"Effort… brings rewards?"
Bai Jue froze for a moment. Then realization dawned in his eyes, followed by sincere admiration.
"That's an incredibly powerful ability."
"It's decent," Liu Guocheng said with a shake of his head.
"Though most of the time, you still need to combine it with techniques from other civilizations."
After a pause, he grinned.
"But the benefits are real. Let me tell you something—before I awakened, I weighed over three hundred jin. A complete fatass. After awakening Labor Day, I trained every single day. Thanks to the festival's ability, I lost all that weight in just one month."
"And the stronger I get, the stronger the effect becomes."
"For example, when learning manuals—if I seriously study them, I will understand them. No exceptions."
"Of course," he added, "it's still not as fast as Reading Day."
Reading Day—
Officially known as World Book Day, celebrated on April 23rd.
Bai Jue was familiar with that festival's power.
As long as the awakener read seriously, they could rapidly memorize and comprehend the contents of any book.
It was a highly supportive ability rather than one that directly boosted combat power—but still extremely valuable.
Those who awakened Reading Day usually ended up doing research for the Federation.
After chatting for a while, Bai Jue decided it was time to take on a mission.
He took out his phone and downloaded an app.
The app's name was simple.
Black Night.
This was the Night Watchers' official application.
Logging in required a password—your identification number.
Once inside, Bai Jue selected the Sky-Kui City region.
Immediately, various missions appeared on the screen.
[West City · Tianhe District, Sewer No. 38]
Occasional abnormal noises detected. Suspected monster intrusion.
Recommended strength: First–Third Rank.
[South City · Linchuan District]
Seven women missing within three days. Suspected evil spirit or rogue cultivator.
Recommended strength: First–Third Rank.
[North Gate of Sky-Kui City]
A new spatial rift is forming. Possible emergence of exotic beasts.
Recommended strength: First–Third Rank.
[…]
Night Watcher missions were rewarded with points.
Points were calculated based on the enemy's strength and difficulty.
In short:
Trainee-level enemies:
Low tier: 1 point
Mid tier: 5 points
High tier: 10 points
First Rank:
Base: 100 points
Early: 120
Mid: 160
High: 200
Second Rank:
Starting at 500 points
The stronger the enemy, the higher the reward.
"Brother Liu," Bai Jue asked, "what mission do you think I should take?"
Liu Guocheng thought for a moment.
"If you're still getting used to real combat, considering your abilities, the Linchuan District mission would be safer. The target is likely an evil spirit, and your Zhongyuan abilities counter those well."
"But if you're confident in combat—then I recommend the spatial rift mission."
"Most rifts are unstable space gates. They exist for a limited time before collapsing, and during that window, many enemies emerge—often strong ones. Completing it earns a lot of points."
Hearing that, Bai Jue didn't hesitate.
"Then let's do that one."
With a tap, he accepted the mission.
"Since we're doing this one," Liu Guocheng said with a smile, "let's grab the equipment first."
He led Bai Jue into the elevator and pressed a lower floor.
The Night Watchers' gear was extensive.
Communication watches.
Monitoring earpieces that recorded mission data.
Devices to detect spatial fluctuations.
There were even firearms—though not many Night Watchers chose to carry them.
After about half an hour inside the building, the two set off.
As a Night Watcher, Liu Guocheng had his own vehicle—a standard sedan.
They drove out of the city.
Ring—ring—ring.
Bai Jue's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, then answered with a smile.
"Teacher."
"Xiao Bai, I'm calling to tell you—when you're heading to Sky City, let me know. Before that, your teacher is going to have some fun. Don't bother me unless it's important, got it?"
It was Di Yao.
"Where are you going to have fun?" Bai Jue asked, amused.
"Heh, you definitely don't know this place—it's my paradise. Wei-Yang City. If you weren't about to take the Gaokao, I'd take you with me."
"Let me tell you, there's a massive lollipop mall there. Over a thousand flavors. And every single one is delicious!!"
"…Then I hope you have fun."
"Obviously! Bye!"
The call ended immediately.
Bai Jue twitched his lips, shook his head, and put his phone away.
The car continued driving, eventually leaving the city behind.
The scenery turned into barren wilderness.
Sparse trees—most of them leafless.
After roughly three hours, they arrived at a region of sand dunes.
"This should be it," Liu Guocheng said, stopping the car.
The two got out.
Bai Jue took out a metal rod resembling a javelin and stabbed it into the ground. He pressed a button near the top.
The rod lit up.
After a moment, the light turned green.
Bai Jue nodded.
"Confirmed. This is the location."
The metal rod was a specialized device for detecting spatial fluctuations—essential for this type of mission.
However, the rift wouldn't open immediately.
So the two sat down nearby, chatting while they waited.
Another hour passed.
The spatial rift still hadn't appeared.
Then—
ROAR!
A deafening roar echoed through the air.
The sand dune beneath them began to shake violently.
A massive beast burst out from underground, climbing into view.
It was a gigantic monstrosity, bearing features of several different beasts, radiating savage ferocity.
The creature roared, locked onto them, and opened its blood-filled maw—lunging straight at them.
Bai Jue remained calm, unmoving.
Beside him, Liu Guocheng frowned, stood up, and stepped forward.
Then—
He threw a single punch.
Compared to the beast, Liu Guocheng looked like an ant facing a crab.
But when that punch landed—
BOOM!
The enormous creature was blasted several meters backward, its massive body sent flying.
The sheer force was terrifying.
Even Bai Jue's eyes lit up in shock.
"So strong… This is Labor Day?"
Heaven rewards the diligent.
This festival—
Was no weak one at all.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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