Chapter 39
Chapter 39
“It costs three hundred and fifty Bureau points?”
“That’s worth the corpses of several 2-Star anomalies.”
Qin Lan rubbed his temples in frustration as he studied the exchange list on the Anomaly Hunter Bureau’s internal network.
[Purifying Breath (Medicine): Cures most diseases and a limited number of unusual conditions caused by curses.]
Its raw materials came from the corpses of anomalies ranked 3-Star or above, or from products found in certain specific instances.
This was the item Qin Lan had mentioned to Tang Qingqing.
The “most diseases” in its description included some that had once been considered terminal illnesses.
The corpse of a 1-Star anomaly was worth between twenty and forty Bureau points.
A 2-Star anomaly corpse was worth around sixty to one hundred and ten.
As for a 3-Star anomaly, the badly beaten Conductor from before had been worth roughly two hundred Bureau points.
The stronger an Anomaly Hunter became, the easier it was to earn Bureau points.
Lu Xingshan, for example, could take a single trip through the Fallen Zone, kill several 3-Star anomalies, and bring them back to the Anomaly Hunter Bureau. That alone would equal more than a decade of base salary for an ordinary 1-Star Anomaly Hunter.
At that level, however, becoming stronger also grew increasingly difficult. The resources required reached an almost unbelievable scale.
“With average luck, I’ll need at least four 2-Star instances to save the Bureau points for [Purifying Breath]…”
Qin Lan silently calculated.
“A 3-Star instance might contain an anomaly stronger than me. That wouldn’t be efficient…”
Qin Lan was willing to pay such a large price to help Tang Qingqing because he valued her potential and wanted to cultivate her as a member of his faction.
Yes, factions existed among Anomaly Hunters too.
As for whose faction Qin Lan belonged to, the answer was obvious. If he obtained anything valuable inside an instance, Lu Xingshan would be the first person he contacted.
Admittedly, Qin Lan was only a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter and remained far below Lu Xingshan’s level. He could not provide much help yet.
But given enough time, Qin Lan’s growth was inevitable.
To the current Qin Lan, Tang Qingqing resembled his former self.
Twin Talents gave her twice the innate curse power of an ordinary person.
And Qin Lan was nearly certain that her Talents’ actual effects went far beyond the information in her file.
F-rank?
The United Government’s ratings were good for a laugh and little else. Had Qin Lan not been classified as F-rank too?
If he could bring her into his camp, he could not lose.
Even if his judgment proved wrong, he would only waste a few hundred Bureau points.
Once he became strong enough to slaughter 3-Star anomalies like chickens, a few hundred points would be pocket change.
“The Four-School Joint Examination is seven days away. One trip through the Fallen Zone should be enough.”
Qin Lan nodded to himself.
Time did not flow at a fixed rate inside instances. Sometimes, two days inside amounted to only a few hours outside. At other times, a few hours inside meant several days had passed in the outside world.
Regardless, more than ninety percent of instances lasted no longer than three days in outside time.
Qin Lan therefore had plenty of time.
“Should I accept an assignment while I’m at it?”
Qin Lan skimmed the assignment list and found one that suited him.
[Assistance Assignment (2-Star)]
[Description: Cooperate with Anomaly Hunter Bureau personnel to gather information on three 2-Star instances in the Fallen Zone.]
[Reward: 70 Bureau points.]
Considering the difficulty and reward, the assignment offered excellent value.
He only had to follow procedure and clear three 2-Star instances. Killing the anomalies was not required. Seventy Bureau points might as well have been free.
After a moment’s thought, Qin Lan accepted it.
And so…
“You?”
Qin Lan stared at Luo Yue in her change of clothes, wondering whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Normally, Luo Yue handled reception at the front desk. She always wore the standard white blouse and fitted black trousers, a classic professional outfit.
Today, however, she had changed into the uniform exclusive to Anomaly Hunters.
Designed for combat, the fabric clung closely to her skin and outlined curves that her usual clothes never revealed.
Only now did Qin Lan realize just how impressive Luo Yue’s figure was.
“What? You thought I couldn’t fight because I handle administrative work?” Luo Yue teased, blinking playfully.
Qin Lan shook his head repeatedly. “No, no. It’s just a little… unexpected.”
“Huh? You’re a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter too?”
Only then did Qin Lan pull his gaze away from certain eye-catching curves and notice Luo Yue’s badge.
“You underestimated me, didn’t you?”
Luo Yue approached with a cheerful smile and extended her hand in mock solemnity.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. For the first time, allow me to introduce myself as Luo Yue, a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter.”
Qin Lan was speechless but shook her hand anyway.
“Fine, fine… So how am I supposed to assist you with this assignment?”
Luo Yue’s hand was soft, at least far softer than Qin Lan expected.
Then again, he was hardly qualified to judge. The number of women who had made physical contact with him throughout his life remained in the single digits.
And that total included the Slit-Mouthed Woman to pad the numbers.
Luo Yue withdrew her hand and gave him the friendly smile he knew so well.
“Don’t worry. It’s very simple.”
“You only need to accompany me into three instances and use your communicator to record the information inside.”
“There are no combat requirements. Even if we have to fight an anomaly, I can handle it myself.”
Luo Yue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled slyly.
“Still, I would quite like to see what you’re capable of, Mr. Qin.”
“Many Anomaly Hunters have been talking about you. You advanced to 2-Star only a month after receiving your license, despite possessing an F-rank Talent…”
“Everyone wants to know how strong you really are.”
Qin Lan grinned.
“Probably a little stronger than you imagine.”
“Really?” Luo Yue arched a slender brow. “Try not to make me rescue you later. This lady charges a very high fee for saving lives!”
Looking at Luo Yue, Qin Lan felt strangely unsettled.
Once she left the front desk and changed into a uniform, it was as though some restraint had been removed and her true self released.
She seemed like a completely different person from her usual polite and disciplined self.
[Beep, beep.]
[You have a new message.]
“?”
Qin Lan saw the sender ID. The name Lu Xingshan stood out brightly.
“Why is Director Lu contacting me now?”
As Qin Lan wondered, Luo Yue reached over and pressed down the hand wearing his communicator.
She covered the device and gave him an innocent look.
“It probably isn’t anything important. Otherwise, he’d call you directly.”
“We should focus on the assignment in front of us.”
[Beep, beep.]
[“Lu Xingshan (Director)” is requesting a call.]
[Call connected.]
Before Qin Lan could react, Luo Yue leaned in first and spoke at extraordinary speed.
“Don’t worry, Director Lu! Qin Lan has already met up with me!”
“We’re about to leave, and time is tight. Whatever you need can wait until we get back!”
“That’s all. Bye!”
[Call ended.]
“Huh?”
Qin Lan was utterly baffled.
Elsewhere, Lu Xingshan stared at the disconnected call, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“That girl is completely out of control…”