Five-star epaulettes, navy general...
Chen Qi was secretly startled.
Although the strength of the navy in the Witch Sea territory had always been questioned by various parties,
a general, as one of the leaders of the navy, was undoubtedly a top king.
Chen Qi sensed the opponent's spiritual power field.
An unchanged spiritual power field was like an immovable mountain.
Even the surrounding air had become rigid.
Merely a trace of breath leaking out made the water elf tremble uncontrollably.
Fourth Rank, a legendary figure...
If a huge chasm existed between the second and third ranks, then there was an enormous abyss between the third and fourth ranks.
The person Pelu found was actually a navy general!
Chen Qi touched his head, feeling somewhat headache.
In the Witch Sea, a navy general could be considered a regional overlord.
If it weren't for the law, their formidable power would allow them to do whatever they wanted.
Now, a fourth-tier powerhouse was seeking his help.
At that moment, aside from bearing the blame, he couldn't think of anything else he could help a navy general with.
The elderly navy general said kindly:
"I am getting on in years. Just call me Old Bai Ou or Mr. Bai Ou. I came here for a meal and incidentally, I have some matters to entrust to you."
Bai Ou...
Chen Qi recalled for a moment.
In the navy, Bai Ou was considered a general who was nearing retirement, if not for the Crack Tide.
On the gaming forums, although he mostly spent his time in retirement, he was indeed a navy general with quite a good reputation.
If one wanted to join the navy faction, Old Bai Ou's faction was the most recommended.
"Alright, Mr. Bai Ou, it's cold outside, would you like to come in to chat?"
Chen Qi tentatively asked.
He indeed urgently needed resources for a second-tier Lamp Phase Occupation Card.
However, if this matter involved the navy's secrets, it would not be worth the loss.
He was not interested in getting involved in the vortex of navy strife at the moment.
Old Bai Ou hesitated for a moment, then entered the small houseboat and poured himself a cup of hot wine.
At that moment, besides Old Bai Ou, there were the drunken big-mouth Pelu and the Witch Times' Lilith on the small houseboat.
Discussing this matter in front of these two potential greats seemed to indicate it was not particularly secretive.
As long as it wasn't about dealing with dirty business, Chen Qi heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously:
"Mr. Bai Ou, what is the matter?"
Old Bai Ou drank a cup of hot wine and slowly said:
"Have a meal of moonlight fish, meanwhile, I heard from Pelu that you need a second-tier Lamp Phase Occupation Card, and your inspiration is quite strong."
"Uh... I suppose so,"
Chen Qi replied.
In the Witch Sea, like him, there were not a few newcomers with strong inspiration.
For instance, Teacher An, who from childhood had unusual inspiration and could even feel the flow of spiritual power within her body.
Old Bai Ou continued:
"Then sir, how do you evaluate your strength among the first-order Transcendents?
Additionally, sir, could you let me see your Hunter's License and the record as well?"
Among the first-tier Transcendents...
Chen Qi was plunged into thought.
Although still a newcomer, he had barely managed to pass the novice period.
If not considering the nobles or those with great opportunities among the first-tier Transcendents, his strength was among the top.
But with his newly acquired Residual Fire Touch, even against nobles who were carefully trained as first-tier Transcendents, he could fight!
Chen Qi replied:
"Quite good, but Mr. Bai Ou, I don't have a Hunter's License or a Hunter record that records combat information."
Old Bai Ou suddenly frowned and looked at the dizzy Pelu:
"Pelu told me that you entered a D-tier crack with a survival rate of less than 20% and came back alive. You are a powerful hunter with both strength and courage.
She is also the boldest first-tier hunter I have seen in recent years."
"I indeed have passed through several cracks, but I have yet to acquire a Hunter's license," Chen Qi said.
"Is that so..."
Bai Ou's face was filled with sorrow, his information seemed erroneous, the person before him, though high in inspiration, appeared to lack extensive combat experience.
Chen Qi straightened his collar:
"So, Mr. Bai Ou, what exactly brings you here? You need help from a chef like me, but if it's cooking for a banquet, my skills are still not up to standard."
Bai Ou sighed deeply:
"Here is the situation, the Crack Tide has revived many cracks.
And at a location in the Moonstone Islands, an E-grade single-person crack has also revived.
This crack is crucial for my family, so I have been imploring the Hunter Association to find someone to clear the crack.
Regrettably, due to predecessors' recklessness, this crack has mutated from E-grade to D-grade.
But at the same time, it still only allows First Order Hunters to enter."
After a single E-grade crack mutated into a D-grade crack, but in the short term, the entry conditions of the crack won't change.
In the strategy, this is a typical high-difficulty mandatory level, and among the toughest types of cracks to handle.
Such a crack is incredibly challenging even for players to clear."
Chen Qi curiously asked, "How has the crack clearing been going?"
Bai Ou shook his head, "After upgrading to D-grade, the difficulty far exceeds that of ordinary cracks."
"To date, the Hunter Association has sent out sixteen First Order Hunters, of whom eleven perished completely, and five, narrowly escaping, also suffered severe injuries."
Five Hunters made it out alive, huh.
The difficulty seems manageable... thought Chen Qi.
Bai Ou continued:
"In this crack, inspiration is crucial, and it involves some elements of the Lamp Phase puzzle-solving that demands powerful inspiration.
Therefore, I have been entrusting Hunters with high inspiration from the Hunter Association, but unfortunately, many have failed.
I originally wanted to ask an equally First Order Transcendent like Perlu for help, but she recommended you, and I, in earlier years, indeed acquired a rare Second-tier Occupation Card, which can serve as your compensation."
A rare Second-tier Occupation Card!
Chen Qi suppressed his temptation, asking instinctively, "Why not ask the navy?"
Logically speaking, an admiral like him handling these matters could easily let his navy take care of it.
Bai Ou took a sip of hot wine:
"No, the navy is in a reorganization phase, and the timing is very critical.
And as an admiral, I must not utilize naval resources even for trivial matters."
Suddenly, Bai Ou seemed to recall something saddening:
"Moreover, Chef, the newer generation within the navy may not necessarily be stronger than the professional personnel from the Hunter Association."
This task was worth considering, Chen Qi thought for a long time:
"My strength is indeed a bit above an ordinary First Order Transcendent, I might give it a try, so, what exactly is the task?"
Bai Ou looked towards the sea outside the window, "Chef, have you heard of the Crack Lost Ones?"
Crack Lost Ones?
Chen Qi pondered for a moment, a common term in the mid-game.
Simply put, these are the living beings who stay in cracks just before they close.
Some of them remained sane, becoming part of the crack, growing continuously stronger and even surpassing the crack itself!
But this was merely a minority within a minority.
Most would turn into ghosts and monstrous creatures.
The bigger and more challenging the crack, the higher the chances of encountering these Crack Lost Ones.
Many legendary players had been trapped by these beings in C-grade cracks.
"Yes, I know," answered Chen Qi.
Bai Ou stayed silent for a long time, full of regret:
"Ten years ago, my son went to a crack in the Moonstone Islands. He was a stubborn kid, unwilling to accept family help, wanting to rely on himself to become a legend, just like the legendary Deep Sea Hunters.
But as the crack was about to close, he was trapped under the body of a monster, unable to leave while his companions could only leave food for him.
Now, as the Tide Descends, this crack has opened once more."
As he said this, the hands of this mighty Transcendent trembled slightly.
Even becoming an admiral, an enviable position, they still had far too many things they couldn't accomplish.
Bai Ou took out a tidy sum of a hundred thousand Shell Coins and crack records from his clothing:
"Chef, I want you to bring my son back, and conduct a belated funeral for him on this year's anniversary of his passing.
This is my commission."