Chapter 6: Recruitment Attempt

Alex and the messenger stood at the east gate of the sect.

"How many days do i have until my father is executed?"

"He will not die; after all he's an important arch wizard."

"Can you help me fill this?" i said, showing an almost empty bluish red necklace.

"The giants are allied to the vampires, you should disguise yourself Alex," he said, ignoring my question.

'I guess no one is dumb enough to halve their mana pool just to help a stranger,

To fill a mana battery you have to give half of your soul in it to otherwise the mana stored inside will just dissipate into nothing.

"I'm going to go there and see if i can save him."

"You do know, you're not the only one who wants to save him right?"

"Who they want is me, if i can go there to save him, i will."

"Don't be naive Alex. They will not just free him just because you're there."

"I'm going there no matter what; also I’m going by the name of Adam, a male cultivator, working as a mercenary."

"You shouldn't go, your father would rather get captured rather than handing you over to the vampires."

"I'll think about it, besides i want to cultivate to at least core formation before going there."

"Haha you should at least be a nascent soul cultivator before you even consider going there."

"The 5 monster race is not to be trifled with, yet the magic council did."

"If the council stood still while they take away one of their two arch wizard, their reputation will be destroyed."

"Why did they announced that they will execute father then."

"A threat."

"An empty threat."

"If you still want to go there, be careful, or you'll trigger a world war," Surya said, flying away 

"I want a map."

A spirit bag suddenly dropped from the sky and landed on my head.

"You know sect master; you'll probably be a great baby sitter."

"Actually, I’m a former baby sitter." 

"Really? For who?"

"I'm afraid i can't tell you that, client confidentiality," he said, descending from the sky.

"You're hurt, who did this to you?"

"Don't worry about me, it's just a normal wound, i also added Adam as a disciple to this sect, so you can use the identity of a disciple of this sect as Adam"

"Thank you, take care old man" i said, leaving for naive city.

///

Mercenary union, a place where people do battle for a living as mercenaries.

Right now I’m trying get in as Adam.

"Next is number 699" a woman at a reception table said.

"That me, i hope I’m accepted," a brawny middle age man said, sitting beside me.

"Good luck Joe," a man sitting at my other side said.

It was awkward being a middle man of two old muscled strangers.

"Hey young man, why do you want to be a mercenary, it's a dangerous job."

"I want to improve my strength in battle," i replied with the most monotone voice i can muster.

"This is not game, you could lose your life out there, what about your parents, and did they agree to this."

"My parents died when I’m 18."

I didn't lie.

"Ahh, I’m sorry for asking that."

"It's fine."

"Hey when we become mercenaries, we should join a group together."

"I don't think so."

"Hey it's dangerous to be alone, even if you're training; you should always have someone to watch your back to save you when you're in danger."

"Next are number 700."

"Think about it young man" he said, going to the receptionist.

///

"Number 999 right," she said, looking at the piece of paper i gave her.

"What's your current occupation?"

"A cultivator." 

"In a sect or not."

"Inner disciple of prominent sect," i said, pulling out my disciple token.

"Ahh master immortal came from Sunset Mountain."

"Yes is there any other question."

"You just have to fill this form, sorry for testing you master immortal" she said, handing a form for name, age, etc.

A test to see if a person even has fighting strength.

'Looks like i don't have to be tested.'

"Thank you, you can come back and take your mercenary card at noon" she said, giving the number paper back.

“Hey why is he not tested!” someone said.

“Yeah, we have to battle a captain.”

A crowd is forming around me.

“Shut up!” a man shouted, with the door behind the receptionist opening.

“Captain Tiger,” the receptionist said.

“Why do all of you think we test you all?”

“...”

“It’s to see if all of you can even make it out of this city alive, it’s for your own safety, also the nobles will be angry if the people they hire are a moron.”   

 “Then test that kid, he’s so young why you don’t care about him.”

“Test me,” i said.

“I’m sorry about this young man,” the captain said.

“Are you all happy now, let’s go to the training grounds.”

“He has to wait like the rest of us.”

“Fine,” i said, sitting back down.

///

Because of that incident the captain was not lenient; almost all of the applicants are disqualified.

After it’s my turn everybody was staring at me, wishing for me to lose or something.

The place where I’m tested is just an open field the mercenary union’s use to train the rookies; it’s located inside the building with an open roof.

“You just have to attack me as hard as you can,” the captain said, holding a dark blue shield.

‘I think I’m going to buy a spear or something later.’

Attacking a piece of hard metal with your fist is no laughing matter.

So i just threw a big qi blast at him.

He took it very well, only staggering and moved back two steps.

“That was very good, you pass.”

I said my farewell and went out of the union’s recruitment building.

“He actually moved captain tiger.”

“The captain is just taking it easy on him.”

“Of course he taking it easy, he’s a cultivator right, the captain in their standards should be a core formation expert.”

I heard people from behind me speaking with each other.

“Hey young man.”

Someone called behind me, he sounds familiar.

“Did you think about it, joining a group together i mean.”

“No.”

“Come on, what your goal right now, we might have the same one.”

“I’m going to the south to ‘Void Taint city’.”

“That place...although we’re not going there, were going to ‘Battle city’ we’re on the same path, let’s go together.”

“Fine.”

“Great, what’s your name? Mine’s Jack Freeman.”

“Adam Young”

“Nice to meet you Adam, my son is joining us on the journey, also here’s the info for the group I’m joining, and we’re on an escort mission for a noble,” he said, giving me a thin book.

“When will you set off?”

“In three days.”

“I guess that’s fine.”

“If you change your mind, you can still join us you know.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Great, if you want to find me, just come to Impact bar, the group is currently staying there," he said, walking away.

‘I can’t stay at my house.’

“I guess i stay there also.”