NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 33 - Mission Settlement
Chapter 33: Mission Settlement
The jungle was filled with the scent of blood, yet no predators dared to appear here. Mao Mao was still crouched on the corpse of the Black-Tusked Boar King, calm and composed, with the prison flames still burning on its body. The death of the boar king beneath it was too gruesome to bear, too tragic! It was likely that Mao Mao had tortured it to death. Fortunately, the pair of black crystal tusks were still intact and could fetch a good price.
When Li Chang’an saw Mao Mao, its originally excited expression immediately cracked. “Meow. (Chang’an, can you please disperse that aura? It’s very dangerous.)” Li Chang’an was very surprised. Could the Mingyi realm he had comprehended actually threaten a lower-level ancient dragon? Mao Mao responded with certainty, “Meow! Meow! (No! But it would be very uncomfortable if you got hit.)” Very uncomfortable? Could it be that I can now cut through souls? Mao Mao then explained the reason: it wasn’t about cutting the soul, but rather, if accidentally touched by Li Chang’an’s blade aura, it would feel very uncomfortable. Li Chang’an never expected that this “uncomfortable” was meant literally!
After much deliberation, he still couldn’t figure out why his blade aura had become like this. Perhaps it was related to his mental-type talent. He decided to ask Old Mu when he got back! Just as he finished collecting the corpses of the nine Black-Tusked Boars, he heard Village Chief Ma calling from outside. “Mr. Li, where are you?” There were many voices calling out, and Li Chang’an followed the sound to find Village Chief Ma and others. Accompanying Village Chief Ma were several young people, with the leader having a Giant Mushroom Pig in front. The Giant Mushroom Pig is an evolved form of the Mushroom Pig, with elite low-level potential and relatively low combat power, but the mushrooms it produces can fetch a good price. The other young people were similar, all with evolved forms of Mushroom Pigs, but none of their pets had reached the elite level.
Upon seeing the Giant Mushroom Pig, Li Chang’an instantly understood why Anyang Village, despite having beastmasters, still needed to post tasks at the Beastmaster Association. “Not everyone chooses combat-type pets,” Li Chang’an murmured. He had previously misunderstood that most people would choose combat-type pets because he was at Hongyan No. 1 High School. In the best high school in Hongyan City, even if students chose resource-type pets, they would still consider combat power. But in reality, students from other high schools mostly don’t consider the talent and abilities of their initial pets. They just need a pet that can bring them profits in the early stages, so they can have the capital to consider the combat power of their second pet.
Li Chang’an walked towards Village Chief Ma and the others, waving his hand, “Village Chief Ma, I’m here!” When Village Chief Ma and the others saw Li Chang’an approaching, they quickly came forward to ask if he was okay. “Are you injured?” Li Chang’an shook his head, indicating he was fine, and took out one of the boar king’s black crystal tusks, saying, “I’ve killed all the nearby Black-Tusked Boars. You shouldn’t have to worry about them for the next few years.” Seeing the black crystal tusk, the young college students were shocked. “Am I seeing this right? That’s the tusk of a Black-Tusked Boar King.” “Look at the color and the energy fluctuations. This boar king was about to evolve on its own. With its elite-level strength by then…” The students looked at each other, a hint of fear in their eyes. They had earned enough money through their Giant Mushroom Pigs to contract decent second pets, but it would take time to train them to a combat-ready state.
Village Chief Ma, stroking his nearly bald head, exclaimed, “My goodness, it’s actually the head of the black boars. This is incredible!” While Village Chief Ma was marveling, the young people expressed their gratitude. “Thank you, classmate, for helping our village eliminate this menace.” “Yes, yes!” “You’re really amazing. I feel like even our school team might not be a match for you.” Li Chang’an wasn’t swayed by these superficial compliments. On the other hand, the college students’ flattery skills were too poor to have any effect on him.
The five Black-Tusked Boars outside were collected by the villagers, overseen by an elderly man. This old man, upon hearing that these were the hunter’s spoils, insisted on guarding them to prevent any troublemakers from causing trouble. Li Chang’an thanked the old man for his kindness and gave the boar king and the half-cut Black-Tusked Boar to the villagers as a token of appreciation for helping him collect the corpses. Of course, he kept the most valuable tusks. Only the pork was given to the villagers. The people of Anyang Village were shocked by the three-meter-tall, five-meter-long boar king. They originally planned to have their best chef prepare a feast for Li Chang’an, but he was eager to complete the mission and politely declined, only accepting a large bag of dried mushrooms from Village Chief Ma. These were said to be a specialty of Anyang Village, containing various delicious mushrooms produced by different Mushroom Pigs.
It was precisely because Anyang Village had just started on the path to prosperity by raising pigs and selling mushrooms that they hadn’t had time to train their own beastmasters, leading to the bullying by the Black-Tusked Boars. However, after this incident, the college students’ second pets would reach a level capable of protecting the village in a couple of years. By then, Anyang Village would truly stand firm. Li Chang’an sincerely wished these hospitable villagers the best.
The aircraft pilot, seeing Li Chang’an leisurely drinking tea at the village entrance with several village elders, and then looking at his own dark circles from exhaustion in the rearview mirror, was baffled. What on earth happened in these two hours? The change was too drastic. Li Chang’an bid farewell to the reluctant village elders and boarded the aircraft. Noticing the pilot’s newly acquired dark circles, he asked in surprise, “Did you go for a spa treatment?” The pilot was speechless. This high school student seemed more worldly than he was. But he honestly replied, “No, before picking you up, I had a troublesome client with a dark-type pet.” Li Chang’an nodded, with an expression that said, “Whatever you say.” The pilot, feeling a bit stifled, asked on the way back, “Is the Anyang Village problem solved?” Li Chang’an, engrossed in browsing the Beastmaster Badge’s functions, replied without looking up, “Yes, I also took care of the boar king. Even if there are any remaining Black-Tusked Boars, they’ll behave for the next few years.” The pilot didn’t believe it. How could a high school student who just became a beastmaster possibly kill a Transcendent 3-star Black-Tusked Boar King? Those struggling at the bottom of the beastmaster hierarchy knew all too well the vast power gap between pet star levels. Defeating a higher-level opponent only existed in the novels they heard about. The two remained silent for the rest of the journey.
Upon returning to the Beastmaster Association, Li Chang’an went to the reception to submit the mission. The receptionist, with a professional smile, said, “Yes, we’ve received confirmation from Anyang Village. Your mission is confirmed completed. Do you need any other services?” Li Chang’an asked, “Where can I sell monster corpses and materials?” The receptionist glanced behind Li Chang’an, seeing no packages, but her gaze caught the ring on his left middle finger. Her smile faltered, and her tone became more sincere, “Certainly, sir. The material processing area is in the warehouse on the first floor. The specific location is…” “Welcome to visit us again.”
Following the receptionist’s directions, Li Chang’an passed through the reception hall and a long corridor, arriving at a tightly shut alloy door. Swiping his Beastmaster Badge, the door beeped and automatically opened, revealing a thin blue protective film. Passing through the film, a strong stench hit him, almost knocking him out. The environment was akin to a meat market. “The conditions here are much worse than Hunter’s Path. No wonder they use a barrier to isolate it. The smell alone is enough to make one dizzy.”
Arriving at the material processing warehouse, a man in a black leather apron was sharpening a knife while directing his subordinates to move things. Li Chang’an approached the man and asked, “Can I sell monster corpses here?” The man stopped sharpening his knife, scrutinizing the young man before him, and replied, “Yes, you can. Do you have monster corpses to sell?” “Yes.” “There’s a staff member over there for weighing. Go there.” Li Chang’an thanked him and went to the weighing station. He took out all the Black-Tusked Boar corpses from his spatial ring and placed them on the scale. After counting the 12 Black-Tusked Boar corpses, the staff quoted a price. “We’ll buy them at 20% below market price, totaling 133,700 Donghuang coins. Any questions?” “No.” “Alright, please keep the receipt and collect your payment at the cashier over there.”
Shaking the receipt in his hand, Li Chang’an once again marveled at the value of being a beastmaster. Or rather, a combat-type beastmaster. Earning 130,000 in a single day, a six-figure monthly income would be easy, and this was just the income of a low-level beastmaster. Although the two Transcendent 2-star Black-Tusked Boars contributed significantly, even the 10 one-star boars could fetch around 80,000 to 90,000. “Ah, it’s hard to imagine how much more lucrative being a hunter could be.” In fact, Li Chang’an was already enjoying the benefits of a hunter. Ordinary beastmasters couldn’t solo a Black-Tusked Boar group; they needed teamwork. Teamwork meant splitting the earnings, and there were also post-battle medical expenses, so it was impossible for one person to take home 130,000.
Suddenly, someone spoke up, “Don’t think about it. Their pockets are all empty.” Damn!