Chapter Sixty-Five: The Mercenary Guild

Behind the Westin Academy, a solitary figure was moving about. Suddenly, he leapt from the ground, his voice ringing out as his right foot became enveloped with force, then swept toward a large boulder.

Second-level combat technique—Stone-Splitting Kick!

With a resounding crash, the stone struck by his foot instantly shattered into countless fragments, scattering in all directions, a clear testament to the power behind that kick.

Luo Chen landed, satisfied with the result. A fourth-level Spirit Warrior could use the Stone-Splitting Kick to crack such a large piece of ordinary stone, but he had shattered it completely—this was the true strength bestowed by turbo-charging.

After nearly a month of practice, Luo Chen had finally mastered the art of turbo-charging, able to precisely control the intensity of the boost. That previous strike had reflected eighty percent amplification. He hadn't tried going beyond that yet, since Nicole had solemnly warned him that excessive boosting could be dangerous.

He regenerated the vortex boost, this time applying it to his light body technique. Like a cannonball, Luo Chen shot forward, his palm suddenly swelling to several times its size, then slammed down hard on a tree as thick as a utility pole. Under the force, the slender tree bent sharply, swiftly forming an arc, but did not break.

Such a tree did not exist in the ancient civilizations; it was a new species, born from the mutation of spiritual energy from an alternate space. Named the Spring Tree, its hardness was secondary—the primary feature was its astonishing resilience. Its trunk was essentially rubber-like, making it nearly impossible to snap. These trees were often planted by the academies as practice tools for students.

After Luo Chen’s heavy palm strike, the main trunk of the Spring Tree above the impact point bent nearly parallel to the ground. Just as it seemed about to rebound, it suddenly bent even further, as though struck again by an invisible force. The treetop touched the earth before snapping back swiftly, but the peculiar process was unmistakable.

Naturally, this was Luo Chen’s handiwork. After the initial palm strike, he had unleashed another wave of hidden force, using vortex boost once more, only with a delayed burst. This was a practical technique Luo Chen had devised during his exploration of turbo-charging—thanks to the speed of the amplified spiritual energy, he could follow up immediately with a second force. If used to catch others off guard, it would surely be quite satisfying, Luo Chen thought with a wicked grin.

The turbo-charging function of his spirit core was so intriguing that Luo Chen had become utterly engrossed in mastering and innovating with it, losing all sense of time. Unbeknownst to him, a month had slipped by, and only four days remained before registration opened at Blue Emperor Academy.

It was time to bid farewell to Westin Academy and move on to a new chapter. It would be good to get acquainted with the new environment at Blue Emperor Academy, and, come to think of it, he’d need to find a new part-time job there—otherwise, where would his living expenses come from?

That very night, Luo Chen packed his belongings. With his Dingdang Bag, carrying everything was a breeze—he just stuffed it all inside. There was no need to bring his shabby wooden bed along, though; one of the Blue Emperor Academy’s guaranteed perks was free accommodation, and the dormitory would naturally provide a bed. Luo Chen felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering how he had painstakingly chopped wood in the back hills to make his own bed when he first arrived at Westin Academy.

While having a late-night snack, Luo Chen spoke to several large rats, “Eat up, friends. After tonight, I’ll be leaving Westin Academy. We may not see each other again.”

The big rats squeaked at him, perhaps reluctant to part with their human companion, or perhaps wishing him well in his new life.

The next morning, after his usual breathing exercises, Luo Chen headed out of the academy. At the main gate, he couldn’t help pausing to look back at the place where he’d lived, studied, and struggled for three years, where he’d shed so much sweat. A wave of emotion washed over him—this had been the starting point on his journey to becoming a Spirit Warrior, but it was not the end.

Farewell, Westin Academy.

Turning away, Luo Chen did not look back again but strode quickly toward the direction of Slo City.

Miracle City, where Blue Emperor Academy was located, lay in the center of the Canglan Continent, quite far from Slo City on the southern coast. Nearly the entire continent was shrouded by the Forest of Dread, and to reach Miracle City, one had to traverse the forest. For the uninformed, setting out alone was highly dangerous—encounters with monsters could easily end in disaster, unless one was an exceptionally confident powerhouse.

Luo Chen was only a fourth-level Spirit Warrior; he dared not take such risks lightly, so he needed some help.

Soon, he arrived on a street in Slo City’s western district. Before him towered several imposing buildings, the shortest five stories, the tallest eight—grand structures by the standards of a modern city. The towers were handsomely adorned, with intricate sculptures and, flanking the twenty-meter-wide gates, two statues of burly warriors brandishing giant swords, fierce and intimidating. Above the central tower hung a massive plaque inscribed with four bold characters: Mercenary Guild.

This was the renowned Mercenary Guild.

Passing through the entrance, Luo Chen saw the place bustling with fully armed mercenaries clad in armor and helmets. Mercenaries were professional warriors, always facing battle, so armor was a necessity—unlike academy students like Luo Chen, who could get by in ordinary martial attire.

As one of the world’s most common professions, mercenaries served many functions: they hunted magical beasts for crystal cores, worked as guards for hire, searched for people or objects—so long as the price was right, they were willing to risk their lives. The Mercenary Guild was where employers and mercenaries connected. Within the guild, many missions were posted by employers; as long as one met the required rank and ability, they could accept a mission and earn a reward. It was an ideal place for mercenaries to seek income and for clients to find assistance.

Some mercenaries took on a variety of missions, collecting payment after each one. Others held fixed positions, such as escorting clients between certain cities.

From what Luo Chen knew, mercenary groups escorting passengers from Slo City to Miracle City numbered over a dozen each day, with ranks ranging from H to B.

Mercenary groups were ranked H, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, and S, in ascending order, based on accumulated points from completed missions. Generally, the higher the rank, the more powerful the group. Hiring a high-ranked group meant greater safety, thanks to their strength and experience, but it also cost more. The most famous group in Slo City’s passenger district was the B-ranked Storm Mercenary Group, whose minimum fee for a trip to Miracle City was ten gold coins per person—affordable only for the wealthy. Luo Chen, naturally, could not afford such prices and could only look for a lower-ranked group.

He entered the passenger service hall of the Mercenary Guild. In the hall marked “Miracle City,” Luo Chen soon spotted a small group—only six members in total, so their rank would not be high and their rates should be the lowest.

[Curse it, I got so caught up in writing that after breakfast I wrote straight through to now—it's already four o’clock! Missed the second chapter update, so here it is. Now I need to go get my lunch, what a bother.]