Chapter 107
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Of course, Rhode was kidding . There isn't a way for her to delete her character since this world isn't a game .
Rhode and Marlene pitied her . She had the talent, but she didn't have a proper tutor to guide her the way to study alchemy . Perhaps if she had, she would be one of the next alchemy geniuses on the continent .
But Rhode didn't plan to give on up her just like that . Since Lapis had already joined Starlight, he could still try and salvage what he could . Although Lapis did what no player could do, it wasn't all that surprising as NPCs had different characteristics from players . Rhode turned towards Marlene and looked at her . Just like that young genius mage beside him who excelled in 'all forms of magic . '
"It's impossible, Mr . Rhode . "
Marlene said, as though she read Rhode's mind .
"While I did learn how to concoct potions, I'm not too sure about the other two divisions . Even if you want me to teach her, I can't teach something I don't know . "
After all, being a genius doesn't mean that she's omnipotent .
"Just give it a try . "
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Rhode understood Marlene's difficulties as his class had a similar problem . One of the skill requirements for the Summoning Swordsman class was also mysterious creation .
Marlene had a look of bewilderment on her face; her usual confidence was nowhere to be seen . Rhode knew that he shouldn't force things to progress quickly so he didn't require her to complete the task if she couldn't . It's just that he didn't have anyone else who had more knowledge of magic than her, thus he could only give it a try .
After hiring the four of them, Rhode told Old Walker to halt the recruitment .
With the addition of Shauna, Randolf, Lapis and the others, Starlight had met the minimum requirements of 12 members . It took some time, but Rhode finally did it .
Although there were no geniuses among the new recruits, Rhode didn't worry about it . These mercenaries were still young and had enough time to train . Rhode was once the leader of a massive guild, so he had plenty of experience in developing newbies . As long as he had enough time, he was certain that he could bring them up to a similar standard to that of a regular player . While he couldn't guarantee that he could train them up to a level similar to Marlene, at least they would be self-sufficient when going for missions .
Now that's settled, Rhode still had one more thing to do .
Attending the Mercenary Association Joint Meeting .
When Rhode arrived at the Mercenary Association, it was already dusk .
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"Hello, Mr . Rhode . "
The mercenary who was responsible for greeting the guests promptly paid his respect to Rhode and politely ushered him inside . When he entered the hall, he found that the Mercenary Association looked different than the usual .
The tables and chairs the mercenaries sat on were gone; the only traces of furniture was the 32 chairs placed in a circle at the center of the hall . Many people had already arrived, making the large hall seem somewhat crowded .
Some were discussing something quietly while others quarreled openly . And among them, some people were unhappy, while others were coldly watching by the side .
These people were Paphield Region's 32 mercenary group leaders . At this moment, all of them were assembled together .
Rhode's arrival caused many people to stop talking as they shifted their attention to the appearance of the rising star . Ever since Starlight was formed, it was a group that didn't shy away from controversy . From how it was created, to where its stronghold was located and to the attractive rewards from the missions they received . Moreover, the recent conflict between Starlight and Jade Tears also sparked another wave of controversy among the mercenary groups . These events put Starlight in the limelight, and the mercenary group leaders were curious about who this mysterious young man was .
Under the attendant's lead, Rhode finally made it to his seat and sat down . The chairs were arranged according to the rank of the mercenary group, and the Starlight mercenary group's seat was the second to the left, which was the third-ranked seat .
Some people were unhappy with Rhode occupying the third rank, but before they could display their dissatisfaction, the Old President slammed his hammer down and silenced the crowd .
"Enough! Since everyone is now present, I now declare the commencement of the Mercenary Joint Meeting . "
All the leaders immediately stopped speaking and gazed at the old man in anticipation .
This old man has such high prestige? That's unexpected .
Rhode sat on the chair with his arms crossed, looking at the Old President in amusement . He didn't stare too long before glancing around to look at the other leaders since some of them might be his future allies or foes .
Rhode was familiar with three of them, though . The person sitting in the first seat was a Swordsman who wielded a two-handed sword, 'Flame' Hiller . He spent twenty years to bring his mercenary group to the top . He also obtained the 'Flame Spirit Blessing' which was an artifact envied by many players .
It was even said that the massive two-handed blade on his back was made out of pure fire elemental condensation . Once the blade touches something, its temperature would shoot up to the point of melting anything around it .
Contrary to the fiery sword that appeared tyrannical, its master, 'Flame' Hiller, was a calm and brave man . Hiller's luck wasn't that good . During the past two decades, he upgraded his mercenary group to a guild several times, but they quickly relegated back into a mercenary group in the very same year . Still, though Burning Blade couldn't be compared to a mercenary guild, among the mercenary groups, it's still first in its class .
Sitting next to Hiller was 'Shadow' Shawn, the leader of the second-ranked 'Dark Fang . ' He wore a white mask with a black cloak covering his entire body . It was rumored that he used to be a Rogue in one of the northern countries, but because of a mistake, he fled to Deep Stone City and took refuge there . Compared to orthodox mercenary groups like Burning Blade, Dark Fang was more of a society for Thieves and Assassins . The way they trained was based on subterfuge and hidden weapons . This made the mercenary group popular among dexterity-based classes like Rangers and Thieves .
However, Shawn didn't seem interested in promoting his mercenary group into a guild . He led Dark Fang for many years, and each year he consistently held the second rank, but never the first . Because of this, Dark Fang being referred to as the 'Eternal No . 2' was an open secret . But after some time, this nickname of theirs faded away .
Just next to Rhode was the leader of Anne's former mercenary group, Mark White . He stared at Rhode with open animosity as Starlight had overtaken their position as third . Moreover, Rhode had 'bought over' some former Mark White members . Although it was a fair trade, the presence of their ex-members still made them feel slightly uncomfortable .
Just when Rhode stopped studying the appearances of all the leaders, the Old President also completed his boring opening speech . After that, he coughed and tapped the hammer on his hand .
"As you all should know, the recent incidents have caused considerable damage to all mercenary groups in Paphield . This meeting is to decide what happens next . Now, I'm going to announce the final decision determined by the Mercenary Association as we've discussed earlier . "
Many mercenary group leaders were surprised . Even the leader of Burning Blade frowned . If the Mercenary Association made the final decision, the mercenary groups wouldn't be able to defy it unless they wanted to go rogue .
"The Mercenary Association has decided that because of the complexity of this incident, we will postpone the assessment to ensure that every mercenary group has enough time to rebuild . During this period, the Association will not release any missions and also forbid any mercenary groups to receive missions in private . If you violate this rule and undertake a mission, the Mercenary Association will not be liable for your loss and will not compensate you in any way . "
Once the Old President finished, the quiet hall turned rowdy . Then, a man suddenly jumped up from his chair and yelled .
"I object!!"