Tongcheng Ability Users' Guild.
Finance Department.
"Mr. Zhao, Mr. Cao, the funds have been transferred to your respective accounts. Please check and confirm!"
A staff member from the Ability Users' Guild spoke respectfully.
Zhao Xuan glanced swiftly at his bank account.
After confirming the payment, he nodded. "All good. I've received it."
"Same here."
Cao Hu echoed beside him.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Zhao Xuan said, looking toward the staffer.
"No problem at all, Mr. Zhao. Please, go ahead."
"Alright."
Just as Zhao Xuan was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and turned back. "By the way, where is the Guild's mission hall?"
"Brother Zhao, are you planning to take on a bounty mission?"
Before the staffer could answer, Cao Hu jumped in first.
"That's right."
Zhao Xuan nodded.
"I happen to be heading there myself to pick up a mission. I'll take you along," Cao Hu said warmly.
"Then I'll trouble you, Brother Cao!"
"Ah, what trouble? We're the same way!"
Under Cao Hu's guidance, Zhao Xuan soon arrived at the Ability Users' Guild's Mission Hall.
Inside the hall—
The place was bustling with people, as always.
Most were here to take or submit missions.
Almost every counter had a long queue.
Zhao Xuan thought he'd have to line up too.
But to his surprise, Cao Hu led him straight into an office on the left side of the hall.
"Mr. Cao!"
The receptionist inside the office greeted him immediately.
"Xiao Liu, this is Zhao Xuan—he just passed the assessment to become a Third-Tier Ability User. He's here to take on a bounty mission," Cao Hu introduced.
At those words, Xiao Liu froze.
No other reason—
It was simply because Zhao Xuan looked way too young.
"Xiao Liu? Xiao Liu! Hey, Xiao Liu!"
Seeing his dazed look, Cao Hu frowned and called several times before the young man finally snapped out of it.
"S-sorry! My apologies, Mr. Zhao—I didn't mean to stare!"
Realizing his blunder, Xiao Liu's face turned pale, and he hurriedly apologized.
"It's fine."
Zhao Xuan shook his head calmly. "Can I take on a bounty mission now?"
"Y-yes! Of course you can!"
Xiao Liu nodded quickly and began pulling up data from the guild's database.
"Mr. Zhao, these are all the Tier-3 bounty missions currently available in our Tongcheng Guild. Please take a look and see which one you'd like to accept."
He handed over a tablet.
Zhao Xuan took it and scanned the screen. Seeing the dense list of missions, he frowned slightly. "Why are there so many Tier-3 bounty missions?"
"Well, Mr. Zhao, that's because there aren't many registered Third-Tier Ability Users here in Tongcheng. Plus, with that relic recently discovered, most of them are busy exploring it. So, every month, the number of newly issued missions exceeds the ones completed. Over time, they've piled up into this situation," Xiao Liu explained with an embarrassed smile.
"I see."
Zhao Xuan nodded, thinking inwardly: That's great! That means I can take on as many missions as I want and make money non-stop! No shortage of work—perfect!
With that thought, he lowered his head and began skimming through the missions, his eyes gradually lighting up.
"Each mission pays between eighty thousand and a hundred fifty thousand… So, if I just take two missions, I'll earn enough to buy a pouch of low-grade energy fluid!"
"Damn, that's practically free money!"
"And these are only Tier-3 bounties… I wonder how much a Tier-4 one pays?"
Zhao Xuan suddenly looked up and asked, "Does our Tongcheng Ability Users' Guild have any Tier-4 bounty missions?"
"Huh?"
Xiao Liu froze for a moment.
"Brother Zhao," Cao Hu said helplessly, "you're strong, no doubt—but compared to a Tier-4 powerhouse, there's still a big gap…"
"Relax, Brother Cao. I'm not planning to take a Tier-4 bounty. I'm just curious about the reward amount." Zhao Xuan clarified.
"Ah, I see."
Cao Hu exhaled in relief, then turned to Xiao Liu. "Now that you mention it, I'm curious too. Xiao Liu, do we have any Tier-4 bounties in the system? Pull one up for us to see."
"Yes, there's one!"
After a few quick taps on the tablet, Xiao Liu replied, "Tier-4 bounty mission—Hunt the 'Thunderclap Tiger,' a land-king-class creature located in the Wutong Mountain Range. Reward: three million credits."
"H-how much!?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes went wide.
"Three million."
At that, Zhao Xuan clenched his fists tightly.
It had already been half a month since he'd crossed into this world.
And though he'd been working hard to grow stronger…
Never before had his desire for power burned so fiercely.
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