I gazed at the massive inferno in front of me, my head throbbing and a bit dizzy.

The queen had been a sitting duck, relying on its guards to protect her. And she was directly attached to her nest in some grotesque fashion, so she had no way to attack us who kept our distance.

Umara had cast a simple fireball spell, igniting the entire nest and letting her burn. And I put a few bullets into her mouth, ending her quickly.

But the fire didn’t stop and continue to burn until the entire dome was lit on fire. I suppose it wasn’t made of stone after all since it had turned into probably the largest bonfire I had ever seen.

We all sat around watching the tower of flames. Our objective was complete.

But we didn’t immediately leave. There was still time before the scenario ended. So instead, I ruminated in silence.

This scenario was valuable experience. For the first time I had cooperated with others in holding off hordes of beasts that were supposed to resemble the Scourge. I had found the limits of my crowd control abilities, had to stress my aim while shooting around my allies, and learned how to let others protect me.

I felt like I did good, especially since it was my first time doing anything like this.

After reflecting on everything, I also discussed things with the others. I asked about any of my deficiencies, but they didn’t have anything negative to say. With the sound isolation spell, one of my few weaknesses was taken away.

In fact, My weapons were decisive in killing not only as many locusts as we did, but taking care of those armored beetles. Without me, they would have stressed themselves far more than they did, and even then it was questionable whether they could make it out alive.

Dominating the skies and providing powerful attacks had made me an asset no lesser than them.

And I was still only an Authority 3. Considering that the others were Authority 4 or 5, I was doing very well.

Finally, after some waiting and recovering, we all felt our bodies be pulled back to the outpost.

After teleporting, I could see all the other groups. Like us, they seemed battered and tired. Some even had bloody injuries. On the contrary, none of us were wounded.

Mr. Puppet came out of his room and looked us all over.

“Congratulations. Most of you achieved perfect scores, which is just about expected. Of course, some were faster than others. I present to you, the first place team.”

He lifted his arm, motioning toward us.

I was surprised, but my expression was hidden behind my air mask.

Mr. Puppet didn’t have anything else to say about our team, so without suspense, he waved us off.

“You’re done for the day. Tomorrow is basic hunting. John, you stay.”

“Yes sir.”

I walked over with a smile. The two of us entered the room after I said goodbye to my team.

Once the two of us were alone, he slumped down into a chair as I took off my air mask.

“Be honest, how difficult was that compared to your work?”

“Hm… I would say its pretty easy, actually. There was never a threat to my life. Not even an injury. It was really only a workout.”

“Hmph. Show off.”

He snorted before looking back at the screens. On one of them was a video of my battle outside the dome.

“I placed Umara in your group knowing she had that sound spell. It got you guys through the maze with ease, almost too much ease. And with Heubert protecting his back line, you never had to worry much about close combat. In all, that team was almost perfect for you. You’ll do good to remember that for your trip. Still, even then I had underestimated just how freakish your weapons are.”

He looked toward another screen. It was a close up shot of me and my quad barrel shotgun when I was using it to decimate those beetles.

“Everyone else hit a wall with those beetles. But with the others distracting them, you were able debilitate those things unhindered. Your instincts are good in regards to keeping distance and managing the threats around you. But… That damage…”

He shook his head, as if unbelieving of the power my guns contained. It made me smile with a bit of pride.

“I finally understand why Maxwell is so serious about you. Your only weakness is your defense. Also, I saw you slow down your shots frequently when your targets were anywhere near your teammates. Understandable, but with your lethality, more will be expected of you. You’ll need to work on your aim and awareness. But even then, developing your control over your Psyka and Aura will solve those problems.”

“How so?”

“Please, there’s no way you didn’t feel it.”

He scoffed at me while pulling his eyes away from the screen. Then, I could feel his gaze seemingly pierce through me.

“You actually managed to infuse Psyka into your Aura. I’ve heard of only prodigies that could do so at your Authority. For reference, half of the Elites here today are Authority 4. And only 3 of those at Authority 5 are able to do what you do. So you can understand the rarity of such an achievement. And you also know that your Aura is a powerful tool for understanding your surroundings and others. If you can read other people’s intents, and have perfect control over your body, there will be nothing to worry about in regards to your aim.”

“Oh… I see.”

I pondered his words, simultaneously recalling my past experience with infusing Psyka into my Aura.

So much as becoming aware of my Aura gave me a deep awareness of the world and people around me, far more than before. Instead of merely seeing with my eyes and listening with my ears, I could feel the lives around me and react without even looking.

I could feel threats as they approached, could feel my body on a deeper level and exercise greater control over my muscles. My agility had increased by a significant amount, and my mental abilities jumped with it as my Psyka was evolved.

The power of the mind, Psyka, was a powerful thing in the right hands. Why it wasn’t given to Warlocks, I had no idea. It would be perfect for them who cast spells all the time.

Regardless, these powers would be greatly beneficial to me. Shooting guns was a very sensory driven activity, relying on your sight and the precise control over your fine motor movements.

It also required extensive knowledge on your weapon, yourself, your target, and everything around it. Processing all these variables on the fly couldn’t be done by just anybody, and even with the skills and memories within my spirits, I was still developing my personal capabilities.

Psyka, by extension, would expedite all of that and shatter the skill ceiling associated with the art of marksmanship, opening up greater levels of power.

I could only grow from here, and I was beginning to see the definitive path forward.

“You just keep practicing. In fact, that should be your main focus for the next few weeks. You’re not going to advance anytime soon, so honing your control over Psyka and your Aura is paramount. And when I see you here, I expect to see that practice. I don’t want you focusing on competition at all. The only exception is during team scenarios, of which we will have two more before the end of the week.”

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“Alright.”

“Then get on out of here and recover.”

He waved me out, and I left the training grounds.

I walked to the Magisterium’s restaurant first, ordering some food to go before heading to my room and chowing down. I didn’t have anything to cook, and with my savings, was too lazy to bother.

As I was eating though, I got a call. It was Rayla, so I picked up with enthusiasm.

“Hey sweet cheeks.”

“Hey. How goes work?”

“Funny you should ask. I’m actually calling to pass a message to you.”

Her tone became a level more serious.

“According to Plex, Patriarch Tavera has requested you for a job. He wants you at your earliest convenience within the next day or so.”

“Is that so…”

I kicked back in a chair, curious about this sudden job.

“Do you have any details?”

“Well, I know you’re not the only one. I guess the Tavera Family is moving something big or numerous, but they’re putting together an escort team for a load of cargo. And you’re moving between cities, so its a big deal. Obviously, you’ll also be paid handsomely, but it’ll be a multi-day trip. Plex will also be going.”

“I see… Are you going?”

“Unfortunately no. I’m staying behind with Libitus and Tovex to run things during Plex’s absence. I would be if you declined though.”

I rubbed my chin with a moment of silence.

“Do you want to take it? I can just leave it to you.”

“Honey, there’s no way I’m taking away this chance from you. Developing rapport with the Tavera Family is crucial. To reject now will basically burn the bridge between you two. Don’t ever expect another request if you turn this one down.”

“Well that doesn’t really leave me with a choice now, does it?”

“Not really, but it’s not like you’re missing much at the Magisterium. You’ll obviously be fighting during your trip. This isn’t something that’s gone unnoticed by the other powers, so you’ll get your practice.”

“That’s comforting. Well, I guess I accept the job. When do I report?”

“Tomorrow, go to the Tavera Mansion during operating hours. You’ll meet with the Patriarch and he’ll give you the details. Also, I recommend pulling some coin out for the trip. You’ll be at a new city, so you never know when you’ll need some. Just throw it in your bracelet.”

“Sure.”

“Good. Now, catch me up.”

With business out of the way, the both of us continued to talk into the night. Or, it was more so night for me and morning for her.

I mentioned my new ability to sense Aura and infuse my Psyka into it, which she was more than shocked about. Unfortunately there wasn’t much advice she could give me since she was a Warlock, not a Summoner. Plus, she hadn’t been able to do the same until she was an Authority 6.

But she did tell me that this ability singlehandedly managed to drive her Authority up an entire rank. Without it, she would have never jumped to Authority 8, regardless of her feelings about her personal talent.

After that, we talked for an hour or so before I decided to head to bed. I was still tired from the scenario earlier in the day, and now I knew that I had an eventful trip ahead of me that I would need to prepare for.

……

The next day, I arrived at the training grounds after classes. It was there that I spent about an hour hunting and working on my Psyka control. I also notified Mr. Puppet about my absence in the coming days.

He wasn’t happy, but he knew about my work from Maxwell, so there wasn’t much of an argument to put up.

I left after having done a proper workout with my Psyka, and when the sun set, I was off to the Founder’s Market.

I found myself smiling as I greeted Chef Black at my usual entrance. The man was excited at my arrival, not having seen me in a while.

I chatted with him briefly before heading in. My steps then took me to the Tavera territory where the mansion was located.

I immediately noticed the change. Unlike normally, I found plenty of Tavera’s men who were scurrying around. It was much more active, and if it was this obvious to me, then it was even more so for the other powers.

They were doing something big. I was curious as to what.

I walked up to the mansion whose doors were wide open today. It was there that I met an attendant who was expecting my arrival.

My meeting with the Patriarch was prompt.

“Ah, John. I appreciate you responding to my request, despite your busy schedule at the Magisterium.”

“It’s no problem, Patriarch. Besides, I’ve been getting itchy lately. It’s been too relaxed in that cushy school. You’re doing me a favor.”

We shook hands with a few laughs before he invited me to sit.

“I’m glad things are working out as such. And forgive me for being so succinct. As you can guess, we’ve been busy preparing.”

“Sure.”

“Then, I’ll lay out my request clearly.”

The gruff man straightened himself out within his seat, looking down at a map on his desk.

I analyzed it too, and it gave a large overview of what was considered the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue.

The Kingdom’s territory seemed to be located toward the southern region of a large continent. Below them were mountain ranges covered in ice and snow, while above them were several other cities.

Above that was the warzone, the frontier of the war against the Scourge.

He pointed to one city that was between the frontier and the capital city in the rear.

“Our destination is the major city of Joffrun. It’s a major distribution landmark, responsible for facilitating a majority of the trade between the capital city and the frontier cities. We’re delivering cargo there, and the trip to get there will take an estimated 6 days with only a few delays. However, this is also on an unofficial road that runs parallel with the major road.”

He traced a faint line that ran beside a thicker trail. This hidden road was no doubt a smuggling route, and instead of taking the path most traveled, it ran through the untrodden forest beside it.

There was even a small mountain range between them that it ran through.

I could already tell this trip wouldn’t be very fun or relaxed.

“There will be two waves, but the first wave is the only one that matters. It will have almost all the cargo and personnel. You will be on that first wave, and you will also be facing whatever attacks that await you. We’ve already heard reports of the Clockwork Association sending out men. So a fight is guaranteed. However, this is exactly where you shine.”

He smiled at me, and I finally figured out why I was specifically requested.

My weapons were powerful, and there was only one enemy that could give me a hard time. They were the resilient Knights.

As for Warlocks and Summoners… Well, the entirety of the Trenches already knew that I couldn’t be touched unless you sent a juggernaut at me. They learned that the hard way.

So if I were up against the Warlocks of the Clockwork Association, then I should be having an easy time.

Even more so if I were protected by the Knights of the Tavera Family.

I was beginning to think that this trip might go smoother than originally thought.

I was their specialist hired almost exclusively to hunt a bunch of wizards.

The Patriarch smiled at me, as if reading my thoughts.

“I can guarantee your protection, so long as the convoy isn’t decimated. And all I ask is that you prevent that from ever being able to happen. You’ll be paid handsomely for this work of yours, the terms of which are listed in this contract.”

He handed me a sheet of paper, which I took with a curious eye.

I quickly read through the simple clauses. Legalities weren’t much of a thing here, but for something this big, having a contract would eliminate confusion and misunderstandings.

After a quick read, I found that I really was being paid well.

I would be paid a baseline rate of 85 thousand coin, which was already a lot. But there was also something like a commission. Basically, I would be paid for my kills.

The pay would depend on the enemy, specifically if they were powerful or valuable. But otherwise, the rate per kill was 5 thousand coin. If there was anyone at Authority 6 or above, then I could be paid upward of 15 thousand per kill.

I barely held back my glee. My bullets were becoming valuable. And all this money was going straight to me. I wouldn’t have to cut the profit with others.

As for verifying my kills, that would be done by one of the Patriarch’s men. At the end of the trip, We would compare our numbers, check the discrepancy, and pay accordingly.

They were fair terms, so I readily signed.

Patriarch Tavera smiled.

“Good. You will be leaving at dawn. Simply report to the North Gate. All basic necessities will be given to you, like food. I do recommend that you pack a small chest’s worth of items, like spare clothes or any personal items. You will be leaving the range of the capital city which means that using the Bank and communication will be impossible. There will also be healers and proper sleeping arrangements, so your experience won’t be completely miserable.”

“Haha, right. Thank you, Patriarch. Consider this expedition a success.”

“I expect nothing less from the American.”

He laughed as we said goodbyes.

After that, I went back to my room at the Magisterium. It was there that I started packing a few things.

The space within my spatial bracelet wasn’t huge, but it was enough for what I needed. I only planned to bring two sets of clothing, and one of them was the one I had on.

My primary choice in clothing was all enchanted with various convenient things like self cleaning, durability, and mild temperature regulation. With all the money I had, I simply didn’t settle for less, especially when this world lacked the technology of Earth.

What I packed would get me through the trip just fine. But there were other things that I decided to stock up on.

One of those things were my recovery pills. I hadn’t had to use them since I stopped working, but now they would probably come in handy.

I threw the rest of my stash into my bracelet. I always kept a few on me regardless, but now they were all there.

With that, I was basically set. Besides food, there really wasn’t much else that I used throughout the day, besides the luxuries of a shower and porcelain throne.