Fang Senyan had already gleaned a considerable amount of intelligence from the Blue Light team and was now intensely mulling over and analyzing it: --Take, for instance, the intelligence stating that killing one enemy standard infantryman yields one contribution point. Though seemingly a casual remark, digging deeper into the exchange rates allowed him to deduce a great deal: One Orc grunt could only be redeemed by killing five standard enemy infantrymen.
And what was an Orc grunt? Merely cannon fodder.
Even countless Orc corpses could never breach the monstrous seven-layered walls of Minas Tirith! They were the cheapest troop type imaginable.
And now, they were facing a siege battle! Even someone as formidable as Fang Senyan would find it far from easy to kill five standard human infantrymen protected by city walls, let alone other Contractors!
Was it really that difficult just to redeem a single cannon fodder Orc grunt? Could this battle truly be a contest between ranged Contractors?
That was impossible, of course! Therefore, from these minute details, Fang Senyan inferred that the defenders within Minas Tirith might not simply resort to passive defense!
Fierce close-quarters combat was highly likely to erupt, and this would be the main theme of the war. The best defense is offense.
The superior way to guard Minas Tirith wasn't by matching the enemy's siege engine count; it was by charging out directly to destroy every single one of the enemy's siege weapons! This way, both sides would naturally have the opportunity for face-to-face brawls!
From a tiny exchange rate, he extrapolated the specific tactics the enemy commander intended to employ... Thus, if one observed carefully, spotting the whole from a single leaf was not overly difficult.
To put it plainly, Fang Senyan scrutinized and chewed over every piece of information, analyzing the potential gains, losses, successes, and failures inherent in it. Now, with all these disparate pieces of data flooding in at once, it truly felt like being force-fed, making his head feel on the verge of bursting.
He let out a wry smile, shook his head, closed his eyes, and took a swig of vodka, compelling his mind to go blank. The burning sensation in his mouth helped his thoughts gradually settle.
His brain slowly returned to a state of clarity and tranquility. Suddenly, Fang Senyan's nose caught an indescribable scent—a vile mixture of sweat, body odor, and decay—which slammed violently into his senses.
Even with Fang Senyan's usual composure, he involuntarily made a choking sound from his throat, flailing his arms wildly in the air. He scrambled and tumbled several meters away before realizing that a Uruk-hai had appeared where he had just been standing.
This Uruk-hai was fearsome and immensely tall, clad in highly intricate and heavy armor. Its nostrils flared constantly, and its eyes fixed upon Fang Senyan's flask with an overwhelmingly greedy gaze; clearly, its intentions were malicious.
However, upon clearly seeing Fang Senyan's face, the creature instantly became dejected. It was evident that the Uruk-hai had initially intended to rob him outright.
But seeing Fang Senyan's terrifying +3 Legend score quickly deterred that idea. Fang Senyan glared fiercely at Ronnie, wondering why the man hadn't warned him, allowing him to be temporarily poisoned by the foul air!
Ronnie could only shrug helplessly. After all, they were on Orc territory, and this creature looked like an elite Uruk-hai.
If it was merely trying to maintain order by approaching, what could he do? Fang Senyan took several deep breaths, then walked over with his inexhaustible vodka flask to converse with this elite Uruk-hai.
He gained no truly useful intelligence, only learning that this being was even stronger than an elite Uruk-hai, referred to as a Uruk-hai Roarer, possessing astonishing strength. Of course, in Fang Senyan's mind, without concrete combat data, just how astonishing this strength was remained unquantifiable.
Someone standing nearby watched Fang Senyan’s actions and couldn't help but let out a mocking chuckle: “Trying to buy intelligence with a few bottles of liquor? Are you serious?” Hearing this, Ronnie immediately jumped up, glaring fiercely, displaying the loyalty of a subject deeply offended by a slight against his lord.
But Fang Senyan felt no sting of sarcasm from the comment; instead, he sensed there was more to it and immediately traded a small amount of contribution points, asking with interest: “Oh? Has someone tried that already?” The man paused, realizing that one doesn't strike a smiling face, and, considering the contribution points, patiently explained: “Our leader studied the habits and diets of Orcs and Uruk-hai before entering.
He redeemed hundreds of items tailored to their tastes from the Space. Moreover, our leader’s Charm value is already over a hundred.
Even so, he only managed to secure seven pieces of useful intelligence. You think a mere bottle of vodka can extract secrets?
That’s rather rash.” Fang Senyan’s mind stirred. He realized that the Space was certainly full of hidden masters, and reaching a Charm value over one hundred was quite difficult since equipment that increased Charm wasn't exactly abundant.
Calculated this way, their leader must have possessed a base Charm value of at least forty before becoming a Colonizer! Just then, San Zai rushed over.
Seeing the nervousness etched on his face, Fang Senyan urged him to sit down and explain properly. San Zai walked over and sat next to Fang Senyan, whispering: “Brother Yan, I think I’ve stumbled upon the Space’s great secret!” Fang Senyan calmly responded in the team channel: “Yes, I know.
Tell me slowly, don't leave out a single detail.” San Zai said: “I suddenly received a related quest—a special assignment given to the Chosen Ones. The requirements are already stringent.
The quest states that when the Nazgûl ride Fellbeasts into battle, Gandalf will summon the Great Eagles nesting on the snowy peaks near Isengard to fight them. Among these, three Great Eagles are pregnant and close to laying eggs.
My task is to acquire the eggs within the Great Eagles’ wombs and tame them as mounts.” “Only Great Eagles nurtured in the Bloody Battlefield—a zone opened collaboratively by multiple Spaces—and grown to high levels might possess innate abilities, such as forming a self-sustaining shield around their bodies, allowing them to fly in any environment for thirty seconds. If that’s the case, when our Noah C Space suffers damage while traversing spacetime turbulence, I could ride a Great Eagle to ferry supplies for repairs and replenishment.” Fang Senyan listened intently and seriously, then suddenly said: “This mission is crucial!!
If possible, we must help you complete this objective with all our might. The more you benefit the Space, the less likely it will be to let you die; it will favor you within its authority!
This is hugely significant! Even a slight tilt in favor within its jurisdiction is a boon to us.” San Zai nodded, then seriously stated: “The puzzle I found lies right at the beginning of the quest—it reads: Classified Document: The Age of Flame (Space 139 Cycle ~ Space 142 Cycle) Chosen One Serial Number 6513A.” Listening to this series of data provided by San Zai, Fang Senyan gradually formed a coherent picture, and his previous confusion was resolved.
Fang Senyan had long wondered: were the only Contractors participating in this Lord of the Rings battle those within Noah Space C? Why weren't the stronger ones sent to assist?
It was hard to explain solely with the concept of a rank barrier. The notion that "superior individuals are inexplicably constrained" was difficult to rationalize.
“The three words ‘Age of Flame’ are very worthy of study,” Fang Senyan mused, beginning: “Usually, the character ‘Flame’ (, Liè) isn't readily paired with ‘Age’ (, Jìyuán). However, in ancient China, when constructing massive granaries, they used the eight characters Heaven, Earth, Profound, Desolate, Universe, Flood, and Vast (, ) for organizational grouping.
For example, the ‘Heaven’ Granary represented Warehouse Number One, and the ‘Vast’ Granary represented Warehouse Number Eight.” Zi also arrived at this point and exclaimed in surprise: “So you mean Liè actually represents a number, and the following description specifies the exact duration of the Age of Flame?” Aldaris suddenly interjected: “In my real-world context, there’s a very famous basketball player named Kobe Bryant. He entered the NBA through the draft in 1996.
Many other legendary stars emerged among the players drafted that year, so later generations referred to that group of players as the Golden Generation (’96). This should be similar to the Age of Flame.” San Zai said wryly: “When I heard that, I thought of the graduating classes we had in school.
For example, when I finished junior high, that was the 2000 cohort, often followed by a designation like (1997~2000).” “Then that’s it,” Fang Senyan affirmed seriously: “We can now fairly accurately judge the principles the Space uses to assign battles to Contractors. Most of the Contractors fighting against us are likely from the same Age of Flame cohort!
After that, they consider the strength barrier—it’s like assembling the national soccer team; the primary consideration is the 20-35 age bracket, and then they decide whether to pick from the Super League or the First Division. This maximizes the chance that Contractors from the same era aren't too widely separated in strength.” “So, at least in our current phase, Contractors from different Ages shouldn't be mingling freely.
That Cardinal in the red robes who cornered us previously must have been among the very first to enter the Age of Flame, and we likely joined near the tail end of the Age of Flame.” Zi suddenly asked: “Then, what happens when our group reaches the peak of the Age of Flame?” Fang Senyan smiled: “Graduation, of course. Moving up.
Once junior high is done, you go to high school, entering the Age preceding the Age of Flame. But I suspect we’ll receive extra preferential treatment, much like a newly promoted team from the First Division moving to the Super League always gets a bit of care.” Afterward, Fang Senyan and the others discussed San Zai’s related quest.
At this moment, the group felt strong and well-equipped. They believed the task might be difficult, but it was certainly not impossible.
While they were discussing, Fang Senyan and the others also received their related mission: Contractor 1018, you and your team have received a promotion quest: Annihilation of a Nation. Mission Summary: Destroy the symbol of Minas Tirith: The White Tower of Ecthelion!
Mission Hint: The city of Minas Tirith was built in a unique manner. The city is divided into seven levels, each with independent walls and entrances.
However, these entrances are not aligned linearly. This distinctive geography is partly due to natural topography and partly due to the superb, almost magical craftsmanship of ancient artisans.
One must breach the terrifying seven sets of walls and seven gates to reach the Court of the Fountain before the Hall of Records, where the White Tower stands. The tall, simple White Tower pierces the sky one hundred and fifty feet high, and the Regent’s banner surveys the vast plains a thousand feet below.
Destroying the White Tower is the mark of Minas Tirith’s fall! Note: This is a promotion quest.
If you select the option to undertake the promotion quest, you will be unable to return to the Nightmare Space, even if you enter the Dark Lord’s Hall of Source. However, this mission will be upgraded to a Golden Main Quest without an increase in difficulty!
Warning: You must make your choice within twenty-four hours of entering this world, or the option for the promotion quest will disappear. Warning: If the Dark Lord’s Hall of Source is captured, all allied Contractors remaining in this world will perish.
Hint: You can earn the following Milestones in this world (including this world and its extensions): Legend Buster: You participated in the battle where any two of the following characters were killed: Gandalf / Aragorn / Gimli / Legolas. Title Reward: +1 Legend Score.
Enemy of the Gate LV1: You have destroyed at least one gate of Minas Tirith. This Milestone can be upgraded; for every additional gate destroyed, the Title Reward increases.
Theoretically, a maximum of seven gates can be destroyed. Title Reward: Damage dealt to structures increased by 100% to 700% (upon reaching the highest level).
Hedgehog: You have been successfully hit by projectiles from plot characters five thousand times cumulatively (the projectile must hit and cause damage). Current count: 0/5000.
Title Reward: You will ignore 90% of damage taken from ranged attacks by plot characters. Cook LV1: Due to the construction of siege equipment, the Orcs' food supply has encountered major issues; they cannot find enough dry firewood to cook meals.
Please help at least five Orcs at their stoves cook their food. Current progress: (0/5).
This Milestone refreshes every 12 hours, up to 3 completions. Title Reward: Fire Damage increased by 5% / Cook LV3 Reward: Spell Damage increased by 15%.
Laborer LV1: Conquering Minas Tirith cannot be accomplished with mere stones and blood; transportation capacity is currently a major bottleneck. Assist the Orcs in hauling ten loads of various timber and stones from the Anduin River camp.
This Milestone refreshes every 12 hours, up to 3 completions. Title Reward: Movement Speed increased by 1% / Laborer LV3 Reward: Movement Speed increased by 4%.
Rich Beyond Measure: The total contribution points you have personally handled for exchanges exceed 10,000 points. Title Reward: You will receive the privilege to exchange for any creature/item/equipment valued under 1000 contribution points for free in this world.
You will always receive a 15% discount during transactions. Looking at this series of Milestones, Fang Senyan’s eyes immediately locked onto "Hedgehog"!
The attribute allowing 90% damage immunity from plot characters' ranged attacks was an immense temptation for an MT, especially considering Fang Senyan’s innate talents might mean arrow attacks would only register as a mandatory one point of damage, effectively negating penetration—a truly unique advantage. For all spellcasting Contractors, the Cook title was a must-acquire.
The Laborer title was universally beneficial; nobody would complain about moving faster when escaping or pursuing. The Dark Lord’s Hall of Source finally became somewhat less crowded.
Fang Senyan had already figured out how to check his contribution balance, so he deliberately waited until now. He walked directly to the Eye of Sauron in the center of the hall.
Seeing that no one nearby was paying attention, he had his team surround him and placed his hand on the crystal ball. A sharp, evil voice suddenly echoed in Fang Senyan’s mind: “My mighty warrior, my dark armaments, the potent elixirs I have accumulated over millennia cannot be bestowed upon a mere failure; thus, you must pass my test...
Ah!!! A powerful soul!
I enjoy mighty warriors such as you, hmm? And such an extraordinary Legend experience...
Hmm, very good. You have earned my approval and shall receive the full allocation of contribution points.” Fang Senyan instantly understood Sauron’s intention.
He likely stood to gain a considerable amount of contribution, but this sum was earned without actual combat. Since these points could be exchanged for Sauron’s warriors and secret treasures with real value, Sauron needed to personally test him to avoid wasting his efforts.
It was akin to a young man in his twenties suddenly being parachuted into a high-ranking bureaucratic position (a common trope for protagonists in political novels)—his direct superior would naturally feel nervous and conduct an interview before fully entrusting power. “Contractor 1018, due to current faction alignment, it is with regret that we must inform you that your retainer: Fogsong Sunstrider, and his related forces cannot be summoned by you into this world.
Therefore, based on your various special experiences in the previous Lord of the Rings world, you will receive an additional bonus contribution reward of eight hundred and seventy-one points.” “You have passed the baptism of the Eye of Sauron. The bonus reward of eight hundred and seventy-one points will be fully issued!” “Eight hundred and seventy-one points!!” Fang Senyan’s heart skipped a beat.
A Troll, one incredibly monstrous creature that required members of the Fellowship of the Ring to subdue, cost 380 extra contribution points. Converting this, it meant he basically started the game with the equivalent of two Trolls!
Although two Trolls seemed useless for a siege at this moment, Fang Senyan inferred they would certainly play a role in close combat. This level of preferential treatment was truly comparable to starting the Pandora world with a powerful AMP land mech.
But at that moment, a series of incredibly violent explosions erupted outside! When Fang Senyan and the others rushed out, they saw seven or eight craters, two to three meters in diameter, surrounding the camp.
The craters were shallow, but they were caused by splash-effect incendiary bombs that had landed, turning an area spanning several hundred meters into a sea of fire. Many Orc shacks were ignited, belching thick black smoke, and not a few Orcs were engulfed in flames.
However, even under such an assault, the few attacked Orc sub-camps remained surprisingly orderly. The panicked, fleeing Orcs who caught fire were quickly subdued and doused by their comrades.
As for the spreading flames, several Orc Shamans grabbed a few toads as spell components, and under their quasi-shamanistic incantations, large amounts of sticky, foul-smelling white foam appeared, quickly extinguishing the fires... More importantly, recognizing the enemy possessed such ranged capability, Gasmor immediately ordered the already sparse camp formation to expand further, becoming even more spread out!
The Contractors currently engaged were indeed hiding masters. Someone quickly deduced that this barrage of wide-area incendiary rockets must have been launched using self-propelled rocket artillery vehicles.
The launch cost was estimated to be at least two thousand Universal Points, yet it only managed to directly hit and kill six or seven Orcs at the impact points. If used during the siege, the potential return would be at least tenfold.
By any measure, it was a massive loss! This probing attack soon ceased, but that definitely did not signal a temporary return to peace.
With dense, dark clouds piled in the sky, the sky rapidly darkened even though it was only around 4 PM. The wind whipped across the plain randomly.
Fang Senyan casually wiped sweat from his brow in the breeze, then kicked a nearby mountain of wheelbarrows, yelling at Sisko Dog-Ear, the Uruk-hai officer in charge of inventory: “Hey, dummy, count this clearly for me! Three portions of stone materials, two portions of wood!
Twenty-five contribution points. If a single point is missing, I’ll skin you alive!” This Uruk-hai, usually extremely arrogant, responded with an uncharacteristic fear and timidity to Fang Senyan’s rough threat: “Yes, My Lord.”
On the eve of any battle, logistics are paramount; for both the besieging and the defending forces, an abundance of timber and stone is never sufficient, thus a high rate was offered: five contribution points could be exchanged for either stone or firewood.
However, the defenders in Minas Tirith were not fools. The timber and stone in and around Minas Tirith, indeed across the entire plain, had long been stripped bare, meaning one had to trek at least seven or eight kilometers to reach any area producing stone or wood.
Perhaps feeling a shortage of manpower, the men of Gondor could only watch as the orcs replenished their strategic materials. But the hostile Contractors, vastly superior in number, certainly held a different view. Thus, before the main plot forces on either side had initiated any offensive action, fierce, small-scale combat had already erupted in the distant valley of Rhosgobel!
"We should still be able to make several more trips; the entire team's contribution points will soon break through 1200."
Reef exclaimed excitedly:
Following a nod from Sisko Dog-Ear, another twenty-five contribution points flowed into the team's account. Compared to the eight hundred-plus contribution points Fang Senyan obtained in one go, the rest of the team’s earnings were significantly less, totaling only about eleven hundred points combined.
Still, even if they couldn't take to the battlefield to slay foes right now, pooling their efforts for hard labor as a team was certainly beneficial.
It was Aldaris who couldn't help but complain:
"There are about ten teams sent out to log timber and quarry stone, and a full eight of them have been ambushed. Even that Beast Team that left later than us got attacked once. I simply cannot stand how smug those guys look... Why haven't we stumbled into any easy pickings?"
Fang Senyan smiled gently:
"Although the Beast Team just secured a complete victory, they also lost two members. Of course, for a team of twenty, that's nothing; perhaps the ones who died were marginal figures, but this is only the beginning of the campaign... More importantly, among the eight teams attacked, one team was completely wiped out! The enemy Contractor count is several times ours, so we must look at the bigger picture now. Don't fear having no one to kill; I fear that in the end, the enemies will be impossible to eradicate completely—that would be the most troublesome situation."
Aldaris seemed ready to say more, but upon seeing Zi staring coldly at him, he immediately clamped his mouth shut.
It must be said that for someone as proud yet capable as Aldaris, few team leaders could truly manage him well. However, within the Ace Team, there were fully two individuals who could keep him in check, and yet he remained willingly on board and refused to leave...
Fang Senyan gestured for four Orc laborers to haul the giant wooden cart, which was now empty again, and then signaled for them to continue toward the Valley of Rhosgobel.
As they traversed the camp, Fang Senyan saw the Orcs in their makeshift shanties lighting fires to cook—this "cooking" involved throwing everything the Orcs considered edible—such as chaff, bread, hides, meat, wild vegetables, leaves, rotten offal, foul blood, etc.—into a large pot together, creating a dish supposedly "rich in color, aroma, and taste," which each Orc would then ladle into their basin and gulp down with loud slurping sounds.
Witnessing this scene, Fang Senyan suddenly inquired:
"Zi, Aldaris, have you completed your respective Chef Milestones?"
Both Zi and Aldaris nodded. Earlier, the team had specifically allocated two hours for everyone to disperse and complete these clearly handed-out Milestones. The group continued walking toward the valley while discussing casual topics, appearing quite relaxed.
But barely five minutes later,
On the very path where they could still see the black smoke rising from the Orc camp's cooking fires!
At a distance of only four or five kilometers from the Orc camp,
The entire Ace Squad was suddenly ambushed!!
An extremely fierce ambush!!
The last time the Ace Squad was ambushed was during the Doomsday World of 2012; that battle had been brutally devastating: Mogansha died! Reef, Zi, and Sanzai were all driven to the brink of death; without sheer luck, annihilation would have been the norm!
Now, facing another premeditated ambush, how would they respond??
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