I Have a Task Log

Chapter 327: Chapter 326: The Reunited Squad

Colin and the others walked the Paladin to the apartment door.

Orelia let out a silent sigh of relief only after he was completely out of sight.

"Welcome back, Orelia," Colin said, turning to look at her.

"You have no idea what I’ve seen all this time! Mr. Edwin took me into the mountains around Flint Village, and I even saw a Succubus—and that Succubus was a Paladin! Can you believe it, Mr. Colin?"

Orelia chattered on, "And there was a gentleman whose lower body was a snake tail! He combined his faith with martial arts to become a Martial Monk who could use Divine Art! And, and..."

Colin found it all rather strange as he listened.

A Succubus Paladin and a Snake-man Martial Monk... they certainly had plenty to say on the issue of "using Divine Art while possessing an evil bloodline."

Besides, Martial Monks did exist in this world. They had learned hand-to-hand combat techniques from the East and could use the "Qi" within their bodies to perform all sorts of miraculous moves. You could occasionally find such individuals among Adventurers.

When Colin snapped out of it, Orelia was still rambling on about all the strange and remarkable people she had met over the past month.

He cut her off, saying, "Alright, Orelia, since you’re back, let me introduce the new member who’ll be joining our team."

"A new member?"

Ale and Orelia looked at each other and asked in unison.

"You two head to the Black Heart Tavern first. I’m going to get Kase from the Dwarves’ place," Colin said.

Ale tilted her head and asked, "Shouldn’t we grab a meat roll first?"

"Well... alright."

Afterward, the three of them each bought a meat roll. When they were done eating, Colin went to the Dwarves’ place and found Kase just starting to warm up. On the way, he also called for Dorn, who was "standing guard" at a sewer entrance.

As they walked toward the Black Heart Tavern, Dorn complained, "About time we got started. The taller you are, the more crap you have to deal with."

"No wonder you have nothing to do all day. It’s because you’re too short," Kase laughed.

"Alright, show some respect for your elders, you eighteen-year-old Orc punk."

"Screw you."

Listening to the two of them trade barbs, Colin grew a little curious. Dorn clearly didn’t mind people calling him short, so why did the word "shorty" make him so angry? ’It’s bizarre, really,’ he thought.

"Hey, what’s with you and the meat roll? You’re just like one of those tall pack animals from the Dock District."

Hearing the verbal crossfire turn on him, Colin shot back without hesitation, "Maybe the reason you’re not growing any taller is because you don’t eat meat rolls."

At that, Dorn let out a goofy "heh heh heh," as if he’d just heard a clever joke.

’I hope you’re still this happy when you see Ale,’ Colin thought.

Happy times are always fleeting.

The group was still joking and laughing as they reached the entrance of the Black Heart Tavern, but the moment they pushed open the door, the smile vanished from Dorn’s face.

Sitting in a corner with Orelia, Ale saw Dorn standing beside Colin, and her already expressionless face grew even more grim.

The three of them walked over and sat down at the table.

The atmosphere between them was a bit awkward, making it difficult for Colin to speak. He had no choice but to first call over a waitress and order a few beers.

"Pointy Tail, you done with your training?" Kase asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes." Orelia glanced at the stern-looking Ale and nodded.

Kase reached into his pocket, pulled out four palm-sized clay jars, and placed them in front of her.

Orelia asked, "Is this the new ointment, Mr. Kase?"

"It’s an oil I made for you, for your horns." Kase crossed his arms. "A few days ago, after we got back to the tribe, we helped the people from that... uh, village deal with a bear. I used my share of the Bear Fat to make this."

"Thank you, Mr. Kase."

Orelia pressed her lips together, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears. She cradled the small clay jar in her palm before carefully tucking it into her bag.

Ale stared at Kase in disbelief, then silently lowered her head.

’She probably feels a little guilty, since she didn’t prepare a gift herself,’ Colin thought.

Just then, Kase looked over at him and jutted his chin toward Orelia, his expression clearly asking, ’Did I do something wrong? Why is Pointy Tail crying?’

Colin nodded at him, signaling that there was nothing to worry about.

He then started to explain Orelia’s situation to Kase.

After finishing his explanation, Colin cleared his throat twice and said, "I’ve been thinking about exploring the upper levels of the Undercity recently, so I need a Dungeon guide. Dorn is a pretty good candidate."

As the topic shifted back, Dorn and Ale’s expressions once again filled with hostility.

Colin cleared his throat twice again. "For the sake of team harmony, let’s not use the word ’shorty’."

"But you just said it!" Dorn yelled.

"Alright, let’s not use ’that’ word in our party," Colin amended. "And also, no cursing in Dwarvish or making weird wisecracks, okay?"

Ale nodded obediently. Dorn grumbled, "Do I have any other choice?"

"Okay, now introduce what you’re good at so we can assign roles in the party," Colin said.

"I’m a Soul Blade Master, you know? I’ve mastered Mind Power and specialize in stealth, lockpicking, assassination, and harassment."

"Mind Power?" Colin was a little surprised.

There are many kinds of wondrous powers in this world, and Mind Power is one of them.

This ability is similar to Magic in some ways, but it requires no Spells, gestures, or Casting Materials. The user only needs to employ their thoughts to manifest it.

Compared to Mages and Warlocks, wielding mental abilities requires immense Mind Energy.

Although it can be learned and applied with practice, only a select few can meet the requirements.

So far, most creatures that use Spiritual Energy live underground. Only a few races, like the Gray Dwarves and the Mantis-men, can form entire units of Psychics. Of course, there are also powerful monsters skilled in Mind Power, such as Mind Flayers and Aboleths.

Colin carefully studied Dorn’s appearance.

Grayish-white skin and beard, and a shiny, bald head...

His appearance was actually very similar to the descriptions of Gray Dwarves, but no matter what, Colin couldn’t just ask him if he had Gray Dwarf blood.

After all, the Gray Dwarves and the Surface Dwarves were mortal enemies. Asking that question would probably do more damage than the word "shorty."

Dorn glanced at the expressions of the others at the table.

He blinked, and the others could clearly see a silver light flash in his eyes.

The next moment, Dorn’s voice echoed directly in Colin’s mind: "I can use Mind Energy to assist with my work and in combat. The specific abilities are complex, so I’ll demonstrate them when we fight. For now, this is just a simple introduction."