Chapter 208: Half a City Lord
Upon hearing this, both their expressions changed dramatically.
The appearance of a large number of Warhammer Party soldiers among the Rotting Corpses indicated that those who hadn't arrived according to plan had already become part of the undead army.
But there was still doubt in their minds about the whereabouts of the two core members.
After all, the Warhammer Party's core members, in terms of level and combat power, were top-tier in any faction.
Even when faced with multiple sieges, they had always survived.
They could always escape if they couldn't win.
Yet now, they had all died here and been enslaved by a necromancer.
The dual-axe-wielding core member's eyes turned red as he immediately stood up, shouting, "Leader, let me go kill him!"
The core members were brothers who had faced life and death together.
If they had simply died on the battlefield, there would have been nothing more to say.
But to be killed by some third party and turned into undead creatures was something they couldn't accept.
It was hard for them to swallow.
Skull-Crusher took a deep breath, calming himself, "Sit down. Now isn't the time for revenge. Don't ruin our years of planning over this."
The orc core member sat back down, gritting his teeth, "Leader, we can't let him go."
"Yes, we'll agree for now, and after the battle, we'll kill him," Skull-Crusher said, then looked at the warlock and added, "Agree to his demand for half the city, but we'll make sure his forces lead the charge in the upcoming battle."
"Isn't that too obvious? We might push him to join the other side," the warlock replied.
After all, he was the one delivering the message, and he was concerned the necromancer might realize something and retaliate.
A necromancer's reputation wasn't much better than that of bandits.
"Then change the terms. As long as he brings us the City Lord's head, he can have half the city."
"Understood!"
...…
Meanwhile.
In the council hall of the inner city.
City Lord Elno jumped up from his seat, roaring, "He's demanding half the city?!"
The official delivering the message wiped his sweat and nodded.
"The Warhammer Party offered to divide the city, so he followed suit and demanded half. Whoever agrees, he'll help," the fat official added.
"Do you know his identity? If he's getting involved at this point, he must be from the city," Elno continued.
Ever since the Rotting Corpse army appeared, Elno had been trying to figure out who this necromancer was.
A necromancer capable of controlling such a vast army couldn't have appeared in the city without notice.
But he hadn't paid attention to the affairs of the outer city for a long time, so whether this person had been living there or had simply followed the Warhammer Party's siege, he couldn't confirm.
If the necromancer lived in the city, he must have some family or friends.
That would be a point of leverage for negotiations.
"He wore a mask, and based on his voice and tone, he didn't seem familiar," the official replied directly.
Rentam City was chaotic.
The inner city was relatively stable, but the outer city had a massive transient population. It wasn't surprising for someone like this to show up, and there was no way to verify his identity.
Without knowing who he was, using family or friends as leverage was impossible.
"Offer him more money. Dividing the city's control is out of the question," the City Lord said coldly.
But the city's ministers all urged, "City Lord, the Warhammer Party will offer the same deal."
"Isn't it better than losing the entire city?"
Everyone began to persuade him.
When it came to choosing between their lives and the city, they all knew what was more important.
City Lord Elno understood too, but he was unwilling to accept it.
Another official spoke up, "City Lord, we can agree to his terms for now. Once the Warhammer Party is dealt with, we can reassess the situation. This person hides behind a mask; he might even be on the Guild's wanted list. In that case, we won't need to handle it; the Guild will take care of him."
The City Lord's face flushed with anger as if he had suffered a great humiliation.
He sat back in his chair, breathing heavily, but couldn't come up with a better solution.
In the end, he nodded, "Let's proceed with this for now."
...…
On the Rotting Corpse side.
Wu Heng and his group were finishing breakfast.
Duke commented, "I wonder what's going on with the Guild. It seems like we're the only squad left; I haven't seen any other members."
The swordsman Gaul Bory added, "They've probably all left by now. Many were brought in from outside, and since they don't have family here, it's not surprising they'd leave."
The Guild was made up of adventurer squads.
There were no strict requirements, and they weren't obligated to defend the city to the death.
Running away when war broke out was completely normal.
Wu Heng nodded, "Several squad captains resigned a few days ago. It's just a job; no one wants to risk their life for it."
"People started leaving early, and I didn't even know," Duke said.
Gaul Bory rolled his eyes, "It's not exactly something they'd announce to the public."
"True!"
At that moment, two ghosts flew in from outside, entering Wu Heng's body.
At the same time, the conversations from both sides appeared in his mind.
Judging by their words.
Both sides had agreed to his demands, but they were also prepared to go back on their promises after the battle.
Everything hinged on victory, and whether they would keep their promises or if something unexpected would happen remained to be seen.
As the warlock had said.
The City Lord had once been a gang leader and didn't have the highest moral standards.
Soon, a gang member ran in.
Standing at the door, he said, "Captain, big sister, those two representatives have come back again."
"Let them in," Wu Heng said.
Duke and the others stepped aside, and shortly after, the two representatives entered the room once more.
They returned to their previous seats.
Through his mask, Wu Heng looked at the two men, both of whom glared at him, and asked, "What's your answer?"
The representative from Rentam City was the first to speak, "We agree to your terms. Half of Rentam City will be under your control."
Upon hearing this, the Warhammer Party's warlock glanced over in surprise, then quickly added, "Sir, the Warhammer Party leader also agrees to your terms, but we hope you'll bring us the City Lord's head."
Wu Heng continued to look at both men, asking, "Did you bring the agreements?"
"Yes!" The official from Rentam City produced a paper agreement and respectfully handed it over, adding, "As long as you help us defend Rentam City, you will be the City Lord."
Wu Heng took the agreement.
He then turned his gaze to the Warhammer Party's warlock, "What about yours?"
The warlock was stunned for a moment before saying, "The Warhammer Party handles things simply; we haven't prepared an agreement yet. I'll return immediately to have one drawn up and propose to the leader that we offer you even more territory."
As he spoke, he started to stand up to leave.
But as soon as he rose.
A cage of bones shot up from the ground, trapping him inside.
Several skeletons quickly surrounded the warlock and the bone cage.
At the same time, the Rotting Corpses outside sprang into action, swiftly killing the Warhammer Party members who had accompanied him.
The bodies were dragged aside.
Wu Heng picked up a pen and signed his name on Rentam City's agreement, then handed a copy back, saying, "Go and prepare. Once you sound the drums to attack, we'll flank the enemy."
"Oh, yes, yes!" The official was overjoyed, bowing several times before turning and leaving.
Meanwhile, the warlock trapped in the bone cage.
His face turned even darker as he said, "Sir, we can renegotiate. Whatever Rentam City offers, we'll give you more."
Wu Heng removed his mask, revealing his face.
The warlock's pupils contracted sharply, as if he recognized Wu Heng, but he quickly hid his reaction.
Wu Heng said directly, "It seems you know who I am. A squad captain from the Guild colluding with a level-two wanted criminal to take over a city isn't a wise choice. It's much safer to take half the city and help the City Lord wipe out the bandits."
The choice had been made long ago.
By making a deal with Rentam City, Wu Heng would not only gain benefits but also a reputation for helping eliminate bandits.
If he sided with the Warhammer Party, he would have to remain hidden.
If he were discovered, aiding a level-two wanted criminal in destroying a city would end badly for him. He'd be put on a wanted list and forced into a life of constant hiding.
Duke, Marta, and many members of the gang knew he was the one controlling the Rotting Corpses. Keeping it a secret would be impossible.
So the outcome was already decided: help Rentam City defend itself.
The reason he had sent both sides back to discuss was to give Rentam City a reality check and force them to make a quick offer.
Now that they had agreed, Wu Heng no longer needed to hesitate.
Hearing Wu Heng's words, the warlock surprisingly calmed down and said, "Captain Wu Heng, you've certainly thought this through. It seems the Warhammer Party's luck has run out."
After a glance at Wu Heng, the warlock continued, "Captain, since you like making deals, how about we make one more? A deal that won't affect the battle."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"I'm just a recent addition to the Warhammer Party, and I'm not on the wanted list. How about I buy my life from you? What do you think?" the warlock asked.
"After all the killing, isn't it a bit late to think about running?" Wu Heng responded.
"No, no, I haven't killed anyone. Look at my attire—do I look like someone who's been in battle? I only came into the city with the Warhammer Party after they entered, hoping to gain some benefits," the warlock explained.
Despite wearing leather armor, beneath it was still a nobleman's outfit.
That wasn't how you dressed for a battlefield.
"Besides, my power comes from my bloodline. Killing me won't be of any benefit to you; you'll only get a weak servant," the warlock added.
Wu Heng shook his head and circled halfway around the bone cage, "Warlock blood is excellent material for rituals. For a necromancer, it's a rare resource."
The warlock's face turned pale, "Uh… maybe you should hear my offer first."
"There's nothing to discuss. Do you really think you can walk away from this after everything you've done with the Warhammer Party?" Wu Heng took a step back and said, "Kill him."
The bone cage opened.
Several skeletons rushed in to finish him off.
The warlock, his expression grim, slammed his staff into the ground.
A ring of fire burst out from around him, forcing the skeletons back a few steps.
His eyes filled with killing intent as he glanced at Wu Heng before turning to flee.
Bang, bang, bang~!
Wu Heng fired three shots, hitting the warlock in the waist and legs, causing him to collapse to the ground.
The skeletons rushed over, and their weapons fell upon him.
...…
In the inner city.
The City Lord and his officials stared at the name on the agreement.
Wu Heng…
Seeing this name, they all realized who he was.
The new squad captain of the Guild, who had recently garnered a lot of attention.
It was him.
And according to the information from the Guild, he was indeed a necromancer.
"City Lord, forget who he is. Attack now, this is our last chance," someone reminded.
The City Lord snapped out of it.
He immediately ordered, "Prepare to attack!"
"Prepare to attack~!"
The messengers shouted the orders.