Three days had passed since Yan Luo returned to Blue Star from the Abyss, and in these three days, he had fully equipped himself.
For this, he took a loan of 150,000 from the Hunter's Guild, but only used 50,000 of it for equipment purchases, with the remaining 100,000 used for exoskeleton repairs.
To repair the exoskeleton, he first needed to rent a workspace, then download the single-use architecture data of the model from the exoskeleton's manufacturing company, print the corresponding components using the information provided, and after all components were installed, reinstall the exoskeleton's control system and drivers once again.
All these tasks mentioned above required money, and if you wanted to modify the exoskeleton, you'd need to pay a modification fee to the design company and the control system manufacturer's company; otherwise, you couldn't get the design diagrams and program interfaces, making modifications difficult.
It's not that illegal modifications are impossible, but if such modifications are discovered, service will be remotely halted, locking the exoskeleton completely until the owner pays the modification and compensation fees, allowing its reuse.
Yan Luo's exoskeleton model was the "Universal III," a value model exoskeleton launched seventeen years ago, characterized by balanced performance without standout points.
Despite this, the price of this exoskeleton could still reach 200,000, and even second-hand ones could sell for 150,000.
Without the inheritance from his parents, it would have been very difficult for Yan Luo to purchase an exoskeleton before becoming a Hunter based on his own strength.
In today's age, both the programs and parts are modular, allowing the assembly and repair of exoskeletons even without systematically learning programming and exoskeleton modification.
Yan Luo sat in front of the workbench, operating the mechanical arm to replace parts for the exoskeleton.
This time, he was not just repairing this set of exoskeleton but also performing some upgrades.
For this reason, Yan Luo had to pay an additional 'upgrade fee' to the manufacturer, which brought the repair cost of the exoskeleton to the level of 100,000.
Once all the parts were installed, an exoskeleton power armor in matte gray appeared before Yan Luo.
"The exoskeleton is also ready..."
Yan Luo nodded slightly.
Standing up, he put on the exoskeleton, still not entirely rid of its heat, and moved his arm, feeling a much-improved agility compared to before.
Of course, as this time, the main upgrade was to the exoskeleton's agility.
Furthermore, his body was undergoing a complete transformation.
When purchasing equipment, Yan Luo made time to visit a seldom-used gym to attempt a bench press.
Before the first Abyss hunt, his best bench press record was no more than 180 kilograms, but after returning from the Abyss, his bench press soared to 200 kilograms, with room to spare.
Yan Luo, however, did not attempt to push further as he was somewhat concerned about his condition, making it inconvenient for outsiders to know.
He even unsubscribed from the 'Fitness Assistant' he had been subscribed to, not wanting others to be aware of changes happening to his body for the time being.
"It's time for the second Abyss hunt..." Yan Luo muttered to himself.
After a while, he rode back to his residence, removed the exoskeleton, and then drove to the Hunter's Guild.
Before the second Abyss hunt, he needed to do a few things—
Things the Purple Fox Squad 'must' know about!
......
"Haha, Yan Luo, you finally came!"
The third-floor hall displayed numerous large screens playing current hot news daily so hunters wouldn't only focus on what happened around them without knowing what happened outside.
As Yan Luo arrived at the third floor of the Hunter's Guild, someone greeted him with a smile.
Upon hearing the news of Yan Luo's arrival, many hunters glanced over; some even left their seats to approach Yan Luo.
Yan Luo casually found an empty spot to sit, surrounded by others in seconds.
"Hey Yan Luo, tell us how you escaped from a deadly Demon?"
"Yeah, we heard from the Purple Fox Squad that you guys encountered a deadly Demon and thought you were done for, yet you returned alive!"
"Can you share some tips with us? Although we might not encounter such powerful Demons, being prepared is always good."
Everyone spoke at once, filling Yan Luo's ears in an instant.
Yan Luo had to raise a hand to silence them temporarily.
Then, pointing with a finger, he earnestly said, "First of all, I didn't escape from a deadly Demon. I killed it."
His words threw the surrounding crowd into an uproar.
An ordinary person killing a deadly Demon?
How is that possible!
"Maybe you think I'm lying, and I have no evidence to prove it, but you should know one thing — the Demon I encountered back then was a Silent Hunting Lizard."
Upon hearing this, some were puzzled, not understanding why Yan Luo mentioned the 'Silent Hunting Lizard,' while those who knew what it was had a change in expression.
The Silent Hunting Lizard, once in hunting mode, would pursue relentlessly until its prey was killed.
Yan Luo was a common person with no means to escape from a Silent Hunting Lizard. If he could impair the Lizard's ability to act sufficiently, he wasn't far from killing it.
"I heard Shinkai Katsuyuki mention you encountered the Demon suddenly. You faced a deadly Silent Hunting Lizard head-on and managed to kill it?"
The person questioning clearly didn't believe Yan Luo could kill a deadly Silent Hunting Lizard.
Mainly because when Yan Luo returned from the Abyss, he seemed unscathed.
An ordinary person killing a deadly Silent Hunting Lizard isn't impossible; the issue is doing it without injury.
Yan Luo smiled slightly, recounting the battle with the Silent Hunting Lizard while omitting and altering parts about his injuries.
Everyone listened attentively, feeling that he spoke the truth the more they listened.
Yan Luo's detailed narration didn't sound like a lie.
Could an ordinary person truly kill a deadly Demon?
This idea flashed through many minds, only to be dismissed shortly after.
The key to Yan Luo defeating the Silent Hunting Lizard lay not in sheer strength but in understanding the Lizard's habits, attack methods, and weaknesses.
Though Yan Luo was an ordinary person, his vast knowledge set him apart.
He was special; replacing him with another average person in a fight against the Silent Hunting Lizard would likely result in immediate death.
"By what you're saying, Shinkai Katsuyuki and the others didn't need to run at all?"
Yan Luo smirked, shaking his head, and sarcastically commented, "I think it was precisely because they ran that I could stake it all and fight the Silent Hunting Lizard. Had they not fled and fought alongside me, they might have been a burden."
Hearing this, those around him imagined the scenario, realizing it indeed seemed plausible.
There are times when having more people doesn't necessarily mean more strength. With the abilities of the three in the Purple Fox Squad, there was indeed the potential to hinder Yan Luo.
"If what you say is true, then you've set a world record. It's only a pity you don't have video footage to prove it."
Since the Abyss appeared on Blue Star, no ordinary person has ever soloed and killed a deadly Demon.
Actually, Yan Luo did have footage.
The lens he wore was damaged, but the storage was intact, containing recordings from the start of the fight until the lens was damaged.
However, the video contains footage of Yan Luo's injuries, and he currently had no intention of releasing it.
Though a common person, Yan Luo possessed the strength to kill a deadly Demon.
This tempted many hunters present.
"Yan Luo, have you quit the Purple Fox Squad now?" someone tentatively asked.
Yan Luo nodded, adding, "But I don't plan on joining another squad for now."
Just then, a slender white hand slapped down on the table in front of Yan Luo.
Yan Luo looked up and saw a charming and alluring face.
Unlike Yan Luo's confusion, others showed subtle expressions upon seeing the woman.
"Become mine!"
The woman with a business card marked [Enchanting Woman: Helena Sheffield] squinted and smiled.
Yan Luo shook his head, "I won't be joining... for now."
Helena bent down, gazing into Yan Luo's eyes, "As a bed companion!"