"What do you know?! Do you have any idea how many Spirit Crystals the gear on your backs cost? Or the pills I’ve been handing out? None of you realize how expensive it is to keep this house running!" Blood Wolf slammed his hand on the table.

  He got angry just thinking about it.

  This Beast Tide was exactly the opportunity they needed to recoup their losses—even if it was highly likely that the Mana Cores they earned would immediately be handed back to Kael for more supplies...

  "Pass down the order: Assemble! we're heading into the Cloud Mist Forest to hunt monsters immediately!" Blood Wolf downed his rum in one gulp and let out a boisterous laugh.

  "Ho, so it really is a Beast Tide. I thought my gut might be playing tricks on me." Tiger Hunt held a tankard as large as his own head, drinking heavily while scanning the boards in the Mission Hall.

  "Tiger-bro, what’s the plan? You thinking of skipping town?" a nearby mercenary asked.

  Solo mercenaries like Tiger Hunt were common in the Guild. Generally, they chose to leave before a Beast Tide hit. After all, an individual's strength against a tide of monsters was like trying to stop a carriage with a blade of grass.

  "Why? Are you planning to tuck tail and run?" Tiger Hunt gave the man a strange look.

  "Yeah. Historically, every Beast Tide has cost Cloud Mist City dearly. We figure it’s better to get out while we still can." The man shook his head, having zero faith in the city's defenses.

  Because Cloud Mist City was a border town with scarce high-level resources, it rarely attracted true powerhouses. Similarly, the neighboring nations of the Arid Element Empire wouldn't waste their armies trying to march through the treacherous Cloud Mist Forest just to take a backwater town.

  Consequently, the Empire didn't station top-tier guardians here either. Even the city's strongest man, City Lord Qin Ming, was only a Level 50 Class-rank Sword-Warrior.

  This left Cloud Mist City vulnerable. Every thirty years, the walls were half-destroyed and casualties were countless before the tide was barely repelled, followed by a slow, painful reconstruction.

  "How about it, Tiger-bro? If we leave together, we can watch each other's backs on the road," the man urged.

  "No. I’m staying. Why would I walk away from such a perfect opportunity?" Tiger Hunt grinned. He looked toward the city gates with a gaze that was unmistakably filled with excitement.

  The man swallowed hard and backed away cautiously. It was best not to argue with a madman.

  In Tiger Hunt’s mind, he was already imagining how he would dominate the forest once he finally got his hands on that [Dragon-Patterned Greataxe].

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "A Beast Tide... what a godsend."

  "Still talking big as always, Tiger Hunt." An irritating voice cut through his thoughts.

  "Grizzly Bear? Well, look at you. Last I heard, your mercenary group was almost wiped out in the heart of the forest. How did you manage to crawl back?" Tiger Hunt retorted without missing a beat.

  "Hmph. That was a momentary lapse in judgment," Grizzly Bear snorted coldly.

  "A lapse? Then I look forward to seeing how you 'judge' things during the Beast Tide," Tiger Hunt jeered before turning his back and walking out of the hall.

  Technically, at Level 40, Grizzly Bear was among the strongest mercenaries in terms of raw level. He was only stuck at 40 because he hadn't obtained a Class-rank Trial Crystal. However, in terms of actual combat prowess, he was the weakest among the three major mercenary captains and the solo specialist Tiger Hunt.

  Both Blood Wolf and Lan Ye could defeat him without much trouble, let alone Tiger Hunt, whose individual combat ability was legendary.

  That was why Tiger Hunt looked down on him. Yet, Grizzly Bear’s high level acted as a prestigious billboard, allowing him to quickly recruit new blood and keep his mercenary group’s numbers consistently high.

  "Damned bastard... I’ll show you the true power of the Grizzly Bear Mercenaries during this tide," Grizzly Bear muttered darkly, staring at Tiger Hunt’s retreating back.

  It wasn't until morning that the Lan Ye Squad fully finished digesting the permanent attribute-boosting pills. Over breakfast, You Jiu returned from a scouting trip with news of the Beast Tide.

  "The thirty-year Great Beast Tide... what timing," Lan Qing'er said, setting down her bowl and dabbing her mouth with a silk napkin.

  "Mmph... mmmph..."

  Lan Zi'er’s mouth was stuffed with meat. She spoke through a layer of grease, her words so garbled no one could understand her.

  "What are your thoughts?" Lan Ye asked, sipping her porridge.

  "We can stay or leave. For us, the danger isn't that great," Fei Xue said after a moment’s thought.

  "I actually want to try out my new staff! Besides, Kael’s shop still has so many good things," Na Lan Qinqi’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the shop.

  "I agree we should stay. If we stock up on enough pills, it shouldn't be too dangerous," Xiao Ya added. She was still fixated on those pills—after all, they were consumables, and you could never have too many.

  "Fine. Since we’re in agreement, we stay. Let’s head to the forest today to field-test our new weapons," Lan Ye said, glancing at the Storm Spear resting beside her.

  "Mmph! This time I can get Big Brother a different kind of meat!" Lan Zi'er finally swallowed her mouthful and cheered happily.

  Mercenary Guild, Cloud Mist City.

  Mu Qianqiu frowned as he watched the bustling streets. Since the City Lord’s announcement, many shops had shuttered, and a mass of commoners was preparing to flee the city. Even the Mission Hall seemed to be thinning out.

  Except for the City Guard, everyone was looking for a way to save their own skin.

  "Is this really going to work?" Mu Qianqiu couldn't help but ask.

  "Of course it will," Wan Zhongshan replied, his elbows on the desk and his chin resting on his hands. "Our goal wasn't to keep the weak mercenary groups here anyway."

  "As long as the strong ones stay, that’s enough."

  The contribution of weak mercenaries to a Beast Tide was less than that of a single squad of disciplined City Guards. At least the guards followed orders; those arrogant, low-level mercenaries were nothing but a liability if they stayed.

  "Don't worry about the rest. Just make sure the elite squads are out there in the forest, thinning the herd," Wan Zhongshan stretched lazily and leaned back into his seat.

  Kael knew none of this.

  He only cared about running his shop in peace. As the sun began to set, not a single customer had darkened his door.

  "Is the impact of the Beast Tide really this big?" Kael walked out of his shop with his hands behind his back, standing on the silent street.

  About half the shops were closed. He didn't know if they had moved away for good or were just hiding out until the storm passed.