Chapter 188 Chapter 187-Saphir's Quest, AGHHO Reappears (2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
John didn't hesitate to grasp the items from the tray.
Almost at the same moment, a system notification rang in his mind:
[System Notification: You have claimed the mercenary quest reward…]
John looked down, his eyes fixed on the items.
Under the Eye of Artemis, the attributes of the items were instantly revealed:
[Imperial Capital Savings Card: Unranked, issued by the Northern Myst Empire's Capital Bank, usable for storing Godslayer Continent's universal currency with no maximum limit... Current balance: 400,000 gold coins.]
John contentedly slipped the black Savings Card into his backpack.
400,000 gold coins was a substantial sum.
Considering the current exchange rate between gold coins and real-world currency, this Savings Card was worth a staggering 16 million U.S. dollars...
Though John's card already had an amount reaching into the nine figures, who ever complained about having too much money?
Moreover, in the world of Godslayer, gold coins often came in even handier.
After putting away the Savings Card, John's attention shifted to the energy gem.
When accepting this mercenary quest, he had noticed that there was a legendary item among the rewards.
But he never imagined that the legendary item would turn out to be an energy gem.
It was well known that on the Godslayer Continent, energy gems were among the most valuable items.
After all, most items had a limited number of uses, but not energy gems.
Once set, one could permanently benefit from the energy gem's effects.
[Dark Blue Mana Stone (legendary item): Rumor has it that in the central mountain range of Godslayer Continent, there lies a Dark Blue Well, the source of mana for all mages. Anyone who can drink from the Dark Blue Well can become the most powerful Archmage... Around the Dark Blue Well, some stones have been soaked in its water for countless years, completely transforming into magic-infused energy gems known as Dark Blue Mana Stones…]
[Enhancement Attributes: +500 mana, +30% magic damage, +50% affinity with magical elements, +15% mana recovery speed...]
John slightly raised his eyebrows.
This thing actually came from around the Dark Blue Well?
No wonder his divine sense detected that the energy gem contained such immense magical energy...
Stowing the Dark Blue Mana Stone in his backpack as well, John looked at the last reward item, the most precious among them:
[Cloud Sea Ore (Five Portions): A specialty from the Cloud Sea, a unique mineral with special abilities, can increase the success rate of weapon embedding by 20%, regardless of the grade of the energy gem...]
[Usage: Simply add it during the embedding process.]
[Note: Only one portion of Cloud Sea Ore can be used during each embedding, and the effects do not stack...]
A very concise introduction, yet it made John's eyes gleam.
At this point, only such high-grade items with special attributes could catch his fancy...
Suddenly, Saphir beside him spoke up, "Young man, please hand over your mercenary emblem..."
John looked at Saphir in surprise but, seeing his calm expression, he removed the Silver Mercenary Emblem from his equipment and handed it over.
Saphir took the Silver Emblem, and suddenly flipped his palm over.
A scorching flame enveloped the one-star Silver Emblem, completely consuming it.
Moments later, the flame dispersed, leaving the Silver Emblem reduced to ashes.
Before John could ask, Saphir directly opened a desk drawer.
He took out a gleaming golden badge and handed it to John.
"According to the rules of the Mercenary Guild, anyone who can complete the highest difficulty quest on their own can be directly promoted to a golden mercenary..."
John understood at once and accepted the golden mercenary emblem:
[Golden Mercenary Emblem: A badge symbolizing the player's mercenary status, initial level of one star, can reach up to 10 stars, after which it will automatically convert to a legendary mercenary emblem.]
[Attributes: All attributes +10]
John re-equipped the emblem, flashed Saphir a satisfied smile, and then turned to leave.
"Young man, wait a moment..."
Before John could leave the office, Saphir's voice sounded again.
John turned around, surprised.
He saw Saphir standing in place, his expression wavering and uncertain.
After a long while, the Grand Archmage spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, "Young man, can I have a word with you?"
John raised an eyebrow and replied coolly, "Mr. Saphir, speak your mind."
Saphir took a separately kept contract scroll from his pocket and spread it out on the desk, "I have a rather special quest I'd like to entrust to you, would you be interested?"
[System Notification: You have triggered a hidden quest "Grand Archmage's Quest," the system judges this quest to be the highest difficulty mercenary quest, please consider whether to accept...]
John's face showed a hint of surprise at the system's notification.
He looked at Saphir's conflicted expression and after a moment's consideration, said calmly, "If Saphir doesn't mind, could you please tell me the specific details of the quest?"
Saphir sighed softly, his eyes suddenly filled with endless sadness.
His voice tinged with reminiscence, he slowly began, "Young man... do you understand the feeling of witnessing a loved one die before your very eyes, powerless to avenge them?"
"I once had a very happy family. My wife was a Water Grand Archmage, and we studied together at the magic academy, fell in love, and eventually married..."
"Fenny was always the most beautiful girl in my heart. She gave birth to a very lovely child for me. The child inherited both mine and Fenny's magical talents, showing brilliance from a young age. Had it not been for a tragedy, he surely would have become an even greater Archmage than myself..."
"But all my beautiful dreams shattered silently one night ten years ago..."
Saphir's eyes suddenly turned blood-red, his expression twisted, his words filled with heart-wrenching rage: "My path of magical cultivation, marred by my brashness, made countless enemies. Unable to defeat me head-on, they conspired together, employing some shameless cowards who hid in the shadows..."
"I will never forget that night... my Fenny, my beloved child... their lives ended that evening..."
"Those damned beasts, those despicable rats, killed my dear wife and child with daggers imbued with anti-magic properties right before my eyes..."
"Before I could react, they silently slipped away into the shadows, leaving no trace..."
"To avenge Fenny and my child, I killed all those responsible... Haha, in a face-to-face confrontation, even if they ganged up, they were no match for me..."
"But I could never find any trace of the murderers who had committed the crime before my eyes... I hate them, yet despite my fury and desire for revenge, I couldn't even find out where those rats were hiding..."
John had been quietly listening all this time without uttering a word.
He could feel just how much sorrow was buried within the heart of the robust Grand Archmage standing before him...
Saphir took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his pain.
With his eyes half-closed, he could not conceal the hatred within them.
"I'm sorry to bring up your painful past, Master Saphir, but may I know what you would like to entrust me with?" John thought for a moment, then asked softly.
Saphir let out a grim laugh and said quietly, "I just want to know where those damned rats are hiding now? I want to slaughter them with my own hands, let them wail eternally in flames. Only then can I pay homage to my Fenny and my child."
"I originally wanted to entrust this quest to some old mercenary friends, but as soon as they found out who the enemies were, they all unanimously chose to refuse... I understand their decision. It's a terror organization so vast that it induces despair, and even the most formidable mercenaries dare not provoke such an entity..."
"But I remain relentless, unable to locate those scoundrels with my own power alone. I wonder if you would be willing to help me?"
John spoke calmly, "From Mr. Saphir's tone, it seems you know the identity of those murderers?"
Saphir nodded heavily, his voice laden with an intense bitterness, "Indeed, those damned killers all hail from the same ancient organization known as AGHHO!"
John's eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a cold, knowing smile.
Could it truly be fate?
To hear the name of this organization once again...
Saphir, in his excessive grief and rage, failed to notice the change in John's expression.
He continued to speak, absorbed in his own narrative, "AGHHO is the most secretive assassin organization in the Godslayer Continent. Every member inside uses a number as their name. The murderers who harmed my wife and child hold high positions within, their codes being 54, 56, and 63..."
Saphir had not yet finished speaking when he heard John's nonchalant voice.
"Your quest, I accept."
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l.com