Mercenary Association Tasks!

"The art of concealing martial prowess! Is that sickle truly a weapon?!" The man's eyes widened in disbelief as the scythe whistled toward him, a chilling reminder of his impending doom. Instinctively, he raised his arm to block the strike while simultaneously pulling the trigger of the pistol that James held.

The sickle plunged into the man's back without hesitation, eliciting a spray of blood from his mouth. As he gasped in shock, a surge of energy pooled from his body into the pistol, crackling with power.

James tightened his grip on the gun, forcing the muzzle down just as a brilliant, condensed energy bullet fired out, exploding against the ground.

Spitting blood, the man staggered backward, breaking free from the sickle's grasp, and pointed the gun at James, who remained seated with an air of unsettling calm.

Although the sickle had cut him, the injury was minor. Yet, an overwhelming sense of loss flooded through him, as if something crucial had been ripped away.

"What the hell did you do to me?" the man croaked, terror evident in his eyes.

James's lips curled into a cold smile. "Just a little extraction," he replied, raising the sickle once more and charging forward.

"Get back, you bastard!" the man shouted, pulling the trigger again as energy crackled from the pistol's muzzle, launching another light bullet toward James.

This time, instead of dodging, James allowed the bullet to strike him directly. The impact jolted through him, and a message flashed in his mind:

[Host's body is damaged by 4%, and permanently damaged by 1%.]

"The damage isn't too severe," he muttered, intrigued. It wasn't that he couldn't evade the shot; he simply wanted to test the power of this so-called energy weapon.

With a reservoir of life force stored from the blood crystals left by Laura, he felt confident in his endurance.

[Consuming 18 points of stored life force, recovering from damage, time required 0:10:21.]

With the command issued in his mind, James raised the Scythe of Death high above the man's head.

"Even with that energy pistol, you remain weak," he intoned, his voice low and haunting, echoing through the tavern like a lament from the underworld.

In that moment, the man's reflection shimmered in James's scarlet pupils; his face contorted with terror and despair as he beheld the dark figure looming over him.

"No, no!" the man whimpered, panic rising in his voice.

The sickle swung down mercilessly, cleaving through flesh and bone, splitting the man in two at the shoulder with a sickening crunch.

[Makes the F-level medium-quality life form feel fear, and the host gains 2 growth points.]

[Host devours 132 points of life force, life force purification is activated, growth value +261.]

As the remnants of his opponent fell to the ground, a sinister satisfaction washed over James. The tavern fell silent, the only sounds the distant clatter of mugs and the sharp intake of breath from onlookers who had witnessed the brutal display.

"Compared to devouring life force, the growth gained from feeding on fear is almost laughable," the system's cold voice echoed in James's mind. He couldn't help but grin slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

His gaze shifted to the weapon now lying at his feet. Stooping down, he picked it up, turning it over in his hands. The sleek design and unfamiliar mechanics intrigued him. For a moment, he twirled it between his fingers before tucking it into his coat.

"This could be useful," he mused inwardly, the thought interrupted by a sudden flurry of system prompts that flooded his mind, causing him to freeze in place.

[Makes a G-level medium-quality life form feel fear. Host gains 0.2 points of growth value.]

[Makes a G-level high-quality life form feel fear. Host gains 0.3 points of growth value.]

[Makes a G-level high-quality life form feel fear. Host gains 0.3 points of growth value.]

The notifications kept coming in rapid succession.

Over thirty distinct prompts echoed in his mind, and when they finally ceased, James's eyes widened with surprise. His growth value had jumped by an unexpected 10.3 points.

He scanned the room and realized the source: over thirty terrified onlookers, mercenaries and adventurers alike, stood frozen in fear, their faces pale, trembling at what they had just witnessed.

A weary smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You lot are really... a bunch of cowards," he muttered, shaking his head. "Forget it. Just get out of here."

As if they'd been waiting for permission, the mercenaries bolted toward the door, their haste so frantic that they left a gaping hole in the tavern's frame in their wake. The room, once filled with tense energy, was now eerily silent.

James watched them disappear, shaking his head with a hint of amusement. "Who knew it took a whole crowd to get a decent amount of fear?"

But then his gaze fell on the one person who hadn't moved. The little girl from earlier stood quietly by the table, staring at him with wide eyes; not in fear, but in something else. Curiosity, perhaps?

"You're not afraid of me?" he asked, suddenly realizing that there hadn't been a single notification about her. No G-level fear had registered from her.

The girl shook her head, her resolve clear. Without a word, she approached him and held out a small, weathered bag. "This is the tavern owner's treasure," she said softly, her voice steady despite the chaos. "I took it from the back room. I don't want anything from it; I only ask that you let me follow you. I'll do anything. Just… please keep me alive."

James raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He took the bag from her hands and inspected it. It was a storage bag, simple in appearance but far more valuable than it seemed. He opened it, peering inside, and saw the contents; piles of money, enough to keep a small family comfortable for months.

But something caught his eye at the bottom. "No blood crystals…" he muttered, shifting aside the piles of currency. Beneath them were several light blue, transparent crystals.

Curious, he pulled one out, holding it up to the dim light. A faint, unfamiliar energy radiated from it, wrapping around his hand in a soothing, almost gentle warmth.

[Low-level spirit crystal. Devouring failed because the host has not practiced the mental method.]

James's interest piqued further. He hadn't encountered anything quite like these crystals before. "What exactly are you hiding, little one?" he asked, his gaze falling back to the girl, who stood patiently, awaiting his judgment.

James glanced at the bag once more before slipping it into his coat. Whatever this little girl had gotten herself mixed up in, it was far from ordinary. But for now, she was his responsibility.

Hearing the system's prompt, James stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So Laura wasn't exaggerating when she mentioned the importance of mental techniques," he muttered to himself. "Looks like it's time I find myself one."

Just then, a light tug on his black robe made him glance down. The little girl stood there, her wide eyes fixed on him, clutching his robe like her last lifeline.

"What is it?" James asked, squatting down to her level, his tone soft but firm.

The girl hesitated, her grip tightening. "I… I want to come with you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

James gave a small, exasperated sigh. Ruffling her hair gently, he said, "Listen, kid. I'm not a babysitter, and I've got a lot on my plate. I can't just take you with me wherever I go, alright?"

Without waiting for her response, he straightened up and turned toward the tavern's exit, his long robe trailing behind him. But before he could take more than a few steps, he felt the girl tug at his robe again, refusing to let go. She stumbled as she was dragged along, her small frame nearly lifting off the ground, but still, she held on.

James stopped in his tracks, visibly annoyed now. With an irritated groan, he turned around, squatting down once more to face her. "That's enough already," he muttered, rubbing his temple in frustration. "Fine. I can't take you with me, but I can drop you at the Mercenary Association. They might be able to find someone to take you up to the surface. How about that?"

The girl's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and determination. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice almost breaking with emotion. "I won't be a burden."

"Great. Just… don't get in my way," James sighed as he stood up, muttering to himself, "Occupational hazard, I suppose."

---

Two hours of walking later, they finally arrived at their destination: a tall, imposing two-story structure, the temporary headquarters of the Mercenary Association. Though the camp itself was far from small, the building stood out, its size and sturdiness remarkable for something so recently constructed.

James let out a low whistle, impressed despite himself. "Damn, capitalism works fast. How'd they build something like this in a few days?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Pushing through the front doors, they entered a bustling lobby. The first thing that caught James's eye was the massive screen that dominated one wall, flickering with mission listings and flashing rewards in bold letters.

His eyes scanned the tasks:

[Camp Defense Forces: G-grade upper rank or higher required. Base reward: 10 thousand dollars. Additional rewards: 100,000 dollars for killing a G-grade upper-rank alien. F-grade lower-rank spirit crystal: 1, F-grade mid-rank spirit crystal: 10, F-grade high-rank spirit crystal: 100. (Note: Alien corpses to be handled by the association.)]

[Material Collection Mission: No strength requirement. Alien materials to be traded at the back office. Rewards vary based on the materials.]

[Exploration Mission: 50 miles north of camp. Intelligence suggests F-level spiritual herbs and unknown mineral veins in the area, along with numerous F-level upper-rank alien species. Requirements: Confirm mineral resources. Strength requirement: F-level lower rank or higher. Map and reward: 50 spirit crystals (Reward increases based on mineral vein conditions).]

James's lips quirked into a half-smile as he scanned the missions. "Plenty of work for mercenaries," he muttered, "but not much for kids."

The girl at his side looked up at him, her eyes wide and full of expectation. He sighed again, this time with a bit more patience. "Alright, let's see if we can find someone who'll take you where you need to go."

As they walked further inside, James's mind wandered back to the missions on the screen. The mention of spirit crystals had piqued his interest. If he could snag a few of those, they might come in handy for whatever challenges lay ahead. But for now, his priority was clear; get the girl to safety, and then he could turn his attention back to his own growing list of things to do.

The weight of the strange energy weapon he'd stowed earlier hung at his side, and his mind turned to the next steps. "Mental skills, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "I guess I'll be needing those sooner rather than later."