Chapter 189 Chapter 188-A Pleasant Cooperation (1st update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
John's firm response left Saphir momentarily speechless.
He gazed deeply at John, his voice somber, "Young man, have you really thought this through? The enemies you face in this quest are of a strength you can't even begin to imagine..."
"AGHHO has existed on this continent for over ten thousand years, committing heinous acts and stirring up chaos. Practically every assassination event that has had a far-reaching impact in this world bears their shadow... Such a colossal entity is not something you can provoke and easily shake off..."
John smiled faintly, his expression serene, "I'm not entirely unaware of the issues you've mentioned... I'm just very curious as to why you chose to entrust this quest to me."
Saphir gave a helpless, bitter smile and sighed, "I had no choice. I've sought out many others, but the answer has been unanimously the same: an outright refusal..."
"AGHHO is simply too powerful. They're not just an ancient alliance of assassins. In over ten thousand years of development, they have formed countless connections with many of the great powers on this continent... That naturally includes the higher-ups in our Northern Myst Empire..."
"Even though I yearn for revenge, I only dare search for the whereabouts of the few who murdered my wife and child. As for AGHHO's highest-ranking master assassins and elders, I don't dare provoke them in the slightest..."
"I had planned to post this quest privately in the Mercenary Guild, and I even drafted the quest contract scroll, but in the end, I chose to abandon it..."
"Doing so would only bring disaster to those mercenaries looking to strike it big with a high-profile quest, and it would also expose me to AGHHO's watchful eyes. While I fear them not in a face-to-face confrontation, those assassins would only lurk in the shadows, ready to stab me in the back..."
"You are my best option because you come from a mysterious, unknown land and have no ties to any major powers in our world, yet your strength is sufficiently formidable..."
John nodded in understanding and then extended his hand, "Hand me the scroll. Once the contract is signed, our cooperation will be sealed."
Seeing John still steadfastly accepting this quest, Saphir's resolve wavered somewhat.
He was uncertain if inviting John to take on this commission was truly the right thing to do.
Deep down, Saphir didn't want this young man in front of him to risk danger for his personal vendetta.
Though their acquaintance had been brief, Saphir's impression of John was quite profound.
In John, he saw a maturity and steadiness uncommon for his age, coupled with the youthful exuberance and arrogance unique to young people.
Such a young man was indeed a rare talent, and Saphir had always enjoyed nurturing the younger generation.
"What's the hesitation? Do you doubt my ability to complete this quest?" John arched an eyebrow, a teasing look in his eye, staring at the contract scroll that Saphir still held in his hand.
Saphir shook his head outright, his voice serious, "I still hope you will consider this carefully. Though my heart aches for someone to fulfill my quest, if it places you in danger, I cannot, under any circumstances, accept it... Do you really understand what you're up against with AGHHO?"
John's mouth curved into a faint, cold smile, "AGHHO... I'm more than familiar with them. To be frank, I've just faced an onslaught from AGHHO's assassins a few days ago..."
Saphir was taken aback, his face filled with astonishment, "What? You were attacked by those damn rats too? But that doesn't make sense. They usually don't target ordinary people, and their operations are always highly purpose-driven. How did you provoke them?"
John slowly shook his head, a glint of ice in his eyes, "Who knows? Perhaps someone hired them to assassinate me..."
Saphir rubbed his hands together, his face eager, "How did it end?"
John answered nonchalantly, "How else could it have ended? The fact that I'm standing here safe and sound says it all..."
"You mean you retaliated and killed those AGHHO assassins targeting you?"
John nodded slightly, his voice calm, "Yes, not one escaped..."
Saphir's face instantly lit up with excitement.
He stared fixedly at John, his eyes filled with disbelief, "My God... that you could accomplish this... is truly beyond my belief..."
"Those AGHHO assassins who tried to kill you, what was their strength? They weren't just low-level members, were they?"
John flashed a slight smile, revealing his white teeth, "If I remember correctly, the six of them mentioned their code numbers before they died, all of which were within the top 100..."
Saphir was utterly stunned, rendered speechless by the revelation.
All of them were senior members ranked within the top 100. And in John's words, he caught a piece of critical information.
Six AGHHO assassins had targeted John for assassination.
How terrifying was that number?
To think that 10 years ago, only three AGHHO assassins had killed his wife and child...
The number had literally doubled, and John had effortlessly retaliated, killing them all.
"I finally understand why you dared to take on this quest without hesitation..." Saphir sighed, his voice tinged with satisfaction.
After a full decade of torment, he finally saw hope for revenge today.
The very thought of having a chance to honor the souls of his deceased wife and child with the blood of their murderers filled Saphir's heart with excitement.
John extended his hand again, pointing to the contract scroll in Saphir's hand, and asked with a light laugh, "Can you hand over the contract scroll now?"
Saphir nodded eagerly, handing over the contract scroll to John without any hesitation.
John carefully unrolled the scroll, and there was only one simple quest commission message on it.
He looked up, somewhat puzzled, "What about the quest reward? You, a Grand Archmage with considerable wealth, surely wouldn't expect me to work for you for free, would you?"
Saphir burst into hearty laughter, his voice filled with gratification, "Of course not. If you can help me find those damned rats, you can choose any three items from my many years of cherished collection... Trust me, the reward for this quest will not disappoint you..."
John nodded nonchalantly, not doubting Saphir's words at all.
A big shot of Grand Archmage level wouldn't stoop to deception, especially with the binding of a contract...
John thought for a moment and said calmly, "One last question... What about quest hints? You surely wouldn't expect me to search for those assassin traces without any direction, would you?"
Saphir spread his hands, taking out a broken dagger from his personal space.
"This is the weapon that was shattered by my full-strength attack when one of the assassins escaped from me. Over the years, I've used sealing techniques to preserve all the scents on it... and I specially had an old friend of the rogue class cast a tracking spell on it. As long as the owner of this dagger is within a certain range, the tracking spell will react..."
His eyes fixed on the broken blade, Saphir's expression was one of icy determination.
John took the broken dagger, shaking his head helplessly, "Even with this item, tracking them down will be like finding a needle in a haystack..."
Saphir's face twisted into a bitter smile, "There's no choice. Those AGHHO assassins have always been elusive. Ordinary people can't find a trace of them, so this broken dagger is the only valuable clue we have..."
John's mouth twitched, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, "That's okay; I have a better idea..."
Saphir instantly looked puzzled, curiously asking, "Oh? What's that?"
John said nonchalantly, "If I can find just one AGHHO assassin, I'm sure a friendly conversation will encourage him not to be stingy about revealing the whereabouts of the others..."
Saphir was rendered speechless.
He didn't know whether John's assertion was right or wrong.
It sounded reasonable, but the difficulty of finding an AGHHO assassin among the masses?
He had been searching for a full decade without finding a single one.
However, John didn't see it that way.
After killing six senior members of AGHHO last time, he was very clear that the organization would not let it go.
He was bound to cross paths with AGHHO again...
Stowing the broken dagger into his backpack, John did not hesitate to sign his name on the contract scroll.
An inexplicable ripple of energy descended from the void, settling over John and Saphir's heads.
This was the power of ORDER marking the completion of the contract.
To forcibly break the contract would result in punishment from ORDER...
This punishment was not the same as system ORDER penalties but would act directly on the soul level. In short, without the strength to overturn ORDER, no one would dare casually break a signed contract...
Saphir, his face aglow with excitement that he could not hide, reached out his hand, "Pleasure doing business with you!"
John also smiled, reaching out his hand, and the two palms clasped tightly together, "Pleasure doing business..."
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