Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 10 Delivering the Task
When it was the squad's turn, a gaunt-faced guard put down his halberd and blocked their way.

"Routine inspection."

The guard's voice was hoarse and cold, "Bring out your name, origin, purpose of entering the city, and identification."

"Adventurer".

Marcus succinctly stated, "They are all teammates who came with me to the association to hand in their tasks."

He took a bronze badge out of his pocket and handed it over; it was an insignia issued by the Adventurers' Guild.

The badge's surface has become smooth from years of friction, and it is engraved with Marcus's name and a crossed sword and shield design.

Gray and Vales both took out their badges and handed them over. Zellier remembered that he also had such a badge, and after feeling around on his person for a while, he handed it over as well.

However, while the other three's badges were made of bronze, Zellir's badge was made of the simplest iron, which looked rather shabby.

The guard took it and glanced at it to confirm that the identity was correct.

Then, his gaze fell on the group of people.

The bulging, fishy-smelling backpack, the dried bloodstains on his clothes, and Gray's exposed, injured arm—nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The guard nodded slightly and returned the badge to the squad. "Welcome back to town. Go get your wounds treated."

The halberds were sheathed, and the group was able to pass through the checkpoint.

Upon entering Blackrock Town, a brand new scene came into view, as if the melodious sound of a lute was ringing in Zelil's ears.

Most of the buildings in the town are two-story houses with stone on the lower level and wood on the upper level. The roofs are covered with dark red or brown tiles. The main road is paved with bluestone slabs of different sizes, and shallow drainage ditches have been dug on both sides.

The clamor of vendors hawking their goods, the rhythmic clanging of blacksmiths' hammers in the blacksmith's shop, and the carefree laughter of passersby—all these sounds mingled together, instantly pulling Zellir back from the monotonous graywood forest.

What unfolded before him was a vibrant world, a world completely different from the concrete jungle and steel forest of his previous life.

A plump woman wearing an apron was busy at the entrance of the bakery, displaying a basket of freshly baked, soft bread sprinkled with icing sugar on the shelf.

A bard sat on a street corner, recounting the great deeds of heroes, and moving melodies flowed from the strings of his instrument.

The adventurers sat in twos and threes on the outdoor seating, wiping their weapons and loudly boasting about their experiences from the last mission.

Hey! Watch where you're going!

The reprimand startled Zell.

He quickly took two steps back, and a farm cart pulled by packhorses sped past, nearly hitting Zellier.

"What are you thinking about? You can even space out while walking. Have you been using too much magic and overdrawing your energy?" Vales patted Zellier's head.

"No, I just feel..."

After a long pause, Zellier finally managed to say, "I just find it amazing."

Vales gave Zellier a strange look.

After crossing two streets, the team finally arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.

This is a building with a rugged style.

The main structure is a three-story wooden and stone house. Years of wind and sun have given the walls a mottled color. There is a relief carving at the entrance, on which the crossed swords and shields have faded and the edges still have scratches of varying depths.

As I pushed open the door, a cacophony of voices greeted me.

"The Misty Caves goblin extermination quest needs a vanguard!"

"Clean up the gnolls deep in the Graywood Forest. Two warriors, come and twist all those bastards' heads off! Fair pay, all equipment damage covered!"

"For caravan escort missions, rangers are given priority, and their class rank must be at least the lower level!"

A cacophony of enthusiastic calls to recruit teammates rose and fell, deafening everyone. The faint smell of blood mingled with the sour odor of sweat, making the atmosphere even more heated. The interior of the guild was much as Zellier had imagined.

The huge wolf head specimen hanging on the wall, the stacks of empty wine barrels in the corner, and the adventurers with various weapons at their waists—everything was filled with a strange scene that could only appear in fantasy novels.

Zellier clearly felt his heart beating much faster.

This is a group of guys who risk their lives. Every day, adventurers die in missions, but new blood keeps pouring in.

Because of money, because of ambition, and because of their desire not to spend their lives in mediocrity.

Marcus skillfully pushed his way through the crowd to the counter, where the receptionist was a young girl with a few freckles on her cheeks.

"Hello, I'm Ella, the receptionist. How can I help you?"

"I am tasked with eliminating the wolves."

Marcus unloaded the bag and poured a large pile of skinned wolf left ears onto a special counting plate.

"Ok."

Ella first searched through the files, and after confirming that there was such a task, she began to count the number of wolf ears using a pick.

"There are a total of thirty-six wolves. According to the conditions given in the mission, you can get a reward of one hundred and eight silver coins."

"it is good."

Marcus said, "I would also like to report on an encounter with a monster."

"An encounter with a monster?" Ella frowned slightly.

“Yes, we encountered a juvenile Mist Demon,” Marcus said.

"It was actually it..."

Ella's expression became slightly more serious.

Although it is a juvenile mist demon, it is not as threatening as an adult mist demon.

But monsters with a "Challenge" rating are no joke; this has reached a point where people could die, and it must be reported.
"In which area did you encounter the Mist Demon? What kind of creature's body was sewn into its body? It shouldn't have been very fast, otherwise it would have had a hard time escaping..."

When Ella pressed for an answer, Marcus simply shook his head.

"We didn't run away, we killed that mist demon."

"..."

Ella's brown eyes widened slightly, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

The loud-talking adventurers all turned slightly, their attention drawn to Marcus's words.

"You...killed that juvenile Mist Demon?" Ella asked in surprise.

Marcus didn't say much, but silently took out the spoils wrapped in thick cloth from his pocket.

The adventurers, who were initially skeptical, had no choice but to believe everything Marcus said after seeing this.

That prismatic crystal shrouded in mist is undoubtedly the Mist Demon Core!

"Marcus's team actually managed to take down a Mist Demon..."

"How did they do that? The energy barrier on the surface of the Mist Demon is almost immune to all physical attacks. An adventurer team I knew was completely wiped out by it."

“I know Marcus, a low-level warrior who hasn’t mastered battle aura yet. Gray and Vales are about the same… Was it that newbie who broke the energy barrier… I heard he’s a mage?”

"I saw him a few days ago, I think his name was Zelier... It's really strange that mages are coming to the Adventurers' Guild to accept quests these days..."

(End of this chapter)