Entering

Iron Shield stepped forward, his voice steady. "I'm the party leader, Lv.4. Are you the Mage who applied just now?"

"Yes."

Su Ran nodded, his tone even. "Lv.3, Mage."

Following the usual practice, he briefly demonstrated an [Energy Missile] forming at his fingertip and mentioned that he had [Light Spell] and [Lesser Healing Spell], as well as the Tiger Might Headband's crowd-control effect.

His introduction was concise, with no unnecessary chatter or deliberate showing off of his equipment.

"Nice equipment." Iron Shield was blunt. "Which guild are you from? Or does your family have connections?"

His question was direct, a common way for a pickup party to learn about a teammate's background and assess their reliability and potential risks.

A teammate with a major guild behind them might have more disciplined combat habits and better logistical awareness, but they might also prioritize guild orders over the party's interests at a critical moment.

Su Ran shook his head. "No guild. I'm a solo player. The equipment came from luck and what I'd saved up before." He wasn't lying; he had simply left out the details.

A solo player? Surprise flashed in the eyes of several party members. A solo Lv.3 Mage could afford an outfit like that?

His luck was a little too good. But they didn't press the matter. Everyone in a pickup party had secrets, and as long as those secrets didn't affect their cooperation, no one would dig to the bottom of them.

"Understood."

Iron Shield nodded and turned to the woman priest beside him. "Xiaoya, check his Spirit attribute and mana fluctuations. Get a rough idea of his magical strength and condition."

This was standard procedure when a pickup party recruited a magic user, especially a Mage who claimed to be low-level.

The level of a person's Spirit directly affected spell power and endurance, while the stability of their mana fluctuations concerned casting safety and whether they had any hidden ailments, had recently suffered severe mental trauma, or had experienced mana disorder.

The woman priest named Xiaoya stepped forward and gave Su Ran a slight nod. "Relax. Don't resist."

She raised the short staff in her hand. A milky-white crystal at its tip glowed faintly, giving off a ring of soft, pure spiritual energy that gently swept toward Su Ran like ripples.

This was a simplified application of [Detect Aura], mainly used to sense a target's spiritual strength, energy nature, and general condition. It was a basic, noninvasive form of detection.

Su Ran cooperatively relaxed his mental defenses, maintaining only his most basic vigilance.

The gentle ripples of spiritual energy touched his body, particularly around his head.

The next moment, a look of barely concealed astonishment suddenly appeared on Priest Xiaoya's calm face.

The hand holding her short staff trembled slightly, and the milky-white crystal's light flickered irregularly a few times.

"What is it?" Iron Shield immediately sensed something was wrong and asked in a deep voice.

Priest Xiaoya took a deep breath and withdrew her short staff. She looked at Su Ran with extreme astonishment, even a touch of disbelief. "His... his spiritual strength... is extremely high!

"It's far above the normal level for an ordinary Lv.3 or even Lv.4 Mage!"

"How much exactly?" The Bladedancer couldn't help pressing for an answer.

Xiaoya hesitated and looked at Su Ran, seemingly asking for his permission. A specific number like that was private information.

Su Ran's expression remained unchanged. He nodded, indicating she could tell them.

Although 16 Spirit was high, it wasn't enough to attract any serious covetous attention. Instead, it could prove his value.

"If my senses aren't mistaken..." Xiaoya's voice held a hint of amazement. "His Spirit attribute is at least 16 points!"

"16 points?!"

"Hiss..."

Iron Shield, the Bladedancer, and the rogue all sucked in a cold breath almost at the same time. The way they looked at Su Ran changed completely.

Since their previous teammate had also been a Mage and had abandoned the party, they knew something about Mage attributes.

An ordinary Lv.3 Mage generally had around 11–12 Spirit, while a Lv.4 might have 13–14. 16 Spirit!

That was a full 4 points higher than the average Mage of the same level! "Good" wasn't enough to describe it. He was practically a natural-born prodigy!

It meant deeper mana reserves, more powerful spells, and steadier control over his casting!

No wonder his equipment was so good... With that kind of talent for Spirit, as long as he didn't die young, it made perfect sense that some faction would take an interest in him or that he could save up the resources to buy good equipment himself!

The scrutiny in Iron Shield's eyes quickly gave way to regard and a hint of delight.

A well-equipped Lv.3 Mage with astonishing talent for Spirit joining the party would undoubtedly be a tremendous help on this trip to the [Abandoned Watchtower]!

"Good! Excellent!"

Iron Shield clapped his hands firmly. "Welcome to the party, Mage Su Ran. You'll be our main ranged damage dealer. Provide lighting and healing support when needed, and use your crowd-control skill on my command."

The Bladedancer and the rogue also looked at Su Ran with greater approval and a hint of anticipation.

A powerful teammate meant greater clearing efficiency and better protection.

Priest Xiaoya, meanwhile, smiled at Su Ran in a friendly manner, curiosity in her eyes.

"The basics are confirmed."

Iron Shield looked around at everyone. "Our target is the [Abandoned Watchtower (Normal)]. We'll clear it fast, avoiding high-risk traps wherever possible, with the goal of clearing the main monsters and obtaining treasure chests.

"Loot will be distributed according to contribution. I'll settle any disputes. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Good, let's go!"

The newly assembled five-person party left the Old Oak Tree and headed toward the entrance to the [Abandoned Watchtower (Normal)].

Walking with the party, Su Ran could feel his new teammates sizing him up and treating him with a measure of regard.

He knew that his 16 Spirit, combined with his excellent equipment, had already secured him a foothold in this temporary party.

Next came the test of actual combat.

The temporary party stepped through the entrance portal to the [Abandoned Watchtower (Normal)]. The surroundings instantly changed from open wilderness to a gloomy corridor covered in slippery moss and broken bricks and stones.

The air was thick with the smell of rust, rotting wood, and a faint, unsettling trace of negative energy. In the distance, metallic scraping and hollow whimpers could be faintly heard.

The experienced Iron Shield immediately assigned tasks: the rogue would scout ahead and check for traps;

the heavily armored warrior and the Bladedancer would follow close behind to deal with sudden fights; Priest Xiaoya would stay in the middle, supporting both the front and rear;

as the main ranged fighter, Su Ran was protected in a position slightly farther back, responsible for fire support and dealing with special situations.

Combat soon began. The first wave of enemies they encountered consisted of four [Decayed Sentry Undead], dressed in tattered leather armor and carrying rusted blades, with eerie blue soul flames flickering in their eye sockets.

Their movements were stiff, but their blows were heavy and powerful.

The rogue nimbly dodged the first attack and marked one of them. Iron Shield charged forward with a low growl, shield raised, knocking two sentries' attacks off course.

The Bladedancer cut in from the flank like a cheetah, his long saber as swift as a gale as he slashed at the marked target's joints.