âIf you want to ask me about Ravenholdt Manor, I can only apologise,â Bathâra answered pre-emptively.
âAlright, let me ask about something else,â Lu Li said, not discouraged. âIf I establish a town in the future, can I invite you to join me? As you know, you are a visionary Engineering Master which is very appealing for adventurers.â
âYou want to establish a town? It doesnât seem like you are particularly rich. Donât be like those goblins; their engineering has gone downhill,â Bathâra said in disgust.
They had been in this cave for more than an hour. Fortunately, Bathâra was around, otherwise, Lu Li wouldnât have made it to the end.
Before reaching the Ravenholdt Manor there was a bendy river. The naturally occurring underground water in Blackfathom was quite meagre.
âYou can ask me again after youâve built the city. Prepare lots of money as even if you arenât paying me, you should at least help me build a laboratory,â Bathâra instructed as he brought Lu Li into the basement of the building.
They were roughly at the center of the mountain.
There was a large Teleportation Channel that looked quite old. It didnât have the same complexity as those in the towns.
âYou didnât actually have to worry about anything. It turns out the Ravenholdt Manor isnât even in the hills of Hillsbrad,â Lu Li said, thinking he had made some kind of extraordinary discovery.
âThis is a special Teleportation Channel. It will put you to sleep and there are also pit stops along the way,â Bathâra replied as he gave Lu Li a syringe.
Lu Li took it and administered it to himself without hesitation.
Before long, he found himself lying on some grass and staring at the sky.
âIf youâre awake, letâs go,â a voice beside him spoke. Lu Li turned to see Bathâra the Troll.
Lu Li stood up and found himself on an island. It wasnât that big and he could see that he was near the seashore. A group of seagulls flew off the beach, causing some commotion.
No far from the pier was a mechanical ship that Bathâra insisted they take.
Although it was called Ravenholdt Manor, Ravenholdt Island was the more appropriate name.
Because the environment was too wet for wood, all the buildings in the area were made of stone. There wasnât a single person to be found; it was like a deserted island.
However, Lu Li didnât believe that there wasnât anyone on the island. Even if this exact location wasnât Ravenholdt Manor, it was still a stronghold. There had to be some people here.
After travelling for a little longer, they arrived at a big house.
It was a European medieval-style building that included an ancient clock. Lu Li was standing in front of the building as the bells sounded at noon.
âLetâs go,â Bathâra whispered behind him.
Lu Li went in and the doors creaked closed behind him. Bathâra the Windcatcher was not going to follow him any farther; Lu Li could hear his footsteps as he left. Lu Liâs trial had finally come to an end.
He passed through a long corridor and entered a main hall where he could see sunlight coming through the roof.
âYoung man, I am Jorach and I welcome you on behalf of Ravenholdt Manor.â There was a person sitting by the stone table where the sun hit. From Lu Liâs point of view, he was just a hazy shadow.
His voice sounded very old, giving the impression that he was in his later years.
âThank you, I am honored to be here. Are you the leader of the Assassin League â Duke Jorach Ravenholdt?â Lu Li was shocked. He hadnât expected to meet such a legendary character.
âHaha, I am indeed Jorach of Ravenholdt. I am also a Duke but I am not the Assassin League leader,â the old man confirmed then fell silent for a moment before laughing, âMe and my ancestors have always been scribes for the Assassin League, primarily recording the events that happened. This organization doesnât have a practical leader in that sense. From a long time agoâŚâ
As the old man shared his story, the history of the ancient organization was slowly revealed to Lu Li.
No one knew how the alliance had started, not even Duke Jorach. However, the only thing that was for sure was that the Assassin League was one of Azerothâs oldest organizations.
At the same time, the Assassin League was quite a flexible organization.
It was unlike the usual pyramid structure of most organizations. The structure more closely resembled a spider-web, a large interconnected web with a very wide network and many end points.
There was no so called âleaderâ in the organisation.
Lu Li particularly liked that part about it.
The Duke didnât deny it as part of some deception. He was just a particularly strong member and perhaps had a somewhat noble family background.
âSo, can I join the Assassin League?â Lu Li asked.
The old man beckoned his hand in the sun and Lu Li approached him. When he finally saw the Duke of Ravenholdt, he didnât really live up to his expectations.
He was just a very ordinary looking old man.
âYoung man, if you have already made your decision, please hold out your Ravenholdt Emblem.â
Lu Li took out the Emblem and put it on the table.
Lu Li was silent. In fact, his heart was a little apprehensive. This emblem was loot that was received after killing Doan. He didnât know if they would investigate; this was the Assassin League after all.
It was absolutely impossible for any organization to accept anyone who had killed one of their own.
This was just common knowledge; no one needed to specifically write that one down.
However, in reality, Lu Liâs worries were unnecessary. This item that had come from the Instance Dungeon was a perfect copy. Everything within it was just fantasy and was very unlikely to affect the world at large.
Doan was from an Instance Dungeon which meant that he constantly respawned. As such, killing him wouldnât cause any enmity between the players and Ravenholdt Manor.
Besides, the game had been designed so that Doan and a few other characters were the entry point for players to start the quest to join the Assassin League. Otherwise, where else would the players find the emblem?
âWelcome to the Assassin League. I have accepted you on behalf of the alliance; you are now a one-star Assassin of the Assassin League,â the old man declared before stretching out his finger and asking, âWhere do you want the mark?â
Lu Li was stunned for a moment before hastily taking off his gloves.
The Duke of Ravenholdt pointed at the back of his hand and a little emblem appeared.
System: You have joined the Assassin League. Because you are the first player to join the Assassin League, you are rewarded with 50,000 EXP, 500 Assassin League Prestige, 2 Skill Points and 30 attribute pointsâŚ
Jackpot!
Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief. He just couldnât help but smile.
Under normal circumstances, the reward would be 30,000 EXP, 300 Prestige, 1 skill point and 2 attribute points.
The bonus for being the first person to join was very generous indeed.