"Details? Pay? Deadline? Solo or Team?"

"Details? Compensation? Deadline? Am I doing it alone? Or with others?"

Yoahim fired off the questions one after another, and the man answered diligently.

"The request is just like I explained earlier. Head to an ancient ruin and retrieve one item. The pay is two gold coins. It's a B-rank request. And if you take it, you'll be moving with the clients."

"Hold on, did I hear that right? B-rank? And you're handing that to a lowly Bronze-rank mercenary?"

B-rank ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠requests varied wildly in danger depending on the details, but generally, you needed at least Steel-rank to even touch them. Strictly speaking, Steel was the bare minimum—anything worthwhile required Silver or even Gold.

"No need to freak out over B-rank. The clients jacked up the rank with a fat payout. The actual job is just scouting an old ruin. Real danger level's about C-rank."

It felt fishy as hell, but Yoahim nodded anyway. Who knew if the guy was telling the truth, but two gold coins made the risk worth it. Plus, ancient ruins often hid rare loot. No client would bother excavating a picked-over site unless there was something big.

And honestly, Yoahim trusted his own skills. He'd leveled up plenty, his stats were boosted by gear, and he'd picked up enough skills to fake being a mage. Right now, his combat power was nearly double his level. A B-rank gig? Worth a shot.

"So we're teaming up with the clients? My role some kind of bodyguard?"

"You'll be protecting them, yeah, but not exactly bodyguards. They're mercenaries too. Two Silvers. They figured they needed one more body to explore the ruin properly."

Silver-rank meant solid muscle. Teaming with them would slash Yoahim's personal risk big time.

"I'll take the job. Where are the clients?"

"Upstairs, room 205. Tell 'em Dorin sent you—they'll open up. And take this."

The man handed over the request form. It briefly listed the details, pay, and hazard rating.

Yoahim pocketed it and headed straight upstairs.

"That must be 205."

He rapped lightly on the door. Knock knock. A chair scraped inside, then a voice called out.

"Who is it?"

Male voice, on the high side. Yoahim gave Dorin's name and said he'd taken the job. The door creaked open, revealing a cloaked figure with his face shadowed by a hood. Build said male.

"Come in."

Businesslike tone. Yoahim nodded and stepped inside. The door shut, plunging the room into silence.

What's with the vibe? Yoahim wondered if he'd walked into a human trafficking trap.

"Over here."

The man pointed to a chair. Yoahim hesitated, then sat.

"I'm Leon. You?"

"Yoahim."

Short and sweet. Yoahim glanced at the other client. Cloaked and hooded like Leon, but the shoulders screamed female.

Fairy?

Pointy ears peeked out—fairy trademark. Hoods hid faces, but not those long ears.

Fairies as mercenaries? Some secret society? Makes sense if they're after ruins.

Yoahim eyed Leon warily, wondering if he'd stumbled into something dumb.

"You heard the details at the desk, I assume. The ruin's a three-day trek from Barakan. Long-abandoned—we found it. Can't promise zero danger, obviously. That's why the extra merc."

Leon kept his flat, professional drone going.

"But fortune favors the bold. Stick it out, and you'll walk away loaded. That's a promise."

Ruins were like that: high risk, high reward. Yoahim knew the drill.

"So, you really in? If not, get out now."

"What if I say no?"

Just testing the waters, like picking dumb choices in a game for laughs.

"I'll kill you."

"What?"

"You know too much already. So, dead."

Crazy bastard? That info was public at the desk.

"You can get all that just asking the receptionist."

"Then I kill everyone who asks."

"Even if I swear not to spill?"

"Still dead."

This guy's just bloodthirsty, huh? Yoahim caught the sharp glint in Leon's shadowed eyes. Dead serious.

"......Just messing around."

"So, you in?"

"Yeah."

Leon eased off the killing intent and nodded.

"Thanks, Yoahim. You're one of us now. Let's reintroduce. I'm Leon. And this is..."

Leon turned. The quiet woman finally spoke.

"Nice to meet you, Yoahim. I'm Sasha."

She dipped her head, silver hair spilling from under the hood like moonlight.

"Why the hoods? Some rule against showing faces?"

Leon and Sasha exchanged looks. Leon shook his head.

"Yoahim, even as a teammate, we can't—"

"Hold on, Leon."

Sasha cut him off, standing and approaching Yoahim. She reached out; he reflexively leaned back. Too late—her cool hands cupped his face.

"This guy..."

Sasha nodded firmly, eyeing Leon.

"Felt a familiar aura. That's why. Leon, he's fine. He serves the same one we do."

What the hell?

While Yoahim blinked in confusion, Sasha ditched her hood. Silver hair, smooth brown skin, wall eyes. Stunning, but what grabbed him was...

"Dark elf?"

Dark elves served the evil god Kakali, unlike the fairies devoted to high god Laelro. Once a powerhouse rivaling fairies, they crumbled after Kakali's sealing. Now, survivors either converted to Laelro or hid as Kakali loyalists... per game lore.

"Your aura feels familiar. Nostalgic... comforting..."

"Uh, mind letting go of my face?"

Sasha was still holding him. Eye contact with a beauty like that? Awkward as fuck. Yoahim cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry. Got carried away."

She bowed apologetically.

"The Lord watches over us. Meeting a fellow Kakali follower here..."

Leon ditched his hood too. Cropped silver hair, glowing purple eyes. Handsome as hell, dark elf style.

Silver-ranks with those levels. Perfect for any ruin bullshit.

Not like I'm sweating it. Yoahim was Lv.27, but his real power matched theirs. Dark Knight outshone basic classes anyway—he could pull more weight.

"Fellow faithful? Then we're friends already. Lucky break. No need to kill you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after the job."

"What?"

"Plan was to off the hireling post-mission. Can't have loose lips."

So if Yoahim wasn't Kakali's? Backstab city. He recalled the saying: Never trust pointy ears, light or dark.

"......Dodged a bullet."

They knew he followed Kakali, but not that he was her apostle. Better that way—no weird expectations or hassle.

"So, when do we roll? Tomorrow?"

"Now."

"Now?"

Yoahim blinked. Leon pulled three rolled scrolls from his belt pouch, handing one each to Sasha and Yoahim.

"Teleport scrolls. Ruin coords marked. Rip and go."

"Scrolls? Three of 'em?"

Magic scrolls were buyable in-game with cash, but here? Rare and stupid expensive. What kinda mercs pack these?

Yoahim's curiosity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about these dark elves spiked.

"Let's move."

Leon ripped first and vanished. Sasha next. Yoahim last.

First teleport ever? Like your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gooey body squeezed through a tennis racket, splatted in a bowl, then hardened. Utter shitshow.

"Made it intact. Was half-worried those black market scrolls were duds."

Yoahim glared at Leon's words. Explains the crap feel.

"Entrance right there."

Thick forest, trees blocking all sun. Eerie as fuck. Leon pointed: underground door, a few skeletons shambling around. Three, Lv.30ish. No sweat for the trio.

"What're those?"

"Ruins overrun by undead. Goal: clear 'em out, grab the relic inside."

"Relic? You mean..."

Sasha nodded.

"Yes. An artifact infused with the evil god's power. We're Kakali followers collecting them. Gather all, and our lord returns."

Kakali favored Yoahim—her apostle, duh. Helping snag relics? She'd hook him up in return. Win-win.

"So, plan?"

Leon drew dual swords—curved toward tips, half longsword length. Faint glow: anti-undead blessing. Kakali, death god, granted that power.

"Obvious."

He aimed at the skeletons.

"Kill 'em all. That's it."

This guy's just a murderhobo at heart, huh? Yoahim nodded to himself and drew his weapon.