Teammates? Aglaea pondered for a moment. Venturing deep into a city corrupted by an Outer God... In terms of combat strength, with her present, it certainly wouldn't be an issue. As for reconnaissance, her Golden Threads covered an immense area. And as for protection against corruption, that went without saying—she didn't need anyone else's help in this regard; in fact, she could even protect others.
The clothes she wove from Golden Threads possessed incredibly strong protective properties, capable of resisting not only physical attacks but also this kind of spiritual corruption.
Theoretically, among all the Demigods of Okhema, Aglaea was one of the most versatile. Her only potential weakness was a lack of overwhelming frontal assault power. But even that was only in comparison to other Demigods; her direct combat strength was still far superior to that of the mortals from the All Nations Alliance.
However, saying something like, "I don't need teammates; I can handle this alone," felt a bit too arrogant, especially since this was the All Nations Alliance's own territory. It was only proper to let them send someone along. So, after some thought, Aglaea replied with high emotional intelligence, "I need teammates who are highly adaptable."
Though she said "adaptable," what Aglaea really meant was that any kind of teammate would do.
Hearing her words, the councilors in the Crystal Ball seemed to miss the subtext entirely. They exclaimed excitedly, "We have the perfect candidate who meets that exact requirement! We'll arrange it for you immediately!"
Aglaea blinked, a slightly bewildered expression on her face. She couldn't understand why they were so thrilled.
Meanwhile, in another part of the All Nations Alliance, a man wearing sunglasses leaned against a tree trunk, constantly twirling a small knife in his hand. The blade spun so fast it left afterimages, yet his gaze was fixed elsewhere, his attention seemingly far from his hands.
A pair of prominent beast ears stood atop his head, but he had no tail. Suddenly, his ears twitched as a formally dressed official approached him.
The man asked, "So, have you found the teammates I requested?"
In fact, before Aglaea's arrival, this man had been the designated team captain, responsible for selecting his squad members. But now, the plan had changed.
The official replied, "Lord Lucas, there's been a slight change in plans. Um... you're no longer the captain. You'll need to accompany another lord into the corrupted city to investigate and follow their orders."
Lucas froze at the official's words. After a moment of stunned confusion, anger naturally followed. I mean, who wouldn't be furious if this happened to them?
He was supposed to be the captain, and now some random person had been parachuted in above him, and he was expected to take their orders? What a joke!
Lucas snapped, "Then why did you even bother coming to me? Why not just have your new 'expert' handle the mission for you?"
Lucas was incredibly powerful, arguably the strongest Thief-class holder in the entire All Nations Alliance. He even wielded the Rogue's Divine Artifact. However, he wasn't an official Alliance member; he was more of a contractor, hired by the Alliance for specific quests.
The official quickly tried to placate him. "Please, don't be angry, Lord Lucas. The other lord is the Goddess of Romance from Okhema—a true god walking among mortals. She has aided the Alliance several times before, is immensely powerful, and is said to possess beauty rivaling even the Goddess of Love..."
"And... if you continue with this mission, your original payment will be doubled..."
Lucas's demeanor shifted instantly. "Ahem," he coughed. "On second thought, I suddenly feel that working under someone else for a change might not be so bad after all. Lead the way."
-
A day later, Aglaea arrived near the closest corrupted city. Alliance soldiers had already cordoned off the area tightly. She gazed at the lifeless-looking city in the distance and asked, "Is this the place?"
"Yes," Perseus replied from her side, beginning to brief her on the city's situation. "This is Riverside City, with a population of roughly three hundred thousand."
Despite its name, Riverside City wasn't actually located by a river. Instead, it was nestled near the mountains, its primary industries being mining and forging.
As Perseus spoke, another man wearing sunglasses approached. It was Lucas. He had spotted Aglaea from a distance, his face instantly lighting up with awe. Striding forward, he unceremoniously shoved Perseus aside and bowed low.
"I am Lucas of the Dogfolk, also known as The Master Hand. It is my pleasure to serve you~"
Perseus, now pushed to the side, wore a helpless expression. But given Lucas's immense power, he couldn't say anything. Instead, he simply introduced Lucas and his Divine Artifact to Aglaea.
The Master Hand was actually the name of Lucas's Divine Artifact. Its true form was a pair of black, fingerless gloves that granted the wearer unparalleled dexterity.
No matter the weapon, simply holding it granted the wearer instant mastery at the highest level, allowing them to wield it with effortless skill. Furthermore, the gloves enabled the user to pick any lock and disarm any trap. Even if Lucas knew nothing of magic, merely touching a magic circle on the ground would instantly reveal how to quickly dispel it.
In a way, this man truly met Aglaea's requirements. When it came to adaptability, there was likely no one more suitable in the entire Alliance—or perhaps even the world.
Beyond his Divine Artifact, Lucas himself was a Legendary Thief of immense power. To achieve this status, he had even cut off his own tail. As a Dogfolk, not a Catfolk, his fluffy, bushy tail often made noise during stealth missions or shed fur, leaving behind clues.
After severing his tail, his strength plummeted. It took him a long time to adapt, but eventually, he broke through his previous bottleneck and became even stronger.
Hearing this, Aglaea gave a slight nod. She had initially assumed the Alliance had simply assigned her a follower, but now it seemed this teammate might actually be useful.
Aglaea turned her gaze back to the distant city. "In that case, let's move out. Time to see what's really happening in that city."
-
PS: The Rogue is one of the Twelve Main Classes, while the Thief is one of its subclasses—essentially a class advancement.