Chapter 19: The S Ranked Mission.
The trio walked aimlessly for what seemed like hours, their legs beginning to ache with every step. Ling Huai sighed and looked at the sky, the clouds drifting lazily across the blue canvas. After a while, they found a grassy patch near a forest and plopped down to rest.
The forest ahead gave off a strange and eerie vibe. The trees were dark and tall, their branches twisting like claws, and an unnatural silence hung in the air. But despite the ominous feeling, none of them seemed particularly bothered.
Ling Huai stretched her legs and glanced at Bai and the Omen. "So… what are we going to do to earn some money?" she asked. "Do beasts like you even use money?"
The Omen smirked and flicked his long hair. "Of course, how else do you expect me to look this majestic and handsome? My style doesn't come cheap."
Ling Huai cringed at his dramatics, and even Bai rolled his eyes. "That was painful to hear," she muttered.
"Let's just steal something!" the Omen suggested with a grin.
Ling Huai gave him a deadpan look. "Go ahead," she said, her tone flat.
The Omen laughed nervously, clearly backing down.
Bai finally spoke up. "Don't towns have people like mercenaries? You know, people who give out dangerous jobs in exchange for money or items?"
Ling Huai's eyes widened. "That's actually… smart!" She beamed. "Good job, Bai!"
She turned to the Omen and said smugly, "You brought me here. You better know where one of those mercenary headquarters is. Or else..."
She pointed at her bag of potions with a dark smirk.
The Omen visibly shivered and muttered under his breath, "I'm stronger than her. Nothing will happen. Nothing… probably."
After a short rest, they got up and continued toward the town nearby. Along the way, Ling Huai picked some herbs with delight, storing them carefully. With the help of a kind herbalist and a few curious townsfolk, they found their way to the Mercenary Headquarters.
The building stood tall and proud, with thick wooden walls and a large signboard outside. Inside, the air buzzed with noise. Adventurers chatted, laughed, and argued as they studied a huge mission board filled with colorful posters.
Each poster had details — mission difficulty, time limits, rewards. The rewards weren't always money. Some included rare herbs, potions, or magical artifacts.
A stern-looking man at the front desk spotted the trio. "Newcomers? You'll need to register and show your qi cores," he said.
Ling Huai blinked. "Show our cores?"
"Yes," the man said. "To determine your ranks. That way, we know what missions you're allowed to take."
Bai stepped forward first. With a casual gesture, he revealed his qi core. It glowed with three swirling colors—deep purple fire, black earth, and bright lightning. The man raised a brow.
"Triple elemental user… impressive. Not many can even split their cores."
Then it was the Omen's turn. He smirked and revealed not one, but four glowing cores. Each shimmered with vibrant energy. The first held a strange mix of red and blue — representing the ultra-rare space element. The second glowed with pure light. The third was pitch black — the dark element. The fourth sparkled with black lightning.
The man's eyes widened. "What in the world…"
He quickly regained his composure and muttered, "Alright, I think you all can handle something challenging."
He handed them a scroll. "This is an S-rank mission. You'll have to head to the Poison Mist Fields, gather three specific herbs, and also capture the cores of three dangerous beasts."
Ling Huai frowned as she read the names aloud. "The Iron-Clawed Panther… Flame-Tailed Fox… and the Blue-Horned Boar?"
"Exactly," the man nodded. "They're deadly and live deep in the poisonous region. You'll need to be smart and prepared."
Ling Huai glanced at her two companions. Despite the danger, she smiled. "Let's do it."
Together, they accepted the scroll and stepped out of the headquarters, ready for their next big adventure.
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Ling Huai, Omen, and Bai stood before the other tall, grumpy-looking man at the Mercenary Headquarters. The man looked at them from head to toe, his eyes narrowing as if he didn't believe they could take on an S-rank mission.
"You three want to accept this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing to the parchment they had just handed him.
"Yes," Ling Huai said confidently, her arms folded. Omen nodded smugly, and Bai gave a quiet nod as well.
The man pulled out a rolled-up scroll, tied with a dark string, and placed it on the table in front of them. "Here's your map," he said, "It marks the location of the Poison Field, where you'll find the herbs, and the last known sightings of the three beasts—Iron-Clawed Panther, Flame-Tailed Fox, and Blue-Horned Boar."
Bai picked up the map, studying it silently.
"What's the time limit?" Ling Huai asked.
"One year," the man replied simply.
Ling Huai's eyes widened. "That long?"
"These beasts aren't your everyday forest critters," the man said seriously. "And the Poison Field... well, many enter, few return."
"What's the reward?" Omen asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.
The man smirked. "If you succeed, you'll get one million gold coins. That alone could buy you land, a mansion, or start your own sect."
Ling Huai's jaw dropped. "One million?!"
The man held up his fingers. "That's not all. You'll also receive a bundle of rare herbs—some that haven't been seen in centuries. And... four Mind Weapon Artifacts."
"Mind Weapon?" Bai asked, interested.
"Artifacts that connect to your mind and spirit," the man explained. "They grow stronger as you grow. Very rare. Very powerful."
Ling Huai's hands tightened around the parchment. She exchanged looks with Bai and Omen, both of whom nodded firmly.
"We'll take it," she said.
"Good," the man replied. "I've added your names to the board. May fortune guide your steps... you'll need it."
With that, they turned and walked out of the headquarters, stepping into the golden sunlight. The streets of Bethany buzzed with life, but their hearts beat with a new fire. This wasn't just a mission. This was their first real step toward making a name for themselves.
Ling Huai clutched the map as they walked.
"One year..." she whispered.
"Plenty of time," Omen said, smirking.
"I'm going to prepare some things before we leave," Bai said.
"Let's do this," Ling Huai grinned.
Their journey had just begun.
---
As the three stepped out of the Mercenary Headquarters with the map in hand, the warm breeze of the capital brushed against their faces. Ling Huai looked up at the sky and exhaled deeply, a mix of relief and excitement bubbling in her chest.
"Well, the competition ended the moment we got here anyway," she said with a casual shrug.
Omen raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you so focused on entering that competition just a few weeks ago?"
She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, until I realized I'd rather survive and get rich than swing swords in a flashy arena. Plus," she said with a proud smile, "this S-rank mission sounds way cooler."
Bai nodded. "The rewards are better, too."
They continued walking down the cobbled streets of Bethany, dodging market crowds and merchants shouting prices. Omen glanced at the mercenary tower again. "One year, huh? To find deadly beasts, survive poison fields, and make it back alive. Sounds like a holiday."
Ling Huai side-eyed him. "You think everything's a holiday until you almost die."
He just smirked.
They turned into a quieter street, away from the noise. Ling Huai held the map tightly. "So, we've got the map, we know the reward, and we've got one year. Let's gather supplies and maybe stay one night before we leave. Agreed?"
"Agreed, but we don't have money " Bai said softly.
Omen groaned.
As they walked further toward the outer edges of the city, Ling Huai felt a strange energy in her chest. Not just from the mission, but from how far she'd come—being mocked at the gates, surviving beasts in the forest, making weird friends like Bai and Omen, and now holding an S-rank mission map in her hands.
This wasn't just the start of an adventure—it was the start of her legend.
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