First pay

"Are you kidding me? If he is that strong isn't he as strong as our leader?"

"Yeah that's why I wanted your leader's help in the matter cause if my conjectures are correct I am powerless against him"

Indeed Gilbert who was the Apprentice class was powerless against that man. Maybe Abel who was at Adept class could hold out against it but that's that. He won't last much longer.

Abel was still brainstorming regarding the matter.

"So what happened next?" Abel inquired.

"Well, I agreed to his request and also gave him a guild card of mine just in case. Then I asked him to hunt Drus in the purple forest"

"And he agreed to that?"

"Yes that's what he was wanting to do in the first place"

"Strange so strange..."

"Yeah, I sent the letter to your leader immediately after he got into the argument with that clerk of mine. But I didn't expect you to pop up"

"When I was interrogating him without letting him get suspicious I tried to ask what he wants. He said he just wanted simple missions. My brain as jammed as it was, handed him a sack and told him to fill it up with Dran's cores. Considering his strength it won't take long for him to finish his mission. He will therefore be coming back anytime soon. So we have to figure out what to do before he arrives!"

"Let's look for any information regarding him while he is still away. I will even send a messenger to where our leader is to inform him just in case"

Abel scratched his cheek. He knew whatever solutions he was coming up with weren't going to work in such a predicament should Steve had some evil intentions but at the moment this was all he could do.

He needed information before taking the next step.

He was cursing his luck to be in a situation like this just when the leader was away.

"I will look further into the matter, more importantly, our exchange in this room should be a secret for now. Make sure you silence your staffs"

"Affirmative. I will do that"

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[Sometime in the past]

Lapis stared blankly at the city wall.

She walked closed and touched the deformations on it just to make sure.

She was sure that they had escaped from here.

And she was sure this was not a kidnapping whatsoever.

Someone has enticed Steve to escape from her place. The feet imprints on the wall and the hand imprints same surely belonged to him. Cause no assassin was stupid enough to escape like this. Nor did she had anyone in the city who was capable of this stunt other than him.

And she just knew who enticed him to betray her.

"Clair! If only you weren't a woman I would have cut you into a hundred pieces and fed them to dogs"

The servant Clyde who was standing beside Lapis flinched at that claim but chose not to say anything.

"But even if you are a woman don't think that I will let you off for betraying me!"

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Steve who was carrying a sack full of monster cores was returning from the forest all dejected. He realized that he had to do these boring missions for a while. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy that he was powerful or sad that he had to go through these easy missions to climb in the ranks. It was overly boring to commit to these missions. Even participating in the first mission was enough to confirm him to the same.

The Sun was overhead.

There was a subtle breeze flowing and the purple leaves played melodious music as they did.

Contrary to this melodious atmosphere Steve sighed.

He opened the sack to check its contents once more. It was more or less full with the cores.

He took out a talisman from amongst the cores in the sac as he remembered what the old man Gilbert had said.

'There is a teleportation gate between the city and the guild. You just have to tear this talisman to activate the gate when you are done and you will be teleported back to the guild.'

Steve tore the talisman without a second thought. He was fed up with this forest.

Suddenly a viridescent light engulfed him and the next moment he found himself at the teleporting circle back at the guild.

A blue circle with strange heliographs.

Steve who knew the way to the office walked towards it.

As he did everyone around him turned their heads towards him. He has somehow become a celebrity in this guild but no one seemed to approach him.

"Old man, I brought the stones now give me the money!"

The old man fumbled in surprise.

"Yeah... yeah right the money I see"

Steve threw the sack at his table.

'Yeah and now that I will receive the money I will use it to buy some armor and equipment

Steve seemed in high spirits.

'Those shiny and fancy armors!'

The old man opened the sack and to his surprise, it was filled with stones.

Steve hasn't yet realized that Abel was spying on them from a spot where he would be unable to perceive him. Although Abel called it a secretive place, it was just Gilbert's cupboard where he was trying hard not to vomit from Gilbert's sweaty attires.

He was suspicious of Steve and he was suspicious of Gilbert as well cause Steve didn't have that domineering appearance that a powerhouse was supposed to have.

However, Gilbert was having second thoughts. Steve seemed childish and if he was harmless then he could profit a lot by having him under his wing.

His nameless guild could even be recognized by the empire if he is lucky.

Without any delay his hands moved in haste to weigh the cores then Steve finally received his payment.

A total of 100 silver coils.

[Author: guys if you like my work then pls vote with power stones for my other book "My System Seems to Hate Sins". A weird request ik But I need your support for a writing contest I am participating in :)]