"Is that scar on your neck the 'Holy Mark'?"
Wang Xi asked.
Hearing this, Chu Nai quickly pulled a lock of silver hair over to cover her neck, then said in a small voice:
"Yeah. Is it ugly?"
"No." Wang Xi shook his head. "I actually think it's quite beautiful. It has a unique, holy charm that really suits you."
Chu Nai couldn't help but crinkle her eyes into a smile.
Wang Xi asked again:
"By the way, you still haven't told me if you're a Professional Warrior."
"Uh, I guess so."
Chu Nai thought for a moment and nodded.
"You guess so?"
"I've never taken the Hero Association's assessment, so I don't have a professional certification."
Chu Nai said honestly.
"But my mentor said that my current strength is greater than that of an average Professional Warrior."
'More than just "greater"...'
Wang Xi thought to himself wryly.
He had never seen a silver-framed skeleton like that before.
"Brother Xi, are you interested in Professional Warriors?"
Chu Nai asked.
Wang Xi didn't hide it and admitted frankly:
"Yeah, I'm planning to take the Hero assessment."
"The death rate for Professional Warriors is very high..."
Chu Nai's face filled with worry.
"Unlike the City Defense Team, which only needs to clean up disasters, Professional Warriors have to leave the city, go to the Wilderness and Disaster Areas, and even enter Mazes regularly."
"For every ten Professional Warriors, it's a rare thing for even one to retire safely..."
"Chu Nai."
Wang Xi interrupted her softly.
The girl turned to look at him, her light blue eyes filled with melancholy and concern.
"I can't live at the bottom of society my whole life."
Wang Xi said calmly.
"Disasters strike without warning. If I don't have enough strength, I'll just be waiting for the axe to fall when calamity arrives... These are difficult times. I don't have your talent, but I refuse to just drift by and accept my fate."
"I've already signed up for the amateur Hero assessment at Cupid Housekeeping, and I'm taking it next week."
"..."
Chu Nai pressed her lips together. Seeing the calm yet resolute look in his eyes, she said no more to persuade him.
The girl silently took Wang Xi's hand and pressed a Universal Card into his palm.
"Use this if you run into danger!"
[Holy Covenant Prayer Stone (Artifact Card)]
[Quality: Blue Three Stars (Not upgradeable)]
[A miracle once witnessed by an Ascetic. A stone tablet, inscribed with prayers written in the blood of hundreds, gave birth to a miracle. Holy light shot into the sky, dispelling evil and darkness. After the miracle, the tablet shattered into countless pieces. This is one of them.]
[Upon use, the stone will erupt with the holy power of a pseudo-miracle, incinerating all enemies within a fifty-meter radius. This Card will disappear after use.]
Blue Three Stars!
This was the first time Wang Xi had ever encountered a Card of this Quality.
"Xiao Nai, this is...?" he asked, astonished.
"A Universal Card to protect you."
Chu Nai said with a smile.
"Don't worry about using it. I have plenty more."
'Plenty more...'
Wang Xi was stunned.
'Is my childhood friend really a rich loli?!'
In reality, however, Chu Nai had not told him the truth.
This Card was actually a gift from her mentor when she left the Eastern Continent, an ace in the hole meant to save her life.
But compared to Wang Xi's safety, Chu Nai felt it was nothing.
"Brother Xi, no matter which city in Jiuzhou, there's preferential treatment for Professional Warriors."
Chu Nai said softly.
"Take Valley City, for example. The government provides a 'Level 1 Talent Subsidy' of one hundred thousand Credit Points per year for three years."
"Three hundred thousand?"
Wang Xi's eyes lit up.
He was short on cash right now. If he could pass the Professional Warrior assessment, this money would be a huge help. Besides daily expenses, he also needed to buy Magic Stones to draw Cards.
"The subsidy is secondary. The most important things are the increase in citizen class and the many undisclosed privileges."
Chu Nai explained patiently.
In the Mountain and Sea Federation, citizens were divided into three classes.
Ordinary people like Wang Xi were third-class citizens. Above them were public servants in official organizations like the Defense Team, the Overlook Bureau, and the Security Bureau, as well as certain professions like doctors and firefighters. They were all second-class citizens.
They enjoyed numerous social benefits and preferential treatment.
As former researchers at the Maze Research Institute, Wang Xi's and Chu Nai's parents had belonged to the highest rank: first-class citizens.
Talents of this level were protected by the government, holding extremely high social status and importance. To give a somewhat inappropriate example, when a disaster struck, the Defense Team would prioritize rescuing first-class citizens.
In the new world, so-called equality never existed.
First-class citizens could also request help from the government if they encountered difficulties. The vast majority of problems could be solved.
And anyone who passed the Professional Warrior assessment would be unconditionally promoted to a first-class citizen. Even accidental manslaughter wasn't a very serious crime for them.
The government was extremely lenient with first-class citizens.
This was the privileged class.
"The Hero Association is in charge of the assessment, but the Overlook Bureau also participates and supervises. The professional assessment is divided into two parts, a combat test and a written test, and the final score is a composite of the two."
Chu Nai continued.
"The combat test is different every year, so there's no reference material for it. But you can prepare for the written test in advance. It mainly covers extraordinary domains like Maze disasters, Wilderness Disaster Areas, and Universal Cards. You can buy related study materials online."
"Alright, more studying then."
Wang Xi chuckled.
Chu Nai looked over with her light blue eyes.
"Brother Xi, although I don't really want you to take this path, I'll support your choice. If you run into any trouble, you can come to me anytime."
"Of course." Wang Xi smiled. "I don't know any big shots in Valley City. Now that you're a public servant at the Overlook Bureau, who else would I turn to?"
"Mhm!" Chu Nai gave a sweet smile.
Just then, her phone beeped.
Chu Nai picked it up and glanced at it.
Wang Xi noticed a flicker of emotion in her eyes, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.
"Is it something urgent?"
Wang Xi asked.
Chu Nai put her phone away, tucked a strand of hair back, and shook her head.
"It's nothing too important. I just started the job, so it might be a little busy..."
"You should get going then. We can meet up again when you're free."
Wang Xi said with a smile.
After some hesitation, Chu Nai finally nodded.
"Okay, I'll get going then."
"I'll walk you out."
Wang Xi stood up as well.
But Chu Nai waved her hands, slightly flustered, and said:
"No, it's fine. I... I'll just take the railcar in a bit."
"I'm just walking you to the railcar."
Wang Xi looked at her strangely.
"You don't think I can afford a car, do you?"
"That's not what I meant."
Chu Nai quickly explained.
Seeing this, Wang Xi stopped teasing her and smiled.
"Alright, go on. I won't walk you out then."
"Mhm." Chu Nai breathed a silent sigh of relief, waved to Wang Xi, and walked away, looking back every few steps.
Wang Xi, however, didn't leave right away.
After waiting a moment, he walked out of the abandoned amusement park. Across the long, quiet street, he saw a blue-gray hovercar parked at the far end.
On its body was the emblem of a yellow tower with a red ring behind it.
That was the emblem of the Overlook Bureau.
Four or five men in black uniforms and sunglasses stood respectfully by the car, bowing their heads and saluting Chu Nai.
Two young women, one tall and one short, were talking with Chu Nai. The taller one had wavy purple hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses. The shorter one, however, looked quite familiar to Wang Xi.
'That delivery girl, Ning Meng?'
Wang Xi was very surprised.
'She's from the Overlook Bureau too?'
Unlike her previous appearance in a yellow delivery uniform and helmet, Ning Meng was now dressed in a dark cyan, high-collared trench coat, her hands in her pockets and her expression cold.
Her entire demeanor was completely different.
After a brief exchange with Chu Nai, they all got into the car together.
With a WHOOSH, the Overlook Bureau's hovercar left an afterimage and vanished at the end of the street.
'It seems Chu Nai's position in the Overlook Bureau is even higher than I imagined...'
Wang Xi mused.
As for why Chu Nai didn't tell him the truth, Wang Xi could more or less guess.
Just as Chu Nai worried about him, he too would worry about her. Her job was definitely not as simple as a clerk's and must involve some danger. She chose to hide it because she didn't want him to worry.
The bond between them was deeper than most. Having lost their parents at a young age, they had practically depended on each other to survive.
This was evident from the way she had unhesitatingly offered her savings and given him a high-Quality Universal Card to protect his life.
'I should focus on getting stronger first.'
Wang Xi thought to himself.
'If I'm not strong enough, I won't even be qualified to help her.'
He shook his head and turned to leave.
...
...
「Cupid Housekeeping.」
「Cleaning Department Office.」
In front of a computer desk, a portly figure was processing information files related to corpse intake.
He skillfully altered some data, deleted a few files, then picked up his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath.
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
Just then, Lin Zhifeng's phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression changed slightly.
His pot-bellied body shot up from the chair. He quickly opened the door and peeked out. After confirming no one was there, he locked the door securely.
Lin Zhifeng picked up his phone and walked to a corner.
"Hello, President An."
"Send another batch of the remains from this disaster."
An indifferent male voice came from the other end of the line.
Lin Zhifeng's face soured, and he said cautiously:
"President An, I've already secretly transported two batches. Any more, and it's very likely the Overlook Bureau's supervisors will find out..."
"This time is different. The Consortium Laboratory has shown that the saccharified substance has a high affinity with Ethereal Crystals, producing a special 'blackening' reaction. This is a major discovery of immense value, and the higher-ups are taking it very seriously."
The indifferent male voice continued:
"We must register the patent before the Gear Conglomerate and the Maze Research Institute do. This could even improve the way Demon Heroes grow stronger. It's an unimaginably huge fortune."
Hearing how seriously the Shanshan Conglomerate was taking this, cold sweat beaded on Lin Zhifeng's forehead. An invisible pressure crashed down on him like a mountain.
"But President An, I really can't..."
Before Lin Zhifeng could finish, the voice on the other end cut him off:
"I don't care what method you use. The materials must be delivered by tomorrow night. Understood?"
With that, the line went dead.
Lin Zhifeng's expression shifted as he gripped his phone tightly.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
He leaned against the wall, cursing under his breath.
If his daughter's life wasn't being sustained in a laboratory at the Shanshan Conglomerate's headquarters, he really wouldn't want to keep acting as a spy, stealing materials for the consortium time and time again.
It wasn't that Lin Zhifeng had no conscience, but he knew that if he refused, his daughter would die.
According to Federation law, all disaster remains collected by the company had to be sent to the Overlook Bureau and handed over to the Maze Research Institute.
His actions were, without a doubt, a felony.
But he had no choice!