Chapter 40: Commission Mission, A Rivalry Between Two Elite Squads!

In the eastern part of Starshine City lies the Death Cavern, a Level 19 wild zone. Outside the gaping, pitch-black entrance—which resembles the maw of a beast—a group of players had gathered.

These players were roughly divided into two factions. On the left, every player’s ID was prefixed with [Godslayer]. On the right, the IDs were prefixed with [Heavenly Profound]. Each side boasted over a dozen players, led respectively by the Level 19 Assassin, [Godslayer, Moon], and the Level 13 Mage, [Light Beauty]. The two sides stood at a tense standoff, the air thick with the scent of impending conflict.

Sandwiched between them was a stout, gaudily dressed man radiating the aura of wealth. He was clearly a man of means, a Level 16 Priest named [Niu Dehua]. The situation was at a complete stalemate.

Trapped in the middle, Niu Dehua was growing impatient. "Look, can you two just say something? Can we fight or not? Give me a solution!" he exclaimed. "Did I pay you to come here and act like fighting roosters?"

No sooner had Niu Dehua finished speaking than Godslayer, Moon and Light Beauty turned to look at him in unison, shouting, "Shut up!"

Having snapped at him, the two women returned to glaring at each other, their eyes filled with enough venom to tear one another apart. Niu Dehua dared not make another sound, terrified that one more word would cause him to be incinerated by the sparks flying between their gazes.

Finally, Godslayer, Moon broke the deadlock. Arms crossed, she mocked Light Beauty, "If your Heavenly Profound faction isn't up to the task, just withdraw now. Don't waste time here; leave it to us in Godslayer."

Light Beauty placed her hands on her hips and scoffed, "The hour isn't up yet. What’s the rush?"

"Fine," Godslayer, Moon said, checking the time with a faint, indifferent smile. "Then we shall wait. I’d like to see what kind of trick you can pull off."

Just then, a figure emerged from the darkness and approached. Upon seeing Lu Ming arrive, both Godslayer, Moon and Light Beauty couldn't help but feel a surge of relief.

Lu Ming merely glanced at Godslayer, Moon before walking over to the Heavenly Profound side and asking Light Beauty, "What’s the situation?"

Light Beauty explained, "We took a contract to help him kill a boss, but this map has restrictions: no players above Level 19 can enter, and a party is limited to five people." Lowering her voice, she added with a hint of embarrassment, "We’ve tried twice and failed. My level is just too low... I had no choice but to trouble you."

"The real issue is that the Godslayer people are here, too. We have to succeed this time. If they get hold of this failure, they’ll definitely exaggerate it online to smear our reputation and claim Heavenly Profound is useless."

Lu Ming understood. In this game, guilds were essentially large-scale professional studios. Their purpose was to help casual players with high-difficulty tasks, kill bosses they couldn't handle, and run dungeons in exchange for commissions.

Lu Ming immediately turned to their client, Niu Dehua, and said, "Form a party and bring me in."

Niu Dehua looked Lu Ming up and down with deep suspicion. "Wait, you’re a Level 15 Divination Trickster? That’s a gutter-tier class, and your level is even lower than mine..." He gestured to the cavern. "There’s a Bronze-grade boss in there. How is a support player supposed to help me kill it?"

Before Lu Ming could respond, Light Beauty stepped forward. With total faith in him, she guaranteed, "If he can't help you clear the boss, our Heavenly Profound faction will refund your commission tenfold!"

The statement drew jeers from the Godslayer players. "We waited all this time thinking they’d bring in some top-tier master, and this is what we get?"

"Where do they get the confidence to think a Level 15 Divination Trickster can kill a Level 19 Bronze boss?"

"Looks like Heavenly Profound is truly finished."

Just as the Godslayer players, who were clearly seeing Lu Ming for the first time, began their mockery, Godslayer, Moon turned and swept them with a chilling gaze. "Shut your mouths!"

The Godslayer players went silent instantly. Turning back to Lu Ming, Godslayer, Moon said, "Nether, let’s make a deal. As long as you don't intervene tonight, I will give you one million, regardless of whether Heavenly Profound succeeds or not."

The Godslayer players were stunned. "Why does the boss trust that Divination Trickster so much?"

"Yeah! Paying a million just to keep him from acting? Damn! Can that guy really kill a Level 19 Bronze boss?"

Godslayer, Moon crossed her arms, tapping her shoulder with an index finger as she watched Lu Ming. Her cold, beautiful eyes shone with absolute confidence. She seemed certain that Lu Ming could not possibly refuse her offer.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Profound players were shocked. "That crazy woman has lost it!"

"One million? Damn, the commission for this task is only fifty thousand! What on earth is she trying to do?"

Heavenly Profound, Eternal, standing beside Light Beauty, stared at Godslayer, Moon with burning intensity. He realized she was trying to poach their talent. "Do you think you’re the only ones with money?"

He was about to step forward and match her offer by promising Lu Ming two million! He knew how much potential Lu Ming possessed. Any player with five-star aptitude could easily command a monthly salary of over a million from any major guild. If such talent were exposed, top-three national guilds would snap them up immediately, leaving no chance for others. If he could keep Lu Ming in Heavenly Profound, he wouldn't hesitate for a second to spend two million.

However, his sister, Light Beauty, reached out and stopped him. Before he could ask why, he saw that Lu Ming had already applied to join Niu Dehua’s party and had entered the Death Cavern.

Niu Dehua didn't actually believe Lu Ming could kill the boss. He was a man who could afford a fifty-thousand-credit commission; he wasn't hurting for cash. His plan was simple: if they failed, he would collect the tenfold compensation of five hundred thousand. He could then take one hundred thousand of that and hire a top-three professional team to clear the boss for him. That way, he would get a free boss kill and walk away with a four-hundred-thousand-credit profit! Why wouldn't he do it?

Meanwhile, having been completely ignored by Lu Ming, Godslayer, Moon’s confident expression soured. She didn't understand. "When I offered ten times the price for his Soul Stone before, he looked like a man obsessed with money! Why isn't he interested in a million right in front of him?"

"Why?"

As she puzzled over where she had gone wrong, Light Beauty smiled at her. "Do you think everyone is as bottomless as you are?"

"Don't celebrate too soon!" Godslayer, Moon retorted in frustration. "That’s a Bronze-grade boss! Nether might not be able to kill it alone!"

No sooner had she spoken than the ground began to shake violently, followed by a mournful howl from within the cavern. A moment later, a map-wide announcement rang out:

[Ding! The Death Cavern map boss, Death Ruler Vilia, has been slain!]