บท 17: Bareback Rivalry
"Are you ready?"
Everyone checked their bags once more to see everything was in order and they don't forget anything of importance.
Bai Li was midst checking as well before Brother Axe came as well.
"You're gonna need a bigger backpack, here."
He handed over a similar sized backpack but it was a bit small compared to the one he had.
"Hehe, don't worry about the size, it can expand pretty well. It came from Desert Horned Toad's vocal sac so you'd be able to carry many more items with ease if you use it well."
"Thank you."
He took the backpack and began transferring everything he had into the pack and wore it. The material was dried and hardened before being put to use so its elasticity is much lower when compared to the toad using the same function. But it compensated for more space with durability. It was as tough as leather and a monster not above primordial grade attacked it, it would be able to take the hit straight on. The vocal sac was usually used to charm females to mate with them. But in this case, it used the movement of an acid to create sounds from the movement of water to attract females. The vocal sac could also take acidic material whether by the interior or exterior. But usually the interior had more strength to carry.
"Everything's set? Okay!"
He pulled out the card which showed a holographic display of a document.
The Bearded Lady group was a C-Grade mercenary party and if they continued providing their services with higher risk, they would be B Grade quickly.
A document showed the face of someone who was pressumed the client who hired the group. He had a pointy well kept mustache with narrow eyes and a defined jaw line. His hair was red, someone who dyed their hair, and had a rather fine red coat fashioned by suitors.
Everyone didn't question the identity of the client as respecting the client was a priority when it came to their fame. If they continued to respect wealthy clients, they might even reccommend them to others in need of help.
"Our mission is to go to hunt and get 50 corpses of some Red beak vultures situated in the Bareback Sand Valley."
He began detailing the place and the usual encounters of the Valley.
"The Red beak Vultures can reach up to Mid-tier Warrior stage when matured and can further reach High-tier if they consume enough flesh of dead high level monsters. They are notorious of being cruel to small rodents found commonly in the area. They number much of the population and diversity of the Valley due to the numerous small caves on the side of the valley. They don't go any higher than a Low-tier Warrior stage so we don't have to worry about them."
"The Vultures can range from Ordinary to Primordial with Primordials being the pack leaders of the commitee. In a kettle, most higher level creatures will act as the spearhead of the flock so all the stronger ones will be in the front."
Commitees are the terms given to any flock of avian species that are grounded or perched on trees and kettle when in flight. But a kettle was unique and many people would just say swarm or flock dependent on scale.
"The Bareback Sand Valley is the second desert region near to our Golden City, beside from that, we have to travel through the hidden route of the Buried Sands region so we don't alert as much monsters."
The Golden Star Planet got its name for two reasons. The first governor was infatuated with the color and all its glory, resulting in the name. And the fact that a large portion of the planet was a desert with two seas; The Luaga Coastal Sea, and the Devil Tidal Sea. Many monsters had mostly the same colors when it came to survive in the desert with monsters mostly having a golden shade of color for the strong. The governor had the responsibility to clear most of the monsters except some protected species to be preserved in reserves.
After clearing the hostile monsters and meaningless monsters, they file the report to claim the planet as part of the Union and the head commander takes charge of the planet, which comes in regards with the ability to name the planet.
The Golden City coordinates was near the Luaga Coastal Sea which was more south near a patch of continent luscious forests and hills. The entire desert had a total of 7 inner regions and the Bareback Sand Valley was down south near Golden City.
"We'll be setting out as of now, be careful where you walk on the desert sands as sinkholes appear haphazardly."
"Rewards will be split from any additional monsters we kill base on their contributions, as it always was. The mission reward will be split with 30 with me, 30 with Ju Dun, 25 with Tomahawk, and the rest goes to our junior here."
They began reaching the north gate of the Golden City as they road the main route with some hyenas pulling a carriage.
The carriage was about to be boarded and Bai Li was getting ready to get on until.
"If it isn't Bai Li! Nice for you to show up."
Brother Axe came to look at what the commotion was up to but his vision became sullen and dark as he saw who it was.
"Well, well, well. To think the Bearded Lady would actually take on such a weak intern along to their travels."
"Monkey, we went over this, we wouldn't disturb one another when we both took on interns.."
"My name is not Monkey! It's Cold Steel Gorilla!"
Their naming sense was as horrible as their choices of taking on their own intern. The dreaded Mo Tian was part of their group along with his servant lackeys.
The group in front of them was another mercenary group with ties to the Mo Family as their head client on most of their missions. If it weren't for them, they wouldn't be toe with toe with Brother Axe's group. They took on the favor of taking Mo Tian to gain more direct benefits with the Mo Family's business.
"Gorilla or whatever, you're still a monkey anyways."
Their group comprised of the leader, Cold Steel Gorilla, or Da Yuan. He kept his code of manliness and his physique was very large compared to the transformed Brother Axe who became much more fit and skinny.
"You lost your shine, Fire Axe. You should stick with being a weakling."
"What did you say."
Da Yuan and Yue Yong both stood face to face as they both tried to assert their dominance.
Both group had two Low-tier Warriors and one Mid-tier Warrior. But with the addition of Mo Tian's group, they had two new additions of Low-tier Warriors.
They all dawned on their armor with the same color.
"Let's just pass through, they're just cannon fodder anyways."
"Bai Li! If we meet outside once more, I will beat you to a pulp."
Bai Li didn't back down nor did he care about the childish ramble done by Mo Tian. He had always tried to challenge Bai Li with mere equipment.
If one had strong weapons or armor, they won't suffer the same hardships and won't be as experienced with warriors of their own peers. That was a lesson Mo Tian had to be tought as he would need to harden his resolve and body. But that wouldn't happen very soon with where he was going with this.
Bai Li furrowed his brows as he knew as well. Only laws were abided in the city and anything outside was a lawless jungle. Mo Tian's plan was to definitely surround them with their outnumbered forces and the duel with Mo Tian would be enacted with his weapons and armor he bought with money from the vendors seen all through out the main city.
His power armor which was made with low quality Berat would definitely be able to handle most of the attacks done by himself.
'If I ever encounter their group, I will definitely be beaten enough to be classified as dead. I must definitely increase my power and purchase both Featherweight and Tempered Will.'
As of currently, Bai Li's resolve spoke from his defiant eyes of falling in the societal class of being poor and swore he would definitely grow stronger than those of the higher echelons. Zhao Fei included as one of the higher echelons but a simple rivalry would suffice with him since he also valued strength. His first goal was to pass the two month internship with the Bearded Lady and gain a reward befitting of his accomplishments.
Both groups that were talking to one another with no reason to back down from each other's insult came to their destination.
A larger gate compared to the south gate where he reached the Academy was present as it held much more importance. Small tents were strewn about and a structure of an outpost and material suppliers present.
Both group headed to the outpost with animosity of each other and both presented their mercenary card.
Yue Yong's mercenary plaque was only silver while Da Yuan's was a glimmering yellow. Both had the same letter on both of their plaques but the difference in color was shaking.
"Did the Mo Family seriously buy you Golden Priority Membership?"
Yue Yong was quite surprised. The membership would allow one to have more spots open of selling their materials to high end suppliers and priorities in waiting lines when heading out.
Their was a buffer of 30 minutes so as to not have multiple groups of people together as fights could occur and eventually death at one point. Anyone with the membership could just go in front and head out immediately leaving the one formally in front to wait the period once more. More privileges such as larger accomodations and services was present in the outpost. Their living quarters would be much larger as a manor to store their much heavier equipment and animals.
"Only the truest of men can buy such." He tried to sound valiant and just but just ended up sounding like a noble who was recently revoked of his title but kept his flamboyant behavior.
"Okay whatever."
The receptionist checked Da Yuan's plaque and finished its authenticity.
"Here is the key function to your manor on the B3 Quarters and you may come as you like in a span of a month before checking in. If you do not check in after a month for a renewal, you will be charged with multiple fines. The line is up ahead and you can just go in front."
Da Yuan immediately went to the gate as if he didn't head off to the manor to drop off any dead weight.
The murmurs of people became apparent as the monkey bunch just shoved other people away as they went to the gate as it opens to let them out.
"Here is your key function sir. With your C-Level Mercenary membership, you can reside in the house on C21 and you must come back to check in to renew your accomodations. Some charges will be needed for the renewal but if it is not kept, you will have much heavier fines."
"Okay, thank you."
The receptionist had an earnest look of admiration to Brother Axe than the other group, they didn't care about the time and effort of a soldier in charge of the reception and his rural fame as Fire Axe. He didn't go over his limits on displaying himself so he gained the trust of many easily.
He had clients from different varieties with them being close friends while Da Yuan had one client mostly and acted as the lackeys of the Mo Family. If it weren't for the fact that the stronger level groups were located in the other cities in the Golden Star Soul Realm region, they wouldn't ever contract with such, but it was the only one available. The trip to the other areas could come close to about two months in time of the Soul Realm and two weeks with highly paid expenses.
They too walked to the line but waited. A large number was floating above their head on number 13. Each party that went in the number would reduce by one.
Sooner or later, they would then begin their mission to the Bareback Sand Valley, without the bothersome encounter with the monkeys.
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