Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Rules of the Mercenary Guild
The dimly lit conference room, with no windows, relied on the faint glow of the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, just enough for everyone to make out each other's masks.
Smiling faces, ghosts, animal heads, priests, and theatrical masks—an assortment of bizarre faces, making the scene feel like a chaotic congregation.
The luxurious decor and the rich aroma of coffee created an almost surreal sense of being transported to another absurd world.
It made one involuntarily wonder if this devilish version of a round table meeting was real or just an illusion.
No one spoke. Even their breathing became quieter, maintaining the silence between them.
At that moment, the doors creaked open once more.
Everyone straightened up, sitting more upright, as they knew that all seats were occupied except for the one at the head of the table. The next person to arrive had to be the legendary president of the guild.
Alexander, still wearing his crying ghost mask, entered the room, dressed in a simple black tracksuit with no designs, a hood from his hoodie covering his head.
Those wearing the ghost, fox, and black cat masks immediately stood up.
It was clear from their body language that the three were two women and one man.
The curves of the figures under the fox and black cat masks clearly indicated they were female.
Seeing this, the remaining attendees dared not delay and promptly stood up in respect, mimicking the 'seniors' by bowing slightly.
Alexander nodded lightly, motioning for everyone to sit, then lowered his voice to begin speaking.
"Some of you are fortunate enough to have acquired a Super Fruit.
"For those who have awakened a Super Fruit ability, it's undoubtedly easier to become a mid-level hunter.
"Hence, a few newcomers among you qualify to attend this meeting."
Everyone exchanged glances, and their eyes began to show hints of respect for one another.
So, this was a meeting reserved for mid-level hunters. They were like kittens hidden among tigers.
Most felt a sense of glee, realizing they were indeed chosen by fate. Simply eating the fruit had granted them the status of a mid-level hunter, something low-level hunters had to work long and hard to achieve!
What they didn't realize was that everyone here was still just a low-level hunter. Alexander's words cleverly created an illusion that the guild was teeming with powerful members.
Alexander sat down, lightly stirring his coffee with a small spoon. "I must reiterate a few rules.
"First, under no circumstances should you reveal the guild's existence.
"Hide your true identity in this world and do not allow the guild to be exposed because of you."
Everyone understood this well.
Extraordinary forces never operated openly in the mundane world.
This was why people only heard of such powers but never saw them mentioned in the news.
The guild's secrecy wasn't about showing off, but rather about protecting itself and growing in strength.
It was like the Dark Forest theory—whoever revealed themselves first was most likely to face attacks from various forces.
And among those forces was the Security Bureau.
Alexander looked up slowly and said, "However, someone has broken the rules."
The hunters exchanged uneasy glances. Who would dare to be so bold?
Jackson felt his heart skip a beat, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
Alexander stood up and walked to the end of the table, stopping beside the person in the clown mask. He leaned down and said, "Do you know, Mr. Clown, I despise those who don't follow the rules."
His voice was low and cold, laced with intense killing intent.
The clown-masked man gulped nervously. "I-I…"
So, the guild had already found out about what happened at the Crown KTV?
He wanted to explain, but Alexander patted his shoulder.
"Don't be nervous. I'll give you 24 hours to clean up the mess you've made.
"If you don't, the guild will clean it up for you—along with you."
As Alexander walked back to his seat at the head of the table, the clown-masked man's panicked expression beneath his mask slowly relaxed, only for his brows to furrow again.
How was he supposed to fix this?
Lorenzo and his gang had to die, but did his own students have to die as well?
Jackson was panicking. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to save both his students and himself.
Alexander continued, "The second rule of the Mercenary Guild is to protect Base Country 3 and hunt down all enemies that threaten it. Hunters will be rewarded with points based on the quality of the enemy's corpse. Of course, this is contingent upon the first rule—not exposing the guild."
In today's chaotic international landscape, Base Country 3 had many enemies.
The Mercenary Guild was still in its infancy, and if Base Country 3 were to fall into the kind of dark times seen in Jackson's previous life, it would mean the guild being crushed in its cradle.
If Base Country 3 were no more, could the guild survive on its own?
At these words, the hunters' lips curled into slight smiles.
Who wouldn't want to wipe out those invaders?
Killing those enemies and earning points? It was like getting paid to play games on your phone!
If it weren't for the risk of exposing their identities and the guild, some of them were ready to book flights to the Invaders Base right now and play the role of assassins.
Alexander continued speaking, "The third rule: Hunt demon beasts. Turn in their corpses, and you'll earn points according to the beast's level."
The spiritual essence in demon beasts' bodies was far greater than that of humans, making them excellent for cultivating extraordinary plants.
Everyone finally exhaled in relief.
They had stumbled into the Mercenary Guild by accident, worried at first that they might have joined an evil organization.
But now, it seemed their concerns were unfounded.
Killing invaders was patriotic, and hunting demon beasts was for the greater good of the world.
How could this be a cult?
Anyone who thought that must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.
Alexander continued explaining the rules, and after what felt like a long time, the meeting finally concluded.
In summary, the rules were simple:
Don't expose the guild, don't reveal your identity, kill enemies that threaten your country of residence, and hunt demon beasts.
Complete guild missions actively, increase your hunter rank, and unlock and exchange for stronger extraordinary plants in the guild store.
Reaching the highest rank, the Elite-level hunter, would grant unimaginable powerful Super Fruits.
When the group finally left the café, it was already deep into the night.
But everyone felt refreshed, not the least bit tired, and even slightly exhilarated.
The more they understood about the Mercenary Guild, the more they were grateful to have joined.
Only Jackson sat in his car with a furrowed brow. It felt like he had stirred up a massive mess, but he didn't regret saving his students.
"I can find a way to ensure the students keep quiet about today. If it comes down to it, I'll figure out a way to get them to join the Mercenary Guild as well.
"But what about Lorenzo and his gang? I didn't finish them off when I had the chance. Tracking them down now, killing them—it's too hard."
Cleaning up this mess was what troubled him the most. Rarely a smoker, Jackson lit up a cigarette.
The sharp, spicy smoke entered his throat, clearing his mind.
He suddenly remembered that hunters could post tasks within the Mercenary Guild. He had completed the newbie mission and had 15 points.
Why not use those points to post a bounty?
He immediately pulled his car to the side of the road and opened the Mercenary Guild app.
The task board was filled with all sorts of missions.
Assassinate wanted criminals, take out perverts, eliminate spies, kill certain gang members…
Many of these tasks were fake, created by Su Manman to protect the privacy of the hunters.
They were meant to prevent anyone from using the task board to track down the hunters who posted the missions.
[Bounty Task: Eliminate Lorenzo and his gang from Crown KTV.]
[Reward: 15 points]
==============================================================
{Note: Base countries are safe zones established by humans. biggest countries are 5 base countries, similar to 5 countries of secuity council of UN on earth. base country 3 means simply its 3rd in overall ranking.}
🌟 Unlock Exclusive Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
Hello, beloved readers!
Join my Patreon community to enjoy:
📚 Daily Updates: Never wait for new chapters—get your story fix every day!
📖 20 Chapters Ahead: Access new chapters far in advance of RoyalRoad/Webnovel releases.
Support the creation of the stories you love and dive deeper into my world!
Patreon.com/Alex_Cruise