"Opportunity, for us people at the bottom, is one of the most precious things."

"These days, being a low-level mercenary isn't easy. The tasks we get are troublesome and don't pay much. A big-ticket job of a hundred thousand for an Apprentice Death God like yours rarely comes our way."

"So, since the opportunity is here, I want to give it a shot."

Jack looked up calmly, meeting Yun You's gaze, with no hint of retreat or deceit in his eyes.

"I urgently need money now, and a large sum at that. If I can pull off this task, I can barely scrape together the amount I need."

"As for the risk, it's fine if it's a bit high."

"However..."

At this point, Jack suddenly shifted his tone, speaking in a slightly pleading and negotiating manner: "Miss Wu Ming... I have to tell you beforehand."

"In terms of difficulty and risk, your reward is indeed on the low side. For a typical Apprentice Death God internship task, the hiring fee is at least three hundred thousand, and the task you've picked is on the difficult side. Even asking for four hundred thousand is low."

"Have other mercenaries discussed this price with you?"

"..."

Yun You was silent for a while, but eventually nodded and did not deny it.

Jack was right. The reward those mercenaries had proposed was indeed around four hundred thousand, and they wouldn't take the job for a penny less.

Initially, she always felt this price was incredibly high.

Bear in mind, four hundred thousand Silver Cannon in Nest City Lower City could buy half a building, open a street of barbecue joints, and support a family of three for a lifetime without working.

From any angle, four hundred thousand is a huge amount, and hiring a mercenary for a single task at this price seems overly extravagant.

But on second thought, it's actually reasonable.

The tasks for an Apprentice Death God are inherently fraught with danger. Even the most experienced mercenary can't guarantee their survival.

So, this so-called "hiring fee" is effectively their "money for risking their life."

Paying four hundred thousand for a mercenary's life is not unreasonable.

The thing is, Yun You genuinely couldn't afford that much money...

Jack seemed to notice the girl's predicament and quickly waved his hand.

"I don't need that much. If you can come up with two hundred thousand, I'm willing to work with you."

"Of course, it doesn't have to be money. Equivalent collateral will do. The rules aren't that rigid; it's just whether you can come up with that amount…"

Hearing this, Yun You's eyes couldn't help but light up.

A hiring fee of two hundred thousand, while still high, is not an unattainable number for the little girl.

What's more, Jack mentioned that an equivalent exchange is possible, which is more convenient.

If all else fails, didn't Black Tiger's released task promise that as long as the task is completed, you could choose any treasure from his vault?

A treasure vault of a second-level Apprentice Death God, no matter how barren, shouldn't be without something worth two hundred thousand, right?

Thinking of this, Yun You made up her mind.

"The money, it's definitely there."

She painted a big picture first, then countered with, "But how do I know if you're qualified to take this money?"

"What if you're just playing around? Then wouldn't I be wasting my time and energy for nothing?"

Here it comes.

Jack's hand holding the stirring spoon froze; he immediately understood that Yun You was testing him.

The girl was about to get serious, and this was the most critical part of the "interview."

"Whether I'm qualified, you'll know by trying."

Jack slowly pushed aside the various cocktail mixers on the table, gently placed the glass to one side, and then made a "please" gesture to Yun You.

"Please, go ahead."

The moment his words fell, Yun You moved.

However, the little girl didn't directly use her fists and feet. Instead, she flicked her fingers, and three toothpicks she had hidden at her fingertips shot out with a "whoosh," directly aiming for Jack's neck.

The power of an Apprentice Death God is immense. Even these wooden toothpicks were flicked out with the speed and force of an electronic compound bow.

At such close range, even Nocturne, who had similarly awakened the Death God Power, probably wouldn't be able to avoid these three toothpicks.

However, Jack's reaction was even faster than Yun You had imagined.

Almost at the same moment the little girl flicked her fingers, the mercenary lightly tapped the table, sending a disposable straw on the table upward to meet the toothpicks!

Although the plastic straw couldn't stop a toothpick faster than an arrow, it altered their trajectory, making them skim past Jack's neck and precisely land in the trash bin after flying over ten meters.

This mercenary's reflexes and control over power were ridiculously strong.

Yet Yun You didn't give up the "interview." The moment the toothpicks were deflected, she swung her left fist at Jack, and her knee under the table thrust towards his abdomen.

This punch and knee came with about fifty percent of the little girl's strength.

Her current punching power exceeded ten tons. Her swinging fists and knees were like a small car speeding at full force, with the wind pressure alone blowing away the tablecloth.

Seeing the attack coming, the mercenary still didn't dodge. Instead, he reached out with both hands, overlapping them in front of him, and leaped heavily with his leg to block the girl's knee.

Crack~

At the moment of blocking, there was the sound of metal gears emanating from Jack's hands and legs.

The next second, the fist and hand, knee and leg collided.

"Boom—!"

A thunderous roar erupted in the booth.

Yun You's fist hovered beside Jack's head, smoke curling from it. Her knee was also blocked by a piece of black metal.

Did the little girl's punch miss its mark?

No, that's not it.

Because Jack's crossed hands were also smoking at this moment, the muscles in his palms were visibly swollen, even bleeding slightly.

This was proof of blocking an attack.

In fact, Jack did catch Yun You's punch. At the moment the palm contacted the fist, he twisted his muscles to "slide" away the terrifying pink punch.

But since the little girl's strength was excessively strong, even though the mercenary deflected nearly ninety percent of the force, his hands were still hurt by the remaining ten percent.

As for the concave metal that blocked Yun You's knee... it was actually an extension from Jack's leg bones, part of his mechanical prosthetic.

"It hurts a bit..."

Jack grimaced, shaking his swollen hand, and remarked, "You're really ruthless, Chica. Thankfully, I have three prosthetics, which barely managed to block it."

"But getting to witness the power of an Apprentice Death God isn't something that happens every day."

"If you had used a bit more strength, I might be lying on the ground."

It was the truth.

Jack knew the gap between himself and an Apprentice Death God.

If all prosthetics were activated, he might have a chance to gain the upper hand in combat for a short time.

But as time prolonged, Yun You could rely on the terrifying physique and Talent Ability of an Apprentice Death God to achieve overwhelming victory.

There was no argument against this.

However, Yun You was quite satisfied with Jack's performance.

"That's enough. You've proven your qualification."

She retracted her fist and knee, and a smile emerged from beneath her mask.

The previous stab, punch, and kick, most newly awakened Apprentice Death Gods wouldn't necessarily withstand.

But Jack deflected all attacks with his rich combat experience and skills.

This was already enough to prove his value as a mercenary.

Two hundred thousand Silver Cannon to hire such a mercenary to risk his life—it was definitely worth it!

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