31: Chapter 31: The Battalion Commander is Actually an Undercover Agent!?
Meanwhile.
In Shimmering City, at the top-floor executive office of the Ling Consortium branch building.
Ling Feng leaned back against the pure black leather chair, a cigar held between his fingertips, still unlit.
His gaze was fixed firmly on the string of golden numbers flickering on the screen.
LV.30.
The adjutant standing in front of the desk had his shirt soaked through with cold sweat, even his breathing deliberately suppressed to the faintest whisper.
"Even if he reached level 30! He couldn't possibly be a match for the Night Owl Squad; how could they have been wiped out?"
Ling Feng's voice was hoarse, breaking the silence.
The adjutant's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.
"Young Master! That Lin Mo is simply not human! He... he faced the damage stacking from millions of Death-Dealing Magic Needle Bees, not only did he not die, but he actually used the Magic Needle Bees to slaughter the entire Night Owl Squad!"
"Shut up!"
Ling Feng slammed his hand heavily onto the table, causing the fine mahogany surface to instantly crack.
He stood up and strode to the holographic projection, bracing his hands on the console, his eyes bloodshot with a dangerous glint.
"As a Blank Slate Warrior, even if he had high-grade armor, its durability should have been depleted by now."
"Those are millions of Magic Needle Bees, not just some wild bees by the roadside."
"And, from level 0 to level 30 in three days?"
Ling Feng sneered. He tossed the cigar onto the table and rubbed his face vigorously.
"The highest-level monsters on the outskirts of Shimmering City are only around level 30. Even if he stood still and let the monsters line up to be slaughtered by him, the total experience from three days wouldn't be enough to get him to that level!"
The adjutant looked up, his voice trembling:
"Then... then how on earth did he do it?"
Ling Feng did not answer.
An incredibly absurd, yet the only logical, guess began to form in his mind.
"A hidden talent."
Ling Feng spat out these four words.
The adjutant was stunned.
"There is only this one possibility."
A trace of extreme greed flashed in Ling Feng's eyes,
"He awakened a second hidden talent, and it's an extremely rare rule-based support talent—increasing the multiplier for gaining experience!"
"Only with massive amounts of experience could he have forced that basic Blocking Talent to a level high enough to ignore hundreds of points of true damage!"
Having figured this out, Ling Feng felt his breathing quicken.
The value of a hidden talent is certainly not comparable to the Kings Selection.
However, to a certain extent, it is in no way inferior to the Kings Selection.
The Alliance Leader's adopted daughter has an absurd hidden talent that can increase monster drop rates.
This talent has brought a massive amount of rare resources to the Alliance, and who knows how many people are watching her with envy.
And now.
This hidden talent of Lin Mo's has appeared.
If used specifically to cultivate a secondary profession, it would likely instantly become a super money-printing machine!
Its value would likely not be inferior to that hidden talent that increases drop rates.
"Young Master, should we immediately mobilize all the peak First Class Advancement experts of The Consortium to set an ambush in Shimmering City..."
"Idiot!" Ling Feng kicked the adjutant, knocking him to the ground. "Do you even have a brain?"
He pointed to the edge of the holographic projection, at the ice-blue figure hidden in the shadows.
"Qin Lan is a Fifth Class Advancement Archmage! Now that she has discovered Lin Mo's value, she will absolutely protect him every step of the way."
"Getting the drop on her last time was one thing, but this time she will definitely be on guard. With the strength of our branch of The Consortium, what could we possibly use to snatch someone from a Fifth Class Advancement expert?"
The adjutant clutched his chest and climbed up:
"Then are we just going to watch him enter the Alliance Headquarters?"
Ling Feng sat back down in his chair, tapping his fingers on the tabletop.
"If you can't swallow it, don't force it; you'll easily break your teeth."
"An interest of this level is no longer something a single branch of the Ling Consortium can swallow."
"Since we can't have it, we might as well sell it for a good price."
Ling Feng opened the communicator on the table and entered a string of commands.
The screen flickered a few times, and a holographic interface without any markings popped up.
On the other end of the interface, it was pitch black, with only the sound of steady breathing audible.
"Ling Feng?"
A low, middle-aged male voice came from the speaker.
"Third Master Zhang, sorry to disturb you late at night, but I have a massive deal I want to discuss with the Zhang family."
Ling Feng lowered his posture, his tone respectful.
"With that little branch of yours in Shimmering City, what kind of massive deal could you possibly have?"
The other party's tone was disdainful.
"What if I told you that I discovered someone who possesses a hidden talent for super-high experience multipliers?"
On the other end of the communication channel, the breathing paused for two seconds.
"What do you want?"
"I want a Level 2 Crown."
"Agreed."
"His name is Lin Mo, a commoner orphan who awakened as a Blank Slate Warrior and reached level 30 in three days."
"Qin Lan is currently protecting him fiercely, and I have absolutely no way to deal with it, but your Zhang family has been rooted in the Alliance for many years and has heaven-reaching means."
"Perhaps there is an opportunity to obtain Lin Mo."
A full half-minute passed before the voice of the one called Third Master Zhang sounded again, carrying a trace of condescending indifference.
"Send over all his information."
The communication cut off.
Ling Feng watched the screen go dark, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Since he couldn't get his hands on it personally, watching the tigers fight from the mountain was not without its own pleasures.
...
At the same time.
Core City, Tianfu District, Zhang family estate.
Inside an ancient palace floating in mid-air.
Third Master Zhang looked at the data report sent over the encrypted channel, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.
Three days, level 30.
To think that little brat Ling Feng actually found something good.
"Go, connect to the dark line in Shimmering City."
Third Master Zhang ordered the shadows behind him.
A moment later, a holographic projection lit up in the center of the ancient palace.
In the image, Battalion Commander Zhang Tianzhen, who had just finished announcing the assessment results in the Hunting Hall, was standing inside his locked office.
He bowed deeply to the screen, not even daring to raise his head.
"Third Master."
"What is the situation with that person named Lin Mo? Has Qin Lan taken him back to Core City?"
Third Master Zhang got straight to the point.
Zhang Tianzhen swallowed, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"Reporting to Third Master, Lin Mo... he intends to go straight to his First Class Advancement."
"Oh?"
Third Master Zhang's tone held a hint of surprise,
"Is this kid in such a rush? Well, it's understandable, given his fast leveling speed."
Zhang Tianzhen took a deep breath and reported what had just happened in the hall truthfully.
"He... he chose to enter the Hell-level Class Advancement Dungeon."
As soon as these words were spoken.
The vast ancient palace fell into dead silence.
Third Master Zhang's hand, holding the teacup, stopped in mid-air; the tea in the cup didn't even ripple.
"Hell-level?"
Third Master Zhang's hawk-like eyes narrowed sharply,
"Are you sure he chose Hell-level?"
"Absolutely certain! Qin Lan tried her best to stop him, but he was headstrong, and his family member Su Xiaoli also agreed."
Zhang Tianzhen hurriedly assured him.
"Hahahaha..."
Third Master Zhang suddenly laughed.
The laughter echoed in the empty ancient palace, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"Truly, there is a path to heaven, but he refuses to take it; there is no door to hell, yet he chooses to throw himself in."
He set the teacup down heavily on the table.
"With Qin Lan protecting him, it is indeed difficult for us to make a move in the outside world. The Alliance's rules are there; no one can openly tear their face off with the Headquarters."
"But a Hell-level Class Advancement Dungeon is a completely independent space fragment!"
"That is a gladiatorial arena for level 30 professionals; Qin Lan, a Fifth Class Advancement mage, cannot enter it at all!"
Zhang Tianzhen flattered him softly on the screen:
"Third Master is brilliant! As long as he enters the dungeon, without the protection of Alliance experts, his pathetic foundation will be nothing but meat on the chopping block."
"Meat?"
Third Master Zhang snorted coldly, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp.
"Do you think this piece of meat is so easy to bite into? If the Alliance is determined to protect him, it won't be easy to touch him even inside the dungeon."
Third Master Zhang stood up and walked into the depths of the palace.
"Notify the Shadow Guards."
"Initiate Plan Number Three."
In the shadows in the corner of the palace, a black figure knelt on one knee.
Third Master Zhang's voice was void of any emotional fluctuation.
"For the entrance anchor point of this Hell-level dungeon, our Zhang family has secured three spots."
"Have Zhang Ling lead the team, and tell him to bring Lin Mo back to me in one piece."
"I want to turn him into a high-level tool exclusively for our Zhang family."