Chapter 7: Flame of Creation Mercenary Group!

When Jack rushed back to Alexander's small courtyard from the neighboring city, it was already evening. He removed his mask, retracted his wings, and entered the house.

Inside, Rosie's slender fingers tapped away at the keyboard, lines of code appearing on the screen.

Alexander sat across from her, scribbling in a notebook, sketching out the details of the [Flame of Creation Mercenary Group].

Seeing Jack enter, Alexander paused his pen and asked, "Went smoothly?"

Jack nodded, though a hint of confusion lingered on his face. "Master, why didn't we just force that kid to eat the Super Fruit? Once you control him, we could have demanded any amount of money."

The memory of the agony of having his sea of consciousness burned was etched deeply in Jack's mind.

Alexander glanced at him and shook his head. The delivery this time went well, showing Jack still had some capability, but unfortunately, his thinking wasn't as sharp.

Alexander sighed softly, "Do you know the difference between stealing fifty million from someone and selling them something worth fifty million?"

Jack shook his head, confused.

Alexander continued, "Forcing him to eat the [Super Fruit] would only make the Williams family resent us. But now, he chose to buy it himself. He thinks he's getting a bargain. Do you really believe spending fifty million to get a C-level talent isn't worth it?"

He resumed writing, adding, "We aren't petty thieves. Stealing, robbing, and trickery—that's not our game."

On his notebook, the online structure of the [Flame of Creation Mercenary Group] was already taking shape. The website would feature four main functions:

[Trading System]: 

The traded items would be the extraordinary plants Alexander would grow in the future, including exclusive items like the [Super Fruit]. These could be exchanged for goods or points.

[Task System]: 

Completing tasks would earn rewards. Through this system, Alexander could command those mercenaries, and he could even issue bounty missions for specific targets.

[Rank System]: 

Mercenaries would be divided into four levels: Junior Mercenary, Intermediate Mercenary, Advanced Mercenary, and Elite Mercenary. Rankings would depend on the number of completed tasks, with special missions required for promotion. Successfully advancing would also grant rewards, with the highest-level Elite Mercenaries receiving a [Super Fruit].

There would also be a Council of Elders, the top management of the group. In the future, the [Flame of Creation Mercenary Group] would have a physical presence, expanding operations in both online and offline formats, which would require dedicated personnel.

Alexander couldn't manage everything on his own, so he would need to delegate some authority to others. However, the ultimate power would still rest in his hands as the Guild Master.

At this point, Alexander wrote down a few big characters on the paper: [Delivery Department]. 

Whether now or in the future, Alexander would need to figure out how to get items to the mercenaries.

Likewise, after mercenaries completed tasks, they would need to send their items back to him. The delivery department would be crucial in the early stages.

Leaning back in his worn-out chair, he sank into deep thought...

---

Outside a villa, a crowd had gathered. All were strong-bodied bodyguards, and some were even awakened individuals.

In the bedroom, Richard, the father, had his brows tightly knitted, chain-smoking one cigarette after another.

A doctor-like figure turned to Richard and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Richard. Young Master William has truly awakened, and his body shows no abnormalities."

Richard finally let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor. You've worked hard. David, see Dr. Lewis home."

After a while, a man in a suit approached Richard respectfully and reported, "Mr. Richard, the surveillance hasn't been tampered with, and there's no sign of anything suspicious."

Richard's brows furrowed once more. "Son, think carefully—is there anything you missed?"

William wore a bitter expression. "Dad! The man said it. If we don't pay up by midnight, we'll face the consequences! I've already awakened a C-level talent; this fifty million was totally worth it! You've got the money, so just pay up."

Richard was in a bit of a bind. Though his assets were worth over 300 million, he didn't have hundreds of millions in cash. To raise fifty million, he'd have to sell stocks, properties, and other holdings.

Richard pulled William aside and quickly typed a message to the customer service chat:

"Hello, I am Richard, General Manager of Goldwide Construction. Who exactly are you?"

Customer service replied:

"We are the [Flame of Creation Mercenary Group], hidden in the shadows of the world. Our bounties are not only in the form of money but also extraordinary items and points. You're quite lucky; your first encounter with the group has allowed you to obtain an exclusive item, the [Super Fruit]."

Richard's face showed shock. This was truly an extraordinary organization.

He typed quickly again: 

"Can we delay the payment or make installments?"

Customer service replied: 

"After the item is received, payment must be made within 12 hours."

Feeling somewhat reassured by the team of highly-paid bodyguards outside, he typed: 

"Can we meet in person to discuss?"

Customer service replied: "10."

Richard: "What do you mean?"

Customer service: "9."

William panicked: "Dad, just give them the money! Sell your stocks, funds, whatever you have!"

As the countdown reached 1, everything went quiet. Richard quickly asked the bodyguards downstairs if they noticed anything unusual. They reported nothing, which deepened his suspicions.

How could this mysterious organization carry out its threat without even appearing?

Just then, William suddenly screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor, clutching his head. Soon, he was in such pain that he couldn't speak.

A suited man rushed over, checked William's condition, and his face turned pale: "There's a powerful force remotely invading the young master's soul!"

Richard was stunned. He knew that even the most talented awakeners could only use their powers within a kilometer's range.

For someone to attack William's soul from a distance without alerting the bodyguards downstairs—this person had to be one-two, even tens of kilometers away!

What kind of terrifying spiritual power was this? He had never heard of such a capability in all his years in business.

In a panic, Richard shouted: "Quick! Sell all my stocks, funds, everything!"

Soon, Richard managed to gather the fifty million and clicked the recharge button. The fifty million bought him fifty points. The moment the transaction went through, William returned to normal, collapsing weakly onto the floor.

Richard was both terrified and amazed. For the first time in years, he felt utterly powerless. This organization was frightening; they could never become enemies.

He began to worry whether his actions earlier had already offended them. Internally, he prayed that this group wasn't unreasonable.

Richard then clicked on the website and saw a new notification.

[Congratulations, Mr. William! You have successfully become a Junior Mercenary.]

[Please read the registration notice and create an account.]

Richard began reading the guidelines, and as he read, his eyes lit up. Only a select few lucky individuals had the chance to encounter this website and become a 'mercenary.'

Becoming a mercenary came with numerous benefits. Rare and extraordinary items could be obtained simply by completing tasks.

The most important thing was that from today onward, William was a mercenary! A member of an extraordinary organization!