Chương 42: A Formidable Lineup

"Zelier, what do you think?" Marcus looked at him for his opinion. Adding an assassin to the team would greatly improve their overall versatility. Scouting, traps, poisons, harassment—an assassin could cover countless roles. And this wasn't just any assassin. Cyr was a Mid-tier Assassin who had mastered Aura. When the opportunity presented itself, she possessed the ability to deliver a lethal finishing blow and eliminate key targets instantly. But regardless, Marcus still wanted Zelier's approval.

"Hmm… I guess it's fine." Zelier thought for a moment before agreeing.

"That sounded pretty reluctant." Cyr rested her chin on one hand, looking amused.

"You don't want me?"

"I do. Welcome to the team." Zelier was the first to extend his hand.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do." Cyr shook his hand lightly and smiled.

"Not many mages are willing to come to the Adventurer's Association and take on missions these days. And you've already taken down quite a few monsters yourself. The Mistwraith, the Giant Slime, and the Giant Winged Bat…" She let out a soft laugh.

"Interesting." Zelier's body stiffened. You're an assassin. Why are you gathering so much information about a mage?! I don't even carry that much money! There's nothing worth stealing from me! If you want to kill someone, go after those old monsters in the Mage Guild! Zelier screamed internally.

"Then our party will have six members." Marcus looked over everyone. Three Low-tier Warriors. One Mid-tier Ranger. One Mid-tier Assassin. And one absurdly talented Apprentice Mage. This was by far the strongest lineup he had ever assembled during his adventurer career.

"We should have enough people now, right? Six should be plenty." Vaelis said.

"Yeah, I think so." Zelier nodded. Marcus and Gark would hold the frontline. Grey would provide support. Vaelis and Zelier would serve as the primary damage dealers. As for Cyr… He would just treat her as a free agent. After all, assassins were usually the most independent members of any party. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. With the lineup decided, Marcus led everyone to the reception desk to register the mission.

"Aila, we'd like to accept the revenge commission."

"Alright. May I have the names of your party members?" Aila began writing down the information.

"Wait!" A rough voice suddenly boomed through the hall, making everyone's ears ring. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a short beard pushed through the crowd and stepped directly in front of the counter. Five other adventurers followed behind him, all wearing arrogant expressions.

"We're taking this mission." The bearded man slammed his hand onto the desk, completely ignoring Marcus.

"Register us now."

"Huh?" Aila looked troubled.

"I'm afraid that might be difficult, Mr. Drake… Another party arrived first."

"Tch." The man called Drake let out a mocking laugh. His eyes swept across Marcus' group, his contempt obvious.

"Them?" He sneered.

"They should stay away if they know what's good for them. Are they trying to get themselves killed?" The members behind Drake immediately laughed as well. They didn't bother hiding their disdain.

"If you don't know how to talk, then keep your mouth shut." Marcus' voice turned cold.

"Move aside. We're taking this mission."

"Who do you think you're ordering around?" Drake stepped forward.

"You deaf?" Grey immediately fired back.

"A mere Low-tier Warrior acting so arrogant." Drake shoved forward, his expression hostile.

"You looking for trouble?"

"Trying to start something?" Gark immediately stepped between them. The sheer size of the half-orc forced Drake to stop. Behind Drake, two warriors pulled their swords slightly from their sheaths and stepped forward. Grey refused to back down and moved beside Marcus. The atmosphere instantly became tense. Cyr simply watched from the side with interest. She didn't say a word. But at some point, a small dagger had appeared in her hand, its sharp silver edge spinning effortlessly between her fingers.

"Everyone, please refrain from causing trouble inside the Association." Aila looked nervous as she bowed to both sides.

"Please wait. I'll have the Association's supervisor handle this." With that, she hurried into the back room. The surrounding adventurers all looked eager to watch the show.

"Who's this idiot?" Zelier quietly asked Vaelis.

"Drake. Mid-tier Warrior. A frontline fighter." Vaelis recognized them.

"They're always acting like this in the Adventurer's Association."

"Besides him, their party has two more Mid-tier Warriors. Both are swordsmen." A party with three Mid-tier combatants… Zelier narrowed his eyes slightly. They did have some strength behind them. No wonder they acted so arrogantly. Though he did wonder… Could a Mid-tier Warrior reinforced with Aura survive one of my Arcane Missiles? Not long after, Aila returned to the front desk. Following behind her was a tall man. His black hair was streaked with gray, showing that he had passed his physical prime.

Yet his chiseled features and imposing presence still carried undeniable authority. The person in charge of the Blackstone Town branch. Hogan.

"Lord Hogan, these two parties are trying to accept the same mission," Aila respectfully reported. Hogan swept his gaze across the room. Both Drake and Marcus' groups immediately separated. Even arrogant adventurers knew when to restrain themselves in front of him. In his youth, Hogan had been an Upper-tier Warrior and a Gold-ranked Adventurer. His reputation was immense. After retiring from active adventuring, he became the branch head of the Blackstone Town Adventurer's Association.

"President Hogan, our party has three Mid-tier professionals, all warriors. Our strength is definitely superior to Marcus' group!" Drake stepped forward confidently.

"We will absolutely complete this goblin extermination mission!"

"President Hogan, our party also has two Mid-tier professionals. One is an assassin, the other is a ranger. We also have a mage, so we have a strong chance of completing the mission." Marcus calmly stated their side. Hogan looked over both parties. After a moment of silence, he pointed toward Marcus.

"Marcus. This mission belongs to your party."

"Thank you for your trust, President." Marcus placed one hand over his chest respectfully.

"Why?!" Drake immediately became agitated.

"They have one fewer Mid-tier professional than us!"

"President Hogan, that's unfair!"

"The key to this mission isn't the Hobgoblins." Hogan looked at Drake coldly.

"It's the White-haired Goblin."

"If you cannot eliminate the White-haired Goblin quickly, your party will be dragged into a difficult battle. Do you have confidence in dealing with the magic it can cast?" Drake's expression froze.

"You have three Mid-tier professionals, but all of them specialize in direct confrontation."

"That means the Hobgoblins can easily tie you down in close combat. That is your greatest weakness." Drake opened his mouth to argue. But no words came out. Drake's party also consisted of six members. Three Mid-tier Warriors. Two Low-tier Rangers. And one Low-tier Assassin. Just as Hogan said, their greatest weakness was obvious. They lacked a powerful ranged damage dealer.