Starting with the goblin extermination

The screams drowned out the noise in the tavern.

The orc Haug was writhing in agony, his right hand pinned to the table, blood gushing from the blade.

Ellis stared at Haug expressionlessly, then grabbed his wrist and yanked it upwards!

呲la.

The sound of flesh tearing apart was chilling.

Haug's hand was pulled away, leaving a gaping, bloody hole in the orc's palm.

"Get out." Ellis pulled a rag from the table and wiped her hands. "As agreed, crawl out of the tavern from here."

Haug clutched his bleeding right hand, his face contorted in pain.

Pain and anger surged to his head; he wanted to tear the woman in front of him to shreds.

But he glanced around at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

All the adventurers in the tavern were staring at him, especially those who had lost money; they wanted nothing more than to devour Haug whole. Outside the crowd, the dragonborn owner, Vant, stood with his arms crossed, as if he would snap Haug's neck at the slightest provocation.

The last vestiges of reason prevailed over rage.

Haug clutched his hand, then shoved through the crowd and rushed out of the tavern.

He didn't climb out; he threw his dignity into the sewer and ran away by cheating.

"Shh——!!"

"You testicleless bastard!"

A torrent of curses erupted in the tavern, but it was quickly replaced by the disappointment of losing money.

Only Koska was happily counting the money in his hat.

That old drunkard made a lot of money.

Clang.

Several gold coins fell into Logan's hands.

Logan rubbed the coins in his hand, and the two gold coins he threw at Ellis instantly turned into four.

I was right; I hadn't misjudged him.

He looked at Ellis, who was surrounded by the crowd.

One person, with just a pair of fists, smashed a level 1 armored turtle into a pile of mangled flesh.

It's incredible.

After all, judging from its name, it's definitely a monster known for its defense. The explosive power required to smash its shell with both fists would likely exceed the limits of ordinary combat techniques.

Is this what blessing is...?

Among the unemployed adventurers, there were indeed those stronger than himself.

There's always someone better.

"Come on, kid! I'll introduce you to our female Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

Thorin was in high spirits after winning money.

He grabbed Logan and forcefully pushed through the crowd to stand in front of Ellis.

"Well done, Ellis! I knew that green-skinned idiot was no match for you!"

Thorin laughed and patted Ellis's fist.

"Thorin? You old miser, you're actually willing to bet your life savings on me winning?"

Ellis swung his fist at Thorin's shoulder, making the old dwarf wince in pain; clearly, the two were close friends.

"You're buying me this drink!"

Immediately, her eyes lit up, she licked her lips, and her gaze fell on Logan, who was standing next to Thorin.

"Who is this handsome guy? He looks unfamiliar."

"Hey! This is the most fucking talented young man I've seen lately, Logan!" Thorin slapped Logan hard on the back. "You two are both reckless lunatics, you're a perfect match! Come on, get to know each other!"

Logan looked at Thorin with curiosity.

What is the relationship between these two?

Ellis noticed Logan's confusion and laughed heartily, "Don't guess. When I first started out, I was in a team with that old guy Thorin for a while, so we were former teammates."

I see. No wonder Thorin said he saw it with his own eyes...

Wait, could it be that Thorin was the first to spread the nickname "Steel Fist"?

Logan's lips twitched at the thought.

I have this feeling that even if I make it big in the future, this old guy will give me some weird nickname.

Forget it.

Let him be happy.

"Logan is currently the captain of the [Black Beast] squad."

"Elise, you can call me 'Steel Fist' if you like, it's the same as my nickname as the squad name."

The two held hands tightly.

Logan's muscles tensed instantly.

The moment their hands met, he could feel the other person's amazing grip strength and the rough calluses on their hands.

This woman is stronger than me.

But then, Logan felt a strange sensation in his palm.

She gently rubbed her thumb against Logan's web of skin.

Logan looked up in surprise.

"Since he's a friend that old Thorin values, then we're on the same side."

Ellis patted Logan on the shoulder generously and leaned closer, his warm breath carrying a faint scent of ale wafting into Logan's ear.

"If we run into each other on missions in the forest in the future, let's have a good chat. If you need anything, I'll look after you."

"......must."

Logan withdrew his hand without making a sound and nodded.

How come I got taken advantage of again...?

However, since Thorin introduced him, his character is probably reliable. His strength goes without saying.

They can be initially trusted.

After all, in the forest, having a powerful ally means having a better chance of survival.

"Oh my! Look who's here! My cash cow for tonight, and my dearest old friend Thorin and his blond little boy!"

Just then, Koska's slick voice broke in.

The old man, carrying a tattered hat full of gambling money, squeezed between the two. He first gave Ellis an exaggerated bow, showering her with flowery flattery that made Ellis frown.

After all, Ellis did indeed make him, the bookmaker, a fortune tonight.

Koska then turned her head, her eyes fixed intently on Logan.

"And of course, this blond guy. This isn't our first meeting, is it?"

"Do you remember me?"

"Of course! Thanks for dragging my old bones out of the sewers that time. The slime there was absolutely awful."

The old man rubbed his hands together, his smile lewd.

"To be honest, I happen to have something extremely important to discuss with you tonight."

Logan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Thorin immediately stepped forward warily, blocking Logan's path like a mother hen, and started cursing at Koska.

"What kind of crazy scheme are you up to now, you old drunkard? Stay away from this kid! He doesn't have time for your nonsense!"

"Hey! Thorin! How dare you insult your former employer like that!"

Kosca jumped up and down, hurling insults at Sorin.

Judging from their appearance, the two are clearly old acquaintances who have known each other for a long time.

Logan was quite curious about what the old man wanted to see him about.

A short while later, Thorin walked over and nodded helplessly at Logan.

The four of them sat down at a table in the corner.

Elsa sat quietly next to Logan, but her gaze was fixed on Elise, who was drinking with her teammates.

Papa and Baron also came over to listen to the commotion, while Kosca didn't seem to mind having other people around.

Thorin plopped down domineeringly, deliberately using his large body to push Koska to the edge of the bench.

"Ouch! You old brute! Don't you know how to respect the elderly and care for the young!" Kosca rubbed his ribs, which were sore from the impact, and complained loudly.

"Stop talking nonsense, spit it out!"

Koska cleared his throat.

"Here's the thing, Captain Logan. I have a personal request for your Black Beast team, and the reward is very generous."

"ha?"

Thorin retorted mercilessly, "What kind of nonsense did you do before? Didn't you just post requests in the guild hall? Besides, what kind of serious business could your requests possibly have?"

Kosca got impatient and slammed his fist on the table.

"This is absolutely serious business, a matter of life and death! Do you really think I'm just an old man who only knows how to spend money and have fun?"

"Otherwise what?"

Thorin rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Who was so bored last time that they actually went to the guild and posted a request, just to find two adventurers with a high alcohol tolerance to drink with them for two days and two nights?!"

"Didn't you answer it too? You old drunkard!"

"I..." Thorin blushed.

Logan interrupted their conversation.

"So, why don't you post the commission in the guild?"

......

silence.

Koska's face suddenly turned red.

Logan was surprised; the sight of such a flushed face on the face of a rambling old drunkard looked rather comical.

After a long while, he finally managed to utter a sentence.

"Well... due to some... uh, some unexpected reasons, I've been temporarily blacklisted by the guild."