YM778.TV Chapter 120: Selection (2)
"Mr. Freya. It\'s a pleasure."
"Rel, it\'s good to see you," he chuckled.
"So, I hear my choice of skill books wasn\'t quite to your liking. But that book Mateo has… that ended up in the ring quite by accident, didn\'t it?"
The Book Of Equaliser.
The legendary, unlearnable skill.
In my novel, its sole purpose was to remind readers that even someone like the overpowered Jan had limits.
I never intended for anyone to actually get their hands on it.
But here it was, dangling in front of me.
The gamble was too tempting.
There was no certainty I could learn it or should learn it in any case.
What this ability is, is that it is the ultimate ability.
"Well, if I\'m being honest," I said slowly, "that\'s the only book that caught my interest."
Mateo shot me a glare of pure disgust. "Arrogant brat" – I couldn\'t blame him. He was right.
"Hmm." Gerrard paused a thoughtful glint in his eye.
"Can\'t say I\'m surprised. But, I\'m not sure I can give it to you. A dear friend passed it down to me, you see. Mages had a go at it, couldn\'t make heads or tails of the thing, but they sensed it was…special. I kept it, hoping my daughter would take after my side of the family. But as you know, the sword calls to her."
Everything he said was true.
Garrick Florentina, the great hero, stumbled upon countless dungeons during his S-Rank missions.
That was until he encountered the dungeon that comes once in a generation.
The Abyss Of A Thousand Worlds.
The Abyss of a Thousand Worlds – meant for the strongest, or the most ruthless.
Filled with monsters ripped from other realities.
And its rewards... they lived up to the danger.
That\'s how Garrick found the Equalizer, buried deep in its heart.
"Ah, I see. Then there\'s no chance, right?" There was a sting of disappointment, but I kept my voice neutral. Of course Gerrard wasn\'t just going to hand it over.
He paused, a thoughtful frown tugging at his face. Then, a sigh. "You know, Rel, I might, just might, be willing to part with the book. On one condition."
"Really?" The excitement was hard to contain. He wasn\'t saying no outright!
"Yes. But… it\'s a big ask. No one else can learn this skill, and I don\'t want to put you off, but… you can decide. I won\'t force you."
Big ask? I could handle it. Unless it was something completely insane, this was my chance. "Tell me. What\'s the condition?"
If it\'s a special condition then I would have to at least hear him out on this one.
there are endless possibilities to what he could say but I\'m hoping it won\'t be too absurd of an offer.
"Join the mercenary corps."
"...!"
What?
Join the mercenary corps?
Owned by Jaxon Cain?
No... wait... this was way off from my original plan.
I was going to make a guild of my own but... joining the mercenary corps wasn\'t bad either.
"Could I ask a reason why I have to join?"
"Yes, I suppose you have a right to know at least." Gerrard shrugged through the projection
"I still owe Jaxon Cain a favour from way back. His Corps has been bleeding talent lately, high-risk jobs taking a toll. He asked me for interns, but I always uphold my agreements with those I sponsor. This might be too much, but if you can fill the role of… let\'s say, several missing members, then the book is yours." A pause. "This is a lot to process.
Potential on your level is rare, and the book… well, it\'s worth a gamble. Think it over. We can revisit the offer another time."
FWANG!
[Saga Quest Has Been Detected...]
[Loading information...]
[Saga Quest: Through Hell And Back...]
[Warning taking on this quest will have consequences...]
[Are you willing to proceed with this quest, Mr Axel?]
DING!
[Saga Quest has been accepted!]
[Saga Quest: Through Hell And Back... - Duration 3 Years]
[Quest Information: Prove yourself to Jaxon Cain that you are worthy of being the chosen one, sent by Gerrard Freya. Achieve the goals of a mercenary and go beyond these expectations. Return to Gerrard Freya as a \'Great Mercenary\']
[Rewards: 50,000 PPP - 25,000 BP - 10,000 QP, Special Ability Upgrades: 2 Normal Ability Upgrades: 4]
Three years... for all that.
Another sigh escaped me.
Why was I even surprised anymore?
But the book – was everything I wanted.
I was willing to endure it, to walk through fire if I had to.
"Fine by me."
Gerrard blinked in surprise. "So quick? No hesitation?"
A grim smile twisted my lips. This was it. No time for second-guessing.
"My mind\'s made up."
"Well, colour me surprised," Gerrard said, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
"Thought you\'d need more convincing. But if you\'re certain, then I\'ll get everything sorted. You\'ll be under the banner of a Miracle Affiliate, but not a full-fledged member. Understand?"
"Of course," I said. Guilds could wait. This was a detour, not a dead end.
Once my time as a mercenary was through, I\'d be able to become a guildmaster in due time so that I\'d have the authority to buy dungeons, and amass resources… power.
I needed everything I could get – allies, sponsors, everything.
"Hand over your contact details to Mateo," Gerrard continued, "and I\'ll have someone get in touch. The actual start date is out of my hands – Jaxon will coordinate your assignments. I\'ll let you know when it\'s time."
I nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Freya."
Shortly after, Mateo left with my contact details and the books – Equaliser included.
Hard to believe I was about to become a mercenary.
But it wasn\'t all bad.
There were valuable figures in Jaxon Cain\'s ranks…
The two most important ones are Christan Kaiser and Vanessa Evangeline.
This destructive duo was pivotal to his missions.
Christian, charismatic but overpowered, was the dark mirror to Vanessa\'s cold demeanour – classic good cop, bad cop setup.
Yet, with his undercover persona, he was already one of the world\'s destructive forces, currently unknown to both Quadra and the Heroes Association.
Christian was a good guy... for the first half of the story.
But the destruction of the towers changed everything.
The Heroes Association\'s incompetence and abandonment of the mission led to the downfall of the Mercenary Corps.
With Vanessa dead and nothing left to lose, Christian joined Quadra\'s top brass – Vladimir Bane, Morwen Cross, Cyran Gray, and Drakon Salazar.
This turned him into Jan\'s ultimate enemy. Their final clash would be brutal, forcing Jan to cross a line he never imagined.
Of course, I\'ll need to change things for someone of Christian\'s calibre.
He\'s destined to rival Jan, a prodigy on track to become one of the world\'s 4 Major Powers.
Vanessa, though... I made her a potential love interest for Jan, but it wasn\'t the right fit.
Besides, her swordsmanship was already at Valencia\'s level, honed by countless fights against Quadra.
The two were the ultimate mercenaries through and through.
____________
{Axel Saint Rel Laurence STATS:}
Age: 17
Talent: Marksman Of Weaponry [Grade 8][...]
Affinity: Flame, Water
>Health: 98
>Strength: 59
>Stamina: 64.5
>Speed: 73
Evasiveness: 3.25% Stat will trigger only in situations when the chances of an attack that is deemed improbable to dodge occur if so Speed stat is enhanced by percentage 2x.
Intelligence:? [Unlocks after theory exam]
Mana: B+ to recover all mana takes one full day.
[Special Stats:]
Archer: 4/10
Luck: 51.08%
Precision: 46% - your shots are more likely to hit opponents in critical areas, If shots end up missing your current percentage will be cut in half to re-direct to attempt another hit.**_
Tenacity: 3.45% Stat will trigger dire situations that are deemed too much to handle increasing your willpower [Hidden Stat] and mental health 5x._
Precision Control: 1/10 Any object thrown or shot can be converted into a projectile. A higher value in this stat signifies an increased ability to manipulate objects more effectively at a quicker pace.
[Special Abilities:] Deadeye Grade 9 - Can shoot from 5km radius, Sixth Sense Grade 9 - Instincts are amplified, Aura Concealment Grade 8, Clockwork of Time Grade 3 slows down time for a few seconds, Mitigation\'s Phenomena [Grade 1]
Abilities: Piercing Shot [Grade 10], Vulnerability Reader [Grade 8] able to predict weak points within the opponent as time goes on, Quick Shot [Grade 9]faster shot, Projectile Disarm [Grade 4]
Passive Abilities: Perceptive Mind
**Items owned: **[Grade 2 [???] Cloak of Invisibility - Condition: Very Good - Enchantments: Evasive Charm: IV, Thornmail: III, Elemental Shielding: III]****
_____________
Authors Notes:
- Gerrard\'s side of the family were previously known for being mages.
- Christian Kaiser\'s elemental attributes: Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Sound, Steel,
- Vanessa\'s elemental attributes: Gravity, Darkness, Earth
- Morwen\'s Ultimate Ability: Veil of Eternal Twilight: Morwen conjures an all-encompassing veil of eternal twilight, shrouding the battlefield in impenetrable darkness. Within this realm, Morwen gains heightened control over shadows, blood, and lightning. The veil distorts perceptions, making it challenging for opponents to discern reality from illusion.