In the afternoon, the rich sunlight had dimmed slightly, and the adventurers of the Altai camp had already prepared their luggage, and now they could go home as long as the letter from Strange Rock City arrived. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Although at the beginning, because I couldn't continue the mission, there was nowhere to vent the blood in my heart. But when I think about it, it's also a blessing to be able to get paid safely.

Especially for the profession of adventurers, the vast majority of people live the life of vagabonds, and a small number of people have extinguished their dreams and joined the chamber of commerce, just seeking a stable job. This trip has made some people realize that maybe a peaceful life is worth aspiring to.

When the scorching sun sank into the dense forest in the distance, with the sound of horses' hooves, everyone's consciousness was shocked, and the messenger of Qiyan City arrived.

But there was more than one horse coming, and it stands to reason that only one messenger could do it, and Leo couldn't help but be a little puzzled.

There are a total of five handsome horses, one is obviously a messenger from Qiyan City, behind him are the appearance of three Altai Chamber of Commerce guards, and the last one is the current president of the Altai Chamber of Commerce in Qiyan City, a middle-aged merchant who has a lot of contact with Leo!

Shouldn't he be in Strange Rock City at this time, waiting for them to return?

Leo's heart shook suddenly, and a bad premonition rose.

He was about to step forward to ask, but the guard beside the middle-aged merchant exuded momentum, and the messenger on the other side also walked briskly and handed him the letter with a smile on his face.

A wry smile appeared on Leo's face, and the guess in his mind was confirmed.

The middle-aged businessman stepped forward and cleared his throat amid the surprised gazes of everyone.

"The mission of area exploration is always dangerous, and even the strong cannot ensure their safety."

"We sent a total of three of the strongest, but the leaders of the two mercenary groups were almost in a desperate situation!"

I don't know what he meant by this, but the people in the camp did have a lot of speculation about Neil and Leo carrying Nala Cook on their backs last night, and all the three of them were seen by all the patrol teammates. At this moment, the middle-aged businessman's words confirmed his guess, and some of the camp team members showed a sudden expression, and then they were a little uneasy.

Even as third-level warriors, they were almost folded inside, so wouldn't they, who weren't even believers, go in and die?

Seeing the uneasiness on the faces of the mercenaries, the middle-aged merchant said calmly as if he had taken a reassuring pill: "This exploration found that there are murderous second-level demonic beasts in the mist, the Wind Shadow Wolf, as we all know, they are group-living demonic beasts, so this regional exploration mission has been upgraded from A-level to S-level." ”

For these adventurers who have only seen the world in Qiyan City, A-level missions and S-level missions sound like there is no difference, but the second-level Demonic Beast Wind Shadow Wolf, they are very touched.

Strange Rock Castle was once attacked by the Storm Shadow Wolves, killing and wounding countless adventurers and knights in the city, and they even invaded residential areas, causing tragic casualties - this past was the heart pain of the city lord, and the root cause of his determination to sweep the surrounding monster forest.

With sharp claws, ferocious beastliness, and tough fur, the Wind Shadow Wolf seemed to be a monster born for battle and plunder, and the mercenaries suddenly turned pale when they thought of the tragic situation in the past.

No one wants to face that kind of thing again, let alone take the initiative to find them this time.

"Sure enough, our decision to return was a wise one."

"yes, that kind of monster, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life."

The discussion sounded, and among these adventurers in Strange Rock City, there were many older people who were witnesses to that battle.

"Well, I believe that at this moment, everyone is aware of the danger of this mission."

The middle-aged merchant is like a sect leader who gathers everyone's attention, calmly grasping the changes in everyone's minds, and then guiding them to the place he has predetermined.

Out of the camp, a few steps ahead is the entrance covered with mist, where the Wind Shadow wolf pack is located, obviously so dangerous, but still don't pack up and escape?

Everyone was a little confused by the middle-aged merchant's actions, he seemed to have something to explain, but it was not too late to mention it after returning to Qiyan City.

The incident of the Wind Shadow Wolf made everyone's hearts panic, but at this moment, they could only suppress the anxiety in their hearts, listen attentively to the words of the middle-aged merchant, and pray to return to the city as soon as possible.

"I announce that this quest to explore the unknown area has been officially upgraded from A-level to S-class, and this area is temporarily named 'Misty Swamp'!"

"I'll be the person in charge of the mission, and besides, two hundred adventurers from Strange Rock City, you now have two choices!"

"Stay and continue fighting, and the original reward will be increased tenfold! If you choose to leave, you will still be paid the honorarium as promised. ”

The words brought out by the middle-aged businessman were like bombs, one after another, without giving everyone a chance to breathe.

According to the mission contract given to the 200 adventurers in Strange Rock City, the predetermined reward is 10 Astaire Miscellaneous Silver Coins, which is a full 1 Astaire General Gold Coins.

Ten times the gratuity, which is 100 Astaire Miscellaneous Silver Coins, and 10 Astaire Gold Coins!

This means that these adventurers can get a big profit from a transaction in a small chamber of commerce with one mission, and these 10 gold coins can buy a comfortable house in the residential area of Qiyan City, or rent a shop, and no longer have to live the life of a vagabond adventurer - for adventurers, and even mercenaries who join the chamber of commerce, this is the ultimate happiness they pursue.

It was precisely when the middle-aged merchant realized this that he offered such a generous condition, 200 people, not counting the two mercenary groups and the other budget, he had to contribute 2,000 gold coins.

This is almost more than the profit of a small chamber of commerce in a year, and many civilians will never see so much money in their lifetime.

In addition to the shock of so much money, the mercenaries were even more terrified of the dangers in the Misty Swamp, and not all of them wanted to fight for it with their lives - no amount of money would be useless if they didn't have a life.

"I, I'm getting out of here."

A younger mercenary was the first to raise his hand, and though timid, it was determined to break the silence in the crowd.

"I'll quit too!"

"Me too!"

"Sorry, I'm quitting!"

・・・

As he spoke, more and more mercenaries were clamoring to quit, and the middle-aged businessman's trap was so obvious that even they were reluctant to take the sweet cheese from the rat rack.

What's more, this is not an ordinary rat trap, this is a monster abyss that can kill people.

The whole team of 200 people walked out for the most part, and the remaining dozens of people also looked hesitant, they needed money for various reasons, but they had to carefully consider whether the task was worth risking their lives.

"What are you doing, that's the Wind Shadow Wolves, you've seen it!"

Seeing that the partner around him had no intention of leaving, the expression of a certain mercenary became nervous, and he said in a low voice.

But the other party unceremoniously slapped his hand aside, and a complicated look of bitterness and determination appeared on his face.

"These 10 gold coins, whether it is you or me, miss this opportunity, and there will be no more."

No one wants to encounter a situation where there is money and no money to spend, but he is unwilling to accept a life with no money to spend. Rather than repeating the hard work at the bottom of the team, it is better to gamble with your life.

The companion looked at him incredulously, then shook his head and left.

The choice of the crowd was clearly divided, and although most chose to leave, those who stayed were more determined.

As if wanting to increase the effect of the cleansing team, the middle-aged businessman raised his voice again, emphasizing the danger of the task, but none of the remaining people chose to leave.

He counted for a while, and there were 69 adventurers in total, most of whom were older.

Looking at the 131 adventurers standing on the other side, a smile appeared on the middle-aged merchant's face, and then said, "Those who choose to leave can return to the city with this messenger from Strange Rock City beside me." ”

Hearing the middle-aged merchant's speech, they silently raised their salutes and bid farewell to the remaining 69 adventurers, many of whom were struggling together.

In the mission contract with these 131 adventurers, there are many loopholes that can be exploited, and as long as some small means are used, the cost can be saved again. The middle-aged merchant watched as they got on their horses and left with a blank expression, and a cold laugh sounded in his heart.

It is unreasonable for a timid person to deserve to be paid, and to be able to profit without doing anything.

It was beyond his expectation that 69 people could stay, and it seemed that he had underestimated the courage of these adventurers, and the allocation of resources had to be reconsidered.

"I believe you must have the unsettling thought in your hearts that 'these 10 gold coins are something that must be exchanged for your life', right?"

The middle-aged businessman's words were like precise arrows, hitting the red hearts in the chests of these 69 people, and in an instant, surprise and confusion appeared on their faces.

Isn't that so? They had a common question in their hearts.

"It's just a simple job for you..."

The middle-aged businessman patiently explained as if rewarding their courage.

・・・

The two mercenary groups "Smiling Honey Sword" and "Red Rose", who had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, were expressionless, and Leo looked at Neil beside him and found that he was also calm.

"Aren't you leaving?"

The middle-aged merchant did not seem to include these mercenaries from the imperial capital, which made Leo wonder.

"Our job is to assist Master Mark May in his mission, and if he wants to continue, we will fully support him."

Neil's words didn't sound loyal, but rather helpless.

And the "we" he said probably also refers to the two mercenary groups, not their "Red Rose", maybe there was an agreement before coming to Strange Rock City.

Leo remembered the mission agreement he had made with a middle-aged businessman named Mark May, and indeed he had to stay.

"You probably don't understand what Master Mark May does, do you?"

Neil hesitated for a moment and whispered to Leo.

"Big brother—"

Red Rose's deputy commander, a petite warrior girl, spoke nervously.

"Let me explain."

The voice of Mike, the light knight of Strange Rock City, came to Leo's side at some point, and Lindsay followed behind, obediently standing on Leo's other side.

"Mark May: There's no way back."