Chapter 4: THE TEAM!!
I stopped striking the T-pose, I think I asserted enough dominance. I looked at the destroyed robots behind me and sighed. I want my mercenary ID...
"Well, the test is over. Congratulations, now you can go out," a voice echoed in the room. I sighed in relief and turned to see a wall opening like a door. I walked through it and found myself back in the room with shelves full of weapons. Arthur and Elisa were nearby, and I approached them."Now I can have my ID, right?"
Elisa smiled and said, "Yes, for now, these two tests are enough. The others wouldn't be very efficient for you."
"Okay, so... Will you give me my ID now, or do I have to wait?" I asked, placing Rebellion on my shoulder.
"You'll just have to wait a little," Elisa replied. "I'll bring it, and I recommend you take off your hood. It doesn't matter if people see your hair. We have rules among mercenaries, and we keep things confidential. But the missions can vary a lot, so it's best to be cautious."
"Hey, could you bring me some clothes, too?" I asked, my tone urgent. "I can't stand wearing these..."
"Well, what kind of clothes do you want?" Elisa inquired.
I smiled and said, "A red trench coat and black jeans, and some black boots if possible."
"Okay, wait here," Elisa said, turning to leave through the door we had entered.
I sighed, eager to receive my ID "Well, I'll finally have that ID..."
Arthur chimed in, "Yes, and after that, we're going to see the team!"
After a short while, Elisa returned, carrying a red trench coat, black jeans, and black boots. As she handed me the clothes, I noticed her ring shining slightly—a dimensional ring, perhaps?
I quickly changed into the new clothes, grateful to have underwear, and exclaimed, "Well, this feels much better!"
She gave me a bracelet, and I asked, "What's this?"
"Your ID," Elisa replied. "Put it on and touch it. It will display your information."
I slipped on the bracelet and touched it, causing a small holographic screen to appear above it.
[charging...]
[data collected...]
[Dante
Age: 15
Rank: F
Potential: S (???)
Running or saved missions: 0]
"How does this know my age?" I asked, curious.
"It's part of my job to know the ages of mercenaries," Elisa explained. "It's a personal hobby, too, due to various past problems. So, your age is correct, right?"
"Yes..." I said, smiling. I had counted the days and tried to calculate my age based on what people had told me in the past. So, I should be fifteen years old.
However, something else on the screen caught my attention...
"Why does my potential have three question marks next to it?" I inquired, confused.
Elisa sighed. "Well... I'll explain. You're an abnormality, as far as we know. You possess an unknown element, something unheard of in this world, something of incalculable value. If someone were to find out about this, many dangerous people would come after you. I'm helping you because your idiot friend here asked me to, and because you possess unknown potential."
"So, my potential can't be classified, and it's dangerous, right?" I summarized.
"Yes," Elisa confirmed. "An unknown element is sought after by even the most important families in the world... But Arthur will explain more about the world to you. It's clear that you're immensely misinformed, coming from a remote place, right?"
"Yes, you could say that," I replied casually.
Elisa nodded. "Well, it would be best if you claimed to have an S-Rank potential for your safety. An S-Rank indicates a prodigy. There are several ranks: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. That's the limit, as far as we know..."
Various Ranks, simple and easy to remember, good.
Elisa continued, "Besides... That hair... You're not really a noble, are you...?"
"No, I was only born with this hair," I replied. "Nothing more."
Elisa nodded. "Well, people might mistake you for a noble, and nobles aren't well-received in the guild. Several people hate them. But if you want, you can reveal your hair. If someone bothers you, just kick their ass. Fighting between members is allowed at certain times, and a receptionist like me can set up a formal fight without breaking any guild rules."
"Well, Arthur will teach you how to use the bracelet. He already has one," Elisa said, gesturing to Arthur.
"Yes, let's go!" Arthur exclaimed, his enthusiasm evident.
Well, finally...
After a while, Arthur and I bid Elisa goodbye, left the room, and exited the guild.
"Well, let's go see the team," Arthur said with a smile.
Arthur and I ran across the rooftops, and as we sprinted, I thought about the system.
{STORE}
A floating screen appeared before me, seemingly invisible to Arthur.
ah... store?
{ORBS: 4.000
-WEAPONS
- SKILLS }
That's all...?
{System updates will come in the future and will bring more things}
Well... It doesn't sound too bad...
I thought about "weapons," and the results made me stumble. "Hey, are you okay?" Arthur asked, stopping his sprint. "Yeah... I just thought of something. Let's keep going," I replied, scratching the back of my neck. "Well..." Arthur said, and we continued our run.
{Yamato: 500 million orbs
Sparda: 500 million orbs
Yamato Fragment: 100 million orbs
+ }
Those were the first three items on the list, and the prices were staggering. Why the hell is it so fucking expensive!?!
System, why are those weapons so expensive?!
{Divine weapons}
Ah... Well, true. A weapon that can cut space itself and the weapon of Dante and Vergil's father, an absurdly powerful demon...
Makes sense...
I glanced at the screen as we ran across the rooftops, committing the list to memory.
{Pandora: 35 million orbs
Cavaliere: 20 million orbs
King Cerberus: 20 million orbs
Alastor: 15 million orbs
Balrog: 15 million orbs
Agni & Rudra: 10 million orbs
Cerberus: 5 million orbs
+ }
It's very expensive... But are these weapons classified, or why the price?
{Look at the statistics and description, I recommend it}
Okay... Show me the description of Cerberus.
{Cerberus:
Description: A tripartite nunchaku originating from the demon Cerberus, the guardian of the gate of Temen-ni-gru.
Element: Ice.
A weapon capable of freezing rivers, mountains, and magic.}
What the... Freezing mountains and rivers...? Okay, that's new... I don't think the original weapon is like that... Maybe...
{Weapons have been improved and buffed to fit this world}
Show me Alastor.
{Alastor
Description: The sword manifestation of Alastor the thunder devil.
Element: Lightning.
He wields the lightning element to strike with lightning speed. His attacks are so powerful that even the greatest sword masters cannot withstand his might. Mountains crumble, seas vaporize—a true thunder devil in weapon form.}
Not bad... Now, Pandora.
{Pandora
Description: A briefcase containing unrecognizable shapes, said to have 666 possible forms.
A weapon of mass destruction, feared even by demons, Pandora's Box is a forbidden weapon capable of bringing about the apocalypse.}
Great... Not bad...
It seems the system has buffed the weapons to match this world... and they were already incredibly powerful...
We ran for a while and descended into another alley. Arthur walked towards a door, key in hand. He unlocked it and said, "Well... This is just a precaution. Come in."
I surveyed the area, spotting two hallways, one to the left and another to the right. There were doors along the walls, and directly ahead was a large room with a sofa, a table, a large television, and what appeared to be a video game console.
A young man, likely in his early twenties, sat on the couch, his focus entirely on the video game he was playing. He had black hair and dark circles under his eyes, and he wore casual clothing. "Oh... You finally came, Arth—," he began, turning to Arthur, but he trailed off when he noticed me. "And who's this...?"
Arthur beamed, arms outstretched, and proclaimed, "New member!" The guy on the couch, replied, "Oh... A new member... White hair... Is he a noble?"
"I'm not a noble..." I sighed, a hint of annoyance in my voice.
"Oh, well, My name Is james. What's yours?" he asked.
He seemed like a dedicated gamer, and a shelf below the television displayed several video game boxes.
"My name is Dante," I replied, flashing a smile.
Suddenly, James had disappeared, and I had to move my head quickly to avoid a kick. "Not bad..." he said with a small smile, his face marked with dark circles.
He reappeared on the couch as if he had never left. "Seems like you finally brought someone worth it, huh..."
Arthur boasted, "Hey, I bring talented people!" But James was skeptical, responding with a simple, "Yeah, sure..."
Suddenly, a tall man, roughly 6 feet 2 inches tall, emerged from one of the hallways, towel in hand. He wiped the sweat from his face, and his brown hair fell over one eye. "Is he a new member?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, well..." Arthur began, then shouted, "MEETING!!"
I winced, covering my ears. Damn... He's loud...
After a moment, three doors flew open, and a female voice shouted angrily, "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!!"
A girl, seventeen or eighteen years old, emerged from one of the rooms. She wore a hooded jacket, concealing her hair, but a stray lock of brown hair fell across her face. With a scowl, she yelled at Arthur, "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!! WHAT NOW!?!"
Arthur smiled sheepishly and apologized, "Haha... Sorry, Jess..."
"Oh... he's a new member?" A blur of a person appeared, suddenly sitting on the couch and grabbing a console controller. He had blonde hair and was dressed in white clothing—a white shirt and matching white shorts.
He introduced himself, "Well, my name is Alex. Nice to meet you."
"My name is Dante," I replied.
another person, seemingly around my age, joined us. He had brown hair and was clad in a black shirt and black pants. Headphones hung casually around his neck, and he nonchalantly chewed on what appeared to be a piece of gum. "Hello, new member," he greeted, "my name is Austin."
"Dante" I replied casually. This place seems... good.
The girl, Jess, chimed in, "Ah... He's new. My name is Jess." I nodded in acknowledgment.
Arthur took charge, saying, "Well! Now that everyone is here, I wanted to introduce you to the new guy. His name is Dante, our new member!"
Alex smiled and added, "Oh, well, I hope he can keep up with us here, hehe..."
Jess, the girl with brown hair, seemed upset. "Okay, I introduced myself. Now, I'm heading back to sleep. Bye," she said, walking away and returning to her room.
The tall man, smiled and said, "My name is Michael. Welcome to the team, Dante."
I nodded in response, Well... It doesn't seem so bad here.
Arthur offered, "Well, I'll take you to your room."
Arthur led me down one of the hallways. After a few minutes, we reached a door. He opened it to reveal a simple yet functional room—a bed, a closet, a mirror, and a table. "Your room. I'll let you settle in and get used to everything. Bye!!" Arthur said, closing the door behind him.
I surveyed the room and sighed. I placed Rebellion against the wall and jumped onto the bed, relishing the comfort it offered.
"System, how do I obtain orbs?" I queried.
{Orbs: Orbs are the manifestations of souls within any living being. and the number of orbs varies from one living creature to another.}
Well... That's not too complicated.
"I have 4,000 orbs..." I mused.
"System, show me weapons by removing Devil Arms."
{Ebony & Ivory: 5,000 orbs
Kalina Ann: 5,000 Orbs
Shotgun: 5,000 orbs
+ }
I scrolled through the list, but my interest was particularly piqued by Ebony & Ivory...
The other weapons didn't appeal to me as much...
I sighed. "I should take on missions... I need to get more orbs... Devil Arms are pretty expensive, but it makes sense given their immense power..."
I tapped my bracelet, and a holographic screen appeared.
[information/ID
missions
web/internet]
Internet? I'll ignore that for now. I pressed the "missions" section of the bracelet, and a holographic screen appeared.
[Current rank: F
Available missions:
- Capture a Shadow Cat (tap for more information)
- Capture a Zinolite (tap for more information)
- Kill a Goblin Mage (tap for more information)
+]
What the hell...
Capture a cat...?
I touched the mission for more information.
[Capture a Shadow Cat:
Description: A Shadow Cat is a being that can move between shadows. When it enters the shadows, it becomes intangible for a limited time. Once the time runs out, the cat is forcibly expelled from the shadows and becomes tangible. The mission is to capture one for a collector of rare magical creatures.]
Ohh... This mission doesn't seem too bad...
A collector of rare magical creatures?
Well, this looks like a good mission, and it doesn't seem too complicated. I think I'll do it later.
For a while, I explored the bracelet's capabilities, discovering that I could even access the internet. Great... The mercenary guild even had its own website, professionally hidden from outsiders. I spent some time online, gathering information.
From my research, I learned that this great city is called Lunaria, located in the country of Arkadia, as Arthur had mentioned. Arkadia is a powerful country, one of the strongest in the world, interesting...
This world still has nobles and commoners, with barons, dukes, and other noble titles.
I even found information about Cristaia, the renowned academy in this famous city. It accepts both commoners and nobles, but I wouldn't want to go there. I think I already have an idea of what it's like.
I stopped browsing the internet and decided to take on a mission. By now, I had a decent grasp of how to use the bracelet.
[Will you choose the mission: Capture a Shadow Cat?
Y/N]
I tapped "yes," and the holographic screen changed, displaying an address and recent sightings of the cat. So... Time to play detective and find that cat, right?
I got up from the bed, grabbed Rebellion, and decided to test something. I placed the sword against my back and let go, feeling a connection form between us. To my surprise, Rebellion stayed on my back, almost as if it were floating. It didn't fall. Well, this is quite useful.
I left my room and walked around the place, finding Arthur. I told him I was going out on a mission, and he wished me luck.
"I don't think it'll be that difficult... It's just a cat," I murmured with a smile. A piece of cake.
---
"COME HERE, YOU DAMN FURBALL!" I yelled in frustration as I chased the cat across the rooftops. That damn cat was incredibly fast when it moved through the shadows. I made sure to stay out of sight of normal people. The cat looked like a typical black cat, except its eyes were purple.
I sprinted down the alley, a blur of motion, and spotted the cat running through the shadows. Every time it entered a shadow, small purple sparks were visible. Luckily, I could see them clearly. This damn cat...
I squeezed my legs and ran even faster, quickly catching up to the cat. It leaped into the air, jumping to another nearby roof. "Oh no, you don't!" I muttered angrily. I jumped, grabbing the cat mid-air, and landed in an alley. I had the cat in my hands, and it meowed loudly, struggling to escape. I tightened my grip, and it meowed again, finally seeming to give up.
I finally did it... I looked at the cat and said, "This little thing is so fast... and this is just a Rank F mission..."
Damn... Well, at least I completed my mission. Time to collect my reward.
I held the cat in my hands as I made my way back to the mercenary guild, the same place Arthur had brought me to the first time.
I knocked on the door four times, and after a brief wait, a blue light scanned me from head to toe. The door opened, and I stepped inside. Ah, this entrance is different from how Arthur brought me in, but oh well.
I walked down the hallway and entered the guild, finding myself back in the simple reception area.
I approached Elisa, who was at her usual post. Some people glanced at me strangely, much like when I had first left the guild.
I ignored their stares and said, "Hello, Elisa. I have the cat from the mission. My reward?"
Elisa looked at me and then at the cat in my hands. "Well, that was pretty fast..."
Elisa took the cat from me and said, "I'll take it to the collector." The cat rubbed its head against her chest, and I felt a twinge of annoyance. She moved her hands, and I felt my bracelet vibrate. I looked down and touched the screen.
[Mission complete!
Reward: 50,000 solar]
Is that a lot or a little...?
"Hey, Elisa, is 50,000 solar a lot or a little?" I asked, curious about the value.
"The reward is ten times greater than a Average F-Rank mission," Elisa replied, gently petting the cat.
Elisa laughed lightly and said, "Well, I'm not surprised that you completed a Rank F mission so quickly, especially one that's significantly more difficult than the average Rank F mission"
I nodded, a smile on my face. "Well, I'm going to do more missions. I want money!"
I don't want to end up in debt...
Elisa chuckled. "Be careful. Some F-Rank missions can be dangerous because they're unpredictable, but it's rare for that to happen."
I nodded, already searching for another mission.
[Will you choose this mission: Kill a Goblin Mage?
Y/N]
I pressed yes, and another holographic screen appeared, providing information about the mission's location—a dungeon.
I turned around and said, "Well, I'm off. This mission sounds like a blast!"
What kind of dungeon would there be in this world...?
I hope it won't disappoint me...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone