Back in the rented apartment, Chen Linling had already prepared dinner.
Xie Litang couldn't help but look at Chen Linling's legs. Even though she was confined to a wheelchair, she still managed to keep the home in such great shape.
Yet she didn't dwell on that. After eating some food, she said, “I need to head out tomorrow.”
Chen Linling set down her bowl and chopsticks, pausing for a good while before asking, “Are you going outside the city?”
Xie Litang nodded. “Yeah. We can't afford to provoke the Fierce Snake Gang just yet, so the online loans have to be paid back.”
Chen Linling lowered her head, keeping her voice down as she murmured, “I... I have some savings.”
Xie Litang waved her hand and sighed. “No need. The little you have is just a drop in the bucket. And here I thought I'd have to spend a lot of breath convincing you.”
“If I tried to stop you, would you listen, Sister?”
“Nope.”
“Then, Sister, you must come back safe and sound.”
“Of course. Once I make some money, I'll buy you a new wheelchair, get your legs treated, and buy a big mansion for us to live in.”
“Mm, you definitely will. I believe in you, Sister.”
“...”
The two chatted for a bit longer.
Around eight or nine in the evening, Xie Litang took all of her savings.
After selling off all her cosmetics and designer bags, she had managed to scrape together over twenty thousand dollars.
Xie Litang arrived before a towering skyscraper—the Demon Beast Hunter Association.
Whether going outside the city or selling demon beast prey—the legal and regulated way, that is—required a license.
Generally speaking, this kind of credential would be issued through one's university once admitted.
But hadn't Xie Litang just dropped out?
She stepped into the Demon Beast Hunter Association.
Even at night, it was still bustling with people, many of whom concealed their appearance just like Xie Litang.
A woman dressed in business attire walked over and asked with a professional smile, “Hello, miss, is there anything I can help you with?”
Xie Litang stated her purpose directly: “I want to get a demon beast hunter license.”
“According to regulations, please present your ID card, and you will also need to undergo a test.”
“From what I understand, an ID card isn't strictly necessary?”
“That would be against this association's regulations.”
“Well, that's truly a pity.”
“In that case, miss, I shall attend to other guests. You could have a seat at the café across the street—everyone says it has a wonderful reputation.”
“Sure, I'll definitely check it out.”
The moment Xie Litang walked out, she headed for the café across the street.
It was just an anonymous hunter license, after all; countless ones were leaked every year, and a casual search on the internet turned up tons of them.
Besides, even if things didn't pan out here...
Worst-case scenario, she could just snag one on the black market.
Xie Litang sat down and ordered a coffee. In less than ten minutes, a waiter approached and asked:
“Miss, do you need anything else?”
“Nothing. It's just that I suddenly felt like admiring the scenery outside the city, but unfortunately, I can't get out.”
“Have you heard of the Hunting Tourism Experience Tour? Perhaps I could inquire on your behalf.”
“Quite expensive, isn't it?”
“Not at all. Twelve thousand.”
“Way too expensive.”
“It's been this price for years.”
“Fine.”
“Then, beautiful miss, as a member of the Hunting Tourism Experience Tour, what kind of name would you like to give yourself?”
“Just call me... Langmie.”
“Understood, Miss Langmie.”
The café waiter took out a phone, whispered into it for a moment, and in barely ten minutes returned with a black card.
Watching this, Xie Litang cursed internally. She figured they probably just entered some information into a computer over at the Demon Beast Hunter Association across the street, netting a clean ten thousand bucks in just a couple of minutes.
Card in hand, Xie Litang left immediately.
As she passed several hunter supply shops near the association, a single glance at the prices displayed in the windows made her shake her head and walk away; not a single price tag dropped below five figures.
She went straight to a department store and bought a black bodysuit. The shopkeeper claimed it was made of some high-tech nanomaterial that even daggers couldn't slice through.
Xie Litang gave it a test slash, and sure enough, it held.
Against demon beasts, though, who could really tell?
Xie Litang muttered under her breath, “For something under two thousand dollars, I shouldn't expect too much.”
Finally, she purchased a sharpened sword, some rations, a backpack, and a few other supplies.
With barely any money left on her, she cast another glance over the items in the store.
Pointing to an off-white teddy bear plushie on the shelf, Xie Litang said, “Give me that one too.”
The shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear. “You got it, two hundred.”
When she returned to the rented apartment, it was already past eleven at night.
Holding the off-white teddy bear plushie in her arms, Chen Linling's eyes were filled with delight, yet she couldn't bring herself to smile.
Xie Litang didn't dwell on much else; right now, only a single thought occupied her mind.
To keep proccing Steel, of course.
Hugging the ant nest and stacking Steel till the end of time.
【Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang...】
Heartsteel was number one under the heavens.
Nothing brought greater joy than stacking Steel.
Xie Litang stacked Steel until past three in the morning before heading to bed. Naturally, she packed the remaining half of the nest into glass jars to keep proccing Steel on the road tomorrow.
By now, her status panel had become extraordinarily luxurious.
【Name: Xie Litang.】
【Ability: Teammate Sacrifice, Uses: 0.】
【Class: Swordmaster, Wind-Style Swordsmanship (Minor Accomplishment) 3425/10000 (Major Accomplishment).】
【Vitality: 3427, Spirit: 45.】
【Equipment: Heartsteel.】
Now, a single proc of Steel dealt up to 102 true damage.
Xie Litang stared at the panel for a while, murmuring softly, “According to the standards of this world, being able to deliver an attack that exceeds one hundred damage qualifies someone as a One-Star Hunter.”
What's more, her situation was fundamentally different from others.
Other people's 100 damage had to be mitigated by various forms of armor.
Yet the damage from Xie Litang's Steel procs was completely unadulterated—pure true damage.
The next day, Xie Litang woke up leisurely.
It was already past ten in the morning.
Having slept until she woke up naturally, staying up late hadn't affected her in the slightest.
She washed up, tied her long hair into a high ponytail, donned the black bodysuit, and strapped the longsword onto her back.
Chen Linling wheeled over in her clunky wheelchair, reached out to hug her waist, and said reluctantly, “Sister, you look so pretty, and your figure is the best.”
Xie Litang patted her head and said with a chuckle, “Linling is very pretty too.”
“Alright.”
“I really have to go now.”
Xie Litang left behind all the money she had left—just under three thousand dollars in savings. She didn't want to say words that sounded like a final parting between life and death.
Even so, her expression turned solemn, and her tone grew grave. “If I'm not back within three days, take this money and leave this place.”
“I'm the one who owes the debt.”
“Hopefully, the Fierce Snake Gang won't make things difficult for you.”
“It's my fault for being so useless.”
Chen Linling shook her head vigorously, hugging Xie Litang tightly as her voice choked with emotion. “No, it's my fault for being useless. I couldn't help Sister at all.”
Xie Litang pushed her back gently, took a deep breath, and forced a smile. “Alright, alright, I really have to go.”
If they kept lingering like this, she feared she wouldn't have the heart to leave at all.
Along the way, Xie Litang drew plenty of admiring glances, mostly because her figure was exceptional.
Yet she didn't look completely out of place; many demon beast hunters had far more exaggerated outfits than hers.
At the city boundary, Xie Litang put on a face mask.
A member of the City Defense Force reached out to stop her, stating, “Halt.”
Xie Litang took out her One-Star Demon Beast Hunter License, handed it over, and said, “I'm a demon beast hunter.”
The soldier inspected it and let her pass.
Behind her stood magnificent high-rises and towering skyscrapers.
Ahead lay broken walls and crumbling ruins, desolate as far as the eye could see.
Rate on N.U.
