Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 858: Chapter 857: The Gap Between Ideals and Reality

Although Fang Zheng agreed to Walnut’s request, strictly speaking, it is a very difficult task. Like everyone else, forming a mercenary group requires Star Pattern certification. Of course, Fang Zheng can’t use his own certification, because he originally formed this mercenary group to secretly gather information. If he used his own Star Pattern certification, wouldn’t that be practically inviting trouble?

But Walnut and Kurumi are both off the grid, and neither of them have Star Pattern certification—this might have been a problem in the past, but now that Kurumi is here, it’s not a problem at all.

Kurumi’s solution was simple and straightforward; she directly activated her Angel ability ”Break Army Songstress,” then walked into the Mercenary Association, telling them ”We don’t have identification, but we want to form a mercenary group. Can you figure out what to do?”

Kurumi’s second Angel ability, ”Break Army Songstress”, once infused with Spiritual Power in her voice, makes ordinary people without Spiritual Power unable to refuse her requests. The result was that the entire Mercenary Association was in chaos, and they actually managed to come up with a solution. It just so happened that a group of one man and two women in the Mercenary Association was confirmed dead with a failed task, and their mercenary group had yet to be disbanded. If Kurumi didn’t mind, she could directly take it over.

As for the name of the mercenary group... just change it slightly.

Kurumi and Walnut had no objections to this. If there was anything a bit strange about it, it was that the group had to use the mercenary plaques of the deceased. Kurumi seemed emotionally stable about it, and Walnut had even less to say—she was originally dead.

”If only I had you back then, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time...”

Seeing how Kurumi effortlessly solved the identity issue, Fang Zheng was speechless. If he had Kurumi’s skills back then, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths, even involving the Sanctuary... well, it’s too late for regret now.

”Well then, next is task assignment... Walnut, it’s up to you.”

”Alright, leave it to me!”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Walnut excitedly patted her chest and scurried off towards the Mercenary Association’s bulletin board. Fang Zheng stood quietly at a distance, silently watching Walnut bounce around the bulletin board.

”Is this really okay? Letting Miss Walnut be the leader?”

At this moment, Kurumi also walked up to Fang Zheng, curiously asking, and Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders.

”What can we do? You don’t want to do it, and I don’t have the time. Since Walnut is willing, let’s just let her do it. But this time I’ll join you on the mission. At least I also want to see if Walnut can adapt...”

Speaking of this, Fang Zheng glanced at Walnut, the corners of his mouth slightly curling up.

”...after all, this is reality, not a game. I believe it won’t be long before she realizes that the game and reality are completely different.”

Just as Fang Zheng had said, it wasn’t long before Walnut returned looking completely dejected—she had her eye on a task exploring ruins. But when Walnut, bubbling with excitement, brought the assignment paper to the association counter, she was informed that they were only low-ranking Bronze Mercenaries, and it was a silver-level assignment. Moreover, it required a mercenary group of no fewer than ten people, so Walnut’s commission was mercilessly rejected.

When Walnut returned to the bulletin board, she found that most of the commissions had been snatched up, leaving only basic tasks such as exterminating sewer cockroaches or banishing goblins... commissions which Walnut found entirely devoid of ”challenge.”

”So, what commission did you accept?”

Seeing Walnut looking utterly dispirited, Fang Zheng merely smiled slightly and asked. Walnut, with a frustrated face, handed over the assignment paper.

”This was the only one left...”

”This is...”

Fang Zheng took it and glanced through it, discovering it was a cleanup task. In brief, there were some poisonous lizards roaming in the marshland outside, attacking quite a few merchant caravans and traders. Therefore, a task was assigned, hoping mercenaries could go and eliminate those poisonous lizards... Hmm, indeed, this is a very unchallenging and tedious job, no wonder Walnut looked so depressed.

”This is the daily life of a mercenary. What did you think, it would be just like in games?”

Fang Zheng chuckled, then handed the assignment paper back to Walnut.

”Well then, let’s go.”

Walnut, after all, was still a high school student. Not long after leaving the city, her spirits lifted, and she began humming a tune as she walked ahead, looking quite relaxed.

”Miss Walnut? You seem to be in a good mood?”

At this moment, Kurumi smiled as she looked at Walnut and asked, and Walnut nodded.

”Of course, I’ve come to terms with it. Isn’t it just like farming daily tasks in a game? I can accept that. And the scenery out here is so nice, we can fight monsters while enjoying the view, like a picnic. Isn’t that fun?”

Hmm...

Hearing this, Fang Zheng silently looked at the back of Walnut, saying nothing.

Not surprising for a spoiled city girl, perhaps she doesn’t know what the so-called ”wild marshland” is... Wonder if she’ll be able to smile when she arrives at the mission location?

In fact, just as Fang Zheng had speculated, when Walnut arrived at the desolate marshland destination, there was no trace of a smile left on her face.

In front of the group was a muddy, dirty marshland, surrounded by just a few solitary, dead trees. The stench and decay greeted them head-on, making it feel like they had arrived at a garbage dump. In the murky swamp waters, partially decomposed animal corpses could be seen...

Among these, some poisonous lizards, a size larger than a crocodile, were leisurely rolling in the mud, looking rather content.

”Alright, my task is done. The rest is up to you two.”

Fang Zheng said he wouldn’t interfere, and he didn’t. He only cast several Level Three defensive spells on Walnut and Kurumi, then decisively retreated to the side to watch the show.

”Ooh...”

Walnut held a shovel, awkwardly glancing at the marshland before her, then at her brand-new leather armor... Ultimately, she gritted her teeth and stepped into the mud with one swift motion.

The next moment, she went ”plop” and sank right down.

”Huh? What’s this? Wait, is this Bottomless Swamp?”

Seeing her body seemingly submerged immediately, Walnut was shocked.

”Sister Kurumi, help me!”

Screaming at Kurumi, Walnut waved frantically. Yet she didn’t notice that those poisonous lizards were drawn to her, turning their gaze. Shortly after, the mud behind Walnut suddenly bubbled, and a poisonous lizard emerged, snapping at Walnut’s head. In the next moment, it dragged Walnut into the depths of Bottomless Swamp, disappearing without a trace.

”...........”

Ebisuzawa Kurumi’s mercenary journey had only begun, and it was already over.