"Hurry." Carl shook his hand, letting down a long rope. "Hold tight, I'll pull you up."
Amy, her face alight with ecstatic relief, struggled to her feet and grabbed the rope, immediately feeling her body lighten and soar upwards.
A water sphere appeared around her, causing incoming bullets to lose their momentum and fall.
"It seems I arrived just in time." Carl handed her a Potion. "For healing."
With a thought, the four corners of the Magic Flying Carpet simultaneously billowed, carrying the two towards the sky.
A shout came from below, from Gavin. "I'm here, come save me!"
"Sorry?" Carl lowered his head, shaking it gently. "You see the size of this Magic Flying Carpet. It can handle one person, but with two people, none of us would escape."
"So..." He extended his hand, waving politely. "Good luck."
Gavin's earlier actions had not gone unnoticed; Carl naturally did not want to deal with such a 'partner.'
Amy, a look of pity on her face, started to say something.
"I'm serious," Carl said. "With you on board, the Magic Flying Carpet's speed and height are already greatly reduced. It can't handle more."
"Of course," he added, "if you're willing to give up your spot, I might consider it."
Amy immediately shut her mouth. She was kind-hearted, but not so altruistic, especially given Gavin's obvious malintent just moments before.
They patted the Magic Flying Carpet, which surged into the high skies and disappeared into the mist in the blink of an eye.
Surrounded by Kolon soldiers, Gavin roared, "I curse you! May you die a terrible death!"
His roar was drowned out by cannon fire and bullets.
「Black Swamp. League headquarters.」
Unusually, many Wizard Apprentices had gathered during this period. This was because the Swamp League had issued a mandatory mission, compelling all members to participate. Consequently, the headquarters was bustling with these apprentices.
Especially at the mission reception area, it was jam-packed, with everyone wanting to pick a relatively simple task.
Of course, there were also those who enjoyed a challenge.
As for the mission submission point, it was currently deserted.
"So..." Behind the desk sat an old lady in her seventies or eighties. A monocle was fixed on her face, and wrinkles webbed the corners of her eyes. She scrutinized the two of them. "Your mission target, Earl Bob, was not a Great Knight but a Legendary Knight."
"And this ultimately led to the mission suffering heavy losses, with everyone else perishing, leaving only the two of you alive?"
"Exactly," Carl nodded. "Fortunately, we completed the mission by killing Earl Bob. Please adjust the mission's difficulty rating."
"Hold on a moment." The old lady waved her Magic Wand, and an invisible force brought a paper filled with text to land before them. "Whether Earl Bob is truly Legendary needs verification. Sign your names here, and we'll adjust the credit after confirmation."
"Furthermore," she continued, "if any other survivors return within seven days and dispute your account, the League will hold a review." Googlᴇ search novel~fire~net
"In any case, if all goes well, the credit will be registered to you within half a month. This accomplishment cannot be traded privately or gifted without compensation. It can only be exchanged for supplies within the League."
"Hmm." Carl nodded, picking up the quill.
"Wait a moment." Amy reached out to stop him. Biting her lower lip, she spoke in a low voice, "If it weren't for Carl, I couldn't have returned from this mission. Just put all the credit under his name."
"Ma'am, is that alright?"
"Yes," the old lady nodded. "As long as one person's name is signed, the rule remains the same. You have seven days to consider adding your own name. However, once that time passes, this mission's credit will belong entirely to him. At that point, you won't be able to claim it, even if he wishes to give it to you."
"No problem!" Amy nodded emphatically. "The credit should be Carl's alone."
"Alright then," the old lady shrugged. "It's up to you."
"But let me remind you, this credit will be specially calculated. The higher the ranking, the greater the reward. Moreover, it seems to be related to something very important. Official Wizards will come to discuss it afterwards."
Her tone was very serious, clearly advising Amy, but Amy still shook her head.
Carl, unconcerned, signed his name and handed the paper over.
On the way back, Amy showed a long-missing smile. She glanced at the mission distribution point and asked, "Carl, are you going to take on another mission?"
"I hear if you have enough points, you can even exchange them for a complete Wizard's inheritance or Advanced Magic Items. If you take another mission, let's do it together."
"No," Carl shook his head. "I probably won't be taking any in the future."
It wasn't that he had no experience fighting alongside others; quite the contrary, he had plenty of such experiences. In the Otherworld, places like Black City and Freedom Port, were all locations where he had fought his way out alongside others. There, when faced with danger, regardless of prior conflicts, people could temporarily set aside their differences and join forces against the enemy. During the merfolk siege, almost everyone trusted their comrades, confidently entrusting their backs to others. They were all qualified warriors! But Wizard Apprentices...
Carl sighed in resignation.
This group of clever people, these so-called sages, were all too cunning; not one was trustworthy in the face of danger. No wonder Hibell only ever teamed up with people he knew for missions. Thinking back to Luo Ta City, if Du Lu and the others had cooperated, even if Earl Bob had been a Legendary Knight, they would have had a strong chance of victory. And the result?
"Compared to teaming up with others, I still prefer to operate alone."