Upon reaching the Mission Notice Board, Mo Han and the others immediately noticed an unusually large crowd gathered before it. While there were always people around, today’s number was easily more than half the usual capacity; the area was densely packed, a churning sea of heads that made approaching impossible.

Driven by curiosity, Mo Han and his companions hailed a mercenary group that was just managing to squeeze out from the throng. They inquired about the commotion, and upon recognizing Mo Han’s group, the mercenaries responded courteously, "You didn't hear? The Mercenary Guild has posted a new SS-rank mission, that's why there are so many people here."

Hearing this, Mo Han and the others were stunned. They knew that missions ranked S-level or higher were exceedingly rare. Even the two most notoriously difficult quests at the Mercenary Guild were only SSS-rank. Thus, an SS-rank mission was an event almost unheard of, sometimes not appearing for decades. They couldn't believe such a rare assignment had materialized now.

Furthermore, there was an unwritten rule for missions ranked SS or above: regardless of rank or strength, anyone who paid the required mission deposit could accept it. If successful, they would receive the commensurate high reward; if they failed, they only forfeited the deposit, which did not affect their team’s standing. This was why whenever an S-rank mission appeared, many lower-tier mercenary groups would try their luck, hoping a lucky break could save them years of hard struggle. Yet, it seemed no low-tier group had ever succeeded, meaning the greatest beneficiaries were usually the Mercenary Guild and the quest giver, whose collected deposits were enough to make them ecstatic.

Despite this history, whenever an SS-rank mission was posted, numerous low-tier groups still participated, clinging to the faint hope of a chance success, even though that chance was virtually non-existent.

With this thought, Mo Han and his group quickly sought out a familiar staff member at the Mercenary Guild to ask for the mission details. They learned the request originated from the Mercenary Guild of the Grand Duchy of Cardic, a small nation in the southern reaches of the Long Teng Continent. A month prior, a strange incident occurred in a small city within Cardic, the city of Ima. A bizarre rain began to fall from the sky—the water was the color of blood, lasting only a few minutes. Afterward, a thick fog enveloped the city, and then, inexplicably, residents began contracting a terrifying plague. Those afflicted lost all reason, becoming unrecognizable to their loved ones, acting like wild animals—attacking any person or biting anything in sight. Worse still, their physical agility increased several times over their original capabilities.

Unless the afflicted person's head was severed, they were like undead monsters, seemingly unkillable no matter how many times they were struck. The most frightening aspect was the plague's rapid contagion rate. If one was wounded by an infected person, within two days at most, the injured party would also begin to attack others in a frenzy. In just over half a month, nearly a third of the city's population was infected, and the more people who succumbed, the faster the spread, turning the situation increasingly chaotic.

The Grand Duchy of Cardic dispatched the army to quarantine the sick, but unexpectedly, many soldiers were infected as well. The situation spiraled out of control, forcing the uninfected troops to retreat hastily. They erected a man-made barrier on the eastern side of the city, evacuating all unaffected residents there. They then mobilized all court mages and priests sent by the Church of Light to collaboratively erect a massive super-barrier, isolating the western half of the city—all the afflicted residents—to prevent them from harming others. However, within that super-barrier, a significant number of uninfected residents remained. Due to time constraints and other unforeseen reasons, they could not be evacuated and were trapped inside with the infected population.

Among those trapped was the Second Prince of the Grand Duchy of Cardic, the King’s most favored son and widely considered the heir to the throne. He had been sent to supervise containment efforts, but he and his retinue secretly ventured into the heavily contaminated western zone, attempting to find a way to halt the plague's spread and devise countermeasures. Since they failed to notify other officials, they were caught inside when the barrier was erected and could not be withdrawn.

It was only when royal guards within the city reported the dire situation to the King, and subsequent interrogation of a surviving attendant, that the King learned the Second Prince was indeed trapped behind the barrier. Yet, the barrier could not be dismantled, or the infected population would escape to cause further harm.

Consequently, the King of Cardic posted an A-rank mission through the domestic Mercenary Guild, promising three million gold coins and a noble title in the Grand Duchy to anyone who could rescue the Second Prince. Several high-tier mercenary groups volunteered and entered the barrier, including two A-rank mercenary teams, but none ever returned; they were presumed annihilated. Based on the escalating crisis, the Mercenary Guild elevated the mission rank from A to S, increasing the reward from three million to five million gold coins. Tempted by the enormous sum, many more high-tier mercenary groups banded together and entered the barrier, but again, not a single person emerged—their fates remained unknown.

As a result, no more mercenary groups were willing to venture in. While money was important, it was useless if one lost their life trying to obtain it.

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