"Move now!"

A loud voice echoes in my ears, and I respond with immediate effect.

My body rolls on the ground, quickly dodging the assault of the enemy's sharp leg. Its spiky tip pierces the ground, causing its surface to crack under impact. If I had been a second late, my body would have experienced the same fate.

Despite thinking this, I calmly rise to my feet and dash towards the monster with no fear.

This is a Cadre 3 Magivore: Ghost Snail Crab.

It's a rather tricky opponent to deal with, even at Cadre 3, which is why I'm not enough to subjugate this creature. Instead, I have an ally with me at the moment—Dahlia.

The Ghost Snail Crab looks like a stereotypical crab, but several times larger—about five meters tall—with a jelly-like snail body coated in crab armor. Its carapace is the strongest part of its body, and just like a snail, it can withdraw all of its soft limbs into its body.

However, this bothersome trait still cannot be compared to its special ability: Ghosting.

With it, the Ghost Snail Crab can phase out of attacks that threaten its life, pretty much turning intangible for a moment.

This makes it annoying to fight and very difficult to kill.

As such, a partner is essential when fighting such a creature. With Dahlia taking on the Ghost Snail Crab from the rear, and me fighting it at the forefront, we stand a better chance against the creature.

"That was a close one! Weren't you paying attention?" Her voice echoes in the air again as she yells at me with a sting of passion.

I sigh, nearly gritting my teeth as I turn to glare at her for a moment.

Her long purple hair dances with the wind, and her fair skin appears far smoother than what one should expect from a Mercenary. She is currently putting on standard Mercenary gear, with a red jacket, slightly loose white shirt, and green trousers. Brown gloves cover both her hands, as do the brown boots on her legs.

Her light brown, nearly orange eyes glow eerily as she also sends me a glare, wondering what it is I'm staring at her for.

"Do you have a death wish? Focus on the Magivore!" She snarls.

"Tch!"

Out of all the Mercenaries I've worked with these past couple of weeks, this Dahlia lady has to be the most unpleasant. Granted, she has far more experience than I, considering she has been a Mercenary for nearly ten years now.

Her knowledge of many things is extensive, even far surpassing mine, which is why she's currently acting as the leader on this expedition.

But it's annoying!

She can be infuriating! Especially her crass way of speaking, unbefitting of her beautiful appearance.

I doubt I'll be having any future collaborations with her.

BOOOM!

Once again, I dodge the sharp strike of the Ghost Snail Crab's legs, and also avoid its pincers with flawless accuracy. As for Dahlia, she charges towards its flank and tosses something at the enormous creature.

—A Potion.

"SKRIEEEEKKK!!!"

The moment the vial shatters and its contents pour all over the Ghost Snail Crab's shell, it screams out in pain. The liquid gurgles and bubbles up like acid, creating a sizzling sound that fills the air with an acrid odor.

The Ghost Snail Crab slams its pincers on the ground, rolling around, and devastating the environment as it writhes in great pain.

I glance at Dahlia and nod at her, to which she does the same.

Potions aren't only meant to be consumed, as some can simply be poured out on something to achieve the same mystical effects. Also, not all Potions are beneficial. Some can also be poisonous or corrosive when applied.

For example, my Explosion Potion—once the vial breaks and the liquid makes contact with air, it ignites and causes an eruption of unquenchable flames.

What Dahlia just used is a Grade 2 Corrosion Potion—not enough to properly damage the Ghost Snail Crab, which is a Cadre 3 Magivore, but enough to cause it sufficient pain and discomfort, making it easier to deal with.

Why would it be easier to deal with? The answer is simple!

It won't be able to enter its shell anymore because it has now been compromised. The Magivore's greatest pain is coming from the shell at the moment, so it won't retract its limbs and cause everything to enter into the source of its current agony.

Now, all we have to worry about is its 'Ghosting' ability… but that isn't a problem as well.

I finally unsheathe my Grade 3 Armament, the Silver Lightning Thunder Sword, sharply swinging with expert proficiency. The light blinds the Ghost Snail Crab, and its edge slices through one of its limbs like a hot knife through butter.

Afterward, thunder roars.

The Ghost Snail Crab cries out in pain and confusion, but I ignore it and proceed to its next limb, repeating the process by disrupting its senses and inflicting major damage.

That's right! The main weakness of the Ghost Snail Crab is its immense sensitivity and over-reliance on stimulation for its abilities to function properly.

For 'Ghosting' to occur, the Ghost Snail Crab has to be able to concentrate.

It senses the danger and then turns intangible.

However, with the stunning effect of my Silver Lightning Thunder Sword, its senses are thrown into disarray, and it finds itself helpless against my attacks. Normally, it would have retreated into its shell by now, but thanks to Dahlia's Potion, it won't be able to do that.

As such, all it can do now is writhe and cry in pain, offering weak resistance until it's too late.

Undoubtedly, the Magivore is going to perish here.

It is our victory.

*************

It took a little over an hour since the start of the fight before Dahlia and I finally subjugated the Ghost Snail Crab, but we eventually succeeded.

After that, we collapsed on the ground and decided to take a breather.

Facing a five-meter monster isn't easy—especially when it is something as elusive as our just-subjugated opponent. It takes up a lot of stamina, and it wears out the mind, since one will have to be on full alert at all times.

With Dahlia as my partner, I didn't have to work as hard as I normally would have on my own, but in a way, I also had to work harder to coordinate my efforts with hers. Still, it reduced the risks and shortened the subjugation time drastically, so overall… the collaboration was worth it.

"What was that earlier? Why did you space out?" Right as I am thinking about this, Dahlia's voice sharply cuts into the air and burrows itself into my ears.

I nearly groan in annoyance.

"If I didn't call out to warn you, the Ghost Snail Crab would have—"

"I wasn't spacing out. I was going to dodge anyway." I sigh, almost in disbelief that I have to explain myself and defend my competence to this lady.

"Oh, really?"

She slowly rises up and folds her arms, staring at me with skepticism.

This woman… she doesn't believe me.

"Yes, really. I wanted to lure it closer to me and dodge at the last second. I also wanted to see if I could strike it at that moment… You know? Cut off the leg as soon as it made impact with the ground."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because you fucking raised your voice and disturbed me!"

"I disturbed you?"

"Yes! Yes, you did!" I cry out in exasperation, watching as she fumes at me with indignation.

It appears both of us share a common dislike for the other.

"Well, I suppose I should have just let my partner be squashed by the enemy. If you had told me your plan from the start, if there was even one, maybe I wouldn't have tried to stop you."

"It was a natural burst of inspiration that came while we were fighting." I sigh, shaking my head while trying to suppress my annoyance. "I just wanted to test it out."

"Well, don't try something stupid like that next time. Natural bursts of inspiration don't help anyone—not you, and not your allies. They only get you killed." She scoffs, almost as though she finds me and my entire line of reasoning to be abominable.

"Look—"

"No, you look!" She raises a finger and stares at me with disapproval. "Just because you can use an Armament, even a C Grade one, doesn't make you invincible or not prone to mistakes. When fighting something as powerful and unpredictable as a Magivore, you have to stick to existing protocol, else you not only put yourself at risk, but also the rest of your team. I don't care if you're suicidal or if you end up killing yourself, but as long as someone else exists in your team, it's your responsibility not to make reckless moves that could endanger them. Do you understand?"

"Sure…"

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Yes. I understand, ma'am." I sigh, scratching my head with a softer expression. "I'm sorry for being rash with my decision. I guess I've gotten so accustomed to working alone that I—"

"It's fine. No need to apologize. Just don't do it again…." She waves off my sincerity, a nonchalant expression forming on her face. Her eyes fall on my Armament, and then she looks at me with a hint of disapproval.

What now?

She's still upset? Something tells me she isn't simply angry because of my mistake earlier.

'Is it because I'm able to wield an Armament and she isn't?'

The thing is, to legally own and wield an Armament, one must have the license for it. However, only the Nobility and Knights are perfectly eligible for such licenses. Even the Clergy don't have such express authority—at least, not in the Randalorion Kingdom.

Naturally, this also means commoners don't normally have access to licenses and are therefore largely unable to wield Armaments either. Even Mercenaries, who go on difficult missions and sometimes face Magivores, have to do so without the aid of Armaments.

Instead, they use all manner of tricks, traps, and a variety of skills that they pick up through experience. They also team up very frequently, hence Mercenary Collaboration is rather common.

Mercenaries also make it essential to use Potions to make up for their shortcomings. Some also resort to Spells and Shamanic Arts, though those are rare. I hear that some Druids also take on Mercenary occupations; however, they are even rarer than Shamans.

After all, I've had the pleasure of collaborating with a Shaman, but never a Druid.

In any case, Armaments are usually reserved only for the upper echelon of the world, with the rationale being that they are also considerably powerful and dangerous, possessing deep importance to a Kingdom's military might. This is even more the case for the high-grade ones.

However… there are exceptions to this norm.

Commoners can be granted licenses on certain grounds. But, but to obtain such authorization, the commoner's occupation has to allow for Armament Use. If not, the Armament will be confiscated by higher powers, and the commoner will be penalized for breaking the law.

This is true even for the case of F-Grade Armaments.

It is illegal to own Armaments without permits in most Kingdoms, as the power is too dangerous for normal civilians to possess. It also threatens the rule of the superiors.

'Mercenaries have grounds to apply for licenses, but the process is usually very complicated and arduous. Unless one has a connection there, or a lot of money to speed up the process, it can take years to finally obtain a license.' I nod in acknowledgment. 'Hunters have an easier time in the license process, since their occupation specializes in finding and taking down Magivores for subjugation rewards or to sell their parts for profit.'

Mercenaries aren't so specialized, as they do all sorts of tasks. Some Mercenaries will never face Magivores throughout their lives, hence they don't even need Armaments. Because of this, it's much more difficult to justify the application for an Armament license.

The occupation simply does not necessitate Armament use.

Back to Dahlia, though, could it be that she is envious that I get to use an Armament even though I haven't even been a Mercenary for a year? I haven't seen her use an Armament throughout our interactions, which means it's likely she hasn't been able to obtain a license for the ten years she has been a Mercenary.

Why is that? Even by normal standards, that's too long.

She's also very skilled and experienced, so what could be causing such a delay? Her attire is of high quality, and she can afford Potions, which means money isn't a problem either.

She should be able to afford an Armament, which means the issue is the license itself.

'Is it because she's a woman? But that isn't a problem…'

Unlike with Knights, female Mercenaries are a lot more common in the Randalorion Kingdom.

Regardless, she must think I'm some rich entitled kid who used his connections to get my license and is now full of himself as a result. I mean, some of that is true, but I believe she has a wrong perception of who I really am.

Oh well… it actually doesn't matter that much to me.

Our task is complete, and after we split the rewards, we'll be going our separate ways.

Based on this experience alone, I don't think we'll be working together again. Even if I were open to the idea of working with her, I doubt her current impression of me will allow her to work with me after today.

But this is fine too.

This is all part of the Mercenary life.

***********

More weeks pass, and I make even more allies all across the Kingdom.

Unlike me, who is a traveler, most of these Mercenaries actually have fixed areas in which they operate. Their familiarity with their regions also helps in the efficiency of their tasks, which greatly reduces the risks involved in their line of operation and allows them to reap more profit in the long run.

Plus, staying in a particular location for a while allows one to establish their reputation there.

All of these are very important for those who desire to make Mercenary work their primary career. But, for someone like me who simply desires to explore the world and is using the Mercenary job as a means for that, staying in a defined location doesn't serve me.

As a result of all my travels, I have encountered many interesting people and collaborated with quite a few of them.

Out of them, eight people made the deepest impression on me, hence they stand out in my mind.

Ruthina, the Midnight Diviner.

Dahlia, the Fiercest Flower.

Esther, the Great Alchemist.

Austin, the Fallen Knight.

Fernand, the Dark Shaman.

Nathania, the White Shaman.

Rupert, the Fabricant Mercenary.

… And Brad.

Life comes and goes, and so do the people we encounter in our lifetime.

Even though I still don't know when next I'll be able to see these interesting people, something tells me our paths will cross again.

And perhaps that moment isn't very far away…

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