Joining the Raid Team

Afternoon.

The sunlight lazily brushed the earth.

After taking Yang Lingxia, who was feeling unwell, home and making sure she was settled, Xu Shan and Xu Feng set off for the office of Piao Zhi Yong's raid team.

As befitted a team led by a C-Class Hunter, its office was far grander than Xu Feng had imagined.

It stood in a relatively quiet neighborhood and covered more than ten thousand square meters.

The main building was a simple, three-story structure finished in silver gray.

Behind it lay a wide, level training ground equipped with all kinds of gear. It was clearly a perk for the team members to use for their daily training.

When they stepped into the spacious, brightly lit lobby, the most eye-catching sight—aside from several clerical staff handling paperwork—was the group sitting on the sofas in the lounge ahead.

They sat in different poses, but every one of them gave off the distinctive air of someone seasoned in combat and not to be underestimated.

Four men and two women.

The leader was in his early forties, with a refined, scholarly face. He was none other than the raid team captain, Piao Zhi Yong.

He wore a pale blue-green mage's robe, its fabric faintly rippling with natural patterns. In his hand was a staff about half his height, its head set with interwoven blue and green gemstones that radiated a gentle but abundant flow of magic.

He looked every bit like a high-level mage straight out of an epic fantasy novel.

The other five were just as striking.

One burly man sat bare-chested, his muscles knotted beneath bronze-colored skin. A broad greatsword nearly as tall as him was slung across his back. Even seated, he had the weighty presence of an immovable mountain.

Another woman wore a fitted black leather hunting outfit that showed off her curvy figure. Her eyes were lively, with a hint of wildness.

Xu Feng could clearly sense a threat from them far greater than that of the Octopus Monsters he'd faced the night before.

That was the aura of people tempered by life-and-death battles—and the mark of formidable strength!

"Old Xu, you're here?"

Piao Zhi Yong rose first, greeting him with a warm smile as he clapped Xu Shan on the shoulder. Then he turned to Xu Feng and looked him over, admiration flashing in his eyes.

"So this is Xiao Feng? Just as I thought—handsome and full of spirit."

"Hello, Uncle Piao." Xu Feng gave him a suitably shy smile and greeted him politely.

As he studied the others, the raid team members also looked over their new arrival with interest.

"Oh, we're getting a new team member? And he's a handsome young man, too!"

The woman in the black leather outfit lit up. She lightly nudged the lively, lovely-faced woman beside her with an elbow and teased in a low voice, "Xiao Wen, what do you think? Is he your type?"

"Sister Na! What are you talking about?"

Two blushes bloomed on the young woman's cheeks. She gave Sister Na an embarrassed, annoyed little scoff and pretended to kick her, but the corner of her eye couldn't help drifting back to Xu Feng.

There was no denying that Xu Feng's tall frame and handsome looks made him easy to like at first sight.

He was only a hair less handsome than the readers.

Xu Shan exchanged a few more quiet words with Piao Zhi Yong, then nodded to Xu Feng and headed toward the supply-handling area on the other side of the office.

He still had work of his own to finish.

"Xiao Feng, these are the core members of our raid team.

"Come on, everyone, introduce yourselves and get acquainted." Piao Zhi Yong smiled and gestured.

Sensing Xu Feng's gaze, the burly man seated on the far left, the one with the greatsword on his back, grinned broadly and showed a row of white teeth. His voice boomed like a bell.

"Jin Shan, D-Class Intermediate Hunter, physical-type. I specialize in breaking through enemy lines and holding the front!" He thumped his solid chest, producing a dull thud.

Next, the slightly lean man beside him, dressed in a light gray mage's robe, pushed up his glasses and spoke evenly.

"Li Ze Yuan, D-Class Low-level Hunter, Earth Element Mage. I specialize in controlling the terrain and restricting enemies at medium to long range."

"Kuang Lei, D-Class High-level Hunter, Fire Element Mage." Another man, his face stern and his robe trimmed in red, kept it brief. "I handle long-range fire coverage and burst damage."

Luna leaned lazily against the sofa, her long legs crossed as she winked at Xu Feng.

"Luna, D-Class Intermediate Hunter, dedicated archer. Scouting, tracking targets, and precise mid-range takedowns are my specialties."

As she spoke, she put an arm around the lovely young woman beside her and added with a grin, "The sweetie next to me is Mai Xiao Wen, a D-Class Intermediate Hunter and Light Element Mage.

"She can use flash spells to control enemies at close range and provide solid healing support, too.

"So, impressive, right? Feeling smitten yet?"

Xu Feng blinked at that, then nodded earnestly. "Impressive!"

"Sister Na! Stop teasing me!" Mai Xiao Wen's face turned even redder. She pulled free of Luna's arm and glanced at Xu Feng, a little embarrassed, before explaining in a quiet voice, "Don't listen to Sister Na..."

Xu Feng's eyes held a smile, and his face remained friendly.

Mai Xiao Wen really was sweet-faced and lovely, with a clear, gentle air about her—the sort of person it was easy to like.

As for the attention she was giving him, he was already used to it. He'd received plenty of attention for his looks back in school.

He smoothly took his turn, speaking sincerely. "I'm new here, so I hope I can learn from all of you.

"My name is Xu Feng, but you can just call me Xiao Feng.

"I'm a D-Class Intermediate Hunter, physical-type. Right now, I lean more toward defense and close-quarters combat."

As he spoke, he opened the cloth bag he'd been carrying and took out several wool scarves in different colors and patterns, handing one to each of the six team members.

"My mother knitted these in her spare time. They're nothing expensive, but they're made from good materials and keep you warm in winter.

"It's just a small gift. I hope you don't mind."

After Yang Lingxia heard that her son was going to meet his teammates, she had specially dug them out and handed them to him, telling him to use them to build a closer rapport with the team.

"Oh, a gift, too! Xiao Feng, you're too kind!" Jin Shan laughed and accepted a dark brown scarf without hesitation. He held it up against his neck. "The weather's been getting chilly, too! Give my thanks to your mother!"

"That's thoughtful of you, Xiao Feng." Piao Zhi Yong also accepted a dark green scarf with a smile and nodded.

"Thank you." Li Ze Yuan and Kuang Lei accepted theirs politely as well.

"It's so pretty! Give my thanks to your mother!" Mai Xiao Wen held a cream-colored scarf, her eyes curving into crescents.

Luna toyed with a burgundy scarf and teased, "You're handsome and know how to make a good impression, Xiao Feng. You're definitely going to be popular on this team."

"It's only right. I'll be relying on you all from now on," Xu Feng replied modestly.

"Of course! Xiao Feng is one of us now. If anyone dares to bully you, they'll have to get past the weapons in our hands first!"

Jin Shan patted the greatsword on his back and spoke cheerfully. Then his eyes shifted toward Piao Zhi Yong.

"Captain, with a big happy occasion like a new member joining, shouldn't we arrange something tonight? Let's go out for a few drinks and celebrate!"

"Drinks, drinks, all you ever think about is drinking!" Piao Zhi Yong laughed and pretended to kick Jin Shan in the rear.

"Last time, when we tackled that D-Rank Mud Swamp Cave, someone got blackout drunk the night before. His legs were shaking the next day, and that Mud Pit Giant Crocodile nearly carried him off! And now you want to celebrate?"

"My legs weren't shaking! I just... I just made a tactical sidestep! My clothes barely got dirty!" Jin Shan's old face flushed as he stubbornly protested, though his eyes darted away guiltily. It seemed he resented the captain for exposing him in front of the newcomer.

"You're still trying to deny it?" Piao Zhi Yong pretended to kick him again, and Jin Shan immediately dodged with a cheeky grin.

Watching their easy, friendly banter, full of teasing but devoid of malice, Xu Feng's smile grew more genuine.

His father had been right. The relationships within the raid team led by Piao Zhi Yong really were good.

There was none of that backstabbing or deliberate hazing of newcomers that some novels described.

Thinking about it, that made sense.

When there was no fundamental conflict of interest, in a perilous underground dungeon, your teammates were your most reliable backup and the ones you depended on to stay alive.

Only someone with something wrong in their head would deliberately sour relations with their teammates.

A united, well-coordinated team clearly had a much higher chance of survival and mission success than a disorganized mob.

Ding—!