Chapter 64: Chapter 62: Boss’s Direct Recruitnt
"You have no combat ability."
Although Allen had his own thoughts, he still acted like a cold interviewer conducting a stress test.
"I do."
Lina imdiately retorted. She held up the notebook she was clutching, flipped open a page, and showed him a complex symbol drawn on it that resembled a closed eye.
"I can ’see’ lies. If soone lies to us, their color will beco murky."
"I can also ’see’ danger. Before truly fatal danger arrives, a jarring ’black’ color will appear."
’See lies? Foresee danger?’
Allen’s interest was piqued.
’It sounds ridiculous, like the ramblings of a charlatan.’
’But combined with the fact that she could ’see’ the essence of his own power, her credibility shot up instantly.’
’Out in the wilds, the greatest dangers often co not from Magical Beasts, but from the unpredictable hearts of people and unknown environnts.’
’A teammate who can act as a "truth detector" and a "danger-warning radar"...’
"I’ve also studied Witchcraft from the Mind School. I can soothe that big bug."
"I acknowledge your value."
Hearing that Lina also had control-type Witchcraft, Allen made his decision on the spot. He didn’t hesitate in the slightest, as if his earlier weighing and calculating had never happened.
"Welco to the team."
"That’s great!"
Lina’s eyes lit up.
[Re-evaluating: Target ’Lina’. Can provide high-level intelligence support and risk-aversion capabilities during team missions. Also possesses control-type Witchcraft. Value assessnt: High. Recomndation: Accept.]
Allen ignored her excitent, his gaze shifting to a tall figure in the corner of the hall.
’My team is still short two people.’
He strode in that direction, and Lina imdiately followed, jogging to keep up while clutching her notebook.
The person he had locked onto was as tall as a wall. A frail apprentice, who looked like a gust of wind could blow him over, stood by his side. The aura of dejection around the two was almost palpable.
"My mission needs a ’shield.’"
Allen’s voice fell clearly into the tall apprentice’s ears.
The apprentice, who was built like a bear, snapped his head up, revealing a square, honest face filled with astonishnt.
He pointed to himself and asked, sowhat uncertainly, "?"
"Soone who can stand in front of his teammates. Is there anyone else here who could be called a ’shield’?" Allen retorted, his gaze calm.
In the hall, the gazes of many people were drawn over.
"It’s Baston, the ’Stone Giant’ from Source Tower."
"He actually wants to team up with Baston? He must be out of his mind. That guy is useless except for being tough. He’s slower than a turtle."
Baston had clearly heard the chatter. He scratched his short hair and said in a deep, rumbling voice:
"They’re right. I’m Baston. I’ve fused with Hill Giant blood. My strength is that I can take a beating—I’m very tough. My mory isn’t bad either. My weakness is... I can’t run fast, and I haven’t learned any offensive Witchcraft yet."
He was as frank as a rock laid bare in the sun, hiding nothing.
’I don’t know how he was promoted to Advanced Apprentice. He’s too honest and simple.’
"The Burrowing Insect isn’t fast either," Allen stated as a simple fact.
Baston was stunned.
"I don’t need you to run, and I don’t need you to attack."
Allen’s gaze seed to pierce through Baston’s muscles and bones, seeing the bloodline power that was as solid as a mountain range.
"I just need you to stand there and block it. Can you do that?"
Baston’s breathing grew heavier. He had never had his sole value affird so directly.
He nodded forcefully, his voice tinged with excitent. "I can! As long as my feet are on the ground, nothing will get past !"
[Target: Baston Hill, Bloodline Wizard School, possesses partial Hill Giant abilities.]
[Assessnt: Extrely high defense. Honest and easy-to-command personality.]
[Role: Team’s defensive core. Recomnded for recruitnt.]
DSeek’s analysis matched Allen’s judgnt.
"Good. Join my team."
Allen decided crisply.
"Wait!"
But Baston’s face showed no imdiate joy. He grabbed the skinny companion by his side.
He said, sowhat troubled, "If I join, you have to take him too. Bruno is my friend. I can’t leave him behind."
In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on the apprentice nad Bruno.
His Advanced Wizard Robe was covered in pockets of various sizes, looking as if he’d sewn them on himself. His hair was a ss, and his eyes darted about evasively. He had none of the air of a powerful expert; instead, he looked more like a bookworm who’d spent too much ti in a library.
"Bringing along dead weight?"
"Baston is just too loyal. He can never find a team because of this."
The murmurs from the crowd grew louder.
Allen’s brow furrowed.
His gaze fell upon Bruno, sizing him up carefully.
"What can you do?"
"I... My na is Bruno, from the Ten Thousand Binding White Tower."
Bruno, flustered by Allen’s stare, spoke nervously. "My specialty is... Contracts."
’Contract School?’ A flicker of doubt crossed Allen’s mind.
’Contract Wizards usually need powerful partners, but this guy doesn’t look like he has any strong Magical Beasts with him. Could it be he’s contracted with a higher being?’
"Y... Yes."
Bruno seed to muster his courage. He pulled a smooth pebble from his pocket and held it out. "I can... form a contract with this."
The air seed to freeze.
A few seconds later, a ripple of suppressed snickers ca from the onlookers.
"Forming a contract with a rock? Is this guy crazy?"
"A heretic from the Ten Thousand Binding White Tower! I’ve heard of him. Spends all day researching how to communicate with tables and chairs. He’s a disgrace to the Way of the Contract!"
Baston’s face flushed red instantly. He glared furiously at the mockers, like an enraged bear.
Allen, however, didn’t laugh. He took the pebble. It was cool to the touch.
In his [Detect Magic Power] senses, it was just an ordinary rock.
"What’s the use of this?" he asked.
"I... I can ’hear’ its mories."
Bruno’s voice was quiet, yet it carried a strange sense of conviction.
"It ’rembers’ the feeling of being washed over by the river, ’rembers’ the warmth of the sun... If we were in the wild, I could form temporary contracts with the earth and with plants to sense changes in the surrounding environnt."
"For example... where it’s more humid, where the soil is harder, which plants dislike a certain type of creature..."
Hearing this, Allen’s interest was piqued once again.
’Like a cheetah spotting a lone antelope.’
"Silent Forest, Crystal Shell Burrowing Insect."
Allen spoke suddenly, cutting off Bruno’s explanation. "Mission location and target. What can you do?"
Bruno froze for a mont, then his eyes lit up with astonishing brilliance.
"The Silent Forest! The trees there ’whisper’! I can communicate with them! The Burrowing Insect is an earth-attribute Magical Beast. Its presence will alter the distribution of earth elents, which many plants dislike! I can find their nests!"
Allen’s lips curled into a slight smile. ’An unexpected bonus?’
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