C7 Sunstriders

"Captain!" Making their way through the bustling crowd, Egerton and Garros reached the outskirts of Sunblessed Vale. Shortly thereafter, a young man adorned with a sun emblem approached and greeted them with respect.

"Go and tell Macleay to bring the four newcomers to this location," Garros commanded.

"The Adventure Team's headquarters is on Belleroc Avenue, so it'll take a bit of time for them to arrive," Garros mentioned, turning to Egerton.

"Understood!" Egerton responded, keeping his thoughts about Garros's intentions to himself.

"Our Sunstriders is quite a sizable Adventure Team, with twenty-eight members whose strengths vary from Class 5 to Class 3. We're split into four squads operating between the 200th and 500th floors of the Skyreach Spire. Currently, we're ranked 78th on the Magical Creature Hunting Board. It's not the highest, but it's still quite impressive among the numerous teams. However, once your new squad develops, I'm confident we can break into the top 50, or even higher," Garros explained with a smile.

Each of the seven great duchies has its own Skyreach Spire, and while the magical creatures within are largely similar, the hunting rankings are calculated separately for each region. Nevertheless, securing the 78th spot on the Starmoon Duchy's hunting list speaks volumes about the Sunstriders' capabilities.

It's worth noting that while Class 7 and 8 experts typically don't join adventure teams for hunts in the Skyreach Spire, Class 6 experts remain the backbone of these teams. In the Starmoon Duchy alone, there are dozens of teams with Class 6 experts. By this measure, Garros's Sunstriders are quite exceptional among their peers.

"If I were a native of this world, I might have already accepted an offer to join," Egerton mused silently, admiring Garros's warm and sunny smile.

He wasn't opposed to joining an Adventure Team permanently; he simply wanted to proceed with caution, preferring to spend some time getting to know the team before making a commitment.

Garros picked up on Egerton's prudence. After their initial conversation, they smoothly shifted to other topics, finding easy camaraderie in their exchange.

About ten minutes later, a young man clad in Specter Level gear led four teenagers, each dressed in Origin Power Level equipment, toward us. He didn't wait for Garros to extend a greeting before he spoke up, "Garros, is this the last member you've recruited?"

His voice boomed with a high pitch, the mark of a warrior brimming with zeal.

"Yes, Macleay, you'll be taking the five of them to the 100th floor shortly," Garros confirmed with a nod.

"So soon? You're not giving them time to gel. Ngoh and the others should be fine, but this new guy... He doesn't even have any armor or combat boots. Are you sure he's up to the task?" Macleay paused, giving Egerton a thorough once-over.

Even the most basic Adventure Team requires a certain level of synergy. Without it, a group of five would be marching to their doom on the 100th floor.

Macleay had spent the last few days drilling Ngoh and the others, and he was quite pleased with their teamwork. However, he was skeptical about Egerton, who lacked even the basic gear.

Had it not been for Garros's recommendation, Macleay wouldn't have bothered with doubts—he would've simply walked away.

"When have I ever been wrong about someone?" Garros said with a laugh, radiating supreme confidence.

"Alright then, get to know each other a bit. Let's start with introductions. Kid, even though Garros trusts you, you're looking pretty rough around the edges. Do any of you have spare armor or combat boots you could lend him? And what's your Class?" Macleay asked, not pressing the issue further.

"I'm a Class 2 Dodger. The name's Egerton," Egerton responded.

"Class 2 Dodger? What exactly is a Dodger? Some newfangled Class from a recent sect?" Macleay inquired, puzzled.

"It's a new Class from the Genesis Order," Egerton explained, noting the bewildered expressions around him.

"Genesis Order? A new sect?" Macleay repeated, taken aback.

"Yes, it's a fledgling sect, so it's not widely known yet," Egerton clarified with a nod.

There was no reason to conceal it; the Sylvian Continent generally took a lenient stance towards new sects. Unless one was identified as a malevolent cult or a nefarious organization, there would be no concerted effort to suppress it.

"What abilities does a Dodger have? Sounds like a nimble type of warrior. Oh, by the way, I'm Ngoh. Excited to be on the move with you!" A dark-skinned, muscular young man among the four team members inquired.

"Are you more about brute strength, or do you lean towards stealth attacks? I'm Hankamer!" asked another youth clad in heavy armor.

"I've got some spare armor and combat boots for you to choose from. I'm Bran, the heart and soul of our Adventure Team!" The slender, pale-skinned young man chuckled, only to receive a firm thump on the head from Ngoh nearby.

"You think you're the heart and soul with those skills? Wait until your attack power surpasses mine, then we'll talk!"

"Being the heart and soul isn't about having the strongest attack power. By your logic, Verl would never be able to take on that role, would she?"

"Verl, please don't mimic those two jesters, or I'll be worn out!" chimed in the last member, a charming girl with white hair. Draped in a flowing white robe and wielding a wand that glowed with a soft white light, she was clearly a support-oriented enchanter.

"Don't worry, I won't," Egerton replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, hey, new guy, don't just chat with our team's gem. If you're interested in Verl, at least check if we're on board with that," Bran grumbled, noticing Egerton's focus on Verl instead of the gear he offered.

"Knock it off, we haven't even gone through our Class introductions yet!" Ngoh interjected, tapping Bran's head once more.

"I'm a Class 2 Awakened One, the team's warrior," Ngoh said to Egerton, smiling.

"Class 2 Prisoner, tasked with fending off magical creature attacks!" Hankamer added.

"Class 2 Inferno Messenger, the team's enchanter!" Bran declared, brandishing his wand with pride.

"Class 2 Star, a blend of enchanter and healer," Verl admitted, her cheeks coloring slightly, perhaps due to Bran's earlier comment.

"Isn't a Star just an enchanter? How does she have healer abilities?" Egerton asked, puzzled.

"Haha, you're not aware, are you? Verl is a rare personality-awakened individual. She possesses the Holy Light personality, which means her light magic can manifest Healing Power based on her intentions. It's exceedingly rare in Class 2 to find a Believer with Healing Power!" Bran explained, as if reciting well-known facts.

"So it's a personality," Egerton mused, casting a few extra glances at Verl, which made the timid girl lower her head, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

A personality was a special talent that believers could receive during Divine Infusion. However, the chances of this happening were incredibly slim, so the majority of believers did not possess a personality. Only a select few geniuses were blessed with the ability to acquire such a personality.

The classification of personalities was straightforward, ranging from levels 1 to 4, with level 1 being the weakest and level 4 the strongest. Even though Egerton wasn't well-versed in the nuances of personalities, he could surmise that Verl's Holy Light personality was at least a level 3, if not higher—a rarity indeed.

Believers endowed with such personalities were highly sought after by all major Adventure Teams. Even the nobility of the duchy held them in high regard. Verl's presence within the Sunstriders was a testament to the team's exceptional strength and prestige.

"Now you see why Verl isn't easy to pursue. You'll have to put in the effort!" Bran said, giving Egerton a meaningful pat on the shoulder.

"Alright, now that you've had a chance to talk, follow me. Let's get ready to head into Skyreach Spire!" Macleay called out after a brief conversation with Garros.

Each level of Skyreach Spire was influenced by a unique force. It might seem small at first glance, but the space inside was vast. A thorough exploration could take days to complete just one level.

Moreover, with the sparse distribution of low-level magical creatures and the presence of numerous competing low-level Adventure Teams, encountering a significant number of magical creatures on the 100th floor was nearly impossible. What a new Adventure Team needed most was real combat experience, without wasting a single moment.

"Egerton, are you sure you don't want any armor or boots?" Bran inquired once more, trailing behind Macleay.

"Yeah, I don't need them. I've just joined temporarily to see how things go; I'm not even sure if I'll stick around. It wouldn't be right to take your gear," Egerton replied.

"Still on the fence? As a Class 2 adventurer without armor or boots, you can't possibly venture into the 100th level without joining an Adventure Team. Or do you have a better option in mind?" Bran asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Don't get too full of yourself. Since Captain Garros has shown interest in you, it's clear you have some talent, but don't let it go to your head," Ngoh said, his tone shifting subtly.

"Don't take Ngoh's words to heart. He feels a deep connection to the Sunstriders, and he's a bit upset with your attitude. However, he's not wrong—the Sunstriders are indeed a great choice for you," Verl murmured.

"Just like Garros said, this kid seems reluctant to join our Sunstriders. I wonder where he gets his confidence from. Even a prodigy like Verl started as a newcomer with us. But soon enough, once he sees how formidable Ngoh and the others are, he'll realize his pride is unfounded," Macleay mused to himself, overhearing the entire conversation.

Macleay, who had personally trained these adventurers, was intimately familiar with the capabilities of Ngoh's group. If not for the strict rule requiring a minimum of five members for an Adventure Team, he would have already sent the four of them into the hundredth floor of Skyreach Spire, no protection needed. They were more than capable of handling a Level C magical creature not native to that floor.

What Macleay didn't foresee was that he would soon lose his ability to laugh about it.

He also came to deeply understand why Garros had left him with those parting words.

"If you can, try to foster a sense of belonging in Egerton towards the Sunstriders. Have him truly embrace the team and decide to stay," Garros had advised.

"You're not suggesting he's the future star of our team, are you?" Macleay asked, chuckling.

"Perhaps," Garros replied, pondering the possibility.