19: Chapter 19

19

If it were any other category, he might have needed to deliberate, but when it came to speed—he possessed unquestionable confidence.

"As long as you confirm you're ready, I'll start it immediately."

The staff member replied.

"I'm ready."

Jiang Haojie's answer was concise and straightforward.

The staff member said no more and pressed the control button.

Almost at the same instant, his vision blurred, as if a wisp of light breeze had swept past the edge of his sight.

By the time he focused his eyes again, the test was already over.

The result, without any suspense, froze at the highest rating: SSS.

The staff member registered the result in the logbook with near numbness, then pointed to the other side of the room: "The final item is the level determination; the process is very simple.

Just place your palm against this stone pillar; there are no specific standards."

---

When Jiang Haojie left the testing room, his treatment was slightly different from the others—he was personally escorted out by the staff member.

"Please give this copy to the receptionist; she will guide you through the subsequent registration."

The staff member handed a sheet of paper recording the test results to Jiang Haojie.

Jiang Haojie nodded, took it, and returned to the reception hall.

The woman at the front desk took the paper, and as her gaze swept over the ratings on it, a flicker of irrepressible astonishment flashed in her eyes.

She hadn't expected that this visitor, who had worn a mask the entire time, would not only pass the assessment but even reach that legendary highest rank.

"Please wait a moment, I will arrange your registration immediately."

After bowing to Jiang Haojie, she quickly picked up a nearby communicator and spoke in a low voice.

A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed in a dark suit with a solemn expression walked over with steady steps. "Hello, sir.

I am the President of the Longcheng Bounty Guild, Liu Jinglong.

Please follow me."

His attitude was respectful yet composed.

Jiang Haojie glanced at the front desk, and seeing the woman nod slightly, he followed Liu Jinglong away.

The two entered a minimally furnished room containing only a shimmering terminal device, its screen displaying a blank electronic registration form.

"You only need to input your personal information here,"

Liu Jinglong explained gently from the side, "Once submitted, the file will be automatically encrypted and archived.

At that point, your data will receive high-level protection."

Jiang Haojie pondered for a moment and asked, "With my test rank, who has the right to access my file?"

If high-ranking personnel could browse it at will, then this rating would lose its meaning.

"Please rest assured,"

Liu Jinglong immediately responded, "Your file has been marked as SSS-level top secret.

Aside from the core committee members at headquarters, no one has the authority to view it."

Having received a definitive answer, Liu Jinglong exited the room at the appropriate time.

Jiang Haojie faced the screen alone and began to fill in the items one by one: real name, Awakened talent, ability details, current address... The final step required facial recognition authentication.

He looked around to confirm there were no hidden surveillance devices in the room, then slowly removed the mask that had always covered his face.

Once all information was entered, he pressed the confirmation button.

The screen went dark briefly, then a line of clear silver text appeared:

[Encrypted Archiving Complete.]

The printer hummed, spitting out a form with the same file number as his.

Jiang Haojie took a pen and wrote the codename "X" in the designated spot

along with the rank "First-Order"

.

After filling it out, he pushed open the door and stepped out; Liu Jinglong was still waiting outside.

"Just give the form to me, sir.

The badge is being manufactured, please wait a moment."

Liu Jinglong said as he took the paper.

Jiang Haojie nodded in response; these procedures were foreign to him, so he simply followed along.

While waiting for the badge, Jiang Haojie paced into the hall.

There was a fair amount of foot traffic within the Bounty Guild, but fortunately, the space was vast and didn't feel crowded.

The four walls were covered in detailed regulations, and behind the front desk hung a massive scrolling light screen where various mission entries flowed like water.

He stopped to watch for a while until Liu Jinglong returned, holding a silver-gray badge in his palm.

"Your badge, sir."

Liu Jinglong handed over the badge, "Since this is your first time registering, your current rank is F-rank Bounty Hunter.

The hunter rank system is identical to the Awakened talent ratings, ranging from F to SSS, and will gradually increase based on your mission completion rate."

"In other words, I can accept missions now?"

Jiang Haojie took the badge and flipped it between his fingers to examine it.

The badge was cast from some unknown crystal; it felt cool to the touch and had a hard texture.

"Correct.

Present your badge when taking a mission, and the system will automatically register it.

Once completed, bring the badge to the front desk for verification to receive the corresponding reward."

Jiang Haojie pondered slightly: "If I take a mission in Longcheng, can I redeem the reward in other towns?"

"The Bounty Guild operates nationwide, so naturally, you can."

Liu Jinglong replied with a smile, "Would you like to check the missions now, sir?"

"I'll take another look."

"At your service at any time.

This is my contact information."

Liu Jinglong handed over a business card, then bowed and left.

Jiang Haojie put away the card and lingered in the hall for a while longer before intending to leave.

At that moment, a shout caught his attention—

"Mission party, recruiting Support System Awakened!"

Looking toward the sound, several young people were standing by the guild entrance; the shout had come from them.

Jiang Haojie was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected that missions were allowed to be completed collaboratively.

He had originally thought they were all solo endeavors; driven by curiosity, he walked toward those people.

At the same time, Liu Jinglong returned to his office and immediately dialed his superior's communicator.

The appearance of an SSS-rated peerless genius in the Longcheng branch was something that had to be reported immediately.

The call was quickly connected, and Liu Jinglong reported everything about Jiang Haojie in a low voice.

In Liu Jinglong's ear, the voice on the phone was steady and carried an unquestionable weight: "Old Liu, this person must be kept under our eyes. Lend a hand when necessary, but also observe carefully to see what his character is truly like—you understand what I mean."

"Understood."

Liu Jinglong replied, "Don't worry, leader, I know what to do."

He paused, then tentatively spoke: "Then... do we need to investigate..."

Before he could finish, he was decisively cut off by the other end.

"No need."

The tone on the phone was categorical, "Since he intends to hide his identity, he doesn't want to be pried into.

As long as he isn't a heinous villain, we shouldn't take the initiative to lift that veil."

"Yes."

Liu Jinglong said no more.

He knew that the mysterious "X"

had already entered the vision of the high-ranking officials.

Existences that could be categorized into "SSS"

level files were few and far between in the entire Bounty Guild, and every one of them was now a titan that commanded an entire region.

If Longcheng could also welcome such a figure, the future landscape might be completely rewritten.

Thinking of this, Liu Jinglong's heart couldn't help but beat a bit faster.

Meanwhile, Jiang Haojie stood at the edge of the noisy crowd, piecing together the general idea from fragments of conversation.

The so-called "mission party"

was simply a way for hunters who had taken a mission but were unable to handle it alone, or were short-staffed, to temporarily recruit companions for cooperation.

After the job was done, the reward would be distributed according to a pre-agreed share.

To put it bluntly, it was each taking what they needed for mutual benefit.

These types of temporary partnerships had fairly fair surface rules; blatant betrayals weren't common—after all, once a reputation was ruined, it would be difficult to establish oneself in this circle again.

Besides these loose combinations, there were also fixed teams that collaborated long-term, advancing and retreating together.

"Grouping up, missing one Earth-type Psionic!"

Another recruitment shout rang out nearby.

The people around had long grown accustomed to this.

Jiang Haojie didn't stay, turning toward the mission hall.

"Friend, please wait a moment."

A voice called out to him from the side and rear.

Jiang Haojie stopped and looked back.

The one who called him was an ordinary-looking young man of medium height, appearing no more than twenty years old. The faint energy fluctuations emanating from him showed he was already a Second-Order Awakener.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hello, my name is Li Liwei."

The youth put on a smile and proactively extended his hand, "It looks like you're also searching for a suitable mission. Want to consider going together? We can look out for each other."

"Not interested."

Jiang Haojie shook his head and, without further word, walked straight into the hall.

Although he had been a Bounty Hunter for a short time, it didn't mean he lacked vigilance.

A stranger who didn't ask about his abilities or background and rashly came forward with an invitation—if there wasn't something fishy about it, it would actually be suspicious.

Li Liwei stood in place, watching Jiang Haojie's back as he disappeared through the door, his brow gradually furrowing.

"He didn't agree?"

A young man with yellow hair and shifty eyes approached and asked.

A cold sneer curled the corner of Li Liwei's mouth: "No rush, follow him first.

The things I set my sights on will fall into my hands sooner or later."

...

Jiang Haojie stepped out of the Bounty Guild's main entrance.

The mission had been accepted; now it was time to complete it.

The content wasn't complicated: collect the intact pelts of fifty First-Order Snow Foxes, without serious damage—this single requirement, however, gave many hunters a headache.

But for Jiang Haojie, this really wasn't a difficult task.

He didn't need to use anything else; that one move, the "Lions Roar Technique,"

would be enough to make the prey fall without visible wounds.

It was just that Snow Foxes had long since gone extinct in the safe living areas; to gather enough, he could only head to the Fallen Zone.

The so-called Fallen Zone had also been part of the national territory three hundred years ago.

After the spiritual qi recovery, demonic creatures ran rampant, and large areas of towns were lost one after another. They had yet to be reclaimed and gradually became nests for beasts and monsters.

Jiang Haojie hailed a car on the roadside and went straight toward the outskirts.

In the rearview mirror, several shadows followed at a distance.

The outskirts were not the destination.

To go to the Fallen Zone, one still had to pass through the defense zone established by the military.

High walls, electric fences, and guard posts stretched on endlessly, with armed soldiers patrolling day and night to isolate the roars of demonic creatures from human settlements.

Jiang Haojie stopped in front of a checkpoint.

Anyone entering the Fallen Zone from the living area had to register here; otherwise, once discovered, they would be treated as having crossed the border illegally.

He handed over his Bounty Hunter badge and mission credentials. The soldier took a glance, made a few simple notes in the ledger, and waved him through.

This was a hunter's privilege—those holding a mission order could pass through quickly.

If it were an ordinary Awakened, there would be no shortage of questioning.

Stepping through the final iron gate, the smell of rust mixed with humus rushed at him.

In the distance, the long howls of unknown beasts could be heard faintly.

After three hundred years of wind and rain erosion, the outlines of the old towns had not completely vanished, but most of the buildings had collapsed. Wild vines and giant trees grew vigorously from the cracks, swallowing the traces of civilization into the wilderness.

Just as he entered this area, the hair on the back of Jiang Haojie's neck stood up slightly.

That was the body's instinctive alertness to danger.

Here, even a powerhouse several orders higher than him wouldn't dare say they could roam unimpeded.

He lightened his steps, his gaze sweeping over the wild grass and ruined walls, searching for that flash of snowy white shadow.

He walked for a long time but didn't find even a trace of a demonic creature—of course, this was also because he hadn't yet gone deep into the heart of the area.

Fortunately, the mission deadline was a full month.

Time was still sufficient.

Time was running out, and the mission weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Jiang Haojie lingered at the edge of the area for a moment before finally deciding to probe deeper.

Just after entering, a faint hissing sound pierced the silence.

A snake with a faint blue luster all over its body wound out from the shadows, its scales glinting coldly in the dim light.

This was a zero-order Blue-Scaled Snake; its venom was potent, and although its attack wasn't powerful, it was enough to be fatal.

With a slight thought, a blade shaped like a mantis's forearm appeared in Jiang Haojie's hand.

His figure suddenly blurred, turning into an afterimage of a passing gale.

The Blue-Scaled Snake didn't even have time to raise its head before a cold flash gleamed, and the snake's head separated from its body, silently rolling to the ground.

At almost the same moment, in another area.

Li Liwei led several people into these ruins.

A thin youth with hair dyed a withered-grass yellow and shifty eyes approached: "Boss, where do we start?"

The others also cast their gazes over, their faces filled with an urgent desire for extra harvest.

Li Liwei's expression was solemn, and he lowered his voice to describe again: "The target is about 1.8 meters tall, wearing a deep blue tracksuit, and has a silver-white mask on his face—the mask has a clear spider pattern.

Your task is to find him. Once discovered, send a signal immediately; everyone must assemble at the first moment."

A youth with a hideous scar across his face spoke coldly: "Rules as usual?"