Inside the Contract Hall, for the past few days, the Dwarf Receptionist Gelong Stonebeard had been constantly scribbling in a small notebook during his breaks, his thick eyebrows occasionally furrowing or relaxing, while muttering to himself.
This unusual behavior finally caught the attention of the Elf Receptionist Lina Lightwind working beside him.
During a rare moment of leisure, she couldn't help but ask in her cool, clear voice, "Gelong, what have you been recording lately? Is there an anomaly in the hall's material consumption?"
"Ah? Oh, no, no." Gelong looked up, shaking his big, furry head, his face showing a mixture of surprise and amusement.
"It's that little fellow, that D-Rank Contracted Spirit A Mi, and his Crow-person Spirit Master, Xiao Ye."
"Them?" Lina's delicate eyebrows lifted slightly, seemingly unable to understand what was so noteworthy about these two 'low-tier' Contractors.
"Hey, you wouldn't believe it." Gelong became animated and lowered his voice.
"These two kids have been acting like maniacs lately! They've taken every single low-grade Commission hanging on our hall's task board that nobody else wanted to touch!
Things like cleaning the sludge from the sewers, helping the farm drive away the glowing rabbits eating the crops, and they even finished that one that's been stuck on the board for months offering only fifty Copper Coins—'Find the Lost Pocket Watch'!"
He pointed toward the task board, where the area that usually held sparse low-level Commissions now looked somewhat empty.
"It's unbelievable; this is the first time I've seen newcomers who are this... well, 'diligent'."
Gelong's tone couldn't quite convey whether it was admiration or exasperation.
Upon hearing this, a faint crack appeared in Lina's perpetually calm expression—a pure look of incomprehension toward something difficult to grasp.
"...Trivial," she finally offered as a two-word assessment, clearly deeming Gelong's record-keeping meaningless.
"There's more!" Gelong seemed oblivious to his colleague's disdain and continued sharing his "discovery." "Didn't they enter the Beginner Training Ground again this week? I happened to check the records just now, guess what?
That A Mi has already reached Level 20! And that's only been a week!"
This time, a clear look of surprise flashed across Lina's face, but it was quickly replaced by her usual rationality.
"So what?" she analyzed flatly. "A D-Rank Contracted Spirit has a low growth ceiling; the experience required to level up is naturally much lower than high-Grade ones. Fast leveling is inevitable.
But this kind of false prosperity is meaningless. When everyone reaches the Level 80 cap, a D-Rank like him will still be at the bottom among those at the same level.
At best, he can only use his level advantage to bully weaker individuals, and he might even fail spectacularly due to being too low in level."
Her analysis was calm and harsh, yet it aligned with the common understanding of The World.
Gelong chuckled sheepishly upon hearing this and stroked his large beard, "Hehe, you're right, you're absolutely right."
He stopped arguing, as what Lina said were acknowledged facts.
It was just that... he felt those two youngsters possessed a tenacity unlike the norm, making him want to watch them a little longer.
Just then, the light at the entrance of the hall dimmed, and two familiar figures walked in—it was A Mi and Xiao Ye.
Compared to their appearance a week ago—covered in wounds and barely clinging to life—their current condition was clearly much better.
A Mi's Spirit Body was slightly more solidified. Although signs of numerous battles were still visible, his Aura was steady, and his gaze was sharp.
Xiao Ye followed beside him. Although her clothes were still simple, her back was much straighter, and her face held a bit more color and the slight vitality appropriate for her age.
She carefully held A Mi's hand, exchanging quiet words before they headed toward the Commission submission area.
It seemed that the Commissions they had taken over the past few days, though trivial and low-paying, had at least not involved dangers beyond their control, like the Slime King.
Returning to their familiar Tree House, which was still rudimentary but no longer felt quite so desperate, Xiao Ye carefully placed a heavy little cloth bag into a hollow tree knot they used as a 'piggy bank' in the corner.
The sound of Copper Coins colliding inside was louder and more substantial than ever before.
This was everything they had accumulated over the past week by completing those low-level Commissions that no one else wanted.
A Mi's level had also risen to 20 through this near-frenzied focus.
Although he was still far from being a true powerhouse, compared to the self who couldn't even fight back against a Gargoyle Magic Tool a week ago, he had undergone a complete transformation.
At the very least, he wouldn't struggle so much against ordinary low-level Demonic Beasts or Thugs anymore.
Xiao Ye had also used her saved Copper Coins to buy herself a set of clean and tidy coarse cloth clothes—still cheap, but a vast improvement—washing away much of the previous air of destitution.
Just as they were counting their meager earnings and planning their next steps, familiar footsteps, carrying a hint of haughtiness, sounded outside the Tree House.
Lina appeared beneath the tree. Today, she wasn't wearing her academy uniform but an Elf hunter outfit suitable for movement, making her look spirited and capable.
She looked up at the Tree House, her gaze lingering for a moment on A Mi's more solidified Spirit Body and Xiao Ye's new clothes, a flicker of imperceptible satisfaction crossing her eyes.
"Looks like you haven't killed yourselves yet," she maintained her usual tone, though with slightly less initial harshness. "I brought news."
A Mi and Xiao Ye immediately focused their attention.
"I spoke to my clan about your situation."
Lina continued, her tone flat, as if discussing something insignificant.
"The family agreed to consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether they can hire you as temporary outer Guards to accompany family Merchant Caravans or undertake simple escort tasks."
She deliberately emphasized "consider on a case-by-case basis" and "temporary outer," but for A Mi and Xiao Ye, this was already an unexpected opportunity!
It meant they might gain access to a more stable source of tasks with potentially better rewards, rather than the scraps left over in the Contract Hall.
"Thank—"
"Stop right there, don't celebrate too soon." Lina appropriately threw a bucket of cold water on them.
"Even though you only contracted a D-Rank," she glanced at A Mi, "since you've become a Spirit Master, you're worth more than a complete ordinary person. The family will send someone to assess you after a while to see if you even have the Qualification to be hired."
She paused here, her tone becoming slightly more serious: "I came this time partly to check on your condition; you shouldn't fail to even meet the assessment threshold."
When she learned A Mi had reached Level 20, she nodded slightly. "Your Speed isn't slow; it's... acceptable."
"Secondly," she shifted topics, her golden ponytail swaying slightly as she looked up.
"Before the family members arrive, I will take you for extra training.
And while we're at it, we'll use your pitiful savings to buy some necessary items you might need. You can't show up to the assessor looking this ragged; that would reflect poorly on me!"
Her last sentence carried clear disdain, but A Mi and Xiao Ye understood the underlying meaning—
Lina was helping them in her own way, hoping they could demonstrate enough value in the family assessment to secure this precious job opportunity.
"Understood." A Mi nodded, his gaze toward Lina now holding genuine gratitude. "We will give it our all."
"Hmph, I hope so." Lina snorted lightly and turned, walking toward the city first.
"Don't dawdle, keep up. We don't have much time; we need to make you at least look... presentable before those picky people arrive."