Chapter 8: The Message Brought by the Tears of Sorrowful Light

"Toot, hello everyone, I am the Messenger Angel, here to bring Li Bin a message." A beam of white light flew swiftly to Li Bin, stopping right in front of him, where a tiny angel, no bigger than a fist, was blowing a golden trumpet and announcing loudly.

Unfortunately, the angel had chosen a poor spot, right in the path of Elise's sword as it lunged toward Li Bin. Realizing the danger, the Messenger Angel aimed his golden trumpet at Elise and blew forcefully.

Though Elise possessed the power to suppress Li Bin, she was utterly helpless before the golden trumpet. She was blasted away, her body bearing several scorch marks from the blast.

Seeing this, Li Bin immediately shouted, "Seize her, take her away at once!"

His forces obeyed without hesitation. Ted struck down Elise just as she tried to rise, and Divine Bell hoisted her onto his shoulder and rushed out.

Li Bin's troops had barely escaped the ancient Vampire Fortress when four heavily armored men charged out from its deepest chambers. Seeing Elise captured, they refrained from acting rashly. Instead, they maintained control over the fortress and sent word of the situation to their master, Disya, awaiting further instructions.

Once Elise was imprisoned in the Ghost Butterfly Castle’s dungeon, Li Bin finally turned his full attention to the Messenger Angel. Though the angel claimed to be a messenger, his blow to Elise made it clear he possessed at least level 12 power. Compared to Li Bin’s own level 0 Ghost Crow, he couldn’t recall ever crossing paths with such a formidable figure.

The Messenger Angel soon clarified his origins—he was sent by Tear of Sorrow.

Only then did Li Bin remember that he had such an ally. He wondered what news the messenger might bring.

After stating his purpose, the Messenger Angel raised the golden trumpet to his lips. The gesture startled everyone around Li Bin.

Li Bin chuckled bitterly. "Hey, I don’t think I’ve offended you—there’s no need for that, is there?"

"You certainly haven’t offended me, but something chaotic seems to be happening over there," came Tear of Sorrow's voice from the trumpet.

Hearing that voice, Li Bin felt a pang of envy. The Messenger Angel not only possessed formidable strength but also the ability to communicate over great distances. If only he had such a creature for his own communications...

Just then, Tear of Sorrow’s voice interrupted Li Bin’s reverie. "Li Bin, I need your help with something."

"If there’s anything you need, just say it. No need to be formal," Li Bin replied politely to the ally who had unexpectedly saved his life.

"I heard you’ve arrived on a new continent. I want you to look for the Griffin Treasure House instance for me," Tear of Sorrow stated his request.

"The Griffin Treasure House? You plan to collect angels? But aren’t you aligned with the Sanctuary? You could just build a Sanctuary city yourself," Li Bin asked, puzzled by the request.

"You know I have no intention of building a city. Right now, I need thirty angels. I’m not asking for much—just help me find the Griffin Treasure House. If you succeed, you’ll be well rewarded," Tear of Sorrow said generously.

"Finding the Griffin Treasure House for you is no problem, but do you have the strength to take on the griffin guards?" Li Bin asked, concerned.

"That’s nothing to worry about. I am, after all, a VIP player—my power is considerable," Tear of Sorrow replied confidently.

"Alright, I’ll definitely help you with this," Li Bin pledged, thumping his chest. He immediately changed the subject, asking, "Tear of Sorrow, may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead. There’s nothing we can't discuss," Tear of Sorrow replied casually.

"I heard VIP players can buy a large number of City Hearts—is that true?" Li Bin asked cautiously.

"There’s such a rumor, but actually, only the purchase of level 1 to level 3 City Hearts is unrestricted," Tear of Sorrow answered with a smile.

"What about level 4 and above?" Li Bin asked quickly.

"Level 4 and above aren’t sold in the VIP shop."

"Then, could I ask you to buy some Undead City Hearts for me?" Li Bin proposed.

"Of course. Level 1 costs 5,000 credit points, level 2 costs 15,000, and level 3 is 50,000. You can also exchange for City Hearts of the same level. For level 4, you can swap five level 3 City Hearts," Tear of Sorrow replied offhandedly.

"What? Using credit points for the exchange?" Li Bin nearly jumped in shock. "Can’t I use something else, like gold or resources?"

"That’s possible, but the exchange rate for gold and resources to credit points is very low right now. Using those won’t do you any good."

Hearing this, Li Bin could only sigh and abandon the plan. He regretted agreeing to Jessica’s trade of a level 4 City Heart for a level 2 one. If he hadn’t traded, he’d at least have something to barter with.

Just then, Tear of Sorrow spoke again, rekindling Li Bin’s hope. "Actually, you don’t have to buy City Hearts from the VIP shop. Some guilds offer City Heart trading services—you could try them. The price can be negotiated."

Li Bin thanked Tear of Sorrow profusely and promised to notify him immediately if he discovered the Griffin Treasure House.

Soon after bidding farewell to the Messenger Angel, Li Bin received word that three more Vampire Fortresses had flown in from the west of his territory.

Li Bin immediately guessed that Disya had come for Elise. He wasn’t sure whether Disya intended to negotiate or fight.

Nevertheless, Li Bin prepared thoroughly, rallying all his troops and focusing his defenses on Ghost Butterfly Castle.

At this moment, the three Vampire Fortresses hovered nearby, and as they stopped, the largest and most ornate among them swiftly disgorged several figures.

The leader was a refined young man in elegant noble attire, his black hair tied in a small ponytail, and a golden-covered book tucked under his left arm.

Behind him followed a long-haired woman clad in a black robe trimmed with gold, wielding an enormous silver-gray scythe. Trailing them was a squad of the same heavily armored Blood Knights Li Bin had seen in the fortress.

Faced with such a scene, Li Bin summoned his courage, stood atop the city wall, and called out loudly, "State your purpose!"

"To make a transaction," the young man replied calmly, his words instantly putting Li Bin at ease.