The morning after his late-night intel session with Gildas, Trevor woke up with a slightly lighter coin pouch. Between the drinks and snacks from the night before, he had spent 500 Terra Coins, plus another 200 Terra Coins on miscellaneous marketplace expenses.
While Trevor shook his head at himself for forgetting to run an internal diagnostic scan on Gildas's stats during their meeting, Alister was already out bright and early, scouring the bulletin boards for a temporary D-Rank party member ahead of the next day's expedition.
By mid-morning, Alister returned with a young recruit: Orlan, an 18-year-old crossbowman who looked remarkably well-dressed, polished, and wealthy.
“Alright, Mr. Orlan,” Alister instructed smoothly. “Just make sure you're up early tomorrow. 7:30 AM is our call time for gear prep and queueing at the station.”
“Got it, Alister,” Orlan replied with a confident smile. “I'm just here to make some quick money and test the waters. I'm strictly a temporary member.”
The following day, the morning train rumbled toward the hunting sectors. Sitting together in the passenger car, Trevor, Alister, and Orlan went over their gear.
Trevor glanced at Orlan's refined coat and polished boots. “Orlan, you look like you come from a wealthy family.”
“Not obscenely rich,” Orlan chuckled, loading a bolt into his compact crossbow. “My parents are established merchants here in Terra Nova.”
“If your family has money, why become an adventurer?” Alister asked curiously.
“Honestly? It started as a hobby,” Orlan admitted.
Trevor gave a dry, humorless smirk. “What a fantastic hobby—putting your life in constant mortal danger.”
“My life isn't something that gets taken away that easily, Trevor,” Orlan said smoothly.
When the train arrived at the D-Rank hunting and farming sector, the atmosphere felt brisk. The Elven Head Inspector stood on an elevated platform, addressing the assembled groups.
“Listen up! Today's hunt has a strict timeframe—9:00 AM to 3:00 PM with no lunch break,” the inspector announced. “Today is a standard daily resource harvest.”
[TODAY'S TARGET LIST]
Wild Zebras: One-horned beasts with striking black-and-red stripes (Target: Horns).
Dire Wolves: (Target: Pelts, Fangs, and Claws).
Fox Bats: (Target: Wings).
Halfling Raptors: 3-foot predatory reptiles (Target: Brought back whole for gourmet meat).
The stronghold gates swung open at 9:00 AM sharp, and the adventurers flooded into the grassy plains and dense woodlands.
Apex Squad pushed deep into a secluded sector until they found a quiet, undisturbed clearing.
Orlan stepped forward, raising his hand and chanting a low, rhythmic incantation. Fwoosh! A majestic golden-eyed hawk materialized from a burst of spiritual light, soaring up into the cloudless sky.
Trevor raised an eyebrow, watching the summon. “A summoner in our party? That's going to be exceptionally useful.”
“Hawk’s eye spotted a pack of dire wolves closing in from the east,” Orlan reported instantly, tracking the mental feed from his familiar. “They're about fifty meters out.”
Orlan readied his mechanized repeating crossbow. Alister drew his wand, while Trevor calmly stood his ground, letting his briefcase reconfigure with a mechanical hiss. “Rubix: Gunblade Mode.”
A pack of 13 Dire Wolves burst through the treeline, snarling as they charged straight toward them.
Without flinching, Trevor raised his gunblade and squeezed the trigger twice. THWIP-BANG! Two kinetic rounds pierced the lead wolves dead-center between the eyes, dropping them instantly.
“Quagmire!” Alister shouted, slamming his wand toward the grass. The ground beneath the pack liquefied into thick mud, instantly trapping the charging beasts in place.
“Eat this!” Orlan pulled his trigger, firing an 8-round burst of rapid bolts from his mechanized crossbow. All eight remaining wolves were pinned or neutralized in seconds.
The last three struggling wolves broke free of the mud, lunging at Trevor—who casually swept his Gunblade in a clean arc, slicing through them with effortless precision. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
This reproduction came from the page used by the author for publication without permission; reading that version supports them.
Within seconds, all thirteen dire wolves were down, ready for harvesting.
“That was remarkably smooth,” Trevor said, stepping over a carcass. “Orlan, that's a very efficient weapon you've got.”
“Your weapon's the real marvel, Trevor,” Orlan replied, eyeing the Gunblade. “Switching seamlessly between melee and ranged attacks... how did you build that?”
“Let's just say I'm resourceful,” Trevor deflected smoothly.
“By the way, Orlan,” Alister asked while gathering pelts, “how many animal spirits can you summon at once?”
“Three right now,” Orlan answered proudly. “A hawk for aerial reconnaissance, a boar for scent tracking, and a massive Grizzly Bear for frontline defense.”
Trevor nodded in genuine appreciation. “That's a brilliant combat combination. You're practically a one-man army.”
“I haven't even tested my full potential yet,” Orlan smiled. “But today, I need this rank-up so I can see what C-Rank contracts are all about.”
“How long have you been an adventurer?” Alister asked.
“Maybe three months,” Orlan said. “I don't participate in every single expedition because I'm still studying at the university.”
Trevor tilted his head. “What are you studying?”
“Advanced summoning theory,” Orlan explained. “I didn't even know I had an aptitude for it until a university professor measured my mana potential when I was younger. Turns out I was built to be a summoner.”
“Keep it up, kid,” Alister grinned. “Who knows? One day you'll reach S-Rank and make a fortune for your family.”
“Yeah, that's the plan,” Orlan laughed.
“Well,” Trevor added, looking at how efficiently the three of them worked together. “When the time comes, we're officially recruiting you as a permanent member of Apex Squad.”
“Once I max out my summoning skill tree, definitely keep a slot open for me,” Orlan thanked them. “Thanks for inviting me along today.”
The rest of the hunt went by like clockwork. The three moved with such synchronized precision that it felt as though they had been fighting side by side for years. Orlan genuinely enjoyed the lack of friction, arguing, or dead weight.
As they wrapped up their final harvest, Trevor quietly whispered to Eelon, running a diagnostic stats scan on Orlan:
[ORLAN — DIAGNOSTIC SCAN]
STR: 23
AGI: 44
INT: 80
VIT: 57
STAM: 48
MANA CAP: 111
(“Another irregular stat spread... just like Alister,” Trevor noted quietly in his mind.)
By the time they returned to the stronghold at 3:00 PM, their Spatial Bag was packed to the brim:
44 Dire Wolves
26 Fox Bats
37 Zebras
50 Halfling Raptors
When the guild clerks tallied the total haul, the bounty payout came out to a massive 13,700 Terra Coins, split perfectly three ways among Orlan, Alister, and Trevor.
Because of their incredible output, Apex Squad was officially promoted to C-Rank, and all three members had their personal licenses upgraded as well!
[TERRA NOVA GUILD PRIVILEGES: C-RANK]
Party Requirement: Party of 4 Required.
Contract Access: Farming, Hunting, and Easy Quests.
Organization: Joining a Clan / Guild Granted.
Commerce: Uncommon Drops & Guild Shop Access Granted.
As they walked back through the Terra Nova gates, the clerk congratulated them warmly, noting that C-Rank Guild Shop access and merchant/noble contracts would open up massive new avenues for development.
That evening, the trio celebrated at a lively district tavern, eating heavy food and sharing drinks.
“Thanks, guys,” Orlan said, raising his mug. “I'm genuinely blessed to have met such a functional party. No bickering, no egos—just pure synergy and easy communication.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Thanks to you too, Orlan,” Trevor replied. “Your summoning skills made field control effortless. I didn't even have to babysit a standard marksman because your grizzly bear locked down the perimeter.”
“And your hawk caught those aerial ambushes before they even started,” Alister added.
“And I loved your combo, Alister—quagmire, water soak, then lightning roast. Absolute perfection,” Orlan laughed.
“So, Orlan,” Trevor asked, leaning forward. “When are you available for the next expedition?”
“Well, I need to focus on my university studies for a bit, but maybe in about two weeks—”
“If we push straight for B-Rank within the next two weeks,” Alister interrupted, “we won't be able to register you as a temporary party member under the level cap rules.”
“That's fine,” Orlan smiled easily. “I'll catch up and rejoin you guys when the time is right.”
Suddenly, a massive shadow fell over their table.
A towering, heavily built 6-foot-9 warrior with kind eyes and a welcoming grin looked down at them. It was Gildas.
“Looks like you're celebrating a successful run, my friend Trevor,” Gildas said warmly.
Trevor blinked, gesturing to his companions. “Gildas! Good to see you. Sit down. These are my party members, Alister and Orlan.”
“Nice to meet you both. I'm Gildas, leader of Clan Insurrection,” the giant warrior greeted.
Alister's eyes widened. “Whoa... you must be incredibly strong, Mister Gildas.”
“What's your official rank, sir?” Orlan asked, staring up at him.
“Just a humble A-Rank adventurer,” Gildas chuckled, waving off the praise. “Say, if either of you ever want a real challenge, let me know. There might be a free slot in my clan for talents like yours.”
Trevor smiled, sliding an empty mug over. “That sounds like an offer I'd love to take you up on. Come grab a seat, Gildas.”
As the celebration continued around them, Trevor casually slipped his hand inside his coat, whispering a silent command to Eelon.
(“Scan Gildas. Full status check.”)
Instantly, a confidential HUD projected inside Trevor's optical display:
[GILDAS — FULL DIAGNOSTIC SCAN]
STR: 129 | AGI: 73 | INT: 154 | VIT: 117 | STAM: 121 | MANA CAP: 323
[EQUIPPED MAGIC ITEMS]
Claymore: Divine Element — Epic Grade
Rings of Evander (2 pcs): +50 Life Regen each / 50% Cold Resistance / 40% Physical Resistance / 40% Magic Resistance — Unique Grade (Boss Drops)
Saint Armor: 50% Dark Magic Resistance — Epic Grade
Saint Gauntlets: +100% Damage to Undead — Rare Grade
Undaunting Boots: +100% Knockback Resistance — Rare Grade
Trevor stared at the cascading numbers inside his mind, letting out a silent, breathless whisper:
(“What the actual fuck... This guy is an absolute monster.”)
end of chapter