"Your strength has passed the test; come with me, and I'll take you to the meeting room of our Black Mine City Hunter Division."
Tie Xiong straightened his collar, gave up on showing off his muscles, and continued forward along the gravel path of the open-air training ground.
The final assessment...
Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his face and looked up at the sky.
The day was blazing hot, and before he knew it, it was already noon.
To complete the Hunter Association's professional assessment within a day was indeed difficult.
Chen Qi followed Tie Xiong's footsteps up the spiral staircase to the Association's towering headquarters.
An antique iron door appeared before them.
And just at that moment, a grey mouse scurried past his toes.
The Boss is here! Tie Xiong instantly broke out into a cold sweat, stopped in his tracks, and then advised:
"Newcomer, let me remind you that the Hunters are not as you imagine them to be, and our boss is not someone you should mess with."
Then, Tie Xiong placed his hand on the door and slowly pushed it open:
"Today happens to be the time when we update our assignments. Go inside and find our divisional Association President, Grey Mouse; he will assign you a task."
Tie Xiong kindly reminded:
"Lastly, take my advice: it's best to keep a respectful fear of our boss's words and learn to refuse properly. There are some things you can't handle."
In the Hunter Association, more daunting than being insulted and abused by high-ranking members, is taking on tasks that are beyond one's own scale.
Grey Mouse... Chen Qi vaguely remembered this person, as he walked into the Hunter Association's conference area through the heavy iron door.
The Hunter Association is an organization that upholds freedom, with exceptionally simple internal rules: accept a task, then complete it.
Those who complete many tasks obtain more information and become the leaders of the Hunter Association organization.
Chen Qi looked around.
This was a meeting hall with a round table, and sitting around it were prestigious Third-order Transcendents.
Third-tier Transcendents, before the Crack Tide, were all powerful leaders.
However, at the moment, there were only three people at the round table, with most attendees being standing Second-order Transcendents.
Three Third-tier Transcendents, and over thirty Second-tier Transcendents.
And at the main seat of the round table sat a Hunter draped in a grey coat, wearing old Hunter garb underneath, while his right hand toyed with a pitiful little grey mouse.
His face wasn't very old, around thirty, but his hair was already graying, and the skin that showed was horribly withered, like dry bark.
He was the division president of the Black Mine City Hunter Association, a Third-tier Blade Phase professional, Bounty Hunter.
High-order Blade Phase profession... Chen Qi remembered this person.
The individual was a well-known figure in Black Mine City and a very rare Bounty Hunter in the Witch Sea.
This was a special profession that could complete bounty tasks to earn special currency and exchange for Transcendent items and attributes with greedy otherworldly merchants.
As a Third-tier profession, he already had access to the special entity "Greed," and as a Blade Phase profession, he possessed formidable single-combat capabilities.
And Grey Mouse was a veteran Bounty Hunter, known in the underworld as the Grey Hunter!
Shell Country held vast knowledge of shell and Hammer Phases, and a Blade Phase often signified the power of direct combat, and without a doubt, Grey Mouse was among the best.
Even with Residual Fire Touch, he would not be a match for the man, perhaps not even able to last thirty seconds...
Chen Qi remembered that this division president was only a step away from becoming a Fourth Rank Legend.
Besides, Grey Mouse had a vast network of connections behind him; he had tight links to the underworld, as well as deep connections with a Fourth Rank legendary Cardmaker. He held extremely special Skill Cards and a large number of general-purpose Skill Cards in his hands.
And these Skill Cards could only be obtained by completing significant tasks in Black Mine City.
In addition, Grey Mouse was also the pioneer of the underworld route, enabling one to enter the underground maps of the new-day world "the Gutter" through him.
A pivotal figure in Black Mine City.
Why would such a person appear in the conference room at this time?
Normally, the boss of the Association wouldn't preside over a mere Hunter meeting.
Why? Could it be that Grey Mouse had some significant task?
Chen Qi couldn't help but speculate.
As Chen Qi stepped into the meeting hall, Grey Mouse adjusted his hat and asked:
"Newcomer?"
"Yes, I've just completed the first two assessments, and I'm here for the last one."
"Oh?"
Grey Mouse's eyes shifted slightly, and he folded his hands into a fist:
"Newcomer, you should know that a new era has descended; with the arrival of the Crack Tide, we Hunters no longer need boring fringe elements. We need adventurers, the fearless who dare to complete any task.
This means Hunters holding new Second-tier Hunter licenses must possess strength beyond the average Second-tier Transcendent!"
What a hassle... Chen Qi felt an ominous sensation:
"I am quite confident in my own abilities. Even if it's a Blade Phase from the Black Blood Empire, I believe I can defeat them."
Chen Qi twirled the collector in his hand.
Normally, the host of this meeting should have been an ordinary Third-tier Transcendent.
But he never expected that Grey Mouse would be the one presiding over this meeting, and even engaging him in direct conversation.