"Xinghuo, you’re a Ranger, right?" Chi Zhonglin asked with a hint of alcohol in his breath.
"Not easy!" Chi Zhonglin shook his head and sighed, "Ren Mian has been wanting to recruit an archer for the team, but her standards are so high, hardly anyone can pass her test. Almost two years on and off, and finally you arrived."
Ji Xinghuo felt the same.
By Ren Mian’s standards, the number of archers in Olympia who could make the cut, below the rank of Super Ranger, probably wouldn’t exceed ten.
Archers with strength far exceeding their peers, who weren’t already famous or backed by powerful forces and thus recruited, were hardly likely to join someone else’s team casually.
"I used to double as the archer, but now that we have you, I can take it a lot easier." Chi Zhonglin was visibly pleased.
Ji Xinghuo couldn’t help but feel skeptical,
"You also practice archery?"
"Barely passable, just a bit more accurate than the average Ranger, but I tend to miss quite often." Speaking of archery, Chi Zhonglin grimaced with a look of bitter memories, "But other than me, neither Ren Mian nor Caiyi are suited for the bow, so of course, I had to take it on."
Ji Xinghuo nodded in understanding; many teams were .
Archers were critical and indispensable, but competent ones were extremely rare, so other Mutants in the team would have to take up the role in a pinch, everyone with bow in hand, compensating for quality with quantity.
In the chaos of battle, shooting awry didn’t matter, but the real fear was hitting a teammate.
These temporary archers usually fired a couple of arrows in the first wave of engagement with the enemy before discarding their bows, grabbing their weapons, and diving into melee combat to avoid hitting a teammate’s backside.
However, from what Chi Zhonglin was saying, it seemed that there was no one else in this team besides him, Ren Mian, and that "Caiyi."
A team of just four people including himself?
Generally, the optimal number for a Hunting Team is five to ten members.
Melee, archer, healer, controller, scout: every role should be covered by at least one person, and for some positions, having two to three is safer.
Having fewer than five members means losing one or two can lead to an avalanche of defeat in battle.
Arranging watch duty during resting periods at camp is also tricky.
More than ten members, and the team becomes bigger and more complicated, more likely to give away their position, and the share of spoils becomes smaller per person, resulting in a lower average gain.
Ren Mian’s team had only three members before he joined.
And they had been that way for a few years.
"Our whole team is just four people?" Ji Xinghuo couldn’t help asking.
At that moment, as the three of them had just left the club, Ren Mian heard his question and confidently turned her head, "Four people are enough, and unless necessary, I won’t recruit another teammate in the future."
Chi Zhonglin also patted Ji Xinghuo’s shoulder,
"We’re not an ordinary Hunting Team; four people is already quite a lot." He looked proud, "You’ll understand soon enough, Xinghuo."
A steam bus puffing white mist and ash rolled down the street, and Ren Mian waved her hand. The steam bus stopped and opened its doors by the curb.
Electronic devices and internal combustion engines can’t be used in the Star Realm, but steam engines can.
The urban area of Olympia is vast, and besides Mutants with mounts, most people travel by these steam-powered buses.
Steam technology reigns supreme in Olympia.
Beyond the buses, there are many scenes of steam engine applications right around the city, the most noticeable being the city wall that protects the entire city, equipped internally with numerous steam boilers driving the many powerful Steam Crossbow Guns on the wall, defending against enemies from the air.
There are also trains and steam airships commuting daily between Olympia and other cities.
The three got on, and Ren Mian paid for three tickets.
They sat in the back of the bus.
Ji Xinghuo experienced the slow pace of the bus for the first time, traveling at about 60 kilometers per hour. It felt novel to him, and while there were quite a few passengers, everyone was used to it.
The bus entered a serene neighborhood, and Ren Mian led the way off, taking them into a high-end villa district.
Each residence here was a detached villa, spanning at least two thousand square meters, with a private garden, shooting range, and lawn outside the building, separated from one another by tall trees, flower beds, and various green plants, with security guards patrolling every few minutes.
Even on Earth, this was the level of luxury only the very top billionaires could afford.
Let alone in the Star Realm.
Ji Xinghuo couldn’t help but grow suspicious of Ren Mian’s identity; how could a Super Mutant afford such a luxurious villa?
Even renting it would cost a high monthly fee.
He glanced at Ren Mian’s retreating figure, and suddenly she seemed even more mysterious.
When Ren Mian and the others arrived at the gate of a villa, a wall concealed the inside; she used a key to open a small door by the main gate, revealing a spacious lawn.
Passing the lawn and reaching the front of the main building, the front door was pushed open.
A beautiful young woman came out to greet them.
She was dressed in a fitted black combat suit, about 165 centimeters tall, with a nimble figure. A samurai sword and a short sword hung at her waist. She had delicate, petite features, bright eyes, and her long black hair was tied back, exuding the tender aura of the girl next door.
Though her skin was slightly pale, it did not diminish her sweet smile.
"Sister, Lord Zhonglin, you’re back!"
Ren Mian nodded and pointed to Ji Xinghuo, "Caiyi, this is Ji Xinghuo, our new teammate. Arrange a room for him later."
"Ji Xinghuo, I’m Jiangnan Caiyi, please look after me in the future, I’m counting on you."