185-194

Chapter 185: A Bet

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Ooo...!

This time, followed by a deep roar, the ground shook. At the same time, white billows of smoke also emerged from the pipes. For quite awhile, the entire room was filled with smoke and a choking smell. Anne narrowed her eyes. She covered her mouth while fanning away the smoke around her. Rhode also quickly backed down, but as he retreated, he threw the green card in his left hand forward. The Spirit Bird who hadn't shown up for a long time appeared from thin air and soared in the air. It flapped its wings to raise a whirlwind from the ground to clear the smoke.

Shortly after, the smoke dispersed and the ground stopped shaking as the deep roar disappeared. Everything had returned to its peaceful state. However, Rhode didn't think so. He looked at the passageway before him, and shortly after, an image appeared in his mind. It was a white, wide room. In the center, there was a tall, huge golem quietly standing there. Its eyes emanated a faint blue light while electric current constantly flowed throughout its body. The storm was setting and the dangerous aura had gotten thicker.

Rhode shifted his gaze away and pondered for a moment. Then, he shook his head and sat on the ground.

"Let's get some rest, Anne."

She nodded and sat down. She had began to feel tired after all the battles. It wasn't physical, but rather spiritual. Although Anne was accustomed to concentrating in defense, it was a whole different matter compared to running a marathon. As a veteran who had experienced many adventures, of course, Anne wasn't behave like a nervous rookie due to the sudden changes — Being overly cautious might kill her. If they didn't take a break when they could, they would be too tensed for the upcoming battles and commit mistakes. No one would be able to take care of their corpses if they were dead...

Although this place was apparently strange, there were no dangers ahead. Since that was the case, it was meaningless for them to be overly cautious. Not to mention, Anne also trusted Rhode a lot. Since Rhode was confident that there was no lurking dangers, there were no reasons for her to doubt him.

Rhode drank up and felt his strength restoring. He thought that it was fine to treat this quest like a usual dungeon in the game — Where there would be some pressure on the time limit at most. This was why he only kept killing the monsters along the way and didn't loot their corpses. He could leave the loots to after the battle since the corpses wouldn't disappear. However, he had forgotten to consider that he would also be exerting physical power rather than mere brainpower. But, this was not a problem for him as long as the rhythm in battle was well controlled.

Rhode stood up to observe his surroundings. Then, he walked toward the pile of broken golems and started searching. His target was very clear: the Gargoyle's Heart. This was the best reward that he could get from this ruin. As a level 10 dungeon, the equipment here was basically useless to him. Even though he could take them back for his mercenary group, it would only be a waste of space to him. However, the mercenaries wouldn't want to waste them at all. On the contrary, these things were meaningless apart from being sold to make some money.

To him, it could still be considered pretty good.

Because Rhode was really careful when attacking the two Guardian Golems, the Gargoyle's Heart was still intact. However, the two Guardian Golem that Anne had destroyed really made him worried. Her brutal fighting style simply couldn't guarantee the intactness of Gargoyle's Heart. After looking for it for a long time, Rhode eventually found three intact Gargoyle's Hearts, as well as one broken piece that turned into a half.

Although it wasn't not fully collected, it was still a very good result for Rhode. The next question he needed to consider was which card should he choose for the three Gargoyle's Hearts. He knew that the next opponent wasn't easy to deal with. Although it was only a level 10 dungeon boss, its characteristics were very troublesome for a Spirit Swordsman.

Core Guardian.

It was created to guard the Sphere of Mystery. Unlike those mass piles of junk, the Core Guardian had very strong defense and offense, meaning that they had a high physical resistance and magic resistance. It flaw was that it only had a single skill attack, which also depended on how it was used it. The siege hammer only sloshed back and forth—no wonder people would look down on it.

One of the most common methods players used to conquer this labyrinth was by using lightning magic attribute. Because it was said that although the core guardian had a high resistance toward fire, water and earth, its resistance towards lightning was only so-so. Although it was not its weakness, it was at least more effective and lethal compared to other magical and physical attacks.

However, Rhode didn't have a lightning attribute summon spirit. Celia was a light attribute and Nether Tentacles and the Centaur Knight were dark attributes. It was impossible for him to summon Gillian—the Flame Killer also had a fire attribute. The only one that could get close to it was the Spirit Bird, but it only had a wind attribute and wasn't related to lightning attribute at all.

But Rhode's only hope for now was the Spirit Bird. When it leveled up, it might be able to gain the lightning attribute. Then, it would be easier for him to finish off the core guardian. However, it would be too much of a disappointment if nothing happened once it leveled up. Not only did he have to waste a Gargoyle's Heart, he also wouldn't gain anything... This kind of thing often happened to the Spirit Swordsman. Rhode had never used the Spirit Bird card before, so he didn't know what would happen once it leveled up. It's said that even sparrows could turn into phoenixes. But in many Spirit Swordsman cases, such a thing rarely happened. To the contrary, the situation where phoenixes shed off its feather and turned into hens were more often seen...

After thinking for a moment, Rhode made his decision. In any case, the Spirit Bird was also a wind element card; at least it's success rate was a lot higher than the Flame Killer. Although the fire elemental attribute magic also has a chance to gain a lightning attribute, the probability was too small and it would be a gamble. If his memory served him right, there were only five fire spirits that could gain the lightning attribute.

In 7 years, there were only five spirits that were successful among hundreds of thousands of players.

Those successful players really should have tried buying lottery tickets.

Rhode wasn't interested in the lottery, so he quickly made a decision. He put the other two Gargoyle's Hearts into his spatial bag and one remained in his hand. Soon, a system prompt appeared before him.

[The Gargoyle's Heart was detected (Magic Item). Do you want to use it? ]

Yes.

The dark red gem was broken and disappeared under faint light. Seeing Rhode's action, Anne was suddenly in high spirits. She curiously looked at the card floating in Rhode's hand. It was her first time seeing Rhode do something like that; naturally, she was very curious about it. But judging from Rhode's serious expression, she knew that it was a crucial moment, which was why she didn't ask any questions even though she was curious.

[Target? ]

Spirit Bird.

[Target – Spirit Bird – Forced Evolution]

[Level upgrade completed]

[Evolve?]

Yes.

Rhode answered. At this moment, the green card that represented the Spirit Bird was floating in his hand. Dark red light circled around it and the card rotated in the air, absorbing the red light. When all the light from the Gargoyle's Heart had been absorbed, it suddenly burst out a dazzling light, then quietly floated back into Rhode's hand.

[Sky Deck Fifth Place: Soaring Spirit Bird. Light & Wind Elemental Attributes. Can be fused — The child of wind who soars in the sky. Level: 15. Fury spirit of the skies. Ariel Properties.

A spirit fused with the wind.

Messenger of the storm. Lightning Properties]

Nailed it!

After seeing the last sentence, Rhode felt relieved and relaxed a lot. He was even felt happy that he had successfully gone through this. This painful joy could only be tasted by a Spirit Swordsman. As for other jobs, they would never be able to understand why Spirit Swordsmans thought of upgrading spirits as playing Russian roulette... For Spirit Swordsmans, the thrill was everywhere. They didn't only feel the thrill from adventure and killing monsters, they even also felt the thrill when upgrading spirit levels. From this point, it could be seen that the Spirit Swordsman job wasn't as boring as a Knight or Shield Warrior... However, it was another thing to say whether this special feature was welcomed by the people.

But...

Rhode noticed something strange. He scanned the description and puckered his brows.

Light & Wind attribute.

What's going on?

Chapter 186: Core Guardian

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

For Rhode, this information wasn't difficult to understand. It explained that the summoned spirit consisted of both Light and Wind element which meant that this would increase its resistance against those elements. However, this wasn't a common occurrence. The Spirit Bird was a Wind elemental creature which had no relations to the Light. It was like a Microtus having a family with an eagle.

The only possible reason that he could think of was, during the process of evolving, the spirit got affected by external elements. If those elements were strong enough, it could be enough to input certain new elemental attributes to it.

However, Rhode couldn't accept this as an answer. Instead, he became further confused.

The Black Pine Ruins were the remains of a mysterious heritage, a place with consisting of 'magic' and golems. The 'magic' itself had no attributes, whereas the golems were inanimate matter, which couldn't possibly affect the summoned spirits. Although it was underground and the Earth element attribute might perhaps have a higher influence, but due to the contradiction of Wind and Earth elements, it wasn't plausible for a summoned spirit to inherit those attributes. But the problem was that the Light element wasn't even found here.

Rhode traced back his memory to the maze until now, but he still couldn't recall discovering any vestiges of the Light element. To affect a summoned spirit's attribute, not any ordinary 'Light' will do, instead, it required a considerable amount of Light element influence. For example, the Light element in Temples or Churches.

Rhode eventually shook his head as he was certain that he didn't pass by any Church, nor did he come across any altar. And he couldn't remember if there were any rare objects or monsters with the Light element.

How is this even possible...

In the end, Rhode decided to not think about it anymore. No matter where it came from, at least he benefited from it because his Spirit Bird would be able to defend against a larger variety of attacks from different elements. Rhode clenched his fist.

Ka!

A crack sounded from his palm, and a large bird appeared in front of Rhode. The tiny Spirit Bird vanished and was substituted by a blue, translucent bird that spanned at least two meters long. It casually flapped its wings, causing some of its long feathers to fall to the ground. Its sharp eyes blinked a few times as it stared at its master. Not only did its body size increase, but a newly coated white trim covered the edges of its wings. That was the evidence of the Light element in itself.

"—!"

The Spirit Bird gave out a mild chirp and rubbed its head against Rhode, and he caressed its head in response. The Spirit Bird seemed to be very satisfied with its master's touch. It shook its body and raised its head to chirp, then it once again turned into its card form, disappearing into the air.

"Wow..."

Anne who had been watching at the side suddenly returned to her senses. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Rhode with curiosity and excitement. When the Spirit Bird disappeared, Anne shouted gleefully and hurriedly made her way towards Rhode like a little kid who saw an ice-cream van.

"Leader! Was that a spirit too? What a beautiful bird, can we raise it?"

"It's a spirit for battle and not as a pet."

Rhode casually answered Anne's brainlessly enthusiastic question. However, Anne didn't seem to let this opportunity slide that easily. She pranced around Rhode, asking all kinds of silly questions. But it couldn't be helped. Rhode's style of fighting had always been a hot topic within the mercenary group. Regardless whether they were new or old mercenaries, they had never seen such an odd battle style or a class like the Spirit Swordsman.

Unlike Marlene, no matter how strong, in the end, she was still a mage and only can be a mage. But Rhode was different. He used his superb swordsmanship to prove he was a powerful swordsman, and he was also able to use summoning skills that only summoners could use. This was a mystery to them. Some even suspected that Rhode borrowed the help of magical equipment. But they eventually denied these suspicions as magic equipment could never summon so many different spirits...

That was what they concluded before they knew that Gillian and Celia were also summoned spirits.

Rhode was not interested in entertaining Anne, and since she appeared so energetic, he chose to proceed forward. Although she didn't receive an answer, she didn't seem to have any regrets. She maintained her enthusiasm and followed Rhode, anticipating Rhode's elegant form in battle later.

"Leader, will you use it in battle? Anne really really wants to see it. Can I touch it?"

"You'd better take care of yourself. The next enemy isn't as easy as you think."

Rhode cut off Anne's enthusiasm with a straight response, and he began observing his surroundings cautiously.

"Let's go. Something doesn't feel quite right here."

Rhode turned and left with Anne hurriedly following behind.

Both of them quickly disappeared into the tunnels, and the whole area returned to its former state. But not long after, two human shadows suddenly appeared around the corner.

"Did you see that? Amund?"

The woman narrowed her eyes and stared at the position where Rhode previously stood.

"Such beautiful art. How did he do that? Summoning skills?"

"I'm not so sure, Miss. But it doesn't seem to be summoning skills, at least not those by the ordinary summoners."

The old man had a dubious expression on his face as he shook his head.

"Frankly speaking, I have never seen such mysterious techniques. From the flow of magical energy, this should belong to a unique type of summoning system, but I can't analyze its source. The only thing I can be sure of is that this technique is ancient."

"Oh? That's amusing."

The woman opened her eyes in surprise; she turned her head and glanced at where Rhode had gone. There were traces of greediness in her eyes.

"Beautiful appearance, mysterious attitude, unique techniques... You are tempting me to add you to my collection, Mr. Rhode. I can guarantee, you will become the most special little gem in all of my collections... Everything in this country belongs to me, and that includes you. So then, what else are you gonna show us?"

Rhode had chills down his spine.

An odd sensation suddenly came over him which sent a chill throughout his body. He subconsciously turned behind but could only see a dark, empty alley. No incoming monsters nor any signs of abnormality.

After spending a while in the underground, it was unavoidable to be oversensitive.

We should get this over and done with, so we can get some fresh air.

Rhode finally reached the end of the tunnel. He gestured to Anne to get ready, and at the same time he took a deep breath and slowly pushed the stone door.

Brilliant rays started leaking out from in between the widening gaps; it was so bright that Rhode had to close his eyes.

A spacious hall covered with polished white stones greeted them.

An arc-shaped dome dangled above. The glittering fluorite lamp emitted a light which illuminated the entire hall. Thick, solid columns carved with floral patterns were organized in a series, and a firm brass pipe joined the columns together. At the left and right sections of the hall, there were multiple brass pipes with their dark entrances facing the hall. They appeared to be like other ordinary pipes, but for Anne wouldn't let her guard down at all as she was ambushed previously.

But the most conspicuous object was a massive metal golem that blocked the passage in front of them.

It appeared to be at least two meters tall. It had two thick arms at its waist. Although its legs weren't long, it appeared to be totally sturdy. Different from the Guardian Golems, it had a thick and sturdy deck. Didn't seem to have any weaknesses.

"Beware of its offense."

Rhode reminded Anne softly.

"It is very slow, but you need to mind your corners. Although this thing looks like a human, you can't treat it as one. Its waist and limbs can be rotated freely and attack in any direction it wants. Also, pay attention to those brass pipes. I think you must know what these things are for. Once the Core Guardian shifts into battle mode, those irritating Guardian Golems will come through the pipes. I will handle the Core Guardian, and you'll deal with the Guardian Golems. Remember, although these things are nimble, once they appear, they will commence an activation process, so immediately destroy them the moment you see them. Don't worry. This place isn't used for a long time, so the amount of Guardian Golems wouldn't be too much for you to handle."

Rhode took his time to explain to Anne about the mechanics of this battle.

"Oh yeah, one more thing," Rhode continued,"you've got to notice its movements, once the Core Guardian releases white steam from its body, I need you to stay away or run as far as possible immediately. At the same time, get into a defensive stance. Understood?"

"I understand, Leader."

After receiving Rhode's guidance, Anne became silent. She nodded her head after understanding his explanation. Then, she took out her shield and pulled something, soon enough, along with the sound of machines, the gold shield once again changed shape. Anne took a deep breath and grabbed her shield.

"I'm ready." Anne nodded solemnly.

"Good, let's go!"

Rhode drew his sword and dashed towards the massive golem.

"—!"

When the duo entered the hall, the golem appeared to have detected their presence. The formerly dull eyes suddenly flickered and it released a puff of steam out from all over its body.

Its enormous body moved. Then, it raised its arms and smashed toward Rhode!

The battle begins!

Chapter 187: Lightning Strikes

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Rhode immediately dodged the Core Guardian's attack by tipping his toes and jumping backward. The enormous golem's punch brushed past him and smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater. The aftermath wasn't pretty. It was as though the earth sank down a few inches and the flying debris managed to graze Rhode's body and face, causing a slight pain on his skin.

However, Rhode didn't bother about such minor matters. As he retreated, he gripped his sword firmly and slashed downwards in a single motion. When he confirmed that the golem was successfully staggered, he used this chance to roll backward before extending his left hand.

"———!!"

Accompanied by a crisp cry, a flurry of whirlwinds erupted beside Rhode. The Spirit Bird appeared behind him, spread its wings and stared at the enemy. Rhode unhesitatingly rushed forward with his sword with the Spirit Bird following closely behind him.

It was as though the golem ignored the existence of the Spirit Bird, it continued to rumble forward and punch out once more. The Spirit Bird darted forward without the intention to dodge and met the Core Guardian face to face. It was kind of surprising though; one would imagine that such a body with a large surface area would be clumsy and slow. The Core Guardian's movement was almost absurd for its size.

If any logical person saw the Spirit Bird charge head first towards that massive incoming fist, they would shake their heads. But reality was always unpredictable, and the punch simply phased through its body. Following that, a sudden massive electrical explosion occurred at the point of impact.

"Bam!!"

A deafening, thunderous roar echoed throughout the small room which numbed Rhode and Anne's ears. The Core Guardian tumbled a few steps back; its hard, metal body glinted with the color of lightning and sparks began emitting out from beneath its exterior shell. When the Spirit phased through the Core Guardian's body, it delivered an intense shockwave which paralyzed its foe momentarily.

But of course, the Core Guardian wouldn't fall just like this.

"—Chi!!"

Followed by a sharp, piercing sound, a massive cloud of white steam billowed out from the golem's body. The Core Guardian then raised its left arm, clenched its fist, and spun its torso 180 degrees. In an instant, it's left arm pointed towards its flank and locked onto the Spirit Bird. Just by looking at this, the Core Guardian's intention was obvious.

However, how can the Spirit Bird be an easy target? After delivering its payload, it immediately glided in an arc in an attempt to dodge the incoming 'rocket arm'. The Spirit Bird who barely grazed past the 'rocket arm,' apparently became agitated. It let out a high pitched screech, and a bluish electric charge discharged from its body. The electricity took the form of a whip and lashed out towards the golem, causing streaks of charred metal on the Guardian's outer shell.

The Spirit Bird can't be considered to be in the same league as before. In terms of battle strength, it couldn't be compared to Celia or the other summoned spirits, but a mere Core Guardian posed no major problem for it. The Spirit Bird was already at level 15, and the Core Guardian was only level 14 or 15. Thus, due to its unique innate wind element attributes, the Core Guardian had a hard time following its movements. On the flip side, the Spirit Bird was also unable to burst the Core Guardian down with heavy attacks. While the electric element could damage the Core Guardian, it still wasn't very effective as it wasn't its weakness. If both of them continued this method of fighting, then a long battle was inevitable.

Rhode wasn't worried. He summoned the Spirit Bird solely because he wanted to lock the Core Guardian's movements while dealing some damage to it. He would step onto the stage next to end the battle.

He was a Spirit Swordsman, not a mage that summons minions. This meant that his spirits would work in his favor forever, and not on their own.

Rhode held his sword in front of his chest on his right hand, then he stretched his left arm out, and in an instant, a pitch black card appeared. Rhode crushed the card without hesitation.

A black mist suddenly enveloped Rhode's body, and a vague image of the Centaur Knight appeared. A translucent barrier then covered Rhode as he merged into the center of the Centaur Knight.

And at this moment, Rhode darted forward.

While the Spirit Bird was distracting the Core Guardian, Rhode utilized this opportunity to launch a surprise attack using his Shadow Flash. His body slowly became one with the shadows, and he closed the distance between him and the Core Guardian within moments. Rhode then raised his sword, and along with this movement, the illusory Centaur Knight also raised its spear at the same time, matching Rhode's timing impeccably.

They struck forward.

"Clang!!!"

The massive impact generated by the clash caused Rhode's heart to tremble. The Core Guardian's fate wasn't pretty either. Its enormous body was sent flying to the back and crashed into a wall, creating a deep hole. Collapsing dust and gravel filled the entire room. However, though it seemed as though Rhode won the clash, he didn't follow up with an attack; instead, he hastily dug his feet into the ground and held his sword upright in front of him.

At the same time, the illusory Centaur Knight matched Rhode's stance perfectly; its long spear and shield came crashing down as it blocked Rhode's front.

"Hu!!!'

The moment Rhode finished setting up his defensive stance, a pitch black object flew out from the hole where the Core Guardian crashed into. The projectile's speed was incredibly quick, and if Rhode didn't switch to a defensive stance, who knew what would have happened.

It was the very same fist that was used against the Spirit Bird previously.

A long steel chain connected its fists to its arm. That was the difference between humans and golems. Golems weren't living objects; this meant that they could use any part of their bodies as a weapon. Many humans fell into the assumption that golems were similar to humans. Perhaps it was because they appeared similar to the human's anatomy? Or due to their inexperience?

But Rhode wasn't on that list. He was very familiar with golems and their tactics, as well as methods of how to defeat them.

It wasn't that the 'rocket arm' attack was weak, but rather, it was because Rhode wasn't fighting alone anymore. After activating his 'Shadow Follower' skill and fusing with the Centaur Knight, Rhode obtained the abilities of the terrifying four-legged demihuman; thus, Rhode could take on the attack head-on.

After discovering that its attack failed, the Core Guardian immediately withdrew its fist and rejoined it to its body. And at that moment, the Spirit Bird whipped up a whirlwind again and clashed with the Core Guardian.

Meanwhile, Anne wasn't having an easy time either. While she received Rhode's recommendation, she knew that she still lacked experience about golems. Since the start, Anne was able to defeat Guardian Golems, but she slowly grew weary. Moreover, Rhode's battle was ever-changing, and she couldn't keep up with their movements. And sometimes, his battle would block her field of vision, which caused her to miss the enemy who was rolling out of the pipeline. But when she finally noticed their presence, the Guardian Golems already began to attack.

"Heyah!!"

Anne screamed and swung her shield downwards at the enemy. The sharp, metal edge of the shield pierced through the Guardian Golem's outer shell. These Guardian Golems didn't have the opportunity to display their skills before being thoroughly smashed to pieces. Suddenly, she felt a blast of wind at her rear.

Anne realized what was happening without looking. Since the beginning, these Guardian Golems had only appeared one at the time, so she had an easy time dealing with them alone. But now, the spawning rate was unpredictable. Sometimes they would appear in twos or even threes, and in some extreme cases, they wouldn't appear at all.

She didn't choose to dodge. Instead, she released the grip on the back of her shield and slipped around it nimbly like a cat, switching from the back to the front. A split second later, the Guardian Golem's sharp blades landed on the golden shield, causing a screeching sound. Anne gripped her shield with both hands, waiting for the Guardian Golems to move into her attacking range. Once she confirmed her targets, she swung her shield upwards, smashing the golems into the air. Before they could regain their stability, the heavy shield once again landed on them from the skies.

"Boom!!!"

Metallic bits scattered everywhere. The once aggressive Guardian Golems were now broken into pieces under the golden shield, posing no threat.

"Hu..."

Anne finally caught her breath and lifted her head towards Rhode's direction.

Over there, Rhode's battle with the Core Guardian finally reached its climax.

Chapter 188: End of the Battle

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

A series of lightning struck one after another.

Maintaining its aerial superiority, the Spirit Bird struck downwards, and together with its elemental attacks, it phased through the Core Guardian's body, dealing constant damage over time. Meanwhile, Rhode utilized his flexible body and agility to maneuver around the Core Guardian while borrowing the strength of the Centaur Knight to launch attacks. The Core Guardian's movements started to slow down under the two-pronged attack from Rhode and the Spirit Bird. Although its attack power was high, golems were still golems. They still lacked the necessary thought process. Back in the game, this BOSS was considered to be one of the best to defeat among the average mercenary groups. The strategy was simple: Two close combat players would keep the Guardian Golems at bay while the healers would tend to their wounds. But then who would fight the boss?

Two mages. Yes, two mages who were supposedly doomed in close combat.

And their strategy was simple. One of them will attack with spells, triggering the Core Guardian to counter-attack. At the same time, another mage will stand to the back and release another spell. Even if the spell didn't deal much damage, the Core Guardian would still turn its head over to attack and abandon its previous target.

Comparing to the usual BOSSES that targeted the player who dealt the most damage or accrued the most aggro, the Core Guardian would only recognize the enemy who attacked the last. It seemed rather brainless, but this was indeed the behavior of a golem. When the BOSS was new, many mercenary groups who weren't aware of this characteristic, died many times. However, after they realized the strategy, the golems became easy targets. After all, these golems were man-made without any intelligence at all.

And right now, Rhode was employing the exact technique. Using his Spirit Bird as a diversion, it was as though there were two mages releasing spells. As he was a swordsman, he needed to cover more distance to in order to deal damage to the Core Guardian. His speed wasn't exactly slow because he had 'Shadow Flash. Occasionally, he would still get hit, but with the Centaur Knight tanking the damage, Rhode didn't sustain much damage.

The Spirit Bird continued to harass the Core Guardian. Lightning bolts from its wings fell onto the Core Guardian's body. Despite not dealing much damage, but as long there was some damage then it would be fine.

In actuality, the design of the Core Guardian wasn't really a mistake. The massive golem had a strong defense, and regular attacks couldn't harm it. Low-level knights couldn't even leave a trace of a mark on its thick metallic armor. Earth, Fire and Water elemental spells were harmless to it; only the Electric element could deal some damage.

Looking from this angle, actually, this design was quite appropriate. After all, not many enemies could threaten the Core Guardian, so as long as it defeated the enemy that could harm it, then the rest of them wouldn't pose any problems to it.

But the flaws in this design was apparent.

And now was the time.

Rhode could feel that his attack was much more relaxed now as compared to previously when his sword slashed on the Core Guardian's armor. The resistance he felt now was much lesser, and not only that, he also realized that the Core Guardian's movements were failing. The Spirit Bird's continuous lightning strikes eventually disrupted the golem's magical transmission within its body. It's no wonder though, as lightning strikes could cause immense damage and for the Core Guardian to withstand the lightning damage from the Spirit Bird for so long only to receive a minor malfunction, was already pretty impressive.

But all of that would end now.

Once he confirmed the malfunction, Rhode immediately released a series of attacks. The sword on his hand transformed into various sword blades striking towards the Core Guardian's body. The dramatic impact pressurized the Core Guardian's body to lean on one side. It retaliated with a punch at Rhode. In reflex, Rhode leaped backward and swiftly dodged the attack. Just as the Core Guardian decided to rush in and follow up with another attack, the Spirit Bird dove downwards and struck with electricity to remind the enemy of its presence.

"Bam!!"

Once again, the Spirit Bird phased through its body, and the Core Guardian finally stopped moving. The magical light in its eyes suddenly dimmed, but it quickly recovered to its original state. Rhode knew what was happening. The Core Guardian couldn't endure it anymore after the continuous attacks from before. The metallic armor on its exterior had started to reveal fractures caused by the collaboration between Rhode and the Spirit Bird. The solid metallic deck finally caved in and revealed a complicated internal frame. Its movement slowed down gradually and began stuttering.

If Rhode kept up his attacks, he would surely be able to defeat the Core Guardian.

But Rhode didn't want to drag any longer. It wasn't that couldn't see Anne's situation, but he couldn't extend his help. In other words, the fact that Rhode could solely focus on the Core Guardian was all due to Anne's assistance in keeping the other Guardian Golems busy. If the Guardian Golems attacked him instead, then he wouldn't know if he could settle this Core Guardian as easily.

That was why Rhode didn't want to wait any longer. Anne was already having a hard time. Rhode needed more time to increase his chances of defeating the Core Guardian, if the Guardian Golem managed to slip pass Anne, then it would spell trouble.

Rhode made his decision.

"———!!"

The Spirit Bird spread its wings and dove downwards. The Core Guardian once again retaliated with both fists but to no avail. Luckily, the Core Guardian didn't possess intelligence and feelings, if not, perhaps it would have been angered to death.

"Bam!!"

Once more, the Spirit Bird phased through the Core Guardian's body, bringing the lightning along with it as it sent reverberations in the air as well as the ground. The Core Guardian unexpectedly stopped its every movement. But now, the Spirit Bird didn't return to its original position, but instead, it flew towards Rhode.

And at that very moment, Rhode extended his right arm, swinging it to the side.

The illusionary Centaur Knight on his back disappeared. Rhode raised his sword and pointed towards the Spirit Bird that was flying back to him.

When the Crimson Blade and the Spirit Bird came into contact, there was a blinding light.

A whirlwind rose from the ground alongside Rhode. The Spirit Bird disappeared, and only the Crimson Blade remained on Rhode's hand.Electrified sparks enveloped the entire blade, forming long electrical currents that were as thick as fingers. The way it moved was similar to snakes, as it slithered up and down the sword.

Rhode grabbed the sword by the hilt and focused on the enemy in front.

In the next second, bright lights flashed through the air, shooting towards the exposed interior of the Core Guardian.

"!!!"

As if it detected the enemy's all-out attack, the Core Guardian raised its arms to block for the first time. Not only that, it released a massive amount of steam. Along with the steam, the Core Guardian's metal armor suddenly changed positions, forming a defensive shield to guard against Rhode's attack.

But at this time, the blade had already reached the front of the golem.

The sword on Rhode's hand continued to strike forward. A series of flashes discharged from the blade, producing a blinding light. Finally, it connected with the Core Guardian's body and the raging lightning attacks surged around the metallic body. Accompanied by an explosion, its armor was blown off.

And due to this, the Core Guardian's movement stopped entirely. To Rhode, this was enough.

The sword that was blazing with electricity pierced through the golem's armor and struck into its body.

The Core Guardian went silent.

Afterwards, a massive amount of white steam was released from its body.

Now's the chance!

Rhode was clear what was going to happen next. He retreated quickly and ran towards Anne.

"Anne, get down! Raise your shield!"

Rhode quickly shouted towards Anne and rushed to her side. The white steam suddenly increased in density, and the sound was becoming increasingly deafening. Not much time was left! Rhode grabbed Anne's head and forced her to duck, barely avoiding a nearby Guardian Golem's attack.

"Raise your shield!! Now, quick!"

"Ah, yes!!" Anne was still trying to register what was happening, quickly responded.

She hastily raised her shield and covered both of them. At the same time, a Guardian Golem's attack came from above. At this point, Anne was totally confused but she still obeyed Rhode's orders.

And suddenly, there was a loud bang!

Chapter 189: Arrived the Mystery Hall

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Silence.

Rhode stood up and rubbed his ears as he glanced over at the formerly tidy room that was now tattered with broken stones and debris everywhere. Long cracks filled the entire room. The stone columns on both sides were badly deformed. Even the solid, metal pipes were twisted and raised at an odd angle.

"Woah... I can't believe I survived this."

Rhode observed his surroundings and took a deep breath. The Core Guardian's self-destruct mechanic was the only life-threatening skill that he feared. According to the game manual, the damage dealt by this skill was fixed; the damage received was determined by the player's level. So when facing the Core Guardian, it was either to kill it off quickly, or weaken it and prepare for the self-destruct. Since Rhode's level wasn't enough to defeat the Core Guardian in a few strokes, he could only choose to defend against the explosion. Fortunately, it seemed that everything went well.

The ringing sound in his ears caused him to be temporarily deaf. Rhode glanced down and discovered Anne who was trying to stand up while using her shield as support. She rubbed her ears and seemed to be saying something, but Rhode couldn't make anything out of it.

"... as... it ended, Leader?"

Bits and pieces could be heard, but as Rhode's hearing gradually recovered, he could finally understand what she was saying.

"It ended."

Rhode picked up his weapon while answering Anne's question. Luckily his Crimson Blade wasn't damaged at all even though the explosion was powerful. It seemed like this magical weapon had an excellent quality. The area where the Core Guardian formerly stood already had an enormous crater underneath. Within the hole were all charred metals, or at least that was what it appeared as.

Rhode knew that these 'scrap metals' were precious. As a magical creature handed down from ancient times, the Core Guardian was produced from high-quality magical metals. If these 'scraps' could be brought back to recycle, it could be converted to high-grade materials to craft great magical weapons.

But, alas, it was a pity that Rhode didn't have any artisan at his side that could craft magical weapons. Although he 'recruited' some people from the Mercenary Association, all of them were ordinary blacksmiths. None of them had skills to create magical weapons. But that was normal since not many people could produce magical weapons or equipment, and if there were any, they would probably be under the scrutiny of others.

"What a waste."

Looking at all the scattered magical metals, Rhode could only sigh. As a player, he knew how useful these items were. If he had some players in his mercenary group that focused on weaponsmithing or armorsmithing, then he could use the materials to create magical equipment to improve their overall strength. He could even evolve Anne's gold shield into an elemental shield. But it was a pity that reality wasn't as giving as he thought. Eventually, he chose to give up this thought helplessly. Although Lapis was an Alchemist of 3 types, in this aspect, Rhode didn't have many expectations from her.

"Let's go."

Rhode gestured to Anne. He didn't forget that they were rushing for time and the items here could still be recovered later. Unlike the games, these items will not disappear after some time. But if the Sphere of Mystery was seized, then it would be a waste.

The entrance into the Mystery Hall was located behind the Core Guardian. In contrast to the previous room, this place seemed rather neat. Rhode extended his hand and pushed the pitch black stone door.

The door appeared to be made of an unknown material which brought an icy cold sensation to Rhode's fingers. But Rhode didn't have the time to question because soon enough his attention was attracted by the scene in front of his eyes.

Contrary to the room before, this place was very dark. In this spherical room, blue lights hung on the wall as it blinked like a slow flowing river. Starting from the top, the lights flickered on and off as it converged to the center.

In that seemingly magical place, a metal ball a size of the human head floated in the air quietly. It gradually released a glow, as though responding to the surrounding magic lights. As the blue light grew intense, the metal ball turned darker. And as the surrounding lights dimmed, the ball became brighter. It was akin to a pumping heart.

Sphere of Mystery.

Looking at the round, metallic ball, Rhode took a deep breath. It was a relic of ancient times. Primarily, it was used to condense magic and in turn, provide powers to the wielder. You can treat it as some sort of CPU of a vehicle. Rituals and magic ruins that ran on magical powers required it, even huge golems and forging workshops needed it too.

The Sphere of Mystery varied in sizes. The largest and the most ancient sphere was located in the 'City within Myriad City', Mage Alliance's Central City Odyssey. That Sphere of Mystery itself was as massive as a castle. It possessed extraordinary powers; it could even levitate a city with tens of thousands of people at high altitude.

Those kinds of spheres usually belonged to large organizations. As an ancient heritage of magic, every Sphere of Mystery carried various abilities. Some could change or affect the surroundings, whereas some could strengthen or weaken an individual or group. Some of them could even influence the equipment by providing additional elements during crafting, and some could change the geological environment or even build a castle out of thin air.

These Spheres of Mystery were the most important crystal in ancient civilization. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the Sphere of Mystery was the invention from the top-ranked Alchemist players. Not only did they require much effort to create, but also many dungeon blueprints must be unearthed. Rhode's Starlight Guild triumphed in the Dragon Soul Continent for so many years, but he had only created three Spheres of Mystery!

But a pity, in the end, they lacked that little bit.

Brilliant civilization fell, and the manufacturing method for the Sphere of Mystery was lost entirely. Even the usage method was only discovered after hundreds of years later within the legacy books. Of course, since the start, these ancient relics were bombarded with people snatching them and even started many fights. However, later on, as the discovery of these spheres increased, the conflicts gradually decreased. Those powerful Spheres of Mystery were split among large organizations, forces, or countries. Only the smaller spheres were left to be fought for. However, most of the people had already started to lose interest in them. If there weren't any hint to activate this thing, then it would just be a rare ball that could glow. And every Sphere of Mystery required different rituals in order to be activated. So where can they find the rituals?

Even if it's a six core CPU, if you install a 32-bit WIN, it wouldn't have any effect.

Rhode wasn't sure if the Diamond Mercenary Group was aware of the Sphere of Mystery, because, in the game, players didn't mention anything related to it while exploring the ruins. It was only suggested that this place was an ancient ruin with many creatures, along with some old legends could put any kid to sleep.

When he discovered that the Sphere of Mystery was still around, Rhode finally heaved a sigh of relief. He walked towards it and stretched his hand out to pick it up.

Rhode felt hopeless. This damn thing, although it looked rather small, it was heavy as hell. Almost 100kg. Rhode used all his might but he couldn't shift it no matter what. Eventually, he let go and gestured to Anne helplessly.

"You do it, Anne. Be careful."

"Yes, Leader."

The maiden who was scanning her surroundings heard Rhode's call and quickly walked towards the center of the room. She tilted her head and looked at the Sphere of Mystery curiously.

How did this small, round ball cause such an expression on his face?

However, the maiden quickly extended her hands and attempted to lift it.

When Anne tried to lift the Sphere of Mystery, her expression suddenly changed. The maiden opened her eyes wide while feeling slightly surprised as she stared at this little thing in front of her.

This time, it was Rhode who was admiring her helpless expression...

Never did Anne thought that this little thing would be so heavy. Anne was always proud of her strength, and she was confident that she could lift it with one hand. But now, as if the ball challenged her guts, she unhesitatingly placed both hands and gripped it tightly.

"... Aaah!!"

Although Anne attempted to put on a tough front and lift it as though she wasn't putting much effort, her intense grunts revealed otherwise. But even so, Rhode didn't underestimate her.

And at this moment, Rhode's expression slightly dulled. Anne's expression as well. She frowned and turned her head towards the entrance.

Messy footsteps echoed from the opposite tunnel. Afterwards, a dozen of fully armored mercenaries rushed out.

Chapter 190: Conflict

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

When the armored mercenaries appeared, Rhode immediately shifted his body in front of Anne. The mercenaries didn't seem to realize the situation after rushing in with their heads low. And once they spotted Rhode and Anne, they drew their weapons with caution. Thus, both sides went into a deadlock.

Rhode reacted calmly. He knew where these people came from. The Black Pine Ruins had six mazes, and there were naturally six tunnels. Judging from the direction where the mercenaries came from, they must have entered from the 'front' door, whereas Rhode entered from the 'back' door.

These mercenaries stared blankly at the duo, totally unaware of what happened. They originally thought that they were the only adventurers within the ruins, but now it looked like things didn't develop as they imagined. Instead, the situation appeared to be heading in a direction they didn't fancy.

"What? What happened?"

As both sides were in a deadlock, a deep voice sounded. Subsequently, behind the mercenaries, a burly man geared in full heavy armor stepped out from the back. When he spotted Rhode and Anne, the man was slightly surprised. Immediately. his expression changed into a frown.

"Who are the two of you."

"That's none of your business."

Rhode raised his sword and answered casually. The man clucked coldly after hearing Rhode's nonchalant response. Apparently, he wasn't pleased with this arrogant young man. He let out a cough, and all the mercenaries immediately fanned out and surrounded the duo.

"I don't care who are you, kid," The man said with a cold tone. "I will give you one chance now to put down that thing so both of two might have a chance of survival. If not, you two can stay here forever." As though they knew what he was going to say, the mercenaries pointed their weapons at the duo, poised for attack.

"Ha."

A soft chuckle escaped from Rhode's curved lips.

Rhode revealed an attractive smile in the eerie Mystery Hall, the magic lights which shone from his back, drew a brilliant silhouette around his body. Rhode didn't seem to notice the gaze from everyone and merely continued to smile while sizing up the man in front of him with a contemptuous expression.

"I'm afraid I didn't get what you just said. Your Nimus Language was so terrible that I couldn't understand your intent. If you can hide your barbaric expression, then maybe I can force myself to understand you."

As a veteran player of the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode was very much familiarized with all the people from various regions. He knew what people from each region like or dislike.

To the people from Leilakala region, the one thing that they hated the most was when someone treated them as barbarians, and the second most hated thing was when someone accused them of their incoherent language. When the people from Leilakala region speak, their accents were very heavy, which not many could understand. And it was like a taboo to them, just like when someone stuttered, the more you laugh and make fun of them, the more they will stutter. Leilakala people hated anyone who claimed that their Nimus Language was terrible because this made them seem like they claimed to be very good themselves, but were actually villagers who walked out of the wild.

Rhode's insult was ingenious and killed two birds with one stone. Two of the most obnoxious things that the Leilakala people hated came together at once.

Indeed, after hearing Rhode's insult, not only did that man's face turn black, even the mercenaries staring at Rhode started to boil in anger. But in his eyes, they were nothing. Rhode felt no threat whatsoever from these shrimps. He didn't even consider these people as human, so what were they?

Enemies and EXP.

Since sooner or later these walking EXPs will belong to himself, so why would he need to bother who these people were? Rhode decided not to care about them and started the insulting. This way, it made things convenient for everyone. I will kill you fast, and all of you will die fast, so it makes it easier for everyone, right?

給与計算ミスを防ぐ60のチェックリスト - 給与計算ミスの発生を防ぐため,雇入れ直後・異動直後などのシーン別に確認すべきポイントをチェックリストとしてまとめました.

After coming to this world, Rhode had killed many people. But unexpectedly, he felt that there weren't any obstacles in killing people. From many online novels that he read, many main characters had cold feet after killing somebody, but Rhode didn't harbor such thoughts before. Perhaps because Dragon Soul Continent was incredibly realistic, he got used to such killings. Now that he had entered this world, deep inside his heart, maybe he treated this as an enhanced version of the game that came with extra features such as increased pain, terrifying screams, and corpses with special effects.

Many novels would try to justify the main character raising his weapon and killing someone by having a flashback: This man also had family and friends, wife and children. If I killed him, then this man also had a family, had friends, children and wife. If I killed him, then wouldn't his close ones be utterly devastated? Would their life be the same again?

But to Rhode, he had never carried such thoughts. In the game, who would be so bored as to think of the NPC's past that he was going to kill?

If Rhode returned to earth, maybe he will immediately be in the headlines for: 'University student obsessed with online game confuses reality with games, and has no remorse for killing people. A new generation of education once again prominently highlighted the lack of institutional reform. Urgent reflections needed.'

But there were no 'ifs' in this world, so this topic wouldn't be possible.

"Then let's fight!" The man commanded his men to fulfill their duties, whereas Rhode imagined that his EXP bar was already increasing rapidly. But alas, this man didn't react to how Rhode expected him to. Instead, the man gestured for his men to calm down.

From the start, the man was furious when he spoke to Rhode, but as a mercenary leader, of course, he wasn't some brainless idiot. So soon enough, the man realized something odd.

Where did these two come from?

The man understood the situation on his side. The two of them definitely didn't get ahead of them after breaking the seal. For this mission's sake, he had already set up a comprehensive plan, with many people stabilizing the rear. If they received any ambush, then he would have definitely heard the news. But up until now, he wasn't notified of any changes. So that would mean that these two arrived from another route. If not, it wouldn't be possible as they had rushed over here immediately after defeating the Guardian Golems.

So those two of them came from another tunnel?

This conclusion was logical. And after seeing the six huge doors in the Mystery Hall, the man felt he should be right. Previously his men had notified him that there were several entrances, just that these areas weren't too safe, so he decided to choose the most reliable route.

If it's really like this, then things were going to be troublesome.

Thinking of this, the man looked over to Rhode and Anne. He noticed visible battle scars on them which explained that they might have fought their way through. If that's the case, then he will need to re-evaluate both of their abilities. He brought over sixty people, and he lost almost half of them in order to reach this place, so what were they going to do? Were the two of them the remaining of a mercenary group? Or did the two of them began this adventure from the start? The man felt it was the latter because Rhode and Anne seemed very relaxed, and didn't appear like they had lost any comrades.

If it's the latter, then the two of them must be incredibly powerful.

"I am the Diamond Mercenary Group's leader, Carmen."

Thinking of this, the man started to introduce himself.

"Diamond Mercenary Group from Leilakala? No wonder I couldn't understand anything you're saying."

Rhode's insults didn't go easy despite the man's mannered introduction.

"But to be frank, that name is kind of vulgar. No wonder you guys were only left with money..."

Carmen clenched his fists in anger. He couldn't wait to land a punch on this pretty boy's face. But in the end, he tolerated Rhode's taunts as his mission was of highest priority right now. To mercenaries, missions were prioritized over personal feelings. This was their professional ethics.

"I am Deep Stone City's Starlight Mercenary Group's leader, Rhode."

Rhode raised his head slightly and said. He looked at Carmen as if a rich man was peering down on a beggar.

"I hope you can remember my name. Don't forget it. Mr. Carmen."

"Ha."

Anne suddenly laughed. She didn't understand much of this language confrontation, but she knew that Rhode had always been mocking the man. Anne was already used to such remarks like, "You, this bastard..." or "I'll kill you!". Compared to those typical antagonistic lines, Rhode's newest insults was packed with freshness.

Anne's laughter brought a lot of hatred in the mercenaries. Already a few of them started waving their weapons and stared at their leader, expecting the command to kill this arrogant little white face and to let them taste their strength!

"Mr. Rhode."

Carmen decisively disregarded Rhode's provocation. He was equally furious, but deep inside, his senses warned him to remain calm as Rhode was acting too abnormally. They were only two people. Even after being trapped in an encirclement by his men, this young man didn't seem to comprehend the danger and continued to provoke him repeatedly as if he was not afraid of death. If this was only his reaction, then maybe this young man had a screw loose somewhere. But since this maiden tagging behind the young man was also indifferent to the situation, then that explained everything.

Are they really that strong, or are they just trying to deceive us?

Carmen decided not to entangled himself with this question and got to the main point.

"We are entrusted to complete a mission."

He pointed to the Sphere of Mystery on Anne's hands.

"We spent a lot of time to reach here just for this little thing. If possible, I hope you can hand it over to us. I guarantee, we Diamond Mercenary Group will certainly repay you generously."

Carmen took out a money bag and showed it to Rhode. Even though it wasn't that bright, but Rhode could see clearly that the bag contained gold coins and diamonds.

"If you could pass that little thing to us, then all of these are yours."

Rhode laughed at Carmen's words. He softly shook his head and placed his right hand on his waist —- this motion immediately made everyone tense.

"Just that little amount of money and you wish to buy this Sphere of Mystery? Mr. Carmen, do you think I'm an idiot?"

Rhode shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. This thing is mine, and I will not give it to anyone. If you want it, then come and get it."

Rhode abruptly stretched his hand and opened his spatial bag.

"Anne."

Hearing Rhode's command, Anne immediately tossed the Sphere of Mystery into the spatial bag.

"Capture them! Get that sphere!"

The negotiations broke down. Carmen couldn't tolerate this white devil any longer. He drew his weapon and immediately gave a command.

The mercenaries who had been stomaching their anger finally shouted and raised their weapon while charging towards Rhode and Anne.

And at the same time, the spatial bag in Rhode's hand suddenly expanded and swallowed the Sphere of Mystery.

The room that was illuminated with magical lights suddenly fell into total darkness.

Chapter 191: Massacre

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

When the curtain of darkness fell, it didn't cause the veteran mercenaries to panic. All of them had rich battle experiences, and such situations weren't uncommon. Other than the instinct to pause for a moment to gather their bearings, these mercenaries didn't stop their advancement and continued on the same path. They were clear of their positions and knew that they had the numerical superiority over their enemies, which bolstered their confidence. They lit their torches quickly without hesitation and charged forward, desiring nothing more but to rip apart the duo and retrieve their target.

Clang clang clang!

Multiple swords were clashing against each other in the darkness. And when the Diamond Mercenary Group's mercenaries lit their torches, the darkness finally parted as a flickering orange glow filled the room. However, what they discovered next gave them a terrible shock. Although these mercenaries believed much in their own abilities, they still couldn't believe what they saw.

Rhode stood in front of Anne. His sword was on his right hand, and his foot was resting on a pile of corpses. Anne had her golden shield raised at the rear, the blood below her seemed to have formed a river mixed with seven to eight corpses. From this, it was easy to deduce who killed the men. The corpses that still somewhat resembled as humans were undoubtedly slaughtered by Rhode, while those who appeared as 'half-split scarecrows' with their heads completely squashed, was clearly done in by Anne. Shield Warriors weren't an exclusively defensive class, they had their offensive skills as well, which could be equally lethal.

But this wasn't the true shocker.

Instead, it was Celia and the Centaur Knight.

The angel held a magnificent silver sword in her hand; her white feathered wings slowly spanned out as she stared straight at her enemies. On the right, the Centaur Knight poised majestically with its shield and spear on the ready. The red gleam between the gaps in its heavily armored helmet grew brighter as each second passed.

Angel?!

Carmen opened his eyes wide. That wasn't all, the other mercenaries also glanced at each other, not knowing what to do.

They didn't even have the mood to guess where the angel came from, because this angel had already left them speechless!

In the region under the Light Dragon Soul, the angels had a very high rank. Not only due to their race and bloodline, but because of their peerless battle strength and political powers. Of course, in Country of Light, due to the existence of a parliament system, the angels' political power was slightly weakened. But in the Munn Kingdom, the angels were unquestionably ranked the highest within the hierarchy.

It wasn't only because the Munn Kingdom's King belonged to one of the 3 Archangels, but the angel race themselves had a strong influence. They loved peace; they were also kind and passionate. Although sometimes arrogant, they never crossed the line of evil. On top of that, the angels were mostly born beautiful, which could easily gain the likes of most people. Thus, the angel race symbolized justice and kindness. Therefore no matter who, as long as one dared to go against an angel, they would be treated as a heretic.

給与計算ミスを防ぐ60のチェックリスト - 給与計算ミスの発生を防ぐため,雇入れ直後・異動直後などのシーン別に確認すべきポイントをチェックリストとしてまとめました.

Just like Lydia, although the Munn Kingdom's King sat the throne and killed many people after that, no one felt that she was in the wrong. Before she killed a person, she would list their offenses. And because Lydia's identity wasn't human, but an Archangel, it gave her justifications for her judgment. At least with her status as an Archangel, most of the people wouldn't suspect her.

Of course, this was only because it happened in the Munn Kingdom where the angels' reputation had already rooted deeply in the hearts of the citizens. If it was the Country of Light, then the angels wouldn't possess such strong influence.

That was the reason why the mercenaries started to waver. It was an open secret that they work for money as a professional occupation, and not as bandits who would do anything for money. Some of the mercenaries even started to worry that the angel would punish them... Although Rhode had provoked them from the start, but with an angel by his side, it was no wonder that the mercenaries entertained such a thought of: 'Actually we were the ones at fault.'.

Carmen's hesitation was also related to this.

Although he had guts, even if he gave a command for his men to kill this angel, it was certain that these guys would never dare to do it. Even himself included.

However, Carmen didn't hesitate for too long because Rhode had 'nonchalantly' freed him from his indecisiveness.

"Go."

He gave a simple command and followed up with his sword. At the same time, the Centaur Knight, Celia, and Anne also charged towards their enemies.

Rhode's sudden decisiveness threw the mercenaries' thoughts into disarray. But now they needn't consider whether to battle with the angel or not because Rhode and his men had come to them instead!

No one would choose to die without a fight. Since the enemies were attacking, then we should also fight! As for the repercussions of killing an angel? What should we do? This matter will be left for later!

The mercenaries didn't have much choice and could only force themselves to rush into battle.

But soon they realized that the enemies were of a different tier altogether.

Rhode was the first to cross swords with the enemies, but the first to explode with vigor was Anne. After hearing Rhode's command, Anne dashed in and tossed her golden shield to the front. The massive bulwark shot forward and spun towards the mercenaries.

In the face of their impending doom, the mercenaries attempted to scatter to dodge.

Alas, it was a pity that the Mystery Hall wasn't large enough for dozens of people to freely move around. The mercenaries were already standing side by side with one another, and now everyone clashed with each other. Some of them ran forward, some backward and some even raised their weapons in a fluster, attempted to block the strike.

The shield smashed into its first unfortunate victim, the sword which was raised in an attempt to defend, snapped in half like a twig. After that, the shield sunk deep into his body, causing him to be sent flying backward. That wasn't the end though, the gaps on the shield suddenly clicked open and sharp knives shot outwards, tearing the mercenary's body apart.

"Oahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

A painful scream echoed through the small room, and many of them felt chills.

But that was only the beginning of the horror. Anne tugged the chain in her hand forcefully, causing the shield and the mercenary on top of it to instantly turn into a fleshy war hammer while she swept it towards the surrounding mercenaries.

Silver light flashed.

The sword which was engulfed with holy flames easily blocked the mercenaries' attacks. Facing the pale and shaking young swordsmen, Celia frowned. Deep down in her heart, she slightly disapproved Rhode's behavior because bullying didn't suit an angel's nature. However, Celia wasn't a real angel to begin with, as she was a being from an evolved weapon spirit. Her true nature was actually a weapon ——— and a purpose for a weapon was to battle.

The angel cleaved her sword downwards without hesitation. In an instant, the young swordsman's chest was sliced open. Along with that attack, silver-white flames erupted from within and scattered towards both sides which forced the other mercenaries away.

"Oahhh!!"

A sharp spear pierced through a mercenary's torso, the impact pinned him to the wall. Contrary to how Celia behaved, the Centaur Knight didn't feel any remorse as it smashed its left arm into the men who were trying to escape. Only a deep thump could be heard after two human figures landed on the floor, motionless.

"T-This... monster!!"

One of the mercenaries screamed and raised his ax. Using the momentum, he gathered all his might to cleave the Centaur Knight. The great ax successfully contacted with the Centaur Knight's body, but it didn't seem to cause any damage at all. Instead, a light blue hexagon suddenly shone on its body. Rhode's previously activated passive skill, 'Spirit Armor ' played its role and formed a defensive barrier which deflected the enemy's attack. Not only did the great ax warrior fail to follow up, but it also fastened his pace to death.

The Centaur Knight swung its right hand at the ax warrior and threw aside the corpse that was impaled on its spear. Next, it used its left hand to grab the enemy's ax and struck forward. The poor mercenary could only feel a powerful force landing on his head before he realized that he was already on the floor. As he tried to raise his head to see what was coming, he only managed to discover a pair of black hooves coming towards him.

"Ah—"

Before he could even scream, this poor soul's head was crushed by the Centaur Knight like a watermelon.

Traumatized by the scene, the other mercenaries couldn't help but take a few steps back.

The Centaur Knight that came from the Army of Abyss certainly wouldn't have any sympathy for their enemies. It turned its head, and the red gleam between its helmet grew brighter. A second later, the Centaur Knight transformed into a whirlwind and rushed to the terrified enemies.

This wasn't a battle anymore, but a one-sided massacre.

Chapter 192: A Trap

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Carmen didn't have it easy either.

His men were utterly suppressed by Celia, Anne, and the Centaur Knight. And he was no different. Although he was significantly stronger than his men, to make it to this room, he had still lost half of them while Rhode made it here with only Anne and himself. The difference in the gap of strength was wholly apparent.

Since the beginning, Carmen dismissed Rhode as a mere pretty boy and wasn't fearful of him. But after the first clash, Carmen immediately removed this thought from his head. The impact he felt from Rhode's sword was as though waves in a stormy sea came crashing onto his pathetic fishing boat. If it weren't for Carmen's rich battle experiences, he would have already died under Rhode's blade.

He had already gave up fighting Rhode in a direct clash in and joined with his mercenaries to attempt to take Rhode down with numbers. Carmen truly didn't expect to kick such a hard rock in such a deserted place. Meeting a random duo in a cave that was supposedly a secret? What are the chances! And the other party's strength was even stronger than theirs. Now Carmen only had two choices. First, he could admit his failure and immediately flee to as quickly as possible. Or, by any chance, he could capture this young man as a hostage and end the fight. This way, he could still accomplish his mission.

Instinctively, Carmen wanted to escape. He believed that even if he retreated, his men wouldn't have rejected because the other party had the help of an angel, which was a significant factor that they couldn't ignore. But the idea of obtaining immeasurable rewards after completing this mission clouded his rationality and survival instinct. Carmen couldn't bear to give up and go back empty handed like this. High-risks yielded large rewards. He already fought so hard and lost many good men just for this? How could he just surrender and escape?

Thus, Carmen wasn't ready to give up just yet. While Rhode's strength was clearly superior, it wasn't at the point of absolute suppression yet. Judging from the way Rhode dodged within the crowd proved that he wasn't strong enough to take on a whole group single-handedly. Therefore, if he could seize the opportunity and strike when the young man wasn't noticing, then he could still have a slim chance of prevailing. Also, he had neither heard of Rhode's name nor his mercenary group before. This proved further that they were just a small mercenary group from the Paphield Region and if he offended them, he wouldn't be worried that they would come back for revenge. Unless they were troublesome like the Burning Blade Mercenary Group or Dark Fang Mercenary Group, then they needn't be too careful.

Thinking of this, Carmen regained his some of his confidence. If everything proceeded according to plan, then even sacrificing more people would be worth it. As long as he could accomplish this mission, even if his mercenary group fell apart, he could still use the rewards to rebuild an even stronger mercenary group!

Rhode's stance shook slightly as he parried an imminent strike from a nearby mercenary. He swung his Crimson Blade in front of himself and formed a defensive barrier to defend against the continuous attacks. But Rhode had yet to go on a killing spree. Instead, he silently observed for an opportunity to sweep them all in one go.

The reason why didn't Rhode display his real power just yet was to mislead his foes to believe that he wasn't all that powerful. In the face of overwhelming strength, people would naturally flee when they discovered that they didn't even possess a slim chance of victory. Thus, Rhode tried to search for an opportunity to wipe them out all at once.

Thus, no one noticed that he was slowly inching toward the route of retreat for the Diamond Mercenary Group. As long as he successfully blocked it, then these people are doomed.

Just a little more.

Rhode shifted his body ever so slightly and dodged a thief's backstab skill within a hair's breadth. He immediately used this chance to take two steps back quickly and appeared somewhat desperate, which aroused the excitement of the mercenaries. Compared to the other three, the mercenaries didn't fear this white-skinned sissy. Rhode didn't appear strong, yet he was extremely arrogant. Ever since he made those insults, every single one of the mercenaries wanted to tear him limb from limb, and now that the lamb had come for the slaughter, they were elated with anticipation.

"Heyah!!"

A nearby mercenary couldn't hold in his excitement any longer and struck forward with his sword.

This time, Rhode finally put his scheme in motion.

He was in position.

Rhode didn't attempt to dodge the attack. Instead, a brilliant light erupted from the tip of the Crimson Blade!

Advanced Swordsman!!

The bright light immediately blinded the surrounding mercenaries. Previously, Rhode didn't display his skills and had only defended while dodging attacks with ordinary methods. Sometimes he would use the 'Shadow Flash' to dodge more threatening attacks, but it still gave the mercenaries the impression that 'this kid can only escape and do nothing'. But now, they finally witnessed the tip of the iceberg of Rhode's true power.

In an instant, various thoughts swirled into their minds. However, unknowingly, their perception of fear was secondary to their astonishment.

How is this possible? If this kid had the powers of an Advanced Swordsman, he could massacre us all from the start. So why did he become purposely deceive us with that poor performance?

But no one would be able to answer that question, as right now, the time for Rhode to make his move had arrived.

Facing the mercenary that charged towards him, Rhode casually swung his sword horizontally. The mercenary had no chance to change his direction and could only watch in dread as the blade of death approached him. The next moment, he felt a faint sensation on his neck, and then his vision went pitch black.

Just as the mercenary's corpse landed on the ground, Rhode dashed through the void in a blink of an eye and appeared in front of the passage entrance. The two mercenaries who guarded the entrance with the torches on their hands could only stare blankly at him, not knowing how this man appeared before them.

Carmen was the first to react. As soon as he spotted Rhode standing at the entrance, he knew something bad was going to happen.

So that's why!!

"Go forth, kill him, quick, everyone!!!"

Carmen pointed his weapon towards the entrance and commanded his men to kill Rhode. Meanwhile, Rhode responded by extended his arm, and a pitch black card manifested on his palm, floating gracefully.

"Fuu!!"

As the card disappeared, the mercenaries could feel an eerie chill in the wind that blew across their feet which made them pause momentarily. When they resumed their assault, a cold and peculiar sensation from their lower limbs utterly frightened the mercenaries. They looked down and immediately turned pale in horror.

"Oh my god, what is this!!"

Under the mercenaries' feet were countless of dense, pitch black tentacles appearing from their shadows. The tentacles slithered like snakes, entangling their legs and bodies. At the same time, it slowly extending their reach above.

"Damn it. What is this!! Get lost!"

"Help!! What the hell is this thing!!"

The sudden appearance of the tentacles brought horror and shock to the mercenaries, causing them to lose their cool. They lifted their weapons and slashed the tentacles on the ground. However, not even Celia could easily break the defense of these tentacles, so what more could these mercenaries do? Soon enough, the mercenaries lost their weapons and mobility.

The greatest fear in humanity was the unknown. And this ghastly creature seemed like something that came out from nightmares. As a result, all of them forgot about Rhode's presence, including Carmen.

But this didn't mean that Rhode stopped.

The trap had been completed. Next, it was Rhode's showtime. Right now, everyone in the Diamond Mercenary Group had lost their ability to battle and had nowhere to run.

No one noticed Rhode lifting his sword. On the Crimson Blade, spiritual energy started to congeal along the edges of the blade, forming a layer of pure white mist.

Once the skill was ready, Rhode narrowed his eyes and slashed his sword forward.

The brilliant sword light then transformed into a meteor as it shot straight towards them.

Chapter 193: Imperfect Ending

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Blades of light flashed.

The spiritual energy reached its peak. Akin to the Grim Reaper's scythe of death, the sword reaped downwards. The mercenaries could only stare blindly with no way out. They watched in fear and trepidation, struggling helplessly before their impending death. Then, everything went silent. As death swept through, their corpses fell in droves like harvested wheat.

Carmen stared blankly at the bloody massacre, losing any thoughts of resisting. He was regretting ever so badly.

How did this happen?

Why did things turn out this way?

He asked himself. But what did he need to understand? He had already failed and this place appeared to be his grave.

Those were Carmen's final thoughts. Then a bright golden light pierced his body and tore his chest apart.

Rhode let out a sigh of relief.

He put down his sword and felt slightly giddy. To utterly destroy the enemies at one go, Rhode had spent all of his remaining spiritual energy. At this moment, he was running on reserves in order to support the summoned spirits. But Rhode wasn't the least bit worried as all remaining threats had been cleansed.

Or perhaps that was just what he thought.

A bright, golden beam swiftly shot towards him.

Rhode suddenly tensed up, lifted his head and looked ahead. And at that moment, an arrow that appeared to be enveloped in a bright golden light flew towards his chest. His sword that absorbed all of Rhode's spiritual energy wasn't enough to defend against it. And soon enough, that shimmering golden arrow had already arrived at his chest.

Rhode felt a sudden chill all over his body.

Time seemed to have stopped at this moment. He stared right at the arrow, watching as it flew towards his chest.

But Rhode did not panic at all.

All his PK experiences with many other players came into good use. Although Rhode wasn't thinking of anything now, with just his instinct, he raised his sword in front of himself and at the same time, retracting his left hand and drew a dark colored card on his chest.

The Centaur Knight's figure instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of Rhode. Everything took less than a second, and for Rhode, this was the fastest he could achieve just by relying on his instinct.

And at this moment, the golden arrow pierced through the Centaur Knight's image and smashed into the Crimson Blade.

[PMO]障がい者向け業務創出/管理案件 - VBA・145万円/月

"!!!"

Rhode felt his body tremble as if an invisible pair of gigantic hands were tearing his body and soul apart. Everything turned white. His teeth collided with the drastic impact and spread to his chest. At one point in time, he even thought that he was already dead. As much as he tried to, he couldn't feel anything at all. All he could do was to hold that sword in front of him with his dear life. Then he blacked out.

After an unknown period of time, Rhode began to rouse.

His obscured, and blurred vision gradually became clearer and Rhode finally saw the ceiling of the Mystery Hall once again. He noticed that the previously mystical and beautiful room had turned into a pile of debris. Those mysterious runes carved on the walls faded and appeared as broken tiles.

What happened?

Rhode shook his head and tried to stand up. He groaned and crumbled back down. The pain in his chest didn't allow him to move recklessly. Rhode guessed that he had many broken ribs.

That wasn't all; he realized that his right hand was twisted at a weird angle. His clothes were torn and ragged. From the tips of his fingers to his elbows, all his skin had been separated, revealing his flesh and blood. When faced with such an overwhelming force, this could even be considered normal.

When Rhode turned his head to survey his surroundings, he was shocked that he wasn't lying on the ground, but instead, he was pinned to the wall. This caused Rhode to gulp in fear. He knew that the impact had flung him to the wall, but if it weren't for his mixed race that strengthened his physique, he'd undoubtedly be turned into a bloody mess on the wall. After all, Rhode didn't have the confidence to survive after getting run over by a huge truck.

Corpses were strewn everywhere. No mercenaries survived. Anne was on the other end of the room. Her undulating chest meant the maiden was still alive, but just passed out. Celia and the Centaur Knight had disappeared long ago, which was pretty reasonable since the summoner lost consciousness, the summoned beings would also vanish.

What in the world happened?

Rhode started clearing his mind. He glanced at his waist, and to his relief, he discovered that his spatial bag was still safely attached. There weren't any mercenaries left. Rhode frowned as he couldn't understand what had just happened. He did consider the possibilities that this was the doings of some mercenaries. Although they didn't possess such might, with the help of magical equipment, they pull off something like this. But considering their capabilities, the probability of that happening was just too low. Besides, if the enemy could easily overpower his sword, then it would mean that he had somehow survived. But now, there was nothing. He didn't detect any surviving mercenaries, and he wasn't taken captive or locked up, which proved this possibility didn't exist.

So perhaps they had triggered some hidden traps?

Rhode shook his head and felt like this guess was also illogical. He was very familiar with this place and knew that there were no traps. And on the other hand, if there really were any traps, then it would be to protect the Sphere of Mystery from being taken. Nothing happened when he kept it, but only activated later? If it weren't for the Diamond Mercenary Group, they would've already left. Could it be that they assumed that people would stay here just to get hit by the trap? Was this trap naturally stupid?

One of the only reasons that Rhode accepted was the possibility that someone else stalked them and seized the chance to murder him. This was the only logical guess because Rhode had always been alert all the way and did not detect anyone following. If the other party could hide from his detection, it means that they were stronger than him. For a stronger being failing to kill him during an ambush, Rhode was considered lucky.

However, the results in front of his eyes didn't support his thoughts. If the other party harbored such thoughts, then he should already be dead by now. If the enemy immediately left afterward, then perhaps the least he could do was to check if his target was dead...

Besides, for some reason, Rhode felt that the attacker didn't have the intention to kill himself.

Then what did this mean?

Rhode mused for a while and shook his head, deciding to put this thought on hold for now. There was no point thinking about it anymore. And at this moment, he heard a groan. Anne, who was slightly disheveled, slowly stood up.

"Argh... what exactly happened here..." She shook her head and stumbled for a little before glancing at the wounded man at the end of the room."Ah! Leader!!"

Anne, who recovered from her daze quickly discovered that it was Rhode. She leaped towards Rhode's side with an extremely shocked expression.

"Are you okay?!" Anne asked in a panic.

Ever since she arrived at Starlight Mercenary Group, she had never seen Rhode injured before. This scene brought a considerable shock to the maiden. However, she quickly raised her shield and guarded Rhode's front, silently observing the surroundings.

"There isn't anyone around. I think we're safe."

Rhode stopped Anne and glanced at the surroundings again. There was really nothing.

As time passed, the severe wounds recovered quickly, and soon enough, he could move again. While stumbling slightly, Rhode eventually made his way to the middle of the hall. After thinking for a while, he shook his head. He still couldn't understand what exactly happened. But at least he was positive that they were safe at the moment.

"Let's go, Anne. Don't forget the loot while heading back."

After a moment, both of them disappeared from the Hall of Mystery. The place returned to its tranquil state, albeit slightly morbid with the dozens of corpses on the ground.

And suddenly, a bright light shone out from nowhere.

"I still don't get it, Miss. Why did you suddenly attack him?"

The old man appeared out of nowhere while stroking his long white beard and asked curiously.

"Because I had the sudden urge to."

Accompanied by a laughter, a lady also appeared soon after. She avoided the corpses delicately, as if dancing. On her face, she had a gentle and joyful smile.

"True beauty is defined by how well they can survive in any circumstances. Although fragile, a glass-like artwork deserves mercy, but they usually lack admirable qualities. To answer your question, it was because I suddenly had the urge to see how the flower-like gem could live up to the test."

"Haa..."

Facing the maiden's response, the old man sighed and held his right hand to his forehead.

"So you used your 'Holy Arrow' on him? Miss, not that I want to nag, but if it was any other normal human being, they would have already been in pieces... If this man also... what do you intend to do?"

"I'm someone who knows what's important, Teacher."

The lady laughed cheekily and gracefully twisted her body before jumping to the center of the Mystery Hall.

"If he can't pass my test, then that's too bad. Although it is a pity for me to lose a precious collection... but the brilliance that bloomed right at the moment when I lost that precious object... would be kept forever in my memory... not a bad trade, isn't it, Teacher?"

"..."

The old man had nothing else to say. He grabbed his wooden staff and looked to the center of the Mystery Hall.

"But is this fine? To let them have the Sphere of Mystery?"

"What's there not to be fine? Those who strive for success are bound to be rewarded."

The lady stopped moving and observed the corpses on the floor. She frowned slightly and revealed a slight sense of disapproval.

"But it's another matter for failures. To think the remunerations and rewards blinded them, and to steal such a precious Sphere of Mystery to the Country of Light, was enough to punish them for treason. But since Mr. Rhode had carried out the punishment on my behalf, then I have nothing to complain."

The lady hummed a light tune. Later, silver, holy flames immediately erupted from under her feet. In an instant, the whole Mystery Hall transformed into a burning sea. When the fire disappeared, there nothing left.

Chapter 194: Returned to the Stronghold

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

It was three days later when Rhode and Anne returned to Deep Stone City.

Indeed, the self-recovery ability of Rhode's bloodline was clearly powerful. His body was full of mortal wounds when he first left the ruins. When he woke up the second day, more than half had recovered. And by the third day, they were totally unnoticeable. Rhode decided not to delay any longer and hurried his way back with Anne. Back to Deep Stone City, of course, he warned Anne not to mention about this incident. It was still a mystery regarding the ambush on Rhode at the Black Pine Ruins. And he was sure he wasn't the only unlucky one because after leaving the ruins, he risked returning to the main entrance of the ruins. The mercenaries corpses were nowhere to be seen. But from the remnant energies, he managed to deduce that their corpses were eliminated by the same type of energy that was launched at him.

But up till now, Rhode still wasn't sure if it was due to luck that he was able to survive.

When he was recuperating, Rhode used to time and analyzed the Ball of Mystery. With the help of the system, he quickly identified how to use it. To put it simply, it could re-enact the user's memories, and create a space to materialize them. The people within the space would be stripped of their differences in equipment levels and dropped to the same level. Engaging in training within this space could quickly improve the levels and familiarities of abilities. Obviously, this was a tool used during ancient times for training and was useful for Rhode. Initially, before he traveled to the Black Pine Ruins, he had planned to complete his base missions in order to build a training facility for his group so that they had the needed practice for the festival competition in two months time. And now with the Sphere of Mystery, he can accomplish his goals even quicker.

Although he was still rather doubtful about this, after returning to Deep Stone City, Rhode immediately put this thought away for now.

"Leader?"

Noticing Rhode's return, Shauna immediately ran forward. She looked at Rhode with slight surprise and revealed a welcoming smile.

"Welcome back Leader, Miss Anne."

"Thank you, Shauna. I brought something great for all of you."

Rhode greeted the red-haired mercenary and nodded his head. It was noon, and the courtyard was peaceful. Other than the patrolling mercenaries, there was nobody else. Everything seemed tranquil and perfect, without any problems.

"During the period of my departure, were there any matters that need my attention?"

Rhode asked casually as he walked alongside Shauna. The red-haired mercenary's expression became serious when replying his question.

"No problems, Leader. Everything is well. The newly-joined mercenaries are still adapting to the environment. But I feel they still performed rather adequately. Besides, they were also satisfied with this place and didn't have any objections." Just when she wanted to end her report, her eye's twinkled as she remembered something," Ah.. yes! One more thing. The matter that you suggested had already been completed. Their reactions were great, and everyone liked it."

Before Rhode departed, he suggested a method to keep everyone's hands full and as well as to increase their cohesion within the Starlight Mercenary Group.

A well-known problem among mercenary groups was their emblem. Every mercenary group had their unique symbol to ensure that everyone within could recognize each other's identity. And it was no different for Starlight Mercenary Group. Their emblem consisted of a four-edged star within an oval-shaped halo. But Rhode didn't purely treat it only as an emblem, instead, he reformed it based on the experiences he got in the game. The ordinary mercenaries could only wear a basic version of the emblem. Whereas for the mercenaries with higher authorities, they were allowed to modify their emblems to display their individualistic traits. For example, Rhode affixed a sword with a pair of wings right in the middle. As for Anne, she added a shield behind the four-edged star. For Lize, she put wings around the halo. And lastly, for Marlene, four main elements of Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth were located on each corner of the star.

According to Rhode's statement, as long as the regular mercenaries work hard in doing their part, then they could receive a unique emblem of their own. Of course, it wasn't just for aesthetics These special emblems came with a certain amount of magical energy. This aroused the passion of many mercenaries. After announcing this rule, Shauna often heard discussions from the mercenaries regarding their future badge designs, which showed how much they looked forward to getting them.

To such reactions, Rhode was very relaxed. Although there were some who couldn't understand the meaning behind this arrangement when he first mentioned it, Rhode understood how far humans would go for something to boost their ego. Taking the game of Dragon Soul Continent as an example, there was a quest item called 'Clock of Summoning'. Players could use it to summon three ghost maids by his side. Of course, the ghost maids were different from summoned spirits. They weren't able to attack enemies, and could only help players to tidy their inventories or discover hidden ores or magic herbs. All in all, there just wasn't much use for them. That mission was unusually lengthy and complicated which made it impossible to complete without at least ten days. Even the rewards at the end of the quest were mediocre at best. Moreover, the ghost maids that the players' summoned were random. However, many players still finished it. They had to spend so much time to acquire a decoration that could only last for an hour with a three days cooldown. What for?

Of course it was to flaunt their achievements in public. All the newbies would be staring at them with admiration and worship, asking, "What are they? Where did you get them? That's so cool." This ego-hunting bunch limit themselves to items alone; even life skills were also the same. Some of them wasted so much time to achieve a life skill that brought little to no benefit for his class such as to change the color of his armor or to splash a few words on his cape. All of these were just to attract the attention of others. Vanity existed all the same no matter in which world, or which race. Not to mention, if it carried magical elements, then that would be an even more valuable reward.

From Shauna's briefing about matters that happened in his absence, Rhode found out that even though no missions could be taken up due to the Mercenary Association's temporary ban, those mercenaries weren't lazing around all day. Marlene had arranged some of them to pick magic herbs and hunt by the edges of Twilight Forest. The magic herbs were meant for Lapis to have a more extensive stock of supplies for her alchemistry. At the same time, the mercenaries were able to maintain their form and receive certain remunerations at the same time. Whereas for the three mercenary group leaders, they were also tactful. It seemed that Rhode had successfully played the boss when they met for the first time. At least there weren't any grumbling from any of them.

While Rhode and Shauna were discussing, all the mercenaries gathered at the front door. The moment when Rhode opened the door and walked into the hall, he saw a black figure dashing towards him.

"... Rhode...!"

Christie opened her arms while running down the stairs. She smiled and dived right into Rhode's arms. Rhode revealed a gentle smile and embraced her while intimately caressing her hair. It seemed that Christie had recovered much during this period, which could be discerned from her energetic voice and redder face.

"... You are back. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Christie."

While caressing her hair gently and looking at her, Rhode replied with a smile. He was unsure why, but as long as it's Christie, Rhode would naturally drop his usual aloof image and turn into a 'normal person'. It was a pity that only Christie could enjoy this special treatment.

"Are you okay? Are you used to living here already?"

"Yup."

Christie nodded her head really hard. She held her palms together and revealed a delighted smile.

"It's comfortable here. The bed is soft, and there's also nice warm food. The older sisters treat me very well too..."

Everyone around felt glad as Christie sounded cheerful. This little girl seemed to have a very unusual charm. She could convey her feelings to anyone very directly and everyone would be infected by them, revealing their smiles from the bottom of their hearts. However, some of them didn't limit to only smiles...

"Ayah... Anne is back too, Christie!"

Anne ran and jumped to the little girl and gave her a huge hug.

"Anne brought some presents back too. Some really really cute presents~ I'm sure it will suit you a lot."

Rhode shrugged while looking at the playful duo. Later, he turned his head to the front and saw Marlene and Lize walking over towards him.

"You're finally back, Mr. Rhode. Got anything good?"

"Of course."

Rhode answered firmly to Marlene's question. He then gestured to both of them.

"And I also brought a gift for the two of you... come to the basement with Anne later on. Oh yes, get Joey and Randolf too."

"Eh?"

The two maidens looked at each other curiously, not knowing what was Rhode up to...