Chapter Thirteen: Who Is It? Application to Join the Team

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“Pick any weapon you like.”

Tie Tu spoke casually, as though he did not care in the slightest about the equipment stored in the warehouse.

“This won’t cost me anything, will it?” Mi Chen asked tentatively.

“Hmph. What kind of person do you take me for?”

“Take whatever you want from this warehouse. I made most of it in my spare time anyway. It isn’t worth much!”

That was what he claimed.

But Mi Chen could tell that every weapon in the warehouse was a finely crafted piece, forged with considerable care.

It was only that most of them had unusual designs, brimming with novel ideas, and their forms were somewhat bizarre.

Mi Chen picked up a short sword.

The blade was no more than forty centimeters long. Its edges were sharp, but its tip was cylindrical.

The guard resembled the mechanism of a revolver, and a trigger was mounted on the hilt.

“The prototype for this sword was the Arcane Blast Gun.”

Arcane Blast Guns were special weapons developed long ago, shortly after the secret realms descended upon Earth. Humanity had created them to combat the monsters pouring out of those realms.

Conventional firearms inflicted limited damage on monsters. So people used mana-compression technology to install mana canisters in their weapons and detonate them at close range, killing the monsters. It was a common method in those days.

Though immensely powerful, such weapons also inflicted considerable harm on their users.

They killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of their own.

Once mana awakeners began to appear, weapons of this kind were quickly rendered obsolete.

Mi Chen had heard of the destructive power of Arcane Blast Guns, and he was curious about what this sword could do.

“You can give it a try.” Tie Tu gestured for him to pull the trigger.

There were two triggers. The upper one rotated the cylinder; the lower one activated the weapon.

Mi Chen pulled the lower trigger.

The hammer struck the cylinder, and a bone-chilling surge of mana erupted in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the short sword transformed into a razor-sharp rapier condensed from icy mana.

Mi Chen then tried the upper trigger.

This time, golden-yellow electricity burst forth.

The current intertwined like a soft yet deadly whip.

Tie Tu explained, “Each chamber contains mana materials of a different attribute. The hammer was specially forged to activate those materials. Through the sword itself—in other words, the mana-conducting structure—they transform into weapons of different forms.”

“Let me have it for a moment.”

Mi Chen handed the sword to Tie Tu.

Tie Tu walked over to a boulder nearby.

He raised the sword and swung it rapidly at the stone.

Boom!

Furious currents exploded across the boulder.

Tie Tu wore a smug expression. “Didn’t see that coming, did you? This is the sword’s true purpose.”

But once the current detonated, smoke began to pour from the entire sword as a result of the overload.

The cylinder popped out, and the mana material inside had been reduced to black, charred dregs.

Its power was indeed impressive—but it was essentially a single-use weapon.

Tie Tu had not said so outright, but that was the weapon’s most fatal flaw.

Every attack consumed one mana material, and even after that, the weapon required time to cool down.

The sword was doomed to remain unsuitable for regular use.

It was hardly strange that it had ended up gathering dust in the warehouse.

Mi Chen looked around, searching for any other equipment that might prove useful.

That was when he noticed a dark-red longsword resting atop a cabinet.

He had just reached up to take it down when Tie Tu warned him from behind, “Careful!”

The instant Mi Chen’s hand closed around the hilt, several sharp barbs suddenly sprang from it and pierced through his palm. Blood gushed forth.

Yet something strange happened.

The blood did not fall to the ground. Instead, the sword greedily absorbed it.

The bizarre sight startled Mi Chen.

He endured the pain and asked in confusion, “What is this...?”

“This is the Bloodthirster.”

“The Bloodthirster? Isn’t that the signature weapon of Tu He, the Blood Lord?” Mi Chen asked.

Tu He, the Blood Lord, was one of the world’s foremost seven-star hunters and the guildmaster of the enormous Red Citadel Guild. He was not only a master swordsman, but also proficient with every kind of weapon.

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There was a video of him online. At the time, Tu He had been merely a five-star hunter, fighting a six-star hunter.

With swordsmanship so superb it seemed almost supernatural, he had completely suppressed his opponent.

Mi Chen had watched that video over and over again, hoping to learn from the techniques displayed within it.

The Bloodthirster in his hand bore several similarities to Tu He’s weapon.

Could it be a replica?

“This is no replica,” Tie Tu said. “The one in your hand is the original prototype I forged.”

“Hmph! Those bastards at Dashen Industries stole my idea. That is how they developed Tu He’s weapon.”

Tie Tu admitted, “But a prototype is still only a prototype. This sword has plenty of flaws, and I eventually lost interest in continuing my research. If you insist on comparing them, Tu He’s current Bloodthirster might even be more powerful.”

With Tu He’s wealth, combined with the technology and manpower of Dashen Industries, the Bloodthirster had undergone constant upgrades and iterations. It was long since become a completely different weapon.

Tie Tu’s opinion was not without reason.

“I’ll take this sword!”

Tie Tu looked surprised. “Hm? Are you sure?”

“This sword has defects. I suggest you look around a little more.”

“Look, there’s another one over there. It’s somewhat ordinary, but it’s far more powerful than a standard enchanted longsword.”

Mi Chen shook his head, his decision already made. “No. I want this one.”

Seeing that he could not persuade him, Tie Tu could not be bothered to argue further.

“Suit yourself.”

“But if something goes wrong later, don’t blame me.”

Mi Chen was delighted to have a new weapon.

He drew the Bloodthirster.

Its scarlet blade gleamed with a cold light. In the depths of his awareness, he seemed to sense the sword’s intense thirst for slaughter.

“What a vicious weapon!”

Mi Chen could not help praising it.

The bloody blade slid back into its sheath.

“When are you planning to leave?” Tie Tu asked.

“Tomorrow morning.”

The next day, Mi Chen finished gathering his equipment.

He wrapped the Bloodthirster in black cloth and carried it across his back.

Just as he was preparing to depart, a notification arrived from the Hunter Network.

When he opened it, he found a party invitation.

The invitation had not been sent through the commission interface. It had been addressed directly to Mi Chen.

He found that somewhat strange.

Then he thought of another possibility.

Perhaps completing the Poison Moon Forest commission had earned him a certain degree of renown.

Some hunters might have taken notice of his abilities and invited him to join their party.

But this was a two-star commission.

If the other party was only a one-star hunter, they would be more of a burden than a help.

Mi Chen was about to refuse.

Then he saw the applicant’s information, and his expression froze.

Name: Night Blade God
Hunter Rank: One Star
Combat Specialty: Reconnaissance
Commissions Completed: 14

There was nothing unusual about hunters using aliases. Not everyone was willing to reveal their real names.

Mi Chen carefully examined the applicant’s commission records.

Most involved gathering mana materials from the outer regions of secret realms. Only three had been monster-subjugation commissions carried out with other hunters.

However, none of the monsters he had hunted had been easy prey.

Among them was the Thousand-Ton Rocktooth Crocodile, a peak-level-one monster.

To have achieved such results in less than a year as a hunter was impressive.

Still, Mi Chen found himself wondering what this person’s background was and why they had specifically sought him out as a party member.

He could not help recalling Meng Shi’s earlier warning.

“Hunters have been disappearing in the secret realms with increasing frequency lately. Be careful whenever you form a party with others.”

Mi Chen became more cautious.

But there was only one person. He did not believe that this individual could necessarily pose a threat to him.

So he accepted the invitation.

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Broken Sword Canyon was a secret realm deep within the Mining District.

The secret realms in this area possessed relatively stable spatial structures. In addition, sweepers periodically cleared out the monsters in the surrounding regions.

Compared with the Ruined City District and the Forest District, the outskirts of the Mining District were relatively safe.

They agreed to meet beside a junkyard filled with abandoned trucks, not far from the entrance to Broken Sword Canyon.

Mi Chen concealed his motorcycle beneath a heap of scrap.

After some time, a hunter wearing a mask and a black hoodie approached. The figure was somewhat small in stature.

Mi Chen asked, “Are you Night Blade God?”

The hunter nodded. A voice distorted by a voice changer emerged, a deep, resonant male voice completely at odds with the figure’s appearance.

“Yes.”

“If you’re ready, let’s go.”

The way the hunter spoke made them sound like an experienced veteran.

But Mi Chen saw through the disguise at a glance.

Just as Night Blade God walked past him, Mi Chen suddenly patted them on the shoulder.

To his surprise, Night Blade God was startled by the touch and trembled like a rabbit.

“Senior Sister, if you’re going to pretend, at least make it convincing.”

“And ‘Night Blade God’? That name is painfully childish.”

“Se... Senior... Sister...? Who’s your senior sister? You... you... you’ve mistaken me for someone else!”

That reaction left no room for doubt.

Without giving her any opportunity to explain, Mi Chen yanked off her mask.

Those limpid violet eyes and bold, spirited brows belonged unmistakably to Qi Xiaoyun.

Although he had already guessed the truth, Mi Chen still could not help asking, “When did you become a hunter?”

Seeing that there was no longer any point in hiding it, Qi Xiaoyun decisively tore the voice changer from her collar.

“What? You’re allowed to become a hunter, but I’m not?”

“Don’t forget, I’m your senior sister.”

“Yes, yes, yes, my dear senior sister. Then please tell me—when did you become a hunter?”

“Two months ago. I suddenly awakened my mana circuits,” Qi Xiaoyun replied.

“But don’t worry. I never accept dangerous commissions. I became a hunter only to help support the household.”

“I’m part of this family too. No matter what, you can’t shoulder all the responsibility for earning money by yourself.”

Qi Xiaoyun had always been sensible.

Mi Chen wanted to say something, but the words died on his lips.

Should he tell Qi Xiaoyun to stop being a hunter?

If their positions were reversed, such words would probably only provoke her rebellious streak.

Rather than trying to stop her, it would be better to pass on as much of his experience and knowledge as possible.

Everyone knew that hunting was a high-risk profession.

But it was dangerous, and he had still done it for so many years. Back then, he had not even been a hunter—only an ordinary man with slightly better-than-average physical strength.

If Qi Xiaoyun took up the same path, she might very well perform even better than he had.

Mi Chen sighed and silently gave his consent.

Qi Xiaoyun was surprised. She had expected a long lecture.

“Huh? You’re not going to scold me?”

“What good would scolding you do?”

Qi Xiaoyun giggled. “That’s true.”

“Master still doesn’t know about this, does he?”

“Not yet.”

Qi Xiaoyun looked troubled. “You know how Grandfather has always disliked hunters.”

“Have you forgotten how furious he was when you left home all those years ago because you wanted to become a hunter?”

Mi Chen felt helpless. How could he possibly have forgotten?

“But no matter what, you still have to tell him.”

After all these years, Master had gradually come to accept what had happened.

Qi Xiaoyun nodded. “We’ll tell him after a while.”

The two of them arrived at the entrance to Broken Sword Canyon.

Unlike the unstable dimensional rift of the Poison Moon Realm, Broken Sword Canyon had a relatively stable spatial structure.

Its entrance was a bronze gate.

The gate stood ten meters high. Its doors were open, but the space beyond was shrouded in a cloud of golden mist.

To enter the secret realm, they first had to pass through the mist.

Mi Chen and Qi Xiaoyun stepped through the entrance.