Chapter 3: The First Mission

“Sister Dan, do I have to go too?”

Shen Xin’s face was filled with shock.

“Of course.”

The four of them sat around the dining table in the hall, devouring their meal like a whirlwind. Though the food was good, Shen Xin had little appetite. He ate absentmindedly and, weighed down by worry, followed them to an SUV.

Chen Jiawang drove, Sister Dan sat in the passenger seat, and Lao Mo and Shen Xin sat silently in the back. Sister Dan closed her eyes to rest, speaking calmly, “This is a minor assignment, just at the abandoned Fifth Wastewater Treatment Plant. If it weren’t for the newcomer, I wouldn’t have bothered with this kind of job.”

“Sister Dan, what level is the target?”

“Shouldn’t be above Level Three.”

“Ugh, so the reward’s only two or three hundred thousand? Boring!”

Chen Jiawang, who had been speeding, instantly slowed down, driving leisurely.

Hearing this, Shen Xin couldn’t help but gripe internally: “What? Two or three hundred thousand and you’re saying it’s too little? I make three or four yuan for a food delivery! How are they so calm?”

After about half an hour, the car finally arrived at the abandoned Fifth Wastewater Treatment Plant at a snail’s pace. As soon as they got out, they saw a dense throng of police barricading the plant. Shen Xin instantly grew tense.

Sister Dan and her companions got out with perfect composure and walked straight over. A police officer approached to stop them, but Sister Dan merely flashed an ID, and the officer in charge immediately let them through.

The plant had been deserted for years, overgrown with weeds and suffused with a foul stench. Few people ever came to such a forsaken place.

Shen Xin followed nervously behind, anxious to the bone. “Sister Dan! Do we have any battle plan?”

“Battle plan? Ha!”

Chen Jiawang laughed until he was doubled over.

Sister Dan said nothing.

Soon, they came upon several torn corpses on the ground—judging by their uniforms, they were security guards.

Shen Xin shuddered all over, nausea roiling in his stomach.

“It’s here!”

Before Sister Dan’s words had faded, a dark shadow charged rapidly at her, who led the group.

Without so much as a second glance, Sister Dan kicked the shadow away, sending it flying dozens of meters and smashing through several fences.

“Lao Mo, it’s yours.”

“Alright!”

Lao Mo nodded, drew twin blades, and dashed off.

To Shen Xin’s surprise, the shadow came at them again, engaging Lao Mo in fierce combat.

Shen Xin felt his vision had improved remarkably. He could clearly see Lao Mo’s blades slashing repeatedly at the shadow, yet no blood spilled—each wound only slowed the creature down a little.

“This Lao Mo, he’s not young, but he sure enjoys himself,” Sister Dan observed calmly, showing no intention of joining the fray.

Suddenly, another shadow attacked, targeting Sister Dan again.

This time, Shen Xin saw the creature clearly: it resembled a black cat, covered in viscous black slime, but as large as a tiger.

Chen Jiawang sprang forward and punched the shadow, sending it flying, then chased after it.

“Shen Xin, go with him—see if you can help.”

“Oh, okay…”

Shen Xin replied, but his legs felt like lead, unwilling to move.

He barely got ten meters before another shadow leapt from the sewage pool.

“Shen Xin, teleport it over here.”

Sister Dan’s words exploded in Shen Xin’s mind. He obeyed instinctively, though he was petrified with fear.

Fortunately, the shadow was teleported over. Sister Dan delivered a high kick, sending it airborne, raised her right hand, and a dazzling beam of light shot from her palm, striking the shadow’s head with precision and obliterating it.

Bang.

The shadow crashed to the ground, dead beyond any doubt.

“So strong!”

Shen Xin couldn’t help but spit in awe.

He turned to watch Chen Jiawang. Chen’s movements weren’t fast, nor was he particularly agile; the shadow clawed at him occasionally, but thanks to his sturdy combat suit, he suffered no harm.

Chen Jiawang’s fists, meanwhile, sent the shadow flying with every blow.

After a hard-fought battle, the shadow finally became nothing more than a pile of sludge.

Lao Mo’s side was nearly finished as well; the shadow there was sliced into pieces.

Shen Xin finally relaxed, his tension eased considerably. He gazed at the reeking sewage pools, a ripple of curiosity stirring in his heart.

On the black surface floated many animal carcasses, mostly rats and stray cats. Oddest of all, he noticed black mist swirling within the pool, occasionally burrowing into the corpses.

Shen Xin surmised these black vapors were likely causing the mutations.

“Let’s go!” Sister Dan turned to leave. Shen Xin hurried after her, asking, “Sister Dan, those pools look really strange—are we just leaving like this?”

Sister Dan halted, stared into Shen Xin’s eyes, and said, “We’re bounty hunters. Other matters will be handled by someone else.”

Chen Jiawang jogged over, glanced at Shen Xin, and exclaimed in surprise, “Brother Shen, your pupils turned gold!”

“Really?”

Shen Xin felt nothing unusual.

“Yes, but now they’ve returned to normal. Looks like your superpower potential is limitless. Envy, jealousy, hate!”

“Let’s go, time for a nap!” Sister Dan yawned, unable to muster any energy.

The four returned to the car, and before long, Sister Dan’s phone rang. She picked it up and said calmly, “The total bounty this time is six hundred thousand. You three can split it.”

Shen Xin hurriedly protested, “Sister Dan, I didn’t do anything—I can’t take the money…”

“Don’t be so sentimental.” Sister Dan, as usual, transferred the money over.

Shen Xin stared at the two hundred thousand in his account, stunned. In just an hour, he’d earned two hundred thousand? It felt like a dream.

When he used to deliver food, even working hard, he’d make just over a hundred a night.

Seeing Shen Xin’s dazed look, Chen Jiawang chuckled, “This amount is nothing. Our combat suits cost a million per set. Someone as fragile as you better start saving for one.”

Sister Dan, eyes closed, spoke quietly, “I’ve already bought his combat suit.”

“Sister Dan, you’re biased. I had to save for my own suit.”

“It’s on credit. Shen Xin, pay me back when you can.”

“Alright!” Shen Xin felt no pressure—two hundred thousand in a day, five days for a million. What’s there to worry about?

Seeing Shen Xin’s calm face, Chen Jiawang joked, “Brother Shen, you don’t think there’s a bounty job every day, do you? Sometimes you won’t see one in a month.”

“Ah, that few!”

Shen Xin admitted to feeling a bit uneasy.

Then Lao Mo, sitting beside him, spoke up, “Our team doesn’t bother with small jobs. Otherwise, we could take assignments like this every few days without issue.”

Chen Jiawang nodded proudly, “Of course. We’re the top squad—jobs worth tens of thousands, I only took those when I first joined. Now we only accept jobs over five million.”

Shen Xin clicked his tongue in amazement and asked curiously, “A five-million job—what level creature needs to be killed?”

“Level Four. With Sister Dan around, killing a Level Four creature is easy.”

Sister Dan, unable to listen any longer, slapped Chen Jiawang’s head.

“Sister Dan, I’m driving!”

“Then shut up and stop rambling. Shen Xin, as usual, after completing a task you can rest for half a day. You’re free this afternoon.”

“Alright, but if I rest, what about dinner?”

“Of course we’ll celebrate at Sea Sky. Shen Xin, are you coming?”

“Maybe next time.”