Chapter 221 - Potential ...Prey
Soon, Rhode met those scholars from Ophenia in the Mercenary Association.
They were a little different from what Rhode had imagined. The robes they wore were simple and easy to move in, unlike the usual floor-length long robes that were used by old scholars, which made the wearer prone to tripping. Those scholars were wearing a wide-brimmed hat, carrying a variety of props behind them. There was an axe and shovel among other similar props, but they were not used for fighting an enemy. Instead, they were used to dig for and record information in the ruins. If not because of the frameless glasses that they wore, people might actually mistake them for adventurers.
The atmosphere of their meeting could be said to be quite good. Rhode used a cordial approach to communicate with the leader of the Ophenian scholars. He even showed his enthusiasm, which was very rare. Rhode actually did not do it on purpose; after all, in the game, Ophenia was quite popular with players just like the Munn Kingdom.
The Munn Kingdom was popular with the players because of the generous and beautiful ruler. However, the reason for Ophenian popularity was quite the opposite. The players did not really like the country, but they liked the things inside it. They were looking at Ophenia like a hungry wolf looking at a lonely fat lamb. They were truly feeling happy from the bottom of their heart.
As a small country that was part of the Country of Light Union, Openia was neither rich nor poor. Most of the people in this country were scholars who were studying about artifacts and the truth of history. They were digging and exploring the remains in all parts of the continent; then, they would bring back what they had acquired to their own country. As a small country, their military forces were not strong, but the reason they were still able to survive until now was precisely because of the knowledge and precious treasures that they acquired.
In the game, Ophenia was the country craftsmanship class players were most concerned with Ophenia had the most top production formulas and ancient knowledge in the entire Light Dragon area. Usually, craftsmanship class players would try to get these formulas. However, it was necessary to join the Ophenian forces and get a high reputation in Ophenia in order to have an access to those rare formulas.
For the players, behaving in such manner was totally a waste of time, so most of them usually chose another way, which was by looting.
It was well-known that every Ophenian scholars had their own unique formula. Although it was more favorable to complete the quest they were given and then took formulas as the reward, it was quicker and easier to kill directly and steal the formula. Most scholars had a lot of guards around, but for players, those NPCs meant nothing.
In the Dragon Soul Continent, the players often killed Ophenians and stole their formulas. However, doing so might reduce their reputation and make them unable to enter the Ophenian capital to buy materials and formulas. However, to a player from a powerful guild, they did not care about those guards who were trying to stop them from entering the city.
This time… should I just kill all of them?
Alive or dead, it was a really difficult and painful decision to make.