the forest ahead. What are your terms?"
"Hire Harpies? That’s not impossible." Destiny’s voice carried a hint of slyness. "However, our tribe is very close-knit. We’ve been together for a long time, so you’ll have to pay a certain price."
"What price?" Fang Zhou asked straightforwardly.
When it comes to money, things are often much simpler and more efficient.
The contribution point system implemented by the Blue Star People was only used among themselves. The equivalent they used for trade with other races was the Magic Stone, a currency prevalent throughout the various peoples of the Mythical World. One contribution point was equal to one Magic Stone. Fang Zhou could exchange contribution points for Magic Stones at any time through the Sea City Military Academy’s channels. Having planned ahead, he had already exchanged and stored 1,000 Magic Stones in his Space Storage Capsule before entering the Forest of Nature.
No matter the background of this Eagle Mother and her Harpy tribe, they would surely need a hard currency like Magic Stones.
Hearing Fang Zhou’s statement, Eagle Mother Destiny let out a few rather villainous-sounding cackles before continuing, "A regular Apprentice-level Harpy warrior costs 10 Magic Stones per day. A Black Iron-level elite Harpy costs 100 Magic Stones per day. Of course, our tribe’s warriors have limited strength. They can only handle remote reconnaissance missions and do not engage in direct frontline combat. Moreover, if you hire a large number, I can offer you a discount."
Destiny finished with a tone that suggested she was doing him a huge favor.
But Fang Zhou couldn’t help the corner of his mouth from twitching. The hiring prices she’s offering are several times higher than the standard mercenary rates for the Mythical World recorded in the Sea City Military Academy’s files. Is she taking me for a sucker? And as flying units, these Harpies would only be responsible for long-range scouting, not direct combat. Even if flying units are indeed rare and I really need them, this pricing is just outrageous!
So, Fang Zhou shook his head directly. "I do want some Harpy mercenaries, but this price is far too high. I can’t accept it."
Of course, he didn’t leave immediately. From the look on her face, he knew the matter was still open for negotiation. The Eagle Mother was most likely starting with an exorbitant price to see how much he was willing to offer. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Hearing this, Eagle Mother Destiny wasn’t annoyed. Instead, she just cackled slyly again.
"Is that so? Well, if you, Lord Ark, can solve a problem for us, I might be able to lower the price. It’s even possible that some Harpies, out of gratitude, might pledge their loyalty directly to you."
Fang Zhou suddenly understood; the real topic was finally on the table. This Eagle Mother’s personality really is a bit quirky. No wonder she holds such a high position in a Chaotic Neutral Harpy tribe. Why not just tell me you have a quest for me? Why beat around the bush so much?
"What exactly is the problem?"
"Hmm, about a dozen miles to the east, a group of about twenty to thirty Fallen Bear Monsters have occupied an extremely rare sea of flowers. This has caused great trouble for my Harpies. The children can’t just eat leaves all the time; they also need nectar and meat to supplement their diet," Destiny explained.
Besides the Flower Elves and these Harpies, the mutated Forest of Nature certainly had other small factions. The Flower Elf Clan’s former control over the forest had completely vanished. But that wasn’t important; Fang Zhou was more interested in the other information.
"A group of Fallen Bear Monsters is stationed in the east? Aren’t Bear Monsters the faithful guardians of nature? Can they fall too?"
Eagle Mother Destiny was silent for a few seconds before replying, "Yes. Any creature with thought and intelligence has the potential to fall. Even Angels can become fallen, so why would Bear Monsters be an exception? These Fallen Bear Monsters became exceptionally ferocious after the Energy Surge. They not only seized the sea of flowers but also continually attack nearby creatures. Although my Harpies can avoid their attacks, our lives have been greatly affected over time. If we can reclaim that sea of flowers, it would not only solve our food problem but also enhance our status in this forest."
Fang Zhou pondered for a moment, then asked, "If I can eliminate that group of Fallen Bear Monsters, what kind of reward are you offering?"
A flash of excitement crossed Destiny’s eyes, and she smiled. "If you, Lord Ark, can eliminate that group of Fallen Bear Monsters, I have the authority to give you one Black Iron-level elite and two Apprentice-level warriors, free of charge. They are all battle-hardened veterans. Besides having excellent long-range scouting abilities, they are also completely unafraid of direct combat. Furthermore, the recruitment price for all other Harpies will be halved."
Even at half price, it’s still expensive. But considering they were flying units, and this was the chaotic Forest of Nature in the aftermath of a great energy tide, every bit of combat power was precious. So, all things considered, the offer was acceptable.
After much deliberation, Fang Zhou finally nodded in agreement. He then asked again, "What is their strength? Do they have any particular characteristics?"
"They are Fallen and Corrupted Bear Monsters. They have thick hides and are very tough. These Bear Monsters themselves have the strength of a Lower Black Iron-level opponent, making them quite difficult to deal with. A few elite individuals may possess the power of the Dark Fall. This raises their racial Combat Power Coefficient, making them even more formidable in battle. Moreover, as far as I know, some of these Bear Monsters seem to have become special Bear Spirit embodiments, which further enhances their strength."
"Bear Spirit embodiment?" Fang Zhou frowned slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
Bear Monsters weren’t particularly rare natural creatures. Fang Zhou had seen a few of them serving as guards around the Flower Elf tribe earlier. They could be generated naturally or be enlightened by those of the Druid Profession, with their strength ranging from Apprentice to Legendary. It was said that in the Elf Race’s territories within the Mythical World, there were even more powerful ancestors: the Holy Sanctuary Bear Monsters. These Bear Monsters were characterized by their thick hides and impressive strength and physique, but their attack and movement speeds were quite slow. And most critically, they had a noticeable weakness to attacks of the Poison Series.
In Fang Zhou’s view, Bear Monsters were, to some extent, like weaker versions of Earth Elements—creatures that could only serve as meat shields. However, this was the first time he had ever heard the concept of a "Bear Spirit embodiment."
Faced with Fang Zhou’s detailed questions, Eagle Mother Destiny showed no impatience. On the contrary, she believed that the more detailed his questions were, the more sincere he was about the task. If he had casually agreed and then recklessly charged off to eliminate those Bear Monsters, she would have doubted his competence or intelligence.
