Task Sharing

He paused, then added, "Of course, some clients with deep pockets or good connections will directly request well-known squads they trust or have heard about through their accomplishments."

"Our Dragon Fang Squad was only just established, so we urgently need to complete a few challenging extermination requests to quickly build our reputation and credibility.

Only then can we get access to better sources of work."

He Xi understood what Hulk meant.

It made sense. The guild had probably set this requirement to stop reckless rookies who didn't know their limits from blindly taking on high-difficulty jobs and getting themselves killed, while also ensuring that important commissions were completed successfully.

As for the high-rank extermination requests that had been hanging on the wall for ages without anyone taking them, their targets were most likely entrenched deep in the Gray Mist Forest, powerful and cunning creatures that ordinary adventurers couldn't easily deal with.

Just then, He Xi suddenly remembered an important question he'd forgotten to ask Clara, the short-haired receptionist at the front desk.

"Captain Hulk, I wanted to ask: if we complete a commission as a team, how are individual contributions and rank advancements calculated?"

Hulk explained, "The captain handles the distribution. When it comes to advancing your adventurer rank, the guild mainly looks at the rewards you've accumulated.

"You're currently Black Iron Rank V. Once you've earned rewards worth a total of ten Silver Scales, you can advance to Black Iron IV.

"For team missions, when the captain submits the completion report, he also submits a proposed breakdown of everyone's share of the reward.

"The guild then uses that plan to credit each person with the corresponding contribution."

He smiled and joked, "Otherwise, as captain, I'd have to bring several extra purses. What a pain."

The warrior Belt thumped his chest and interjected with a hearty laugh, "Galen, you can rest easy! Our captain's an old-fashioned knight who sticks to the rules. Let me tell you, in our squad, we're always the ones trying to take advantage of him. He's never once shortchanged a brother!"

Hulk looked a little embarrassed by the praise. He cleared his throat to cover it, then returned to the point. "Galen, one of the commissions we've taken is to clear out a herd of Spined Boars threatening Stone Creek Village."

"Spined Boars?" He Xi repeated.

He knew of these monsters—

They were huge, extremely temperamental beasts with backs covered in razor-sharp spikes.

They were fiercely territorial and attacked any intruder without hesitation. Their tusks could rip open a belly, and they could shoot the spikes on their backs like arrows, making them tough opponents with both defensive and ranged offensive capabilities.

A hint of concern crossed He Xi's face.

"They don't sound easy to deal with..."

Hulk seemed to read his thoughts and explained, "Don't worry. According to the commission, only a small sounder of Spined Boars has taken over the water source. There should be between five and eight of them, with only one adult male. They won't be easy to handle, but with the right tactics, the risk is entirely manageable."

He Xi nodded to himself.

If there weren't too many of them, the Dragon Fang Squad's lineup should be up to the task.

It made him appreciate Hulk's leadership even more—

He was clear about his goals and didn't rush in blindly. He knew how to take things one step at a time. That was exactly the kind of survival wisdom an adventurer needed at the bottom rung.

He glanced over the others' equipment. It wasn't top-tier, but Belt's longsword and Laila's longbow were well-maintained and gleamed with a practical sheen.

That was the mark of smart people. They knew how to turn each payout into a better chance of success on their next mission, instead of blowing it all at a tavern after one good payday.

Working with teammates like these was undoubtedly reassuring.

As for the commission itself, Spined Boars offered a handsome reward, and they were also "walking stockpiles of materials."

Their tusks, spikes, hides, and even meat could all fetch a good price.

More importantly, for He Xi, this meant a chance to obtain a new [Trait]!

A monster capable of both defense and attack like this might drop a powerful defensive or offensive trait.

Of course, with only one sounder, whether it dropped anything—and what it dropped—would come down to luck.

After weighing it in his mind, He Xi nodded. "Sounds good. I'm in."

"Excellent!" Hulk smiled. "Then we'll meet at the town's West Gate tomorrow morning and set out for Stone Creek Village. It's about a day's journey from Rose Town, so remember to bring basic provisions and travel supplies."

Then he turned to the other three, his tone growing serious. "Now, down to business. Our Dragon Fang Squad was only just formed, and to get used to working together, the first mission we took was to clear out some Demonic Wolves."

Hulk glanced at He Xi, as if explaining things to him. "The four of us completed that mission, but it wasn't easy. There were more wolves than the intel suggested, and they were fast and hard to deal with. Belt and Laila were both injured, and Zoya had to expend a lot of energy covering them."

"We used up an entire bottle of Healing Potion treating our wounds. That's why I was so eager to find someone at the guild today—we need a mage who can effectively control and attack multiple enemies at once, to make up for our squad's shortcomings."

After explaining what had happened, Hulk turned back to Belt and Laila. "Since that was our first team mission, consider the Healing Potion you borrowed from me a welcome gift from your captain. You don't have to pay me back."

Belt and Laila's eyes lit up.

But Hulk's voice immediately turned stern as he changed tack. "That said, let's be clear about one thing.

"For this mission, everyone has to bring their own emergency supplies!

"I won't insist that every one of you bring a Healing Potion, but you must at least pack enough Hemostatic Bandages and Basic Herbs!

"I don't want to see anyone going into battle empty-handed again, expecting me to supply them!"

Zoya, the scout who'd been silent all this time, gave a slight nod. In a flash, she slipped soundlessly into the crowd on the street corner, apparently off to buy supplies.

The warrior Belt chuckled and scratched his head. "Got it, got it~ Hehe, you're the best, Captain! I'll borrow from you again next time..."

Hulk shot him an exasperated look. "You were the one who got bitten the worst last time! Borrow again, and I'll take it straight out of your reward. You won't even get the contribution needed to rank up!"

"Come on, Captain!" Belt immediately pulled a long face. "I'll go buy some right now! Ten bottles!"

It was obviously an exaggerated joke.

Basic Healing Potions were extremely expensive. For a fledgling squad like theirs, pooling their money to stock even one bottle in case of emergency was already quite an accomplishment.

With that, he tugged Laila along. She'd still been curiously eyeing Bruce as they headed toward the southwest corner of the town center.

Even after they'd walked some distance away, they could still faintly hear Laila complaining, "It's all because of that big mouth of yours! You just had to praise him as some old-fashioned knight who sticks to the rules. Now you've gone and brought out what little cleverness he had left."

Hulk shook his head helplessly, then said to He Xi, "Come on, Galen. Let's head back to the guild together. We need to temporarily register your adventurer's badge under the Dragon Fang Squad so the guild can add the team mission's completion record and reward distribution to your personal file."

"Sure." He Xi nodded.

He looked at Hulk, built like a mountain, then thought of the teammates with their varied personalities. He found himself looking forward to the upcoming mission.