The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 202 - 147 I Don’t Want to Clean the Sewers

Chapter 202: Chapter 147 I Don’t Want to Clean the Sewers

That was a team of Hunters.

They seemed to have been hired by a secret branch, assisting students in fulfilling a special task somewhere.

Rod suddenly remembered that he also had a Hunter’s License, which he had purchased to leave the academy. After completing his journey in the sewers, it had been left in a corner and nearly forgotten.

The Hunter Group was a freelancing collective established by the Royal City to accommodate certain individuals, built to flexibly deploying forces, filling the gaps in official military troops, and lessening administrative pressure.

Rod suddenly realized, isn’t this the perfect place for me?

The tasks of the Hunter Group were mostly issued by the Military War Department, various defense zones, or settlements. Occasionally there were personal requests, but no matter who the employer was, there would certainly be a clear goal and intelligence.

In that case, won’t I know where there are monsters suitable for my hunting?

Take on the task, find a few companions, and at the right moment, launch a "Spiritual Power Fifth Layer Melody" or "Soul Blast," isn’t that all it takes?

And there’s a reward to be had.

The most crucial aspect is the clarity of the target and the relative freedom.

I can choose the prey that suits me, decide which tasks I will execute and which I will not, isn’t that much more efficient?

Without further ado, Rod immediately decided to set out.

Members of the secret branch could request leave.

If one cannot endure the stringent training, one could also withdraw, but once withdrawn, rejoining was not an option.

Since this place was still of significant help to him, Rod naturally wouldn’t withdraw. He simply used the excuse that he was too exhausted and his spirit could not bear it, hoping to take some time off to rest.

"Strong" marked members’ specific training was overseen by Soron, a clean, tall, and thin man, who always wore Knight Armor, no matter where he went.

"Rod, do you think I am somewhat biased against you?"

Upon hearing Rod’s request, he focused his gaze on his face.

"I have studied your past conduct. Your combat record at the Sword Pass is quite good, and you have previously cleared the sewers alone and assisted in completing many tasks. Your actual combat power is quite strong, but do you know what your weakness is?"

Rod ventured, "Is it that my physical combat ability is too weak?"

Soron shook his head and said solemnly, "You still haven’t grasped the key point. Your Characteristic is very strong, but your weakness is also significant. If your methods fail, neither the Spirit Gun nor the Thunder Stone can inflict damage, the Spiritual Cannon is already used up or there is no one to cover you, you will have no ability to inflict any harm."

Rod certainly knew this but, he had another method—summoning.

Isn’t it normal to call for backup when you can’t win the fight?

How does the saying go... being able to fight what’s the use? Nowadays, who still engages in a duel? It’s all about having more people now.

Of course, he didn’t disclose this. In their combat records, they only knew that Rod had purchased four wooden Puppets, which played a significant role.

Naturally, this was not considered as his own ability.

Soron continued, "You might think I’m being a bit harsh in forcing you to train in physical combat, but you need to understand, everyone who leaves with a ’Strong’ indication is the core of their team. Do you know what a team core is?"

Rod casually replied, "It’s like being the main pillar, right?"

"Main pillar?"

Soron looked at him quizzically.

"Is that a new term from you youngsters? It’s quite descriptive. Imagine you as the main pillar; you would definitely have to shoulder the team’s weight. The other members would be supporting and assisting you. If you can’t perform at a crucial moment, what kind of main pillar would that be?"

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"What’s worse, your self-preservation ability is too poor. In many perilous environments, you cannot be fully protected. A single Fierce Level Deformed Blood Beast’s assault could kill you in one strike. Many monsters have an innate ability for ambush and surprise attacks, and their superfast speed and fierce attacks are hard to defend against completely, and there are even more creatures with even trickier abilities that are unpredictable."

"If the main pillar gets killed instantly, the team would basically collapse, and what kind of main pillar would that be? More like smoked ham."

"By the way, the smoked ham from Smoke Town is delicious; you should try it when you have the chance."

Rod nearly laughed out loud and quickly responded, "I understand, thank you, Instructor."

The logic was sound. If he had the time, Rod would be more than willing to develop in all aspects; he was well aware of his weaknesses.

But now, the situation had changed, and he had to develop his strength as quickly as possible.

Moreover, he had some life-saving methods that weren’t convenient to disclose publicly.

"I just want to rest for a few days, is that okay?"

Soron said lightly, "Rod, the special training is not delaying your growth; it is helping you digest what you’ve gained in the Sword Pass. Your experiences there are rich and digesting them can yield far more than you might imagine."

"I think this is also why you have a ’Strong’ indication. Generally speaking, a Spiritual Power Strength of 2.1 thousand ticks is far from enough to be one of us."

Rod scratched his head, "Mr. Instructor, I understand, but I am very tired and would like to rest for a few days. May I?"

"Rod, your recovery ability is very strong, no matter how tiring the training, by the next morning you’d be full of energy again. I was planning to add classes for you. After you’ve mastered the basics of Spiritual Energy manipulation, I was ready to teach you the special force techniques of the Knight Order, which in the context of using specific weapons can give you a strike’s power of one-tenth of that of your Spiritual Cannon."

Rod had to admit, he was tempted.

His offensive methods were too limited; this was exactly what he needed as a complement.

And he had the "Frost Blue" and the cabin’s rocking chair, especially the latter with its excellent effect on mental recovery. No matter how tired or exhausted, just one night’s sleep on it, and he would be sprightly the next day.

He had relied on it to keep going in recent times.

But, he must gain rapid growth in absolute strength as soon as possible.

Training could take place during the breaks in his combat operations.

"Instructor, my recovery abilities are limited..."

Soron glanced at him.

"Fine, I’ll permit you to rest for three days, but you must catch up with both the theoretical knowledge classes and my training. Can you do that?"

Rod hurriedly said, "I can."

Soron said no more and turned to train the others.

In the training ground, countless figures darted back and forth, their movements a blur to Rod.

Physical combat capabilities seemed to be second nature to these elite students.

Most of them had experienced far more battles than Rod and had much more impressive military achievements. The Battle of Sword Pass was fierce, but it was nothing out of the ordinary along the human defensive line. If Rod had not arrived, they would have simply abandoned Sword Pass earlier and retreated to defend from the rear.

Moreover, the reason why the Battle of Sword Pass became so intense was also due to the manipulation of the Doomsday believer, Gregor.

His growth time was simply too short.

Rod thought.

In just a few months of joining the academy, he had become one of the top among these battle-hardened members of the Special Battle Group.

Meanwhile, his classmates were still attending regular classes, guarding the academy gates that never saw an enemy.

Unknowingly, he had already fallen far behind Kashan and the others.

Rod sighed quietly.

Perhaps this was fate.

After explaining his leave situation to Professor Bins, Rod finally stepped out of the secret branch’s base.

Since it was evening, the academy’s staff had dimmed the glowing objects, adding a sense of night to the atmosphere of the academy.

A large group of students, chatting and laughing, was heading towards Heidler Training Ground next to the secret base, beginning their combat classes.

Rod, emerging from the secret base, attracted quite a few curious glances, but he paid no attention to them and quickly left the academy.

Rod first made a large purchase at the market in the Inner City District to replenish urgently needed supplies, then made some slight disguises before heading to the nearest Hunter branch.

The Hunter headquarters was a functional institution, where specific tasks like accepting missions were completed at the Hunter branches.

The mission contents included hunting monsters, clearing threats, escorting teams, transporting supplies, assisting in combat, and more.

Unlike regular military units, Hunters did not receive a salary or issued supplies, and they had to rely on themselves for everything. Those who chose to be Hunters were mostly individuals who could not adapt to the collective combat of the military units. Therefore, they mostly operated in small teams with relatively comprehensive abilities.

From this standpoint, Soron’s view was very correct.

But Rod did not have that much time. He had to condense his training to free up time to acquire Souls.

The Hunter branch was located in the Seventh District of the Outer City, in Rand Square, and the exterior was a tavern.

In fact, it was also a tavern.

However, it only served Hunter customers.

As Rod pushed open the grille door made of twisted copper bars, a voice called out, "Sir, please show your Hunter’s License."

Rod took out a silver plate, engraved with the words "Dawn Blade"—this was the code name of this Hunter.

For various complex reasons, Hunters could use code names instead of real names, and the Hunter’s License was the only thing that proved their identity and regulated their conduct.

"Light it up, sir."

Rod channeled Spiritual Energy as instructed, and the words "Dawn Blade" glowed faintly.

"Mr. Dawn Blade, since you have not undertaken any missions for several months, your star level has been reduced from Two Stars to One Star. If you do not fulfill the minimum Hunter obligations within the next month, we will revoke your license."

Rod wasn’t concerned; he hadn’t spent a penny on the Hunter’s License—it was given to him by a merchant who was not in his right mind.

Hunters did not get a salary anyway, so the star level was meaningless.

He looked around; the tavern’s interior was quite ordinary, with a counter in the direct front and dozens of tables both big and small in the brightly lit hall, featuring a burning fireplace with ordinary flames.

To the side were stairs leading up. The Hunter branch had three floors, and the upper two might be the office spaces.

There weren’t many people in the tavern, just about a dozen or so, most of them wearing Hunter’s coats.

Some were conversing softly, while others were silent, and no one showed interest in him.

Behind the counter was a young red-haired woman with fiery hair and round cheeks, looking very cute.

She was the one who had reminded Rod earlier.

To avoid trouble, Rod deliberately altered his appearance to look a bit more aged.

He approached the counter and asked in a deliberately lowered voice, "Hello, are there any suitable missions for me?"

The red-haired girl recited in a formulaic tone, "Mr. Dawn Blade, we have thirty-four sewer cleaning missions, issued by the Defense Departments of the Outer City District One, Cross Street area, Firestone Street area, Section Two, Hammer Street..."

Rod’s face darkened instantly. Why did coming to be a Hunter still involve cleaning sewers? Couldn’t he just go directly to the sewer if he wanted?

"No, I don’t want to clean sewers. Is there anything else?"