The excitement in the duel arena gradually faded, but the discussions about the brief yet shocking sparring match between “Sleeping Thunder Lion” Lailong and the mysterious newcomer Yize stirred ripples that lingered within the Stana Adventurer’s Guild.
The name Yize, and the terrifying strength he might represent, quickly became the focus of many adventurers’ private discussions and speculations.
Lailong hooked his arm around Yize’s shoulders and nearly dragged him back into the guild headquarters hall, heading straight for a relatively quiet service window next to the internal staff channel.
Behind the counter sat an elderly dwarf with a stern expression and glasses, carefully examining a rune-inscribed metal plate with a magnifying glass.
“Old Ge Lu! Get to work! Process the enlistment procedures for this little brother of mine—the highest tier, the ‘Special Invited Reserve Member’ agreement!”
Lailong knocked on the counter, his voice loud.
The old dwarf called Ge Lu didn’t look up, speaking slowly:
“Lailong, it’s you again.”
“Where did you pick up this ‘good seedling’ this time?”
“Last time you swore you’d found a human kid who could wrestle Mountain Giants, and he came and quit after half a month. Just a few words.”
“This time is different! Completely different!”
Lailong pounded his chest, then lowered his voice and quickly whispered into Ge Lu’s ear.
The old dwarf finally lifted his head.
Behind his thick lenses, a pair of shrewd eyes looked Yize up and down, pausing especially on Yize’s not particularly strong arms and calm face.
“Two punches? Are you sure?”
Ge Lu’s voice carried doubt.
“I care about my face too, alright? Why would I belittle myself to elevate someone else?”
Lailong said urgently.
“Hurry up with the paperwork, set the permissions to the highest I can request! Especially for the teleportation array!”
Ge Lu muttered a few words in Dwarven, seemingly complaining about how humans always were so impatient, but his hands moved quickly.
He took Yize’s newly issued Silver Rank identity token and Lailong’s team emblem and placed them into a complex multi-layered magic array.
Light swirled as the team emblem slowly appeared on the token, accompanied by a small special rune marking the “Special Invited” status.
“Done.”
Ge Lu handed the token back to Yize and also produced a thick contract scroll made of magical parchment.
“This is the ‘Special Invited Reserve Member’ agreement.”
“Core clauses: enjoy team internal resource allocation and corresponding guild cooperation permissions; must maintain team reputation; participation in team missions follows the principles of voluntariness and prior negotiation; no mandatory contribution point targets; mission rewards distributed based on actual contributions.”
“Detailed clauses total one hundred and seventy-eight. The enchantment ensures genuine signing. Sign it.”
“Additional clause: cannot change teams for five years.”
Yize quickly glanced through the core clauses written in common tongue and magical imprints, confirming they matched Lailong’s promise.
‘But there’s actually a time limit?’
‘Not that important, I suppose…’
‘After all, Yize never thought about joining another adventurer team.’
He then signed his magical signature cleanly at the designated spot on the scroll.
The scroll flashed with golden light, splitting into two streams that sank into Yize’s identity token and Lailong’s team emblem respectively. The agreement was formed.
“Welcome to the Night Raid, kid!”
Lailong patted Yize on the back, his face beaming.
“Come on, let’s find a quiet place. I’ll tell you more about our guild and our team! You’re one of us now!”
Yize was taken aback.
“What did you say your team was called?”
Lailong laughed.
“Night Raid. Pretty cool name, right?”
Yize: “…”
‘Cool is cool, but… this team name sounds a bit unlucky…’
‘Hopefully it won’t end up with the fate of everyone dead, right?’
The two arrived at a rest area on the second floor of the guild, reserved for high-level adventurer teams.
The environment was elegant, with soundproof magical barriers.
Lailong ordered two mugs of ale and relaxed into a soft beast-hide chair.
“First of all, welcome to the real world of adventurers, Yize.”
Lailong took a sip of ale, his tone carrying a hint of emotion.
“The Stana Guild headquarters is a completely different concept from the small place you used to be in, the Olay Empire.”
“Here, the continent’s most elite adventurers from all known races gather. Competition, cooperation, conflict—it all happens every day.”
He pointed at the noisy hall downstairs.
“See all those adventurers of various races coming and going?”
“The guild wasn’t originally built by humans.”
“About three hundred years ago, it was initiated and funded by the leaders of the Elven race, Dwarven race, and several major Demihuman tribes.”
“The original intention was to coordinate conflicts among races when exploring ruins, fighting periodic monster tides, and allocating rare resources, establishing a relatively neutral mission release and arbitration platform.”
Lailong sighed.
“Humans, on the continental stage at that time, were overall weak. Magical talent was far inferior to Elves; physical talent was inferior to many Demihumans and Dwarves in endurance; technology… was out of the question back then.”
“So initially, humans had little say in the guild, mostly existing as support or low-level labor.”
“Later, through the hard work, struggle, and bloodshed of several generations of outstanding humans, they gradually gained a foothold and obtained equal membership. But the historically formed impression of ‘weakness’ and the actual average strength gap means that the overall status of human adventurers isn’t high even today.”
“Status is directly reflected in team rankings here.”
Lailong’s eyes flashed with sharpness.
“The guild has an official ‘Comprehensive Strength Ranking,’ adjusted quarterly, and every three years there’s a grand ‘Guild Tournament,’ which is key to major ranking changes.”
“The ranking isn’t just about face; it’s about real benefits: higher-ranked teams get priority to take on the most rewarding and potentially most dangerous legendary quests; they get better logistical support and intelligence-sharing permissions from the guild; and most importantly—”
He paused, lowering his voice with a hint of temptation.
“Every tournament, the top-ranked teams can receive special rewards provided by the Elven Royal Court, Dwarven Royal Court, Orcish Royal Court, and others!”
“The Elves’ secret ‘Primordial Potion’ that permanently increases mana capacity or elemental affinity; Dwarven master craftsmen’s personally forged top-quality magic tools; the Orc tribes’ treasured ‘Ancient Totem Blessing’ opportunities that can stimulate bloodline potential or strengthen the body… These are things you absolutely can’t buy with money outside!”
Yize listened and nodded slightly.
‘Permanent stat-boosting potions?’
‘Top-quality magic tools?’
‘And elemental affinity?’
‘This is indeed much more attractive than gold coins.’
‘But potions and magic tools—if I had the materials, I could make them too…’
‘I just don’t know if the Elven potion could improve my elemental affinity.’
‘As for the blessing to strengthen my bloodline and physique, my physique is already good; I haven’t even figured out my own limits.’
‘I don’t know if it would have any enhancement effect on me…’
‘Sounds like it’s at least a little interesting to me, huh…’
Lailong laughed.
“Of course, higher-ranked team members also have higher internal permissions, like the use of the Adventurer’s Guild teleportation array… Speaking of rankings…”
His face showed pride but also a trace of reluctance.
“Our ‘Night Raid’ is currently the only human adventurer team at the guild headquarters that has squeezed into the top ten! We’re hanging on at tenth place!”
Yize showed appropriate surprise and curiosity, asking:
“Uncle Lailong, you’re that strong… um, I mean, with your strength, how come the team is only ranked tenth?”
He asked sincerely and was genuinely curious.
Lailong, pleased by this direct compliment, laughed heartily, but then his expression turned serious.
“I can’t support a top-tier team alone, let alone squeeze into the top ten.”
“Kid, remember, adventuring isn’t about solo fighting, especially when facing those ultra-large ruins, cataclysm-level monsters, or complex missions involving racial interests.”
He sat up straight, his tone respectful and proud.
“Our ‘Night Raid,’ not counting you who just joined, currently has eight regular members.”
“Each one is a partner I personally selected and fought alongside for many years. They are all the cream of the human race, one in ten thousand. Each of them has the strength to independently handle A-rank threats, and under certain conditions, to wear down and severely injure an A+ rank Demon King Seed!”
“They’re currently scattered across the continent, carrying out different missions.”
“But every morning, usually two or three of them come back to the guild for handovers or rest. I’ll introduce you then.”
Yize nodded, gaining a preliminary impression of the team’s composition.
A team made entirely of humanity’s top combatants, able to reach tenth place at the guild headquarters—that was no easy feat.
But he still had some doubts:
“Since the team’s overall strength is so high, and you yourself, Uncle… well, are very strong, why is it only tenth place?”
“How strong are the teams ranked higher?”
At this, Lailong’s expression turned completely serious, and even a flicker of barely concealed gravity… and awe appeared in his eyes.
“Because this world is far vaster and more brutal than what you see now.”
Lailong’s voice lowered.
“Yize, you need to understand that humanity does have inherent disadvantages in many areas.”
“On average, our physique can’t compare to these Demihumans; our precision in mana manipulation and elemental affinity can’t match the Elves; our endurance and forging talent can’t measure up to the Dwarves. These are racial traits, hard to fully overcome.”
“As for the top three teams…”
He took a deep breath.
“They’re on an entirely different level. I can tell you, among the top three teams, each one has at least one Supreme Rank adventister stationed there!”
“Supreme Rank?”
Is that the rank above Diamond?
“That’s right, the legendary rank above Diamond — Supreme.”
Lailong’s eyes showed longing and emotion.
“It’s a symbol of an adventurer reaching the peak of personal strength and contributions. A living legend.”
“The Stana Adventurer’s Guild headquarters has only seven registered active Supreme adventurers. Actually, the Adventurer’s Guild only keeps seven slots for the Supreme rank.”
Yize couldn’t help but be curious:
“Then how does one become a Supreme Rank adventurer? Do lots of high-difficulty quests? Accumulate an astronomical number of points?”
Lailong shook his head, revealing a wry smile.
“If only it were that simple. Promotion to Supreme can’t be achieved through accumulation alone.”
“It’s an extremely harsh path. First, the applicant must be the absolute peak among Diamond ranks, with acknowledged strength.”
“Then, they must undergo a joint assessment by representatives sent by the three founding parties of the Guild — the Elf King, the Dwarf King, and the Orc King. The assessment is said to be incredibly brutal.”
“That’s not all.”
Lailong paused, his voice even lower.
“After passing the three-party assessment, the applicant must publicly challenge and defeat an existing Supreme adventurer, proving in a fair duel that they have the strength to replace them.”
“Only after completing this ‘three-party approval’ plus ‘Supreme succession’ will a new Supreme be born, and the defeated former Supreme loses the title and some privileges.”
Yize was taken aback.
This is difficult… was truly beyond imagination.
Not only did he need recognition from the leaders of several powerful races, but also take down a sitting Supreme?
This wasn’t just a contest of strength; it seemed to involve complex politics and racial balance?
“So,”
Yize looked at Lailong and asked a key question.
“Uncle Lailong, is the gap between you and those Supremes really that big?”
He wanted to know the tier of the world’s top combat strength.
After all, in his perception, Lailong’s Thunder Power was already quite formidable, enough to handle a Blood Pillar-level existence.
Lailong was silent for a moment. Instead of directly answering about the gap, he gave a number that surprised Yize.
“My personal strength evaluation ranking among Diamond rank adventurers within the guild is probably around 50th place or lower.”
“50th… or lower?”
Yize was now genuinely surprised.
The strength Lailong had shown seemed very considerable in his eyes, yet he was only ranked in the 50s among Diamonds?
How strong were those higher-ranked Diamonds, and the seven Supremes above them?
“That’s right.”
Lailong admitted frankly, without any embarrassment.
“Diamond rank is a wide range, packed with formidable experts.”
“Inside are the top elites from every race, each one stronger than me. Not to mention those ranked in the top ten — some are former Supremes who were replaced, or that batch of top experts who passed the assessment but failed the challenge.”
“The Adventurer’s Guild runs deep.”
He looked at Yize, his expression complex.
“So, kid, now you understand why I wanted to recruit you so badly?”
“I can’t see through your strength.”
“Though I don’t know how much truth there is to your claim of not going all-out, you’re still so young, with far more potential… Humanity needs new pillars in the Adventurer’s Guild too much.”
Yize fell into a brief silence, slowly drinking the wheat juice in his cup.
Lailong’s words pushed open a door for him, allowing him to glimpse the truly magnificent yet brutal high-end power structure of this continent beyond the Aolai Empire.
Humanity was generally weak, relying on a few elites to struggle in the cracks; the Elves, Dwarves, and Demihumans had deep foundations, with many strong experts emerging.
The Supreme ranks were like gods on clouds, overlooking all beings.
This was indeed a world far larger, more complex, and more exciting than the Aolai Empire.
Ordinarily, he might have been somewhat interested in exploring.
But now…
He set down his cup and looked at Lailong with clear eyes.
“Uncle Lailong, thank you for your trust and explanation.”
“I have a better understanding of the Guild and this vast world.”
“However, my primary goal hasn’t changed — to return to the Aolai Empire as soon as possible.”
“What about the internal permissions and the teleportation array you promised earlier…”
Lailong quickly waved his hand. “Don’t worry! I, Lailong, keep my word!”
“Your identity badge is now bound with Advanced Collaboration Permission.”
“Come on, I’ll take you to the Teleportation Hub management office right now to inquire and apply for the best route toward the Aolai Empire! But…”
He rubbed his hands and grinned.
“The procedures and energy scheduling on that end might take some time. After all, an ultra-long-range directional teleport is no small matter.”
“In the meantime, why not take a look around my team’s base, or… wait until tomorrow morning to meet the few who come back?”
Late.
“I think they’ll be extremely interested in you too.”
Yize thought for a moment, then nodded.
Checking the teleportation route and going through the procedures would indeed take time, and he wasn’t in a rush for that one day.
Moreover, he was a bit curious about the other members of this top human adventurer team.
“Alright. Then please take me to the Teleportation Hub first to ask about the situation.”
“As for meeting the teammates… I’ll decide tomorrow morning.”
“Sure!”
Lailong stood up happily.
“Let’s go now! Oh, right,”
He seemed to remember something and added.
“Regarding your status as a ‘Special Invited Reserve Member’ and your… strength, it’s best to keep a low profile for now.”
“The guys on the team are fine, but there are many spies in the guild. Some races aren’t too happy about humans squeezing into the top ten. Try to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
Yize understood and nodded.
Being low-key was one of his specialties.
The two left the rest area and headed toward the heavily guarded Teleportation Hub management office deep inside the guild building.
Yize felt like he was forgetting something…
But he couldn’t remember at the moment.
At that very moment, Vivian, carrying a large pile of Wind Demon Wolf Magic Tools, stared at Emily with wide eyes, incredulous.
“What did you say? Yize? He’s already a Silver adventurer?”
“And he secretly joined another team behind our backs, and got permission to use the guild teleportation array almost for free?”
“And now, he’s over there eating and drinking well?”
Damn Yize! We agreed to do quests together and earn points!!!
In the end, he actually ditched her and went to freeload over there!!!
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