While they waited for their food to arrive, Xu Feng successfully befriended Carmen, having added her to his friend list.
Now, aside from Zhao Kai, Xu Feng also had a future expert in his friend list.
He felt gleeful already knowing that he managed to encounter the "Lunar Wraith" here.
'Oh, Kai, it's a good thing you delayed me previously. Otherwise, I would have missed this golden goose.' Xu Feng thought to himself, his expression remaining amicable on the surface.
Sometime later, Xu Feng finally went to the topic after some small talk here and there.
"Anyway, why were you trying to hire a mercenary?" He asked calmly.
Silent, Carmen held a doubtful look as she stared at Xu Feng. "Should I answer your question, Feng?"
"Eh… why do you ask that?"
"Well, you told me earlier to not reveal much information because players are rivals to us."
"Y-Yes, that's true, but I'm not your rival," Xu Feng coughed and corrected.
"We are sitting here because I saw you were troubled and decided to help you out a little bit. Of course, you will help me back when I need you in return."
To be honest, Xu Feng didn't want anything in return for helping her as long as he could get close to her.
However, not saying so would make him look suspicious, which was something he did not want to happen.
Realization dawned upon Carmen when she heard Xu Feng's response. Indeed, it would be extremely weird if Xu Feng didn't want anything in return for helping her.
"As long as it's within my ability and not overboard, I'll try my best to return the favor," Carmen said, a firm and determined expression flashed on her face.
A second later, she began explaining her situation.
"Earlier I mentioned how no one wanted to party up with me after they learned about my lack of skills. So I decided to head to the library in the town to educate myself." Carmen bit her lips softly.
Meanwhile, Xu Feng merely nodded, keeping silent and being a good listener.
"While I was there, I met a librarian and she guided me that I can advance my class further as long as I can provide her with some rare ingredients."
"And I suppose those rare ingredients are dropped by powerful monsters— or monsters that you can't handle in general." Xu Feng helped finish her wording, seeing that she was taking a while.
As for Carmen, she held an amazed expression. "How did you know about that?"
'That's because librarians in the Divine World are half scam and half real.' Xu Feng wanted to say that aloud but refrained from doing so.
On numerous occasions, players usually encountered the scamming librarians and ended up with nothing.
However, those with great luck encountered the librarians who honored their words and ended up gaining a fruitful benefit.
To differentiate between the good and bad?
Unfortunately, even he was helpless in this matter because these librarians are so hard to identify. Nevertheless, that didn't mean he had no idea of who the good ones were, given he was privy to some confidential information back then on the names.
"Did that librarian ever tell you her name?" Xu Feng inquired.
"She didn't, but the system prompt showed me her name listed as Griselda," Carmen responded.
'Librarian Griselda…' Xu Feng failed to recall it, but that didn't mean she wasn't a good one.
After all, quite a lot of selfish players are in the Divine World, and not many of them are foolish enough to reveal or brag about their achievements.
Just look at the previous idiot who bragged about the loophole method in the log-in phase.
Hadn't Xu Feng taken advantage of it and obtained the benefit for himself because of that idiot bragging?
"What kind of powerful monster that Librarian Griselda requested you to take down?" Xu Feng asked in a somewhat relaxing tone.
Based on the way Carmen behaved, he doubted she was even level 3 yet.
So what kind of powerful monster could it be?
Could they be fiercer than the Pyrite Drakes he fought?
"Librarian Griselda requested me to take down a monster called Ironhide Behemoth," Carmen responded frankly.
"Pfft," Xu Feng nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard the type of monster she was requested to take down.
Ironhide Behemoth was a level 13 monster that resided in the danger zone. To give a clearer demonstration, the Pyrite Drakes that Xu Feng fought were only around levels 4-7, with the leader being the highest level.
However, keep in mind that it required a ton of preparation for him to weaken the level 7 leader to be no different than a level 3 monster.
Yet the monster that a beginner like Carmen now was required to take down a level 13 monster when most players hadn't even crossed level 10.
Just what kind of sick person was Librarian Griselda?
No wonder Carmen resorted to coming to the Mercenary Association in hopes of recruiting some strong mercenaries to assist her in the mission.
There were no other options!
At least, that was in her case, and not him. Although it seemed impossible at first glance, Xu Feng would still be able to manage it.
Of course, that was on the premise that he would allow himself to be in such a sticky situation, to begin with.
Meanwhile, Carmen mistook Xu Feng's silence and earlier display of behavior as natural.
She thought he was helpless as well, but she expected such a response already. After all, the party she was in legit dismissed her and even some called her a crazy bitch.
"It's alright, Feng." Carmen smiled gently. "I can manage it myself somehow, so there's no need for you to be troubled by it."
"Who do you take me for?" Unfazed, Xu Feng tapped his fingers repeatedly on the table before flashing a solemn expression.
"I've said I will help you, then I will do it. It's just a level 13 Ironhide Behemoth. Didn't I tell you earlier, I'm quite the expert myself." He added, adjusting his glasses.