Gun Chapter 54: Aura (Patreon)

The members beside him all nodded in agreement. They were adventurers who had spent years living on the edge of a blade, and they understood better than anyone how dangerous nest-clearing jobs like this could be.

A single goblin wasn’t scary. A dozen could still be handled. But once their numbers reached fifty or sixty, and they formed an encirclement inside a cramped cave, even a Level 3 class-holder would lose a layer of skin getting out.

“Exactly, little brother. Captain Baru is right. This isn’t a job for solo fighting. Goblins are best at ambushes. The cave will be full of traps and narrow branching paths. Once you get surrounded, no matter how skilled you are, you won’t have room to use it.”

“Why not come with our party? We’re short on damage output anyway. The reward split is still what we said before: sixty-forty, you take sixty, we take forty. It’ll be much safer too.”

The surrounding adventurers also began discussing it, most of them advising Wakasha not to show off. After all, in the adventurer circles of a frontier town, clearing a goblin nest alone was something only high-rank class-holders dared to attempt. Even if this fifteen-year-old boy had become a class-holder, he was still far too young and hot-blooded.

Wakasha lifted his eyes slightly, moving his gaze away from the commission notice. He first looked at Kufuku, whose face was full of worry, and asked calmly,

“Does this commission have any requirements besides clearing the nest and killing the goblin chief? For example, rescuing abducted villagers.”

Kufuku froze for a moment, then quickly nodded and pulled out the original commission sheet, handing it to him.

“Yes, there are. The villagers from Rockfall Village said the goblins took seven women and two children. If they can be rescued, the villagers will provide additional compensation. But the guild also stated that rescuing people is not a mandatory requirement. The adventurers’ safety comes first.”

Wakasha took the sheet and quickly scanned its contents. His gaze paused briefly on several key terms: “abandoned mine,” “halfway up Blackstone Mountain,” and “elite goblin chief.”

He had already made his calculations.

An elite monster would advance his Elite Challenge Quest. Killing one would complete one-tenth of the progress and grant a large amount of EXP.

More than fifty goblins, combined with the twenty-times EXP boost from Law of the Jungle LV2, would be enough to raise his skills by a large margin.

More importantly, he needed to complete Bronze-rank commissions and advance to Bronze-rank adventurer so he could access higher floors of the guild, buy more advanced spell manuals, unlock more spells, and bring out the full potential of Deathbird’s Spell Loading.

As for danger?

From the moment he had picked up a weapon and stepped into Chalk Forest, danger had never once left him.

Even in the peaceful era of his previous life, he had understood that wealth and success came through risk. And in this otherworld where the strong devoured the weak, if he wanted to establish himself and become stronger, he could not stay in the safe zone forever, hunting harmless lone goblins and slimes.

He wasn’t being reckless. He had a clear understanding of his own strength.

His Level 1 Demon-Hunting Gunner class, his greatly improved attributes, and his 11 Intelligence and 9 Perception allowed him to predict danger and control the battlefield even in complicated terrain.

His EX-rank Precise Strike, combined with dual Deathbirds, allowed him to land every shot and instantly kill isolated targets.

Solar Sphere’s area explosion damage could easily deal with groups of goblins, while Mage Servants could restrain enemies, protect his flanks, and even scout traps in advance.

He also had Gluttony and Embers for sustain, and Mana Surge for mana recovery. As long as he was not instantly surrounded by over a hundred goblins, he had absolute confidence that he could retreat safely—or even complete the extermination.

“I’ll take this commission.”

Wakasha placed the original commission sheet back on the counter and looked up at Kufuku. His tone was flat, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

The moment he said those words, the entire guild hall fell deathly silent.

Every gaze landed on Wakasha at once. Some were shocked, some disdainful, some incredulous, and some amused, as if waiting to watch a joke unfold.

“Is he insane? This kid’s insane, right? He wants to solo a Bronze-rank goblin nest commission?”

“Did I hear that wrong? Didn’t he only just become a class-holder? Even a Level 1 mage wouldn’t dare clear out a nest of fifty or sixty goblins alone!”

“Young and hot-blooded. He killed a few stray goblins and thinks he’s invincible? Once he gets inside that cave and the goblins surround him, he won’t even have time to cry.”

“The Blazing Sun Party only dared take this with five class-holders, and he wants to take it alone. He really doesn’t know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth.”

The whispers rose again, mostly voices doubting him. Even Baru frowned deeply and said in a heavy voice,

“Little brother, have you thought this through? This isn’t a game. There’s no medicine for regret inside a goblin nest. You know the guild’s rules too. Once you take a commission, failing it will damage your adventurer reputation. And if you die inside, the guild won’t send anyone to collect your body.”

Wakasha nodded slightly and looked at Baru, his tone still calm.

“I’ve thought it through. Thank you for the reminder, Captain Baru. But I’m used to working alone, so I won’t trouble your party.”

Then he turned back to Kufuku and repeated,

“Please help me process this commission.”

Kufuku looked into his firm eyes and opened her mouth, wanting to persuade him again. But what she saw in his gaze was not a momentary burst of reckless passion—it was calm certainty after careful thought.

She bit her lip and finally nodded, though the worry in her emerald eyes grew even stronger.

“O-okay, Mr. Wakasha. I’ll process it for you. But you have to promise me that if you run into danger, you’ll come back immediately. Please don’t push yourself!”

Just then, a middle-aged staff member behind the counter walked over. He was the supervisor of the commission desk, dressed in a crisp uniform, with a professionally stern expression on his face. He stopped Kufuku’s movements, looked at Wakasha, and spoke coldly.

“This adventurer, according to the rules of the Adventurers’ Guild, Bronze-rank commissions require either a party of at least two Level 1 class-holders or a Bronze-rank adventurer or higher to accept them.

You are currently still an unranked adventurer, and you are alone. You do not meet the requirements for accepting this commission. My apologies, but we cannot process this for you.”

As soon as he said that, the surrounding discussion quieted a little, and many people showed expressions that said this was only natural.

Of course. How could the guild allow a brand-new rookie to accept a Bronze-rank commission alone? That would be no different from sending him to his death.

Baru also let out a breath of relief and patted Wakasha’s shoulder.

“See? Even the guild won’t let you take it. You might as well come with us. An extra person means extra strength. That’s better than forcing your way in alone.”

Wakasha’s gaze landed on the supervisor. There was not the slightest hint of panic in him. He simply raised his hand slightly.

The next instant, a condensed class-holder aura spread out from his body. The class fluctuation of a Demon-Hunting Gunner surged like an invisible wave, expanding through the hall in an instant.

That distinctive aura belonging to a class-holder carried a cold killing edge, along with the unique magical fluctuation of a spellcaster. It entered the senses of everyone present with perfect clarity.

It was the aura of a Level 1 class-holder—unbelievably solid, even heavier than that of many Level 2 class-holders. It did not resemble the aura of someone who had only just condensed a rank at all.