Temporary Team-Up

Most of the rewards ranged from a few dozen Copper Nails to a few Silver Scales, with almost none exceeding 5 Silver Scales.

In contrast, He Xi couldn't help but sigh again at how generous the Gold Shield Annis had casually given him was, enough to complete this entire wall of Black Iron commissions and still have some left over.

He naturally had no interest in these trivial commissions.

The reason wasn't just the meager rewards; it was mainly because he needed to kill monsters to obtain more potential traits.

Whether it was [Swarm Leader] or [Bloodline Solidification], they had made him realize that as long as they were used reasonably, each trait could play its unique role.

Moreover, he could equip excess traits to Bruce, enhancing the companion's combat power.

There were very few Black Iron level monster extermination commissions, and He Xi only saw a few.

"[Exterminate] Giant Field Mice in the Eastern Farm, charged by tail, 2 Copper Nails each."

"[Exterminate] Sharp-beaked Birds in the Southern Quarry, charged by beak, 5 Copper Nails each."

These commission parchments were slightly larger than others, with a thorny rose emblem stamped on the upper right corner.

He Xi noticed similar commissions in the Bronze and Silver areas.

"These must be long-term commissions issued by Rose Town officially."

"Unfortunately, the rewards for these low-level extermination commissions are calculated by kill count. I estimate the popular areas have already been repeatedly scoured clean."

After searching the commission wall for a long time, He Xi still couldn't find a satisfactory commission.

He suddenly remembered what he had seen at the guild entrance before coming in, so he turned and walked towards the exit.

As expected, the plaza in front of the guild entrance was crowded with people.

"Looking for a Ranger! Proficient with a longbow! Departing immediately!"

"Bronze Self-Strengthening Squad recruiting ranged firepower, beginners welcome, as long as you can harass and kite!"

Just as He Xi had thought, this was a place for temporary team formation.

Many commissions couldn't be completed by one person alone, and the rewards were relatively generous.

Lone wolves without fixed teams, or small teams temporarily missing members, would come here to find temporary teammates.

Seeing He Xi walk out with his brand-new Black Iron badge pinned to him, a warrior in chainmail, holding a longsword, immediately approached him.

"Hey, kid! New here? Want to join our team? We're short a good ranged attacker! You've got a dog with you too."

Before he could finish speaking, another person with a golden beard, holding a poleaxe, squeezed in.

"Join our team! We're going to clear out a wolf pack! Just help slow them down, otherwise, those beasts run too fast! You take thirty percent of the commission reward, and the rest of us four will split it!"

He Xi first politely shook his head at the chainmail warrior: "Sorry, I'm not a Ranger."

Then, he looked at the golden-bearded warrior. To his surprise, the other's enthusiasm immediately waned upon hearing he wasn't a Ranger.

The golden-bearded man's gaze swept over the ordinary dagger at He Xi's waist, and he scoffed, "Tch, not a Ranger huh... Rogues should just stick to picking locks and finding lost cats and dogs. That kind of work is safe and suitable for you."

After speaking, he prepared to turn and leave.

"Do you have to be a Ranger?" He Xi asked, "Don't you just need someone to slow down the wolf pack?"

Before he finished speaking, his mind moved.

Poof!

A sharp earth spike, half a meter tall, erupted from the cracks between the stone slabs at the golden-bearded warrior's feet without warning, stopping less than a finger's width from his boots.

The golden-bearded man was startled by the sudden event, his whole body trembling. He abruptly turned to look at He Xi, his eyes filled with shock: "Mage?!"

The commotion here immediately drew the attention of everyone in the plaza.

"Hey, look over there! It's a Mage!"

"A wild Mage? Am I seeing things? Running into a Mage at the temporary team-up spot by the entrance?"

Just as Clara, the receptionist, had said, spellcasters were a rare species among the adventurers in all of Rose Town.

Even if there were any, most already had their own fixed teams, or had long been recruited by powerful small teams.

Among the low-level adventurers, the vast majority were warriors and rogues, and even Rangers weren't that numerous.

The golden-bearded warrior, who had been disdainful moments ago, immediately crowded back, his face a mask of awkward yet eager smiles:

"Please, join our team!"

Before he could finish, three other people beside him, wearing matching leather armor and looking like a small team, also gathered around, speaking one after another:

"Ignore him, little Mage. Come to our Clover team! The three of us brothers have top-notch defense. We'll surround you, keeping you safe while you cast, and we can negotiate the reward."

Seeing others trying to poach, and knowing more people were eyeing him from nearby, the golden-bearded man quickly raised his offer: "Forty percent! You take forty percent of the reward! Join our team!"

For him, having a Mage in the team meant they could take on some high-reward commissions they wouldn't have dared to consider before.

Giving up an extra ten percent was a sure profit!

Just as several groups were arguing heatedly, a tall person clad in full chainmail walked over:

"Little Mage, come to our team. To be frank, these rookies in front of you probably lack the experience and ability to protect a spellcaster thoroughly."

"Hey! Who are you calling a rookie, you brat?!" the golden-bearded man was about to retort.

"Shh... keep it down, that's the Immovable Mountain, Hulk!" someone next to him whispered.

Golden Beard immediately fell silent when he saw the person's equipment and a shining silver badge on their chest.

The Knight called Hulk ignored everyone else and focused his gaze on He Xi.

"My name is Hulk, and as you can see, I'm a Knight," he said, pointing to the person beside him. "This friend here just introduced my nickname. We're short a spellcaster for our team. Interested in chatting?"

Compared to those hastily assembled, unreliable-looking teams, He Xi naturally leaned more towards the Knight named Hulk before him.

Judging by his equipment, presence, and the reactions of those around him, this was a truly capable Adventurer.

This was exactly the kind of "punching bag" quality a fragile Mage desperately needed.

Hearing him say he was a Knight, He Xi involuntarily thought of a certain maiden Knight who blushed easily when nervous.

I wonder how Isla is doing now...

However, at the moment, improving his own strength was the most important thing.

Only by becoming strong enough himself would he have more opportunities to reunite and make choices in the future.

"Hello, Mr. Hulk," He Xi replied politely. "My name is Galen. What kind of quests does your team usually take?"

Hulk extended his iron-gloved hand and gently shook He Xi's. "Mostly extermination quests. We can discuss the specifics as we walk. I'll take you to meet my teammates first; I need to confirm their opinions too."