Chapter 41: Chapter 41: A Mage’s Strictest Father
The bounty for the three Beastman Goblins and the White-haired Goblin alone was a considerable thirty-one Gold Coins.
Not to mention over a dozen ordinary goblins.
On top of that, there was an additional twenty gold coin bounty from the Guild.
A reward like that was truly hard to resist...
’Besides, if I take down this many monsters, I should be able to level up from Level 5 to Level 6 without a problem. I’ll be one step closer to becoming a Junior Mage.’
"Alright, let’s see if we can find some suitable teammates first," Zelir tentatively agreed.
Before long, Valles and Gray arrived at the Guild as well.
Gray’s tone was full of regret after he finished reading the quest notice.
"Whoa... Rod Squad. I knew them. We even had drinks together once. I can’t believe it... I remember they had a four-person squad too, right?"
"They must have underestimated their enemy. They should’ve brought more people."
Valles shook his head. "Creatures like goblins are extremely cunning."
Looking around, Zelir began scouting for potential new teammates.
But no matter how he looked, few of them seemed suitable.
’They’re all just ordinary Adventurers, and they don’t look very reliable. I don’t even have to ask to know most of them are Junior level.’
’After all, this is just a town branch. There aren’t any major Demon lairs or ancient ruins nearby, so powerful experts are naturally scarce.’
Suddenly, Zelir spotted a conspicuous figure in the crowd—the Half-Beastman, Gak!
As usual, he had a Broad Axe slung over his back, and his burly physique really stood out.
"Hey! Gak!"
Zelir waved at Gak to get his attention.
"Over here!"
Hearing someone call his name, Gak turned his head, his face expressionless.
When he recognized Zelir, his expression softened.
"Hey, Zelir."
Gak easily parted the crowd and came to Zelir’s side. "What’s up?"
"Interested in teaming up?" Zelir asked, tilting his head toward the quest notice.
After reading it carefully, Gak narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying in his rumbling voice.
"I’m in, but how many people are in your squad right now?"
"Four. With you, it’ll be five."
Zelir gave a brief introduction.
"Our captain is Marcus, a Junior Warrior in charge of the Vanguard. Then there’s Gray, a Swordsman who’s also a Junior Warrior, and Valles, a Middle Level Ranger."
The others all gave Gak a polite nod.
"A Mage... and a Middle Level Ranger..."
Gak mused, "Sounds pretty good. I’m in."
"Big guy, what’s your class?" Marcus asked.
Marcus was over six-foot-three, but he still looked small in front of Gak.
"You should be able to tell just by looking. I’m guessing he’s a Mage," Gray laughed.
"The name’s Gak. I’m a Warrior."
Gak grinned as well. "A Junior Warrior, but I can already use a bit of Fighting Qi. With three Beastman Goblins on the other side, holding the line is going to be tough. Marcus, you won’t be able to block them all as the sole Vanguard. I can help you."
"Welcome to the squad." Marcus clapped Gak on the arm.
Marcus was quite satisfied with Gak joining them.
He had been wanting to find another reliable Warrior to help him hold the front line anyway; it wasn’t realistic to always rely on just him and his Shield.
Half-Beastmen had a natural physical advantage.
Plus, Beastmen were valiant by nature. Once a fight began, they would never retreat lightly, so there was no need to worry about him bailing if the squad got into a tough spot.
"So that makes five of us... But just to be safe, should we look for one more?"
Zelir counted on his fingers. "Another Warrior or a Ranger?"
"Not considering an Assassin?"
A slightly languid voice suddenly spoke up beside them.
The group turned toward the voice.
The speaker was a woman.
She was tall and slender. Her upper body was completely shrouded in a short cowl, but below it, her long legs were visible, clad in tight leather clothing.
When she pulled back her hood, her face was revealed.
She had fair skin, delicate features, and well-defined lips that curved slightly upward at the corners.
Like a cat, she was languid yet elegant.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Hill, a Middle Level Assassin."
She smiled. "I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but if you’re looking for a teammate, perhaps you might consider me?"
’Hill. A crisp, clean name, just like her image—as simple and direct as a straight blade.’
As if noticing Zelir’s gaze, Hill tilted her head slightly, and their eyes met.
"Hello there, Zelir," Hill said with a soft laugh.
"How do you know my name...?"
"Because I’ve been watching you for a long time." The curve of Hill’s lips grew even more cheerful.
A sense of unease inexplicably rose in Zelir’s heart.
’I’ve been in this world for a while now, and I’ve heard a few things.’
’Assassins... a Mage’s worst nightmare.’
’This class rarely shows up at the Adventurer’s Guild. Compared to fighting Demons, they prefer missions with human targets.’
’If combat is divided into PVE and PVP, then Assassins are players who specialize exclusively in PVP.’
’All the skills they hone are less for fighting Demons and more for killing people. The same is true for their Fighting Qi Attributes.’
’An Assassin’s Fighting Qi usually comes with special effects like Aura Concealment, Swift Action, and Stealth. They’re secretive and swift, making them impossible to defend against.’
’Just like how Hill had silently listened to their entire conversation without a single one of them noticing.’
’When the Assassin profession was at its peak, they even established their own Assassin’s Guild.’
’Inside the guild, countless shady assassination missions were brazenly posted, waiting for the right person to complete them.’
’However, aside from a few high-profile figures with massive bounties on their heads, the easiest targets for Assassins were, of course, Mages.’
’Lots of money and low health. An Assassin could just use Stealth, land one critical hit, and take them out. No matter how powerful your Magic, there was nothing you could do. It was impossible to guard against.’
’But this blatant targeting of their class immediately drew the attention of the Mage’s Guild.’
’Publicly, the Mage’s Guild was an absolute behemoth compared to the Assassin’s Guild.’
’The former spanned several Kingdoms and possessed immense resources and wealth. For the Assassins to so blatantly kill their members was a huge slap in the face.’
’So the Mage’s Guild began a harsh crackdown, and various Kingdoms quickly followed suit, enacting new laws.’
’The Assassin’s Guild soon vanished from public view, forced to operate underground. Although its structure remained, its scale was a pale shadow of what it once was.’
"You want to... join our squad?" Marcus asked hesitantly.
"Oh, there just haven’t been any new jobs at the guild recently, so I came out to pick up some side work."
Hill waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry, I’m very professional. I definitely won’t hold you back."
