Chương 41: The Mage’s Most Terrifying Nemesis

The bounty for just the three Hobgoblins and the White-haired Goblin had already reached a considerable thirty-one Gold Coins. Then there were the dozen or so ordinary Goblins. And on top of that, the Adventurer's Association was offering an additional twenty Gold Coins as a bonus reward. It was genuinely difficult not to be tempted by such a payout... Besides, after killing this many monsters, Zelier should be able to smoothly advance from Level 5 to Level 6. He would be one step closer to becoming a Novice Mage.

"Alright. Let's first see if we can find some suitable teammates." Zelier finally agreed. Not long after, Vaelis and Grey also arrived at the Association. After reading through the quest notice, Grey let out a regretful sigh.

"Whoa... the Roderick Squad. I knew those guys. We even drank together before. Never thought this would happen..." Grey shook his head.

"If I remember correctly, their squad only had four members too, right?"

"They probably underestimated the Goblins," Vaelis said, shaking his head.

"Those creatures are far more cunning than people give them credit for." Zelier scanned the crowd and began looking for potential teammates. However, after looking around for a while, he couldn't find many that caught his interest. Most were ordinary adventurers who didn't look particularly reliable. As for their ranks, there was no need to ask—most of them were Low-tier. After all, this was only a town branch of the Adventurer's Association.

There weren't any massive monster territories or ancient ruins nearby, so naturally, there weren't many powerful adventurers gathered here. Then, Zelier suddenly spotted a particularly noticeable figure among the crowd— The half-orc Gark. As usual, he carried a massive broadaxe on his back, and his towering, muscular frame made him stand out from everyone around him.

"Hey! Gark!" Zelier waved toward him, catching his attention.

"Over here!" Hearing someone call his name, Gark turned his head expressionlessly. But when he realized it was Zelier, his expression softened slightly.

"Hey, Zelier." Gark easily pushed through the crowd and walked over.

"What's up?"

"Interested in forming a party together?" Zelier tilted his head toward the quest notice. Gark carefully read the details. After a moment of thought, he narrowed his eyes and spoke in his deep, rumbling voice.

"I suppose I could. But how many people are currently in your party?" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Four. You'll make five." Zelier briefly introduced the team.

"Our leader is Marcus, a Low-tier Warrior who handles the vanguard position. Then there's Grey, another Low-tier Warrior and swordsman. And finally, Vaelis, a Mid-tier Ranger." The others politely nodded toward Gark.

"A mage... and a Mid-tier Ranger..." Gark rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Sounds pretty solid. I'm in."

"Big guy, what's your class?" Marcus asked. Marcus was already over 1. 9 meters tall, yet standing beside Gark, he still looked somewhat smaller.

"Isn't it obvious? I'd guess he's a mage," Grey joked.

"I'm Gark. I'm a Warrior." Gark grinned, revealing his sharp teeth.

"A Low-tier Warrior, but I've already learned how to use a little Aura. This time we're dealing with three Hobgoblins. Holding the frontline will be difficult. Marcus, you won't be able to handle them alone. I can help you."

"Welcome aboard." Marcus patted Gark's arm. He was quite satisfied with Gark's addition. Originally, Marcus had also wanted to find another reliable Warrior to reinforce the frontline. Relying solely on himself with his shield was simply unrealistic. Half-orcs possessed natural advantages when it came to physical strength. And orc-blooded warriors were famous for their ferocity.

Once a battle began, they rarely retreated, meaning Marcus wouldn't have to worry about Gark abandoning the party if things turned dangerous.

"That makes five people..." Zelier counted on his fingers.

"But for safety's sake, shouldn't we find one more? Maybe another Warrior or Ranger?"

"Not considering an Assassin?" A lazy, slightly teasing voice suddenly sounded beside them. Everyone turned toward the source. The speaker was a woman. She was tall and slender, her upper body completely concealed beneath a short hooded cloak, while her lower half revealed a pair of long legs wrapped tightly in fitted leather. When she lowered her hood, her face was revealed. Fair skin, delicate features, defined lips, and the faintest upward curve at the corners of her mouth.

She looked like a cat— Elegant, lazy, and quietly dangerous.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cyr. I'm a Mid-tier Assassin." She smiled.

"I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but if you're looking for another teammate, perhaps you could consider me?" Cyr. A short, sharp name that matched her perfectly. Simple, clean, and straight as a dagger's edge. Perhaps noticing Zelier's gaze, Cyr tilted her head slightly. Their eyes met.

"Hello, Zelier." Cyr smiled softly.

"How do you know my name...?"

"Because I've been watching you for quite some time." The curve of Cyr's lips became even more amused. For some reason, Zelier suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. After living in this world for so long, he had heard quite a few rumors about various professions. Assassins— The Mage's most terrifying nemesis. This profession rarely appeared in the Adventurer's Association because compared to fighting monsters, they preferred missions where the target was another person.

If combat could be divided into PvE and PvP, then Assassins were players who specialized entirely in PvP. Every technique they honed was designed not so much for hunting monsters, but for killing people. Even their Aura reflected that purpose. Assassin Aura often possessed unique effects such as Presence Concealment, Rapid Movement, and Stealth. Silent. Swift. Deadly. Just like Cyr, who had listened to their entire conversation without anyone noticing her presence.

At the height of the Assassin profession's influence, they even established their own Assassin Guild. Within that organization, countless assassination contracts hidden from the public eye were openly displayed, waiting for suitable individuals to complete them. However, aside from extremely high-value targets, the people Assassins most commonly hunted were naturally— Mages. Rich, fragile, and poorly suited for close combat.

A single hidden strike followed by a critical hit was often enough to end a Mage's life before they could even cast a spell. No matter how powerful their magic was, they had almost no way to defend against such attacks. But this blatant professional counter to Mages immediately attracted the attention of the Mage Guild. On the surface, compared to the Assassin Guild, the Mage Guild was an absolute giant. The Mage Guild spanned multiple kingdoms and possessed countless resources and treasures.

Killing their members so openly was practically a declaration of war. Naturally, the Mage Guild responded with severe suppression. The various kingdoms quickly followed suit and introduced laws restricting Assassin activities. The Assassin Guild soon vanished from public view, forced underground. Although its structure remained intact, its influence was nowhere near what it once was.

"You want to... join our party?" Marcus asked hesitantly.

"Ah, well, the Guild hasn't had many new contracts lately, so I came out to pick up some side work." Cyr waved her hand casually.

"Don't worry. I'm very professional. I definitely won't become a burden to your team."