As
"You want to hire us for a full month?" Hell Howl hesitated somewhat.
If Shi Feng's conditions had been about capital injections or help with gold coin channels, that would have been one thing. But hiring them outright for a month — that was a different matter entirely.
Their Hell Legion was the
Having Shi Feng hire them for a month would be an entirely different proposition.
A month wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't exactly short either.
The Underworld Empire was willing to spend funds and resources to gain an edge in technical skill, but trading away the time of their ace corps? The guild would almost certainly be unwilling. What they were buying with those resources was time — doing it this way would be putting the cart before the horse.
Besides, the Hell Legion still had plenty of tasks to handle. If they spent an entire month following Shi Feng's orders, it would mean a lot of things simply wouldn't get done.
"Rest assured — during that month, your levels won't fall behind, and your equipment won't suffer either. For most of that time, you'll have considerable freedom to take care of your own affairs," Shi Feng said with a smile, seeing how torn Hell Howl looked. "Most importantly, you'll get early access to guidance on unlocking the
He understood Hell Howl's predicament well. After all, a guild's ace corps was its strongest fighting force. The entire guild's resources were funneled into them, and every minute had to be spent improving — striving to surpass other guilds.
No guild would be willing to waste an entire month, even if it meant accelerating the unlocking of the Mana Body.
"This is something I can't decide on my own. I'll need to go back and report to leadership, and let them make the call," Hell Howl said, though he was visibly tempted. He still shook his head, however.
Their Hell Legion was the Underworld Empire's ace corps. The sheer volume of resources the Underworld Empire could bring to bear was beyond what Shi Feng could imagine.
They might not have guidance on unlocking the Mana Body yet, but in a few days, they might very well receive it. Sacrificing an entire month of the Hell Legion's time for that would be a net loss. In a month, the opportunities the Hell Legion could seize were beyond the reach of any other superpower.
"Fair enough. I'm in no rush. Take your time thinking it over after you get back," Shi Feng said.
He wasn't surprised by this response. This wasn't something a mere ace corps commander like Hell Howl could decide — only the Underworld Empire's president and council of elders had that authority.
He had only brought it up so Hell Howl could relay the proposal upward.
"Thank you for your understanding, President Black Flame. We'll get back to you as soon as possible," Hell Howl nodded. Privately, though, he felt that even if the matter reached the higher-ups, the chances of approval were slim. A full month was simply too long — especially at a time when Tier 3 classes were emerging in ever greater numbers.
Just as Shi Feng finished his conversation with Hell Howl, Ke Le turned to him with a puzzled look.
"Guild Leader, you're not seriously planning to let them into the Gate of Inheritance, are you?" Ke Le asked in a hushed, pained tone.
He had experienced the benefits of the Gate of Inheritance firsthand — it was unquestionably the fastest place to unlock the Mana Body. But the monthly slots were limited. There weren't enough for their own people as it was; giving them away to the Underworld Empire felt like a terrible deal. A single Tier 3 expert with the Mana Body unlocked could bring an overwhelming advantage.
There was simply no comparing someone who had unlocked the Mana Body to someone who hadn't. Plus, it would reveal the true value of Starlight Bastion.
The Hell Legion might have a large number of Tier 3 experts, but
"Mm. I have a very specific use for the Hell Legion's experts," Shi Feng nodded.
"A specific use?" Ke Le looked genuinely surprised.