Crossover anime, and you call this a slice-of-life story?

A certain hidden powerhouse likes to lie in wait for geniuses like the protagonist in places like taverns and guilds.

Although he knew the answer, he still didn't intend to expose the other party and raised the necessary questions, "Grandpa, we may be facing near-third-tier magical beasts next, which is no joke."

Old John chuckled, stretched out his calloused hand, and casually pressed it lightly on the corner of a heavy solid wood table next to him.

No sound was made, but when he removed his hand, a clear, smooth handprint was left on the corner of the table, as if the hard wood were made of tofu.

"!" The passersby's pupils contracted.

This mastery of power was beyond their comprehension.

Even Kirishima Ayato's kagune pierced through the shield by relying on extremely high speed and penetrating power, while the old man's move was to concentrate power to the extreme, silent and yet even more terrifying.

Baron, an experienced shield warrior, also looked solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency... has such strong control."

He was already a Knight of the Earth, yet he knew he could never do it, and couldn't even understand how it was possible.

Hachiman's mind raced.

This old man was indeed extraordinary; his strength was even far superior to theirs.

What was his purpose in volunteering to join? Or did he have ulterior motives because he saw their special qualities?

But he didn't sense any malice from the other party's actions and eyes.

Even if they harbor ill intentions, it doesn't matter, because they have the trump card that Senior Shangguan gave them to protect their lives.

At worst, they could just ask for help. I believe that no matter how capable this old man is, he would have to kneel before Senior Shangguan!

Weighing the pros and cons, having such an unfathomable and powerful figure in the team would undoubtedly greatly increase safety, and they would also be able to learn a lot from him.

As for the other party's purpose, it doesn't matter.

Senior Shangguan is invincible, do as you please.

"Welcome, Mr. John."

Hachiman Hikigaya made his decision and extended his hand. "I am Hachiman Hikigaya, this is Kaito Kuroba, Ayato Kirishima, and Rina."

Hearing Hachiman Hikigaya introduce himself, Lina felt grateful and politely bowed to the old man, emphasizing courtesy.

Old John—or rather, Sword Saint John—smiled and shook Hachiman's hand: "Just call me Old John, Captain."

Thus, a temporary six-person team was officially formed, consisting of three "visitors from another world," a novice healer, a Saint-level expert hiding his identity, and a shield warrior named Baron who finally mustered the courage to join.

If word got out about the composition of this team, it would be enough to shock people throughout Ironforge and even the wider region.

With the addition of a few more people, the trio turned their attention back to the task board and quickly identified a suitable task.

Chapter 286 Battle in the Mandrill Cave

[Eliminate the horde of ferocious mandrills]

Rank: A+ (Recommended for elite teams with full equipment and at least the strength of Earth Knights)

Location: Broken Tooth Valley, west of Ironforge and on the outskirts of Black Forest.

Objective: To eliminate a group of approximately ten to fifteen ferocious mandrills led by a near-Tier 3 'mandrill leader'. This group has recently been frequently attacking villages at the foot of the mountain, causing numerous casualties.

Intelligence: The mandrill leader is incredibly powerful, approaching Tier 3. He possesses thick hide and astonishing strength, and his destructive power increases exponentially in a berserk state. Ordinary mandrills are at the peak of Tier 1 to the early stage of Tier 2, agile, and adept at climbing and throwing rocks.

Reward: 100 gold coins, and the adventurer will keep the mandrill leader's fangs and pelt.

"A mandrill leader approaching level three..." Lina looked at the mission description, her little face showing some nervousness.

Baron was also shocked. Although he saw that the others were quite strong, he was still a little worried, since he was the one responsible for taking the damage.

He couldn't withstand the damage from the mandrill leader...

"This is the highest-level quest in Ironforge, and no one has ever dared to take it."

Lina's face turned pale, and she hugged the staff tightly.

That's natural. The strongest city lord in Ironforge was only at the peak of the second tier, just like the mandrill leader. Naturally, no one dared to take on this doomed mission.

"An A-level mission... that's a good opportunity to test our teamwork."

Hachiman looked at John, "John, what do you think?"

He naturally didn't address the other person as Old John, showing basic respect for the strong and the elders.

John, however, seemed indifferent, yawning and saying, "You guys decide. This old man is just lending a hand."

These trash monsters, which aren't even tier three, wouldn't even qualify for a D-rank mission in their empire.

Ultimately, the five-person team accepted this A-level mission.

There wasn't anything I needed to prepare; the main problem was that I didn't have any money and couldn't afford anything.

Under the complex and incomprehensible gazes of the adventurers in the guild, the five-person team left Ironforge and headed west into the Black Forest.

Broken Tooth Pass is half a day's journey from Ironforge.

Throughout the journey, John behaved like an experienced but "mediocre" old adventurer, occasionally giving Lina pointers on how to more effectively condense magic, or chatting with Kaito Kuroba about tips on tracking in the wild and utilizing the environment.

His words, though seemingly casual, often hit the nail on the head, giving Lina a lot to learn.

Kaito Kuroba found the several dodging techniques he mentioned quite useful.

Hachiman, on the other hand, had been secretly observing John and found the old man increasingly unfathomable.

His seemingly casual steps always allowed him to precisely avoid the pebbles and vines on the ground, as if he had some kind of wonderful resonance with his surroundings.

Kirishima Ayato remained silent, but he would keenly look back at John's occasional probing gaze, a barely perceptible wariness flashing deep in his ghoul eyes.

He could clearly sense that the old man possessed immense power.

But having been tormented by Gin, he was clearly not afraid of his opponent.

Lena followed cautiously in the middle of the group, trying her best to remember the knowledge John imparted, while feeling both excited and nervous about joining such a "powerful" team.

As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, stained the jagged rocks of Broken Tooth Mountain with a dark red hue.

The team reached the outer edge of the valley.

The terrain here was indeed treacherous, with piles of rocks, crooked dead trees, and a strong, pungent, and putrid stench in the air, clearly the location of the mandrill's lair.

"We should be approaching the mandrill's range soon," Baron, with his adventurous experience, whispered a reminder, his eyes scanning the surroundings with practiced ease, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

Lina gripped her staff tightly, whispering a prayer. A faint, aquamarine aura emanated from her, ready to cast protective or healing spells at any moment.

John remained as languid as ever, even pulling out a gourd from somewhere and taking a leisurely sip. But his seemingly cloudy eyes, like the most sophisticated detection instruments, had already clearly seen the restless, violent figures lurking behind the rocks and in the bushes in the distance.

"Three behind the rocks to the left, five in the bushes to the upper right, and... well, that big guy is hiding in the biggest cave in the back; its aura is definitely close to the third tier." John reported the distribution of the mandrills in a voice that only the few people around him could hear, as if it were a casual conversation.

Hachiman was shocked. They hadn't even fully entered the ravine, and John had already gathered such a thorough understanding of the enemy's situation! This old man was indeed extraordinary.

"Notice!"

Kaito Kuroba issued a warning.

Almost simultaneously—

"Roar--!"

A wild and violent roar erupted from the depths of the mountain valley, like a bugle call to attack!

Immediately afterwards, more sharp roars of mandrills rang out from all directions, and countless rocks of different sizes poured down on them like a storm from behind the high rocks and treetops!

The battle erupted instantly!

"Water Shield!"

Lina didn't stand there dumbfounded like a clueless novice as one might expect. Instead, she quickly conjured a shield with water magic, blocking the impact of several pebbles.

Hachiman let out a low shout and moved in a flash, advancing instead of retreating, to meet a millstone boulder that was hurtling toward Lina's head.

He didn't use his kagune for the time being, but instead clenched his right fist and threw a punch!

"Oh!"

With a dull, loud thud, the millstone-sized rock was shattered into pieces by his punch, sending fragments flying everywhere!

Hachiman only felt a slight numbness in his arm, but was not injured.

At the same time, Baron raised his shield high in front of everyone, and the clanging sound was incessant.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Kirishima Ayato's kagune unfolded once more, dozens of dark red kagune crystals shooting precisely at the most ferocious mountain demons that were hurling stones, like a deadly swarm of bees!

Screams rang out immediately as several mandrills that couldn't dodge in time had their skulls or hearts pierced and plummeted from the height.

However, the number of mandrills was actually more than the dozen or so mentioned in the mission, and they were extremely cunning.

They utilize the complex terrain to launch attacks from blind spots at extremely high speeds.

"Watch out from the side!"

Baron roared and raised his tower shield to deflect the claws of a second-tier mountain demon that pounced from the side. The immense force made his arm sink.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

The three-headed mandrill, which was exceptionally robust and clearly a mid-stage Tier 2, emerged from a dense thicket like a ghost and charged in a triangular formation towards Lina, who looked the "weakest" in the group, and Old John, who seemed the easiest to bully!

They are incredibly fast, their claws are sharp and fierce, and they are about to succeed!

"Watch out!" Kaito Kuroba was a bit far away and didn't think about whether John would make a move. In order to prevent the healer in the team from getting hurt, he had no choice but to use his kagune!

"Sizzle—!"

With a soft tearing sound, four dark red, serpentine tentacles suddenly burst out from his spine!

The edges of the scales gleamed with a metallic cold light, instantly sweeping towards the three mountain demons that had launched a sneak attack!

This sudden change surprised everyone except for Hachiman Hikigaya and Aya Kirishima!

Chapter 287 Rejecting the Sword Saint's Recruitment

John's cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he was deeply shocked: "Another power form I've never seen before! Just who are these three little guys?!"

His desire to recruit the three men grew stronger.

In the blink of an eye, Kaito Kuroba's Regalia seemed to come alive, flexibly wrapping, whipping, and piercing!

A mandrill was tightly bound by the Scaled Blood, the sound of bones cracking was sickening.

One end was pierced through the chest by the tip of the Scaled Blade, which was like a spear. The last end was slammed away by a powerful blow, crashing into a rock and breaking its bones!

Instantly annihilating three second-tier mountain demons! The destructive power and eeriness of the Scaledak are in no way inferior to Kirishima Ayato's Feathered Kagami!

"Well done, Kaito!"

Hikigaya gave a thumbs-up, and at the same time, his figure flashed, cooperating with Kirishima Ayato's long-range firepower to quickly take down the other mandrills that tried to approach.

Lina stared at the slowly retracting, chilling dark purple tentacles behind Kaito Kuroba. Her face turned pale, but she felt more relieved to have survived a disaster and shocked by her companion's strength.

Baron gasped in shock!

"Roar!!!"

Just as the ordinary mandrills were being swiftly wiped out, an even more ferocious and furious roar came from the cave!

The ground trembled slightly, and an enormous figure charged out like a heavy tank!

It was that mandrill leader who was close to the third rank!

It was over three meters tall, with bulging muscles, fur as sharp as steel needles, and a pair of scarlet eyes filled with madness and a bloodthirsty desire.

It held a thick, blood-stained spiked club in its hand, emanating a nauseating stench of blood.

The mandrill leader's gaze was fixed on the three who had just displayed their might, clearly regarding them as the greatest threat.

It roared, ignoring everyone else, and charged towards the two of them with heavy strides, like a small mountain!

With each step, a deep footprint was left on the ground, creating an awe-inspiring sight!

"It's here! The big guy is here!" Baron's expression was solemn as he raised his tower shield, preparing to meet the onslaught.

Hachiman's eyes narrowed, his body tensed, and he prepared to clash with this behemoth.

Kirishima Ayato unleashed a barrage of kagune crystals, shooting them like bullets towards the mandrill leader's face and eyes, forcing it to swing its spiked club to block, which slowed its speed slightly.

Kaito Kuroba, like a nimble cheetah, moved at high speed around the mandrill leader, supported by his kraken and his own agility. His kraken was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, constantly probing and attacking its vulnerable parts such as ankles and knees.