Chapter 814: Chapter 19 Mercenary Guild_5
Xuan Yue took the two copper badges and said discontentedly, "Why am I only a level three mercenary? That’s way too low."
"Increasing mercenary level is extremely difficult," Goris said, "the higher the level, the harder it is to advance. If you’re relying on completing normal missions to level up, I’m afraid it would take you a year to advance from level four to three. The Mercenary Guild has already given you a substantial preference because you’re magicians. Like me, I’ve been a mercenary for twenty years, and I’m still only a level one."
Xuan Yue glanced at him and said, "Why haven’t you left yet? Didn’t I tell you we’re not going to join your mercenary corps?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly and said, "There’s no hard feelings if a deal isn’t struck. If you need help in the future, feel free to come to me. If there are challenging missions that require cooperation, we will be delighted to collaborate."
Cooperation? That was an intriguing idea. Xuan Yue’s tone softened a bit, "Well then, may I ask, uncle, what is your name?"
The middle-aged man touched his not-so-rough face with a bit of embarrassment and said, "Do I really look that old? You can just call me big brother. My name is Ka Rui."
Xuan Yue chuckled and replied, "Compared to us, you’re certainly older. Uncle Ka Rui, if there’s a need for cooperation on a mission in the future, we will definitely find you. Alright, we’re off to pick up a mission." Saying so, she pulled Ah Dai by the sleeve and ran to the mission counter, eagerly looking at the mission blackboard behind it. They hadn’t had the chance to look at it earlier because they were interrupted by the middle-aged man, but now they could take a closer look.
There were four sections on the blackboard. At the bottom were the common missions, which were all about escorting merchants or delivering items, and the pay was relatively low. The second tier listed level two missions, featuring all sorts of odd jobs with increased difficulty, like finding the Fragrant Wind Grass familiar to Ah Dai, which was glaringly listed. Higher up were level one missions, even more challenging, mostly about searching for rare items, with one mission to find the Nine Dragons Supreme offering a reward of up to ten thousand Gold Coins. The top tier was for special missions, with only one listed: on the border of Tian Yuan Clan and the Empire of Huasheng lay the Death Mountain Range, where legend had it a cave contained a highly pure Top-Grade Magic Crystal. The mission requirement was to obtain it and bring it back. The compensation: dependent on the quality and properties of the Magic Crystal, with a minimum guarantee of ten thousand amethyst coins.
Ah Dai knew about Magic Crystals, as Goris’s notes had mentioned that depending on their properties, Magic Crystals contained different Magic Elements, had the ability to absorb Magic Elements automatically and store them, essentially providing mages with an additional container for storing magic power. They were extremely valuable, the perfect material for making magic items. A Top-Grade Magic Crystal turned into a magic item could greatly enhance the strength of a mage, potentially upgrading the level of their magic, although not comparable to a Divine Artifact. Goris’s collection included a few Magic Crystals, but they were only of average quality. The task piqued Ah Dai’s interest, not for the money but because he thought that if he could get a Top-Grade Magic Crystal for Teacher Goris, the teacher would be overjoyed.
Xuan Yue had also noticed the mission and muttered, "So Top-Grade Magic Crystals are that valuable!"
Ka Rui leaned in and said, "Of course, Top-Grade Magic Crystals are valuable. Magic Crystals are already extremely rare on the continent. Even a regular Magic Crystal made into a Magic Wand can be worth tens of thousands of Gold Coins, and Top-Grade Magic Crystals are treasures among treasures, nearly impossible to come by. The items made from them are invaluable. That mission has been around for a long time, said to have been posted by a master-level Alchemist. But until now, no one has been able to complete it."
Xuan Yue asked, "If the compensation is so high, then why doesn’t your Red Hurricane Mercenary Corps complete it? Aren’t you the number one mercenary corps on the continent? Don’t you need the money?"
Goris gave a wry smile, "How could we not? Operating a mercenary corps of tens of thousands is incredibly expensive, but the difficulty and risk of this mission are simply too great. To ensure everyone’s safety, our leader strictly forbids us from taking this mission."
Xuan Yue, puzzled, said, "Is a Magic Crystal that difficult to find? Your Red Hurricane Mercenary Corps has so many people, can’t you just carry out a thorough search? Ten thousand amethyst coins is no small sum."
Goris sighed, "It’s not so much about the difficulty of finding it, but the danger that’s the issue. Didn’t you see where the Top-Grade Magic Crystal is located? It’s in the Death Mountain Range!"
That caught even Ah Dai’s interest, who, after entering the Mercenary Guild for the first time, spoke up, "Is the Death Mountain Range very dangerous?"
