The next day, Lin Ke went to the Beast Tamer Guild headquarters once more. The building had returned to its normal, professional atmosphere, the festive excitement of the exam having faded away.
He walked directly to the registration counter for official Beast Tamers.
"I'm here to complete my registration," Lin Ke said, presenting his champion's medal and qualification certificate to the staff member.
The staffer, recognizing him, was immediately respectful. "Of course, Champion Lin Ke. Right this way."
The process was swift. His biometrics were scanned, his identity was verified, and he was issued a new ID card. It was a sleek, black card with a silver Guild emblem, signifying his official status as a Junior Beast Tamer. This card gave him access to restricted areas of the Guild, including the mission board.
With his new ID, Lin Ke entered the Mission Hall. It was a vast, bustling hall filled with hundreds of Beast Tamers of all ages and ranks. A massive holographic wall dominated the far side of the room, displaying a constantly updating list of available missions.
The missions were categorized by rank, from the simplest E-rank tasks to highly dangerous A-rank quests that only elite teams dared to undertake.
Lin Ke scanned the list, his eyes filtering through the information.
[E-Rank Mission: Pest Control]
Description: A colony of aggressive 'Scrap-rats' has infested the city's garbage disposal unit. Clear the nest.
Reward: 800 credits.
[D-Rank Mission: Herb Gathering]
Description: Collect 20 stalks of 'Sun-kissed Fern' from the outer forest region, Sector 7.
Reward: 1,500 credits.
[C-Rank Mission: Escort Duty]
Description: Guard a merchant caravan traveling to the neighboring fortress city. Requires a team of at least three C-rank Tamers.
Reward: 10,000 credits per person.
He saw many missions that offered good pay, but most of them required joining a team or were high-profile tasks that would put him in the spotlight. Lin Ke wanted to avoid that. He needed a mission that would allow him to operate independently and, ideally, give him a chance to investigate the strange energies he knew were linked to the Abyssal Corruption—the same energies that his Gene Editor could potentially absorb.
His eyes continued to scan the lower-ranked missions, looking for something specific. And then, he found it. Tucked away among the less popular D-rank tasks was a mission that had been on the board for over a week.
[D-Rank Mission: Investigation]
Description: Reports of abnormal energy fluctuations and strange biological readings from the city's eastern sewer system, Zone 3. Investigate the source. Caution is advised.
Reward: 3,000 credits.
The pay was decent for a D-rank solo mission, but the location was undesirable. The sewers were dirty, smelly, and notoriously complex to navigate. Most Tamers would rather face monsters in the forest than venture into that subterranean maze.
But for Lin Ke, it was perfect.
It was a solo mission, meaning no unwanted questions. It was low-profile. And most importantly, "abnormal energy fluctuations" and "strange biological readings" were keywords that strongly hinted at a possible connection to the Abyssal Corruption he wanted to study.
He walked to the mission terminal and swiped his new ID card. "I'll take this one," he said to the clerk.
The clerk, a bored-looking young woman, looked at his selection and raised an eyebrow. "The sewer investigation? Really? Champion, you could be taking on much more glamorous jobs."
"This one interests me," Lin Ke replied simply.
The clerk shrugged. "Your choice." She processed the request, and the mission details were transferred to Lin Ke's personal terminal. "Here's the access keycard for the Zone 3 sewer entrance and a basic layout map. Good luck. Try not to get lost... or too dirty."
Lin Ke took the keycard, ignoring the clerk's mild sarcasm.
He walked out of the bustling Mission Hall, a new sense of purpose guiding his steps. While other new Tamers were forming teams to hunt in the forests, he was heading for the dark, forgotten underbelly of the city.
He knew that true treasures, and the rarest of genes, were often found not in the light, but in the deepest, most unexpected of shadows.