“Miss You’er, these are the debut commissions filtered according to your actual situation. You only need to choose one; upon completion, you can submit the commission at any branch, and the Guild will then issue your adventurer’s badge.”
A male host spoke, carrying a bundle of commission slips and placing them before You’er.
Even now, that address, ‘Miss You’er,’ still grated on You’er’s nerves, causing him to pick up the first commission slip with a sense of exasperation and scrutinize it closely.
Just like adventurers, commission quests were also graded, broadly categorized into D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS based on the danger level of the content. An adventurer could advance their rank by successfully completing seven commissions equivalent to their current grade.
Naturally, completing a higher-grade commission would be an exception, but generally, to ensure the safety of adventurers, the Guild would not permit them to accept quests above their own rank.
Consequently, the commissions presented to You’er were mostly D-grade, specifically tailored for a probationary adventurer like him.
Commission Quest 1: Exterminate ten little goblins in the eastern suburbs. Quest difficulty: D. Reward: 3 gold coins.
Commission Quest 2: Escort Master Daha, the blacksmith, to the northern suburban mine to collect ores. Quest difficulty: D. Reward: 5 gold coins.
Commission Quest 3: Assist Master Erha, a Bronze-grade adventurer, in slaying demonic wolves in the southern suburbs; any contribution will suffice. Quest difficulty: D. Reward: 5 gold coins.
Having reviewed the first few, You’er found himself disinclined to flip through any more. Although the monetary rewards held some appeal for his current situation, undertaking these tasks still felt like a considerable waste of time.
“Are there any quests that lead directly to Yu City, or even somewhere nearby?” You’er finally asked, raising his gaze to meet the male host’s eyes, directly stating his needs.
“Yu… Yu City? You actually wish to go to Yu City?!” The male host exclaimed, his eyes widening in apparent shock as he stared at You’er.
“Yu City? Oh ho, look what we’ve found, a little girl who doesn’t know her place!”
“Silver hair, quite uncommon. I wonder what her face looks like up close; probably quite pretty.”
“Hey there, little lass, Yu City isn’t peaceful right now. Uncle here advises you to stay far away from there. If you truly have nowhere to go, Uncle can recommend a great place; not only will you earn loads of money every day, but you can also fully enjoy the pleasures of being a woman, isn’t that nice, hehehe.”
“Whoa, whoa, she’s just a teenage girl; don’t ruin her! If you ask me, she should just come to my place. Room, board, and affection included—how wonderful. Haha.”
****
The male host’s surprised exclamation had been rather loud, and the sensitive words he uttered drew numerous astonished glances towards You’er, especially from certain adventurers with ulterior motives, whose gazes turned distinctly malicious.
Following the direction of the voices, You’er turned, his eyes sweeping over those who had just spoken disrespectfully, his expression one of disdain and mockery as he uttered two simple words: “You idiots.”
*Clink!*
The sound of a wine bottle shattering was jarring, leaving many adventurers stunned.
Part of the reason was the utterly breathtaking beauty of the ‘girl’ before them; the other part was ‘her’ unhesitating insult towards so many adventurers, an affront they would surely not let pass.
*Clink! Clink!*
Several more wine bottles shattered, though this time they were deliberately broken. The adventurers who had been mocked by You’er rose one after another, their faces grim as they advanced towards him.
“Little hussy, if you kneel down and apologize to us brothers right now, we might just go easy on you.”
In a blink, You’er found himself surrounded. These adventurers were all tall and burly, nearly engulfing You’er’s frame, which was barely under 1.7 meters.
“Oh, then could you tell me what this ‘going easy’ you speak of actually entails?”
The overhead lights were almost entirely shrouded by the looming shadows, yet You’er’s expression remained serene, his delicate brows arching slightly as he asked, his tone utterly unperturbed.
Among the men before him, one wore a bronze-cast badge, likely a Bronze-grade adventurer, while the others were Black Iron-grade. In terms of strength, they ranged between Swordsmen and Great Swordsmen. Collectively, they indeed possessed a certain intimidating presence, but in You’er’s eyes, they were far from formidable.
“It’s simple. As long as you’re obedient today and serve us brothers until we’re satisfied, we’ll let you off. How about that?”
The adventurers exchanged glances, a glint of perverse desire visible in each other’s eyes. Finally, the Bronze-grade adventurer spoke, licking his lips as he shamelessly appraised You’er’s body.
“Alas…”
Witnessing this scene, many adventurers sighed. There were indeed upright adventurers present, but they dared not step forward, knowing such an act would surely invite retaliation. It simply wasn’t worth it for someone unrelated to them.
‘This girl, it seems, is truly doomed today…’ they thought.
“Haha, haha.”
Suddenly, You’er laughed, his smile more beautiful than any true girl’s, yet it was a beauty laced with thorns.
‘It’s been a year,’ he mused. ‘In the death arena, no one ever dared to speak to me like that. Hearing it now, it’s quite novel.’
Mockery once again surfaced in You’er’s eyes, imbued with a chilling coldness. “You truly are… quite idiotic.”
“You damned hussy! Brothers, knock her out and drag her away! I’m going to make her wish she were dead…”
Provoked by You’er’s renewed taunt, the men erupted in fury, especially the Bronze-grade adventurer, whose forehead pulsed with bulging veins. Yet, his vicious words were abruptly cut short.
*Crack! Crack!*~
“What? Why are my legs frozen?!”
“Damn it… where did this ice come from?!”
“So cold! My legs are going to break, ahhh!”
“…”
An icy coldness pierced their bodies below the thighs. Only when they looked down did they discover that their lower halves, from the knees down, had been inexplicably encased in ice. No matter how they struggled, or even desperately tried to ignite the magic within their bodies, they could not melt the stubborn frost.
“Do you know why I called you idiots? From the moment you approached me, your bodies were already being eroded by frost, yet you remained utterly oblivious.”
You’er spoke softly, the deep-seated mockery in his eyes the only constant.
“Now, for your foolishness, pay the price.”
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*…
With a series of muffled thuds, the burly figures of the men were sent flying almost simultaneously, crashing into an unknown number of tables and chairs. They lay on the ground, wailing and weeping in agony, utterly unable to rise. The parts of their bodies below their knees had already detached, having been frozen and eroded by You’er’s ice magic before suffering such a powerful blow, making this outcome entirely predictable.
No blood flowed from the severed limbs, as the blood there had long been congealed by the extreme cold. This lent an uncanny aesthetic to what should have been a rather gruesome scene, the entire row of severed limbs surrounding You’er displaying a chilling artistry akin to ice sculptures.
The entire hall fell silent, save for the scattering ice crystals that sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The adventurers’ gazes towards You’er were now filled with profound dread.
“Can you give it to me now, the commission I asked for?” You’er didn’t even bother to glance at the fallen men again. He turned, facing the male host, who was now trembling with fear, and extended his hand.
“Yes, y-yes… please take a look, honored one…” Likely fearing You’er would hold him accountable, the male host’s teeth chattered, and with a trembling hand, he obediently pulled out a commission slip.
Commission Quest: Safely escort an Adventurer’s Guild envoy to Yu City. Quest difficulty: C. Reward: 10 gold coins.
“Accepted!”
You’er waved the slip in his hand, his figure moving away, only his voice lingering.
“A word of advice to you all: although I am not a woman, please do not look down upon women.”