Chapter 3 The Mission Part 1

In the grand reception hall of the Spring Village, Elder Han bowed before a set of stairs that led to a large table. This hall served as the central gathering place for important occasions, where all the Elders and the Chief would sit at the table while guests occupied the lower section.

Seated at the head of the currently empty table, the Chief addressed Elder Han, seeking confirmation, "So, he passed the 6th stage?"

"Yes, Chief," Elder Han replied with a respectful tone, "The young master has shown remarkable progress, not only in his martial prowess but also in his skill. He is now capable of dual wielding techniques in battle."

The Chief's expression displayed surprise and admiration. "I can hardly believe his rapid advancement. While I expected him to achieve the goal, his speed suggests he may even reach the 6th class before the set deadline."

Acknowledging Elder Han's report, the Chief nodded approvingly. "Very well, Elder Han. You have done well in bringing this matter to my attention. You may take your leave now."

"Yes, Chief!" Elder Han responded, bowing once more before exiting the reception hall.

And with that the reception hall fell into silence. "I should be happy for him, but if his talent is this good I'm worried that the cultivators would take him away. I can't let that happen. Once Jasper reaches the 6th class I'll announce him as the successor of the village. This way the cultivators won't be able to take him away."

Standing up from his seat he walked to the entrance of the hall and left for the village Chief's Manor.

Entering the Mission Hall, Jasper and Flay made their way to the mission registration building. Inside, they approached an unoccupied reception table and presented their information to the man behind it. He was dressed in a neat staff uniform, characteristic of the Martial Hall's personnel who were martial artists that had remained at lower realms for an extended period.

The man carefully examined the information provided by Jasper and Flay before speaking, "Welcome to the Mission Hall, Young Master Jasper and Instructor Han. How may I assist you today?"

Stepping forward, Flay took the lead and stated, "The Young Master has come to register for a 4th class mission. He has already passed the 6th stage test and is prepared to undertake a mission of that level."

The staff member nodded, acknowledging Flay's explanation. "Understood. Please wait for a moment while I process the registration."

He proceeded to enter the information into the registration systems (paper), ensuring that Jasper's recent advancement to the 6th stage was duly recorded. After a brief pause, he looked back up at them and said, "Registration for the 4th class mission is complete, Young Master Jasper. I will look through the catalogs for a suitable mission now.

The staff member sifted through the mission catalog papers in search of a suitable 4th class mission. After carefully flipping through several pages, he finally stopped at a specific mission and handed the paper to Jasper. "Young master, this mission is directly assigned by the Martial Hall itself. It involves delivering the recently acquired mid-grade medicinal supplies to the Zhang Alchemy Clan in Zhang City. You will be accompanied by guards from the Zhang clan and practitioners from the Martial Hall, making it one of the easiest and safest missions."

As Jasper read the details on the paper, a furrow formed on his brow. Realizing that this mission would require a minimum of three months to complete, he grew concerned. The journey alone would be incredibly long, and he simply didn't have enough time to spare. Looking up at the enthusiastic staff member, who continued to extol the mission's simplicity, Jasper interrupted him. "No, this mission would take too long. I need a task that can be accomplished within a month, no longer than that. "Being cut off the man quickly stopped his previous speech "Yes young master I'll find something that fits the requirements."

Retrieving the mission from Jasper, the man went back to searching for an adequate mission.

After a few minutes the staff brought out another mission. "Young master, this this mission can be solved quickly, but it's difficulty is a lot higher."

Taking the newly presented mission from the staff member, Jasper examined the details on the paper. A picture of a tiger monster caught his attention, labeled as a stage 6 pre-practitioner. A furrow deepened on his brow as he contemplated the task at hand.

The staff member noticed Jasper's frown and proceeded to explain further. "Young master, although this monster is categorized as a 6th stage pre-practitioner, it is already on the verge of entering the practitioner realm. However, this also means that the tiger won't be on the move for a while, making it easier to track."

Understanding the implications, Jasper made up his mind. "I see. Very well, I'll accept this mission." He calculated in his mind that locating the monster would likely take less than 10 days, with an additional 5 days to observe its habits. While killing the tiger might prove challenging, he estimated that the entire mission could be completed in less than a month.

Instructor Flay at the side wasn't too concerned with the mission. With Jasper's own skills now being at 6th stage and that a captain was allowed to take all of their people with the to complete a mission. If handled properly this mission was no problem for the current Jasper.

Having accepted the mission, Jasper and Flay bid their farewells. The staff member reminded Jasper to return the following day to receive all the necessary mission documents.

Sitting in his living quarters, Jasper was deep in thought about the mission when a knocking sound interrupted his contemplation. A voice called out from behind the door, "Captain, we are here as you ordered." Standing outside the door were Jasper's three group leaders: John, James, and Jillian.

"Enter, the door's open," Jasper replied, granting them permission to come in. As the door swung open, a well-built child with a strong and fierce aura entered. His muscular physique contrasted with his clean and neatly pressed 2nd class uniform, giving him an air of refinement. Following closely behind was John, the same boy who had visited Jasper's courtyard earlier that day. Although he also wore a 2nd class uniform, it appeared more disheveled compared to the first boy, and his stature was average and unassuming. Bringing up the rear was a delicate girl dressed in a vibrant yellow dress, exuding an air of authority.

As the three entered, Jasper's gaze fixed on Jillian, and he scolded her directly, "Jillian, you know we are supposed to wear our uniforms inside the Martial Hall! What happened to your 2nd class uniform?"

Click Jillian clicked her tongue in response and replied, "Yes, yes, I was in a hurry to get here and didn't have time to change."

Frowning at her obvious lie, Jasper continued his scolding, "Jillian, even though you're an elder's daughter, you still have to follow the rules of the Martial Hall. Failure to do so may result in punishment!"

Crossing her arms defiantly, Jillian retorted, "Hmph! Who would dare punish me? We are all descendants of the Spring Village's main lineage. Besides, you're the chief's son. Who would dare criticize our behavior?"

John and James, standing beside them, remained silent. The Spring Village placed great importance on hierarchy, and although they were all direct descendants, their families were not as influential as Jasper's. As a result, they were hesitant to intervene in the argument.

After a few more exchanges, Jasper finally relented. Waving his hand in annoyance, he said, "Fine, whatever. I have something important to discuss. Please, everyone, take a seat."

Upon seeing Jasper set the matter aside, Jillian sat down at the table in an angry manner. John and James followed suit and took their seats as well.

With everyone settled, Jasper retrieved a paper with an image of a tiger on the front, the mission document. He began explaining, "I have just accepted a Class 4 mission. The objective is to eliminate a Stage 6 monster before it advances to the practitioner realm."

The three team leaders looked at Jasper in shock, their eyes widening. James, the strong man, was the first to speak up. "Captain, are you sure this is a wise decision? None of us have reached the 6th stage yet."

Jillian, who had just been pacified, couldn't contain her outburst. "This is simply asking for death! Do you want us all to die?!"

Though John remained silent, his mood was visibly sour, likely sharing the same concerns as the others.

Waving his hand to quiet everyone down, Jasper proceeded to explain further, "Alright, I understand your concerns. I wouldn't risk our lives on a mission that I deemed impossible." With everyone's attention on him, Jasper looked at James with a slight smirk. "Also, James, we do have a Stage 6 pre-practitioner among us."

James's eyes widened even more, and he stammered, "C-Captain, you've reached the 6th stage?"

Nodding approvingly, Jasper confirmed James's question. John, who was still in disbelief, stuttered, "But how? I just saw you this morning, and you were still at the 5th stage. And let's not forget that you only recently passed the 5th stage test a few months ago! Your progress is probably the fastest in our village's history, maybe even the entire city!"

"While my progress may be unusually fast, with my strength at the 6th stage, you three should feel confident in participating in this mission," Jasper assured them.

Concerned, John expressed his worries, "But, Captain, I'm only at the 3rd stage. I'm afraid that if I participate in this mission, I'll slow everyone down."

While what John is saying is true, I don't intend for him to work in the front lines. Johns greatest skills lay in management and organization. With Jillian's personality if I sent her to do the scouting and tracking there is always a variable that she might cause some trouble. James on the other hand while stronger than John and Jillian, his tracking and scouting skills are lacking considerably.

Considering all the variables, Jasper smiled at John and reassured him, "There's no need to worry, John. For this mission, you'll be staying near the back during the main battle. Your main responsibilities will be to lead a team of trackers and locate the monster's cave or lair. You and your team will monitor its movements for three days before reporting back to me."

Turning his attention to Jillian and James, Jasper continued, "As for you two, your role will be to aid me in the fight against the monster. We'll plan a trap beforehand, and the two of you will lure the monster into the trap while I deliver the finishing blow."

"Yes, Captain!" James immediately agreed to the plan, while Jillian reluctantly responded, "Fine." Although she wasn't pleased about being used as bait, she agreed nonetheless.

With a wide grin, Jasper exclaimed, "Fantastic! Then let's begin implementing the plan!"