abnormal mutation

Chapter 67 Security Advisor
“This is quite different from other treehouses,” Roland said in surprise.

Moreno laughed: "This is a natural tree hole, which we discovered and converted into a tree hole house. There are only two such places in the entire camp."

As he was talking, he stopped on the sixth floor. This was the third door, and a wooden sign hung at the entrance with the word "Meeting Guests" written in colloquial Solon.

"We're here." He pushed open the door, and a wave of heat hit him, mixed with the aroma of tree oils.

The doorway was two or three meters long and showed signs of artificial repair. The room was not as big as it looked from the outside, but it was spacious enough. The interior layout resembled a living room, with a fireplace in the middle, tables, chairs and tea sets on the sides, several carved cabinets and niches on the walls, and a small window opposite.

An elderly man of medium build, with gray hair and beard, rose to greet me. He had a very friendly smile.

"This is Mr. Said, the Chamber of Commerce deacon, who is fully responsible for the construction and management of the winter hunting camp," Moreno introduced to Roland.

"Welcome our hero, Roland." Said smiled, his face full of wrinkles. He took a few steps forward and gave Roland a big hug, which seemed a little too enthusiastic.

"Good morning, Deacon Said." Roland didn't like hugging others, especially strangers who were extraordinary. But to save face for the other person, he waited until their shoulders touched before gently pushing him away.

"Sit down, don't be shy." Said didn't mind at all and warmly invited Roland to sit down, and handed him hot tea. "I've heard Julia talk about you. I always thought the Golden Bloodline was just a legend. I never thought I would actually see it in my lifetime."

"Just luck." Roland's expression remained unchanged; it seemed that Julia had already prepared an excuse for him in advance.

"Don't underestimate yourself; luck is an important part of life." Said's smile faded, his expression turning serious. "The old man isn't good at fighting; he can only stay here and talk. He's extremely excited to hear about the battle..."

He talked a lot, most of it praising Roland, while Roland just listened, not quite understanding what he was trying to do.

“Roland, there are three main reasons why I invited you here.” Said could tell that Roland wasn’t the talkative type, so he got straight to the point. “First, all the belongings of the enemy you killed last night, who turned the tide of the battle, will be yours.”

"Thank you." Roland smiled slightly.

“This is what you deserve. The second matter concerns compensation. The Northern Merchant Guild will certainly make a statement, but I cannot make that decision on my own; we need to wait for headquarters to decide.” Said’s expression carried a hint of apology.

"I understand." Roland didn't say anything about not expecting anything in return; that would be too foolish.

“Finally, our chamber of commerce would like to hire you temporarily. The chamber has suffered heavy losses and is now weak. I’m worried that those cultists won’t give up.” He paused and pushed a paper contract to Roland.

"The daily wage is 40 German dollars for ten days. Additional subsidies will be provided in case of combat. Food and lodging will be provided during this period. No patrols are required, but you cannot leave the camp for extended periods."

Roland clicked his tongue in amazement. Forty dollars a day was definitely a high wage; most workers earned less than one German dollar a day, and even the enforcer Hughes earned only about twenty dollars a week. He didn't have to do anything, and could occasionally leave the camp during the day; his treatment was quite generous.

He carefully reviewed the contract and found no loopholes: "I have no objection."

“It’s been a pleasure working with you.” Said and Moreno exchanged a glance, their faces showing a sense of relief.

Both parties signed and sealed the contract, making two copies. In addition to the contract, Roland also received half of the salary, 200 German dollars.

Next, Said personally led Roland to the guard to collect the spoils of war: an unusually heavy light gray metal box, sixty centimeters wide and high, and two meters long, which had the effect of isolating perception and pollution.

This box is very valuable; you need to return it after you're done using it.

He also received a temporary permit that read "Northern United Chamber of Commerce Security Consulting Company," with the position of security consultant, which allowed him to legally possess firearms.

In addition, he received a set of supplies: a full set of standard winter clothing for a security advisor, sixty rounds of large-caliber ammunition suitable for exiles, binoculars, a notebook, and a pen. These items belonged to him personally and did not need to be returned.

Roland was pleasantly surprised; he hadn't expected such an unexpected gain. The clothes were of excellent quality, including the shoes and hat, the whole set worth no less than several tens of German dollars. The other items were also very practical. When he left the guard post, almost all the officers on duty recognized him. They treated him with great respect, their eyes filled with awe, joy, and gratitude. They were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield, gaining a better understanding of the battle situation and the ferocity of the enemy.

His assigned residence was Yulia's small house. In Said's words, Yulia was the most important person in the entire camp, and protecting her was the top priority.

Around noon, when he returned to his lodgings carrying a pile of things, Julia had fallen asleep again. Alex stayed by her side the whole time, and guards passed by the small building from time to time.

Roland closed the door, placed the metal box on the floor, and instead of opening it, took out a list compiled by the guards, which included the names of the items and their levels of danger.

The first item was that long staff, which had no name but was marked with the words "extremely dangerous, use with caution," clearly indicating that it was a magical item.

Besides the long staff, the two butcher knives, the bracelet, and the several vials of medicine also bore this inscription; the rest of the items were ordinary objects.

Roland was somewhat disappointed. So many people had died, yet only three magical items had been found. Were magical items inherently rare, or was the old priest simply too wealthy?

He composed himself, opened the box, and was immediately met with an extremely chaotic and disordered spirituality.

At the very top is a long wooden staff, dark in color, with a hollowed-out top containing the image of a kneeling, weeping woman, which fills one's heart with sorrow at first glance.

Roland tentatively picked up the staff, and a wave of energy, almost like spiritual energy, emanated from it. He instantly understood the purpose of this magical item.

Some magical items carry their own information, and you know how to use them as soon as you possess them. Most of these are crafted by humans. Others require you to explore them gradually. This staff belongs to the former category.

It is called the Staff of Aria, and it has three powerful extraordinary abilities: Soul-Splitting Scream, Confusion, and Eternal Corridor.

【Soul-Splitting Scream】can release high-frequency soul tremor waves that impact the target's spirituality and soul. If there is a lack of protective measures, one can only withstand it head-on, making it extremely dangerous.

【Confusion】is also an attack on the soul level. If the target fails the will check, they will suffer dissociation of consciousness, losing the ability to think and control their body.

【Eternal Corridor】is the core ability of the Staff of Aria. The souls of all creatures killed by it are imprisoned within the staff. The more souls imprisoned and the higher their quality, the stronger the Soul-Splitting Scream and the greater the power of the confusion.

However, each spell cast will randomly consume a soul, and once the soul is depleted, the staff will turn around and tear at the wielder's "emotions".

The Staff of Aria is powerful, but its negative effects are even more severe. Each use or prolonged possession will permanently reduce one's emotions other than "sadness," with "joy" being the most likely outcome, ultimately turning one into a mentally twisted, howling puppet.

'This thing should meet the standards for a sealed artifact.'

But he was not afraid. The Staff of Lamentation was only superficially sad and had little effect on him. It was just that the soul imprisoned inside was almost exhausted and could only be replenished by killing.

Next to the long staff were a pair of butcher knives, two feet long and half a foot wide, with a rough and ugly design that gave them a very cheap feel.

'I remember it used to be very big.'

He picked up the butcher's knife, infused it with his spiritual power, and the knife suddenly grew larger. Even after growing two sizes larger, it was still not satisfied and kept conveying waves of terrifying hunger.

Roland immediately dropped it; he didn't know anything about appraisal, and instinctively disliked the item.

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(End of this chapter)