C10 Invite

[Mission: Rescue the young girl Quintana successful. Reward: One Origin Power Level defensive gear.] Egerton heard the voice echo in his mind.

"Just as I thought, fate would have us stumble upon our mission's target. But I never expected these guys to be more than mere con artists." Egerton cast a glance at the heretic subdued by Ngoh and the others before he extricated Quintana from the gruesome mound of flesh and blood.

These were five Class 3 heretics, boasting significant combat prowess. Unfortunately for them, their luck had run out. They had exhausted too much energy battling magical creatures and gathering their corpses. In the midst of their final sacrificial ritual, they were caught off guard by a surprise attack from Egerton and his four companions, leading to their downfall.

Had it been a fair fight, Egerton's group would have been hard-pressed to win, even if it were just one heretic against them.

"How dare you disrupt our holy ritual? The gods will smite you with divine retribution!" the leader of the scammers proclaimed fervently, still full of bluster despite being utterly drained.

"Bran, is your potion a dud? How is this guy still so lively?" Egerton asked, turning to Bran.

"Impossible. If it weren't effective, they would've fought back by now. He's just a stubborn fool," Bran retorted before landing a kick on the scammer leader, who promptly passed out.

"Who would've thought we'd get this lucky, stumbling upon these heretics' sacrificial ceremony—and right in the middle of it, no less," Ngoh remarked with relief.

"Verl, tend to her, please. She may not have visible injuries, but after being tainted by the blood of those magical creatures for so long, she's likely afflicted by some malevolent energy," Egerton instructed Verl, who seemed to be waiting for something to do.

"What's our next move? Do we take them back with us, or do we finish them off right here?" Hankamer inquired.

With a considerable distance to the exit, escorting a group of unconscious heretics out of the Skyreach Spire was no simple task. Yet, the thought of outright killing them was something Hankamer and his peers found difficult to contemplate.

All of them were just seventeen or eighteen years old, and this was their first time slaying magical creatures, let alone taking a human life.

To the surprise of everyone present, no sooner had Hankamer finished speaking than Egerton, after searching the five heretics, swiftly raised his knife and beheaded them. The scene turned bloody in an instant, startling Verl and the still-recovering Quintana into shrieking. Their cries were piercing, reminiscent of Howlerfiends in heat, but thankfully, they didn't draw the attention of any nearby Felwolves.

"Why are you two screaming? Do you want to attract the magical creatures around here?" Egerton chided.

"Egerton, it's not their fault. Even I was startled by your swift and decisive action," Bran said, managing a wry smile.

Had it not been for Egerton's previous heroics and their normal interactions, Bran might have suspected him of being a deranged killer, given how nonchalantly he severed the heads of the heretics.

"Why show courtesy to heretics? It's just a head. Haven't you ever seen a chef butcher livestock?" Egerton remarked, unfazed.

"How can you even compare the two!" Verl retorted, her anger palpable, though she continued to heal Quintana.

"Don't think of heretics as human, and it becomes the same," Egerton said with a smile, scanning the surroundings. "Let's rest here for half a minute, then keep moving. Quintana, you'll stick with us for now."

"Hmm... How do you know my name?" Quintana asked, her nod betraying her unease as she sensed something amiss.

"Oh, they mentioned your name during the sacrifice. I overheard it," Egerton fabricated smoothly.

"Did they?" Verl fixed her gaze on Egerton, as if trying to discern the truth.

"Of course!" Egerton responded with a sunny smile that only served to heighten Verl's suspicions.

"Is this what they call the legendary Asura Arena?" Bran wondered silently, observing the trio who seemed to exist in a world apart from the rest.

After a brief respite, Egerton's group resumed their retreat. Along the way, they engaged in several encounters with magical creatures. To their surprise, they realized they had slain over ten Level D magical creatures that day, a commendable feat by any standard.

In contrast to other Class 2 teams, who might manage about ten kills in a day, their fortune was nothing short of explosive.

"Come to think of it, since Macleay didn't escort us back, do we still need to give him 20% of our loot?" Egerton mused as they stepped out of Skyreach Spire, the throngs of people bustling around them.

"Don't be so tight-fisted. It's just the spoils from a couple of magical creatures. And let's not forget, Captain Macleay covered our retreat. For all we know, he might have..." Bran's voice trailed off, growing sadder with each word. The spirits of the three who had narrowly escaped disaster dipped considerably.

"You little rascals, always trying to skimp on my share of the loot, or worse, assuming I'm dead. Can't you think more highly of me?" A voice tinged with resignation rang out. They all turned toward the sound and there stood Macleay, very much alive.

"Vice Captain, we're relieved you're safe!" Ngoh and his companions were overcome with emotion, embracing him with tears in their eyes.

Unlike Egerton, Ngoh and the others had been under Macleay's tutelage for days, forming a bond akin to brothers. Confirming Macleay's safety now brought them immense relief, despite never truly believing he was in danger.

"What? You encountered a heretic sacrifice ceremony and put an end to it, taking out five Class 3 heretics?" Macleay exclaimed in astonishment upon hearing their tale.

"I've got their heads right here. Want to take a look?" Egerton offered without hesitation.

"Uh, no, that's fine. You can just take them to the Bounty Guild for the reward," Macleay responded, unfazed by Egerton's direct approach.

Heretics were the common enemy across the Sylvian Continent. Capturing and confirming their identities meant their heads could be exchanged for a bounty at the Bounty Guild. A Class 3 heretic's head could fetch a hefty sum of silver coins—a fortune for Egerton, but for Macleay, clad in gear worth a gold coin, it was a paltry sum.

"You actually brought the heads with you?" Bran asked, astonished. Verl and Quintana stared at Egerton, visibly shaken.

"...Vice Captain, could you shed some light on this?" Egerton turned to Macleay, seeking an explanation.

Egerton didn't do anything wrong. Taking the heads of heretics to the Bounty Guild for a reward is quite normal. It's just that at your level, you typically wouldn't encounter heretics, which is why I didn't mention it," Macleay explained.

"Are heretics really as evil as the legends suggest?" Verl inquired with curiosity.

"Some of the rumors might be a bit overblown, but they're not far off. And then there are some matters that get swept under the rug," Macleay replied, his tone deliberately obscure.

"Look, this isn't something you youngsters need to worry about. If you're keen to learn more about heretics, at least wait until you've reached Class 5!" Macleay added, noting the lack of enthusiasm from Verl and the others.

Internally, he was pondering, "Heretics of even Class 3 are becoming restless. Could it be that these characters, who've been in hiding for years, are no longer able to contain themselves?"

"Captain, what happened with your fight against that guy? Did you manage to kill him?" Bran interjected, attempting to defuse the tension.

"Though I didn't kill him, I gave him a thrashing he won't forget. He's probably struggling to even crawl right now," Macleay boasted. "I must say, I'm impressed that you rookies managed to survive and escape from the 100th floor. But I have to wonder if you'll always be this lucky."

"You dare show your face? Captain, let's take him down!" Bran exclaimed. While Ngoh and the others weren't as dramatic as Bran, they too adopted a battle-ready stance. Only Macleay and Egerton displayed a look of resignation.

"What's happening here? Are the Sunstriders about to openly clash with the Cold Moon Adventurers?"

"I doubt Macleay has the nerve for that. The duchy has strict laws against violent conflicts between Adventure Teams. I can see the Cold Moon Adventurers taking a gamble, but Garros would never allow Macleay to go that far."

"Those must be the new recruits from the Sun Mercenary Group, right? I bet Ralph is green with envy over the Sun Mercenary Group's progress and has resorted to underhanded tactics in the Skyreach Spire again. Tsk, I wonder how much more they can take before they snap."

Adventurers nearby murmured among themselves, and it didn't take long for Ngoh and the rest to catch on. Regardless of what transpired within the Skyreach Spire, they knew it was out of the question to clash with Ralph here in the duchy, especially in such a public setting.

"I look forward to our next encounter," Ralph said with a dark smile, then turned and walked away, leaving behind a lingering, meaningful gaze on Egerton's face.

"Alright, let's head back and continue our training. Egerton, are you coming with us?" Macleay asked, turning towards Egerton.

"No, wait," Egerton replied, shaking his head as if he had just remembered something important. He stopped the group just as they were about to disperse.

His eyes flitted between Verl and Quintana. As confusion painted their faces, which soon turned into a blush of embarrassment, Egerton approached Verl and proposed, "How about you skip training for now and come with me instead, okay?"

"Egerton, I didn't think you'd be so bold as to ask Verl out on a date on your first day!" Bran teased, whistling playfully.

Ngoh and Hankamer were taken aback but held their tongues. They would have mocked Egerton for his audacity had they just met him.

But after half a day of fighting side by side, both Bran and Ngoh had developed a profound respect for Egerton's abilities and judgment. They no longer doubted that someone as gifted as him could be a match for Verl.

"I..." Verl hesitated.

"Just nod, will you? Stop beating around the bush!" Egerton urged, growing impatient.

His request wasn't actually about seeking a romantic rendezvous with Verl. He had remembered he needed to buy clothes for Lankro but had forgotten her exact measurements. Observing Verl, he figured her build was similar to Lankro's, which was the real reason behind his invitation.