He lowered his head and quickly filled in a few fields on the form before retrieving a crude, circular iron token from the shelf behind him.
After logging the information in the registry, he handed it to Bai Xuan.
“Paper Rank badge. That will be ten silver coins.”
Bai Xuan took the badge, pulled out ten silver coins, and placed his own Bronze Rank badge on the counter.
“We also want to register a team.”
The young man paused, then asked, “Alright. What is the team name?”
“Guidance.”
The young man lowered his head and finished filling out another form.
He looked from Bai Xuan to the silent Phoebe beside him, seeking confirmation.
“You're the captain, right?”
“Yes.”
“A two-person team. Captain Bai Xuan, Bronze Rank; member Phoebe, Paper Rank.”
The young man handed both badges over, not forgetting to warn them.
“Taking a rookie into the deeper levels of the dungeon is at your own risk.”
Bai Xuan nodded and took the badges, then turned to walk toward the commission board on the wall. Phoebe cradled her giant axe and quietly followed behind him.
The commission board was covered in sheets of parchment, ranging from Bronze Rank to Silver Rank, and from resource gathering to monster extermination.
Bai Xuan's gaze swept over them quickly before finally settling on a Silver Rank commission.
【Silver Rank Commission】
【Details: Gather Gloomspore samples. Requirement: Intact, undamaged Gloomspores.】
【Description: Gloomspores grow on the Decay Moss Beasts on the sixth floor of the dungeon, typically emitting a faint glow in the dark. Handle with care during harvesting; any damage will render the sample invalid.】
【Risk: Decay Moss Beasts (Level 4–5). Slow-moving but thick-skinned, with corrosive attacks.】
【Reward: 50 silver coins per specimen. 15 specimens required.】
Bai Xuan tore down the commission sheet and walked back to the front desk.
The young man glanced at it, logged it in, and handed the sheet back to him.
“Good luck.”
Leaving the guild, Bai Xuan led Phoebe into a neighboring general store.
The shopkeeper was a short, plump middle-aged man who was currently squatting on the floor, organizing the shelves.
Hearing the door open, he stood up, patted the dust off his knees, and asked with a smile, “What can I get for you?”
Bai Xuan scanned the shop and pointed to a tent in the corner.
“That tent, a few torches, and a bundle of rope.”
The shopkeeper quickly took the items down from the shelves one by one, muttering to himself.
“One tent, five torches, and one bundle of rope.”
Bai Xuan nodded in confirmation. The shopkeeper threw in a few common supplies as well, calculated the total, and gave him the price.
Bai Xuan counted out the silver coins from his coin pouch to pay, while Phoebe silently stepped forward.
She loaded all the supplies onto her back and quietly followed him out the door.
At the other end of the market, a group of people dressed in matching uniform gear was walking over from the direction of the entrance.
Leading them was a man in his thirties, wearing heavy plate armor with a long spear slung diagonally across his back.
Bai Xuan recognized him at a glance, and a sliver of vigilance instantly flared in his heart.
It was Kaylon, the captain of the Silver Heart Adventure Team.
Kaylon spotted Bai Xuan as well. He raised his hand to signal his team to halt and walked over alone, speaking politely with a warm smile on his face.
“Long time no see.”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly and replied, “Captain Kaylon.”
Kaylon's gaze swept past Bai Xuan and landed on Phoebe behind him.
Her hood concealed most of her face, but that giant axe was still incredibly eye-catching.
His gaze lingered on the axe for a brief moment before shifting away, and he asked with a smile, “Heading into the dungeon alone?”
“I teamed up with a rookie. Just taking her down to get her adjusted,” Bai Xuan said calmly.
Kaylon didn't pry further and nodded. “I won't keep you then. See you around.”
With that, he turned and led his team away.
Bai Xuan stood in place, watching his retreating back as Ronid came to mind.
That pair of gold-rimmed glasses, that gentle and refined face, and those cold cages in the dungeon.
He didn't know if Kaylon was the same kind of person as Ronid, nor did he care to investigate. He only knew it was best to keep his distance.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, his sleeve was gently tugged.
Looking down, he saw Phoebe staring at a small roadside stall.
The stall was hung with hair ties of various colors, and several female adventurers were gathered around, haggling with the vendor.
Bai Xuan looked at the hair ties, then at the few strands of silver hair peeking out from under Phoebe's hood, and understood.
He stepped forward, picked out a hair tie woven with silver thread, handed the vendor a silver coin without asking for change, and walked back.
He held out the hair tie to Phoebe, but she didn't take it. She merely lowered her head slightly, a barely noticeable blush rising on the tips of her ears.
Bai Xuan was taken aback for a moment before realizing what she wanted. He led her to a quiet corner of the street and gently lifted a corner of her hood.
Her smooth silver hair immediately cascaded down, draping over her shoulders.
Bai Xuan clumsily gathered her silver hair, pulling it into a simple ponytail, and carefully secured it with the silver-threaded hair tie.
The silver ponytail shimmered with a cool luster under the sunlight, revealing her fair, delicate ears and exquisite profile.
Phoebe slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gently tracing the silver thread on the hair tie. After a moment, she lowered her hand and once again cradled the giant axe in her arms.
Bai Xuan pulled her hood back up and said softly,
“This way, it won't get in the way during combat. Let's go.”
Phoebe nodded silently and followed behind him, her silver ponytail swaying gently beneath her cloak.
The Rift entrance.
A cool breeze rushed out to greet them, thick with the scent of minerals.
Bai Xuan led the way, with Phoebe following closely behind.
The rocky walls on both sides of the passage were dotted with sparse patches of glowing moss, the dim light barely illuminating the path beneath their feet.
Suddenly, a Shadow Rat darted out from a fork in the path. Its grayish-black back pressed close to the base of the wall, moving so fast it was nothing but an afterimage.
Bai Xuan calmly stepped aside, showing no intention of making a move.
Phoebe immediately dropped the supplies on her back, stepped out from behind him, and gripped the giant axe, Rock-Crushing Mountain, tightly with both hands.
She swung the axe upward in a powerful, unstoppable arc, riding its momentum.
The Shadow Rat had absolutely no time to dodge. The flat of the axe slammed heavily into its side.
Its body flew through the air, crashing violently against the rock wall and leaving a dark brown streak of blood.
Upon closer inspection, the Shadow Rat was completely mangled. Its ribs protruded from its side, its internal organs were turned to mush, and nothing but a puddle of minced meat remained.
Phoebe stood in place, her axe resting by her side, her silver ponytail swaying gently with her breaths. Her expression remained completely calm.
Immediately after, several Multi-Headed Snakes suddenly sprang from the rock crevices. Their triangular heads hissed and flicked their tongues as they lunged at Phoebe from different directions.
Phoebe didn't back down. With a flick of her wrist, she swept her axe horizontally in a wide arc.
Several snake heads were instantly severed, spraying dark green venom and blood from the clean cuts.
The remaining small snake seized the opportunity to bite onto the axe handle, but Phoebe lightly twisted her wrist, wringing its body into a tangled mess.
She tossed it to the ground and followed up with another chop, completely severing the head from the body.
After slaying the monsters in quick succession, the corners of Phoebe's mouth curled up in a barely perceptible smile.
Her breathing quickened slightly, and a faint red glow gradually flickered in her golden eyes.
Rate on N.U.
