A turn of fortune, light at the end of the tunnel.
The towering green trees were now right before them, and the constant chatter from the Treehouse Tavern could be heard even from afar. It had been a smooth journey without any surprises. Amy had been encouraging Da Qingshan to try riding Lür, who was enthusiastic at first, but it quickly became clear that as soon as any weight was added, Lür couldn't take off. They couldn't very well treat Lür as a terrestrial dragon, so she took on the task of pushing Yinfeng's head forward through the air.
The dragon's head was unexpectedly large, especially Yinfeng's; there was simply no way it would fit through the main gate. Early in the morning, as the dragon's head was delivered to the Treehouse Tavern, nearly everyone gathered around to watch the spectacle. Adding to the amazement was the sight of a giant dragon head at the entrance and a green dragon flying overhead. For a long time afterward, those who were present would recount the scene in vivid detail.
The commotion outside had drawn the attention of the three guilds. The Mage Guild, located closest to the entrance, saw a grand mage in a red robe come out. He took one look at the scene and quickly whispered instructions to an elf from the tavern, who scurried off. Moments later, the tavern's door began to shift, with the tree trunk posts stretching and bending. The dragon head was finally eased through the entrance, and soon after, the doors to the Mercenary Guild started to transform as well.
The massive dragon head was finally pushed into the Mercenary Guild, taking up nearly three-fifths of the room, with everyone staring in awe at its immense size.
"Mission accomplished!" Amy declared, brimming with satisfaction. Every detail of the scene was unfolding exactly as he had imagined it. Throughout history, only heroes who had defeated demons and saved the world could enjoy such glory! With a dramatic flourish, he slapped the assignment slip for the SS-ranked mission onto the table.
"What mission is this?" The young guild receptionist, still stunned at the sight of the colossal dragon head, struggled to recall any recent dragon-slaying assignments.
"Double SS!" A roar of excitement filled the room, just as Amy had envisioned. His face broke into a proud smile.
"This head has a name you're all familiar with. He is—" drawing out his words for effect, Amy watched the room quiet down with eager anticipation before announcing, "Yinfeng."
"Yinfeng?"
"Which Yinfeng?"
"The Evil Dragon Yinfeng?"
"Is it true?"
"Yinfeng has been slain!"
The entire Treehouse Tavern was in an uproar.
Amy stood atop the dragon's head and shouted, "Everyone, calm down. Let us finish the mission first. If anyone wants to hear the full story later, I'll be recounting it in detail—for 20 gold coins per person, limited to 50 spots."
What? Charging a fee? That was like a hand reaching out from the grave—dead set on money. The crowd jeered, showering Amy and Da Qingshan with spit, and some, unwilling to pay, turned to leave.
"Hey, don't be so stingy. Did you know? This mission cost the lives of two A-rank mercenaries and a grand elven mage. The intensity was unimaginable. And don't you want to know why we only brought back one dragon head? Where's the other one? Better get your coins ready—the spots are limited. First come, first served! By the way, this dragon head's horns are over 1,500 years old. They're also for sale, so get ready; otherwise, I'll take it all to the capital to sell."
"I'm in." A clink of two purple gold coins hit the table. The grand mage from the Mage Guild had spoken. "Once you're done telling the story, come find me. I'll need to reassess your rank."
"Thank you!" Amy quickly pocketed the coins and then gestured to Da Qingshan, "Clear the area here. Da Qingshan, go outside and start collecting money—one coin per person, no less than 50 people. And don't give me that look; Lür has grown up and is eating more. You wouldn't want her to go hungry or be forced into a life of crime, would you?" That last line erased all of Da Qingshan's reservations, and he surrendered to Amy's heartfelt concern for his friend.
In later years, people found it hard to understand how Da Qingshan, a man of such noble character, could repeatedly help Amy at critical moments, enabling his schemes. Only four people and one dragon knew the truth behind this secret. The dragon couldn't speak, and the four people, each for their own reasons, kept the matter forever shrouded in silence.
"Did you really complete the mission?" Despite the dragon head in front of him, the receptionist was clearly doubting his own eyes.
好的,这是结合上下文重新翻译的版本:
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"Of course—this mission involved five mercenary teams: the Silver Snow Wolf Mercenary Corps' Wolf Spirit Squad, the Hami Iron Wolf Mercenary Corps, the Berserker Mercenary Corps, the Purple Heart Sword Mercenary Corps, and our small mercenary team. Among them, the Hami Iron Wolf and Berserker Mercenary Corps were completely wiped out. The Purple Heart Sword Mercenary Corps only had one survivor: White-Robed Feng, and the Silver Snow Wolf only had one left: Old Locke the Dwarf. As for our small mercenary team, everyone made it back unscathed."
"White-Robed Feng? Old Locke? Total losses?" The clerk muttered these familiar names under his breath, before suddenly saying, "Could it be that you two G-rank mercenaries survived only because you were reserve members?"
"What!" Amy's hand slammed down heavily on the table, catching him by surprise. "We were the main force! We're the ones who finished off that dragon! Feng and Old Locke were both knocked out cold... You don't believe it? Here, look—" Amy rolled up his sleeve. "This scar, left by the Dark Dragon Landa! And this—these are the mission completion records written by Feng and Old Locke. It's all clear here! Can you read?"
The clerk examined the records signed with the unique mercenary stamp from Feng and Old Locke's logs. In the mercenary world, such stamps held unquestionable authority. No one could dispute that these two G-rank mercenaries were the ones who took down the two-headed dragon, Yinfeng.
"Alright, according to the rules, you two will receive half of the rewards, and the rest will be divided among the surviving mercenary teams. Those who were completely wiped out won't receive anything. For the fallen mercenaries, please provide a list, and we'll send condolences to their families. Here is a payment voucher for 6,500 gold coins, which you can withdraw from any bank. This is also the North Hamir Kingdom's guarantee letter for signing with the Ice Elves, which you may sign, transfer, or sell at any time." Having confirmed the facts, the clerk swiftly turned to business.
"Thank you." Amy grabbed the items from the table and was about to walk off to showcase the dragon's head as proof of their feat.
"Wait a moment." The clerk called Amy back. "We need to reevaluate you and your team's rank."
"One completed SS-rank mission is equivalent to twenty S-rank missions. An S-rank mission equals fifteen A-rank missions. Completing an A-rank mission equals ten B-rank missions. Similarly, one B-rank mission equals eight C-rank missions..."
"Hey, why so detailed?" Amy interrupted, slightly puzzled.
"You think I enjoy doing this? No G-rank mercenary has ever completed an SS-rank mission before. I have to work all the way from G-rank up to calculate your new level. For Feng, it's simpler—just two steps up." The clerk resumed calculating. "Now don't interrupt me; otherwise, I'll have to start over..."
"...Completing a C-rank mission equals seven D-rank missions; a D-rank equals six E-rank missions; an E-rank equals five F-rank missions; and an F-rank equals three G-rank missions."
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B × 8 C × 7 D × 6 E × 5 F × 3 G = 15,120,000 G-rank missions.
Ten G-rank advances to F (neglect this step).
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B × 8 C × 7 D × 6 E × 5 F = 5,040,000 G-rank missions.
Twenty F-rank advances to E (neglect again).
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B × 8 C × 7 D × 6 E = 1,008,000 E-rank missions.
Forty E-rank advances to D (neglect).
"Congratulations! You're now an intermediate-ranked mercenary team!" The clerk shook hands with Amy almost by habit.
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B × 8 C × 7 D = 168,000 D-rank missions.
Eighty D-rank advances to C (neglect again).
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B × 8 C = 24,000 C-rank missions.
One hundred sixty C-rank advances to B (neglect).
"Congratulations! You're now a high-ranked mercenary team!" The clerk extended his hand, seemingly in disbelief. Amy, meanwhile, was thoroughly confused by the calculations but assumed that continued congratulations must mean good news.
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A × 10 B = 3,000 B-rank missions.
Four hundred B-rank advances to A.
"Congratulations... You've become an elite mercenary team!" the clerk stammered, now visibly shocked. An A-rank team? There were only four in the entire world. Could he be writing history?
1 SS × 20 S × 15 A = 300 A-rank missions.
Eight hundred A-rank advances to S-level.
Note: Since they completed an SS-rank mission, the success rate for all other ranks is considered to be 100%.
With a loud crack, both Amy's and Da Qingshan's mercenary logs flashed, the old EG badge transforming into an AA badge.
As Da Qingshan pulled the now-purple mercenary log from his pocket, everyone's eyes fixated on the double AA, marking the rise of a new A-rank mercenary team—a new record, a new legend.
"Ah—" A beast-like roar erupted from inside the room. "We can charge even more now! Haha—Da Qingshan, for anyone who hasn't paid, add thirty more gold coins to their fee! We're an A-rank mercenary team now; of course, the price goes up!"
Thud... thud... Mercenaries who hadn't yet paid fell over in shock.
For as long as anyone could remember, A-rank mercenary teams had been symbols of strength, requiring generations to reach such a rank. Some teams, even on the verge of A-rank, had spent decades just one failure away from being set back.
These A-rank teams, often numbering over a thousand members, wielded more combat power than regular armies. In the last century, they had even been hired to fight in wars on the continent.
But all such notions were overturned in a single night.
— From "The Tale of the Mercenary Corps"