Chapter 33: Are You Here to Torment Us?

The center of the Warrior’s Guild was an open-air parking lot.

The Thunderstrike L1 sped in, its beastly roar attracting a crowd of onlookers.

He stepped out of the car.

He accepted the attention and envy of those around him.

With a suave motion, Zhang Chu locked his car and, amidst a tangle of jealous and admiring gazes, walked through the doors.

Most of the staff at the Warrior’s Guild recognized Zhang Chu.

This time, however, their attention was drawn to the Thunderstrike car key in his hand.

Outside the Martial Academy, it was almost unheard of for someone to reach the rank of Level 3 Martial Artist.

Being able to afford a four-million-dollar ride was simply extraordinary.

He took the elevator to the thirteenth floor.

The Mercenary Service Hall was packed, filled with small teams.

The most eye-catching group was a cluster of youths wearing the uniforms of the Martial Academy, the leader especially impossible to ignore.

A yellow headband, dazzling gear from head to toe—nothing below high-grade Level 1.

A glance at their badges revealed they were a Level 2 mercenary squad.

Since the Warrior’s Guild had opened its mercenary certification, only ten squads had been certified in the first trial phase.

Of those, just two had reached Level 2.

One was the “Five Tiger Generals” mercenary squad from Binzhou Martial Academy.

The other was the Gale Squad.

Clearly, this team from the Martial Academy was the Five Tiger Generals.

Zhang Chu had no interest in listening to the swaggering boasts of the yellow-headbanded leader. He pushed open the manager’s office door and entered.

“You’re all here.”

As he stepped in, he saw Hu Sanyi and the others waiting inside.

“Brother Zhang Chu, we’ve all been waiting for you,” Hu Sanyi greeted him warmly, clapping him on the shoulder.

He was the captain, true enough.

But without Zhang Chu, the Gale Squad might not have even had the chance to certify as a Level 1 mercenary team.

Now,

Zhang Chu was the core of the Gale Squad.

Zhou Chuanxiong personally brewed tea for him, then pushed a tablet across the table. “Brother Zhang, our mercenary missions are divided into six levels. I’ve handpicked a few that suit our squad’s strength. Please have a look!”

Zhang Chu glanced at the tablet.

Zhou Chuanxiong had selected four missions appropriate for the Gale Squad, all Level 2.

The first: Head to Dangdang Mountain and hunt six Level 1 Fire Foxes. Duration: fifteen days.

The second: Collect three eyes from Level 2 Iron-armored Crocodiles. Duration: ten days.

The third: Hunt eight Level 2 beasts in the Beast Forest and extract their cores. Duration: seven days.

The fourth: Escort a batch of cores to the Martial Administration’s Beast Reserve Vault. Duration: two days.

Zhou Chuanxiong had made a mark with his stylus, indicating the third mission as his recommendation.

“Brother Hu, what do you all think?” Zhang Chu asked. As a team, he couldn’t make decisions unilaterally; it was only right to consult the members.

“Brother Zhang Chu, you decide. We’ll follow your lead!” Hu Sanyi and the others were unanimous.

Of the four missions, two involved Level 2 beasts.

The rewards were generous.

Especially the third mission: hunt eight Level 2 beasts, fifty thousand in prize money, and two Vitality Pills for each member.

But it was also deadly!

All four of them were only Level 1 martial artists.

If they took the third mission, they’d have to rely on Zhang Chu.

“This one, then!” Zhang Chu swiped through the tablet for a while before making a swift decision.

The others crowded around to see—and almost fainted from shock.

“Brother Zhang Chu, a Level 3 mercenary mission? Are you serious?”

Both Glasses and Monkey nearly passed out on the spot.

Zhang Chu had skipped past the Level 2 page and chosen a Level 3 mission: “Proceed to Dangdang Mountain and hunt six Level 3 Flying Tigers.”

“Brother Zhang Chu, isn’t that a bit too risky?” Hu Sanyi asked.

“We’re a Level 2 squad, just like the Five Tiger Generals. Let’s see if we can measure up.”

Zhang Chu opened the sign-up information for the Level 3 mission.

Sure enough, the Five Tiger Generals had also accepted the mission.

Damn it!

Fatty slapped the table, pumped full of fighting spirit.

They were both Level 2 squads. Why be timid?

Besides, the reward for this mission was doubled.

One mission could earn them a year’s living expenses!

After confirming several times, Zhou Chuanxiong quickly issued the Gale Squad their mission card.

The electronic bulletin outside updated immediately.

Seeing the Level 3 mission claimed by the Gale Squad, the entire hall erupted:

“Holy crap, the Gale Squad is going head-to-head with the Five Tiger Generals!”

“They’re courting death. Don’t they know the Five Tiger Generals are Martial Academy students? Those guys could take down a Level 3 beast with their gear alone. The Gale Squad? Where do they get their nerve?”

“I heard they were only able to certify as Level 2 because they invited some guy named Big Zhang, a Level 2 martial artist. Rumor has it their captain, Hu Sanyi, sold his soul to get him.”

“No way, Hu Sanyi would go that far?”

While the hall buzzed with gossip, the Five Tiger Generals’ captain, Fan Chengcheng, glanced at the screen. “A scrappy squad like that dares to compete with us?”

When a mission was claimed by multiple teams, only the first to complete it received the reward.

“Cheng, what should we do?” his underlings asked.

“What do we do? Rest up and set out first thing tomorrow! If the Gale Squad beats us to it, the disgrace falls not only on us but on the entire Martial Academy!”

Fan Chengcheng took a hard look at the Gale Squad’s roster, committing the name “Big Zhang” to memory.

…

At dawn the next day,

A Thunderstrike L1 sped out through the city gates.

The gatekeepers were stunned.

In all their years at the city gate, there hadn’t been many Level 3 martial artists who could afford a Thunderstrike car—fewer still as driven as this one.

Inside the car, the Gale Squad members looked on with drooling envy.

Hu Sanyi’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Broke, mediocre, and yet captain of a Level 2 squad.

He glanced at Zhang Chu, who was chewing bubblegum and humming a tune, looking for all the world as if he were heading out on a camping trip.

This was a blow so crushing, Hu Sanyi almost wanted to curl up and disappear.

Dangdang Mountain was far away.

There was no highway, only mountain roads.

Driving took four or five hours.

Two years ago, the Binzhou Martial Administration had discovered this new outpost, and it was under consideration as a secondary base for the Beast Forest, providing training grounds for martial artists.

Many of the missions issued by the Guild this time were located at Dangdang Mountain.

For two reasons:

First, the highest-level beasts at Dangdang Mountain were Level 3, and there was a high-energy electric fence for protection, so the risk was manageable.

Second, the Guild wanted mercenary squads to survey the mountain firsthand and provide data for establishing an official Beast Forest.

Upon arrival, Zhang Chu activated the Thunderstrike’s Battle Mode for the first time. With four-wheel independent drive, it moved like a tank, crossing the mountains with ease.

…

By ten in the morning,

In the heart of Level 3 beast territory at Dangdang Mountain,

The sun was high, flowers seemed to smile at Hu Sanyi and his team.

Four of them sat on a large rock, eating instant hotpot meals, their eyes glued to Zhang Chu not far away.

At that moment, Zhang Chu,

Greatsword of Blacksteel in hand, clad in nano Blacksteel combat armor,

Faced a Flying Tiger ablaze with flames, roaring as it charged.

With a single move—“Thirteen Blazing Swords”—

His sword flashed like lightning; in one swift strike, the beast collapsed at his feet, dead beyond doubt.

Nearby, the corpses of five Flying Tigers lay in neat rows, as if awaiting inspection.

“Captain Hu, mission accomplished. Time to pack up and sleep!” Zhang Chu called out, deftly extracting the cores and storing them in his ring before heading straight for the car.

He started the engine.

The Thunderstrike roared like a wild beast, snapping the four out of their daze.

The four looked at each other in disbelief. “Brother Chu, are you here to make us feel bad?”