"Actually, whether or not you have a gun doesn't really matter," Aske said. "Skeletons fear close combat, ghosts fear spells, the Blood Clan fears being surrounded, and Corpse Witches fear sniping. Firearms are only somewhat effective against Corpse Witches, and it would have to be a high-fire-rate and high-penetration sniper rifle at that. Regular firearms can't hit them."

"You're wrong," the leading Bull Mercenary shook his head and raised a finger, saying, "What all Undead Spirits fear the most, regardless of their race, is..."

He intentionally drew out his voice, waiting for Aske to ask what it was.

However, Aske didn't ask but just looked at him with his arms folded, a curious expression on his face. Annoyed, the Bull Mercenary said:

"Undead Spirits only fear 'Macho.'"

Aske: ???

Macho, a term from the Iberian Peninsula dialect, when translated into Chinese, has a very vivid meaning, referred to as "tough guy."

"Undead Spirits only fear tough guys," the Bull Mercenary said, showing off his muscular arm as if demonstrating his prowess. "Whether they are skeletons, ghosts, Blood Clan or Corpse Witches, only a real tough guy can defeat them."

"Look at those toothpick-thin arms of yours. Can you lift a Great Sword? Can you hold up a Shield? Even if there was a skeleton right here, could you chop at it? Could you withstand an attack and not be killed by it?"

"It sounds like you have quite a bit of experience dealing with Undead Spirits," Aske said with a slight smile. "I can handle both Great Swords and Shields just fine. Perhaps I can join you?"

He was, of course, aware of the temperament of the Nobles and Lords of this world: they certainly looked down on mercenaries with contempt.

For instance, Thira's grandfather, Apilius, had said that being a mercenary was a futureless profession, wandering homeless and living off wars in various places, and sooner or later they would be rejected by the Lords of those places.

Lords only considered mercenaries as a temporary source for supplementing military forces. Once the military construction within their territories was complete, they would view mercenaries as a menace to public security and a serious concern... It was quite an insightful statement.

Since the Bull Mercenary Group had said that the City Lord was currently only recruiting noble Knights from various places, his attitude had already made it clear:

Valencia City was now self-sufficient and had not fallen to the point of relying mainly on mercenaries as the military force.

Therefore, even if The Azure Longsword had certification from the Church Court, going to see the City Lord would probably not bring any benefits. Keep in mind, the Bull Mercenary Group is also a support force sanctioned by the Church Court! However, by the tone of this Bull Mercenary, it seemed he also held some resentment towards the City Lord and the Knights, revealing what might have become obvious.

This small team from the Bull Mercenary Group didn't know the stranger they had just exchanged a few brief words with could guess with startling accuracy the political situation inside Valencia City. Hearing that he wanted to join the Bull Mercenary Group, they immediately began to posture.

"Our Bull Mercenary Group is currently only willing to recruit mercenaries with real strength. You say you're skilled with Great Swords and Shields? We don't believe that. Mercenaries are a profession that rely on their weapons for a living, so show us some of your weapon skills."

Then a Bull Mercenary stepped forward and thrust his heavy Great Sword into the ground with a whoosh. Another mercenary stepped out and threw down a Tower Shield as tall as a person, which landed on the ground with a duang.

"Give it a try," said the captain of the patrol squad, with his arms folded.

Aske grunted affirmatively and stepped forward, grabbed the hilt of the Great Sword with his right hand, pulled it out of the ground, and waved it casually a few times.

The Bull Mercenaries watched, stunned: This guy, despite his slender frame, seemed to have some strength after all! The thick and wide Great Sword, which usually required both hands to hold, was being swung with one hand, and he seemed to do it effortlessly judging by his expression.

Just when everyone was smacking their lips in surprise, they saw Aske step on the edge of the Tower Shield, forcing the upper half to stand upright, then grabbed the shield handle with his left hand and lifted the metal Tower Shield, big enough to cover his entire body, in his hand.

"Like this?" He lifted the Tower Shield with his left hand and held the Great Sword with his right, performing a "Shield Strike" + "Continuous Stabbing" combo, moving so fluidly that it was as though the Shield and Sword in his hands weighed nothing, causing the Bull Mercenaries' eyebrows to twitch.

They had misjudged... indeed, they had misjudged. Although this guy was a greenhorn who knew nothing, the terrifying strength that allowed him to effortlessly swing a Great Sword and a Great Shield made him a good fit for the Sharp Blade Team cannon fodder—maybe if he survived a few brutal battles unscathed, he could quickly rise through the ranks.

Everyone then put on a reserved expression and slowly said,

"Mmm... Although your movements are a bit stiff, your physical fitness isn't bad. Among the newbies in our Bull Mercenary Group, you barely pass. Yep... You should be able to join us."

"That's great." Hearing the agreement, Aske said with a smile, "Also, I have a few companions..."

"You're the Squad Leader of a mercenary group?" Startled by the realization that this person had companions, the Bull Mercenaries asked in amazement.

"Right, a small mercenary group." Aske humbly explained, "Including myself, there are nine of us."

"Oh." The Bull Mercenaries all showed understanding. For a newbie, having some ambition was normal, "No problem, once you join us, you can be a referee yourself and recommend your companions. Of course, they will still need to be assessed."

"Another assessment?" Aske asked in surprise.

"Of course! We're not professional Recruitment Officers, we just wanted to check in advance if you qualify." Everyone talked over one another, "Let's go; we're heading back to the camp."

The Bull Mercenary Group's station was situated in a small town called "Paibolita," south of Valencia, roughly 1.8 kilometers away. The town was connected to the city area by a subway tunnel maintained by the Bishops of Valencia, who supplied the Bull Mercenary Group with materials and provisions daily.

Conversely, if Paibolita was to fall, the Undead Spirits could follow the subway tunnel under the Turia River and enter the city area. Therefore, the Bull Mercenary Group had deployed significant forces and defenses here, almost amounting to "a patrol every three steps, a guard post every five steps," embodying the discipline of a Large Mercenary Group.

After the patrol squad returned to camp, they first reported their password at the entrance and registered, underwent some checks, and then took Aske to find the Bull Mercenary Group's Recruitment Officer.

"A pretty young guy." The Recruitment Officer was a short, bald old man with white whiskers and his gaze scrutinizing Aske from behind small round glasses, "What did you do before?"

"Mercenary." Aske answered with a smile.

"I mean, what did you do before becoming a mercenary!" the old man said with some exasperation.

"Oh, I worked at a company." Aske replied.

"Hmm." The old man stroked his beard and asked again, "How long have you been a mercenary?"

"Almost 5 years." Aske felt a bit sentimental. Before and after arriving here, it was indeed almost 5 years.

"Oh?" The old man stared at him. This young man seemed to be in his early twenties, so he started working as a mercenary in his teenage years? Could it be Scouts?

After a brief pause, the old man pulled a blank resume template from the side and pushed it across the table:

"Fill in your personal information, then head over to training area number 1 and look for 'Madman Barro' for a close-combat assessment."

"Madman Barro?" The Bull Mercenaries who brought him exclaimed, "You can't be serious! That guy never pulls his punches; he's brutal and vicious. Are you really going to pit this newbie against him?"

"Madman Barro accidentally killed a recruit yesterday." The Recruitment Officer replied, "Now, the higher-ups have decided that he's responsible for assessing applicants 'with over 3 years of combat experience'. This newcomer you've brought claims to have been in the mercenary business for almost 5 years; how could he not withstand Madman Barro's attacks?"

"Cough cough, you know, newbies always like to embellish their experience in interviews." So the group hastily gestured to Aske to clarify, "Almost 5 years could mean it's not quite 5 years yet. '1 year' could also be nearing 5 years, '2 years' too... He didn't specify an exact number!"

"Well, to be exact..." Aske carefully recalled, "It should be 4 years and 9 months."

The others were floored. We were signaling for you to underreport, not to give us the exact number of months!

"See? The newcomer is quite confident." The Recruitment Officer chuckled, "Don't worry! When dealing with Madman Barro later, just say that old Pablo sent you and tell him to handle it himself."

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