298 Evolution 2 (1/2)
Chapter 298: Evolution 2
Garen nodded, satisfied. Now that this Large Black Panther on the brink of evolution was connected to the War Chain, Angel would be reluctant to give up the Large Black Panther she had raised for so long even if she wanted to leave on her own. This way, their relationship was even more secure.
Garen briefly told Angel about what he knew about raising totems. When it came to skills on raising leopard-type totems, however, he didn’t have much to say. This required more detailed raising knowledge. Based on Aska, they were sure the War Guild in War Tank City had this sort of information.
The two of them sat in a corner, and soon enough, that one-armed waitress girl walked up to Garen’s table, clearing the table for them.
”Mr Garen, Mr Caddy asks if you’re willing to take Mr Jason’s position,” she suddenly asked Garen softly. ”If you are, you can go talk to Miss Mina at the counter.”
There it was!
This was what Garen was waiting for. At a time like this, the Guild would never let go of any firepower that they might recruit. This Mr Caddy was actually part of the president’s faction.
Thomas’ invitation from before was very likely to have come from another faction, but Garen had rejected him.
He exchanged a glance with Angel, and stood up. Walking towards the counter, he figured his relationship with Jason was still pretty decent, so joining them wasn’t a bad path to take.
After the stout man buying medicines in front left, Garen walked to the counter, and rapped the tabletop.
”Come with me.” The girl inside, Mina, glanced at him and smiled, then pulled open a small door from the left to allow Garen in.
Another young man took her place at the counter.
The two of them entered from a small door on the left, one after the other. Beyond the door there was a sizable tea room, with yellow wooden floors and walls, as well as similarly-hued tables, chairs, and lighting.
A middle-aged man with a goatie was writing something on his desk. Upon hearing footsteps, he lifted his head to lok over.
”You’ve come.” He stood up and welcomed Garen, reaching out his hand to shake Garen’s.
”Hi, I’m Caddy. Right now I’m part of the Fourth Division, under the respected branch president. It’s both our fortunes that you would choose our side.”
This person was all smiles, and looked very friendly.
”You’re too kind.”
Garen shook hands with him, and the two of them sat at the table facing each other.
”Then, let’s discuss the benefits of joining us.” Caddy pulled a sheet of paper out of the stack of documents on the table, and flicked it to make a crisp sound. ”The conditions we can give you are very simple. Firstly: A sufficiently safe base, to protect all our assets from infiltration. Secondly: You can buy low grade Legacy knowledge. Of course, if you need a Form 2, that would require higher authority and enough money. Thirdly: We’ll give you prior access to better medicines, and higher quality equipment as well as facilities. Everyone can claim basic insurance rations every week: one set of medicine for external injuries, one set of medicine for stemming internal bleeding, one single-use defense tactic. One set of standardized nutrients. These are all free.”
”Not bad at all. Tell me about my responsibilities.” Garen knew that three sides had more or less the same conditions right now, at the most it would a difference in which resource they had more of, and would then emphasize.
”You only have two responsibilities.” Caddy was very satisfied with Garen’s decisiveness. ”Lord Engra has two divisions under his influence right now. I’m directly under the Discipline Division, and the other is the Self-defense Division. No matter which one you join, your responsibilities are, One: obey any urgent summons, and obey all rational orders. Two: complete your tasks and duties as your position requires.”
Garen mused for a while, and started asking about the differences between working at the two divisions. The two of them discussed it for more than half an hour, and then Mina brought in the next person. Only then did Garen rise to leave.
Next would be his consideration on whether or not to join them, and their inspection of his identity and qualifications.
Upon leaving the room, the atmosphere in the Guild Quest Hall had gotten even rowdier. The hall was the size of a basketball court, and seated over a hundred people. There were people squeezed up to each other, making the place seem congested as there was a chaos of noise. The smell of blood mixed with the stench of sweat, wafting through the air.
Garen frowned.
His gaze swept over the hall, and realized that Angel had left. Thomas, Aska and the others were gone too, only unfamiliar faces remaining in the large hall.
Some young men and women dressed in black armor would occasionally go in and out of the entrance to the corridor, streaming through the hall.
These people in black armor walked through the hall and directly entered another corridor in the right, without even looking at the others in the hall.
Garen went out of the hall, and saw Angel in the corridor, leaning on a while.
”So, how?”
”Waiting for the news,” Garen replied. ”I have something to do, I’ll need to go back ahead. Are you alright on your own?” He could feel some gazes on Angel, sometimes there and sometimes not.
”It’s fine, just some punks with a death wish.” Angel smiled.
Garen nodded and cast her out of his mind, walking straight down the corridor. After taking some more turns, he followed the wide network of underground tunnels and was soon back at the entrance where he had come in.
He left the tunnel exit, closed the cover behind him, and was back at the metal ladder that led into the sewers. With a light tap of his foot, he catapulted his body up to the very top of the ladder. Reaching out his hand to push up the metal cover, he tried his best not to make any noise.
Garen poked out his head, and looked out.
The sky was dark out, and there was the cooing of insects. It was all quiet, but there was the sound of footsteps in the distance.
Garen quietly crawled out of the well cover, and closed it behind him, standing in the debris of the Guild Hall as he looked around.
Everything was in ruins about him, and he could vaguely see some figures looting for things by the pile of corpses in the shadows.
Garen looked towards the shadow of a collapsed wall on his right. In the darkness, a huge piece of charred wood moved, and then abruptly opened its eyes. It was actually a Deep Swamp Croc in hiding.
”I’ll make a trip back, and then start a full-on hunt for the Unihorn Lizard, to rack up some potential points.” Garen made the arrangements inwardly, and let the Deep Swamp Croc clear the way. He followed behind it, carefully vigilant of his surroundings.