Chapter 24: Terms, Long-term Cooperation

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【Submission of Purple Lightning Fangs from a Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf, reward 50,000】

A Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf is merely a Level 1 intermediate monster. By market standards, the reward should be around 20,000. For Yin Shu to offer 50,000—how is this any different from simply handing out money?

"I told you, Mr. Mi Chen, I will not treat you unfairly when it comes to compensation."

"This is a gesture of my sincerity."

"However, on the other hand, we do have our own conditions."

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"What conditions?"

Yin Shu smiled gently. "First, I hope you will keep this commission a secret."

"You mean you want me to execute this commission alone?"

Mi Chen immediately grasped Yin Shu's intention.

A mere Level 1 intermediate Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf is certainly no issue, but what about the future?

Once a long-term partnership is established, if Yin Shu later requests the hunting of a Level 3 monster, or even a pack of them, his current strength would make it impossible to handle it solo.

Since Yin Shu's offer is far above market price, is it possible to outsource the commission, or perhaps simply purchase the required materials directly?

Mi Chen could think of this, and there was no way Yin Shu hadn't considered it. "As for the second point, any commission issued by our side must be completed within two days, and the loss of magical energy in the materials must be less than 10 percent."

As soon as these words were spoken, Mi Chen's calculations fell flat.

Once magical materials leave a secret realm, their magical energy begins to dissipate; the longer it takes, the higher the rate of loss. After one day, the dissipation typically exceeds 10 percent. The materials circulating in the exchange market usually have a dissipation rate of around 50 percent, making them far inferior in quality to those obtained directly through a commission.

Of course, Mi Chen was not one to play small tricks; he had merely been considering the possibility.

"Are there any other conditions?"

"No, that is all." Yin Shu indicated those were the only requirements.

Hunting solo, completing within two days, and a price 20 percent higher than the market rate—this was an undeniably lucrative deal.

"No problem, I accept!"

Yin Shu smiled with satisfaction and reached out her hand. "Then let us sign the contract first."

Xuan Yue immediately produced a pre-drafted contract. The content was simple, covering nothing more than the duration of the long-term commission—six months—and the conditions Yin Shu had proposed. As for the price, it would be 20 percent higher than a standard commission.

Mi Chen signed his name decisively.

The agreement was settled.

"As for the commissions, Xuan Yue will be your point of contact."

"Once you have completed the commission for the Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf, we will contact you for the next one," Xuan Yue said.

The deadline for the Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf commission was three days away.

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Mi Chen still had one day to prepare.

Although the Thunder-Horned Violent Wolf itself was only a Level 1 intermediate monster, it existed only in the C-rank secret realm known as "Thunder Cliff" within the forest zone. This realm was a paradise for lightning-attribute monsters, but its terrifying thunderstorms were a hunter's nightmare. If one did not take precautions against lightning, being struck by a thunderstorm would kill even a Level 4 hunter instantly.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave," Mi Chen said.

"Safe travels. Xuan Yue, please see Mr. Mi Chen out," Yin Shu waved.

"No need, I know the way."

He left the Moonlit Divine Palace and looked back at the unremarkable hill. Who would have thought that at its cloud-shrouded peak existed such a dreamlike place? The resources of these large organizations were truly terrifying. It was no wonder that hunters were so eager to join guilds or secure sponsorships from major powers.

A hunter’s advancement becomes more exaggerated as they reach the later stages. Once you possess strength, you are more likely to be favored by large guilds and major organizations; the resources they provide, in turn, continuously elevate your strength. It is akin to a snowball rolling ever larger.

But on the other hand, a massive amount of resources flows to the top. The remaining low-level hunters, or even those of average strength, can only pick up occasional commissions on hunter websites. While this income is substantial for an ordinary person, hunters are, after all, fighting monsters—trading their lives for money. Furthermore, weapons, armor, tools, potions, and even skill books are significant expenses. This is why a considerable number of hunters live beyond their means.

The solution to this problem is simple: increase your strength. But increasing strength requires money, and you need money to further increase your strength. Thus, one falls into a vicious cycle.

This was the very reason Wan Bieling was so desperate for power. In the world of hunters, strength is the foundation of everything, yet improving it is inseparable from resources.

Mi Chen, however, had no such worries. Possessing the ability to plunder, killing monsters not only granted him skills but also magical energy. As long as he kept hunting, he could keep leveling up. Money, to him, was secondary. His greatest wish was to be wealthy enough to improve the lives of his master and Qi Xiaoyun.

He conservatively estimated that Yin Shu’s long-term orders would bring him at least 3 million. When that time came, he would definitely buy them a house in Junyang City.

Upon returning to his residence, Mi Chen immediately began preparing his gear for Thunder Cliff.

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It was at this moment that he noticed a card he had tucked under his drawer had fallen to the floor.

He was instantly on alert.

Someone had been in his room!

Because he had been robbed while living in this run-down apartment before, he had developed the habit of placing a small card under his drawer when leaving; if anyone rummaged through it, the card would fall.

Mi Chen checked the door lock. He had specifically replaced it with a high-security model, and there were no signs of tampering. For a moment, he could not figure out who had entered. The only thing of value in the room might have been the large-caliber handgun he had bought earlier; he always kept the supreme blade, Shen Yuan, wrapped in cloth and carried it on his person.

Who could it be?

Mi Chen pondered for a long time without finding a clue. Other than the fallen card, there were no other traces, and nothing had even been stolen.

"Am I overthinking this..." Mi Chen could not help but succumb to self-doubt.

"Forget it. I'll finish the commission in the secret realm first."

Mi Chen turned to organize his equipment.

At that same moment, on a high-rise building three kilometers away from Mi Chen’s home, a man in a dark green trench coat was peering through binoculars. He was monitoring Mi Chen.

"Boss, that guy seems to have noticed. Someone was in his room."

On the other end of the headset, Mu Heng sat with his legs crossed, saying with interest, "Oh? He discovered that? His observation skills are quite sharp, aren't they?"

"I told you, this kind of job shouldn't be given to Ke Ling," the man said.

"It's fine. Did Ke Ling find anything?"

"No, she searched everywhere and didn't find anything related to the 'Cult'."

"Boss, did we investigate the wrong person?"

Mu Heng thought for a moment. "For now, we only suspect he is connected to the Cult. Let's keep watching."

"What's the situation on your end?"

"He's about to head out. It looks like he's going to a secret realm."

Mu Heng nodded. "Find out which secret realm."

"Keep following him. Report to me immediately if you find anything suspicious."

"Understood!"