There exists a spiritual connection between the Space Ring and its owner, and only the owner can unlock the ring's seal. Forceful external impact would only damage the ring. There was only one explanation for the loss of the ring, and at this moment, Yin Zhu had thought of it—it was when he helped up that little beggar; the beggar must have bumped into him to draw his attention and nimbly stole his Space Ring.
After leaving the blue sky and sea, anger surfaced in Yin Zhu's mind for the first time. His kind deed was reciprocated with theft of his most important possession. He was a Zither Mage! Without his Ancient Zither, he couldn't perform his Zither Magic at all. Moreover, those Five Ancient Zithers were the Zither Sect's Treasure that had been with him for sixteen years—how could he not be anxious after losing them?
At that moment, in an empty corner of Roel City, the little beggar sealed the box in his hands and muttered to himself, "It's actually a Space Ring, what a pity that I can't take out the contents. Well, consider it a keepsake. In these times, genuinely good people like him are rare. Consider it a lesson for him. A Space Ring, huh, heh, with this lead box, don't even think about connecting through spiritual fluctuations. A few dozen Gold Coins, that's enough for my travel and tuition fees. Dad, oh, no, you old geezer, just wait, one day I'll take back what I deserve." His eyes were large and bright, but they did not have the clarity of Yin Zhu's. His gaze was filled with hatred and various other negative emotions.
Clenching the box containing the ring, a faint green flash of light passed by. His delicate figure rapidly vanished from sight.
"It's over. I can't make the connection." Yin Zhu's face turned pale as he withdrew his released spiritual power.
What did losing the Space Ring mean? It meant that he had lost the Zither Sect's Treasure, it meant that he had lost all his travel funds and the letter of introduction to the Milan Academy. "I have nothing left, what should I do? What can I possibly do?" Stuck in Bo Pang, he was at a crossroads; should he continue to Milan without any means or introduction? Or should he return home? Either way, he had no travel funds, and without the Five Ancient Zither, how could he face his teacher, Grandpa Qin?
Ge'en and Hart did not mock Yin Zhu for being unable to produce Gold Coins; instead, surprise showed on their faces.
Testing the waters, Ge'en asked, "Young man, are you alright?"
Yin Zhu expressed regret, "Uncle, I'm afraid I can't buy the Unicorn. I've lost my Space Ring, and all my money was inside it."
Ge'en nodded and said, "Young man, based on how you acted earlier, you must be a Red-rank High Rank Mage, right?"
Immediately remembering Grandpa Qin's admonitions, Yin Zhu nodded subconsciously, "Yes, I am!"
A hint of joy appeared in Ge'en's eyes as he continued to ask, "So, where are you heading now?"
Yin Zhu hesitated for a moment, thinking to himself that returning was definitely not an option; he couldn't face Grandpa Qin without recovering the Space Ring. He decided it would be best to first head to Milan. Zi had said she would look for him there; once he found Zi, they could figure out what to do.
"I am going to the Milan Magic Martial Academy in the Milan Empire."
"That's just wonderful, truly wonderful. The Milan Magic Martial Academy is located just outside the capital of the Milan Empire, Milan City. Our Mercenary Group is on a mission to Milan City this time, so why don't you come with us? We'll cover your expenses on the road, and once we arrive, I'll give you another twenty Gold Coins. How does that sound?" Ge'en said excitedly.
Yin Zhu, who had suddenly lost everything, felt hope rekindle in his heart due to Ge'en's proposal, but it all came so suddenly that he couldn't help but feel stunned.
Ge'en thought Yin Zhu was hesitating because the money he offered was too little and quickly added, "We will also cover the cost of your Unicorn. What do you say? Are you unwilling?"
"No, no, I'm definitely willing. But, Uncle Ge'en, could you tell me what a mercenary is?"
"Er..." Ge'en looked at Yin Zhu, somewhat amused. The handsome young man was looking at him seriously, not appearing to be joking at all.
"You don't know what a mercenary is? Let me tell you," Hart interjected. "Mercenaries are a very widespread profession on the Ryuzakinus Continent, referring to warriors who purely for profit engage in battle or carry out tasks for their employers. One can see mercenaries everywhere. For example, in the western part of the continent, the Palermo Kingdom is also known as the Mercenary Kingdom because several of the largest Mercenary Groups are based there. Over there, the treatment and status of mercenaries are the highest."
"So that's how it is, Uncle Ge'en, are you asking me to become a mercenary?" asked Ye Yinzhu.
Ge'en nodded and said, "Let's call it a temporary mercenary. To be honest, the Iron Thorn Mercenary Group really doesn't have the finances to employ a Mage for an extended period. This time our mission is to escort a shipment and its owner to Milan City. There isn't much danger along the way, so consider it us helping each other out, what do you say?"
Looking into Ge'en's sincere eyes, the dark cloud in Yin Zhu's heart caused by the loss of his Space Ring dissipated somewhat. "Uncle Ge'en, you truly are a good person, and of course, I'm willing." At that moment, he had completely forgotten that the little beggar who stole his ring had also called him a good person.
"Great, then let's go. Hart, please have your people deliver the Unicorn to us later, same place as usual," Ge'en said, clearly in good spirits as he put an arm around Yin Zhu's shoulders and walked toward the exit of the slave market.
Watching their retreating figures, Hart laughed, "Ge'en is really lucky to find such a naive Mage. Iron Thorn finally has a Mage, although only temporarily, it can elevate their status."
Ye Yinzhu was unaware that the status of a Mage on the Ryuzakinus Continent was much higher than he imagined. It was the most noble of professions. Even a Red-rank Mage had a much higher status than a warrior of the same rank, and Mages were quite proud, rarely willing to take part in professions like mercenary work, with most of them pledging loyalty to various countries. Having a Mage was an important indicator of a Mercenary Group's strength and hiring one came at an exorbitant price.
Mercenary Groups are classified into eight ranks, from top to bottom: S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Among these, E, F, G ranks are considered low-rank Mercenary Groups, C and D mid-rank, B high-rank, and S and A are super-rank. The Iron Thorn Mercenary Group is currently E-ranked, which is sufficient for the tasks they perform, but to elevate from low-rank to mid-rank D, they need a Mage to pass the Mercenary Guild's review. This is the main reason why Ge'en is willing to hire Yin Zhu for this relatively safe mission.
The Iron Thorn Mercenary Group is stationed in a courtyard north of Roel City's gate, consisting entirely of male members, including the leader Ge'en, totaling sixty-seven members. There are twenty Heavy Sword Warriors, ten Archers, ten Light Cavalry, and the rest are the twenty-seven Spearmen, which is a relatively complete set of troops. The Mercenary Group was established six years ago, with most of the members aged between twenty-five to forty years old. Ge'en is a Green rank Earth Warrior, and because of him, Iron Thorn managed to rise to E-ranked within five years. His goal is to reach D-rank and enter the ranks of mid-rank Mercenary Groups, which would significantly increase their hiring fee.