“Nothing in the world is unachievable for ones who set their minds to it. What happened to you? Why do you need a supreme powerhouse? For fighting?”
The tough man chuckled softly, looking a little miserable. He didn’t hide the truth from Yun Feng anymore and told her everything. “Little girl, since you really want to help us, I’ll tell you the truth for the sake of your kindness.”
The tough man heaved a deep sigh with a hint of frustration on his serious face. “The Shiny Plains is the place that produces the most amount of ores in the Karan Empire. Even after so many years of mining, there are still new veins of ores being discovered gradually and this piece of precious land is controlled by the Mercenary Union.”
Yun Feng sat there and looked at the tough man. “So, all the mercenary groups registered at the Mercenary Union can get some benefits.”
The man smiled wryly as he shook his head. “Little girl, there are at least a few hundred mercenary groups registered at the Mercenary Union. Even if the Shiny Plains is two or three times larger, the ores wouldn’t be enough for all the groups. Besides, the veins aren’t everywhere. If all the mercenary groups swarm here, it’ll be chaotic.”
Yun Feng nodded and also understood the hidden meaning in his words. “So, people must have certain qualifications to come to the Shiny Plains?”
“That’s right. The Mercenary Union conducts an assessment of the level of the mercenary groups every three years. Only mercenary groups rated as three-star or above are eligible to come to the Shiny Plains. The chances all mercenary groups on the Shiny Plains have are equal. Once they discover a mineral vein, they can occupy it. Of course, there’s a time limit for it. The time limit is three years. After three years, they can only continue to own the mineral vein if they pass the mercenary level assessment successfully. Otherwise, not only will the mineral vein they discovered be taken, but the level of the mercenary group will also drop and they’ll not be eligible to come to the Shiny Plains.”
Up till this point, Yun Feng also understood. The level assessment of the mercenary groups was a checkpoint. Those who passed this checkpoint would be able to come to the Shiny Plains. If they truly found a mineral vein somewhere, that mercenary group would get quite a lot of money. Whether they sold the ores or kept the ores for themselves, it would be a great help to them.
‘Looks like you’re not going to pass the level assessment this time.” Yun Feng said indifferently. The few of them all looked embarrassed. Being told that by a kid it was indeed a little unbearable so they couldn’t look up.
“Haha, I’ll be honest with you. The Red Maple Mercenary Team used to be extremely strong, but you can’t always get what you want. Another mercenary group was onto the mineral vein we found. After a fierce battle, the few masters stationed here died one after another,” the man said as the remaining young people looked devastated. Yun Feng couldn’t help but frown. “Shouldn’t the vein belong to whoever finds it? Those who see it can share it too?”
Xiao Ying gave a wry smile as she leaned backward against the chair with her exhausted body. “Belong to whoever finds it? This is the world of mercenaries. Such a rule doesn’t exist between mercenaries. You can steal it if you have the strength! If you can steal it, then it’ll be yours! We exerted ourselves during that brutal fight. Even though the other party lost, we also suffered great casualties.”
“For a mercenary group, the loss of their elites is the most fatal. The huge loss of the elites will greatly reduce the strength of the entire mercenary group.” The ancestor’s voice sounded in Yun Feng’s mind. It seemed that the elites of this Red Maple Mercenary Team were severely injured after that brutal fight and they still hadn’t restored their strength yet. Right now, they were facing the danger of losing their eligibility to stay on the Shiny Plains.
“The new level assessment is about to begin. With our current strength, it’s impossible for us to rely on our power to become one of the three-star teams, unless…” The man said as he glanced at Meatball. Yun Feng immediately understood.
“Unless you use some special means, like giving the person who assesses your level a Magic Beast?” Yun Feng lifted Meatball’s neck and swung its chubby body gently. The man smiled with embarrassment after hearing that, while Xiao Ying couldn’t help but shake her head speechlessly.
“There’s nothing else we can do. It’s not easy to catch a Magic Beast, especially a living one! Even if we spend money to buy one, it’ll cost a sky-high price. The mineral vein we have right now is at the lowest level and the amount of ores we can mine is also limited. We can’t afford the Magic Beasts circulating in the market at all…”
For people in this world, being able to have a Magic Beast was the highest glory. All the prestigious senior officials with a high status on the Vast Continent dreamed of owning a Magic Beast, whether it was used as a pet or for riding. With a Magic Beast under their commands next to them, people would think that they were a step closer to that mysterious and noble profession. The world knew that only the mysterious and powerful summoners could tame Magic Beasts!
Although the Magic Beasts that humans had right now were some docile species, there were also some vicious ones. However, these Magic Beasts could never become people’s fighting partners, no exceptions. On the contrary, the Magic Beasts that summoners had were totally different. They used their mysterious techniques to make the Magic Beasts surrender and obey their orders completely. Such a powerful ability was coveted and touted by the world!
“Maybe the examiner of the level assessment already has a Magic Beast?” Yun Feng said. In fact, she found their idea a bit ridiculous. Bribery of the assessor, they were trying to muddle along.
“No! I’ve conducted a detailed investigation. The assessor doesn’t have a Magic Beast. If we can give him one, he’ll not make it too difficult for us for the sake of that Magic Beast!” Xiao Ying said a bit anxiously.
Yun Feng only asked calmly, “How are the levels assessed?”
The tough man glanced at Xiao Ying with a reproachful look, as if he was rebuking her for not giving up. He then smiled at Yun Feng and started explaining to her.
“There are a total of five levels in the level assessment. Each mercenary group picks their elites to form a team to compete with the others. After the first mercenary level assessment, teams rated as three-star groups will be eligible to station on the Shiny Plains. However, there’s a new rule for the next mercenary level assessment. The mercenary groups of different levels can challenge those with a higher level. If they succeed, they’ll gain one more star, while the group being challenged will have one star less. If the challenge fails, both parties won’t be affected. You can also challenge mercenary groups with more than a level higher. As long as you have the strength, you are even allowed to challenge a five-star team.”