Chapter 96

Two burly men who had intended to cause trouble looked at the many helpers standing behind the middle-aged man and their faces turned sour. They glared at the middle-aged man and had no choice but to slink away from the tavern.

The middle-aged man, who carried a long spear, looked at Gao Deng and said, "If you don’t mind, why don’t you sit with us? I know it’s not easy to be alone, especially for a young man who doesn’t look very intimidating."

"Your generosity and kindness are worthy of the gods' praise," Gao Deng nodded to the middle-aged man and accepted his offer, sitting down with his companions.

After a round of introductions, Gao Deng learned the middle-aged man’s name: Ronald. He was a Level 6 Warrior and the leader of the small adventuring team called "Lucky Coins." The team included Ronald himself, a Dwarf Shield Guardian named Grago Shortbeard, a Halfling Rogue nicknamed "Sour Pear" who didn’t reveal his real name, a young and handsome Bard, a Priest of the God of Freedom and Adventure, Elandra, and a Ranger.

The team’s average level was around Level 5, with a well-balanced mix of professions. From the behavior of the team members, it was clear they were not inexperienced rookies but had a certain amount of adventuring experience.

For Gao Deng, this adventuring team was just right. Not only did they have good strength, but from Ronald’s willingness to stand up for him, a stranger, it was evident that the captain had good character and could be trusted.

"Captain, the evil mist at the eastern gate of the Danzhe Ruins is expected to dissipate by tomorrow afternoon, which is the best time to enter. If we miss this opportunity, we might have to wait until next year," said Elandra’s Priest, Cynthia. She wore silver chainmail and a priest’s robe with a traveler’s backpack pattern, with a mace and a vulture-shaped shield casually leaning against the table leg. However, in case of an emergency, she could immediately grab her weapons and join the battle.

Ronald glanced at Cynthia. This beautiful priest with rare light blue hair had considerable influence. The female Ranger, Elly, always stood on her side whenever there was a dispute in the team. And because she could heal with divine magic, the Dwarf Shield Guardian, who always charged forward, also respected her greatly.

Ronald had to carefully consider the priest’s opinion. He thought for a moment and said, "I know tomorrow afternoon is a good time to enter the ruins, but our preparations for ‘Lucky Coins’ are not yet sufficient."

"We need a Mage," the voice of the Halfling Rogue, Sour Pear, came from under the table.

Everyone wore solemn expressions—except for the Bard.

This handsome man with silver hair, named Gregor, strummed his mandolin and said nonchalantly, "With me and Cynthia here, why do we need a Mage? I think my music and Cynthia’s divine magic are more useful than the Mage’s boring spells. Have you forgotten how our previous Mage died?"

The evil mist in the Danzhe Ruins not only confused the mind but also interfered with the connection between the magic network and spellcasters, significantly reducing the success rate of a Mage’s spells.

During the last adventure in the Danzhe Ruins, the Mage of the Lucky Coins team, due to the interference of the evil mist, made a mistake while casting a drowning spell and ended up drowning himself.

Although all spellcasters—whether using divine or arcane magic—were affected by the evil mist in the Danzhe Ruins to some extent, Mages were the most affected.

The accidental death of the Mage during the last adventure caused the Lucky Coins team to return without success. Therefore, they needed to be cautious this time before entering the Danzhe Ruins again.

Ronald said, "Gregor, your songs and Cynthia’s divine magic are very effective, but they cannot completely replace the role of a Mage. We need a Mage. At least when we encounter the ubiquitous magical traps and puzzles in the ruins, your songs won’t be of any use."

Gregor shrugged, indifferent. The abilities of a Bard, like those of a Sorcerer, came from a special talent in their bloodline. In the "Ancient Era," this was a profession that relied on charisma.

The Sun Elves once developed a great magical civilization, not inferior to that of Netheril. In the Danzhe Ruins, they would inevitably encounter many problems that required the arcane knowledge of a Mage. The absence of a Mage might not be a big issue in combat, but it would be a significant problem during exploration.

"We need a Mage, and we must find one by tomorrow afternoon," Ronald concluded.

"I agree," Cynthia nodded lightly.

The Dwarf, who had been silent, drank his mug of ale in one gulp and burped, "I agree."

"I unconditionally support Sister Cynthia and Captain Ronald," said the lively Ranger girl. Her name was Sera, a sweet and petite red-haired girl, but her chest was well-developed. Gao Deng thought of Shelya and wondered if all female Rangers had such well-endowed figures.

Seeing that all his teammates agreed, the Bard said helplessly, "Alright, although having one more person means a smaller share of the rewards, since you all agree, I have nothing to say... But, can we find a qualified Mage in such a short time?"

The Lucky Coins were a formidable adventuring team, and they couldn’t just pick anyone to fill the role of a Mage. The Mage needed to have sufficient strength and experience to avoid being a liability to the team.

But finding such a Mage was not easy.

Mages were already a rare profession, and they needed to be both powerful and experienced, not part of another adventuring team... Finding someone who met their requirements in just one day was extremely difficult.

"Gentlemen," Gao Deng suddenly stood up, looked around, and saw the worried expression on Captain Ronald’s face. "I believe I meet your requirements."

"You are a Mage?" Almost all eyes in the room immediately focused on Gao Deng.

For this adventure, Gao Deng had redesigned a set of Mage robes, discarding the useless long tails and wide sleeves, and adopting a more fitted design suitable for outdoor activities. Additionally, he wore an inconspicuous fire lizard cloak over his Mage robes, so Ronald had not immediately recognized his identity.

The captain of the Lucky Coins team glanced at the hand crossbow Gao Deng had at his waist and mistakenly thought he was a Rogue.

In response to Ronald’s question, Gao Deng nodded.

"We saved you out of kindness, but that doesn’t mean our team is a shelter for the weak. Mage, what is your strength?" The Bard Gregor looked directly at Gao Deng, his eyes full of challenge.

He had always opposed recruiting another Mage, and now that Gao Deng had volunteered, he was naturally dissatisfied.

Although Gregor’s words were harsh, the others in the Lucky Coins team remained silent, their eyes silently conveying one message: Prove your worth, or get lost.

Gao Deng smiled and snapped his fingers. A beam of cold light shot from his fingertips and hit the Dwarf’s mug.

The ale was immediately chilled.

"Instantaneous 0-level spell, Frost Ray." As a spellcaster, Ronald, who was well-versed in magic, immediately recognized the spell Gao Deng had cast. He laughed heartily, a pleased expression on his face: "By Tymora, who says luck won’t favor me! Young man, welcome to the Lucky Coins."

The calm and composed Priest, Cynthia, glanced at the Dwarf’s mug and said, "You could have handled those two on your own. It seems our captain was overcautious."

Being able to cast an instantaneous 0-level spell meant the Mage had reached the fourth level of the magic network, at least a Level 7 Mage. Such strength was more than enough to qualify as a member of the Lucky Coins.

"Mr. Mage, you are truly impressive," the petite Ranger girl, Sera, approached Gao Deng, her big eyes twinkling as she examined the young man with black hair and black eyes.

Gao Deng responded with a humble smile.

He was satisfied with the effect of his demonstration. He knew that if he had only shown the ability to cast a 3rd-level spell, he would not have been so highly regarded.

To have a say in the team, one needed to have sufficient strength. Gao Deng did not want to be a mere bystander in the upcoming adventure, where his words would carry no weight. That would be worse than being a lone adventurer.

Of course, although Gao Deng had shown a bit of his skill, he had not revealed his true trump card.

The Lucky Coins team was delighted to have a powerful Mage join. Even the Bard Gregor, who had been opposed, only grunted and said nothing more.

Afterward, both parties signed an agreement under the name of Elandra, the patron deity of adventurers. Gao Deng would receive one-seventh of the rewards from this adventure. However, based on the principle of more work, more gain, if Gao Deng obtained unexpected wealth through his personal strength, he would not need to share it and could keep it all for himself.

Gao Deng was not concerned about these details, as his goal was the legacy of the Sun Elf Mage, Alavi Sunray.

After a day of preparation and replenishing the necessary supplies for the adventure, the Lucky Coins team, now including Gao Deng, left Ash Town at noon the next day.

Crossing the wasteland scorched by various fire spells, which had created many large glass craters, the group arrived at the outer wall of the Danzhe Ruins.

Unlike the distant view, standing before the Danzhe city wall, which had a history of thousands of years, Gao Deng could not help but be awed. The wall, specially reinforced to resist the attacks of the Netheril Empire, was over thirty meters high, with a seamless surface, no gaps, and not even a blade of grass growing on it.

Standing before this massive, dark, and continuous wall that stretched for tens of kilometers, Gao Deng felt a sense of insignificance.

The Priest, Cynthia, set up a simple altar by the roadside next to the city wall, and everyone prayed to Elandra, the patron deity of adventurers, hoping for a smooth and fruitful adventure.

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**End of Chapter**