Valulaela's eyes blinked at Alexanders' pleasant voice and respectful glance; he didn't peer down at her deep cleavage or act curious about the strange antennae and fur around her neck, which gave him bonus points for an outsider in her books.

"Very well, various worlds exist in many time axes. Do you understand that these missions are not some hero game? There is a huge chance that you might be sent to a world that has already begun to collapse, and the creatures there will tear you apart in seconds?"

She spoke sternly, trying to let these two newbies know that this wasn't some glorious task like the children in the outer village believed; honestly, she hated to see them become mercenaries when Valulaela could see just how low their levels were.

It was true there were lower levelled words and ranks for the quest, but accidents could always happen, from deceitful clients to jealous peers.

Nothing was guaranteed when entering that wondrous blue portal.

Alex looked into her eyes and could feel her words were not malicious; rather, there was a tinge of concern in her strange distorted voice, her long antennae floating in the air before they swayed around in the air, seeming to display their feelings.

'Well, what a nice receptionist. I was expecting them to not accept us due to being outsiders...'

"Understood, I can accept the dangers, but the reality of our current world is that we need power and strength as much as we can get, no matter the danger and effort needed."

Valulaela found his response satisfactory as she began to go through the various rules and regulations; they were quite simple and close to what you would normally find in novels and manga as Alex and Stella listened intently.

- Don't trick your fellow mercenary

- Although infighting is allowed, murder is frowned upon

- Never take quests above your level or falsify your abilities.

- Like above, never lie about completing a task; the guild can tell if you've completed the mission.

...

The list went on; it seemed that Valulaela simplified the rules and meanings of some of them for the pair so they wouldn't misunderstand or misinterpret them.

Something the pair found strange was there was a rule that said the murder was frowned upon, but if another mercenary stepped on your bottom line, then it was perfectly normal for two people to fight to the death.

Whether over money, women or a reward.

"Now then, onto the ranking system, this would have been introduced to your world in the second wave, but because you managed to find a safe zone, it will become useable for you now."

"Ranking system?" Alex asked curiously, his hands resting on the wooden counter.

Valulaela tapped the desk, her antennae swaying as she leaned forward, a sharp gaze as her eyes glinted with a bright light.

"Mmmm, as mercenaries and warriors, it's important to have a ranking system; this was put into place by the myriad of Prime gods and updates in real-time, no matter where you are, be it here, your world or in a distant galaxy fighting on a mission."

She took a strange black table from under the desk, tapping it several times before turning it around and showing Alex.

Golden text and swirling light began to illuminate as various texts formed; at first, it was in a strange language that looked like complicated swirls and runes, transforming into his known language after a few moments.

[Ranking System]

- Local Ranking (Current World)

- Bronze Ranking (Stage 0-2)

- Silver Ranking (Stages 2-4)

- Gold (Stage 5-7)

- Externa (Stage 8)

- Superbia (Stage 9)

- The Dominatia (???)

The moment Alex focused his vision on each one, he could see millions of names in each category, finding them in a certain rank but unsure what it meant as he began looking for himself and Stella.

It took quite a few moments, but once his thoughts became clear enough, the black slate suddenly changed, showing a different set to text with a magical glow which interested him greatly.

Alexander Damien Faust

- Local Rank: 5975

- Bronze Rank: 460,600

Stellaria Tu Formosa

- Local rank: 6,950

- Bronze Rank: 495,550

Upon seeing them browse their level successfully, Valulaela began to smile. Before tapping the small board several times, small text showed them what this ranking meant.historical

Shockingly, the stage concept had nothing to do with the level and was purely for bloodline cultivation.

Because Stella was a stage 1 vesta rather than her succubus, which was a stage 2 existence being the dominant form of identification, it would help her initially.

Otherwise, she would be sent on missions with Stage 2 existences rather than ones her power level during missions.

"Ohh, there are so many strong people in this world!" Stella marvelled as the man he thought was close to the top was ranked so low, wondering if it counted the zombies and mutants, as most humans could never reach his level so soon, right?

Valulaela tapped the Local Ranking list and then showed the list in greater detail.

Rank 1 - V

Rank 2 - Fei'lan

rank 3 - Bishop Grey

...

...

It was then clear to them that it included the people in the forsaken village and likely the many other safe zones in each town; it wasn't until he reached the 3,000s that strong existence began to show from his planet.

Rank 2,900 - Lenora Salvatore

Rank 2,905 - Lizéra Diabella

Rank 3,200 - Amy Salvatore

Rank 3,201 - Sarah Diabella

"Phew... Thank you for the detailed and clear information Miss Valulaela." Stella and Alex replied, speaking the same words, causing the strange woman to smile.

"Don't worry; my job is to teach newbie mercenaries to avoid losing them in their first mission."

"Also, Valulaela is fine... Calling me miss is a little embarrassing, haha~ now, are you sure you wish to become a mercenary?"

Stella's shining eyes looked towards Alex with an amused look, her hands grasping onto him tightly as she nodded several times before he gave a wry smile and turned back to Valulaela and nodded back to her.

"If possible, we would both like to become dimensional mercenaries. Is there any process we have to do first?"

He felt in novels and games; there would always be a scene where the newbie would fight an instructor a few levels above them to help put them in their place and teach them clearly that they weren't special and were at the bottom of the barrel right now.

"Mmmm, there's just a little test of your current might, although the ranking system is absolute... There are times when someone's rank would be extremely high, but their knack for combat or skills weren't properly trained, and they die to someone in the hundreds due to simple mistakes..."

Thus Valulaela informed them that to be approved, they both must fight and defeat an instructor.

Alex noticed that her face looked a little displeased as she pressed a small button beside her desk; the moment it was pressed, a small humming sounded before a loud jingle in the distance behind her began to emit from the speaker.

Around ten minutes later, a male pushed through the door, his steps filled with confidence as his lustful eyes browsed the room.

This man's name was Mabelon, a male of the same race as Valulaela, who stepped forwards towards her desk, his eyes sliding over every inch of her body while a huge smile filled his lips.

"Ah~ my cute little Valu, you finally called for me? What, have you decided to accept my proposal to become my third wife? I can assure you won't be displeased!"

Mabelon said as he thrust his hips forward; the man wasn't stupid but rather the son of someone important from their original world. Thus she couldn't carelessly offend this little prick, her antennae avoiding his as they tried to attach to her.

"No, I need you to guide some newbies... Be professional, Mabelon."

"Oh?" His distorted voice was unpleasant to the ear, unlike Valulaela's, before he turned his eyes towards the pair.

Immediately ignoring Alex while focusing on Stella, whose body instantly wrapped tightly, covering every inch of her body to hide from this disgusting male, not even showing a mere inch of cleavage as his eyes fixated on her.

"Oh... What a lovely woman, hey... Why are you with an inferior human type? They are much smaller and can never please a woman like we Vamura can, hehe~ it's thick, long and ribbed for our female's pleasure!"

Mabelon's words caused Alex's mood to sour almost instantly; he almost lunged out and tore this man's body apart, feasting on his inferior flesh and blood, wanting to destroy his entire bloodline, before a soft hand grasped his tightened fist.

Stroking gently, Stella leaned against Alex's body, lifting her chin to kiss his cheek with her soft lips, a brief whisper leaving her lips as she stepped forward with graceful and silent steps.

"Don't worry; no man could ever compare to you in my eyes."

"Oh, little lady, did you accept my offer?"

The man's antennae began to sway in delight before her eyes narrowed, the shadow mantle forming countless daggers and tendrils as she spat on the ground before speaking in a rough and violent tone.

"Ah? What's this disgusting dog speaking about? That small thing in your pants isn't even a third of his. Why are you getting all excited like a second-rate villain?"

Stella was angry, filled with disgust; this man angered Alex with not only his careless comments but also her; the pride she held as a succubus felt her choice was challenged; how could a succubus make a mistake when judging a man?

Especially when it came to intercourse and a man's ability to please.

Stella complimented Alex as a man, not to soothe his pride but to reaffirm her own! Her male companion was the most superior in the world, despite him being a little perverted, a molester and an idiot.

He was her idiot!

She began wrapping herself in a thicker, more violent and dreadful mantle of a shadow that made her beautiful face vanish, becoming more gruesome, like a banshee that perfectly suits the scarred face of her partner and his wild look.

"Say, Valuleala, I can kill him, right? He insulted my pride as a succubus and my chosen partner?"

Meanwhile, Alex looked towards the leaving Stella, her figure fearsome, a face no longer pretty and filled with strange scars and black lines, causing all the males in the background to wince and the women to look away, no longer jealous yet to him...

She was beautiful, immaculate and the perfect woman for a ghoul's bride.

"Hahaha, stupid bitch do you think a fresh stage 1 could kill me? I've been a Stage one since you had your first period!"

Stella didn't even listen to this fool's voice; she saw the nod from Valuleala and walked towards the training room, which was pointed out a little earlier.

While Alex's eyes began to scan over the cute beast receptionist, now they knew that her race was Vamura.

His discovery shocked him further; before, it was all hidden, but now, because he had learned more information, her strength caused him to feel a tinge of fear.

Alex wondered why Valuleala would take the bullshit from that male, who was only level 14 and a few spots above Stella on the Ranking List.

Valulaela Aged 1,250 (Vamura)

- Level 500

- Occupation: Blood witch

- Title: Queen of Slaughter, V, Maneater

"Hmmm?"

Valuleala noticed the glow of his eyes again, a slight frown coming to her lips as her figure vanished instantly.

'Eh!?'

Alex only felt a cold palm covering his eyes while another slipped inside his shirt, slipping down his muscles with a slightly cool sensation.

"Peeking at a lady's secrets is rather impolite for such a wonderful gentleman~ be a good boy in future and ask permission, ok?" Her soft voice was no longer distorted but deep and husky as the vibrations sent waves of pleasure down his spine.

'What is this woman!?'

A seductive power countless times greater than even Stella as a succubus with just her voice and tone, slowly her hand reached lower.

"Let me get even and see your secrets and expose your inferiority so.... oh?"

Valulaela planned to embarrass him by taking out his member but found it far bigger than any human and a little bigger and much thicker than the males of her race...

It was shocking for her; the size difference of their race was at least 1 foot, as she stood at 7 feet tall, while Mabelon was 7 feet and 4 inches tall.

'He's quite huge... good boy, big sister will put a mark on you and watch you grow, keep those other bitches from taking my prey.'

It was the first time Alex was on the losing hand. Still, with a woman who was ranked 1 in local power and top 10 of her stage, all he could do was endure as her sharp teeth bit into his flesh, the ghoul infection useless against such a huge difference in power, as she sucked on his neck, before leaving a loud spitting noise.

He felt a burning sensation before the wound rapidly healed but left the imprints of her teeth and fangs on his neck.

Alex had to be marked, not figuratively.

"Come on, let's watch your little girly fighting that man; looking at your power and potential, she will probably try to kill him, right?"

Valuleala's voice was now filled with delight as she pushed him forward towards the training room, while Alex, after his first loss to a woman, only stepped forward in a daze while looking at the new title he had gained.

- Marked by the Queen of Slaughter.

A blessing or curse? Please be careful; the moment you reach a sufficient level, the Vamuran Noble might drag you into a dark corridor or road and violate you until your hips are turned into dust, even more for the Queen of Slaughter...

Good luck!

All Attributes + 1

Growth Increased +1