Many days had passed since the whole Karoth simping incident, and the Mercenaries of Mayhem had been doing absolutely nothing.
Bob was relaxing.
Jim was drinking.
Marcus was tinkering.
Bam was… also doing nothing.
Derek was training (because he was the only responsible one).
Meanwhile, Anna spent all her time in the library, reading in peace while ignoring everyone's existence.
Then one day—
Bob checked their money stash and frowned.
"…Uh. Guys."
Jim, lounging on the couch, raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Bob turned the empty coin pouch upside down. "We're broke."
Silence.
Marcus blinked. "Huh. That happened fast."
Jim sighed. "Man, we were living the dream. No work, no stress."
Derek crossed his arms. "We have been sitting around doing nothing."
Bob scratched his head. "Guess it's time to find a job."
The group went to the mercenary guild, hoping for a decent job—
Only to be personally summoned by Mayor Joff again.
The moment they stepped into his office, the mayor sighed heavily.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Joff muttered, rubbing his temples, "but we need you again."
Jim smirked. "Let me guess. Black dragon problems?"
Joff nodded grimly. "Karoth and his army went to slay it. It's not going well."
Bob grinned, leaning back. "Ah. So it came back to us in the end."
Joff narrowed his eyes. "You think this is funny?"
Bob shrugged. "A little."
Jim stretched. "So lemme guess—you want us to go help them?"
Joff nodded. "We need mercenary reinforcements for the Black Dragon Campaign. Your group has a proven record of handling dragons."
Marcus muttered, "That is extremely debatable."
Bam sighed. "Well, money is money."
Derek nodded. "We'll prepare."
Back at the mansion, the group packed their gear, readying themselves for battle.
Meanwhile, Anna remained in the library, reading as if nothing concerned her.
Bam, curious, peeked inside. "You're really not coming?"
Anna, not looking up from her book, tossed a small vial at him.
Bam caught it, blinking. "What's this?"
Anna yawned. "My rent."
Bam squinted at the glowing blue liquid. "What is it?"
Anna smirked. "Mana potion. Accidentally made it."
Silence.
Bam stared. "Wait. This is a mana potion?"
Anna nodded. "It enhances a mage's power. Should make you less useless."
Bam examined it carefully. "How… strong is it?"
Anna shrugged. "Who knows?"
Bam's eyes sparkled. "I love it."
Without hesitation, he downed the entire potion.
The moment he finished—
A wave of energy burst around him.
The air shifted, his presence growing heavier.
A faint glow surrounded him as raw magic pulsed from his body.
The group stared.
Jim blinked. "Uh… Bam?"
Bam, eyes gleaming with power, took a deep breath. "I feel… incredible."
Bob pointed. "The air literally changed."
Marcus adjusted his goggles. "Your mana pressure just skyrocketed."
Bam stretched his fingers. "So this is what a real mage feels like."
Bob leaned in. "Wait. If Bam gets a free upgrade… where's ours?"
Jim nodded. "Yeah, not fair."
Marcus smirked. "Got anything for the rest of us?"
Anna, deadpan, slowly got up—
And shut the library door in their faces.
Jim blinked. "Well. That was rude."
Bob knocked. "Come on! At least a stamina potion!"
No response.
Jim groaned. "Man, these days only Bam is getting stronger."
Bam smirked, holding up his now-empty vial. "There are always exceptions."
And with that, the Mercenaries of Mayhem set off for the Black Dragon Campaign—somewhat prepared, slightly concerned, and already expecting disaster.