"You’re the one with the weird hobby. This is my new employee," Kael said tonelessly, appearing from the side room at some point.

  "Oh, so that's it! I knew the Boss wouldn't be that kind of person!" Tiger Hunt laughed heartily, trying his best to smooth over the awkwardness.

  "I’m going out to get breakfast," Kael ignored him, turning instead to Shier.

  "Mm." Shier nodded obediently.

  Kael had only rushed over because he realized that after a full night of training, his stomach was growling. It was only when he saw the empty takeout boxes that he remembered the "breakfast" he’d saved for himself had been finished off by Shier.

  "So, little girl..."

  "My name is Shier."

  "Right, Shier. Since when did you start working for the Boss?" Tiger Hunt asked curiously.

  "Last night," she answered truthfully.

  Tiger Hunt’s mind immediately wandered toward some rather colorful conclusions. Why would the Boss recruit a clerk in the middle of the night? Especially one as beautiful as this?

  "I see, I see... very interesting. Open a station for me," Tiger Hunt said thoughtfully. He placed his Spirit Crystals on the counter and made his way next door.

  Shier, not quite catching his drift, simply placed the crystals into the collection box.

  Before Kael could return with breakfast, Blood Wolf arrived with twenty squad members for their daily routine. Just as they reached the entrance, the two lifelike ice sculptures caught Blood Wolf's eye.

  "Why are there two new ice sculptures out here? Is the Boss using them as talismans for good luck and wealth?" Filled with doubt, Blood Wolf stepped closer to examine them.

  Beastmen? The Wolf Hunter Clan!

  If they hadn't been in the middle of a transformation, Blood Wolf might not have recognized them. But these sculptures displayed a high degree of beastification. As a mercenary captain, there was no way he could miss it.

  "To think that while we’re still struggling against low-level magical beasts, the Boss is already freezing opponents of this caliber without breaking a sweat," Blood Wolf remarked, impressed.

  The Wolf Hunter Clan was a formidable power among the Beastmen. Blood Wolf knew that even with the superior gear from Kael's shop, his squad would only achieve a pyrrhic victory—at best—against these two. Beastmen were different from magical beasts; unless a beast was of a high level or possessed innate intelligence, they were generally dim-witted. Beastmen, however, possessed strength equal to high-level beasts and intelligence equal to humans.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Looking at the sculptures, it was obvious they were frozen instantly at the peak of their power, without a chance to resist. This was a terrifying testament to Kael's true strength.

  "It’s a blessing that such a powerhouse chooses to live in seclusion here. It seems we won't have to abandon Cloud Mist City when the Beast Tide hits after all," Blood Wolf thought, his reverence for Kael deepening.

  "You two, move these sculptures aside. Don't let them block the doorway."

  Following Blood Wolf’s orders, two men moved the ice sculptures to a spot that was prominent but out of the way.

  "Hello! How can I help you today?" Shier greeted them as the door opened.

  "Oh? And you are?" Blood Wolf certainly didn't mistake the beautiful girl for Kael.

  "I am the newly recruited shop assistant. Is there anything you need?"

  "I see. Don't mind me; I'm a regular," Blood Wolf nodded, waving his men forward.

  The twenty men quickly split into two teams to begin their daily tasks. Blood Wolf stood by the counter, watching them pick items from the shelves and pay before leading them next door.

  Just then, Kael walked back from the street with breakfast in hand. He noticed the ice sculptures had moved. Who moved these things? If you're going to move them, just take them away, he grumbled internally.

  City Lord’s Manor, Cloud Mist City.

  In his office, Qin Ming stared at the intelligence reports on his desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wood.

  "The gathering speed of the Beast Tide is slowing down. It seems the eruption is imminent. The assault on Cloud Mist City will begin soon."

  "The soldiers for the Trial have all been selected. I hope they can complete it before the tide arrives..."

  "Here's breakfast. Eat up before you get back to work," Kael said, placing a bag of steamed buns on the counter. He chose buns mainly because they were easy to carry.

  "Thank you, Manager," Shier said gratefully, taking a warm bun. The warmth of the food seemed to seep into her heart.

  "You're welcome. We'll discuss your wages after the probation period," Kael said, sitting down to eat while surveying the shop.

  Once the Upgrade Quest was finished, the System would provide a total shop renovation. The Training Room was already much larger than this general store; he wondered what the final result of a "total overhaul" would look like.

  "Manager, did you put those ice sculptures outside?"

  As Kael was lost in thought, Lan Ye walked in, her voice filled with curiosity.

  "More or less. Is there a problem?" Kael nodded.

  "No problem at all. You really are something, Manager. It seems we’ve been underestimating you all along." Lan Ye had also recognized the frozen Wolf Hunters. She realized that the strength Kael had shown in the Cloud Mist Forest was just the tip of the iceberg. The man hid his power incredibly deep.

  The rest of the Lanye Squad followed her inside, their eyes filled with wonder. They had seen Kael’s martial arts during the fight with the Flame Demon Wolf—a miracle where a Brave-rank outplayed a Class-rank beast. But today, they realized his magic might be ten times more potent than his martial skill.

  He was a literal monster of talent.

  Lan Zier, however, didn't care about any of that. The moment she saw Kael, she ran over, the Black Tortoise Heavy Shield on her back swaying.

  "Big brother! Sister Lan Ye didn't go to the forest today, so there's no roasted meat!" she said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

  "That's okay. Do you want a bun?" Kael smiled and handed her one.

  "Thank you!" Lan Zier chirped, happily accepting the snack.

  To them, whether Kael was a "monster" or not didn't really matter. At the very least, they were on the same side—or neutral at worst.

  "Manager," Lan Qing'er interjected, having watched Shier for a long time. "Is she the assistant you recruited?"