[ Yes, Host ]
"Quick, what do I use to write down the mission? There is no paper here for me to use to write." Sage hurriedly urged the system in his mind.
[ Host, open the cabinets behind you. Inside, you will find a stack of parchment sheets known as Mission Dockets. Each Docket is a standard Guild document used to record mission details, rewards, and difficulty levels. ]
Sage nodded inwardly and smiled at Edmund. "Please wait a moment; let me take a few documents first."
With that, Sage turned around immediately, pulling open one of the numerous elegantly polished wooden cabinets.
Inside the first drawer lay a neat stack of cream-colored parchment papers bordered in silver ink, and besides them was even ink and a quill as well.
Sage took a few stacks and turned back, placing them on the desk, catching Edmund's attention, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"He is professional enough!" Edmund thought when he saw the neat stack of Mission Dockets.
[ Host, each Docket includes the following sections:
Mission Title
Mission Type (Subjugation, Retrieval, Escort, Protection, etc.)
Mission Commissioner
Threat Description
Location Of Mission
Recommended Rank / Power Level
Difficulty Rating (1 Star to 12 Stars)
Reward Amount
Additional Notes / Conditions, Status ]
"Woah... so this is like a quest form." Sage's eyes flickered with surprise as he ran his fingers across the parchment. "Fancy. I like it."
Sage quickly came back to his senses and looked at Edmund and said, "Sorry for making you wait. So what kind of mission are you posting?"
Edmund smiled lightly with a nod. "As I told you before, I am the Village Chief of a small village; the village has been attacked by a pack of beasts!"
Sage raised an eyebrow and motioned him to continue.
Edmund sighed deeply as he continued, "For the past week, a pack of wolves has been haunting the outskirts of Wrenford Village, ten kilometers east of Greyvale City. They come at night, taking livestock and sometimes attacking our hunters. We've lost five men already."
Sage's expression hardened slightly as he picked up the quill and one of the Dockets. "What kind of beasts have been attacking the village?"
"Phantom Wind Wolves!" Edmund's face was quite unsightly when he said this.
"Phantom Wind Wolves, huh!" Sage muttered under his breath. He looked at Edmund and said, "Can you elaborate more on how dangerous they are?"
Edmund nodded gravely. "They move like the wind itself, silent and fast. Their fur blends with the mist of the night. Even a seasoned warrior like myself has difficulty spotting them in the dark. The pack is led by a large Alpha... twice the size of a normal horse."
Sage whistled softly. "Sounds nasty. How many are we talking about here?"
"Maybe ten to twelve or much more," Edmund replied, "including the Alpha."
Sage looked at the Docket and then asked, "May I know your full name?"
Edmund nodded and replied, "Edmund Roke, village chief of Wrenford Village."
Sage nodded as he looked down at the Mission Docket, muttering as he wrote.
Mission Title: Subjugation of the Phantom Wolf Pack ]
[ Mission Type: Beast Subjugation ]
[ Mission Commissioner: Edmund Roke — Village Chief of Wrenford Village ]
[ Location: Wrenford Village – 10 km East of Greyvale City ]
[ Threat Description: A pack of Phantom Wind Wolves led by an Alpha. Responsible for multiple livestock deaths and five human casualties. Active mainly at night. ]
He then raised his head and looked at Edmund. "What is the amount of the reward?"
Suddenly, the system notification sounded in his ears.
[ Ding! ]
[ Host, please be advised, all mission commissioners are required to pay a Guild Posting Fee before their missions can be displayed on the Guild Mission Board. ]
Sage blinked."Wait, what now? Posting Fee? You're telling me people have to pay to post their mission here?"
[Yes, Host. How do you think you will get money? Let me remind you, apart from rewards from completing missions, I won't be feeding you.] The voice sounded in his head with a hint of disdain and mockery.
"Huh! I suppose you are right!" Sage's eyelids twitched.
[Every mission posted through the Adventurer Guild must include a base fee, separate from the mission reward. This fee contributes to the Guild's operations, staff salaries, maintenance, and Rank progression.]
Sage's eyes lit up as he finally understood. "Oh-oh-oh....so you're telling me I can actually make money even if no one takes the mission?"
[Correct]
[This ensures sustainability. In essence, the Guild functions as both a regulatory and economic intermediary, connecting Commissioners and Adventurers while earning revenue from administrative services.]
"Regulatory intermediary, huh? Sounds fancy for a middleman with benefits," Sage chuckled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So how do the fees work? Are they random or fixed?"
[The fee structure follows a universal difficulty-based scale, ranging from 1-Star to 12-Star Missions. The higher the danger and required Rank, the greater the posting fee. Below is the Official Guild Fee Chart.]
Another screen appeared in front of Sage with the Guild Fee Chart.
[Adventurer Guild — Mission Posting Fee Chart:
1-Star = 10 Gold Coins
2-Star = 25 Gold Coins
3-Star = 60 Gold Coins
4-Star = 150 Gold Coins
5-Star = 400 Gold Coins
6-Star = 1,200 Gold Coins
7-Star = 5,000 Gold Coins
8-Star = 20,000 Gold Coins
9-Star = 100,000 Gold Coins
10-Star = 1,000,000 Gold Coins
11-Star = 50,000,000 Gold Coins
12-Star = 250,000,000 Gold Coins]
Sage's jaw dropped. "Two hundred and fifty million gold coins? For a single post?"
[AFFIRMATIVE]
[12-Star Missions are world-class and world-ending, like ancient beasts or god-class calamities. Only the highest authorities can post such commissions.]
Sage whistled. "So basically, I just became the CEO of fantasy capitalism. Even apocalypse-level jobs pay me commission. I like this system."
[Please note: The Guild retains 100% of the posting fee but only 5% of the mission reward after successful completion. The remaining 95% always goes to the Adventurers.]
Sage's eyes lit up. "So fair pay for the Adventurers, guaranteed profit for the Guild... This is actually brilliant."
[Additionally, Posting Fees contribute directly to the Guild's Reputation and Rank Progression. The higher the total collected fees and successful missions, the faster the Guild Rank increases.]
"Now that's what I'm talking about. The more I earn, the faster I climb up."
Sage could already imagine it, future nobles and generals lining up in front of his Guild, desperate to post their missions through his system.
Although the conversation between Sage and the System had felt long, only ten seconds had passed in reality. Edmund was still waiting patiently, though he looked slightly concerned by Sage's rapidly shifting expression.
"Ahem... Guildmaster Sage, is everything okay?" Edmund's voice floated to Sage's ears, which quickly snapped him out of his reverie.
"Oh... yes... yes, I'm okay, everything is fine!" Sage coughed slightly and smiled. "Where were we again?"
"The amount of reward," Edmund was quite amused as he replied.
"Oh... yes. So what is the amount of the reward? And also, before that, let me inform you that you have to pay a base fee; it's separate from the mission reward. In essence, it means you are paying the Guild to post the mission here, and as for the mission reward, that's the payment for the person who completes the mission."
"OK!" Edmund nodded immediately without much thought.
"Huh!" Sage was taken aback for a moment.
"Something wrong?" Edmund looked at Sage and asked.
"No... it's nothing, I was just surprised by how quickly you accepted it!" Sage smiled and said.
Edmund didn't say anything; he just smiled at him.
"Ahem... so what is the amount of reward for the mission?" Sage coughed slightly and asked again.
"The reward is 250 Gold Coins if the mission can be successfully completed!" Edmund replied.
Sage's eyes lit up as he smiled gently. "That's generous for a small village. Don't worry; we will handle it."
He looked down at the docket. "System, analyze this mission."
[Analyzing Threat Level.....]
[Monster Classification: Phantom Wind Wolf—Lower Tier Magical Beast, Agile, Wind Attribute, Intelligent Pack Behavior]
[Average Power Rank: 1st Order – 2nd Order (Alpha – 3rd Order)]
[Estimated Warrior Rank: 3-Star Expert Knight ]
[Recommended Adventurer Rank: Iron Rank] [Difficulty Rating: ★★ (2-Star)]
[Mission Reward: 250 Gold Coins]
Sage put down the quill and let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Edmund. "Okay, it's done. I have noted down all the details of the mission; it will be posted over there on the Guild Mission Board!"
He pointed at the gigantic Guild Mission Board at the verge end of the Guild.
Edmund looked at the Mission Board, nodded, and then turned back and asked Sage, "So what's the amount for the posting fee?"
Sage chuckled softly and said, "The level of this mission is 2-Star, so the posting fee is 25 Gold Coins."
"OK!" Edmund nodded and took out a pouch filled with gold coins. He counted exactly 275 Gold Coins and pushed the neat stack of gleaming gold coins towards Sage.
Sage's eyes were practically shining, a drool threatening to spill out of his mouth. He quickly came back to his senses, grabbed the gold coins, opened a drawer, and put them inside.
"Nice doing business with you, and please don't worry; your mission will be completed before you know it."
Edmund smiled and nodded back; his old eyes were looking at Sage with amusement. "I trust you; I just hope someone can complete it as soon as possible; our village can't handle this anymore."
Sage nodded vigorously. "Yes, Village Chief Edmund; someone will definitely complete the mission. Shall I see you out? Please."
Edmund laughed lightly as he stood up from the chair. Sage hurriedly supported him as they walked towards the entrance of the Guild Hall.
"Please walk slowly, Village Chief Edmund; the inn is that way. You can come here anytime during your stay!"Sage waved his hand at Edmund.
Edmund, with his back hunched, waved back at Sage and walked off, disappearing into the corner.
Edmund looked around for a while and then bolted back inside the Guild Hall.
A few seconds later, a creepy and haunting laugh kept echoing from inside the Guild. Even though it was afternoon, that laugh was really creepy, sending chills down the spines of the pedestrians walking by.