The spoken words were correct; the various mercenary professions were fundamentally about doing a job for money. The setting of mercenary ranks and mission tiers was merely implemented for the convenience of the Mercenary Guild's management. If an employer didn't care about a mercenary group's rank, and the group didn't mind the mission's difficulty, they could easily strike a private deal. The Mercenary Guild wouldn't obstruct this, provided the mission hadn't already been posted publicly within the Guild.

However, Yang Ying felt some things required a realistic assessment of one's capabilities. The difficulty of a Level Seven mission was terrifying. It was the highest tier in the Mercenary Guild's mission ranking system, something only the top mercenary groups of Orion's Arm could handle. Those Level Seven mercenary groups were invariably filled with masters, boasting advanced technology and overwhelming numbers; any one of them could effortlessly eliminate the Ancient Legion before Hadek had advanced to Tier Four. Even after Hadek reached Tier Four, if he were attacked by a Level Seven mercenary group, he could only save himself and then seek revenge for his kin; the rest of the Ape-men in the Ancient Legion would face annihilation.

Yang Ying pondered for a moment, concluding that a Level Seven mission was far beyond the reach of the current Tral mercenary group; perhaps a Level Five mission might be something they could attempt. He replied, "Whether we are qualified to accept is one matter; whether we have the ability to accept is another. Our mercenary group has just been established. Rashly accepting the highest-level mission would not be wise. This exceeds our current capabilities; I must regretfully decline."

"No, no, this Level Seven mission is not what you imagine. We have invited several other excellent mercenary groups to join; it won't be your group fighting alone. The specifics are a long story; please give us a chance to explain clearly. If, after our explanation, you still feel you cannot accept, then we will give up completely and cease to bother you." The figures in black robes sounded urgent.

Yang Ying was moved. Listening to the explanation cost nothing. Moreover, Level Seven missions were rare, reserved only for those of enormous scope and extreme difficulty. Since he was free now, learning about it wouldn't hurt. He said, "I can listen."

Seeing Yang Ying’s interest, the black-robed figures continued, "This place is too crowded for discussing important matters. If you have the time, perhaps you could find a quiet place where we can lay out the entire story for you."

"Fine, name a place," Yang Ying conceded.

At this moment, Yang Ying and his entourage were already moving toward the entrance, about to leave the hall. Many people inside and outside were still discussing the strange purple light phenomenon from earlier, pointing discreetly toward Yang Ying's group.

Although Yang Ying was the center of attention, no one present knew he was currently communicating telepathically with the black-robed figures, as the fluctuations of mind-link were extremely subtle. Furthermore, the black-robed figure communicating with Yang Ying via telepathy was also a Tier Three master. This meant that only the two conversing parties knew the exact content of the exchange. Even the few Tier Three masters in the hall could only vaguely sense the mental fluctuations without discerning their source or subject matter.

The black-robed figures provided an address, then nodded to each other and left the hall just as unnoticeably as they had arrived, watching Yang Ying's group depart.

Yang Ying toured Vida City for a while before heading to a hotel on the city's outskirts, where the address given by the black robes was located.

He summoned a service attendant, inquired about the location, and learned it was a private room in the rooftop restaurant. The group proceeded directly to the top floor and stopped before the appointed room.

A black-robed figure was already waiting there. Seeing them arrive, this person opened the door, ushered them inside, then closed the door and stood guard outside, clearly acting as a bodyguard.

Three other black-robed figures were inside the private room. One of them rose and performed a welcoming gesture toward Yang Ying, speaking a language Yang Ying had never heard before. The voice was crisp, and even Warren Gas couldn't understand it. Upon hearing it, Yang Ying inwardly wondered, Is that a female?

Fortunately, 47 understood this language and instantly translated, "Master, she says it is wonderful that you could come."

This time, communication wasn't telepathic, hence the distinct language barrier. The black-robed speaker was clearly the leader among the three, evident from her central position.

Yang Ying's heart stirred. This was likely the black-robed figures' native tongue. Since she had spoken it, she clearly had no intention of hiding her identity from him. He nodded, and he and Warren Gas took seats, while 47 stood behind Yang Ying. Yang Ying then posed a question to the black-robed leader, "Can you speak Singerese? That way, we can communicate directly."

The black-robed leader spoke a few more sentences, which 47 translated: "She says she is not a psychic and thus cannot use mind-link. Her learning ability is also just average, so she hasn't mastered the five universal languages. Although she understands a little Galan Star Language and Cycro Language, it’s insufficient for conversation—she is deeply ashamed."

The black-robed woman said something to those on either side, then raised both hands and pulled back the rim of her hood, revealing her face. She did indeed look like a young woman, possessing pale yellow eyes with vertical slit pupils. Her face was covered in a fine layer of dark-green scales that shimmered like glass, spreading down her neck beneath the collar. One could surmise the rest of her body was similarly covered. These scales, juxtaposed with her delicate, human-like features, created a unique allure.

Yang Ying had recently crammed some basic knowledge about Orion’s Arm. He recalled that this appearance belonged to the Flin, one of the higher civilizations. The Flin ranked ninety-eighth in Orion's Arm; although within the top one hundred, they clearly held little status among the higher civilizations, being only slightly better off than groups like the Xinbu.

The other two individuals performed the same action. They were also Flin—a male and a female, apparently older than the young woman. Yang Ying could sense that both possessed Tier Three psychic power and treated the young woman with extreme deference, suggesting roles closer to that of a steward or butler rather than servants. In contrast, the bodyguard waiting outside possessed only Tier Two psychic power, equivalent to a mid-level Psion at best.

Yang Ying was inwardly shocked. To command the service of two Tier Three masters, this Flin girl was clearly no ordinary person; she must possess either an illustrious status or a formidable family background.

The Flin girl smiled slightly and spoke a few words, which 47 translated: "Master, she says her name is Hafn. The reason we invited you here today is regarding that mission. As a matter of courtesy, she should be the one to explain it to you. However, using a translator might introduce some inaccuracies—Good heavens, this Flin woman actually suspects 47 of mistranslating or misrepresenting the meaning! She underestimates me, 47!"

Although 47 was an automaton, it possessed self-awareness and the capacity for independent judgment; essentially, it was an intelligent robot capable of expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. It grumbled this complaint during the translation before continuing, "To ensure you fully understand the situation, her steward will use mind-link to explain the entire sequence of events."

At this point, the middle-aged Flin male beside the girl coughed and projected a thought-link into the ears of Yang Ying and Warren Gas: "To save everyone time, I will be as brief as possible. Have any of you heard about a major recent event on the Flin homeworld?"

Yang Ying shook his head to indicate ignorance, but Warren Gas responded, "I did hear some news. Things are quite unstable within Flin territory. Some time ago, over a dozen planets united to launch a coup, attempting to break free from the rule of the Flin Kingdom and establish themselves as the Flin Republic. Is it true that the Flin Kingdom and the Flin Republic are currently engaged in a civil war?"

Warren Gas, after all, had been a Buerke explorer until recently, so he was well-informed. Although his channels had been cut recently, he clearly remembered news from a month or two prior.

"What Flin Republic? Those are insurrectionists! A group of greedy, sinister individuals!" The steward became unusually furious. However, since Yang Ying and Warren Gas remained silent, the steward's anger quickly subsided. "Apologies, speaking of those rebels tends to stir my temper. I was not aiming that at you."

"It's fine, please continue," Yang Ying said.

The steward nodded, then shook his head, appearing utterly dejected. "It was like that a month ago, but events developed rapidly; that information is now outdated." The steward sighed. "The Flin Kingdom suffered a defeat in a crucial battle, and the rebels have captured the Flin homeworld. His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen have been taken prisoner."

"Could it be that the Flin King no longer exists?" Warren Gas exclaimed in surprise. "So quickly?"

"That's because the rebels basely bribed generals within the Royal Army, causing them to switch allegiance at a critical moment and sacrificing the majority of the loyal fleet! Otherwise, the victors of that battle would undoubtedly have been us!" The steward grew angry again, clearly an ardent supporter of the Flin Kingdom and utterly dismissive of the Flin Republic.

"The winner takes all. This has already happened; what use is discussing it now?" Warren Gas countered.

"The Flin Kingdom hasn't fallen yet!" The steward's tone was filled with stubbornness. "As long as Their Majesties are alive, the Kingdom endures. Even if Their Majesties perish, as long as one member of the royal family remains, the Kingdom can be rebuilt. In my lifetime, I will surely see the rebels defeated! And finding a peak Tier Three master such as yourself is precisely to invite you and your mercenary group to join a massive mission to restore the Kingdom's legitimate rule!" The steward stared intently at Yang Ying.

Yang Ying began to contemplate. How incredibly difficult would it be to overturn a coup in a higher civilization? And what would the repercussions be? This clearly met the criteria for a Level Seven mission. Even high-ranking mercenary groups of Level Five or Six would be incapable of contending against any random higher civilization ranked outside the top hundred. But those Level Seven super-mercenary groups already possessed the ability to contend with higher civilizations ranked around the one-hundredth spot.

Yang Ying thought for a moment, "First, tell me about the partners you have secured, as well as the compensation and mission requirements, so I can properly consider it."

Damn it, this is my fault for delaying the release so late again. After the World Cup, my usual writing rhythm was disrupted. I keep wanting to start writing earlier, but I keep getting distracted by various things, preventing me from recovering. For the sake of my health, there will only be this one chapter today; the second chapter will follow tomorrow. I sincerely apologize to everyone. Read the text below for a different experience.