Pannis picked up the supply list for the adventure team, reading each item with an attitude ten times more serious than when he read the temporary team agreement earlier. The girls appreciated the seriousness and dedication of this unfamiliar explorer.
"You all." Pannis lifted his head from the list, "Have you often ventured into caves?"
"Yes, we hardly ever have." Catherine admitted frankly: "Caves are unfamiliar territory for us, so your role is crucial. If you notice any problems, we hope you can point them out clearly. Don't hesitate because we are your employer. As a teammate to us who are responsible, correcting the employer's mistakes, preventing them from encountering danger, and avoiding loss, is a basic duty too. Responsibility is crucial for…"
"Sis!" Lina timely stopped Catherine, halting her train of thought from advancing.
"Oh, right." Catherine laughed embarrassingly: "Mr. Pannis, is there something wrong with the supplies we prepared?"
"The problem is significant." Pannis didn't hold back and pointed out directly: "You mentioned earlier that you were deceived. I assume you prepared this list under that trickster's suggestions, right?"
"Correct." Lina quickly understood Pannis's implications: "Are you saying these are only suitable for the first layer?"
"Yes." Pannis nodded: "The first layer is a developed area with a simple landscape and even some man-made structures. However, the second layer is unexplored territory, with little traces of human activity. Therefore, these supplies are not suitable for the second layer at all. Even though you all appear to have Gold Rank hidden capabilities, if that trickster had genuinely brought you to the second layer, I fear you would have to escape, barely making it out alive, even if you didn't die inside."
Catherine and Lina stared round-eyed in surprise, not because their hidden strengths were easily discovered - after all, explorers have their secretive ways of assessment-, but because they had indeed underestimated the level of danger inside the cave: "Mr. Pannis, can you confirm if the Crying Cave is truly that dangerous? Even gold rank adventurers risk their lives entering? If you're exaggerating to emphasize your importance, please let us know directly so we can forgive you this time."
"I'm sorry to break it to you." The words of Pannis shattered the last hint of hope in Catherine's mind: "It is as dangerous as I described. I would guess that your task is at least B-tier difficulty, right?"
"B+."
"That makes sense." Pannis tapped on the table: "This confirms the level of danger."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Pannis." Catherine hesitated: "I cannot put my team in danger for high rewards. Regarding this mission, I want to have a new discussion with my team. Could we ask you to wait for a bit? Regardless of whether the mission continues or not, we will fully pay you your compensation."
Seeing Pannis make a 'go ahead' gesture, Catherine alongside Lina and Vivian, huddled in a corner and discussed in hushed whispers. Although all three of them were discussing, in reality, Vivian was only there to space out with Catherine and Lina quietly arguing between themselves. From a distance, one couldn't understand the specifics of their argument, but Catherine kept shaking her head while Lina, waving around her arms and legs, continued to persuade her and occasionally pulled out a book from her backpack to prove something. After about fifteen minutes, Catherine finally nodded. The three of them walked back up to Pannis: "Mr. Pannis, we've decided to carry on with the mission. Could you tell us in detail what else we need to prepare?"
"How big are your backpacks?" Pannis asked before explaining in detail.
"Mine is a triple-space one, Lina's is a five-space one." Catherine answered for both of them.
"Eh, why are you staring at me?" Seeing Pannis stare at her enormous backpack, Vivian asked in confusion.
"How large is your backpack?"
"Do you need to put something inside?" It finally dawned on Vivian but she fervently shook her hand. "No way, it's already stuffed full."
"Such a large backpack and it's full?" Pannis finally expressed his amazement, "Isn't it a spatial backpack? What on earth is it filled with?"
"It is a spatial backpack; an eight-times one. I made it myself." Vivian explained with a slight hint of pride, "I've put a lot of stuff in there. Various types of crystal bottles, all kinds of alchemic medicines, heaters, liquid separators, filters, purifiers, medicine analyzer, portable mineral crusher, automatic Array engraver-programmer, self-propelled bombs, tracking bombs…"
"Wait, wait, wait." Pannis interrupted Vivian's incessant listing: "I got it, no need to continue. It's already full, huh? You are brilliant."
"Yep!" Vivian happily nodded, her expression exceptionally vivid.
"You idiot, he wasn't complimenting you." Lina couldn't resist but give Vivian's head another smack.
"Oh." Vivian looked down in disappointment, slipping back into her daze.
"We've got quite the list of things we need to prepare." Pannis took out a pen and planned while writing on the original list: "Two hundred fire-attribute crystals with one hundred Tael capacity and, two hundred ice-attribute crystals with one hundred and fifty Tael capacity; five hundred light-attribute crystals with fifty Tael capacity; one crystal energy furnace; five fire-attribute crystals with two thousand Tael replacement capacity for the furnace; one protective headgear per person. Each person needs a pair of waterproof boots made of long-tubed lizard skin; Miss Catherine must choose the knight-specific type. Each person needs a set of waterproof, form-fitting clothing and one waterproof bag that can fit your backpacks, along with twenty bottles of underwater breathing potions and eight bottles of breath retention potions. Four hundred-meter sturdy ropes, eight iron spikes, four sleeping bags made of Katatak Beast skin, thirty solid water compression tablets. Well, Miss Vivian has a water purifier, so we don't need to prepare another one, and finally, each person needs to prepare thirty days' worth of food."