Chapter 62: A New Alliance

“What kind of magic is this?”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

“It looks like they can control the explosions freely?”

The Ice Fireworks, surprisingly, received a lukewarm reception. Since no one had ever witnessed such a spell, the adventurers were all engrossed in debating its underlying principles.

To most, this magic appeared to be an ice bomb that could be detonated with a mere ‘flick of a finger.’

The examiner in the hat glanced at the magic ledger. Underneath the red-marked ‘Ice Fireworks,’ the annotation read:

‘Fireworks that can be detonated freely, causing explosive damage and secondary shrapnel damage.’

‘To be able to independently research a new fusion magic at such a young age…’

‘Are all the new recruits this formidable?’

Wonder filled the examiner’s heart. Beyond Bai Zhi, they had also learned that the guild had a record of a high-tier spatial magic being purchased—a type of spell that typically languished in storage. This was the first time anyone had ever bought it.

“Broadcast the next name and tell her to come down.”

Aedric called out to the announcer behind him.

“Bai Zhi, please proceed to the stage for your results. Next contestant…”

Hilvyn tilted her head, her gaze drifting towards Elara in the stands with a puzzled expression.

Elara merely shook her head, indicating she had no idea. Hilvyn then followed the announcer’s instructions and left the arena.

“She didn’t even cast a mid-tier spell. Why did she leave?”

“She probably wasted too much time. The examiners couldn’t bear to watch any longer.”

“Indeed. If she can casually cast high-tier magic, the outcome for mid-tier spells is already obvious.”

The surrounding spectators largely surmised the reason.

“Our senior’s companion is incredibly powerful!”

If the companion was so formidable, then the senior themselves must be even more so. The four members of the bald strongman’s team looked at Elara, their gazes now tinged with an even deeper reverence.

“Sister—!”

Hilvyn’s voice rang out from the crowd. The next second, a figure struggled to squeeze through the throng of people.

Her attire was still the same as when she had just left the arena; could anyone truly fail to recognize her?

The crowd instinctively parted, creating a small path for her.

“Well?”

“Of course I passed~”

Hilvyn placed her hands on her hips, brimming with confidence.

Elara shifted her weight, making space for Hilvyn to sit beside her—between herself and the man in brown armor.

Hilvyn glanced at the ample space left for her—it was wide enough for three or four of her, even without Elara moving. Yet, she didn’t mind.

She snuggled close to Elara, wrapping her arms around Elara’s right arm. The low hum of chatter persisted around them, and Elara knew without a doubt who they were discussing.

A slight feeling of helplessness washed over her.

The moment Hilvyn settled down, she peered to Elara’s left.

“It’s you guys!”

The bald strongman was about to greet them, even preparing to introduce himself again.

“Senior still remembers us?”

“Of course! Sister and I met you on the 50th floor, remember? You were making soup with dried flowers, and you said you’d return to the surface after eating. You even invited us to…”

Hilvyn recounted the entire incident, including details that even the bald strongman’s team had forgotten. Elara listened, utterly bewildered.

‘Was this some kind of non-existent memory?’ she wondered. She only remembered a slight misunderstanding, a brief chat, and then they had gone their separate ways.

“Senior has an excellent memory.”

“You don’t need to call me senior. Hilvyn is fine.”

“Senior Hilvyn.”

Hilvyn blinked.

“Let’s go.”

Elara rose, bidding farewell to the four. Since the assessment was over, there was no need to remain. Mostly, she felt uncomfortable being the focus of so many gazes.

“Huh? Goodbye.” Hilvyn, being pulled away, didn’t forget to wave to the four.

“Both seniors are truly powerful and kind-hearted,” the bald strongman murmured.

“Indeed.”

On the way back, Hilvyn skipped along, her steps light and airy.

“How was my performance?” She stopped, pulling out her magic staff from behind her back and making two gestures in the air.

“Wasn’t it super cool, Sister?”

“It was indeed very cool.”

To unleash such a barrage of high-tier magic—even among normal A-ranks, including Elara herself—few could achieve it.

“Really? That’s great!”

Hilvyn gesticulated excitedly. “Then for lunch today, I want to eat…”

“Toast.”

“Toast!”

They spoke in unison. Elara chuckled softly; she could have guessed what Hilvyn wanted to eat with her eyes closed.

“Let’s go~”

By afternoon, the two returned to the guild.

“Congratulations, little sister Bai Zhi, on successfully reaching A-rank~”

Serene clapped her hands in celebration. This outcome, for her, had long been foreseen. What she hadn’t foreseen, however, was Hilvyn turning the assessment into a magical performance.

After Hilvyn’s morning assessment, rumors had spread like wildfire throughout the guild. Tales like:

‘An A-rank senior intentionally dropped a rank just to show off during the assessment.’

‘The guild deliberately suppressed a powerful senior, who was only liberated today.’

There was even a rumor claiming: ‘Bai Zhi is President Sevia’s secretly trained disciple/fellow townsman/illegitimate daughter.’

However, seeing that Elara and Hilvyn seemed unaware of these rumors, Serene decided not to mention them.

“Tell me more about this joint subjugation.” Elara hadn’t quite grasped how the joint subjugations operated.

“You form teams with other squads. Joint commissions are always instantaneous, meaning you must be prepared in advance, as accepting a commission means departing immediately.”

“Teaming up, huh…”

To be honest, Elara didn’t want to team up. She wasn’t very trusting of strangers. Yet, she wasn’t sure if the two of them alone could defeat the Corrupted Amalgamate. The tragic state of the two adventurers carried into the city yesterday was still fresh in her mind.

“A new joint recruitment board has been added over there. If you two don’t have teammates, you can check it out.”

“Alright.”

That was their only option.

Elara and Hilvyn stood before the recruitment board, where many teams had already gathered. Seeing Hilvyn approach, several people instinctively made way.

“It’s that Bai Zhi from this morning.”

“That’s her?”

“It’s her. Her clothes haven’t even changed.”

Elara nudged Hilvyn with her arm, whispering, “You’ve become famous.”

“Hehe…”

The teams on the joint recruitment board were mostly B-rank. Elara’s goal was to team up with an A-rank squad. However, after scanning the board several times, she found no suitable matches.

“Friends, are you looking for a team?”

A hand rested on Elara’s shoulder. She turned at the voice to see a remarkably tall woman with wheat-colored skin.

“I’m Talia, captain of the A-rank squad Mulan.”

As Talia spoke, the two women and one man behind her greeted Elara and Hilvyn.

“Let’s talk over there,” Elara said, pointing to an empty spot.

During their subsequent conversation, Elara learned that the Mulan squad consisted of one A-rank, two A-minus ranks, and one B-rank. Their primary strength lay in close combat, with ranged combat being their weakness. The Mulan squad had been present at the assessment that morning, witnessing Hilvyn’s power. Recognizing her, they had approached to propose a team-up.

Hilvyn, capable of unleashing wide-area magic, was a rare and highly sought-after talent. And Elara, as Talia understood, was also incredibly strong.

“Our squad is willing to take a smaller share of the rewards. What do you think? What are your intentions, friends?”

Talia’s attitude was exceptionally polite. A-rank squads were generally quite wealthy, and merit points were more important to them than money. She was well aware of her squad’s capabilities and knew that Hilvyn alone was as valuable as all four of them combined. She was prepared for a refusal.

Elara remained silent for a while before agreeing.

“Meet here tomorrow morning at 8 AM.”

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