...

    Shin hunted in the Plagued Lands alongside the trio and got a rough grasp of their strength. Based on his initial assessment, they should be at least as strong as the regular members of the Empyrean Talons, slightly beneath the top combatants.

    But if it was about their teamwork, then Shin could say that they were at least better than most of the people that he had fought in groups. Their coordination was even slightly better than some of his teammates.

    Exheart was a Martial Artist in the real world based on his techniques and unique temperament. His Martial Arts was also not that bad, especially his spearmanship. It might not be very high, but it was still enough to contend against top-notch Martial Arts if properly trained.

    As for the combat state that he was using, Shin briefly saw it when they encountered a group of Plagued Monsters, but he could tell that it was the Reality Manifestation. His master over it was not bad either.

    As for Bryan – this guy was a natural warrior. Even though he was not a Martial Artist in the real world, his abilities within the game were not that bad.

    Adding his ability to enter the Hyperactive Immersion with ease, his strength was not something that could be overlooked, especially when he added a variety of high-level in-game skills to his arsenal.

    In terms of battle style, Exheart had a more mature style due to his background as a martial artist. His martial might was cut above Bryan.

    But if it was about fighting spirit and natural gift for battle, then Bryan was slightly at edge compared to Exheart. He was able to cancel out the advantages that the latter had over him with these two factors.

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    Meanwhile, HellBan was the most mysterious among the group. He was using the most basic Magical Formation, but his techniques and spells were amplified to a much higher degree, matching most of the top mages of the game.

    He was someone who followed the standard strategies in the book, but he had mixed them with some complexities with his cunning mind.

    His style was more of a control mage rather than an offensive one. His spells were mostly meant for capturing and trapping his targets, restricting their movements before launching a series of spells with low but steady damage.

    It was somewhat different from what Shin remembered during their first encounter.

    This also gave Shin the impression that HellBan was the one who matured more compared to the other two.

    The abilities of these three were good, but it was a pity that Shin could not invite them to join the Empyrean Talons. It was not because they were not worthy enough, but because he felt that they did not fit much in the team.

    They might be strong and could be a good addition to the team in some perspective, but they would not be able to bring much to increase the overall strength of the team. It would not be that much different from what they already had aside from increasing the number of their members.

    Regardless, maintaining a good relationship with them would be beneficial to them.

    One of the main reasons was they were now a ''citizen'' of his dukedom. They were no different from being his subjects as the lord of the Gold Mountain.

    The Black Hounds Mercenary Group that Bryan commanded was quite interesting as well. By chatting with the group, Shin learned that his mercenary group was an odd one.

    Not long they did not have any support or healer in their ranks, but they were also filled with Berserkers of the Beastman Race.

    The trio was slightly stunned after hearing him and stared at him blankly. They felt that their definition of ''training'' differed from what Shin had in his personal dictionary.

    Seeing the expression that they were making, Shin chuckled and explained. "It is not that you three are weak. It''s just the mana that we control are in different realms."

    No matter how he explained it and beautified his words, he was still a complete freak in their eyes.

    Shin ignored their gazes before turning in another direction. "I have already adjusted enough in the plague energies of the outer region, so I am planning to head to the deeper area."

    Hearing that, the three shook their heads. – "A freak indeed." –

    Even if they were hunting the Common Rank Plague Monsters in the outer region, they still felt some pressure during the battle. Since they did not bring any priest or at least a healer to their team, they could not afford to make a single mistake, or the consequences would be serious.

    Yet here was this monster before them, who was still thinking of heading to the deeper regions of the Plagued Lands to further ''train''.

    They were already fortunate enough not to encounter any Elite Plague Monster, yet Shin seemed to be looking for one.

    Even if the three were not afraid to challenge themselves, they still would not blindly charge through such a dangerous place without enough preparation.

    They had already experienced how powerful the monsters in the Awakened Continent were and understood how scary they were.

    Even if they could take on one while teaming up, they were still not confident that they could win if they fought by themselves.

    However, from the tone Shin had, they could tell that he did not put those Elite Monsters in the eyes.

    "Sigh," Exheart shook his head before looking at Shin. "We''ll come with you. How can we improve if we don''t challenge ourselves like you? We can''t afford to be left further behind."

    Bryan and HellBan did not say anything, but the resolution in their eyes reflected that they agreed with his words.

    Shin grinned behind his mask after seeing their expressions, particularly after sensing the strong fighting spirit that they were giving off.

    As they were resting, they suddenly sensed multiple presences coming toward them from a certain direction.

    Raising their heads, they saw a group of players with 15 to 20 members. Their composition was quite good and somewhat balanced.

    But that was not what attracted Shin to them. It was the emblems that they were wearing.

    Further grinning beneath his mask, Shin mumbled. "It looks like the first hunt will be a good one."

    ......