Bronze

I had a very long dream. I was killing, repeatedly killing.

Over and over, I raised the black spear and repeatedly tortured and killed the tall-thin and short-fat duo. Sometimes I would break their limbs, then slowly pick out their bones one by one.

Sometimes I would make dozens of holes in their bodies, letting all their blood flow out, torturing and killing them in all sorts of ways.

They begged, cried, and screamed. The whole world seemed to echo with only their wails.

I carried out mechanical attacks with a blank expression, my heart completely unmoved.

How many times I killed, and for how long, I couldn’t remember, nor would I deliberately try to.

It wasn’t until the roosters crowed outside that the dream ended.

“A strange dream.” Perhaps because I slept too long, or perhaps because I had a boring dream, my head felt a bit swollen. I rubbed my temples to clear my head faster.

I was surprisingly unfazed by my first kill in the forest.

Yeah, unlike those transmigration novels where killing someone makes you vomit and struggle internally, I felt no guilt whatsoever.

This is rather strange.

As someone who grew up in a law-abiding country and was deeply influenced by moral education, it’s impossible not to feel condemnation from my conscience or panic in my heart after killing someone.

Am I the Archdemon King now, or am I Liv? Has my former self ceased to exist?

When I am no longer myself, then who am I?

Whatever!

Shaking my head, I couldn’t be bothered to think about such complicated problems. As long as I can live happily, what’s wrong with becoming an Archdemon King?

I am me, no matter who I become, I am still me!

Having settled this question, my brain began to function normally.

It’s time to make money.

The gold coins obtained from the tall-thin and short-fat duo are dwindling. If I don’t make money in the next two days, I’ll be drinking the northwestern wind under a bridge.

After a simple wash-up, I casually tied my long, snow-white hair with a bright red ribbon.

“Mm, perfect.”

The beginner equipment, composed of cheap leather armor and rough fabric, surprisingly looked decent when worn.

Tsk tsk, even if a beautiful girl wears a tattered cloth, she’s still fashionable. It’s true what they say.

Strapping on the not-so-well-made meteorite sword, my reflection in the mirror actually had a hint of heroic spirit.

The morning breeze was a bit cold. After finishing a dry pancake at a roadside stall, I couldn’t help but recall the homemade dishes I used to complain about being not good enough. Compared to what I’m eating now, I realized that only what you’ve lost seems the best.

Having filled my stomach, I arrived at the Guild just as the chestnut-haired receptionist greeted me with a sweet smile.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

After greeting her, I started looking for suitable quests on the Black Iron quest board.

“Find the missing Hades,” bounty: 20 silver coins.

“Help Sean the blacksmith of Glen Town with his forging,” bounty: 30 silver coins.

Most of the quests on the list were about finding lost cats and dogs or helping this person forge and that person buy groceries. All of them were trash quests with no experience points.

For someone with limited time and an urgent need to level up, doing these quests was a complete waste of life.

“Excuse me, do you have any monster hunting quests?” I returned to the counter and asked the cute receptionist.

“Let me see… Mm, there’s an urgent quest today, but it’s a four-star quest that requires a five-person team to accept.”

“Four-star? Do the quests here have levels?”

“Each level of quest is divided into one to five stars. Black Iron level one to three-star quests are simple solo missions. Four and five-star quests are dangerous missions that require a team to complete. Bronze and Platinum quests are all relatively high-risk, and can only be accepted by teams.”

“Then, after accepting a quest, how do I assemble a team?” Unlike in the game, there’s no system matching or teammate finding function. The teams here seem to have been formed for a while, and joining them doesn’t seem easy.

“Post your quest and required party composition on the Recruitment Board next to the Black Iron Board and submit the application after the team is full. Of course, you can also find people to form a team directly in the Guild.”

“…” Difficult. Whether recruiting or finding people myself, it’s extremely challenging. If a team hasn’t undergone any prior coordination, the possibility of a total wipeout when encountering danger is terrifyingly high. Finding an experienced team to join is even harder.

Such teams, after a long period of cooperation, are very well-coordinated. Unless one or two people die, it’s impossible to let a novice join.

Just as I was at a loss, the Guild suddenly became noisy.

“Juliet and her team are back!”

“No way, they completed a five-star quest in just two days? That’s too amazing!”

“Do you even need to ask? The entire team consists of experts among the Bronze level. Not to mention five-star Bronze quests, even one-star Platinum quests are not difficult for them, let alone the fact that the leaders are Juliet and Romeo B.”

“Ah! Romeo B is so handsome!”

Outside the door, a team of five walked in, and the atmosphere in the Guild immediately became much more lively.

They were well-equipped and had vibrant spirits. Judging from the aura they exuded, this team was definitely experienced and powerful.

Leading them was a tall girl, wearing pink armor, with wavy golden hair. She was unfazed by the surrounding clamor, her exquisite and charming face exuding an air of arrogance.

Beside her stood a man who perfectly fit the description of a pretty boy. About twenty years old, his fair skin was like cream, and his pair of sapphire-blue eyes seemed to be able to send sparks flying at any moment.

Any young girl who caught his gaze would invariably scream his name—Romeo B.

Like movie stars making an entrance, the two were quickly surrounded by a group of supporters. Compared to the two, the other three members of the team didn’t receive such good treatment.

They seemed accustomed to such a scene, showing no reaction on their faces, standing at the back.

“Who are those two people?” Slightly curious, I asked the receptionist for information about them.

“You don’t even recognize the radiant Juliet and the divine sword Romeo B!?” The receptionist looked astonished, her mouth agape.

“I don’t know. I just arrived here from another country.”

“Juliet is the Guild Master’s daughter, and Romeo B is the Lord’s only son. Both are geniuses of Glen Town, and their strength is now infinitely close to Platinum. They are strong contenders for the next promotion to Platinum!”

Juliet’s Life Level: 29.

Romeo B’s Life Level: 28.

Through observation with True Sight, the strength of the two was indeed extraordinary. In this town, no, perhaps even in the kingdom, they were considered elite.

“Oh! Beautiful lady, are you interested in having a drink with me?” While I was observing them, they also noticed me. The handsome pretty boy separated from the crowd and walked towards me, a fawning smile on his face.

Trouble, it’s coming to me!