Precedence System: I Take My Rewards In Advance

Commander Holtz’s return to the medical station immediately caught Zishan’s attention while he was still sitting beside Ollie and pretending that every piece of information the little boy had given him was something he already knew.

Zishan looked up when several soldiers entered through the damaged barricade, causing the people nearby to move aside. Commander Holtz walked at the front, carrying a massive sword sheathed at his side. The weapon alone was large enough to make Zishan wonder how the man moved with it so casually. Dirt and dried mud covered parts of his armor, and a long cut marked one of his shoulder plates, but aside from that, he looked surprisingly composed for someone who had just returned from the eastern battlefield.

Zishan stopped sorting the supplies and watched him approach the medical station. ’The boss is back.’

Maela had already noticed Commander Holtz as well. She left the group of healers she had been helping and immediately approached him before he could even enter one of the tents. The two began talking quietly, with Maela pointing toward the ruined parts of the medical station several times before eventually pointing directly at Zishan.

His expression immediately became suspicious. ”Why is she pointing at me?”

Ollie followed his gaze. ”Maybe Healer Maela is telling Commander Holtz what happened with the Griffin.”

”Honestly, that’s what worries me!”

Zishan quickly returned to sorting the supplies. His back was sweating so much that he felt something could go wrong at any moment. ’Please... please ignore my existence... I’m just a mere medical student who wants—fuck!’

A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, and Zishan fell to the ground butt-first. ’Don’t jump-scare me out of nowhere!’

Then, he looked up. He felt so lucky he did not open his mouth to blurt out whatever was in his mind. Otherwise, he’d probably be dead by now.

Commander Holtz stared down at him. ”Walker. Come with me.”

The commander pointed toward the open ground behind the medical station before turning around and walking away without explaining anything else.

Zishan remained on the ground for several seconds before he tried to stand up.

”...”

”Why did that sound like I was about to be punished? Shouldn’t I be rewarded for my valiance instead?!”

Zishan reluctantly stood up and followed Commander Holtz while Maela came after them. Ollie wanted to follow too, although Maela quickly told him to stay near the edge of the open ground and not get involved in whatever was about to happen.

It was as though she knew something Zishan didn’t.

The area behind the medical station had apparently been used for supply wagons before the attack. Deep wheel tracks crossed the dirt, although most of the wagons had already been moved away, leaving enough open space for several people to move around without crashing into anything.

Commander Holtz stopped near the center and turned around.

Zishan looked at him, then at Maela, then at several soldiers who had also followed them outside.

Something was trying to send him bad signals. He did not like the feeling as it made his heart pump faster.

”C-Commander, if this is about the Griffin, I would like to say that most of the damage happened before I started fighting her. Also, anything involving the piece of wood was done for tactical reasons...”

Commander Holtz ignored that completely and reached toward one of the soldiers beside him. The soldier handed him a sheathed sword, which the commander immediately threw toward Zishan.

’F-FUCK! What does he want me to do?!’

He barely caught it against his chest before it fell.

Zishan stared at the weapon, then looked at Commander Holtz again. ”What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”

”I’m going to assess you personally.”

The answer made Zishan’s eyes narrow, his heart beating faster again. ”Assess me how?”

Commander Holtz slowly drew his own sword.

Zishan immediately understood and said, ”No.”

”You fought a Level 50 Griffin.”

”That doesn’t mean I suddenly developed an interest in getting beaten by a commander!”

Maela sighed from the side. ”Kid, just cooperate. He needs to know what you’re capable of before deciding where to assign you.”

Zishan turned toward her in disbelief. ”You said you’d talk to him! You didn’t say you’d convince him to kill me!”

”I’m not going to kill you,” Commander Holtz quickly defended himself.

”Yeah, right!”

However, Commander Holtz did not respond. Mana had already begun gathering around his sword, forming such a thin layer across the blade that Zishan almost failed to notice it at first.

His joking expression slowly disappeared.

Something was wrong.

He had already seen powerful beings since arriving in Cyrune. Maela was Level 155, and the Griffin had been Level 50, but the feeling coming from Commander Holtz was completely different. The man was not even releasing much Mana, yet Zishan’s body was already telling him that standing this close was a terrible idea.

’Appraisal.’

Before the Skill could properly activate, the familiar sound rang inside his head.

[DING!]

The familiar greenish System panel immediately appeared.

[EMERGENCY QUEST]

[Survive Commander Holtz’s Combat Assessment!]

[Objective: Remain conscious and capable of continuing until Commander Holtz concludes the assessment.]

[Target: Commander Holtz]

[Target Level: 700]

[Target Ascent: Seventh Ascent]

[Magic Professions: Magic Swordsman; Necromancer]

[Host Level: 10]

[Completion Possibility: 0.18%]

Zishan’s eyes stopped moving, his mouth agape.

Then, he looked toward Maela, his face making it seem like she had personally wronged him.

”You fucking lied to me,” Zishan said slowly in a low voice.

Maela frowned. ”What? Stop cursing me, you brat!”

Zishan wanted to throw the sword at Maela so much. ”You said he was around Level 500! AHHHHHH!!!”

”I said I didn’t know his exact Level! I only estimated it! Can’t you even tell the difference betwee—”

”HE’S LEVEL 700!”

Maela’s expression immediately changed.

Several soldiers nearby also looked toward Commander Holtz.

The commander remained calm. ”I completed my Seventh Ascent at the eastern front earlier today. I didn’t know you could see through me with your Appraisal Skill. You truly are a wonder, kid.”

Zishan stared at him as though the man had just casually informed him that he had learned how to punch mountains. ”Earlier today?!”

”Yes.”

”AND YOU DECIDED TO COME BACK HERE AND TEST IT ON ME?! ARE YOU NUTS?”

Everyone looked at Zishan like he was some crazy brat who wanted to die. He was calling Commander Holtz nuts! Murmurs from the crowd spread as the soldiers themselves felt incensed because some brat casually insulted their commander.

”I’m suppressing myself,” Commander Holtz replied.

”THAT DOESN’T MAKE ME FEEL BETTER AT ALL!”

Then, Zishan looked back at the Quest.

[Completion Possibility: 0.18%]

He had received a higher completion possibility while running through an enemy battlefield at Level 1. ’Dumb System, are you fucking serious?’

[The System does not have the capacity to be unserious, Dumb Host.]

’You’ve been unserious all the time—’ Then, he remembered he was about to enter into a fight with the commander himself. ’—Wait! That’s not even my point! He’s supposed to be holding back, and this was the completion possibility even when he’s holding back? Are you dead serious right now?!’

[Commander Holtz’s suppressed capability remains overwhelmingly above the Dumb Host’s current Level.]

’Then why did you give me the Quest?!’

The rewards appeared before the System could answer.