Chapter 0140

The group Finally, with a capital F and italics, included to emphasize the point, the group started working on their objectives - earning money!

Okay, Tempest admitted to herself, the group was working on the guild mission they accepted while Tempest was working for money.

“At least we are doing something constructive.” Tempest consoled herself as she fondles her empty mage robe, aka her empty purse. Tempest isn’t poor as she makes it seems. She has money from her charms sales. She didn’t have the concept of money to realize it was quite a lot. Her situation is similar to an American tourist visiting Japan being told the can of soda cost 500 yens. Without knowing the dollar to yen conversion rate, one would assume the soda is expensive judging by the large number.

“Feline beast, 100 meters up ahead. Three monkey type creatures 150 meters to the right and a snake 120 meters to the left.” Yu Li Ming warned everyone in the group.

Tempest gave her a confused glance before saying, “Starm, go fight the feline by yourself. After Starm is done, Bei Ting Mao you engage the three monkeys then Graden, you kill the snake.”

“Why are you sending Starm out by himself? He’s just a little boy.” Yu Li Ming, ever the overprotective mother hen, protested.

“It is because we are on the outskirts of the Emblemic Mountain Range that I’m sending him out first. If he has trouble with the feline, he has a group of well-rested, able bodyguard to protect him. If he goes last, our fighting power could be weakened and we might not be able to save him in time.” Tempest grouched out her explanation. The others understood her plan. Why can’t the overprotective mother hen learn from them?

“Don’t worry, Yu Li Ming. Starm will go kill that panther and bring back its hide for Sis Tempest to sell. Starm is a strong boy.” It might have looked convincing if Starm wasn’t trying to hug Tempest all the while staring adoringly at her with bright creepy eyes. He looked too much like a kid brother trying to show off in front of his beloved sister and the pesky fly buzzing around her.

Tempest, for her part, restrained her instinctive urge to punt the little boy far away from her. She still couldn’t handle close contact with the little boy. It feels too much like holding onto Regan when she turned into the possessed demon in the Exorcist.

“Hurry and go kill the panther.” Tempest shooed him away, and by jolly, Starm went. He let go of Tempest, took three steps, cast two unknown spells back to back and a 9 meter long sleek black panther fell from the sky and lay dead at their feet.

Starm turns towards Tempest with a beaming smile and an expectant expression. Tempest knew he was waiting for praise from her. Starm waited for a bit longer. When it seems no praise was forthcoming, his beaming face became downcast.

Tempest was jolted out of her stupor by Yu Li Ming’s elbow jabbed.

She got the message, unlike a certain attacker and praised Starm, “Oh Starm, you surprised me with your spell casting. Aside from me, I don’t know anyone who could have done a better job.”

The rest of the group members glared at the boastful Tempest. What aside from you? Starm’s attack was swift, brutal and deadly precise. The panther died before it was aware it was being attacked. As far as they can tell, Starm’s attack power is at the top of their group, heck, his attack power might be the strongest among the new recruits.

Now Tempest dare claim she does better? Where does she get the confidence to make the claim?

They are going to mock her really hard if she doesn’t live up to her shameless boasting.

Starm didn’t see the expression on the rest of the group. He was in high heaven when he realized he surprised his beloved Sis Tempest with his attacks. Her praise was simply icing on the already delicious cake.

“Yes, Sis Tempest. I told you I was strong. I specified the coordinates and cast Devour then teleported the corpse here. See, see, Sis Tempest. Not even a hole to mar the beautiful fur. We can sell its skin for a lot of money.” Starm explained what he did. He added the last sentences to improve his standing with his beloved Sis Tempest. He knew she loved money. He earns money for her is the best way to gain her favor. He also threw a smug glance towards Fenix. Take that Fenix. I’m more useful than you.

After patting Starm’s head, Tempest order Bei Ting Mao to kill the monkeys. Bei Ting Mao used a movement technique to physically move to the location of the monkeys and killed them with his sword.

Tempest knew he was no Cardis. Cardis had thousands of years to hone his swordsmanship. Tempest can tell by the graceful sword technique, Bei Ting Mao had the potential to surpass Cardis as a swordsman. Each strike of his sword was swift and deadly, striking the vital areas of the monkey and killing them with one hit.

As mage… Bei Ting Mao is truly lacking. Tempest didn’t know whether to be happy since she can use him as a meat shield or facepalm herself because of his horrible display of magic. Then she remembered what Cardis had told her before; the best mage is a mage who can cast spells and fight in hand to hand combat at the same time.

She’ll highly suggest (order) him to take that route. It seems best for his earth metal combination.

Bei Ting Mao knew his group was disappointed in his display of skills after he had returned from the fight with the corpse of the monkey in one of many pockets of his mage robe. He can tell by the skeptical look they were giving him. If he were in the Heavenly Mountains, such a display of skills would get him admiring looks and approval, yet in the Magus Alliance, his skills are viewed as inferior.

He wanted to know why they disapprove of his method of fighting but he held the words back. He had his pride. They would tell him what is on their minds when the time is right.

Next up was Graden. For a high-affinity fire low-affinity wood mage, Graden favors his wood spells over his fire spells. Graden cast a wood type spell, changing one of the branches into a spear. It pierced the snake with ease, killing the snake with one blow. Then the modified branch tossed the snake over to the group before changing back into a regular tree branch.

Everyone, except Tempest, applauded Graden for his amazing display of magic. Tempest frowned, then decided to talk with the guy at a later date. She, and maybe Starm cause nothing can get past the little bun, knew Graden wasn’t really casting a spell. He made a great display, waving his hand and bringing up the spell circle, but those who know how to read runewords know the spell Graden cast was wrong.

As they ventured deeper into the Emblemic Mountain Range, everyone in the group had a chance to show off their skills.

Fenix was a surprise. One would think Fenix’s attack would be flashy and aggressive, matching her nymphomaniac proclivities. Fenix varied the spells she used to kill magical beasts, but they all had one thing in common, the attacks were silent and almost instantaneously killed her target. One of the targets had an impressive regeneration ability, so it was able to survive the initial attack but it still died from the side effects of Fenix’s spell.

Tempest theorized that she used spells based on the principles of spontaneous combustion. She didn’t make any moves to confirm her theory.

Everyone in the group had to work together and they were pooling their strengths towards a common goal, but they weren’t close enough to reveal their secrets to one another. Tempest accepted it for now.

Yu Li Ming used her water and light spells to the best of her abilities, yet compared to the rest, she was really lackluster. Everyone knew she wasn’t holding back like they were. She simply didn’t know how to fight.

Back home, she was taught the Yu’s family basic martial arts skills, but since she was brainwashed into thinking it wasn’t ladylike for a noblewoman to fight, she didn’t put much effort into practicing. Granted, her martial arts is better than a complete newbie like Tempest, who didn’t know any martial arts skills at all, but compared to Bei Ting Mao, her martial arts abilities were atrocious.

As for her spells, most were the gentle support type like Light Ball, a basic light bulb spell, and Water Jet, a water propulsion spell that has the same effect as a hose a firefighter uses.

Again, as one, the bastards in Tempest’s group decided to throw the problem child in her lap. It wasn’t a bad choice this time, as Tempest could teach and guide Yu Li Ming with her water spells. Before she starts, though, she’s going to get her ‘teacher’s salary and inconvenience salary’ first.

When it was Tempest’s turn to fight, she went with the quick and easy route, killing the magical beasts by piercing them with a long, thin Ice Bolt.

It wasn’t as impressive as Starm’s display. Everyone told her so. They didn’t say much afterward, despite their vow to mock her in their hearts previously, as they were all aware not everyone was showing their full potential.

However, before Tempest can bag her kill, a damn idiot stole it from her.