Lord of the Sky City

When Rocky asked Berg and Karina for their opinions, both gave starkly different responses that were perfectly in line with their respective characters.

Karina's advice was simple—she told Rocky to go for it! To go all out!

If anyone dared to attack him, he should dare to fight back, and ideally obliterate the opponent's city, twice if necessary. After doing that a couple of times, surely no one would dare to provoke him lightly again.

That suggestion... well, it was not only extremely characteristic of Karina but also made some sense.

Anyone looking to side with Lexington against Rocky, whoever they might be, was probably just trying to curry favor with Lexington. But if the damage Rocky inflicted upon them far outweighed any benefits they could get from Lexington, naturally, these people would refrain from taking action.

To tell the truth, Rocky really wanted to do just that. His personality might be different from Karina's, but their attitudes toward this matter were completely aligned—if someone bullied him, he would definitely hit back hard!

But there was a practical problem with that approach—Rocky didn't have the strength! How could he intimidate the petty if he did not possess the might to destroy a Sky City?

As interesting as it sounded, Rocky simply couldn't pull it off.

Compared to Karina, Berg's advice was much smoother. He suggested that Rocky join an alliance!

This piece of advice did pique Rocky's interest, as Berg had a point: there's comfort in the shade of a big tree.

Lexington was so influential not only because of his own considerable strength but also because he had the backing of powerful families. In fact, many supported him, not for his sake, but out of respect for the Mairente Family.

So what if Rocky joined some force, too? Wouldn't he have a backer himself?

"Berg, are you suggesting that I join the Kafka Empire, Sky Alliance, or the Magic Energy Research Institute?" Rocky asked, aware even with his limited knowledge of the sky's three major powers.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be one of these three major forces," Berg replied.

As they delved into the topic, Berg became more talkative, shaking his head as he spoke, "Although the sky is currently dominated by these three forces, joining them isn't easy—they have very high standards."

"But don't lose hope. There are many other forces in the sky, both big and small. They may not be on par with the big three, but some are not weak by any means."

"Let me think... for instance, the Windrunner Alliance, the Racial Alliance, or the Blackwater War Alliance. These forces are as strong as the Mairente Family. If you could join one of them, even Lexington would have to think twice before trying to annihilate you. After all, the sky doesn't revolve solely around the Mairente Family."

"Moreover, if you join these forces, you'll not only gain protection, but the development of Sky City will also accelerate. The resources that an alliance can share are definitely beyond what a single Sky City can muster."

"That being the case..."

Moved by Berg's words, Rocky felt such a move could indeed be a good strategy. Joining a force would not only shield him from Lexington's vengeance but also aid in the future development of Thunderhawk City.

Therefore, he followed up with, "How can I get in touch with these forces?"

"For that kind of thing, you'll have to ask Karina. She's received quite a few invitations from alliances," Berg answered.

On this matter, Berg gestured towards Karina, indicating she knew better because she had previously been approached by other forces!

But when Rocky turned to Karina, she simply pursed her lips and said dismissively, "Don't ask me. They came to me, and I don't know how to contact them. Besides, I haven't joined any forces now."

"This..."

From Karina's response and the expression on her face, it was clear that she held the idea of joining an alliance in utter contempt.

Indeed, she soon gave Rocky a sidelong glance, "Instead of figuring out how to cling to someone powerful, you might as well think about how to make yourself stronger. This is what a man should do."

Somehow, Karina's mood seemed to have suddenly turned sour, becoming quite abrupt with Rocky. Even the expression she gave him had turned somewhat cold and angry.

What was going on?

Unsure of what had caused her sudden change, Rocky was a bit perplexed; he didn't think he had said anything wrong!

However, when he looked towards Berg somewhat puzzled, he noticed Berg was shaking his head slightly at him, and then he promptly changed the subject,

"Alright, alright, the issue with Rocky isn't something that can be resolved in a day or two. Since he isn't busy right now, let's focus on the matter at hand."

After saying this, Berg looked towards Karina, "Karina, didn't you say you were looking for Rocky for something?"

"......"

Still angry, Karina glowered as if she had heard nothing at all, with no response whatsoever.

Seeing her like this, Berg didn't mind and instead said to Rocky, "Rocky, Karina came here specifically to find you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing that, Rocky looked at Karina in surprise, as he was completely unaware of this matter.

"That's right, I am indeed here to find you."

After being looked at by Rocky for quite a while, Karina finally regained her composure before speaking, "Do you have any plans for the near future?"

"Me? Nothing much, just to lie low for a while once the warship is fixed, and do some Mercenary Guild missions on the side for some extra cash."

Having already had such an extensive chat with Berg and Karina, Rocky didn't lie or hide anything from them, openly sharing his next steps.

"Since you're not occupied, come with me."

However, after learning about Rocky's plans, Karina offhandedly suggested.

"Go with you? To do what?"

"To find someone and fight a battle!"

When Karina said this, Rocky was in the middle of drinking and ended up spitting out his drink. He had not expected that Karina was seeking him out for this reason?

Could it be, in her eyes, he had become some sort of war merchant?

"What, are you scared?"

Facing Karina's slightly relentless questioning, Rocky felt helpless. This woman's personality was truly unique. So he wiped his mouth and asked, "Who are you planning to fight?"

"The Wild Horse Air Pirate Group."

Now it was Berg's turn to spit out his drink. Before he could even wipe his mouth, he looked at Karina in shock, "Karina, have you lost your mind? You actually dare to provoke the Wild Horse Pirate Group!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn