"You want me to hire you?" I repeated incredulously. For good measure, I glanced at Long Wang, but he simply shrugged. In other words, the decision was mine to make as I was the dungeon master, not him. But he could at least provide some advice.
"That's right. I won't ask for much, just one spirit stone a day. Low ranked ones will do, or a medium quality spirit stone for a month, as they are equivalent to thirty low quality spirit stones. Alternatively, a single high quality spirit stone for half a year because they are equivalent to about six medium quality spirit stones." Raquel nodded. That indeed was cheap, and especially since my dungeon was lying on two separate rich lodes of spirit stones, it was a fair request.
"That's fine and all, but…exactly what kind of services are you offering?" I raised an eyebrow. "Scouting, searching and collecting information?"
"Of course not." Raquel stared at me, affronted. "If you want information or intelligence, it would be much easier to purchase those from a Merchant."
"All right, then what services are you offering?"
Raquel paused for a moment, then smiled. "Combat. I may look like this, but I am skilled with a short sword, I'm confident in my speed, and I know a bit of magic."
"Oh, really?"
There was a blur of movement, and Raquel's blade flew at me. Long Wang stepped forward, but I shook my head subtly. Instead, I struck Raquel's arm aside with my hand, diverting the blade to an empty space just centimeters away from my face. She didn't seem surprised, and to her credit, she spun about and threw a kick from below, only for me to stop it with the sole of my shoe.
"Huh?"
Raquel's eyes widened and she maintained her crouch, whirling around to sweep my feet from under me. I leaped above her whipping leg, and then landed on the blade of the short sword she thrust at me, springing off it and landing behind her. Raquel then turned around to stab me once more, only for her face to meet the sole of my shoe. She grunted and fell back, blood trickling from her nose.
Gritting her teeth, she sprang at me again, but I stomped on her wrist, causing her to cry out and drop her sword. As she gazed up desperately, I drew Azure Dragon and pointed it between her eyes. She froze immediately.
"Are you done?" I asked casually. Raquel drew in a quivering breath and nodded. I sighed and withdrew my foot, watching her intensely. "So…this is the extent of the combat skills you are offering?"
"Your strength far surpasses my imagination," Raquel admitted, rubbing her wrist gingerly before she picked up her short sword. She then wiped the blood from her nose and pinched the bridge, exhaling from her mouth. "You certainly don't need me to be your bodyguard. Not that you lack any."
She glanced warily at Long Wang. The dragon butler hadn't moved at all, but he was emanating quite the killing intent. Her yellow gaze then shifted to Sylvie and Silvia, who appeared as if they were going to rush forward, but stopped when they saw that I had the situation well in hand. Even so, their hands had already woven intricate runes in the air as they prepared to cast spells to disintegrate my mysterious assailant in an instant.
Sighing, she rose to her feet. "It'll be an utter joke if I try to insist that you hire me as a combat mercenary now. That said, even if you're stronger than me, you'll still need someone to lead your spirit beasts. I'm certain that I'm at least stronger than your ordinary ranked spirit beasts, and on par with your Yellow ranked spirit beasts. You can't be everywhere all at once, so you should delegate command. I am capable of carrying out tactics and acting on my own initiative on the battlefield if necessary."
"I already have my own respective commanders," I replied. "Two Earth ranked spirit beasts and more than a few Mystic-ranked spirit beasts that can direct the flow of command and take charge if necessary. In fact, Long Wang right here can manage as my deputy, and Sylvie and Silvia can also take over whenever the need arises. I'm sorry to say, but you're nowhere on their level in terms of strength. Perhaps you're more cunning, but my spirit beasts have also displayed an impressive amount of intelligence. Whereas you're still an unknown quantity to me."
I recalled my Elder Tree Revenant, Titan Golem and King Crab. They might not possess human intellect, but they were still pretty sharp and smart, able to take charge of their respective squadrons and lead them in battle. And that was all I needed them for, really. It wasn't as if I was going to engage in an intellectual debate with them. They knew how to survive on the battlefield and secure a victory, and that was all I cared about.
Raquel gritted her teeth, her head lowered. I could see that she was becoming desperate. I sighed, unable to be too ruthless. I could hear the voices from beyond the fourth dimension screaming at me for being softhearted because they were 100% sure that she would backstab or betray me later, but I ignored their delusions. Just because they read about it in some cultivation story somewhere didn't mean it would happen here. This was reality, not fiction. People didn't betray you out of nowhere for no reason, other than to give the protagonist an excuse to kill them in the most edgy fashion possible.
"Is there a reason why you are seeking employment in my dungeon?"
She brightened up at that.
"One of your dungeon cores," she said. "Your dungeon is one of the very rare few that have dual dungeon cores. Not only that, one of your dungeon cores is a very specific one that will be very helpful to my training."
"Your training?"
"Yes. One of your dungeon cores is a fragment of the World Tree, isn't it? The mana that it emanates is nourishing for elves like me. If I were to train in your dungeon, I'll be able to improve my power by leaps and bounds." Raquel hesitated, and then decided that honesty was the best course of action. "My…uh, cultivation has stagnated for several decades now, and I desperately need a breakthrough. That's how I ended up in the Celestial Labyrinth, far from any elves. I was exploring the world and looking for ways to improve my strength as best as I can. Then I heard the news about you defeating the Flood Dragon Dungeon, as well as…the fragment of Yggdrasil that you cultivated into a dungeon core. I thought that this is my only chance."
"Why don't you just train in Yggdrasil itself? You're an elf, aren't you?" Sylvie frowned. "You should have no problem being granted access to the World Tree."
"I'm not from any of the enclaves," Raquel replied sourly. "I'm not very welcome there because of my skin color."
Oh, so elves did have racial discrimination as well. Despite Eliza's assurances that they didn't differentiate based on skin color, the reality was that they still discriminated against those who had a different appearance. They were a lot like humans in a certain sense. I wasn't surprised. I guess no matter what the species were, they always had some sort of issue.
"I'm sure I can get you in," I said. "I have a few contacts in Yggdrasil who I can persuade. Especially since I'm carrying out the mission that they requested right now."
"Ah, that's right!" Raquel's eyes widened when she heard that, then she diverted her gaze hastily. "That's the other reason why it's difficult for me to go to Yggdrasil right now. It's under attack by demonic mages and dark elves…it's too dangerous for an individual elf like me to go there right now. I risk being corrupted."
"Yet you somehow don't think it's dangerous for you to explore the Celestial Labyrinth alone?"
"The spirit beasts and inhabitants of the Celestial Labyrinth are certainly dangerous and very powerful," Raquel conceded. "But they aren't…evil. I know the safe routes and how to avoid the most lethal habitats and dungeons. As long as I don't trespass into a dungeon, I shouldn't be attack. I just need to ensure I don't provoke anyone needlessly. On the other hand, dark elves don't need a reason to attack and corrupt. And with my being an elf – a marginalized, more so – they would endeavor to actively recruit me to their cause. If I refuse…the result might be worse than death."
Yeah, I had heard of the notorious reputation the dark elves carried as psychotic tormenters, and it was not an experience I cared to have. However, I wasn't very sure about Raquel's request.
"So if I accomplish the mission and eliminate the dark elves and demonic mages raiding Yggdrasil right now, the World Tree would be safe for you to return to."
Raquel hesitated for a moment before she nodded. "In a sense, yes. That is an alternative I am willing to consider if you really do not wish for me to join your dungeon."
"Why are you so desperate to join big bro's dungeon?" Silvia blurted out impatiently, cutting straight to the point. I cringed, though I wished I could have been as frank. All this beating around the bush was annoying, but I wanted to handle the matter with a little more tact.
"To be honest, it's because of the potential of your dungeon." Raquel took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "I've been wandering the Celestial Labyrinth for a few years now, and it has pretty much become a home for me. Quite frankly, my elf tribe is a wandering nomad tribe, so we don't really have a fixed home or origin to return to. But I like it here in the Celestial Labyrinth. It has taught me a lot of lessons, as well as allowed me to hone my abilities. Nowhere to as strong as you, admittedly, but I know how to survive."
Attacking me and gambling that I would spare her life despite the audacious attempt on my life wasn't exactly a convincing demonstration of her ability to survive…then again, she had probably gauged what kind of person I was and made a calculated move. She was confident that I would show mercy because she could read the behavior of the denizens of the Celestial Labyrinth well.
"Very well. But what do you mean potential of my dungeon?"
"You defeated the Flood Dragon Dungeon in an official war, despite being a very young dungeon. That already shows a lot of promise. The Merchants say that you show a lot of promise, and that the living conditions in your dungeon are the best. That you don't illtreat your spirit beasts and subordinates, and that you value them. For someone like me, who has been discarded and discriminated against, I saw a ray of hope. I want…a place to belong to."
"…we should give her a chance," Sylvie said softly. Silvia scowled.
"Big sis, you're too softhearted! We can't just trust everyone at their word, no matter how tragic their backstory seems to be! How do you know she's telling the truth?"
"You don't," Raquel admitted. "And I'm not asking you to believe me. I understand the doubts you carry. You wouldn't survive long as a dungeon master in the Celestial Labyrinth if you are naïve and overly trusting."
"Trust has to be earned, not given," I said. "But that doesn't mean we should be devoid of trust. I trust everyone here."
"Of course, I will not ask you to trust me blindly. I would like to make a deal." Raquel steeled herself. "In exchange for hiring me, I'll provide you with a vital piece of information."
I rolled my eyes. "I thought you said only the Merchants provide reliable information, and that it's not your specialty."
"That is true, but this is an exception…because I'm an elf, and I know something that even the Merchants don't. Not to scorn their information network, but because they are restricted to the Celestial Labyrinth, and I come from the outside world." She hesitated and then pushed forward. "I know how you can upgrade the World Tree fragment dungeon core."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "How?"
Raquel smiled enigmatically. "Hire me and I'll tell you."