Chapter 301

"Creak—"

Enri opened the wooden door and looked outside curiously. It was already nearing evening, and she had no idea who would be here at this hour.

The first person to cross her mind was Mr. Pavel, the "Night Watchman." Those terrifying eagle-like eyes of his always made her feel a bit uneasy.

However, what came into view was...

A middle-aged man who didn't look particularly old, but whose hair was already graying and who had fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Seeing Enri open the door, the middle-aged man forced a smile onto his worried face: "Is your team leader in? I am the Guild Master of the 'Kalinsha' Adventurer Guild."

"Guild Master!"

Enri was somewhat surprised and quickly opened the door fully.

The middle-aged man nodded gently at Enri, lifted his feet to shake off the mud from his shoes, and strode into the room.

Following the commotion at the door...

Tang Zheng looked up from the book in his hands, glanced at the middle-aged man who had walked in with surprise, and spoke in astonishment: "Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin?"

Due to the Holy Kingdom's universal conscription system, citizens with real strength and talent would choose to join the military, which indirectly resulted in the Adventurer Guild having a very low presence in the Holy Kingdom.

However, as an adventurer, Tang Zheng had naturally visited the Adventurer Guild when he first arrived in the Holy Kingdom, so he recognized this Guild Master.

"Lord Tang."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin looked at the surprised Tang Zheng, a bitter smile appearing on his worried face. He opened his mouth, wanting to reminisce or find a suitable opening, but realized they weren't actually that familiar:

"There are two 'Steel-Rank' commissions!"

His straightforward words, combined with a serious and solemn tone, left no doubt about the severity of the commissions.

The air in the room went briefly silent.

The Cuiye Witch opened her eyes and looked over, and even Enri subconsciously clenched her palms.

"Steel-Rank" commissions were the highest level of commission tasks in the Adventurer Guild, and there were two of them at once.

*Tap! *

Tang Zheng's gentle smile paused. He set down the book in his hand and spoke slowly: "It seems something incredible has happened, Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin."

"For you, the Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild, to come here in person... so, one of these two 'Steel-Rank' commission tasks is an emergency commission from the Adventurer Guild, right?"

"Emergency commissions" were a relatively rare type of commission in the Adventurer Guild. Generally, those with higher commission ranks were mostly issued by the local Adventurer Guild itself.

According to adventurer ranks, "Gold-Rank" adventurers could indeed reach this threshold, but "Gold-Rank" adventurers were not qualified to accept "Steel-Rank" emergency commissions.

However, that referred to ordinary adventurer teams.

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin was very clear that, apart from that ordinary girl named Enri, the strength of the other two had long since reached the Steel-Rank level.

"That's right."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin nodded heavily.

"And the other commission?"

"Although these two 'Steel-Rank' commissions are slightly different, their objective is the same."

"Lord Tang, your team is the only one in the entire Holy Kingdom qualified and capable of accepting this commission. From the standpoint of the Holy Kingdom's Adventurer Guild, I hope your team will accept it."

"But from the perspective of an individual and the entire Adventurer Guild..." Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin emphasized his tone here:

"Be cautious, be extremely cautious!"

"This matter is very dangerous; it has reached a level that cannot be solved by individual martial prowess alone."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin looked at Tang Zheng earnestly, offering a warning without any reservation.

The relationship between the Adventurer Guild and adventurers was cooperative and close, especially regarding powerful adventurers or special talents with excellent abilities.

The Adventurer Guild had a duty to protect them to prevent unnecessary losses of strong individuals and talent!

Facing this unusually solemn atmosphere...

Tang Zheng raised his arms, spread his palms, and said somewhat helplessly: "Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin, although the situation you've described so far is very serious, I still don't know what kind of commission it actually is."

"Would you be able to inform me of the specific details and circumstances?"

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin first shook his head slightly, then nodded: "According to the simple intelligence gathered by the Adventurer Guild, this matter is overly complex, plus there are issues of influence."

"If Lord Tang chooses to accept the commission, I will inform you personally; if you do not accept, it remains confidential!"

A flash of realization crossed Tang Zheng's eyes. No wonder Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin had warned him like that just now.

"Ha."

Tang Zheng laughed peacefully instead, his gaze gradually becoming serious: "Now that you put it that way, I'm actually even more curious."

"Are you sure, Lord Tang?"

"That's right."

Hearing this answer, Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin felt a mix of complexity and slight relief. He took a parchment scroll with a faint magical reaction from his bosom and handed it over:

"This is the content of the commission."

Tang Zheng took the parchment scroll and opened it with a slight force; the magical reaction on it immediately dissipated.

"A magical means of maintaining confidentiality."

Tang Zheng sensed the dissipating magic and thought to himself, his gaze falling on the scroll as a thought occurred to him:

"Interpret Magic!"

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin watched as the expression on Tang Zheng's face, as he checked the contents of the scroll, changed from initial calmness to astonishment and shock; he was not surprised at all.

When he had first received the news...

He had been even more shocked than the other party, even thinking someone was playing a joke. Thinking of the current situation in the Abelion Hills?

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin's expression grew increasingly solemn.

With a muffled *pop! * sound...

Tang Zheng pressed the magic scroll onto the table, stood up abruptly, and stared at Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin: "Is this content true?"

"It is true."

"According to the intelligence we have already gathered, tens of thousands of undead have appeared in the Abelion Hills, and the specific number is still continuously increasing."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin's face was gloomy as he spoke in a deep voice:

"The content on this parchment scroll is a commission jointly signed by the Adventurer Guild and Her Majesty, the Holy Queen Calca."

The conversation between the two fell into the ears of the Cuiye Witch and Enri.

Enri's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The Cuiye Witch was first startled, then thought of something. Her bright yellow pupils looked at her master, who was showing a shocked expression, and the corners of her mouth curled up imperceptibly.

"Don't tell me that currently, it's only us adventurers." Tang Zheng stared at Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin and spoke quietly.

"Such a major event naturally cannot be handled by the Adventurer Guild alone."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin spoke while turning his head to look out the window at the drizzling rain; the sky outside had already darkened by now:

"According to the timeline, the Holy Kingdom's most elite Paladin Order and Priest Order set out several days ago and will arrive in 'Kalinsha' by midnight at the latest today."

"In addition, the Slane Theocracy has also dispatched an elite legion, which will arrive by early tomorrow morning at the latest."

This series of information left no doubt about the severity of the situation. The relationship between the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy was not good, yet they were able to reach a temporary cooperation under these circumstances.

It was evident that the two countries had already reached some kind of consensus in secret.

Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, considering the arrival times from all sides and the fact that the Adventurer Guild had only come to issue the commission now.

It was evident that all parties were still somewhat chaotic; there was a sense of haste!

However, this situation was also normal.

The living killed by Death Knights would continuously turn into undead, expanding their numbers. In the "Yggdrasil" game, this number was limited, but in the Other World, theoretically, there was no limit.

The longer it dragged on, the more undead there would be, and the situation would develop to be increasingly difficult to control. What was most terrifying was that tens of thousands of undead gathering together could potentially give birth to even more terrifying undead.

Therefore, they had to act as quickly as possible to contain and eliminate them.

"The Alliance Leader really has stirred up a big commotion."

Tang Zheng thought to himself, though he vaguely felt that the Alliance Leader's true purpose was not what he claimed—to build a so-called "Kingdom of Death" in the hilly region.

"And the other commission?" Tang Zheng continued.

"There is no time to lose; let's go see the client now." Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin responded immediately.

The other party used the descriptor "client" instead of the normal term "commissioner."

Tang Zheng noticed this point, and his gaze flickered.

"Cuiye, Enri, you two prepare yourselves. Take out all the potions we have stored and be ready to depart at any time."

After Tang Zheng finished giving his instructions, he left with Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin.

Enri couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Since joining the "Free Will" adventurer team, she had never followed the Team Leader on a commission task.

She hadn't expected her first commission to be a "Steel-Rank" task!

As Tang Zheng walked out of the inn, he saw a carriage quietly parked in the rain and mist.

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin didn't say much, quickly boarded the carriage, pulled the carriage door, and signaled for Tang Zheng to come up.

"Where are we going?"

Tang Zheng was truly a bit curious this time.

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin's expression was slightly complex: "You'll know when we get there."

*Pop! *

*Clatter, clatter~*

As the horse whip cracked, the entire carriage moved quickly. The wheels spun rapidly, splashing out rainwater.

It was nearing evening, and because of the rain, there weren't many pedestrians on the street, so it didn't affect the carriage's speed.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was somewhat quiet.

With such a major event occurring, Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin's mood naturally wasn't very good; his face was full of worry and concern.

Although the location was in the hilly region, it was simply too close to the Holy Kingdom. No matter how much they loathed demi-humans, compared to the undead, that was a minor issue.

Tang Zheng also remained silent, his eyes filled with contemplation.

The development of events was much smoother than originally planned. Compared to the threat posed by mere demi-humans, the threat of the undead was of greater concern to the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy.

What he was curious about was what kind of forces the Slane Theocracy would mobilize.

Furthermore...

Next, they would likely face a situation of fighting on two fronts—that is, the "Adventurer Identity" and the "Mysterious Red-Robed Mage" identity appearing simultaneously.

Regarding this point...

Tang Zheng had long been prepared: the 【Ninja】 job skill, "Shadow Clone."

Although the Ninja's clone had drawbacks like being unable to speak and having a stiff expression, the identity of the mysterious red-robed mage he was disguising was already wrapped in a red robe, and the face was also covered tightly.

So, problems like expressions and being unable to speak didn't count for much. Besides, as a magic caster, there was no need for close contact with others.

The real difficulty...

Lay in the fact that "Shadow Clone" could only be maintained for 10 minutes, with a full hour of cooldown in between. Was 10 minutes enough to deal with the upcoming situation?

However!

He had already found a solution. Although it was a bit of "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut," it was the only way to operate.

Tang Zheng raised his gaze, looking at the curtain that was blown up from time to time by the cold wind outside due to the vibration caused by the carriage's rapid movement.

"This route..."

Tang Zheng was slightly stunned. Judging by the streets outside and the direction the carriage was traveling, they were leaving "Kalinsha" and heading east.

That direction was the fortress wall!

After nearly an hour of carriage travel, the central fortress of the wall appeared in front of the carriage.

Even though it was raining!

At the city gate, a squad of more than 20 soldiers was still stationed there.

And at the very front of this squad stood a thin figure wearing a black round hat, face wrapped in black cloth, revealing only a pair of sharp, fierce eyes.

The other party was none other than Pavel, the "Black" of the "Nine Colors," the soldier captain known as the Night Watchman.

The rain and mist made the view in the distance very blurry, and even the sound of the carriage moving was covered by the rain.

However!

Pavel, the "Black," with his eagle-like eyes, seemed to easily see through the rain and mist, his gaze falling on the carriage that was heading in this direction.

"I knew you would accept this commission."

Pavel, the "Black," raised his hand, tugged at the round hat on his head, and a trace of relief and a smile appeared in his terrifyingly narrow eye sockets at this moment.

What was happening in the Abelion Hills had far exceeded the scope of what adventurers could handle. This was no longer a simple event of acting as guards, eliminating monsters, or collecting items in dangerous areas.

To put it more truthfully...

This was a problem that could only be solved at the national level.

For normal adventurers, avoiding such things was the most appropriate reaction.

Not to mention that the "Free Will" adventurer team was not from the Holy Kingdom, but from the Kingdom.

*Whoosh! *

The carriage pierced through the rain and mist.

With the neighing of horses, the carriage stopped under the wall gate of the central fortress.

"*Rip—crack—*"

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin was the first to pull open the carriage curtain, stepped out of the carriage, and, ignoring the falling rain, jumped down lightly.

"Mr. Pavel."

Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin looked at the figure walking towards him, his tone carrying a hint of respect as he spoke softly.

Pavel, the "Black," nodded. His gaze didn't linger too long on Guild Master Chairman Bo Tejin, but instead looked at the figure who followed closely behind out of the carriage.

The pure white, loose, slightly modified priest robe looked somewhat bright in the dim environment at this moment.

"What a bad day today."

Tang Zheng got off the carriage, wiped his wet hair, and spoke half-jokingly.

Pavel, the "Black," walked up silently, came to Tang Zheng, suddenly extended his palm, and said earnestly: "Thank you."

"The undead are the enemy of all the living, aren't they?"

Tang Zheng was stunned, then also raised his arm, shook hands with the hand extended by Pavel, the "Black," and smiled gently: "Friend."

(End of chapter)