A Conquest Operation.
It was one of the large-scale raid events in the game <Blackout>, essentially a higher-tier form of a Field Boss event.
Conquest Operations usually took place after a Field Boss event ended. Even when the Goblin Lord had recently appeared, had not numerous Adventurers come knocking at the fortress gates?
‘Azure Cloud was the group assigned to the Conquest Operation, right? But you normally need to be at least Level 2 to participate.’
Jun had never expected to encounter one this early.
‘A commander’s Letter of Recommendation.’
There had been no event like this in the game, so Jun understood that his current situation was highly unusual.
‘What should I do?’
Various potential gains and losses flashed through his mind, but there was no need to decide immediately.
That was thanks to Jinovan’s consideration.
“How you use this is entirely up to you. You may sell it, or you may use it yourself.”
Jinovan’s sincere gesture—telling him to simply take it and decide later—briefly moved Jun.
“Thank you for looking out for me like this.”
“A Conquest Operation?!”
Back in Chloe’s office—
“You’re still only Level 1, aren’t you? He gave a Letter of Recommendation to someone who hasn’t even reached Level 2?”
Ordinarily, a Conquest Operation on any given Tier was composed mainly of people one Level above that Tier.
For example, most of the available positions in a Level 1 Conquest Operation would be occupied by Level 2 players.
Furthermore, the Raid Leader’s team, which formed the core of the operation, had to be at least Level 3.
Normally, there should not have been a single place available for a Level 1 player.
Chloe’s reaction was therefore perfectly understandable.
“Um, Senior. What exactly is a Conquest Operation?”
Meanwhile, Aiden still did not fully understand the situation.
Chloe stared at him in shock.
“You came down to Blackout without even knowing that?”
“Ah…… Haha.”
“Why are you making our boy feel bad? He might not know.”
How much could someone who had lived such a sheltered life within the Imperial Family possibly know?
Jun naturally began explaining the Conquest Operation.
“To put it simply, it’s a large-scale Dungeon Raid.”
“A Dungeon Raid?”
“It consists of at least five interconnected dungeons, and the primary objective is to subjugate a Raid Monster.”
Naturally, participation required considerable ability.
Jun himself had originally planned to attempt one only after advancing to a 2nd-Tier field.
‘But I never imagined a commander would have the authority to issue something like this.’
If they could participate, however, there was no question that it would make the early stages of their growth far easier.
‘Especially a Level 1 Conquest Operation in the Black Forest. It would be extremely useful for Warriors.’
Jun recalled the various hidden secrets located there and glanced toward Aiden.
At that moment, Chloe cautiously voiced her opinion.
“Still…… wouldn’t it be too dangerous?”
For Chloe to react like that, a Conquest Operation was clearly not something to take lightly.
No matter how vast it might be, a Conquest Operation still took place within a large dungeon.
And dungeons were fundamentally structured so that no one could leave until the required conditions had been fulfilled.
Naturally, failure meant death.
“Aiden. What do you think?”
“Hmm…… If it isn’t completely beyond our abilities, I would like to challenge it.”
Aiden’s eyes gleamed.
He apparently possessed a certain romantic fascination with things like this.
“Well, it isn’t as though we’d be a burden in there.”
For one thing, Aiden was a Mana user, which was an essential requirement for someone at Level 2.
He was naturally above average.
And Jun himself had already reached the level of a 3rd-Circle Master, so he was more than capable of contributing.
“Haa…… Fine. You obtained this opportunity yourselves, so it isn’t my place to interfere. Still, be careful. Unlike a field subjugation, you can’t simply retreat from a Conquest Operation when things turn against you.”
“Thanks for worrying about us.”
“……It’s only because you’re useful to me.”
With that, Chloe told them to come back with money if they needed anything and promptly ordered them out.
Once they stepped outside and began walking through the fortress streets, Jun spoke.
“Well, her reaction is understandable. Like you heard, if a Conquest Operation fails, that’s the end.”
“Because it is sealed off from the outside?”
“Right. Either you meet the Clear Condition, or everyone dies. Those are the only two circumstances in which the dungeon entrance opens again.”
“Hmm…….”
“But there’s no need to worry too much. If we prepare properly, it isn’t impossible.”
Afterward, Jun sold the Skill Book he had placed on the Auction House, upgraded Aiden’s equipment, and purchased the Spellbooks he needed.
During the day, he planned their future course based on the information Chloe had gathered, then entered the Black Forest with Aiden to improve their coordination and teamwork.
At night, he studied magic through the new Spellbooks he had purchased.
“Phew…… This isn’t easy.”
In particular, he worked on strengthening [Lightning Whip], whose performance had disappointed him previously, while also researching the phenomenon he had experienced during the battle with the Goblin Lord.
He made some progress with the former.
Unfortunately, the latter left him with nothing but speculation because he lacked any reliable information.
‘In the end, am I going to have to experience something similar again before I can find an answer?’
Dwelling endlessly on a problem without an answer would only frustrate him.
In the end, Jun decided to set that mystery aside and focus on what he could accomplish now.
“I never thought I’d have to use my brain this much again after the college entrance exam and applying to graduate school.”
Fortunately, between the basic magical knowledge already possessed by this body and his skill [Basic Magic Aptitude], Jun had little difficulty understanding Spellbooks up through the 3rd Circle.
Starting from the 4th Circle, however, the concepts became incomparably more difficult.
Jun was not yet prepared to tackle them.
The prices of 4th-Circle Spellbooks were equally daunting.
Furthermore, beginning with the 4th Circle, a Mage had to clearly decide upon a school of magic.
An Elemental School, Enchantment, Summoning, or something similar.
He could no longer learn whatever happened to catch his interest as he did now.
“I suppose I’ll have to get a Skill Enhancement Ticket someday and upgrade [Basic Magic Aptitude] first.”
Of course, as the name suggested, it was an extremely difficult item to obtain.
For the moment, that goal remained far beyond his reach.
‘Still, I should reach it as quickly as possible. Starting from the 4th Circle, you’re treated as an Intermediate-Rank Mage.’
The difference in status between a Low-Rank Mage and an Intermediate-Rank Mage was enormous.
Building Reputation through feats like the recent subjugation was useful, but ultimately, such things meant little unless his ability could support that reputation.
“In the end, I just have to keep growing step by step like this.”
After briefly clearing his head, Jun buried himself in the Spellbook again and resumed studying.
By the time the light from the [Light] spell illuminating his room finally disappeared through the cracks, a considerable amount of time had passed.
Time flew like an arrow released from a bow.
Fifteen days later—
“Those participating in the Forest Guardian Conquest Operation, come this way!”
The day of the Conquest Operation had finally arrived.
“Representatives from every group, please gather at General Headquarters!”
At the guide’s shout, the representatives of the groups participating in the Conquest Operation began gathering.
Twenty people were clustered together inside the enormous tent.
There were freelance Adventurers as well as mercenary captains like Jun.
‘They really are Level 2 players. Their equipment is quite impressive.’
Jun briefly swept his gaze over the equipment of everyone gathered there.
Then he suddenly realized that people were staring at him from every direction as well.
“He came wearing rags.”
“Is he a Mage?”
“I don’t sense anything particularly impressive from him.”
“Ah. I heard someone came with a Letter of Recommendation from one of the fortress commanders. Is that him?”
“I heard he contributed quite a bit to the Goblin Lord subjugation…….”
“His equipment isn’t particularly impressive for someone like that. I suppose he isn’t from a Magic Tower.”
Just as Jun judged others through their equipment, they were judging him.
And as they said, Jun had not acquired any particularly impressive equipment.
At most, he had a robe that blocked the wind rather well.
There was little he could do about it.
Equipment worth using as a Mage was generally made up of Artifacts.
‘Well, I can’t exactly complain if they think I got in through connections.’
After all, he was the only Level 1 participant here.
Jun therefore showed no particular reaction to the numerous gazes directed toward him.
‘It isn’t as though these people would listen no matter how much I explained before showing them what I can do.’
He had endured far worse contempt than this.
Jun merely raised his head even more brazenly and looked forward.
Before long, someone entered the tent.
He was the Raid Leader responsible for this Conquest Operation.
“Greetings, everyone. My name is Benjamin Briston, and I will be responsible for this Conquest Operation. I run a modest Adventuring Group called ‘Azure Cloud’ in Level 3.”
As expected of the group entrusted with leading a Conquest Operation, every member of the Adventuring Group was Level 3.
Despite Benjamin calling it modest, Azure Cloud appeared to possess a fair amount of renown.
Jun could hear several mercenaries whispering among themselves.
“Azure Cloud. I heard they’ve been doing quite well in the Temple of Beasts.”
“They supposedly control a fairly large territory there.”
“But I heard rumors that their finances haven’t been particularly good lately…….”
“The most pointless thing in the world is worrying about rich people. They’re even receiving support from nobles, aren’t they?”
“Well, that’s true.”
The representatives of the various groups exchanged a few words.
Meanwhile, Benjamin continued speaking.
“As you are all aware, the target of this Conquest Operation is the Forest Guardian. It is a corrupted forest Spirit.”
At those words, everyone who had been chatting fell silent and focused on him.
This might only be a 1st-Tier Conquest Operation, but if they failed to properly understand its various mechanics, they would die just the same.
Benjamin explained the characteristics of each of the five dungeons, the planned rendezvous points, and numerous other details.
The briefing continued for roughly two hours before the group representatives finally ran out of questions.
“Finally, I will select the teams. For reference, the teams will be assigned at random. This is to prevent any potential problems, so I ask for your cooperation.”
In other words, the Raid Leader would decide however he saw fit.
Naturally, no one objected.
The authority wielded by a Raid Leader during a Conquest Operation was immense beyond description.
And thus, Jun was assigned to Team 4.
“Tsk. So it’s you.”
One of the group leaders assigned to the fourth dungeon looked at Jun with obvious displeasure.
There was little reason for him to welcome someone who looked as though he had entered through connections.
The others did not appear particularly pleased either, but Jun maintained his shameless expression and introduced himself.
“I’m Jun, a 3rd-Circle Mage. I lead the White Whale Mercenary Company in the 1st Tier.”
“Hah. At least you’ve got some backbone despite how you look. I’m Colton Carter. Level 2. I run the Blade Eagle Mercenary Company.”
After Colton, one of the remaining two team members spoke.
She was a woman with long, subtly gleaming black hair and amber eyes.
“I’m Lucy Markner, an Adventurer active in the 2nd Tier. Please call me Lucy. And this is…….”
In the direction she indicated stood a young man who looked almost exactly like her.
He spoke in a lively voice.
“Mm! I’m Luke Markner! Nice to meet you!”
The two were twin siblings and introduced themselves as freelance Adventurers.
“Hmm…… Are the two of you Jinrang?”
Colton asked while looking at them.
Luke’s eyes widened.
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Glossy black hair like that and orange eyes aren’t exactly common. And, well…….”
Colton carefully stopped himself.
He might have been a rough mercenary who rarely restrained his words, but they were about to clear a dungeon together.
There was no reason to create conflict before they had even begun by saying something unnecessary.
Noticing his hesitation, Lucy gave a bitter smile.
“We’re rather small, aren’t we? We’re used to hearing it.”
“Ahem.”
Just as Lucy said, one of the defining physical traits of the Jinrang was their small stature.
Perhaps because of their youthful features as well, the twins looked as though they were only in their mid-to-late teens.
‘Jinrang, huh. From the name alone, they sound like some sort of Beastfolk.’
There were various races within the world of <Blackout>, but none actually possessed animal ears or tails.
For the most part, the differences amounted only to physical ability or body size.
“There aren’t many Jinrang around here. You’re pretty knowledgeable, mister!”
“Do not call him mister. Use his name, Luke.”
“All right, Sis!”
Luke was remarkably energetic, while Lucy carried herself with quiet composure.
Jun’s attention lingered briefly on the conspicuous pair before Colton spoke.
“Then what does that make this? My group has the most people, doesn’t it?”
As Colton said, among the groups gathered here, the one he led had the largest number of members.
Jun’s mercenary company consisted only of Aiden and a ghost member—in practical terms, just two people—while Lucy and Luke were freelancers.
Colton, meanwhile, led a six-person mercenary company.
“Then perhaps you should take the role of Team Leader for this dungeon exploration, Mr. Colton?”
“I agree! Having more people is better!”
The two Adventurers were the first to yield the position.
With that, Jun had no particular reason to object either.
Not that he had intended to step forward in the first place.
“I agree as well.”
“Ahem. You people have better judgment than you look. Well then, I look forward to working with you.”
The position had fallen into Colton’s lap almost like being made the leader of a group project, but being Team Leader did not carry nearly such a negative image here.
Merely being able to say one had served as a Team Leader during a Conquest Operation was enough to earn respect in many places.
People built their records step by step like that until they eventually rose to the position of Raid Leader.
In any case, despite Colton’s prickly first impression, everything proceeded smoothly afterward.
“Then prepare to depart! I wish all of you good fortune!”
The following day, the dungeon exploration began in earnest.
After resting for roughly a day, the teams followed the Raid Leader toward their assigned dungeons.
“Tsk. So it isn’t a Field-Type Dungeon.”
Colton muttered as he looked around the dungeon interior.
They stood amid darkness enclosed on every side.
Between patches of faintly glowing moss, what little they could see looked nothing like a Field-Type Dungeon.
“[Light(Light)].”
Jun’s spell illuminated the surroundings, revealing what had been hidden by the darkness.
The dungeon consisted of underground tunnels.
Here and there, dark green tree roots protruded through the walls.
“A Maze-Type Dungeon, green tree roots, and underground tunnels. I believe this is the ‘Rotten Tree Root’ dungeon.”
At the words of Lucy, one of the twin Adventurers, Colton nodded.
“You there, Mage. Don’t go tripping over something and hurting yourself. Roots stick out of the ground here too, so if you aren’t watching where you’re going, you’ll fall before you know it. And if you break something, don’t expect us to take care of you.”
The members of Colton’s mercenary company burst into laughter.
Aiden’s expression immediately darkened, but Jun quietly grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“Hmph. As long as you understand. Now, let’s get moving.”
“Senior…….”
Unlike Jun, who maintained an utterly shameless expression, Aiden seemed genuinely furious, his brows drawn tightly together.
Of course, Jun was not exactly pleased either.
But he understood why they reacted that way, which allowed him to remain calm.
‘Low-Rank Mages really do have a hard time pulling their own weight. Or more precisely, quite a few of them simply don’t try.’
Fundamentally, nearly every Mage came from a Magic Tower.
Ordinary Low-Rank Mages usually remained in their Magic Towers, serving masters and learning magic.
They did not wander around the world like Jun.
‘There’s really only one reason a Low-Rank Mage would end up outside.’
They had been expelled from their Magic Tower.
Perhaps they lacked ability.
Perhaps they had caused some other kind of trouble.
But they all tended to share one thing in common.
They possessed little ability while maintaining enormous pride.
Naturally, people who had spent half their lives inside a Magic Tower found it difficult to adapt to life outside.
Yet they were so accustomed to life in the Magic Tower that they strutted around like minor nobles.
There was no reason mercenaries would look favorably upon people like that.
Intermediate-Rank Mages were sometimes officially dispatched from Magic Towers and therefore received a reasonable degree of respect.
But this history was precisely why Low-Rank Mages were looked down upon wherever they went.
‘Even I was similar when I played a Mage.’
Had he not inconvenienced his party members by saving even the money he should have spent on potions just so he could afford Skill Books?
His Reputation had plummeted as a result, showing all the signs of becoming a ruined character build.
But viewed from the opposite direction, earning the mercenaries’ recognition was simple.
‘Mercenaries are straightforward. Show them your value, and they’ll acknowledge you on their own.’
In other words, if Jun demonstrated his ability rather than merely talking about it, their attitudes would reverse in an instant.
Because he understood that perfectly well, Jun calmly endured the contempt directed toward him.
“Senior…….”
Aiden, unaware of all that, continued looking at Jun with concern.
“Just wait. I didn’t spend all that money on Spellbooks for nothing.”
Magic came with numerous restrictions.
But purely in theory, the Mage was considered the most overwhelmingly powerful class in <Blackout>.
There was a reason it was a class designed for later playthroughs.