Chapter 127: 17 Blessings [2/2]
Large scoreboards over ten feet high were displayed. Each one had a list of names in a ranking. Of the ten or so, there was one that had a large mob on it.
Phillip saw my curiosity and walked confidently towards it. The closer we got to it, the louder I could hear the chatter of the mob.
"Come on, come on. He should still be in this ranking, right, Peter?"
"Positive, I bought this information from an infobroker. They are certain that Limitless is still a Wraith. As soon as he starts going out on missions, his name should appear on this one."
"Shit! I hope he gets here soon, it's hard to believe everyone here is waiting to bet on him."
"Dude, do you know they even have a name for those who got rich last night? They call them Limit Royalty. Most are skeptical, but who knows! If we guess right, we could make one hell of a payday!"
"Haha! If you win, treat me to some girls at the Arcus Kiss, okay!"
"Brother, if I get rich, I would even hire a dozen girls for you. Hahaha!"
I listened to the various conversations. They were more or less the same. This large group seemed to be waiting for my name to appear.
Since the winnings were distributed according to the order in which they came in, the earlier they came in, the more they got to share.
I felt complicated seeing the gambling reapers. Greed was definitely in abundance in the depths of this hell. Philip said nothing, watching my reaction. When I motioned for him to leave, he led the way to the dispatch office.
"Well, that was uncomfortable," I remarked as we entered a private room.
"It could not be helped. The effect of last night's bets was staggering. With that in mind, do you want the long or short version of the orientation?"
"Short," I replied curtly.
"Okay, there are three things you need to know. First, Mercenaries are allowed to form squads before accepting missions. A typical squad consists of 4 to 6 members. The spoils are determined by the Mercenary squad leader."
"Who could I take? Is anyone crazy enough to fight with the Death Seekers?"
"Usually other Mercenaries, but sometimes a party of Adventurers would offer their services. An Adventurer group was the equivalent of a Mercenary group." Philip elaborated.
"Okay, I got that part, what are the other things I need to know?"
My clerk nodded and continued his lecture.
"The second thing is that as a Mercenary, you have priority for Soulgear orders in Production and trap or build requests from Fortification. You can even claim them as expenses and get half of what you paid back."
It was like the pen and paper in an office. As long as you used them in your work, your company was responsible for buying them for you. That must be why we got priority requests.
"On that note, Mr. Smith. I need you to tell me when you will need the supplies. If possible, I would also like to know what weapons you are using. And if you trust me enough, your {Fate} as well."
A Reaper's {Fate} was both his weakness and his strength. In capable or evil hands, such information could be used to trap or even eliminate a Reaper. Of course, in a society built on strength, having trump cards no one knew about would be priceless.
I trusted Philip somewhat, but I would have to keep some things hidden.
"{Draw} AR-15."
I pulled a rifle out of subspace and showed it to Phillip. Surprised by my actions, he studied the weapon closely.
"This. That looks like a normal rifle? Unless I am mistaken."
"You are right, you already know that I am Formless. I use different types of firearms as well. My {Fate} is called {Reload}, and I can replenish all the bullets I have fired with the help of souls."
Phillip nodded in understanding and began to flip through the papers that he had in his hands.
" Marvelous. What a simple and straightforward {Fate}. Then your main problem would be the tainted undead, right?"
"The what?" I parroted like an idiot.
"Tainted undead, a special type of undead that regenerates endlessly unless blessed."
"Oh, is that what you call the Draugrs? I fought them and they were truly immortal."
"You fought a Draugr? As a Formless? Without a blessed weapon? How are you still alive?"
"I had help. Never mind that, you are right, I need a way to deal with the tainted undead."
"Right, we can get some bullets blessed as a last resort. The Saint division of Production takes care of that. The current rate is a thousand souls for one blessing."
"So I have heard."
"I know it is a bit expensive for a consumable, but these nights, enemies beyond the standard have begun to appear on some floors. Even 1 bullet would be enough."
After sighing in exasperation, I said in a tired voice. "I will order 17 blessings."
"Excuse me?" Phillip asked in shock.
"Help me order 17 blessings. I will have seventeen bullets blessed."
"O-okay, that is really good! Okay, I will make the arrangements. Now the last thing is the spoils."
Spoils? He meant loot, right? Patrick Steorra from the Lone House told me how wasteful I was. If I was going to pay off my debt of 26,000 souls, in addition to blessing my entire arsenal. I needed all the money I could scrape together.
"To make a long story short, normally a Mercenary has to barter with Production for the materials of his kills. I nominate myself to take care of this task, in exchange for a percentage of the sales."
Hmm. So he would essentially act as my broker, and this commission would at least ensure that he would not cheat me.
Since I didn't see any problem with his proposal, I agreed and got myself a broker. Phillip then shook my hand excitedly as he led the way out of the room.
"Excellent. Now please follow me. I will take you to the Production Headquarters for the blessing and to sign an exclusive loot contract."
Somehow I think tonight is going to be long, but not because of my battles.
"Let's just get this over with," I said in defeat.