Haroon v5c12

《Users met at Huk'ran》

“Yikes!”

Megrum noticed the shadow of steel-hard talons that got just above his head while he was dealing with other wyverns, rolling on the ground to avoid it in such a hurry he dropped his sword. The talon of the wyvern was so sharp and hard it dug out a huge pit on the spot he was just standing on. The wyvern glared at him with a murderous stare in its yellow eyes, powerfully flapping its wings to soar up to the sky.

“Fuck this!”

The cursing word that reached his ears woke him up. He looked up and saw Chornn rolling on the ground, defeated just like him. Chorrn was a magician, and he couldn't deal with the wyvern when they simply ignored spells as weak as 3-circle magics.

‘Who could have ever thought a wyvern could be this strong?’ he thought.

Helplessness appeared on the faces of two preys, cornered with a small boulder on their back. Their mind went blank the harder they tried to figure out how to get themselves out of this situation. They just witnessed the top portion of a boulder their talons hit simply snapped out as a chunk. It seemed like there was nothing they could do.

“Is this it?”

“Looks like it.”

They smiled bitterly. They didn’t want to get snatched and eaten alive in the wyvern nests. The only choice they had left was to make one last attack. And they already abandoned the hope that it would kill the wyverns.

“This sucks. I don’t remember signing up to be a toy the wyverns could use to practice hunting.”

It was just like what Chornn said. They were Game Moderators(GM) who were thought to be the most skillful players among the users. These two GMs ran into a family of wyverns that were teaching hunting skills to their grown youngling, and they were now stepping into the death’s door. Wyverns had a base level of 120, and they were tough enemies they couldn’t deal with especially when they hadn't learned to use mana yet. Without mana, they couldn’t cut through their leathers, not even feathers. The unique-class longsword that Megrum had couldn’t cut their talon. Things couldn’t get any more miserable. But hope lit back to their dying eyes. Someone was chanting a spell when they thought it was the end.

“Magic Missile!”

Three bolts of magic missiles were shot at the wyverns. The magic attack from a mysterious helper barely managed to save their lives. The wyvern sensed the threat, quickly flapped its wings to its course, but it got hit as it was still a youngling with inexperienced flying skills. It screamed horribly, and it fell to the ground making a loud noise.

“It hit! It hit!”

Chornn raised his hands and shouted with joy, but Megrum frowned. He saw the wyverns he suspected as parents grabbing their youngling by its wings with their talons. With the help of the adult wyverns, the youngling recovered from the impact, flapping its wings again and soaring up again.

“Magic Missile!”

The spell was chanted again. There were five bolts of missiles this time.

‘That won't do,’ Megrum thought, shaking his head.

The reason youngling wyvern got hit by the missiles was simply the lack of experience. Magic missiles couldn’t damage their firm leather and feather. Even his unique-class sword couldn’t damage them. And they were too far away. The wyverns marked one human each and swooped down at an incredible speed. And they easily avoided magic missiles.

The two rolled on the ground, and the talons barely missed their heads, smashing the boulder behind them. They crawled between the rocks to hide and saw the wyverns swooping down to the magician in a navy-blue robe

“Fire flame!”

A pleasant chant summoned a wave of flame above the head of a good-looking magician who looked like she was in her 20s, and the wave soared up straight to the wyverns. She was standing on a high rock, arrogantly looking at the wyverns.

“NO! GET DOWN!”

Chornn shouted, almost like a scream. Fire Flame was a powerful 4-circle spell, but it was not much when the wyvern was flying at an incredible speed. The wind caused by the speed significantly weakened the spell. He learned that the hard way.

“Ahh!”

Fortunately, the magician heard the warning, so she hurriedly hopped off the rock. Thankfully the wyverns were slowed down as the wyverns had their talon towards her instead of their head, so she managed to avoid the attacks. The top of the rock got shattered into pieces and dust. She fell to the ground and ran towards the space between the rocks the other two were hiding at with the look of defeat. The expression on her face was so different from the smug smile she had, and Megrum almost laughed at that. The magician was sweating hard due to barely surviving that attack. Megrum saw that his sword was not far from him, so he rolled on the ground and grabbed the sword, but he had to take the attack from the wyvern that was looking for a chance. As soon as he grabbed his sword, he felt the flow of air above his head and instinctively wielded it. With the terrible metallic sound, the sword bounced off its talon and the impact threw his body back to the ground, making him roll a few times until the rock hard-stopped him. His right shoulder, the sword-wielding arm, was completely dislocated.

“Watch out!”

He heard Chornn’s shout and saw the other two wyverns coming at him. He saw their hook-like black talons filling his vision. A horrible scene of those talons piercing his body flashed through his head.

“Fireball!”

“Fireball!”

With a quick chant, 10 fireballs flew right at the wyverns. Fortunately, the wyverns avoided the fireballs and soared up to the sky, screaming with anger. But the magicians who came out from the rocks for him had to pay their price. The youngling who kicked away Megrum’s sword was already going for the magicians, with its sharp talon aiming at them.

“DUCK!”

Megrum shouted, but he knew it was too late. Its talons were right above their head. In such a risky moment, Megrum thought he heard a low grunt. Things were happening too quickly; he couldn't tell if he heard it or he imagined it, but he saw a dagger flying at an incredible speed at the youngling that was about to snatch the heads of the magicians. Next moment he saw the surprise in the wyvern’s eyes. The dagger was stuck deep inside its wing and he could only see the handle. The wyvern that got hit screamed in anger and pain and flapped its wings to fly up again, but it swayed sideways due to the wound.

‘How’s that possible?’

He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the dagger stuck at its wing since his sword didn’t even get through its feathers. He couldn’t process what he was seeing quick enough to think about hiding himself. Those two magicians that finally noticed the danger they were in, screamed and rolled on the ground, not fully understanding what was happening.

‘Here it comes again!’

Megrum now lost the sense of reality, and simply stared at the wyverns’ steel-like beaks being thrust at him. Those beaks were solid and sharp, more than his sword. When he saw their sharp sawtooth-like teeth, he shut his eyes before he knew. But then he heard the grunt again. He was sure that he heard it this time. When he opened his eyes, he noticed two daggers shot at two wyverns attacking him. The daggers were shot at the wyverns’ eyes which had their wings folded for acceleration, and the blades of them had a cold-blue glow. The glow on the blade was so sharp it looked like it could get through anything.

Megrum and the other two turned their heads towards the direction the grunting came from. There was someone far away. A man was standing on the bark of a small and old tree about 20 meters away, and he had bright sun glowing to his back like his halo. The man whose face could not be seen because of the bright sunlight had a dagger in each hand, reflecting the sunlight.

The wyverns were threatened, and they quickly changed their course as they screamed with a sharp noise. Those daggers were so fast it left its afterimage. The wyverns had sharp eyes and ears to see their target at an incredible distance, so they must have realized how threatening those were. The youngling that had a dagger stuck in its wing glared at the man, flying unstably but directly at him.

“You dare!”

The man’s arms moved like they were dozens.

‘How is he doing that? His moves make him look like he’s got dozens of arms…….’

As the mysterious man wielded his arms, dozens of daggers and throwing weapons were thrown at the wyvern youngling. Every piece was thrown in a different direction and angle. The image of a man throwing dozens of hidden weapons left a permanent image in his head with the halo. The wyvern youngling was startled, and it flipped its wings to escape only to fail for its damaged wing. The next thing Megrum heard was the sound of blades penetrating the wings and the wyvern making a horrible scream. The wyvern that was once a threat now powerlessly fell to the ground.

‘I can’t believe this!’ Megrum rubbed his eyes before he knew. That wyvern was something he and his colleague couldn’t deal with when they were over level 80. The spells weren’t very effective, their attack speed was faster than the way he could wield his sword, and their leathers were so tough ordinary swords couldn’t leave a scratch. But now it was taken down to the ground, flapping its wings powerlessly like a chick; this was surreal.

‘So he’s an Expert that can use mana?’

Megrum found it hard to accept that he met an Expert-level warrior at such a remote place. The other two wyverns realized their youngling was in danger, screeched, and made a sheer drop. The three looked up at the sky, startled by the sound of the wyverns cutting through the air, and almost fell to their knees when they noticed the wyverns. And thankfully they didn’t have to go through such humiliation. They heard a sequence of small noises cutting through the air. The three moved their eyes from the wyvern to the space between the man and the wyvern. The scene unfolding before their eyes were simply not possible. Dozens of hidden weapons fiercely soaring up to the sky from the ground towards the wyverns that were striking down from the sky looked like a huge bird with its wings spread out. The blades had a livid glow on them. Such a fantastic image held their breaths. They were witnessing alive wyverns striking down from the sky, and a huge bird made out of hidden knives soaring up from the ground to face the wyverns.

Two wyverns, full of experiences and amazing senses as much as they have lived, sensed the critical power the blades possess. They spread out their wings and changed their course to rocket back up to the sky.

‘Oh my god!’ Megrum gasped.

The knives were soaring up as if the gravity was reversed up to the point they couldn’t even spot the blades. This was simply beyond their understanding. They could not accept what they were seeing with their own eyes; lightweight daggers and throwing knives thrown against the gravity reaching such a height. They never knew that a wyvern, though it may be a youngling, could be harassed so easily with throwing knives - wyverns were one of the top-tier level 120+ monsters according to the Monster Manual. Two huge wyverns were flapping their wings, threatening the man with a growl as if they would come down to the ground at any moment, but they were staying in the air, presumably fearing the throwing knives the man had.

The man hopped down from the tree, making a soft and light landing like a wind. His thin, lustrous, and darkish beard and long bangs made it impossible for them to estimate his age; he had his hair loosely tied. He was wearing hard leather armor, two bags crossed at his back, a sword on his side, and daggers and throwing knives between his fingers. Now that the three men were out of the danger of the wyverns, they stood up and shook the dirt from their clothes.

“You bastard! Serves you right.”

Chornn approached the struggling wyvern with eyes burning with anger, probably because being threatened by the wyverns hurt his feelings. It looked like he was going to take it out on it.

The man slowly walked towards the three. “Step back!” he suddenly shouted.

The wyvern struggling on the ground with its wings damaged with dozens of throwing knives suddenly glared at Chornn with vicious eyes, powerfully flapping its wings to pounce on him.

“Gaaaah!”

Chornn’s jaw dropped and his face went pale. Its steel hook talons spread out to snatch off the head of Chornn who let his guard down. Startled, Megrum instinctively dashed at him to knock him and himself to the ground. The talon hit the ground and made a deep hole. Thankfully it was next to where Megrum and Chornn were lying on. At least they avoided the first attack, but they weren’t out of trouble yet. The youngling opened its beak, revealing its saw-like teeth, and glared at them with murderous eyes; it was as if it was never injured. They instinctively looked around but the mysterious man was about 20 footsteps away, and the other magician was frozen on where she was, stupefied from what just happened.

“Tha!”

They heard a grunt and saw a throwing knife thrown aimed at the head of the wyvern. It was so fast their eyes lost track of it only to notice the afterimage left in the air. The youngling sensed the threat and quickly sank its head as it folded its wings. The throwing knife the man threw missed its head by a thin thread, only to graze the air its head was a moment ago. The youngling trembled in fear. Wyverns were divine spiritual creatures that could sense that the knife he just threw was imbued with mana. The fear only lasted for a moment, though. It looked back at the three with threatening eyes.

- “Lifey!”

The mysterious man, Haroon, summoned Lifey by calling its name in his mind. The time it took for him to summon it was significantly shorter than what it would take for the other elemental spirits, beyond any comparison. That proved how strongly it was connected to him.

- “Bury the wyvern to the ground, about a halfway down.”

- “No sweat.”

The feet of the wyverns sank to the ground before it could kick it with its remaining strength to fly away. Not only its feet but the lower part of its wings were stuck to the ground, it couldn’t even spread its wings.

“This is the end!”

Haroon already had his throwing knives put away but his bone sword in his hand. He kicked the ground to throw himself to the wyvern. He was very quick that the three lost track of him. The sound of the blade cutting through the flesh shook their minds, and soon they saw the wyvern youngling’s head rolling on the ground. Though its head may be small compared to its body, it was as big as the upper body of Megrum; the way it rolled on the ground brought a mysterious catharsis and fear at the same time. Megrum looked up at him, doubting if he really was properly opening his eyes, while Chornn was hunkering down in fear. He had a sword with a milk-white blade in his hand instead of throwing knives. It looked like it was made out of a bone of an animal, but it must have had mana imbued when it cut down the head of the wyvern with a slice.

The wyverns in the air whined with the sorrow of losing their youngling, but they couldn’t dare to come down to the ground. They have seen what Haroon could do to them. They still circled in the air, unable to leave their dead youngling on the ground. They eventually gave up and flew towards the far north where their nests were, and seeing that Haroon loosened the grip of his hand. Meanwhile, Megrum, Chornn, and the other magician have evacuated to a safe place, and their legs failed when they saw the wyverns flying away. The tension drained from their body. They were soaked wet with cold sweat, and their body was still trembling with fear. Haroon ordered Lifey to restore the ground as it was. That pushed the third of the huge body back to the surface.

- “Thanks, Lifey! You can go back now!”

- “No problem. Summon me whenever you please. The spiritual world cannot get any more boring, you know.”

Lifey winked and disappeared as a way of saying thank you for summoning, though he might have looked grumpy about it. He was a very kind and likable friend despite how he looked, unlike someone who is very bratty.

Haroon looked at the three for a brief moment who still have not recovered from the shock and went to check on the wyvern body. He took out the knives from the body, wiped them clean, put them away, and took out his transparent dagger from the belt. The level of his Butchering skill wasn’t as high as Serinn, so he had to use the best item he had. His transparent daggers were sharp even without mana and it easily cut the flesh like it was cutting butter. Picturing how Serinn butchered a griffon, he carefully moved his hand with the knife.

The sound of the dagger skinning the body for the leather filled the silent mess the battle left. With the skill he picked up from watching Serinn, he separated the leather, talons, and tendons from the body. Meanwhile, the three consumed the potions they had to treat their tired and wounded bodies. Full of curiosity, they observed Haroon.

These three people were the users who were quite familiar with the information about the world of Beyond. As far as they knew, there was no Elementalist among the users. The Elementalists in the world were mostly from a foreign race known as the elves, except a few NPCs. Seeing how he could spread the ground to form a 6-feet pit and restore it in seconds, at least he wasn’t a beginner Elementalist. His trickshot-like knife-throwing skills, mana-imbuing skills, and clean sword handling skills proved how skillful he was. It was clear as crystal that he was an elemental swordsman that even the history of Beyond only knew a few. Despite the eyes full of strong curiosity and passionate interests, Haroon focused on what he had to do with an expressionless face. The scene was almost reverent, grasping their senses without even being able to open their mouths. Until he finishes butchering the body, only the sound of throwing knives cutting through the flesh along with the awkward silence filled the battlefield. It was only after Haroon was done butchering the wyvern and putting all the byproducts in his magic bag that the three approached him as if they agreed on the timing.

“Thank you for saving us. I’m Megrum.”

“We owe you our lives. It’s Chornn, a magician.”

“Thank you so, so much. This wasn’t something I should have meddled with; I could have been walking up the stairway to heaven, Call Me Ares.”

The three greeted, expressing their gratuities.

‘They are users.’

Haroon could easily tell if they were users or Beyond locals just by looking at them. They had different atmospheres. Users were more relaxed than the NPCs. The ways they deal with the pressure of impending death were different from how the locals do, so the difference in their value of death was drastically different. That obviously made the way they payback for the grace of saving their lives different as well. If they were NPCs, they wouldn’t thank him for this lightly. He had no idea why they chose to enter such a dangerous place that could annihilate groups, but they weren’t interested in users.

“Haroon. I'll see you if our fate ever crosses again.”

He replied and turned his back without any hesitation. This fight cost him a lot of time. He had to hurry up if wanted to get back to the camp on the same day.

“M-Mr. Haroon!”

“Uhmmm--.”

“W-Wait!”

They called him back; it took them by surprise that he would leave so easily.

“Is there any business left between us?”

“Well…….”

Chornn was a man of words but he couldn’t continue when Haroon asked back. Talking to someone who saved his life only to walk away just like that wasn't what they'd be seeing every day. Megrum was just as confused and didn’t know what to say. The first one to talk to Haroon was Ares.

“Would you mind telling us where you are headed?”

“I failed to see how that’s your business.”

Haroon made an uninterested face. He didn’t intend to be involved with the users. But Ares, on the other hand, was feeling completely different.

“I would like to repay your kindness for saving our lives. And I can’t allow myself to say goodbye just like that when you're an elemental swordsman; you don’t see someone like that every day. If we wouldn’t be getting in your way, it would be great if we could keep company with you and repay your kindness. For myself, to be honest, it took me a lot of courage to enter here, and I feel like I’d be losing the life you once saved because I don’t know anything about this place.”

Haroon chuckled. Beggars can’t be choosers, he thought. But at least she was being honest about it. And that honesty got him interested.

“I didn’t ask for it. I've got things to do so I can’t be with you. You would be safer than before if you are all together, though.”

Haroon refused his offer.

“Could you at least tell us what you do and why you are here?” asked Chornn. It seemed like Haroon got his interest when he said he’s got things to do in such rugged Huk’ran mountains. Haroon was annoyed but he patiently replied.

“I’m a mercenary. I hope you understand that I cannot talk about my client’s request.”

“You’re a mercenary, not an Elementalist? Oh my god, do you happen to be in the Gusts of Wind?”

Chornn carefully chose his words, and what he asked made Megrum and Ares passionate about it. Any users who heard about the recent events on Huk'ran would picture the name Gusts of Wind when they are given two words - Huk'ran and Mercenary.

“Yes. And I'm the leader.”

That brought smiles to their faces. All three of them knew him, and Haroon found it very odd. He wondered how they knew the Gusts of Wind even exist.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe I've met the renowned Gusts of wind! Fate smiles on us!”

Chornn made a great fuss about meeting him, holding Haroon’s hand and shaking it. Megrum, too, seemed very pleased to meet him.

“It’s an honor. What a coincidence to meet such a famous mercenary guild! It feels like Christmas already!”

Ares, excited, came closer. Haroon was so confused why they would be so pleased to meet him but soon realized why.

‘Oh, right! The gaming channel mentioned the name,’ he thought.

Now he understood how they know about the guild. It was still confusing why they would be pleased to meet him, though. It would be awkward to ask them why, so he shut his mouth and gave them a suspicious look. Chornn noticed this and commented.

“We are outlanders. In our world, people heard about the Gusts of Wind escorting a group to the gemstone mine. So when we heard you are a mercenary in Huk'ran Mountains and you were able to deal with a wyvern alone, we could deduce where you were from. That’s how I realized you were a member of the Gusts of Wind.”

Like the other users who met Haroon for the first time, Chornn already concluded that Haroon was an NPC.

‘I can’t believe this. Just what part of me makes me look like an NPC?’

He got sick of being assumed as an NPC, so he just bothered not to reveal his identity as a user.

“We were actually heading to the gemstone mine, for a different purpose than the other users. We don’t know its exact location, and we don’t have a guide, but there is something we must learn about the place, so we had no choice but to enter Huk'ran.”

“A different purpose?”

Ares asked the question Haroon wanted. The fact that they had a different purpose got her curious about their identities.

“That should not concern you. Anyhow, we have a more important mission than the gemstone mine,” said Chornn. ‘Of course, it’d be better if we could grab some gemstones along the way,’ he thought.

Chornn didn’t want to tell Ares but Haroon about their mission. It was certain Ares was a user like him, but her identity was still uncertain. It seemed like Ares is in a higher position than him seeing how skilled she was, and considering that it wouldn’t be possible unless she’s a GM, too, it was certain that she was one of the unknown high-ranking users they were looking for. Ares looked at Chornn and Megrum suspiciously for a moment, but then she talked to Haroon with a determined face.

“I have a special job that doesn’t exist in this world. I’m not sure you would understand, but my job is to cover the recent incidents of the Terron Empire and make in-depth reports with recorded videos and deliver them to the world the outlanders live in.”

“You’re a reporter?”

“You work for a broadcasting company?”

Chornn and Megrum exclaimed. Ares gently nodded to them, looked back at Haroon, and continued.

“The recent finding of the gemstone mine in Huk'ran Mountains was very popular news in the other world, so I entered Huk'ran to investigate the incidents around it in depth, only to find out this place was rougher than its infamy. I made a bad choice to come here alone, but I don’t really have any colleagues to help me since I’m a freelance reporter-- excuse me. I heard Individual information collector is the term the locals use. That’s who I am, so I had to risk my life coming here.”

Chornn and Megrum looked at each other and exchanged signals. A reporter of a gaming broadcasting company wasn’t something they expected her to be. They thought maybe she could be a GM sent by one of the branch offices of other unions, but she didn’t have the mark. That’s why they were dying to know about her identity, and it was very surprising that she revealed her identity with such honesty. They understood why a reporter from a gaming broadcasting company came to Huk'ran, but they couldn’t understand how a mere reporter from a broadcasting company, especially a freelancer not a regular staff, was more skilled than them.

“I would like to make a request to the Gusts of Wind. Help me report about the incidents on the gemstone mine, and I’ll pay you in figures you have never got.”

It was an unexpected offer for him. She was asking him to guarantee her safety, and escort her to the gemstone mine, and cover the incidents happening around it. ‘This isn’t going to be easy,’ he thought.

“In figures I have never got? It’s definitely more interesting than just saying, ‘help me.’”

“Indeed. I’m a freelance reporter who earns by the value of the news, and I know how to handle this kind of business.”

Ares smiled knowing that she got Haroon’s interest. A peculiar feeling flashed in Haroon’s eyes. A faint smile floated on Haroon’s face, knowing this could earn him some fortune.

“I wonder exactly how much that would be, though. Our highest pay was 100,000 Gold, and he’s offering more…….”

Haroon said to himself, pretending to consider her offer. Ares heard it and her face went pale. IT was the same for Chornn and Magnum too.

‘100K? And in our currency that is--…… Holy! 3 million dollars?!’

Mercenaries that people pay not 1, not 2, but 3 million dollars? It was beyond their imagination. They had no idea how big the guild is, and how capable its members are, but their pay proved how worth they are. Mercenaries were known to just escort, hunt, or participate in the war because they don’t have a better job, and he was saying he once got paid 100K Gold, that is, 3 million dollars. They lost their words. Haroon looked at their surprised faces, but he was calm.

‘Well, I wasn’t exactly lying.’

Seryu paid him 20K Gold. Of course, he had to pay Kartz and the herbal guild for the atlas, but he included it for the total. And though it wasn't part of the quest, the iron snake bodies he hunted and collected were worth several thousand Golds. Though he wasn’t sure about the exact numbers, antidotes they can make with those would be worth tens of thousands of golds in the herbal market. And like Kartz said, if he grafts armor with the skin of the iron snakes and sells them, it would be worth more tens of thousands of golds. He had enough iron snake skins to build tens of armor pieces. The trick was that the calculation was made with the processed items, not by the cost of the material. And he also counted the items he acquired from the quest, and the total would be about 100K.

“It is indeed very interesting, but not now. Once our work is done here, we will be heading to the Silent Land.”

“Silent Land? What brings you there?”

Haroon stared at Ares with annoyed eyes. Ares could feel that the other two were giving her a pathetic look. She realized that she just directly asked the secret of the guild and became embarrassed. That look of innocence and honesty earned Haroons’ favor, so he told them brief information. It was something that the world would find out at any second, so it didn’t really matter if he told them so. Well, he actually intended to spread it even further. That would gather people, and make the great powers compete with each other over the dungeon.

“Well, it’s a secret but I believe in the fate of meeting you in such a lonely place. So here’s a little tip: an ancient dungeon was discovered near Silent Land.”

“An ancient dungeon?”

Ares’ eyes widened more than ever. Chornn and Magnum’s eyes opened wide as well. They have experienced dungeons numerous times as users. But now he was talking about an ancient dungeon, not just simple, lame monster dungeons.

“It was found that the dungeon contains the relics that the ancient civilization left, including an ancient magic tome. With time, you outlanders and the people of this world would learn about it through someone with a loose mouth.”

“An ancient dungeon! Are you sure they really have an ancient magic tome?”

Ares asked, wetting her dried lips with saliva.

“That is right. And it is an established idea that the modern magic is significantly degraded compared to the ancient spells, so hell will break loose for not only the royal family but the magic towers.”

Ares and Chornn’s eyes trembled with shock.

‘Holy shit!’

‘This is my chance! I got a scoop! A huge one!’

Their eyes were burning with passion. They had to get there no matter what. The gemstone mine of Huk'ran was not something they cared about anymore. Whatever the other relics were, an ancient magic tome was an astonishing find that a gemstone mine cannot get even near. They heard about ancient magic as they learned magic from the magic towers. Megrum didn’t know the true value of this information, but Chornn’s and Ares’s faces were constantly changing with mixed feelings.

‘But how does this mercenary know about such a grand find when he stayed around Huk'ran for a long time?’ Ares suspected. It would be foolish to ask him how he got such information, though. He didn’t have any reason to tell her that. ‘This mercenary guild receives a fortune for a quest, so they must have a wide network or trade with an information guild,’ she concluded. She, too, was working with two friends and teammates. She couldn’t be a high-ranking user nor find bread-making news materials if she worked alone. Her two friends had god-like abilities to collect and filter information. They were twins who knew what the other was thinking just by looking into each others’ eyes; they self-made their computers with amazing performance to access uninet and globalnet and hack even private forums to dig information, finding news faster than anyone else. Ares got impatient. ‘I need to make a report at once!’ she thought. She had to report to her broadcasting company that the ancient dungeon was found before anyone else. But to do that, she had to fact-check the information.

“I would be very grateful if you would let us know if you have any proof.‘

Ares requested politely, full of expectations.

“Look at this man! Do I have a reason to tell you that? Of course, I can talk about it since I have proof of it. Why would I say nonsense when I run a mercenary guild that people of this empire know?”

Of course, some people know his guild exists. That’s why he could be straight with that bluff. Haroon’s annoyed reply made Ares’ heart sink. She just offended him. There was no way the leader of the mercenary guild capable enough to escort a group to a gemstone mine would talk about baseless claims. Anyhow, she was now certain that the information was true.

“I will compensate you if that basis or the proof can be confirmed.”

She desperately made an earnest request. She hoped for the best that this mercenary would be very greedy. It was her last chance to earn this information. Haroon was about to refuse her offer right away before he came up with an idea to utilize this information. He could use this reporter. And based on how capable she is, this could earn him a lot of money.

“Compensate? I suppose that is alright. I was planning to go back to a castle nearby and contact a few information guilds tomorrow anyway. We mercenaries are great friends with the information guilds.”

He paused there for a moment, and considered options, and looked back at Ares.

“Wait. This can make a good relationship between you and me. If you do indeed have a job of giving the news, you would be able to derive no small profit with this information. I suspect you would be able to get enough reward just by being first with the news that an ancient dungeon that contains priceless relics was found, correct? And if you are indeed capable enough, you will gain a great continuous reward just by delivering the vivid story of the exploration of the dungeon before anyone else.”

“That is very true.”

Ares frantically nodded to Haroon’s comment. His view was not in the slightest wrong on his job. Though he may be an NPC, a mere mercenary, he had enough experience to understand the position as a freelance broadcasting service reporter. The risk was not a factor of concern. In any situation, it was a reporter’s capability to cover and report the information. It was the most effective way a freelance reporter like her could earn. ‘This man is just beyond belief. He is very experienced and I suppose that’s why he’s a leader of the mercenary guild that found the gemstone mine in the Huk'ran Mountains. Even if he does not know our world nor my job, he sees right through the ways to earn money,’ she thought. The more she thought about it, the more amazing Haroon seemed. He completely changed her view on the mercenaries (she previously thought that the mercenaries take dangerous tasks, have a violent temper, and spend their life just as they please). Chornn and Magnum were amazed as well. Though they were not as aware as Ares, they knew the importance of information and how worth it can be. After all, the reason they were playing the game even if they were GMs was to get the information that Necomwall wants.

“Uhmmm…… Sir! I got you an offer.”

“What is it?”

Haroon asked as he took out a water bottle and drank from it.

“The request is off the table. Let’s do some business instead. If you give me the information, proof that can verify that it is true, and allow me to cover the process as I accompany the exploration of the ancient temple, then I will give you a portion of the reward I get from the broadcasting company.”

“Hmmm.”

Haroon was interested. Though his offer was a bit annoying, he needed a lot of money to buy the materials Bell wanted from the black market. It wasn’t like that he had to gather new materials himself, and what he asked was mostly doable.

“Seventy, thirty - How does that sound?”

“Hmph, I'll consider it if it’s my way.”

“What? I can’t do that!”

Ares violently shook her head. Her team doing most of the work and giving up 70% of the profit was not something she could accept. Chorrn and Megrum also thought Haroon was asking too much, although now they were completely out of the conversation and became onlookers. But Haroon didn’t even blink.

“If it wasn’t for me, I don’t think it would have been possible for you to get such premium information before any other outlanders. And if I need to accompany you and protect you, I don’t think this is too much to ask.”

“B-But…… I’m very thankful that you have saved my life, but I am considered one of the best among the outlanders. I AM a 4-circle combat mage.”

“Huhuhu! I bet you wouldn’t survive a day in the land the elves took.”

That offended Ares; her face went red with anger, but she stopped right before she would argue back.

“Elves?” she asked.

“I think I have said enough.”

Haroon found a place to sit and took some jerky out for lunch. Ares and the other two sat on the rocks nearby and filled their hunger gauge with their bread, but fell in their own thoughts without any conversation going on. Ares fell in thoughts for quite a while, then she threw the bread she was eating on the ground and came near Haroon.

“I would like to have a meeting with my colleagues first if you wouldn’t mind.”

This was her conclusion. She couldn’t make the decision alone. Haroon fell in thoughts for a moment and nodded back.

“Good by me. I hope for a good result. Firstly, my final guideline is 50:50, and you and your team must join my mercenary guild, for trust.”

“You want me and my team to join the Gusts of Wind?”

“That is correct. In that way, we’ll be able to maintain trust, and it will make it easier for you to join our quests to observe what’s happening around us. When you are one of us, my crew will open their hearts and help you.”

He’s got a point, she thought. She’d get more from a deeper relationship than a relationship bound by a contract. Though the twin gets the information for her, it was her alone who had to go to the field and get the news materials for them.

When she becomes a part of a group, like becoming a member of the guild, and setting the access point near a specific figure makes it easier for her to move around. And she often found herself at the end of her life because she worked alone. Going under reliable protection didn’t sound too bad for her.

“Hmm. Sounds good, for now. I’ll be back after talking to my teammates.”

She already had a team so that was the best she could say for now. Though she may be a freelance reporter, her sibling-like friends may have different opinions, she thought.

“Sure. I don’t see anything difficult with that. I'll be camping nearby, so I suggest you follow me first.”

“Can we go together with you?”

Chornn added. They asked for his consent to follow him, though it wasn’t clear if they didn’t like the idea of being left alone, or if they had a business with Haroon. Haroon didn’t really care, though.

“I don’t see anything difficult with that, either.”

Haroon headed to a place he had in mind earlier that day. Ares followed, so did Chorrn and Megrum; their faces were serious. Once Haroon settled at a space between the rocks, all three others signed out to do whatever they needed to do. They already told Haroon that they were outlanders, so they didn’t hesitate at all.

To Be Continued

Sorry about the light mode. I'm working on the night mode.