29: You know, I've only been in the team for a few days...

The being who killed two Bear Goblins in a row?

How strong must he be?

In the hall, the group of Mercenaries was as quiet as cicadas in winter, their spirits tense, fearing that an unconscious action might draw the newcomer's attention.

The bartender couldn't help but tremble. Others were fine, but he was the one holding a hostage.

If trouble truly came, he would certainly be the first to suffer.

“Evil Axe, don't just call anyone Captain.” Ronan smiled as he walked toward the crowd.

These words made the Mercenaries' expressions relax. It turned out he had recognized the wrong person; they had been scared for nothing... The bartender's grip even loosened slightly, while the Halfling in his hands looked puzzled.

The newcomer was dressed in a set of magic robes, handsome and dignified... His image perfectly matched the Mage Captain his big brother had once mentioned. Why was he denying it again?

Evil Axe strode through the crowd and leaned into Ronan's ear. “Lord White Night, there are only two of us left in the team. The Captain position obviously belongs to you.”

“But I think you're quite suitable. You know, I've only been in the team for a few days...” Ronan said with a half-smile.

“Captain, stop joking.” Evil Axe said with an aggrieved look. “To find you, I've been wandering around human territory all this time, which is how I was discovered by these Mercenaries.”

“Wasn't that because you pointed the wrong way?” Ronan asked back.

“I went the wrong way too, and I had the bad luck of running into Mercenaries halfway. Look at my face!”

Evil Axe spat on the ground. “That dog Russell did that. I almost didn't make it out.”

“So you didn't go activate the team status either?” Ronan glanced at him.

“Wasn't I waiting for you... hehe.” Evil Axe chuckled sheepishly.

It seemed Evil Axe was thinking the same thing as him.

Going alone to activate the team status would easily attract the attention of those with ill intentions.

The other party had intentionally spread fake news with the goal of grasping the team's latest situation.

Ronan thought for a moment, deciding there was no sense in being on guard forever; one's own strength was the key to dealing with everything.

So he pretended to be troubled and frowned.

“Being Captain is fine, but as for the distribution of team points...”

“Captain, the team saved up so many points before for a general wave of strengthening. That piece I had my eye on...”

Evil Axe looked bashful, clearly reluctant to give up the equipment he had wanted for a long time.

“I see. In that case, forget it.” Ronan said frankly. “You know, I've only been in the team for a few days...”

“I don't want the equipment I was looking at anymore!”

Evil Axe patted his chest heroically. “Everything is up to the Captain!”

“Evil Axe, don't force yourself, you know...”

“How could I!” Evil Axe immediately walked to the bartender, pulled the Halfling directly out of his arms, and said:

“Look Captain, I've already found one team member.”

The bartender didn't dare move at all, letting the hostage be pulled away by him.

“Halfling Drill Mouse, an Assassin by class, and a good hand at melee as well.” Evil Axe pulled Drill Mouse in front of Ronan, rubbing his face and prying open his mouth as if he were buying or selling a pet.

“He-Hello, Captain.” Drill Mouse greeted timidly.

“What's the relationship between you two?” Ronan suspected Evil Axe was playing favorites. What kind of 'good hand at melee' would be caught and held as a hostage?

“He's the little brother I took in.” Evil Axe raised his eyebrows.

“Not bad, Evil Axe, you're a big brother now.” Ronan teased. Favoritism confirmed.

“Captain, he's my little brother, I'm your little brother, and the little brother's little brother is also a little brother.”

Evil Axe emphasized that the team hierarchy must be strict, with no room for even the slightest overstepping.

“Let's go to the Adventurers Guild to activate the team status first.” Ronan was already planning how to use the points.

“What about these small fry?” Evil Axe glanced back at the Mercenaries, scaring them into taking a step back in unison.

“Big Brother, forget it. The City Guard will be here soon.” The most heavily injured one, Drill Mouse, spoke up, which surprised Ronan.

“Go back and tell that damn Viscount that when I have some free time, I'll go castrate him.”

Evil Axe gave a warning and then followed Ronan to the Adventurers Guild... “Alice, help me reactivate Team 408's latest status and enable the team point exchange.”

Ronan sat in front of Alice, while Evil Axe and Drill Mouse kept a wary eye on the surroundings.

“Certainly, Lord White Night.” Alice placed a thick book in front of him. “Your team status has been updated. This is today's latest list of exchangeable items.”

This book was so large and thick, yet it was just a list?

Ronan flipped it open; there were all sorts of categories.

Equipment, Skills, Materials, Potions, Intelligence, Knowledge... The Adventurers Guild's foundation was so deep... Ronan clicked his tongue and found what he wanted under the magic category: 0-Circle Spells.

The original owner's magical knowledge was all gathered in the book of magical knowledge. It looked extensive, but in reality, the original owner had only mastered three spells.

Aside from his most practiced Scorching Ray, he hadn't had time to slowly learn Wind Creation Spell or Mage Hand.

Of course, the main reason was that these two spells weren't very helpful to him at the moment, so their learning priority could be pushed back.

The effect of Wind Creation Spell was to generate a small wind mass at a designated location with a limited casting distance; it could generally only be used to prevent fall damage.

In contrast, Mage Hand had a broader range of utility but could not be used for combat.

What Ronan needed now was to diversify his attack methods or find auxiliary spells that could be paired with Scorching Ray.

A single Ray had limitations in complex combat and was easily countered or targeted.

Although he hadn't encountered such a situation yet, the battle with the Gargoyle had made him notice this, making him realize he should prepare for a rainy day.

“Elemental Flying Arrow, Healing Spell, Magic Shield, Fear Spell, Acid Splash, Mind Wedge, Earth Bind...”

Looking at the dazzling array of 0-Circle Spells, Ronan's heart remained calm.

“Is there an extra zero in the price here?” He pointed at the price listed behind Elemental Flying Arrow.

A mere 0-Circle Spell, Elemental Flying Arrow, actually cost as much as 10,000 points!

“That's correct, Lord White Night.” Alice had put on glasses at some point.

“You mean all 0-Circle Spells are the same price, all 10,000 points?” Ronan raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Of course not, Lord White Night.” Alice's answer made him breathe a sigh of relief.

“Some special 0-Circle Spells have prices that are adjusted based on market fluctuations.”

Alice, wearing glasses, smiled with a hint of seductive charm that wasn't there before. “The ones you're looking at now are all the lowest-priced ordinary spells.”

“Oh?” Ronan flipped through the thick catalog and didn't see the 'special 0-Circle Spells' she mentioned. “Where are they?”

“They are in another high-value exchange item list. Adventurers who haven't reached the required level can spend a certain amount of points to unlock reading permissions.”

Alice's eyes sparkled. “It costs 10,000 points. Shall I unlock the permissions for you, Lord White Night?”

“Give me Elemental Flying Arrow and Magic Shield.” Ronan instantly chose two spells.