Free Web NovelChapter 20: First Mission Taken
Moon reached into his pocket and handed Shen ten Spirit Stones.
"This should be enough."
His finger pointed toward the most expensive service listed on the board as he spoke indifferently.
"Y-Yes, yes..." Shen repeatedly nodded his head without even checking the amount.
His entire body still felt cold from the earlier pressure.
’Terrifying...’
That was the only thought left in his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Shen forcefully pushed those thoughts aside and called out toward Darius.
"Pavilion Master, I wish to become a member and rent the Advanced Cultivation Room. Please assist me."
Hearing those words, Darius inwardly sighed in relief.
Ever since receiving the mission yesterday, he had been worried that nobody strong enough would appear to accept it before the Demon Suppression Office took action themselves.
Fortunately...
That girl truly had a useful older brother.
Darius calmly walked back toward the receptionist desk before smiling lightly.
"Please, have a seat."
He gestured toward the chair opposite him.
Shen slightly raised an eyebrow.
’It seems he treats actual customers differently.’
Thinking this, Shen relaxed somewhat before sitting down. His red eyes continuously scanned the Pavilion surroundings.
Darius clasped his hands together.
"Shen, you seem nervous. Relax a little. Didn’t your sister explain how simple the process is?"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Anyway, I’ll need some basic information. Full name, cultivation realm, age, and a few other details."
Shen finally focused his gaze entirely on Darius.
"Ask whatever you need."
He hesitated for a brief second before adding:
"My name is Shen... Shen Firetouch."
"Very well then, Shen."
Darius nodded calmly.
"Welcome to the Immortal Pavilion. As you already know, my name is Darius, owner of this Pavilion."
He leaned slightly backward in his chair.
"Since you intend to become a member, please state your exact cultivation realm and—"
Suddenly, Shen interrupted him.
"What my sister said yesterday... was it true?"
His expression became serious.
"If I complete a mission from this Pavilion, can I truly extend my access to the cultivation room for six days instead of only three?"
Then, after hesitating briefly, Shen asked the question he truly cared about.
"And... does the same rule apply to the Advanced Cultivation Room as well?"
"Correct."
Darius nodded without hesitation.
"As long as you become a member and successfully complete a mission, your access privileges can be extended. Naturally, you’ll also receive the corresponding reward afterward."
Hearing this confirmation, Shen’s heartbeat quickened.
Only now had he properly noticed the mission reward displayed on the board.
Thirty-five Spirit Stones.
Six thousand Gold Coins.
Even for someone from a merchant family, that amount was far from small.
Although Shen’s father possessed considerable wealth in terms of gold, their business had steadily declined over the years due to Luke’s suppression.
Spirit Stones, especially, remained extremely difficult for their family to acquire.
Thus, after quickly answering Darius’s earlier questions, Shen immediately asked the matter most important to him.
"Pavilion Master Darius..."
He rubbed his sharp chin thoughtfully.
"Could you elaborate further about the mission itself? Also... if I complete it successfully, will the reward fully belong to me?"
Although Shen appeared eager, he wasn’t foolish.
The target was a demon capable of infiltrating the human race and operating within Dragon City itself.
Such an existence definitely wasn’t acting alone.
There was undoubtedly a dangerous force backing it from the shadows.
Darius chuckled softly.
He had already anticipated this concern.
"Rest assured."
Leaning slightly forward, Darius calmly spoke.
"Your backing... is me."
Then he casually added:
"As for the reward, you will receive ninety-five percent. The remaining five percent belongs to the Pavilion."
Shen inwardly frowned slightly.
Although Darius appeared mysterious, Shen still couldn’t determine whether he truly possessed the ability to protect members against the forces behind a demon of the Tiger Demon Race.
Even Moon subtly narrowed his eyes at the side.
However, his thoughts differed entirely from Shen’s.
He didn’t particularly care whether Shen lived or died.
Instead...
What interested him was the fact that Darius only kept five percent of the reward.
’Interesting...’
At that moment, Darius suddenly spoke again.
"Listen carefully, Shen."
His tone became much more serious.
"The moment you become a member of the Immortal Pavilion, you fall under the Pavilion’s protection."
He leaned backward in his chair before continuing calmly.
"Inside or outside this Pavilion, if someone dares target one of my members, then it means they are targeting the entire Pavilion itself."
Then Darius casually glanced toward Moon.
His previously lazy demeanor suddenly vanished, replaced by a cold intensity.
"Believe me when I say this..."
"Even the Demon Suppression Office cannot stop me if I truly decide to interfere in a matter."
Hiss...
Shen immediately sucked in a cold breath.
Meanwhile...
"Nonsense!"
Moon abruptly stood up.
His aura exploded outward instinctively—
Only to freeze completely the next instant.
A hand had suddenly appeared on his shoulder.
Moon’s pupils contracted violently.
"Friend."
A calm voice sounded beside his ear.
"You became slightly too excited. Relax, I mean no harm."
The figure vanished immediately afterward.
As though nothing had happened.
Darius calmly sat back down on his chair once more.
Indeed—
The moment Moon released his aura, Darius had instantly used one of the system’s authority cards to suppress him completely before casually returning to his seat.
’This power...’
Even Darius himself felt inwardly shocked.
Moon’s pressure had no effect on him within the Pavilion, yet the moment he activated the system’s power, he genuinely felt capable of killing both Shen and Moon effortlessly if he desired.
Although he already suspected the system’s authority inside the Pavilion was absurdly powerful...
He had not expected it to be this overwhelming.
At this moment, Darius felt extremely satisfied with his decision to reveal a fraction of his strength. freewebnøvel.com
’System, you can’t criticize my acting this time, right?’
Suppressing his inward grin, Darius calmly shifted his gaze back toward Shen.
Meanwhile, Shen’s entire body trembled slightly.
He had not even clearly seen what happened.
All he knew was this:
Moon released his aura...
And in the very next moment, he looked as though death itself had grabbed his throat.
Cold sweat dripped down Shen’s forehead as he stared toward Darius with shock and fear.
’Did he intentionally reveal this strength to reassure me about the Pavilion’s backing?’
