Chapter 21: The Azure Longsword

"Was it delivered so soon?" Nora was astonished.

She had only submitted the application at noon, and in the afternoon, she was notified that she had successfully joined the Life Sect and been added to the internal group. Along with the notification, a local package from the Garden Association arrived, which contained a special brandy brewed from 10 kinds of fruit, three Flowers of Eden Tree, and a yellow crystal ring symbolizing her membership.

What was she waiting for? It was time to start brewing the Magic Potion.

Aske took out the new crucible and poured in the brandy, immediately filling the entire study with a rich fragrance.

Aske scooped out some Corfu Island olive oil and added a spoonful to the brandy. The liquid in the crucible instantly showed distinct layers. He then took out an Eden Fruit, skillfully sliced it in half with a plastic fruit knife, crushed two seeds, and threw them into the crucible.

The fragments of the Eden Fruit seeds passed through the oil layer and fell into the liquor, dissolving quickly. Meanwhile, the oil layer was continuously decreasing in height, while the liquor layer was rising as if a mysterious force was continuously transforming the oil into liquor.

"Who wants to eat this remaining Eden Fruit flesh?" Aske, holding the cut-open fruit that had its seeds removed, asked the spectators nearby.

"Can't we keep it for next time?" Nora raised her hand and asked.

"It's been cut open; the Spirituality will dissipate by tonight," Aske said. "Better to eat it."

Everyone looked at each other. Eden Fruit, a spiritual material, could it really be eaten? Wouldn't it cause some kind of mutation?

Seeing that everyone was hesitant to eat it, Aske took a bite. The flesh wasn't sweet, but it was surprisingly succulent and full of Extraordinary Power. He quickly finished off the whole Eden Fruit in just a few bites.

Eating an Eden Fruit alone posed no problem—aside from satisfying cravings, it also replenished Extraordinary Power. However, before digestion, no other Spiritual Materials could be consumed. If mixed in the stomach, it would turn his body into a crucible for brewing a Magic Potion, inevitably a failed one with dire consequences.

Finally, Aske carefully took a Flower of the Eden Tree and gently placed it on the surface of the liquid. The flower, like a boat that had sprung a leak, gradually sank to the bottom of the liquid, its petals gradually turning from pink to a dazzling pale gold.

Eventually, the flower settled in the liquid, turning the entire pot a pale gold color. Aske poured the Magic Potion into a bottle and handed it to Nora, "Excited?"

"Excited!" Nora exclaimed. She was finally about to become the Transcendent she had always dreamed of, how could she not be excited?

"Then calm down first," Aske took back the Magic Potion, "Being too excited increases the risk of losing control."

"What should I do?" Nora asked with a dismayed face.

"Just sit down and meditate for a while."

So Nora sat down and meditated for about five or six minutes before she opened her eyes and calmly said, "I'm ready."

She took the Magic Potion from Aske, drank it all in one go, chewing and swallowing the flower inside it as well. Immediately, pale gold patterns emerged from her face and neck, carrying a strange and mysterious aura. Her hair suddenly grew visibly, almost dragging on the floor, coiling several times. The beating of her heart within her chest amplified to an audible level, akin to a heavy drum rhythmically struck, causing Eleanor nearby to become anxious, fearing Nora might lose control and die the next second.

Finally regaining normalcy, Nora stood up, her bones crackling loudly.

"It worked," she said.

"How do you feel?" Eleanor asked concernedly.

"I feel..." Nora spoke in a chanting tone, "absolutely wonderful."

She pulled out paper and pen from the pocket over her chest and began to write swiftly, then showed everyone:

A Life I Transcendent can ignore obstacles, sense nearby life forms; control the growth of plants, proliferation of microbes, and cellular differentiation of animal tissues; and assist in healing wounds through physical contact.

This last point truly showcased her value as a "Healer."

"Fantastic," Aske said, "Now we are all on level 1. What everyone needs to do next is to quickly assimilate the Extraordinary Traits corresponding to the Extraordinary Power, and prepare for the second Magic Potion Recipe."

"Eleanor, Crusader route, the next Potion is Perfect Physique X, I have the recipe."

"Nora, Life Singer route, the next Potion is Spirit Body I, I also have the recipe."

"Peggy, Lord of Filth route, the next Potion is Life Stealing I, both recipe and materials are ready, just waiting for assimilation."

"Medea, Purgatory Enchanting Demon route, the next Potion is Desire I, I have the recipe, just lacking materials."

He handed the recipes for Perfect Physique X and Spirit Body I respectively to Eleanor and Nora. The latter, recording the team's Potion progress, suddenly asked:

"Aske, what is your Bloodline route? Do you have the next Magic Potion Recipe?"

"I chose 'Weapon Master,'" Aske replied. "The next Magic Potion is Sharp Weapon I, granting me the ability to use any sharp weapons, such as knives, swords, spears, and daggers. I remember the recipe; currently, just lacking materials."

"Good," Nora nodded, "So the team's immediate priority is actually to quickly assimilate the Magic Potion."

"That's right," Aske stated. "But since we are all on level 1 already, we now essentially possess the combat capabilities. We can first register at the Mercenary Guild and then take some combat missions to practice."

...

In the game, civilian NPC teams are basically divided into two types. One is a Mercenary Group, and the other is an Adventure Group.

The difference lies in the fact that the mercenary group's day-to-day business involved accepting commissions from the guild and earning money by completing tasks; whereas the adventurers' routine involved exploring ruins (running instances), battling extraordinary creatures, and collecting antiques to sell.

If including unofficial organizations not recognized by the authorities, there would also be thief groups, assassin bands, bandits, pirates, and so on—the forms of organizations were extensive. But fundamentally, the ultimate purpose of all groups was to make money.

Teams that didn't make money, even if they were idol groups, couldn't survive.

In the Mysterious Realm, where extraordinary powers existed, teams had an additional ultimate goal: to become stronger. These two aims were not actually in conflict, having money of course could make you stronger, and RMB warriors were the best example. Although becoming stronger might mean becoming poorer in the short term, in the long run, it was still enough to prosper. Didn't you see Aske had earned around 700 pounds just by taking down a level 2 Spiritual Body Sect? How long would it take to make that same amount of money relying solely on his two storefronts?

If it was a player's team, their motives would be even more straightforward — it was all for the thrill. So, everyone generally registered with mercenary groups, and realistically, they did everything, whether running instances or completing tasks.

Having arrived at the Constantinople Mercenary Guild and gone through a tedious application process, Aske had finally obtained the Mercenary Group application form. The first option already had everyone stumped.

Mercenary group name.

"How about the 'Justice Knight Order'?" Eleanor suggested.

"No way!" others quickly refused, such an old-fashioned name would be laughable.

"We should pick a fierce name, something that sounds murderous," said Peggy, "Revenge Alliance?"

"Rejected. It would cause copyright disputes," Aske said.

Peggy: ???

"How about something wild and defiant?" Medea suggested, "Flaming Rose?"

"That's also no good," Aske said, "It's too effeminate."

"What do you mean by 'too effeminate'?" Medea retorted, "Our team has five members and four of them are women, what's wrong with a name that has a sense of beauty?"

"I am the squad leader," Aske said. This was more persuasive than any discussion about whether the name had aesthetic appeal or not.

"Are we all from a planet of naming incapables?" Aske expressed despair.

"Maybe," Nora finally spoke, "we could go for something ordinary. How about, 'The Azure Longsword'?"

"Let's go with that," Aske decided.

"Wait a second, what's so special about 'The Azure Longsword'?" Medea protested, "Azure? Longsword? It's absolutely nonsensical!"

"Cough cough," Nora said somewhat embarrassed, "The name 'The Azure Longsword' came from a legendary novel I read before."

"So, it does have a source, doesn't it?" Aske responded, "Everyone, you could check common mercenary group names; they are basically named after swords, shields, spears. The name is the first impression a mercenary group makes on people. By naming it after a weapon, it clarifies that this group focuses on combat."

"Eleanor's 'Justice Knight Order', no mercenary groups use the name of a knight order nowadays. Knights only serve lords; it would make people think we serve only nobles while the prefix 'Justice' suggests we are choosy, so rejected; Peggy's 'Revenge Alliance' sounds like the name of an assassin group because only those needing revenge would seek assassins, and that name definitely wouldn't pass the guild's approval, rejected; Medea's 'Flaming Rose', flame is symbolic of mages, and do you know what rose symbolizes? Drama, balls, and prostitutes! It would bring all kinds of strange clients, so rejected as well."

"Let's just call it 'The Azure Longsword' then." Having presented a well-reasoned argument, the three ladies could not refute and had to give in.

Thus, The Azure Longsword Mercenary Corps was officially established, and watching his team member list, a thought suddenly occurred to Aske.

Our mercenary group's job ratio is very reasonable. MT, control, DPS, healer, all are available. I not only command but, if necessary, could also take on any role except healer. But...

Are there a bit too many female members? How come it feels like I'm the only guy here? The gender ratio is a bit skewed!

Of course, as Aske, who grew up under the modern civil society, naturally had no discrimination against women.

Especially in games, an NPC's gender is just a trait, and there's no evidence to suggest female NPCs are weaker than male NPCs, otherwise, 'Iron and Fire' wouldn't pass the politically correct standards of Europe and America.

Yep, yep, yep, it must just be a coincidence. I didn't purposely choose female members for my team, it's just that all the suitable people I met just happened to be female NPCs, haha.

Aske reassured himself in his mind, then looking up at the girls, indeed, all had potential as combat talents.

For instance, the golden-haired, spirited beauty Eleanor, steady character, solid battle tactics, very suitable as MT.

Or the young and pretty girl Nora with flaxen short hair, a genuine medical undergrad — who could be a better healer than her?

Then there's the black-haired, pretty Peggy, with braids hanging from both sides of her head, following the Blood Clan path, her combat abilities ranked among the top in her rank, not using her as an agility DPS would be a waste.

And the alluring lady Medea with wine-red hair, an Enchanting Demon Magician, could we really find another Mind Mage in Constantinople? Maybe they exist, but I don't know any!

So, I didn't specifically choose female NPCs, it's just that they are the most fitting candidates for my team's character roles, everything is the choice of fate!

Aske looked over these four ladies, varying in race, age, profession, and even hair color, suddenly feeling a bit guilty again.

Why does it seem they are all beautiful NPCs? Could this also be a coincidence?

Confounded by Aske's scrutinizing gaze, everyone showed a puzzled expression.

Ladies: ???