"E-everyone! Please, calm down and line up in order! Students who have already formed a team can come to me first to register!"
Yelena stood on a temporary wooden platform in front of the mission board, straining on her tiptoes and shouting with all her might at the bustling, noisy crowd of students before her.
But her voice was so weak in the middle of this boiling wave of sound that it was almost completely drowned out.
The vast majority of students remained immersed in excited discussions, recruitment, and haggling; no one paid any attention to the petite Disciplinary Committee member's pleas.
After all, it was rare for the academy to release such a large-scale, high-reward practical subjugation mission.
According to the mission description, participating students would not only receive generous gold coin rewards based on the number and rank of undead they killed, but those rewards could also be directly converted into precious academic credits!
For students who were short on money or who had mediocre grades in certain theoretical courses and desperately needed practical credits to make up the difference, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to change their fates!
Stimulated by the prospect of immense gain, the square in front of the mission board had long since evolved into a chaotic and frenzied spontaneous talent market and team-building expo:
"Are there any rich guys or gals who aren't short on cash and just want to pad their resumes with battle records?! Top-tier protection service here, dedicated to escorting you safely, clearing the field efficiently, and all the credit goes to you! Private message for pricing, satisfaction guaranteed!"
"Super team of fifteen led by a third-year veteran! Fully equipped and highly experienced! We only need fourteen reliable front-line meat shields! Requirements: thick-skinned, durable, and no lower than LV20! Bring your own gear and potions; loot is distributed by contribution. First come, first served—don't miss out!"
"Alchemy ace squad, professional handlers of undead remains and negative energy! Now recruiting two powerful magic casters for damage output, preferably Fire or Wind attributes! We provide full potion support and post-battle purification services. Generous pay, limited spots!"
"Sisterhood recruiting! Girls only! No smelly men! Goal is safety first and steady point-grinding! We already have stable healing and support; we just need a few more reliable sisters to coast... uh, I mean, work hard together! No grinding, just harmony and friendship!"
All sorts of voices mixed together, creating a wave of noise that almost threatened to blow the roof off.
Everyone wanted to find the most reliable teammates or sell themselves for the best price.
Listening to the shouts rising and falling around them, Silvia gently tugged on her friend's sleeve. Her pink eyes held a trace of worry as she suggested softly:
"Victoria, this is our first time participating in a formal subjugation mission outside the academy, and the targets are undead... it sounds a bit scary. How about... we join a larger team that looks more experienced? It should be much safer that way."
If it were before, the cautious Victoria might have adopted Silvia's suggestion without hesitation.
Safety first, steady progress, and following the main force to scrape up some experience and credits would have been her most likely choice.
But now, having experienced the life-and-death struggle of the second layer of the dungeon and seen her level soar to LV28, what burned in Victoria's gray eyes was no longer just caution. There was also a strong desire to prove herself and a thirst for challenge that was almost ready to burst forth.
She was no longer satisfied with being a mere tag-along, getting a share of the spoils under the protection of a large team.
She wanted to go big!
She wanted to prove that even without relying on anyone's special care, she, Victoria, could stand out and make a name for herself in this large-scale mission through her own strength!
"No!"
Victoria shook her head, her tone firm and even carrying a hint of eager excitement.
"We'll form our own team and act independently!"
"B-but..."
Silvia blinked and reminded her, "The mission rules state that a minimum of three people is required to form a squad and register. Right now... there are only two of us. Should... should we go call Senior Greg as well?"
She instinctively suggested the most natural option.
"Call Greg?!"
Victoria reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shaking her head rapidly as her voice rose an octave. "No! We absolutely cannot call him this time!"
"Why?" Silvia asked, her pink eyes full of confusion.
From her perspective, having Senior Greg join would be a huge guarantee for both safety and mission efficiency.
"Because... because he's still recovering from his injuries!"
Victoria's eyes darted around as she quickly found an excuse.
"And think about it, we saw how much he seemed to be enjoying himself earlier. So, it's probably better if we don't go disturb him, right?"
When Victoria mentioned Greg's recovery and him enjoying himself, the gentle smile on Silvia's face instantly faded. A very thick shadow seemed to flicker in the depths of her pink eyes.
She lowered her head slightly, a few strands of soft pink hair falling to cover half her face. Her lips moved silently as if she were muttering some extremely faint words, and the aura around her turned inexplicably cold for a moment.
Although Silvia's reaction was a bit strange, Victoria breathed a sigh of relief seeing that she had successfully changed the subject.
Of course, she wouldn't say the real reason.
Call Greg?
What a joke!
Victoria ranted wildly in her mind:
If that guy comes, with his monster-like strength, wouldn't clearing these ordinary undead be as easy as chopping vegetables?
The entire mission would probably turn into his personal one-man show, and we'd just be following behind him picking up items!
Where's the sense of participation in that?
How could she prove herself?
Moreover, with his habit of squeezing every penny, the lion's share of the reward would definitely be swept away by him using all sorts of twisted logic after the mission was over!
Since I finally have a chance to work solo, how could I possibly let him come and take a cut again!
This time, I'm going to come out on top!
I'll let everyone see that I can hold my own too!
Victoria became even more set in her resolve.
But she also realized that Silvia was right; a minimum of three people was indeed required for the mission, so they were still one short.
That empty third spot couldn't be filled by just anyone.
A teammate who was too weak would hold them back and increase the risk, while a teammate with poor character might cause conflicts over loot distribution.
So, she needed to find someone with decent strength—at least someone who wouldn't be a burden—and preferably someone who wasn't so petty about profits.
Just as Victoria was knitting her brows, her gaze scanning the noisy crowd while her brain rapidly filtered through potential candidates—
A beautiful figure, completely out of place in the noisy environment, parted the crowd and walked gracefully toward her and Silvia.
It was a blonde young girl.
She wore a perfectly tailored academy uniform with a light cream-colored trench coat over it. Her long golden hair shimmered with a soft luster under the morning light, and her aquamarine eyes were like tranquil lakes. A perfectly measured smile—one that was friendly yet maintained a certain distance—rested on her lips.
Her poise was impeccable, as if she weren't standing in a chaotic mission square but were about to step into a high-society social banquet.
"Hello, you two freshmen from Class A."
The blonde girl's voice was clear and pleasant as she took the initiative to greet them. Her gaze rested politely on Victoria's and Silvia's faces.
"I am Catherine Roman, a second-year. I saw you standing here for a while. Are you considering participating in this undead subjugation mission on the outskirts of the city?"
Rate on N.U.
