New Team

"Everything is ready! I can leave now." Daniel just finished packing everything that is necessary, into the backpack.

Sitting on a chair for some rest, Daniel remembered the conversation of the previous day, "According to Johnny! The sect recruits new people every two to three years. This time we all joined the sect under 33rd batch."

Taking a sip of the teacup, Daniel thought, 'That means a maximum of two years is given for every junior to step into Refining Realm. On this basis, it should be no problem for me to play as a senior with the lowest qualifications in front of others.'

This is the plan Daniel came up with for earning extra income.

Daniel's intent is to pose as a low talent Refining Realm cultivator from the 32nd batch and join a senior hunting team.

After a few minutes of rest, Daniel locked the door and hit the road, 'If everything goes well then I can have the initial capital needed to implement my next plans.'

...

The pubs and bars established by the seniors of the sect became an anchor point for people coming in or out of the jungle which is under sect control.

Many low-level cultivators gather at these places before going to hunt or for resting after the hunt.

Since the entire area is under the jurisdiction of the sect, no checkpoints are placed here.

And those who want to earn a substantial income without leaving the sect, the mountainous jungle of the sect is the best option.

This afternoon at one of the pubs, a few people are drinking beer and eating the food on the tables silently.

While the bartender is busy shining the cups, the front door got opened and a masked man entered the pub.

The people in the pub took a casual look at him but then they lost their interest very soon.

Approaching the counter he placed a gold coin on the table and said to the bartender, "Lunch and some good wine."

After ordering the dishes, he sat on an empty table in the corner.

'From what I inquired, teams that are going into the deep forest will recruit new people at pubs like these. Now all I have to do is search for a suitable team to join.' Daniel drank a glass of water at the table while waiting for food.

Daniel started observing the pub and the people in it more closely.

'Aren't there too many cultivators here?'This is the first question that came to Daniels's mind after looking at the half-filled pub.

'Most of the people here are Early Refining Realm cultivators, while a few may be Middle Stage Refining Realm Cultivators. But the person at the counter, I can't sense his realm. He must be a strong person or using some device to hide his realm.' Daniel didn't expect that he would find such a strong man in the pub reeking with the smell of booze and sweat.

'Sir! Here is your food.' A waiter came to the table after a few minutes to deliver the food.

After looking at food, Daniel slipped a gold coin to the girl and asked, "Tell me the recent news about the deep forest."

For a human, the girl has quick hands. She hid the coin in the dress in a blink of an eye and put on a smile, "There are two important pieces of news coming from the forest. One is good and the other is bad. Which one does senior want to hear first?"

"Bad news!" Daniel replied without even thinking.

The girl leaned closer and said in a serious tone, "A Second-Class- Monster seems to have sneaked into the deep forest from the core area. A few missing person cases are also reported in the past few days."

After that she looked here and there and said in a low voice, " I heard, Sect deployed the elders to catch the animal but there is no news yet."

'A Second-Class- Monster is almost as powerful as Foundation Realm Cultivator! This is a headache for me!'Daniel wrinkled his brow and asked, "Did you know the details of the monster."

The girl raised her hands, "I don't know much details but I heard others calling it 'Horned Green Python'."

Daniel nodded his head, "Ok! Continue! What's the good news?"

Hearing the question the girl leaned even closer, "The phenomenon of 'Moon Mushroom' that occurs once every four years will start in the next month. So many seniors of the sect have formed hunting teams to gain some resources."

After asking a few more questions Daniel sent the girl away and put his focus on the food.

'Why is he inquiring about the Moon Mushrooms? Is he also preparing for the harvest?' A handyman slave who is cleaning the floor is spying on Daniels's table from time to time.

Although he could not hear the complete conversation between the waiter and Daniel. He could guess the destination of Daniel.

'He must be a newbie otherwise he wouldn't inquire so much about the forest. He could be the perfect candidate that I am looking for.' The breaded handyman is shaking in happiness thinking of payment.

Without any delay, he put the cleaning tools aside and approached the Daniel table.

'Let's see what you are up to.' There is no way Daniel who got his senses sharpened tremendously, would miss amateur spying on him.

Daniel intentionally asked the waiter a few stupid and general questions, just to act like a newbie and let the opponent guard down.

"Senior, can I talk to you for a second?" Without making any suspicious moves, the person asked Daniel for some time.

Daniel nodded his head when he saw the person not playing any tricks.

After taking a seat the person went straight for the topic, "Senior! Are you looking for new teams to join?"

"Who are you and why are you spying on me?" Daniel narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold tone.

"Senior! Don't get me wrong! I am just a messenger who works for money. I usually look for specific people who are needed for different teams." The Breaded man got frightened after coming under the pressure of Daniel.

Leaning back to the chair Daniel asked again, "What kind of people does the team that hired you looking for?"

Signing a relief, the bearded man answered, "A Refining realm Cultivator who just got breakthrough and who is also not a member of other teams. Those are the two criteria mentioned by the team."

'So the person should be strong enough to help the team but not too strong to demand the loot share.' Daniel could see through the intentions of the team leader.

"What are the details of the team? How strong is the team leader?" Although Daniel is looking to join a team. He is not interested in becoming cannon fodder for others.

"Sorry! I don't know anything about that! It is not my place to ask such questions. Senior can clarify all the doubts after meeting them directly." The bearded man gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head while answering the question.

'Seems like I need to meet the members of the team directly to gauge their strength.' Daniel could see that the bearded man is just a messenger and he doesn't hold much value in their eyes.

Daniel threw a gold coin to him, "Go have a drink, while I complete lunch."

The bearded man took the gold coin happily and went to wait for Daniel.

Thinking for a few minutes Daniel gave a sign.

'Fighting Techniques again! If I had practiced a couple of Martial Arts then I wouldn't be so passive.' Daniel shook his thoughts away and started eating lunch.

On the other side, the bearded man took a big sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead after moving to another table.

'What kind of pressure is that?! Is senior really an Early Refining Realm cultivator? I feel more threatening in front of him than the team leader who hired me.' The bearded man had lingering fears about the previous encounter.

Bearded man ordered a few beers to ease his fears and waited for Daniel.

After having a full pint of cold sweet beer, the fear got subsided and a smile appeared on his face, "If the senor successfully joins the team then I will get a good amount of gold."

…..

Knock...Knock...

"Who is it?" A person reading the book inside the room asked after hearing the knock.

"Senior! It's me, Bull! I was paid to look for new teammates! Remember!" The Bearded man answered hurriedly after hearing the question.

The person with the thin lips put aside the book and went to open the door.

Looking at Bull and Daniel he didn't say anything. But he simply led them inside the hotel room.

In the room, there are seven people in total. And one of them is sitting in the middle and giving the vibes of a leader.

Of the seven, there were only two women and the rest were men. The leader and other two members of the team are also covering their faces to hide their identity.

Since the team is formed for achieving short-term goals, there is no need to build trust by giving away your original identity.

The leader first looked at Daniel then turned and said to the other person, "Send the Handyman away."

After taking the pouch, the man thanked everyone before leaving but he is ignored by everyone.

The leader then turned to Daniel, "Hello! My name is Lion! Are you interested in joining hands with us for the coming harvest season?"

"Well…"