Chapter 226: Side Missions to Evaluate the New Recruits

The vehicle traveled along the road leading to the outskirts of the city.

Liam occupied one of the front seats, reviewing the mission details on his phone. Behind him, the members of his squad chatted among themselves while Lucas and Eve listened to Chuck’s jokes.

This was the second time the two hunters had accompanied Liam’s team on a mission. After their participation in Emma’s rescue, James had authorized them to work with the squad again to evaluate how well they could work together.

This time, their objective was to clear a B-Rank dungeon located near a mountainous region.

According to the reports, the dungeon’s interior resembled an extensive underground mine, with narrow tunnels, natural chambers, and numerous reptilian monsters.

The mission consisted of eliminating every creature in the area and confirming that no threats remained before leaving the dungeon.

It shouldn’t be too difficult a task for a group of Emerald-Rank hunters led by a Platinum-Rank hunter.

At least, that was what Liam hoped.

"All right, listen up for a moment," he said, raising his voice to get everyone’s attention.

"The dungeon has several interconnected tunnels. Our objective is to eliminate the monsters and make sure none are left behind. Nora and Zayn will handle reconnaissance, while the rest of us will advance in groups."

"What about us?" Lucas asked, gesturing toward himself and Eve.

"I want you to integrate yourselves into the team. Lucas, you can work with Jordan and Chuck on the front line. Eve, I want you to coordinate your explosions with Carol and Emily."

Eve smiled.

"Controlled explosions alongside a woman who can turn her arms into different materials and another who can electrify her? Sounds fun."

Carol adjusted one of her braids.

"Just make sure they stay controlled."

"Of course."

Chuck burst out laughing, while Lucas shook his head.

Liam sighed.

’We haven’t even entered yet, and they’re already making noise.’

Still, he didn’t mind the energy. A team that could joke around and feel comfortable with one another was more likely to perform well under pressure, as long as everyone knew when it was time to get serious.

The vehicle came to a stop shortly afterward.

An ancient-looking tower stood before them, surrounded by the security barriers marking the access area.

"Let’s go," Liam ordered as he put away his phone.

"Let’s get this over with."

◇◆◇

As they crossed the entrance, the landscape changed completely.

The group found themselves inside an extensive cave system illuminated by strange crystals embedded in the walls.

The tunnels stretched off in different directions, and enormous stone pillars supported some of the ceilings. Small pools of water reflected the faint light around them.

The air was damp and smelled of earth and minerals.

Although the place resembled an underground mine, there were no signs that humans had excavated it. The walls had irregular shapes, and some chambers were so vast that it was difficult to make out their boundaries.

Liam surveyed the surroundings before giving a signal.

"Nora, send your creatures through the side passages. Zayn, check the main route. I don’t want anyone advancing too far without reporting back."

Both nodded.

Nora summoned several small shadow creatures that slid across the ground and disappeared into the tunnels. Zayn, meanwhile, dashed ahead.

He returned a few seconds later.

"We’ve got a group of monsters in the next chamber. At least a dozen."

"What kind of monsters?" Liam asked.

"They look like armored lizards. They’re bigger than dogs and have some pretty thick plates along their backs."

Jordan cracked his knuckles.

"Perfect. Something I can punch without worrying too much."

"Just try not to get trapped underneath one," Chuck remarked.

"When have I ever gotten trapped underneath anything?"

Chuck stared at him.

"Do you want us to start listing examples?"

"No."

"Then let’s move," Liam interrupted before the argument could continue.

The group reached a spacious chamber where the monsters were digging among the rocks. Sensing the hunters’ presence, the creatures raised their heads and began advancing toward them.

Liam gave a signal.

"Jordan, Lucas, take the front! Chuck, cover their flanks. Everyone else, wait for my signal."

Jordan stepped forward, hardening the layer of fat protecting his body. The first lizard lunged at him, but the hunter withstood the impact and shoved it to the side.

Lucas took advantage of the opening.

His enormous gloves slammed into the monster’s side with a sharp, resounding thud, sending it crashing into a wall.

"One down!" he exclaimed.

"Don’t get distracted!" Jordan called back as he blocked another creature.

Chuck threw two knives. Both changed their trajectories slightly in midair before embedding themselves in the joints of a third lizard, forcing it to stop.

Their initial coordination was good, although Lucas tended to rush too far ahead whenever he spotted an opportunity to attack.

Liam noticed this when the hunter chased an injured creature without waiting for Jordan to secure the path.

"Lucas, don’t stray from the group!"

Lucas stopped just before entering a side tunnel.

"Got it!"

A second creature emerged from the passage, but Jordan arrived in time to intercept it. Lucas returned to his position, and the two finished the fight together.

Meanwhile, Eve was already working with Carol and Emily.

Carol transformed one of her arms, covering it with a layer of durable material, and grabbed a lizard by the neck to prevent it from escaping. Emily placed a hand on the creature and channeled electricity through its body.

"Now!" Carol shouted.

Eve triggered a small explosion directly in front of the monster.

The detonation was precise. The impact knocked it down without damaging the nearby walls, and Carol finished the job with a direct blow.

Emily withdrew her hand, breathing a little faster than before.

"That worked better than I expected."

"Told you I knew what I was doing," Eve replied proudly.

"Yeah, yeah. Don’t get too excited."

Liam watched the scene from a few steps away.

The combination of the three hunters’ abilities had considerable potential.

Eve could provide explosive force without destroying everything around her, while Carol served as a durable point of contact and Emily amplified their attacks.

"Carol, Emily, take a short break after this group. I don’t want you wasting too much energy in a single chamber."

"Understood, boss," Emily replied.

The rest of the battle proceeded without any major problems. Once the last lizard fell, Nora sent her shadows through the remaining tunnels, and Zayn checked for any hidden creatures.

After searching the secondary chambers, the team confirmed that the area was clear.

The mission was a success.

◇◆◇

Back outside, the hunters gathered beside the vehicle while waiting for confirmation from the guild.

Lucas sat on a rock and removed one of his gloves to examine his knuckles.

"I have to admit, working with you guys is pretty comfortable," he commented.

"Although Liam keeps giving orders like he’s expecting all of us to explode at any moment."

"It’s because I know the people I work with," Liam replied.

Eve laughed.

"I think that was a compliment."

"It was," Chuck assured her.

"The boss doesn’t usually admit it, but he likes having competent people around."

Liam shot him a sidelong glance.

"Don’t you have something better to do?"

"I’m boosting team morale."

"Boost morale quietly."

Laughter spread through the group.

Liam took the opportunity to observe Lucas and Eve. Both had demonstrated that they could adapt to their teammates’ abilities, and their mistakes had been minor, the sort expected of a team still learning to work together.

They weren’t perfect, but neither was his own squad.

More importantly, they had followed instructions and corrected their mistakes when he pointed them out.

"Good work today," he finally said.

"We still need to improve our coordination, but I think we can work well together."

Lucas smiled.

"That almost sounds like an invitation to come back."

"For now, it’s an evaluation."

"How cold!"

Eve gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"Leave him alone. If we keep doing our jobs well, he’ll eventually invite us."

Liam didn’t respond, although the possibility had already begun to cross his mind.

The next mission would be a good opportunity to see if they could achieve the same results again.

As the team climbed into the vehicle, Liam’s phone vibrated with a notification from the guild. He checked it quickly and confirmed that the mission had been officially recorded as completed.

Another job finished. Another step toward strengthening his squad.

And perhaps two new teammates who would soon stop being temporary guests.

Liam put away his phone and settled into his seat.

There was still plenty of work to do.