Chapter 166 Chapter 165-Dissuasion and Testing (2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
Within the spacious Mercenary Hall, a silence fell. John's last statement echoed in the vast room.
All the players present were stunned, looking at John in disbelief, their eyes filled with astonishment.
And it wasn't just the players - the employees of the Mercenary Hall also turned their heads towards John, their faces mimicking expressions of having seen a ghost.
Saphir stayed silent for a long while, then finally burst into hearty laughter, so much so that tears were about to flow from his eyes.
He stared at John with an incredibly sarcastic look, not uttering a word for a long time.
Initially, Saphir thought that his dismissive attitude would make this audacious lad back off.
Yet, as he stared at John, who stared right back, the young man's eyes remained calm and tranquil, devoid of any disturbance.
Saphir dropped his laughing face, sneered cryptically, "Young man, I must say, your courage is commendable. But have you understood what the glaring, blood-red indication on the first four quests represent?"
"It signifies extreme danger, it signifies the possibility of death at any moment. I know you newbies, popping out from God knows where, have the unique ability to respawn, but I assume that such a resurrection isn't without its costs, right?"
"I don't know if you're proposing to take this quest just to show off, or if you truly overestimate yourself, believing you can miraculously complete it. But I would advise you to take back your words and not to do something as foolish as attempting the impossible."
John listened quietly to everything Saphir had to say, then responded indifferently, "Done talking? Can you proceed with the quest application now?"
Saphir's expression froze, the words he had at the tip of his tongue stuck in his throat.
His curious eyes scanned John from top to bottom.
Saphir genuinely didn't know where the young man in front of him got his courage from...
Seeing that Saphir hadn't responded for quite a while, John was getting impatient.
With a frown, he spoke coldly, "What are you hesitating about? Do you enjoy standing here like a fool?"
Saphir snorted lightly. Since this young man didn't heed the advice and was bent on courting death, what more could he say? You can't convince a suicidal man...
After a pause, Saphir said in a heavy voice, "I can handle the quest registration for you, but I'm really curious. Why did you choose the fourth quest?"
John gave a nonchalant response, "Because the fourth quest has no level requirement for mercenaries, and I'm just a one-star Silver Mercenary. I can't take the other three quests..."
Saphir's eyes bulged with anger, nearly popping out of their sockets. In disbelief, he continued to ask, "So, you chose the fourth quest simply because your mercenary level isn't enough for the first three?"
John nodded naturally, looking a bit strangely at the burly Grand Archmage in front of him, "What else could it be?"
Under John's peculiar gaze, Saphir felt a bit uncomfortable.
He sensed some meaning behind this look and pondered over it for a while. Isn't this the look you give to a fool?
Saphir was immediately infuriated.
Angrily, he waved his hand to the side.
Magic surged in an instant, and a rustic parchment suddenly appeared in his hand.
"That's how you undertake a quest. You just need to press your hand on this parchment. The quest has a time limit of three days. If it's not completed within that timeframe, the quest will automatically be deemed a failure,"
Saphir tossed the parchment to John, fuming, "For these three days, no one else can undertake this quest. I can't wait to see how you plan on completing a quest of this highest level of difficulty."
John nonchalantly pressed his hand onto the parchment, an odd ripple descended from the void onto him.
Contract established.
Quest accepted.
John gave a satisfied nod and was about to leave when Saphir abruptly called after him, "Wait a minute…"
John reluctantly stopped, wondering, "What else is there?"
Saphir suddenly sighed, sounding somewhat gentler, "Young man, I appreciate your fearless courage. However, I feel obliged to tell you that quests with these red marks are nearly impossible to complete."
"Even the seasoned top-tier mercenaries need to be extremely cautious when undertaking such quests. Often, they need to collaborate with mercenaries of their own caliber or execute the quest as a Mercenary Guild. Still, they frequently fall at the hands of their quest targets."
"Do you have any idea about the terrifying existence you're going to face? A level 200+ lord-level monster, a presence that even I can't look down upon. As for a youngster like you, it's just like adding another dish to the monster's table…"
"So, it's not too late to turn back now. Although the quest contract is established, I can pull some strings here and help you cancel it…"
As Saphir tried to dissuade him earnestly, a faint smile appeared on John's face.
He suddenly found that this gruff-looking Fire Grand Archmage was not as irritating as he first seemed.
At least, the guy had a good heart.
Saphir had been persuading John for a while now, but John merely shook his head slowly, firmly rejecting his good intentions.
This immediately got Saphir annoyed.
Since it had come to this, there was no need for him to hold back.
Saphir's robe fluttered even without any wind, an abyss-like majestic aura suddenly erupted from within him without any warning.
A gust of wild wind blew through the Mercenary Hall, making a whistling sound.
The overwhelming aura pinned all the players firmly to the ground, leaving them unable to even lift their heads.
Even the well-leveled staff members lowered their heads, shivering in fear.
The glasses on the table shattered with a bang, and the parchment papers flew all over the place.
Saphir's cold voice echoed in the wind, "Since you're so stubborn, let me see if you really have the strength that matches your courage. If you can't even withstand my pressure, even if you go to the Bone Cave, it would be a suicide mission…"
John stood there with his hands behind his back, letting the wind sweep over him.
Saphir's aura was completely locked onto John, and all the pressure was applied solely to him.
Otherwise, the mere leak of his aura would have been enough to send all the players in the hall back to the respawn pool.
After all, the level gap was just too great...
After a moment, Saphir retracted his aura.
When he lifted his head to look at John, he was petrified on the spot, unable to move for a long time.
That's because John was unharmed and even had the leisure to fix the white beginner's clothes that had been messed up by the wind.
"You..." Saphir's eyes widened in disbelief, "You actually withstood my pressure. That's impossible. All you unknown class players that have emerged from unknown areas usually have very low levels. You couldn't possibly withstand my aura…"
John tilted his head, not bothering to explain Saphir's doubts.
He simply asked in a low voice, "Is there anything else? I only have three days, so please stop wasting my time..."
Saphir took a long look at John, speaking in a solemn tone, "Although I have no idea how you managed, you're definitely not like these other useless individuals. Go on, maybe you truly can perform miracles..."
At this moment, some of the players finally recognized John's identity.
One of them exclaimed, "Wait a minute, isn't this the mysterious Galewind from the video?"
At this revelation, the Mercenary Hall immediately erupted with buzz.
"What? He's the mysterious Galewind?"
"He's really the guy who can withstand system punishments, no wonder his actions are out of ordinary."
"Right, should've known it was Galewind. No one else would dare to take on such a high-difficulty quest..."
"Idol, can I have your autograph? I'm your most devoted fan!"
"How did Galewind become so powerful? Can he share his secret with us?"
"Don't dream. Do you really think everyone can be as badass as Galewind?"
"Exactly, even if he told you his secret, you might not be able to pull it off!"
...
Players crawled off the ground, their eyes glued to John.
They wished they could swarm around John and dissect him...
Even for John, the burning stares of so many people were a bit overwhelming for a moment.
He turned around and quickly headed for the exit of the Mercenary Hall.
Some players were even curious enough to chase after him.
However, their movement speed compared to John's was like night and day.
After John left, he quickly disappeared into the streets, leaving a group of frustrated players who didn't get a chance to speak with him.
Back in the empty Mercenary Hall, Saphir remained silent for a moment, then chuckled to himself, "What an interesting young man, seems like he's quite well-known in their world... I hope you really can complete this top-tier quest... If you return safely, perhaps you could become the next legend in the mercenary world..."
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