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Fang Li never managed to catch up with the girl from the Crimson Demon Clan.
Whether it was due to her tragically low presence or simply his own lack of urgency, the outcome was the same: by the time Fang Li burst out of the Adventurers' Guild, she had already melted into the crowd and vanished without a trace.
Given the circumstances, Fang Li could only let it go.
"Come to think of it, I never intended to get involved with that girl in the first place, right?"
It was just that her sheer pitifulness had drawn his attention. Now that everything had settled down like this… maybe that was for the best?
"Yeah, it's better not to get involved."
That said, the very next day, Fang Li happened to spot a new notice posted on the Guild's bulletin board.
"Looking for teammates. Hoping to find someone who doesn't mind awkward conversations, someone who won't keep their distance even if we meet every day, someone who won't get angry if I can't think of anything to say when our eyes meet. No class or age restrictions."
The moment he read that, Fang Li tore the notice down without hesitation. It wasn't that he intended to join the girl from the Crimson Demon Clan as a party member.
Rather, Fang Li had a gut feeling that if a post like that remained up in a place like this, where novice adventurers and wandering weirdos mingled freely, it would only attract the wrong kind of people.
The wording had an odd tone, almost like a matchmaking ad or someone looking for a boyfriend instead of actual party members.
"…Even if I don't want to get involved, I should at least make sure strange people don't start harassing her."
With that reasoning, Fang Li found himself subconsciously glancing at recruitment notices more often while carrying out his daily quests. During that time, he saw all sorts of bizarre team postings that left him wanting to stunned on the spot.
For example…
"Team members wanted. Currently composed of one Knight and one Thief. Only need, 'a brute with a fetish' (crossed out), one frontline class and two support classes."
Fang Li wasn't the only one who took a wide step away from that notice. Any remotely sane Adventurer gave it a wide berth.
Of course, not all the posts were that outrageous. Some were surprisingly earnest.
"Recruiting Mages and Priests. Currently three members, including one top-tier class. Our goal is to defeat the Demon King Force. Even beginners are welcome, so long as you have passion! Come, save the world with us!"
Sounds serious, right?
But in a city overflowing with low-level Adventurers barely scraping through beginner dungeons, talking about "defeating the Demon King" and "saving the world" only made people roll their eyes. Most thought it was just another delusional rookie's fantasy.
So, nobody bothered to take it seriously, let alone respond.
That is… until rumors spread.
The person who posted it wasn't some clueless newbie. On the contrary, they were a well-known Adventurer from the Royal Capital. They wielded an Artifact said to be bestowed directly by the gods, a weapon rumored to house divine blessings.
What's more, it turned out they were a Hero Candidate summoned from another world. The Royal Capital's Guild held them in high regard, and several noble families were already trying to bring them into their bloodlines through marriage contracts.
In other words, an actual protagonist-level figure.
Once that news broke, it caused a massive stir in town. Many Adventurers instantly regretted not taking that notice seriously… or not tearing it down fast enough to meet this "Hero."
Only Fang Li found his attention drifting to another part of the rumor.
"An Artifact bestowed by the gods, huh…"
If it turns out I don't like the guy…
Well, I'll just take the Artifact for myself.
After that, events in Axel began unfolding one after another without pause.
For instance, not long ago, a thunderous noise like the rumbling of the earth and the trembling of mountains could be heard outside the town on a daily basis. When curious Adventurers rushed out to investigate, they found only massive craters left behind, like the aftermath of some catastrophic high-tier Magic, leaving no trace of the cause.
The destruction caused serious delays in Axel's civil engineering work. With manpower stretched thin, the Guild began recruiting a wave of newly minted novice Adventurers to fill the pits and repair the damaged walls.
On top of that, dangerous monsters had been appearing suddenly in the vicinity, causing quite a stir. However, it seemed they had all been swiftly dealt with by some unknown force.
Fang Li kept tabs on these developments, but since none of them affected his own quests directly, he chose not to get involved and continued with his usual routine.
And so, time passed, peacefully, yet busily. During this period, Fang Li's workaholic tendencies began to resurface. While it couldn't be said that he had completed countless high-difficulty quests, the number was significant enough to draw attention.
However, not everyone was convinced. After all, this was a newly registered Adventurer without an official Class, yet somehow, he was clearing dangerous quests solo. It was hard for most people to believe.
To make things stranger, no one had ever actually seen Fang Li taking on a quest with their own eyes.
Even though the Guild had officially confirmed his achievements, most Adventurers still remained skeptical.
"Probably just some rich kid hiring a bunch of Adventurers to clear the way for him, then showing up to land the final blow for credit."
That was the general sentiment in the Guild. Naturally, Fang Li didn't care about the rumors. As long as he could continue taking quests, nothing else mattered.
One day, Fang Li arrived at the Adventurers' Guild as usual and, out of habit, scanned the bulletin board for any new recruitment notices.
"…Looks like there really haven't been any new postings lately."
That strange flyer from the girl of the Crimson Demon Clan hadn't appeared again either.
"Maybe she's already left this town?"
If she truly was a powerful Mage from that eccentric Clan, then even without a team, she could have easily leveled up and advanced past the Beginner Town stage.
In that case, her departure would make perfect sense.
"My own rank doesn't really fit here anymore either…"
Perhaps it was time to move to a more developed city, take on higher-tier quests, and face stronger foes?
Fang Li began seriously considering that option.
Just then, a brand-new notice caught his eye.
"Now recruiting! Our team currently consists of one super beautiful and excellent Arch Priest and one rude, useless weakest-class Adventurer. Heroes who wish to embark on a thrilling yet heartwarming adventure with our super beautiful and excellent Arch Priest, follow the guidance of the Water Goddess, and join us now!
Requirements: Must be top-tier class (Note: Followers of the Eris Church need not apply)."
"…?"
Is Axel a breeding ground for lunatics?
Every now and then, these kinds of absurd postings popped up on the board. Was this some sort of local tradition?
Still, one particular detail from the notice tugged at Fang Li's thoughts.
"The Goddess of Water, huh…"
That was something hard to ignore.
He stared quietly at the notice, a contemplative look in his eyes. Pieces of this world's lore slowly surfaced in his memory.
(End of Chapter)