Chapter 307 – The Disturbed Major Team

As previously mentioned, Upper-Rank Professionals are capable of handling missions ranging from S, A, to B difficulty levels, while Lower-Rank Professionals can manage missions from C, D, to E difficulty levels.

Under normal circumstances, S-level missions represent the highest difficulty tier. Beyond this, SS-level and SSS-level missions only appear when the safety of the Base City itself is threatened—these are mission difficulties that no Professional can complete alone.

The highest difficulty level that a Professional can handle solo is S-level.

For S-level difficulty missions, a Professional attempting to complete them alone must possess at least Six-Star Peak-level strength, or even require a Seven-Star Professional to have any chance of success.

For A-level difficulty missions, a minimum of Five-Star Peak-level strength is necessary for possible completion, though it’s far more reliable to have a Six-Star Professional take on such tasks.

By extension, while B-level difficulty missions are the lowest tier that Upper-Rank Professionals are capable of handling—theoretically manageable by Four-Star Professionals—being capable doesn’t guarantee successful completion.

After all, missions carry risks of failure, even fatal outcomes. Being capable of completion is entirely different from being able to complete them easily. If Professionals fail to think carefully and make proper choices, the consequences can be devastating.

Chi Qian and her companions’ experience serves as a bloody lesson in this regard.

Therefore, regardless of which Base City, official policy never supports Professionals operating alone or acting as lone wolves.

Back when Su Ming was at the Demon Hunter Academy, he encountered various policies promoting team-based collective actions and activities. Whether for daily missions or battlefield operations against Phantom Demons during the Huaming Campaign, the Academy encouraged—and often directly assigned—students to complete tasks in teams.

After arriving in Tianfeng City, this tendency evolved into a full-fledged phenomenon and system, giving rise to the establishment of the “team” framework.

Forming teams with reliable companions to strive and fight together undoubtedly increases mission success rates, reduces risks, and provides greater strength to overcome dangers.

If calculated based on individual strength, Chi Qian—who hadn’t reached Peak-level yet and was only at the upper tier of Five-Star a year ago—certainly possessed the capability to complete a B-level mission alone. However, risk and success rate considerations prevented her from freely accepting missions at this difficulty.

What would happen if she forcibly accepted such missions anyway?

Taking such significant risks, even if she eventually earned the rewards of a B-level mission and obtained more Contribution Points, if she got injured during the mission and had to spend large amounts of Contribution Points on expensive alchemical potions for recovery and treatment, she might actually end up worse off. The net Contribution Points gained could potentially be less than what she’d earn from completing a C-level difficulty mission effortlessly and unscathed.

And what is the purpose of Professionals undertaking missions?

Isn’t it to earn as many Contribution Points as possible?Taking on high-difficulty missions involves risks and potential failure. After deducting expenses like medical treatment from the final Contribution Points earned, the net gain might actually be lower than that from missions one difficulty level easier. So why not simply accept lower-difficulty missions instead? They can be completed effortlessly, without suffering or danger.

Therefore, Professionals generally avoid challenging excessively risky high-difficulty missions. Instead, they prefer missions one level below their capabilities to complete with ease, safely earning Contribution Points.

Over the past year, Chi Qian had followed this approach. Though capable of handling B-Rank missions, she couldn’t afford to take risks. If she got injured while taking risks, she would have to spend Contribution Points on treatment and possibly need time to recuperate, which would be a significant waste of time. If she unfortunately died, it would be even worse. Even if Chi Qian herself didn’t care, she had to seriously consider that if she died, no one would be left to rescue her companions trapped in the Venomous Insect Cave.

Thus, throughout the past year, Chi Qian had consistently taken on C-Rank missions, saving almost all the Contribution Points she earned for her companions who would eventually be thawed from ice—to heal their injuries and aid their recovery.

Most Professionals operated similarly, burdened by various concerns that prevented them from taking excessive risks, leading to a conservative approach.

Reality wasn’t like a game where one could casually challenge nightmare-difficulty dungeons and face a total party wipe without consequence, since resurrection was always an option. In reality, life was singular—once lost, it was truly gone.

Of course, having a team changed the equation.

Taking Chi Qian as an example again: in the past, as a Five-Star Professional, she had the ability to complete B-Rank missions, but she refrained from recklessly accepting them due to the risks and failure rates involved. However, if she were in a team with several fellow Upper-Rank Professionals providing support and assistance, B-Rank missions would naturally be easily manageable.

For this reason, the former “Crimson” had been a B-Rank team, as B-Rank missions were the most suitable and profitable difficulty level for the team to undertake. Chi Qian only needed to bring along a few elites from the team and form a party with several Upper-Rank Professionals to complete multiple B-Rank missions in a single day.

As for the rest of the team members, they would handle C-Rank, D-Rank, or even E-Rank missions to accumulate Contribution Points. By the end of the day, a large team could amass a substantial amount of Contribution Points.

This was why everyone wanted to form or join a team. It was safe, secure, and profitable—who wouldn’t want that?

In the past, “Crimson” had even completed several A-Rank missions, though those required the entire team to mobilize and relied on sheer numbers to secure victory. Taking on missions beyond the team’s rank wasn’t impossible, but each attempt demanded extensive preparation, including stocking up on recovery potions, equipment, tools, and other Extraordinary Items. Unless absolutely necessary, teams generally avoided such missions.

Unless it was truly necessary.

For instance, missions directly issued by the Tianfeng City authorities that were extremely urgent typically couldn’t be refused. Or, if completing a mission offered rewards too tempting to resist, many teams would be willing to take the risk.For instance, some teams aim to build their reputation by completing high-difficulty missions, thereby expanding their renown.

Reputation is quite important for a team, directly influencing whether others are willing to join based on its fame, allowing the team to grow and strengthen.

A year ago, “Crimson” sought to advance to an A-rank team and enhance its reputation to attract more powerful members. After repeated discussions, it ultimately decided to take on an S-rank difficulty mission, hoping to achieve instant fame by completing the highest-level task and thus reach its goal.

In Tianfeng City, many have followed this approach. Numerous current A-rank teams built their reputations this way, successfully drawing large numbers of strong recruits, expanding their scale and strength, and eventually becoming A-rank teams.

Unfortunately, many teams have also faltered at this step.

“Crimson” became one of them.

This illustrates just how crucial it is to select missions of appropriate difficulty.

Currently, “Azure Mercury” has three Upper-Rank Professionals—Chi Qian, Mu Yan, and Feng Qing’er—giving it the capability to handle B-rank missions.

However, for a first mission, many aspects need consideration. If coordination and teamwork are insufficient, it’s best to be conservative and start with some C-rank missions.

He Zhaoyi pointed out that there are many C-rank missions in the Red Soil Wasteland, where the environment isn’t too harsh, making it not overly dangerous for “Azure Mercury.” It would be a suitable location and objective for the team’s inaugural mission.

Unless…

“If the Commander personally steps in, that’s a different story,” Chi Qian hinted meaningfully.

Indeed.

All the above considerations are based on the premise that only Chi Qian and the others in “Azure Mercury” would take action.

If Su Ming were willing to use his true abilities, or even if Little Hai’er, hidden in the shadows, could intervene, then not only B-rank missions but even A-rank missions would be feasible.

In fact, with “Azure Mercury” going all out, even an S-rank difficulty mission might not be impossible to complete now.

Unfortunately, S-rank missions carry too much risk; even a Seven-Star Professional can’t guarantee a 100% success rate. Having suffered deeply from such a mission herself, Chi Qian would never propose taking on an S-rank task.

Listening to the suggestions from Chi Qian and He Zhaoyi, Su Ming pondered thoughtfully.

In truth, he felt there was no need to be so conservative.

“In terms of coordination and teamwork, our team isn’t really lacking,” he reflected.

Chi Qian, Mu Yan, Feng Qing’er, and Tong Xinyao had previously been part of the same team, so they had no shortage of tacit understanding and cooperation.

Only Su Ming hadn’t fully integrated yet, but with just one person, it wasn’t a major issue.

Thus, Su Ming believed he didn’t need to start so conservatively with C-rank missions.

For the team’s first operation, unlike Chi Qian and He Zhaoyi, who focused on adjustment and adaptation, Su Ming leaned more toward making the initial mission grand and impactful to be more meaningful.

“Besides, completing a high-difficulty mission right from the start would undoubtedly maximize ‘Azure Mercury’s’ reputation from the get-go,” Su Ming thought.

He wasn’t satisfied with the team’s current scale.He wanted to earn more Contribution Points, obtain more resources, accumulate more chips, and open more packages—naturally, this meant building the team as large as possible.

Like those major teams, they could accept multiple high-volume tasks daily, assigning them to team members in batches. The daily turnover from this approach was staggering.

Although Su Ming aimed for an elite path and wouldn’t recruit large numbers of lower-rank Professionals to work like the major teams did, he still wanted more Upper-Rank Professionals and talented individuals with potential to join, expanding this elite team to its fullest.

He intended to pursue a high-end route—not by having the team take on numerous tasks of varying difficulties, but by accepting a large number of high-difficulty tasks to complete.

That was the most profitable approach.

Sometimes, completing ten low-difficulty tasks didn’t yield as much as tackling a single high-difficulty one.

As long as they avoided taking excessive risks, the high-end route was undoubtedly a highly lucrative path.

Given this, how could their first team operation not stir things up to live up to his grand ambitions?

Of course, Su Ming wouldn’t blindly accept high-difficulty tasks because of this.

As the saying goes, Chi Qian’s experience served as the best lesson.

Even if he wanted to make a stunning debut, it was essential to act within his capabilities.

With this in mind, Su Ming dismissed the idea of taking on an S-rank task.

S-rank tasks carried too much risk, and he wasn’t entirely confident of completing them. Failing would only make him a laughingstock.

“It’s decided!”

Su Ming lifted his head and looked at He Zhaoyi.

“I’m taking an A-rank task!”

As soon as he spoke, the entire hall fell silent.

……

A while later, Su Ming’s team successfully accepted their target task and left the Professional Center.

He Zhaoyi stared blankly as Su Ming and the others departed.

“An E-rank team accepting an A-rank difficulty task on their first mission…?”

Such an absurd incident—she never thought she’d witness something like this in her lifetime.

“This is going to be huge!”

“Is it called ‘Azure Mercury’?”

“That rookie Commander is way too overconfident, isn’t he?”

“But his team has that Chi Qian, along with her former companions!”

“Mu Yan, Feng Qing’er, and the famous Spirit Bearer Tong Xinyao…?”

“I never imagined they were still alive.”

“Could it be that the legendary figures of Tianfeng City are about to make a comeback?”

“I have to tell my friends about this!”

“Me too!”

Everyone who had witnessed the scene—whether Professionals or staff at the Professional Center—began to stir into action amid the commotion.

Soon, word of what happened here spread.

……

In Dragonheart District, at a luxurious mansion.

“What?”

Qiao Zhi, the Vice Captain of ‘Brocade Dragon Jade Pavilion,’ furrowed his brow tightly upon hearing the report from his subordinate.

“Chi Qian actually joined an E-rank team? Her former companions aren’t dead? And they all joined together?”

His first reaction upon learning this was disbelief.

But after repeatedly confirming the accuracy of the information, Qiao Zhi’s face darkened.

“Well done, Chi Qian. I humbled myself to invite you for so long, and you refused. Yet now you’ve dragged your old comrades into joining an E-rank team?”Qiao Zhi felt insulted, laughing in extreme anger.

“I’d like to see what kind of person could make you willing to join even an E-rank team.”

As he spoke, Qiao Zhi pulled up the intelligence gathered by his subordinates.

Su Ming’s profile materialized right on Qiao Zhi’s desk.

The same scene was unfolding simultaneously in the headquarters of numerous teams that had previously extended invitations to Chi Qian.

Including the base of 『Heavenly Grandeur』.

“Bitch!”

“When I invited you to join, you acted so aloof and domineering, yet when some little puppy from a small team asks, you immediately pack up and run over there with your whole family?”

“Bastard! Damn bitch!”

Liu Zai, the young master of the Liu family and Commander of 『Heavenly Grandeur』—the same Liu Zai whom Chi Qian had suddenly blasted away—roared with a twisted expression.

Then, Liu Zai sneered coldly.

“Don’t think this matter ends here, Chi Qian. I’ll make sure you pay back double!”

Chi Qian’s joining of 『Azure Mercury』 had already stirred reactions from certain teams.

Among them were those like 『Heavenly Grandeur』 preparing to make trouble.

However, there were also some who had been watching Su Ming with goodwill all along.

(End of Chapter)