This time, the other party didn't reject him outright.
Xiao Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like it's because I didn't use honorifics last time."
Damn it, did he even know that the person who'd sent him a request was the only player in the game with a God-Tier Skill?
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Fan realized he'd been rejected again.
Xiao Fan: ...
At least the other party replied this time.
"Sorry, the Night Blade Mercenary Group hasn't been taking jobs lately. We posted a message about it in the World Channel a couple of days ago."
Xiao Fan was dumbfounded.
He hadn't left the Novice Zone yet, so he couldn't see the World Channel at all.
"Why couldn't they make an exception for a new player and post about it on the Game Forum?" Xiao Fan fumed.
When he'd decided to contact the Night Blade Mercenary Group, he hadn't bothered to remember any information about other mercenary groups.
Now the Night Blade Mercenary Group wasn't taking jobs, and he couldn't leave the game. How was he supposed to hire mercenaries to find his uncle?
Xiao Fan was on the verge of tears.
"I should've memorized the IDs of a few more mercenary groups before entering the game."
"What do I do now?"
His uncle's situation was urgent, and he had no idea how to contact any other mercenary groups.
Xiao Fan paced back and forth anxiously.
"Maybe I should ask Wind Snow Traveler? He's been in the game for so many years. He might know something about mercenary groups."
With that thought, Xiao Fan hurried out of the house and ran toward Wind Snow Traveler's place.
Wind Snow Traveler had only just returned home after making a round of the Novice Village. Before he could even step into his courtyard, he saw Xiao Fan rushing over in a panic.
"What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Wind Snow Traveler asked in surprise.
Xiao Fan stopped and panted as he asked, "I've got an urgent matter. Do you know any mercenary groups in the game? Preferably one with a high ranking."
Wind Snow Traveler looked troubled. "Sorry, Jiu Chen. I really don't know much about that."
Although he hadn't joined the game particularly late, he'd been in the Novice Zone the whole time. How could he have any connection to mercenary groups?
Xiao Fan persisted. "What about anyone else? Does anyone know?"
Wind Snow Traveler shook his head. "You know what Zone 18 is like. To put it bluntly, the people who come here don't have good family circumstances in real life. They wouldn't know any mercenary groups."
Xiao Fan's whole body sagged.
"Sorry to bother you. I've got something else to do, so I'll be going." Xiao Fan turned and left, disappointed.
Is there really no way? I promised my aunt before I came. Now I can't find a mercenary group, and I can't contact my family. If something happens to my uncle because of this...
Xiao Fan's face paled. He felt utterly helpless and didn't dare think any further.
"Are you looking for a mercenary group?"
Just as Xiao Fan was losing hope, a cool female voice came from behind him.
Xiao Fan turned around and froze.
"It's her?"
The familiar black clothes belonged to the girl from Zone 1!
This was the first time Xiao Fan had seen her whole face.
Her skin was smooth as jade, her lips red and her teeth white. Her eyes were beautiful, but frighteningly cold.
Before, Xiao Fan had only ever seen her curled up in a corner, giving the impression that she was small and frail. Now he realized she was over 1.68 meters tall. Her tight black outfit accentuated her curvaceous figure, giving her a cold, unapproachable air.
She was the most beautiful girl Xiao Fan had seen since arriving on Blue Star. No contest.
Of course, none of that was the point.
The point was that the girl had just asked whether he was looking for a mercenary group. She'd obviously overheard his conversation with Wind Snow Traveler.
Xiao Fan suddenly remembered that the girl in front of him was from Novice Village Zone 1. Players there usually had powerful families backing them. She probably knew how to contact some mercenary groups, which was why she'd come over.
"That's right. Do you have the contact information for any mercenary groups?" Xiao Fan asked eagerly, as if he'd grabbed hold of his last lifeline.
"I have the contact information for the top ten mercenary groups in the Dragon Nation Zone."
The Black-Clad Girl's expression remained cold as she spoke, but Xiao Fan didn't care about that at all.
"What do you need a mercenary for? I can recommend a suitable group," the Black-Clad Girl continued.
They didn't know each other, yet the Black-Clad Girl was willing to help him. Xiao Fan felt a surge of gratitude.
There really were a lot of good people in the world.
But the very next second, he heard the girl's bone-chilling voice. "However, you have to agree to do one thing for me."
Xiao Fan: "..." He took back his gratitude.
Even the finest people could be defeated by money.
For his uncle's sake, he couldn't afford to worry about anything else.
"What is it?" Xiao Fan asked.
"You have to agree to let me join your team." The Black-Clad Girl blurted it out without hesitation, clearly having thought it over already.
Xiao Fan agreed without a second thought.
As his level increased, his team's lineup had started to fall behind. He'd already planned to recruit someone. What did it matter who he brought along?
Besides, the girl in front of him had once been a genius player in Zone 1.
Xiao Fan's quick agreement surprised the Black-Clad Girl. "You agreed without even asking about me?"
"Doesn't matter. I'll be there, after all." Xiao Fan shrugged.
The Black-Clad Girl couldn't help rolling her eyes. How could someone be so confident?
But then she remembered that the person in front of her might have two Heaven-Tier Skills at level five, something that had never happened since the game descended. She decided he had reason to be arrogant.
"A relative of mine went missing in the game. I want to hire a mercenary group to find him," Xiao Fan said frankly.
At that, the Black-Clad Girl immediately replied, "For finding people, I recommend the Night Blade Mercenary Group. Their leader, Ye Bugu, has a special skill that makes finding people easy."
Xiao Fan shook his head. "Are there any other mercenary groups?"
The Black-Clad Girl raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a grudge against Night Blade?"
Xiao Fan: "I contacted them earlier, but their business representative said they weren't taking jobs lately."
"Is that so?" The Black-Clad Girl rubbed her chin. "I'm friends with Ye Bugu. Want me to ask him why?"
Xiao Fan: "..." Sometimes, he really envied other people's connections.
"Then thanks in advance." Xiao Fan didn't stand on ceremony.
The Black-Clad Girl tapped at the air repeatedly, apparently messaging Ye Bugu.
A moment later, she looked up at Xiao Fan. "Ye Bugu reached level 60 a couple of days ago. These days, he's preparing to create his twelfth skill. Until he creates it, the Night Blade Mercenary Group won't take this job."
"So that's why." Xiao Fan frowned. "Can you recommend another good mercenary group?"
The Black-Clad Girl hesitated for a moment before answering honestly. "There are lots of mercenary groups, but Cloud Sea is dangerous. Most missing people don't last long enough for a mercenary group to find them. Night Blade has the highest rate of finding people alive. Other groups take search jobs regardless of whether the target is alive or dead."
Hearing the Black-Clad Girl say that, Xiao Fan grew even more anxious.
In this situation, every second he wasted made his uncle's predicament more dangerous.
"Can you talk to Ye Bugu and ask him to search for my uncle first? I can pay double the Core Power."
The Black-Clad Girl shook her head. "I already asked him. He refused. You know how important skills are to players. At a time like this, Ye Bugu won't give up time he needs to create a skill just for some Core Power."
"Create a skill?" Xiao Fan's eyes lit up.
"If I help him create a Heaven-Tier Skill, would he help me find someone?"
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