"I agree with Pazhizhi. From discovering the Scorching Shells, to the death match at the top of the Sky Tower, and the diversionary operation in the village of Hinomoto, the Chief Hunter has an extremely in-depth understanding of the Shenshou, much like that small team did with the Elder Dragon."
Vegasha expressed her agreement.
"That diversionary operation was indeed executed perfectly, but the Shenshou itself is a huge threat. If we want to try it again, I think we should at least understand why the Shenshou harbors hostility towards the Elder Dragon."
Zuda said cautiously. The xxs壹贰
Everyone looked at Li Fan again, as he was likely the only one who could determine the possibility of a Shenshou diversionary operation.
"A diversionary operation is too risky, and I actually don't agree with it. As for the reason for the Shenshou's hostility towards the Elder Dragon, I mentioned it in the previous ecological report. The Shenshou possesses eyesight that can precisely lock onto targets from high altitudes. Being able to see a target doesn't necessarily mean being able to clearly distinguish it. Due to its flying altitude, its perception of the ground is also very limited. That's why it would drop Scorching Shells while flying to detect the situation of the Herba Stone veins."
Li Fan explained.
Zuda tentatively asked, "Are you saying that from high up, it mistook the Elder Dragon model assembled by the Elder Mantis for a large, terrestrial Elder Dragon?"
"Precisely."
"But wouldn't such a mistake be easily confirmed?"
"Yes."
Li Fan frankly admitted, surprising everyone.
The terrestrial giant Elder Dragon was assembled by the Elder Mantis from the remains of city ruins.
It would be normal for the Shenshou to realize it was a fake dragon, curse a bit, and fly away.
Since he already believed the risks were too high and didn't approve of the diversionary operation, his statement was understandable.
"However, one point needs to be clarified: even if the Shenshou confirms that the giant terrestrial Elder Dragon is fake, it won't necessarily lessen its hostility. It wouldn't be strange if it even decided to fight to the death."
Li Fan added, presenting a new turning point.
The other party didn't rush to explain, and Zuda didn't rush to ask.
As the director of the Elder Dragon Research Institute, Zuda was confident he could deduce the general idea based on Li Fan's hints.
However, after racking his brain, he couldn't figure out the reason.
He could only sigh slightly and softly ask, "Is this related to the Shenshou's characteristics?"
"No, Director Zuda, it's related to the Shenshou's experiences."
Li Fan said, standing up and speaking loudly, "Many of you here participated in the encirclement operation in the Ruins of the Ancients, didn't you?"
Everyone nodded.
"Does anyone remember what De Wen's first operational deployment was?"
Zuda stroked his white beard and raised his hand to respond, "It was a trap operation using the Vanguard and the Natural Selection, using a large amount of Herba Stone as bait, taking advantage of the Shenshou's unfamiliarity with human giant airships... I understand! The reason is the Shenshou's hatred for human creations!"
Zuda suddenly realized. The trap operation at that time was quite successful, causing extensive damage to the Shenshou's gun wing.
Such severe injuries would be remembered for a lifetime, not just by Elder Dragons, but even by herbivores.
"As expected of Director Zuda."
Li Fan praised.
Pazhizhi suddenly understood, "So, from afar it looked like an Elder Dragon, but up close it was a man-made trap. Being deceived and then struck, the two emotions叠加, making it angrier and angrier, thus fighting desperately."
Guxing also offered advice, "There's a prerequisite here: we need to make the Shenshou believe that the terrestrial giant dragon constructed by the Elder Mantis is a man-made trap. I feel like we could deploy some Herba Stone around where the Elder Mantis appears to lure it."
The idea of a diversionary operation immediately opened up.
"The more realistic the fake trap we create, the more likely it is to become a real trap... So, is this trap real or fake? It's so profound, I can't figure it out."
Dill, who was diligently taking notes, finished recording various ideas and inexplicably began to ponder the nature of traps.
Amidst the noisy exchange, Zuda turned to look at the Guild Master.
*Clap! Buzz...*
The Guild Master struck the ground with his scabbard again, and the Great Hall instantly fell silent.
"It can be tried."
After the Guild Master's approval, the diversionary operation against the Elder Mantis by the Shenshou was unanimously decided upon.
Li Fan was appointed as the overall commander, with unrestricted authority to deploy operations and mobilize resources.
The subsequent meeting process remained quite challenging.
The main conflict still lay in the allocation of top hunters.
Currently in East Dondoluma, the top hunters who had not yet chosen their targets were only Guxing and Pazhizhi.
Deploying one to the Elder Mantis and the other to the Lao Shan Dragon would clearly divide their strength.
If they were placed together, one side would be left unattended.
After half an hour of various opinions and discussions, no conclusion was reached.
*Clap! Buzz...*
After the scabbard struck the ground, the Guild Master spoke.
"Lao Shan Dragon, I will go alone."
Zuda, who had never objected to the Guild Master's decisions, quickly turned and looked up to dissuade him, "No, Guild Master! You must remain in the city."
"My mind is made up."
Faced with the Guild Master's response, Zuda sighed helplessly and then went to the second row to find the captain of the Hunter, to discuss the deployment of the Black Greatsword.
The general framework of the overall operation was finally decided. Although many details remained unconfirmed, the Guild had to act now.
According to the latest prophecy released by the Dragon Worshipers, the arrival time of the Steel Dragon and the Lao Shan Dragon might be on the same day.
Based on the Lao Shan Dragon's speed, there was less than a week left.
Airships were prohibited from descending in non-airport areas. Staying in the Guild Headquarters' executive guest rooms felt inconvenient for the team.
So, Li Fan had Eudora take the Hinomoto back for rest.
He and the others took the roller lift to the Guild Headquarters lobby.
At a glance, it was filled with hunters in various attire. The widespread recruitment for the team's training period had already begun, open to the entire world.
After a great deal of effort to get out of the headquarters, Li Fan saw that it was already afternoon.
Following the signs, Li Fan quickly arrived at the nearby Material Reserve Group.
This was a huge, long warehouse. Four sets of tracks extended from the hangar doors, with freight trolleys entering and exiting at a very high frequency.
"Hello, I'm here to deploy and allocate materials."
At the counter by the entrance, Li Fan presented the command commission he had just received.
"Ah! Please wait a moment!"
The female attendant exclaimed upon seeing the commission and quickly ran off.
Soon, a middle-aged male hunter wearing a four-star badge arrived.
After verifying the command commission as genuine, the middle-aged male hunter introduced himself as the head of the Material Reserve Group.
He informed them that materials could indeed be claimed at the Material Reserve Group counter, but these were only personal supplies like Bomb Barrels, Smoke Bombs, and Flash Bombs.
Commander-level material allocation did not require such procedures. One only needed to inform the Material Reserve Group of the time, location, quantity, and any additional requirements.
"It's so convenient, no wonder no one has followed up with guidance... May I ask how many Herba Stone veins are left in the reserve group?"
Li Fan inquired.
The head of the Material Reserve Group flipped open a record book and informed him, "There are a total of 89 veins. Of these, 68 are low-purity veins collected from the Sky Tower in the Ruins of the Ancients, and the remaining 21 are high-purity veins mined in the wild."
"This reserve is a bit low."
"It can't be helped. The village of Hinomoto said they wanted to develop the uses of Herba Stone, but after the Hundred Dragon Night Attack, there was no more news. The price of Herba Stone has been falling, and no one is willing to mine it with long-distance mining airships anymore."
The head of the Material Reserve Group explained.
Li Fan had been hoping for the price of Herba Stone to drop and had completely overlooked what would happen if it hit rock bottom.
"Which direction out of the city is the fastest way to reach the Ancient Ruins City?"
Li Fan asked.
"The north gate is the fastest."
"Then transport all the Herba Stone veins to the wilderness thirty kilometers north of the city gate."
"Does it need to be concealed and kept secret?"
"Yes, if possible, it's best to transport them by cargo airship and drop them at a designated location."
Li Fan stated his requirements.
"I've noted it all down. It will take about a day to deploy... Watch out!"
At this moment, a freight trolley carrying five large bomb barrels sped past on a nearby track.
"Isn't that very dangerous?"
Li Fan, who had stepped back, asked curiously.
"It can't be helped. Various material allocation tasks are very urgent, and many safety regulations can only be selectively followed."
The head of the Material Reserve Group said helplessly.
After dealing with the Herba Stone, Li Fan had no intention of making any personnel deployments.
After all, he wasn't a professional in that area, and getting involved would only take away resources from Pazhizhi and Guxing.
Planning to return to the airport, Li Fan suddenly saw a familiar female figure on the grass outside the Material Reserve Group's warehouse.
Sophia, who was sketching with charcoal behind her drawing board, waved and greeted him when she saw Li Fan looking at her.
"Long time no see, Li Fan."
"Yes, you're drawing... the Material Reserve Group's warehouse?"
Li Fan walked closer and glanced back.
Because it stored a large amount of bomb barrels and flammable materials, there were no buildings around the Material Reserve Group's warehouse.
Li Fan felt that if she wasn't drawing the blue sky and white clouds, it must be the Material Reserve Group's warehouse.
"That's right. In my eyes, this is the most beautiful building besides the Guild Headquarters."
Sophia's eyes showed a hint of longing.
Li Fan rubbed his eyes and looked at the Material Reserve Group's warehouse again.
He thought it was just an ordinary long warehouse, only built on a rather exaggerated scale to maximize storage capacity.
What was so beautiful about it?
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Li Fan went behind the drawing board to look at the painting.
"Why is there a floor plan of the warehouse?"
Li Fan was speechless.
"Beauty should be experienced from all angles, of course."
Sophia explained.
"Alright..."
Where did she learn such a nonsensical way of speaking?
"Your treasure hunting team is very cute, especially Treasure."
"Yes... Huh? You've seen Treasure in the city?"
Li Fan answered casually, then suddenly realized something was wrong.
"We met once in the Ancient Ruins City, but then a very scary monster appeared, and I fled. I don't know if the treasure hunting team is safe."
"You were there too? Speaking of which, I haven't met the treasure hunting team since returning to East Dondoluma. I'll talk to you later."
Li Fan said and waved goodbye.
"Goodbye."
Sophia smiled and waved. As soon as Li Fan turned away, her smile vanished, and her gaze deepened.
"So foolish, she couldn't possibly be the one who caused Sparkle to be detected early... But her clothes are really unique."
Sophia muttered and continued to sketch the Material Reserve Group's warehouse.
"Sophia is a bad woman, meow! Don't trust her."
In the evening, Treasure's first words to Li Fan upon meeting on the Hinomoto were direct.
"Huh? What did she do?"
"She eavesdropped on our treasure hunting team's secret talks, meow! And like me, she has secrets she can't reveal, and she's also afraid of being discovered by the Guild investigation team."
Treasure replied.
"What do you mean afraid of being discovered by the investigation team?"
"She admitted it herself, meow."
"And who was with her?"
"No one, meow, just her."
Treasure informed him.
Li Fan immediately fell into thought.
A scribe, going to the Ancient Ruins City alone late at night, and afraid of being discovered.
Although he had no clues yet, Li Fan felt that the mysteries surrounding Sophia were increasing.
The only thing that could alleviate his suspicion was her encounter with the treasure hunting team. She had mentioned it once voluntarily and showed no intention of avoiding it.
He wouldn't think about it anymore. Making preparations for the Steel Dragon's attack was the most crucial task at hand.
The team was well-prepared for combat, but many on-the-spot adjustments were needed to adapt to the Guild's overall operational framework.
The most troublesome among these were the top hunter teams.
This time, it could be considered a home game. The city defense forces could provide extremely strong support to the top hunter teams.
If the battle were to take place in the city's combat streets, with five top hunters present, they might even be able to gain an advantage.
Li Fan was not overly optimistic about battles, but this time, facing the Steel Dragon, they seemed to have an advantage.
However, there was one prerequisite: the Wind God Dragon's Jewel had a very limited effect on the Steel Dragon's enhancement.
"How about I try to negotiate and have the top hunter team switch targets?"
Eudora, resting her chin on one hand in the living room converted from the Hinomoto's cabin restaurant, proposed.
"It seems difficult. I heard that their captain, Deus, became a top hunter with the belief of avenging his master."
Li Fan, sitting opposite her, negated the idea.
"Then what do we do? After thinking about it, they have no ability to hold back the Steel Dragon, and the monsters can't unleash their full power during the Hundred Dragon Night Attack, otherwise the city defense forces and the combat streets might shift their targets."
Eudora said with a troubled expression. The team had been researching this issue since Li Fan's return.
"Then let's try to negotiate, but it's too late today..."
*Whoosh!* Patch flew out of the cat slide and landed on the corridor.
"Li Fan! Eudora! Someone is looking for you, meow! They said they are the top hunter team."
The two exchanged glances, roughly guessing the reason for their visit.
Soon, the top hunter team was invited into the cabin's living room.
"Hello Li Fan, nice to meet you formally. My name is Deus, and my title is Silver Spirit."
Deus, with shoulder-length silver hair, shook hands with Li Fan.
"I've heard of you. Please, have a seat."
"We won't be sitting. I've found the Chief Hunter team today hoping you would withdraw from the operation targeting the Steel Dragon."
Deus stated his purpose.