The rcenaries present were all professionals, though uniformly, they were physical classes with relatively short psychic energy bars.
In the worldview of "Myriad Realms," professions have a hidden hierarchy of discrimination.
Generally, professions that are closer in nature to the three major schools—those with a higher "knowledge quotient"—are more powerful and respected.
For a magic-centric city like lo City, these rcenaries, whose professions have little connection to magic and rely on combat contracts to earn a living, are undoubtedly at the bottom of the professional hierarchy within the inner city.
As for mages, they belong to the noble class. Who has ever seen a noble lord take on dangerous and laborious rcenary work? Not a single one.
When a normal player transitions into a magic-based profession, the initial title they receive is [Magic Apprentice]. Only after mastering a certain number of spells in a specific school can they be referred to as an [Elental Mage] of that school, earning the respect of NPCs and gaining noble status.
Professions like swordsn, axen, and archers, which are the most common types Ye Bai is seeing, have relatively simpler transition tasks compared to magic-based professions. After transitioning, they gain a psychic energy bar and typically acquire one or two professional skills, with their attack and defense capabilities undergoing a qualitative leap compared to their pre-transition state.
The advantage of these physical professions over magic-based ones is that they are easier to develop and less costly. While magic-based professions can dominate other professions once fully developed, the difficulty and cost of reaching that stage are enough to deter most.
The process is essentially a money sink.
After transitioning, physical professions gain [Physical Penetration], allowing their basic attacks and skills to deal high damage. Their energy bar regeneration rate also compensates for the consumption. Magic-based professions, on the other hand, gain [Spell Penetration], which only boosts magical attacks.
Using magic is highly energy-intensive, and a high-intensity battle inevitably requires the consumption of energy potions.
In "Myriad Realms," all potions that provide instant recovery during combat are expensive. Magic-based players either have to spend money to buy them or take up a secondary profession like potion-making, which, once they start leveling it up, also becos a money pit.
Once players start transitioning professions, they’ll realize that those who could afford to beco mages will end up just as poor—or even poorer—after the transition.
Of course, any profession, if one can climb to the top, will undoubtedly beco incredibly powerful. Different paths, sa destination.
For players, choosing a profession is just a matter of preference. For NPCs, however, it’s tied to their innate talents and family background.
Ye Bai’s decision to personally select rcenaries on the spot was because the rchant Guild’s evaluation of their strength was based on the system’s standard "Combat Power," which includes their level, number of skills, and all equipnt attributes.
But for Ye Bai, equipnt bonuses could be disregarded. She still had a batch of green-tier equipnt obtained from Tute City, which she could temporarily lend to the rcenaries during the journey.
Sure enough, with a single scan, the attributes of all the rcenaries present were revealed.
Many "hidden gems" who were undervalued due to poor equipnt were uncovered by her. Ten rcenaries, with a total daily hiring cost of 23 silver coins—only slightly more expensive than a team of draft horses.
"You, you, you... and you. You’re hired."
The ten rcenaries Ye Bai pointed to were overjoyed, happily joining the team, while the others showed disappointnt and frustration but dared not make a scene, leaving regretfully.
[rcenary 'Blaze' has 1 favorability toward you.]
[rcenary 'Roland' has 1 favorability toward you.]
[rcenary...]
After officially establishing the hiring relationship, perhaps due to Ye Bai’s "keen eye for talent," she gained a point of favorability from all the selected rcenaries.
Seeing this, Ye Bai’s expression shifted, and she addressed the team preparing to depart: "I still have so matters to attend to. Stay here and don’t move. I’ll return shortly, and then we’ll set off."
"Yes, ma’am."
"No problem, employer."
Two people responded to Ye Bai: one was Dennis, the leader of the draft horse team, and the other was Blaze, the strongest among the rcenaries and their chosen representative.
Neither team had any objections. Their pay was calculated daily, so they were more than happy for Ye Bai to delay a bit longer in the safe zone.
Ye Bai left the rchant Guild and naturally headed to the tailor shop to find the proprietress, Dilina. The value of this high-level professional far outweighed the twenty crates of supplies.
However, before reaching the tailor shop, Ye Bai first stopped by a tavern in lo City.
It was dayti, and the small tavern was nearly empty.
As soon as Ye Bai approached the counter, the server imdiately ca forward and asked, "What can I get for you, ma’am?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a row of shelves appeared before her eyes.
The tavern sold alcohol and so simple als and desserts. Compared to the outer city, the inner city tavern’s goods were of a higher tier, with better effects and higher prices.
After glancing over the [Absinthe], a favorite of mages for its quick energy recovery, Ye Bai opted for the cheapest [Fine Ale], spending 3 silver coins for 30 small barrels. She then spent an additional 1 silver coin on a [Roast Turkey Feast] that could feed ten people and 45 copper coins on a [Cherry Cake].
After storing all the food in her non-perishable spatial backpack, Ye Bai left the tavern and headed to the tailor shop.
"You’re here. I’m ready."
Dilina had changed into a riding outfit that was both practical and stylish, clearly at least rare blue-tier equipnt.
Ye Bai couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: as expected of a tailor shop proprietress, she has no shortage of equipnt. "My caravan is at the rchant Guild. Let’s et up with them and set off!"
"Wait." Dilina stopped Ye Bai and handed her a cloak. "Here, this is the agreed-upon reward."
From how quickly Dilina produced the cloak, it was clear that this final piece of the set might have been prepared long ago.
"Ah, this is too kind. I’m truly grateful!" Ye Bai said with feigned modesty, but her hands were quick to take the equipnt and equip it without hesitation.
In the next mont, Ye Bai’s fine leather armor was adorned with a cloak that matched her hat and boots in a white the, accented with light blue-purple feathers at the shoulders, elevating her overall appearance to a new level of fashion.
[Featherlight Cloak]
Grade: Rare
Defense: 10
Resistance: 30
Set Effect - Featherlight (3/3): Increases movent speed by 40%; grants 4x jump height; grants 4x fall damage reduction.
Description: Now this is what it ans to be light as a feather.
With the three-piece [Featherlight] set complete, the full effect was triggered, doubling the previous bonuses. Now, Ye Bai truly lived up to the description of being "light as a feather."
Ye Bai’s gaze toward Dilina couldn’t help but soften: as expected of a high-level NPC, she’s both generous and trustworthy!
At the sa ti, the system prompt appeared again, ill-tid as ever—
[You have gained 2 points in 'Deception' proficiency.]
Ye Bai: ...Hey!
...
Seven days had passed since the last ti Zhou Ya entered the inner city, and he had once again found a legitimate reason to step inside.
Over these ga days, most of the special agents from the Blue Star civilization hadn’t missed a single opportunity to improve. Among them, Zhou Ya had reached the highest personal level of 15.
This ti, entering the inner city wasn’t for delivering a letter but because Zhou Ya had discovered he had triggered a hidden quest!
After previously defeating an Elental Moth in the wetlands and obtaining an item called [Universal Elental Dust], Zhou Ya took it to the old mage NPC who had been purchasing elental dust from him. This imdiately triggered a quest. The old mage ntioned that this matter might be connected to a mad mage from many years ago.
After completing a series of quests, Zhou Ya once again had the opportunity to enter the inner city. This ti, ard with a letter of introduction from the old mage, he finally walked openly into the library that had once rejected him. There, he learned more from a historian about the mad mage nad Leto.
With the clues he had gathered, Zhou Ya excitedly made his way to the central square.
As he passed through the Third Avenue of the inner city, a rchant convoy transporting goods passed by him.
At first glance, Zhou Ya didn’t pay much attention, but then he suddenly stopped and turned around, his gaze falling on the figure at the head of the convoy. Riding a strong black horned horse and surrounded by a group of warriors, it was her! The very person who had tricked all the players into killing a boss for her a few days ago!
Though her equipnt now looked far from disheveled—almost indistinguishable from a high-level NPC—the familiar feathered hat was unmistakable. Zhou Ya and the other players of lo City would recognize her even if they were turned to ash.
Since that incident, Ye Bai had never appeared in the outer city of lo City again. Whether she was shopping in any city, she only frequented the inner city stores. Players who hadn’t yet advanced their professions rarely had the chance to enter the inner city before reaching level 20, making Zhou Ya’s situation exceptionally rare.
As for the players of Tute City, the Markus Group was facing imminent collapse, and the number of players online had drastically decreased. Running into Zhou Ya in lo City was already a stroke of incredible luck.
Zhou Ya instinctively wanted to chase after her, but he hesitated and stopped.
Ye Bai’s equipnt now looked extraordinary, and she was surrounded by ard NPCs. It was clear she wasn’t soone to be trifled with, and pursuing her would only delay his hidden quest progress.
After so thought, Zhou Ya gritted his teeth and decided to let it go. His own advancent was more important.
So, Zhou Ya gave up on chasing her and instead followed the quest clues to the central square, where the statue of the Elental Goddess stood silently.
After comparing the clues several tis, he reached out and touched the hem of the goddess’s robe…
But nothing happened.
Frustrated, Zhou Ya tried several more tis, but there was no sign of the quest triggering.
—Where’s the quest? Where’s my hidden quest?!
…
“Achoo!”
Ye Bai, riding her horned horse, sneezed.
Horned horses were one of the fastest ans of conventional transportation in the Boundless Realm. The rchant convoy had already entered the outskirts of lo City and, under Ye Bai’s guidance, was steadily making its way toward White Night Village.
For a long-distance journey like this, a skilled horned horse transport team naturally had spare horses for rotation. These extra horses were used by the mbers of the convoy, with Ye Bai and her guest Dilina riding the two strongest ones, positioned safely in the middle of the group.
As a high-level professional above level 40, Dilina’s perception was undoubtedly the sharpest in the entire convoy. As they traveled, she suddenly leaned closer to Ye Bai and whispered,
“Little one, don’t say I didn’t warn you. There are so little mice following us.”
Since joining the convoy, Dilina had taken to calling Ye Bai “little one” in a teasing tone, which sounded much more affectionate.
Hearing this, Ye Bai’s expression remained calm, clearly having already noticed. She replied to Dilina, “It’s fine. They won’t last long.”
Seeing that Ye Bai was aware of the situation, Dilina nodded slightly and said no more.
It was only natural that the convoy would encounter players as it passed through the outer city and left lo City, heading into the wilderness. Ordinary NPC convoys might not attract much attention, but Ye Bai knew it was unlikely that she, who had recently caused a stir in the lo City player community, would go unnoticed.
After all, she hadn’t changed her equipnt, nor could she switch to the assassin robes that would mark her as a target for all factions. Under these circumstances, it wasn’t surprising that so players in the wetlands had recognized her.
The players tailing the convoy were undoubtedly calculating and wary of the convoy’s strength. However, with such a long journey ahead, Ye Bai was certain they wouldn’t be able to resist making a move.
Once they attacked the convoy, they would be labeled as “raiders.”
The unique raiding chanic in the Boundless Realm’s trade routes ant that, aside from assassination attempts, this was another scenario where death would inevitably result in the loss of so items or equipnt.
—If you’re going to rob soone, you’d better be prepared to be robbed yourself.
The last ti, Ye Bai had hurriedly fled to the inner city to avoid being delayed by unnecessary trouble.
But now, on the way back to her territory, there was no longer any concern about wasting ti. With Ye Bai’s strength and the ten fully advanced professionals in the convoy, the current players stood no chance.
So, Ye Bai wasn’t the least bit worried about these players with ill intentions. In fact, she was almost hoping they would make a move.
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