Versatile Mage

[Recruiting: Pharmacists needed to solve Fengyi Centipede’s venom issue at Mingwu Ancient City.]

“Well, I can’t choose this because I don’t know anything about pharmacology,” mumbled Mo Fan.

[Recruiting: Pathfinder for route planning. Best at luring the ruthless demons away. Veteran scouts are preferred.]

Mo Fan stroked his chin and considered the job posting. On second thoughts, he had no sense of direction. So, he could not choose this either.

[Recruiting: Water Element mage. The mage has to be at the Super Level for at least two elements. Those who are interested may schedule an interview. Commissions will be paid first.]

“Seriously? I’ve worked very hard to get here. Why don’t they give me a chance?” muttered Mo Fan. He was at a loss. Most recruitments were for those with special and specific talents. He was a combatant but it did not seem to put him in any advantageous positions.

He wondered if most mages here were combat mages, otherwise it would have been super difficult to open up a wasteland for trade. Mo Fan read the messages on the screen only to find out that he didn’t meet the requirements and had a very difficult time getting a job despite being a famous Super Level powerful mage.

“Forget it,” he muttered. “Instead of looking for others, might as well let them come and find me.”

…

The square was very crowded. Most of the people were in groups.Some were having a great time. They often chatted leisurely among themselves. But everyone paid attention to the notification and messages on the screen in the center of the square.

Most hunters and mercenaries preferred lucrative jobs. But these jobs were gone very soon. The employers rarely cared about selecting a good team. The hunters would be well-prepared after all.

Some bounties were distributed to other groups because there were so many of them. A person was even assigned to take charge of acquiring information from these groups. Not every hunter and group had the financial resources to assign such a person. So, they went to Hunter Hall to get the jobs. Usually for one-time service they went to the Hunter Hall to hire female hunters who were rather good at finding things.

[The most powerful combat mage in the fortress. Seeking a team to head to Mingwu Ancient City in order to gain a deeper understanding about the city…]

“Wow! Look at this fledgling idiot! Even if he wants to bluff, how could he claim to be the most powerful combat mage? Who published the message? I want to challenge him!”

“How dare he say such a thing? He’s truly an idiot. It’s a miracle that he can find a team.” A tanned man with sunglasses snorted.

“Big Brother, we lack a fighter in our team. That man seemed to be quite strong. Shall we ask him to join us?”

“Are you stupid? There’s a good chance he won’t be able to find a team at all. He’s unwanted. That’s why he used such lame marketing strategy to market himself.”

“That makes sense…”

…

Mo Fan sat on a long bench. He looked solemn. As an expert, he had to look the part. He could not be seen to cross his legs and smoke a cigarette casually. He noticed mages who were women from the corner of his eyes.

Mo Fan was the one who published the message about being the most powerful mage in the fortress. He had kept himself humble by claiming to be the most powerful mage in the fortress. He was, in fact, the most powerful man in the Flying Bird Base City. A Forbidden Mage was bound by magic convention. As a mage below the level of Forbidden Curse, Mo Fan believed not many could defeat him. Even if there were people who could defeat him, he would not let it be an easy fight.

‘That’s weird. I’ve sent out the message, but none have approached me yet,’ thought Mo Fan looking up at the screen.

He waited for a while longer. Nobody came. He wondered if the people in this fortress were idiots. He had offered his aid at a cheap rate, still no one had come to group up with him.

“Big Sister Ying, we’ve been in the fortress for some days now. Why aren’t we starting our journey yet? The lightning rainbow will appear tomorrow morning. It’s a rare chance to miss,” said a girl of sixteen or seventeen.

The young girl was a few miles away from Mo Fan. He could smell the flowery fragrance wafting through the air.

“Don’t act recklessly. Our mentor warned us to prioritize our safety. Before we find a strong hunter union to be our guardian, we cannot enter Mingwu Ancient City.” The woman who had been addressed as Big Sister Ying was equally young. She was beautiful and elegant. However, she pretended as if she had more experience about the ways of the world.

Although Mo Fan was not particularly observant, he guessed that Big Sister Ying, too, did not often venture outside the fortress. She pretended to act coolly and kept her distance from strangers.

“But we can’t possibly find a hunter union composed entirely of ladies. If we continue to stay, I don’t think we’ll be leaving for another month.” The young girl pouted her lips sulkily.

“Alternatively, we can look for a powerful independent female hunter. Our mentor cautioned us to look for only a female as our guardian.”

“Ha… That’s annoying. This is not our first time traveling. We are able to discern between a good and a bad person.”

“Then tell me, who are the good and the bad people in this square?” Big Sister Ying asked impatiently.

The young girl’s eyes lit up. She immediately pointed at a man with a scar on his face approaching from a mile away. “He’s a bad guy. Look at his scar, he looks fierce and wicked!”

The young girl saw a gentleman. A young man of fair face. He was handsome and had long, unruly hair. However, it was neat. He wore a standard huntsman uniform and exuded an aristocratic aura.

“Look, he has to be a good man,” said the young girl. She blushed and looked at the young man.

Big Sister Ying was angry. She raised her hand and struck the young girl across her forehead with a flick of her fingers. “You are hopeless!”

Mo Fan had been observing the two young women. Their attire was the same as the woman he had met before at the temple. It made him curious.

The two ladies wore colorful head scarves and delicate conical hats. Their cheeks were covered by draping headscarves, thus revealing only their eyes, lips, and noses. It was difficult to see them clearly. He realized that they might have dressed in such a way to avoid creepy men.

Men acted like creeps almost all the time. They made women the subject of their dirty fantasies if they showed a little skin. But sometimes, despicable men became titillated even when they were covered with headscarves and conical hats.