Chapter 46: My Name Is Galen, It Is Called Bruce

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: My Name Is Galen, It Is Called Bruce

Hesia nodded, indicating he understood.

As long as it was confirmed to be a commission to exterminate Demons, it met his core requirement.

The two left under the envious and jealous gazes of the surrounding Adventurers, heading in another direction.

After walking for a few minutes, he saw three figures standing in the shade of a tree not far away.

They noticed them as well, and one of them raised a hand to signal.

Hesia understood. This must be Hulk’s team.

From a distance, the one waving was a well-built male Warrior with a Longsword on his back.

Beside him stood a tall woman carrying a longbow and a person completely cloaked in black, their face hidden in the shadow of a hood.

"Hey, Hulk, found someone already?" the sword-wielding Warrior spoke first as the two approached, his eyes sweeping over Hesia.

At that moment, the female Ranger’s gaze shifted back and forth between Hesia and Bruce. Then, with undisguised doubt and displeasure, she said, "Level 9?"

Hesia understood immediately. ’She must have used the [Assessment Skill] to see my approximate level.’

Hulk’s voice rang out, "This young man’s name is Galen. His Profession is a Mage."

Then he turned to Hesia and made the introductions. "These are my three teammates: Belte the Warrior, Laila the Ranger, and our Stalker, Zoya."

Hearing the word "Mage," the Warrior, Belte, had his eyes light up, and he looked Hesia up and down with curiosity.

Even the perpetually silent Stalker, Zoya, lifted her head slightly. The shadows of her hood shifted as if she too was giving him a scrutinizing look.

Hesia took the opportunity to try and get a clear look at the Stalker’s face.

A deep hood and a black cloth mask obscured most of her features, revealing only a pair of eyes in the shadows.

They were eyes as clear as Amethysts, breathtakingly beautiful, yet their gaze was like a blade quenched in ice—sharp and indifferent.

’Purple irises?’

Those unusually beautiful eyes made Hesia even more intrigued and curious about the already mysterious Stalker.

When the Ranger, Laila, heard he was a Mage, her displeasure eased slightly, but her tone remained scrutinizing as she fired off a barrage of questions. "A Mage? What Magic can you use? Only level 9? Are you... even an adult?"

In her eyes, a level 9 Caster was far too young and weak.

Hesia didn’t bother explaining. He simply raised his Right Hand.

SHINK!

A Sharp Earth Spike instantly burst from an empty patch of ground nearby in a clean, swift motion.

"The Earth Spike Technique?!" Laila was genuinely surprised this time. "What’s your Wisdom Attribute? That spell is known for being one of the hardest to master among Basic Magic!"

Beside her, Belte gently nudged Laila with his elbow and reminded her in a low voice, "Look, he didn’t use a Magic Wand..."

Only then did Laila notice Hesia’s empty hands. The surprise on her face intensified. She looked at Hulk as if he were a kidnapper who’d abducted a child prodigy. "Hulk! Where did you find this monster? A level 9 kid who can instantly cast the Earth Spike Technique without a wand?"

Hulk laughed, his tone carrying a hint of pride. "Got lucky. Ran into him right at the guild entrance. Galen is a newly registered rookie, and I was quick on the draw and snatched him up.

I was surprised myself when I saw his technique for casting the Earth Spike Technique.

Most importantly, this Magic is a perfect fit for our squad’s tactics.

Those low-level Demons often have high agility and move incredibly fast. We’re not afraid of a direct confrontation, but chasing them is too draining. With the Earth Spike Technique to restrict their movement, our efficiency will be much higher."

Hesia wasn’t surprised by their reactions.

After all, his current attire really didn’t look anything like a Mage’s.

However, he was quite satisfied with the team’s overall composition.

With a solid frontline like Hulk, a Ranger for ranged damage, and a Warrior and Stalker who were clearly no amateurs, they could provide support and finish off enemies.

If they also had a Priest, it would be a textbook-perfect Adventurer Squad.

But Priests were rare to begin with, a luxury for low-level Adventurer Squads.

As for treating injuries... things like Healing Potions were expensive. A single one could cost half their earnings from a mission, making them anything but a standard consumable.

Therefore, most of the time, they relied on cheap styptic bandages and herbs for minor injuries.

Although the effect was worlds apart from the instant healing of a Healing Potion, they had the advantage of being cheap.

’As a heavily protected back-row Mage, I probably won’t need to engage in direct combat. The chances of getting injured should be extremely low.’

’Plus, the incredible sustain from [Earth Affinity] means I can even save money on Mana recovery items.’

He did have a few spare Potions on him, but those were his trump cards, not to be used unless absolutely necessary.

’All things considered, I can basically deal damage with zero cost and zero risk. It’s the perfect setup for grinding monsters.’

Thinking this, Hesia felt it was necessary to show a bit more of his value.

"Hello everyone, my name is Galen, and I’m a Mage Apprentice. This here is my canine contract Demon, Bruce. He’s still in his youth, so he doesn’t have much combat power for now. But as a dog, his senses of smell and hearing are quite sharp, so he should be useful for tracking and keeping watch."

He thought for a moment and decided it was best to give his teammates a heads-up. "Also... he can speak a few simple human words. I hope you all don’t find it too strange."

Just as Hulk, Belte, Laila, and even Zoya were giving him doubtful looks, thinking he was joking—

Bruce opportunely lifted a front paw, waved it like a person saying hello, and then spoke.

"Hello everyone. I’m Bruce. Male, into females."

Belte, Laila, Zoya: "???"

Even Hulk’s composed expression nearly cracked. He looked at the deadpan Hesia, then at the dog now scratching an itch with its hind leg. After a long pause, he finally managed to say:

"...Galen, this contract partner of yours is truly extraordinary."

Hesia didn’t explain Bruce’s breed or why he could talk, and Hulk and his teammates tacitly understood not to ask.

In the world of Adventurers, who didn’t have a secret or two?

Although Bruce looked like nothing more than an ordinary cattle dog, his special ability had clearly been silently accepted by the squad members and classified as "another peculiar trait of this young Mage."

Watching his teammates, especially Laila, whose expression had shifted from doubt to curious inquiry, Hulk knew that the new member he’d brought in on a whim had gained their initial approval.

He cleared his throat and got down to business. "Here’s the situation, Galen. The four of us recently registered as an Adventurer Squad called ’Dragon Fang.’"

"You probably saw the guild’s notice board earlier, right? Did you notice any pattern?"

Hesia nodded. "Yeah. There seem to be very few extermination commissions for the Black Iron and Bronze ranks, and most of them are long-term, per-kill payment tasks issued by officials."

"Exactly," Hulk nodded in approval. "The guild’s notice board actually only shows a portion of the available commissions.

There’s another category of commissions—with higher pay but also typically trickier—that aren’t posted publicly.

Taking into account the commission’s difficulty, the Adventurers’ safety, and the mission completion rate, the guild usually prioritizes recommending these commissions to squads with a proven track record of strength and reliability."