Chapter 191: The Dark Underbelly


    The tasks posted by the Mercenary Guild are divided into several levels, calculated according to the difficulty of task execution, ranging from high to low in five different levels: S, A, B, C, and D.


    S-level tasks are the most difficult, followed by A, B, C, and D respectively.


    Newly established mercenary groups cannot directly undertake high-difficulty tasks. They must start with the simplest tasks and gradually accumulate the level and reputation of the mercenary group.


    Each mercenary group also has different levels of differentiation. The representation of their levels is the same as the difficulty of tasks, divided into five different levels: S, A, B, C, and D mercenary groups.


    The exceptionally large hall within the Mercenary Guild is divided into four directions, with countless huge task boards hanging on each wall.


    For example, the east wall is where A-level tasks are posted and accepted. All the tasks listed in the task boards there belong to high-difficulty A-level tasks.


    The other walls are the same.


    As for the place where S-level tasks are accepted and posted, it is set in another location. Generally, mercenary groups with insufficient level are unable to enter.


    To upgrade the level of a mercenary group, it is necessary to rely on completing tasks to improve.


    Han Ming''s newly formed Demon Hunt Mercenary Group is currently a D-level mercenary group, the lowest level, and the tasks they can undertake correspondingly are only D-level.


    Each mercenary group can be promoted by one level after completing ten corresponding tasks.


    This may seem easy, but it is not.


    It is relatively fast to upgrade at the beginning, but once a mercenary group reaches B-level, it means that it must undertake and complete ten B-level tasks to successfully advance to an A-level mercenary group. And at this time, no matter how many low-level tasks you complete, it will not increase the level of the mercenary group.


    B-level tasks are already considered high-level tasks. Usually, an ordinary B-level mercenary group takes months to complete one B-level task, and it may take half a year or even a year. As for A-level and S-level tasks, they are even more difficult. The completion of an A-level task usually takes one to several years.


    As for the highest difficulty S-level task, its difficulty is simply unbelievable.


    It is said that since the establishment of the Mercenary Guild, the total number of S-level tasks posted has not exceeded ten, and most of them have not been completed. Usually, after an S-level mercenary group undertakes an S-level task, in order to complete the task, they often cause the entire mercenary group to be wiped out during the execution of the task, completely disappearing from the world.


    Han Ming and his party discussed briefly and unanimously decided to split up and act.


    After all, they didn''t have much time. If they wanted to improve the level of the mercenary group as soon as possible, they had to rely on continuously completing tasks to upgrade.


    And only when your mercenary group has a higher level can you have the right to purchase more valuable information.


    Han Ming and his party entered a small door on one side of the hall, which led to a small restaurant. It was considered small relative to the vastness of the Mercenary Guild.


    At this moment, it was already filled with a dark crowd.


    The group casually found a table that was already half occupied and shared it with others.


    While eating and chatting, Han Ming learned that recently there had been an increase in tasks above B-level related to demon soldiers. Hearing this news, Han Ming finally confirmed his own thoughts that the country indeed had issued tasks to the Mercenary Guild.


    During the conversation, a burly man told Han Ming that among S-level tasks, there was one task to find the War God Ruins. To date, no one had completed it. The reason was not that no one had ever found the War God Ruins, but that the War God Ruins were very mysterious. As a tomb, it often changed its location. When you found it and came back to hand in the task, the staff verifying the task went there and did not find any trace of the War God Ruins, so it was treated as a task failure. A penalty of 30% of the bounty would be deducted.


    That is to say, if someone offered a bounty of ten thousand gold coins for a task, you accepted it and went to complete the task. At this time, the ten thousand gold coins were not in your hands, but were held by the Mercenary Guild as an intermediary and placed within the guild. After you completed the task, the Mercenary Guild would give you the ten thousand gold coins.


    If you failed to complete the task, you would have to pay a fine of three thousand three hundred and thirty-three gold coins, which would be split equally between the Mercenary Guild and the person who issued the task.


    Han Ming keenly felt that this kind of reward and punishment system was essentially a means and approach to stimulate others to issue tasks.


    Due to the existence of the punishment system, many task issuers could still get a considerable amount of compensation after the failure of a mercenary group''s task, so naturally, the number of task issuers increased significantly.


    With more tasks, mercenary groups had work to do. With work to do, a large number of people were attracted to join the ranks of mercenaries.


    But everything often has two sides, with advantages and disadvantages.


    It was precisely because of the existence of the punishment system that a small number of people with ulterior motives deliberately issued high-difficulty tasks that were difficult to undertake. Even worse, some people deliberately issued tasks that seemed not difficult, but when the mercenary group executed the task, the initiator of the task would deliberately sabotage it, making it difficult for the mercenary group to complete the task and ultimately obtaining a very considerable amount of compensation.


    The occurrence of this situation could not be completely eliminated by the current strength of the Mercenary Guild. As the saying goes, every industry has its relatively dark side.


    Han Ming, who had never had direct contact with mercenary groups before, never thought that there were so many amazing situations within the mercenary group. These unheard-of pieces of information also made Han Ming start to develop a slight interest in this special industry of the mercenary group.


    After everyone finished eating, they came to the Mercenary Hall.


    Sarsoor whispered to the group, "What that person said is actually not the darkest part yet."


    Quik asked curiously upon hearing this, "Isn''t this dark enough?"


    Sarsoor nodded and said, "Actually, there are many unwritten rules within the mercenary group. For example, some large mercenary groups would monopolize some small or medium-sized tasks and not let go. They deliberately did not complete the tasks. Each task accepted by a mercenary group has a corresponding completion deadline. After exceeding this deadline, it is considered a task failure. And these small fines are insignificant to them. Moreover, each large mercenary group would secretly establish many small mercenary groups, which are specifically used to accept tasks. When the small and medium-sized tasks they monopolize fail, they use these private small mercenary groups to accept the tasks again, changing the mercenary group each time."


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    Han Ming, Sorrow Sparrow, and the others nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.


    Quik''s brain turned a bit slowly, and he didn''t quite understand some of the details, asking curiously, "Why do they do this?"


    Sarsoor chuckled and said, "They take on all the relatively easy tasks, which means that some small mercenary groups have no tasks to accept. Although there are so many tasks here that you can''t even count them all, there are also a lot of large mercenary groups. If you, as a small mercenary group, don''t want to complete those time-consuming small tasks, you have to buy them from the large mercenary groups. After completing the purchased tasks, the bounty is divided and distributed with the large mercenary group according to a previously agreed ratio."


    Upon hearing this, Quik immediately got angry and cursed, "Damn it! Is there still any justice in this? In this way, aren''t small mercenary groups just squeezed in a tight spot? The bounty they''ve earned with their lives also has to be shared with others. If it were me, I would definitely not share with them. Besides, anyone has the right to accept tasks, so it''s not necessarily that they will get them first."


    Saying this, the group came to the north wall where D-level tasks were posted. While looking for suitable tasks, they continued chatting.


    Sarsoor continued to explain to everyone, "What Quik just said involves an even darker aspect, which is exclusion! Large mercenary groups would assign their subordinates to wait in the Mercenary Hall. Their sole responsibility is to quickly find those easy-to-complete tasks with relatively considerable bounties and accept them first. As Quik said, sometimes, some small mercenary groups might really be fearless and accidentally pick up a few good tasks. At this time, someone will come to you to discuss the price. What would you do if you were Quik?"


    Quik curled his lips and said carelessly, "I couldn''t care less about them. Money? None! If they piss me off, I''ll break them!"


    Sarsoor had anticipated Quik''s response and smiled, "Indeed, many people do this. But afterwards, your days will probably not be easy. The task may seem easy and the bounty is good, and you boldly drove away those who came to discuss the price. But on your way to complete the task, people will come to cause trouble for you. They will deliberately set up layers of obstacles for you, and sometimes even several large mercenary groups will join forces to set barriers for you, causing your task to fail. Once you fail the task, you naturally have to pay the penalty. Then what? You will definitely continue to accept tasks, and by then, they will have already targeted you. No matter what task you accept, they will send someone to cause trouble for you, making every task you receive fail, continuously paying compensation. People die, you don''t earn a cent but end up in the red, continuously losing money until your mercenary group can no longer sustain and disbands."


    Upon hearing this, Quik''s anger surged.


    "Damn it!! There''s such bullying!? Does the Mercenary Guild not care?"


    At this moment, Han Ming had already chosen two tasks, and Sorrow Sparrow and Gamory had also found their tasks.


    Sarsoor shook his head and said, "It''s not that they don''t care, but they can''t do anything about it. Because it''s very difficult to get evidence. There is a very difficult-to-distinguish boundary here. For example, if I cause trouble for you while you''re completing a task, and if you''re so angry that you report me to the Mercenary Guild, I will say that I don''t like you and it''s purely personal enmity. How can the Mercenary Guild interfere? Or even, I can say that I''m completing my own task, and one of the steps requires me to deal with you. How can the Mercenary Guild interfere? Even if my task has nothing to do with yours, I can just claim that my method of completing the task is very special and there''s no need to explain to the guild why I did it. Because the methods used by each mercenary team to complete tasks are protected, they are trade secrets and will not be disclosed to outsiders. So, it''s impossible to truly verify if I really deliberately sabotaged your task. Understand?"


    "Damn it!! It''s really damn dark!!!"


    Quik was completely speechless.


    He never thought that the mercenary group, which he always thought was a very simple profession, was actually so complicated. Others issue tasks, you accept and complete them, and get the bounty. All you need to pay is blood and life.


    It''s a profession that fights with human lives.


    But he never imagined that behind this fight with blood and lives, there were so many little-known dark sides.


    Quik''s heart gradually began to sigh for those mercenary groups he had seen in the past. It seems that everyone''s life is not easy.


    Even if you want to exchange your life for money, it''s not that easy.


    "I''ve chosen my task, what about you, Quik?" Sarsoor asked.


    Quik scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "I was just listening to your explanation and got so engrossed that I forgot to look for a task. Hehe..."


    "You!"


    Han Ming smiled and patted Quik on the shoulder, "Every industry has its difficulties. You should have thought of this earlier. But it doesn''t matter, with our strength, we don''t have to be too afraid of those large mercenary groups. If necessary, we''ll just fight them!!"


    Upon hearing this, Quik laughed heartily, "Good! Good!! Han Ming, I really didn''t misjudge you! You''re really to my liking! I just like this about you!"


    Everyone nodded and smiled silently.


    At this moment, everyone also thought that there was indeed a kind of magical aura about Han Ming that could unconsciously attract people to gather around him. Whether it was the simple-minded and straightforward Quik or the extremely opposite Sorrow Sparrow, who came from a noble background and was cautious in his actions, weren''t they all attracted by Han Ming?


    Only someone like Han Ming could gather these four individuals with completely different backgrounds and personalities.


    Han Ming had a strong liking for this simpleton Quik. He felt that Quik was quite similar to Li Chengfeng, except that Quik was straightforward and blunt, never beating around the bush in his actions and speech, always doing things according to his own preferences.


    Although Li Chengfeng was also bold and unconstrained, he was more perceptive than Quik. No matter how small the matter was, it couldn''t escape his eyes. He seemed to have everything under control, giving off the impression of being the only sober one amidst a crowd of drunkards.