Chapter 205 The Villain Lady Arrives 33
Orlando's words echoed in the empty valley, but like a stone thrown into a deep pool, the ripples quickly dissipated. Those who were slightly shaken by his proposal were soon swallowed up by the undercurrent of greed and selfishness.
The whispers in the crowd gradually turned into blatant ridicule, and a few well-dressed nobles laughed out loud without disguising their laughter.
"Lord Orlando, you are so naive and cute! In front of this treasure, what's the point of talking about cooperation? Strength is the kingly way!" A young nobleman dressed in gorgeous robes and holding a jewel-studded scepter, raised his lips with disdain, his voice full of contempt for cooperation.
"Yeah, who knows if someone will stab you in the back later, so you'd better take care of yourself first!" Another burly mercenary leader echoed, and he slammed the giant sword in his hand heavily on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust, his eyes revealing vigilance against the unknown and desire for power.
Orlando's face darkened slightly when he heard this, but he did not refute immediately. Instead, he looked at everyone with a deep gaze, trying to find a ray of rationality that had not been swallowed by greed. However, all he got in response was more indifference and ridicule.
Seeing this, Alice frowned, her dissatisfaction evident in her words. She stamped her feet lightly, turned around and said to the Third Prince: "These people really don't know what is good for them. Don't they understand that only by uniting together can we safely obtain the treasure?"
The Third Prince gently patted Alice's shoulder and gave her a comforting look. He then took a step forward, straightened his back, and spoke with unquestionable majesty:
"Everyone, I am the third prince of the empire. I hereby declare in the name of the royal family that anyone who can help me obtain this treasure will be rewarded handsomely, 100 gold coins per person. I will never break my promise!"
As soon as these words came out, the originally noisy crowd suddenly quieted down, and many people's eyes flashed with greed. For most of the weaker participants, these 100 gold coins were undoubtedly a considerable fortune, enough to make them excited.
"Are you serious, Third Prince?" A wanderer with ragged clothes but a cunning look in his eyes spoke first. Although his voice was soft, it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
"Of course I take it seriously. I am the third prince of the empire. Once I say something, I cannot take it back." The third prince spoke in a firm tone and swept his eyes over the crowd, as if looking for more people willing to stand on his side.
Soon, several weaker mercenaries and adventurers, either for gold coins or to curry favor with the powerful, ran to the third prince, expressed their loyalty, and promised to help him seize the treasure.
However, for powerful forces like the Shadow Organization and the Iron Blood Mercenary Group, the Third Prince's promise was obviously not enough to impress them. The Shadow King's messenger, the mysterious man in a black cloak, sneered and spoke slowly:
"Third Prince, your generosity is admirable, but I'm sorry, we in the Shadow Organization have our own plans for this treasure. As for the gold coins you mentioned, I'm afraid it's not enough to change our minds."
The leader of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group, a burly man with a full beard, also laughed out loud, his voice as loud as thunder:
“Third Prince, we mercenaries value credibility and strength, which cannot be bought with a few gold coins. As for treasures, naturally, those who are capable will get them. Let’s see who is the real winner on the battlefield!”
For a moment, the atmosphere in the valley became tense again, as if the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Orlando knew that the current situation could not be resolved by words, and only by relying on strength and wisdom could he gain the upper hand in this struggle.
He gently patted Luna and Tariq on the shoulders, signaling them to remain alert, and whispered to the Third Prince:
"Your Highness, it seems we have to prepare for the worst. These forces will not give up easily, and we must deal with them carefully."
The Third Prince nodded, a look of determination flashed in his eyes: "Mr. Orlando, I understand. No matter what, I must get this treasure. Be prepared, we may encounter a battle at any time."
Alice tightly grasped the code in her hand, with a determined light in her eyes. She knew that the road ahead would be full of unknowns and dangers, but she also believed that as long as she fought side by side with her partners, nothing would be impossible.
Following the Third Prince's order, everyone began to slowly approach the altar where the treasure was. Every step seemed extremely heavy, because they knew that this was not just a fight for the treasure, but also a battle for survival and glory.
At this moment, a low roar suddenly came from the depths of the forest, and then several huge monsters rushed out of the woods and headed straight for the crowd. These monsters were obviously attracted by the breath of the treasure, and their eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light, as if they wanted to tear everyone present into pieces.
"Everyone be careful, it's a group of monsters!" Orlando warned loudly, and quickly summoned his magic wand to prepare for the impending crisis.
Luna and Alice also drew their weapons without hesitation and started a fierce battle with the monsters. Luna's dagger was like a spirit snake coming out of a hole, and every swing was extremely accurate, while Alice used her magic to continuously release fireballs and ice cones to repel the approaching monsters one by one.
The Third Prince and Tariq also joined the battle, each of them used their own martial arts to fight the monsters. Although these monsters were powerful, they were gradually suppressed by everyone's concerted efforts.
However, just when everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, an even more terrifying figure suddenly appeared in front of them - it was a huge monster as big as a mountain, its eyes were like burning flames, and its body exuded suffocating oppression.
"This is... the Beast King!" Orlando's face changed drastically. He knew very well that the strength of this monster was far beyond other ordinary monsters. Even if all of them joined forces, they might not be able to defeat it.
"Everyone be careful, this is the Beast King, we must go all out!" The third prince shouted loudly, while waving his sword and rushing towards the Beast King, trying to attract its attention.
However, the Beast King's reaction speed was far beyond his imagination. It dodged the Third Prince's attack by simply turning sideways, and opened its bloody mouth to pounce on the Third Prince. At this critical moment, Alice quickly released an ice wall to block the Beast King outside.
"Quick, now!" Orlando saw this and immediately ordered everyone to besiege the Beast King. They knew that this was their only chance and they had to seize it.
Thus, a more intense battle unfolded in the valley. Luna's dagger drew silver trajectories in the air, and every hit made the beast king roar in pain;
Alice continued to release powerful magic to heal her teammates, while the Third Prince and Tariq were responsible for restraining the Beast King's actions and creating opportunities for others to attack.