Chapter 325 - 299: Authority (Part 2)

Chapter 325: Chapter 299: Authority (Part 2)

The Protective Armor had been forged by a craftsman to perfectly fit his chest, abdomen, and shoulders.

The joints were secured with fine rivets, ensuring both ironclad Defense Power and flexibility for his joints.

While it couldn’t compare to a luxurious, custom-made suit of full Plate Armor, it was still an extremely expensive piece of equipment.

The man walked with a powerful, commanding presence, exuding a solid, unyielding aura that made passing Adventurers give him a wide berth.

Judging by the power he radiated...

He was undoubtedly a Middle Level Professional, and an Advanced Level one at that!

Marcus shot the man a glance as well.

There was a clear hint of a desire to spar or Challenge in his eyes.

After they rounded the street corner, a magnificent building at the end of the road came into the party’s view.

Unlike the three-story earth-and-stone building in Black Stone Town, the Adventurer’s Association in Sengu Town stood a full five stories tall.

Its exterior walls were made of high-quality Cyan Rock, and a brass-cast Sword and Shield Cross Badge hung above the main entrance, looking quite grand.

Likely due to the opening of the Lost Ruins, the foot traffic was immense.

There were even members of the Security Team patroling the streets, Long Halberds in hand, maintaining order and preventing public disturbances.

Following the tide of people, the party entered the Adventurer’s Association.

WHOOSH...

A wave of cacophonous heat washed over them, so dense it was almost tangible, making Zelir’s head buzz.

Even though the first-floor hall was very spacious and had four reception desks for handling business, it was still incredibly crowded.

It was just like a fish market.

"Why are there so many people..." Hill murmured, her brow furrowing slightly.

Accustomed to coming and going alone and walking in the shadows, Hill hated this sort of chaotic environment.

’The Assassin’s Guild is much better.’

’Fewer people.’

’Everyone politely chooses their target from the commission board, then turns and leaves. It’s very quiet.’

The discussions buzzing around them were deafening.

"Hey! Did you hear? A party found some treasure in the ruins yesterday."

"It was an Enchanted Ancient Dagger. They sold it for over a hundred Gold Coins!"

"Get real. Why don’t you mention the unlucky bastard in their party who died in the ruins?"

"That’s just bad luck. Who can you blame?"

"Who the hell knows what kind of Demons you’ll run into in the ruins... There aren’t even any guides out for it yet."

"Out of the way! Don’t block the path!"

Using Marcus’s broad frame to clear a path, the party finally squeezed their way to the front desk.

The receptionist behind the counter was a young woman with fiery red, short-cropped hair.

It seemed her temperament, much like her appearance, was on the verge of exploding.

The mountain of documents on her desk, the endless stream of people asking questions, and the various rude demands were constantly testing her patience.

The red-haired young woman’s quill flew across the parchment, practically striking sparks.

"Hello," Zelir said politely.

"Badge, Professional Level, and purpose of your visit! State them!"

She snapped, her voice thick with impatience, "Are you a locally registered Adventurer?"

The young woman looked up and her eyes met Zelir’s.

She froze for a moment.

The young man before her was polite and well-mannered, dressed in a stylish black windbreaker, with an upright posture.

His handsome face wore a heart-fluttering smile, a complete contrast to the brutish, fleshy-faced Adventurers she had been dealing with.

The annoyance she had felt moments ago rapidly dissipated.

"Hello, we’re Adventurers from out of town," Zelir said.

"Ah... Hello. I’m Lily, the receptionist."

Lily’s pretty eyes curved into crescents as her attitude immediately warmed. "Oh, so you’re Adventurers from out of town. You must be tired from your long journey."

"We’re fine..."

Zelir nodded slightly. "We’ve come to explore the Lost Ruins. Are there any procedures we need to complete?"

"Oh, a lot of out-of-town Adventurers have been drawn here recently."

Lily said enthusiastically, "The procedure is simple. Please show me your Adventurer’s Badges first."

Zelir presented his Silver Level Adventurer’s Badge, and the other members of the party handed theirs over as well.

Zelir noticed that Hill only had a Copper Level Adventurer’s Badge.

’With her skill, she’s more than qualified for the Silver Level.’

’It’s probably because she spends all her time at the Assassin’s Guild and rarely takes on jobs from the Adventurer’s Association.’

After taking the badges, Lily finally shifted her gaze to the people behind Zelir.

"Oh... all Iron Level Adventurers or higher. A very strong lineup, you meet the requirements."

"For these Lost Ruins, entry is restricted to Adventurers who are Iron Level or higher."

"So there’s a rule like that," Zelir said.

"Mhm, it’s probably to reduce casualties, right? After all, there are always some rookie Adventurers, even Apprentice Level ones, who dare to venture into the ruins..."

Lily said, "Also, you’ll need a permit to enter the Lost Ruins."

"Let me guess... we have to buy the permit, right?" Hill asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"That’s right."

Lily nodded. "One permit costs Five Gold Coins."

All five of them felt a twitch in the corner of their eyes.

’Great...’

’We haven’t even done anything yet, and we already have to fork over five gold coins.’

’But then again, it makes sense.’

’A Lost Ruins like this doesn’t pop up every day. It would be strange if they didn’t fence it off and make a ton of money from it.’

"Um, actually..."

Lily suddenly lowered her voice. "You don’t have to buy them separately. You can just buy a group permit."

"A group permit?" Zelir asked, confused.

"Yes... You’re a fixed party, right?"

Lily winked. "A group permit only costs fifteen Gold Coins."

"We can buy a group permit?" Zelir’s eyes widened slightly.

"Of course you can," Lily said with a playful smile.

"Thank you so much."

Zelir said gratefully, "Miss Lily, your tip was a huge help."

A few casual words from the receptionist could save them Ten Gold Coins. Why wouldn’t they be happy about it?

"You’re welcome."

Lily waved her hand happily and pulled out a small booklet.

"Then let’s get you registered. Please state your class and name."

"Hill, Middle Level Assassin."

"Valles, Middle Level Ranger."

"Gray, Middle Level Warrior."

"Marcus, Middle Level Warrior."

"Zelir, Junior Mage."

When Lily heard Zelir say he was a Mage, her expression grew even more excited.

"Mr. Zelir, I didn’t realize you were a Mage! That’s amazing!"

"It’s nothing special," Zelir said with a modest smile.

"So, who is the party leader?" Lily asked.

Zelir automatically took half a step back and pointed at Marcus.

’Being the leader sounds exhausting. Better to let Marcus do it.’

’Besides, we all discuss things together during fights anyway.’

"Uh... alright, I’m the captain," Marcus said resignedly.

"Alright, all set!"

Lily’s quill flew, and she quickly finished the registration.

She handed Marcus an exquisite wooden plaque carved with the pattern of an ancient tree.

"This is your permit. You’ll need it to get in and out, so please keep it safe."

Lily bowed slightly, her voice sweet.

"Also, welcome once again to Sengu Town. I wish you a fruitful and worthwhile exploration of the ruins!"

"If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come ask me anytime, okay?"

"Thanks," Marcus said with a nod.

"She wasn’t talking to you," Gray said, pulling Marcus aside.

"Next! Hurry up!"

The moment Zelir stepped away from the counter, Lily’s voice rang out from behind him.

The sweet smile on the red-haired young woman’s face vanished as if it had never existed.

As she turned to the burly Dwarven man behind them, her expression instantly switched to one of impatience.

She rapped her quill on the desktop, making a TAP TAP sound.

"You can’t even fill out the form correctly! This is the ’Profession’ field, not for writing your ’Hobby: Drinking’! If you don’t want to wait in line again, go to the side and redo it! Next!"

"There really are a lot of people here to explore the ruins..." Zelir remarked with a sigh.

"They’re all hoping to find some treasure and get rich overnight. Of course there are a lot of them," Gray said with a shrug.

Just as the party was about to squeeze their way out of the Adventurer’s Association, a small, thin figure suddenly bumped into Zelir from the side, falling into his arms.