Chapter 31: The Hunter’s Abode

Qian Ye’s mood was instantly trampled by a herd of mammoth elephants, leaving him at a loss for words. Wasn’t that old man the owner of the gun shop? Why did he suddenly show up at the Hunter’s Den?

Qian Ye immediately decided to leave. The idea of seeking justice never even crossed his mind. In a place like Darkblood City, trying to argue fairness with a local arms dealer was pointless. Besides, he wasn’t completely cheated. The assault rifle could still be worth fifty gold coins after some repairs.

However, just as Qian Ye turned around, the old man behind the counter suddenly lifted his head, his gaze landing on Qian Ye.

Qian Ye’s body froze, and the step he was about to take hung in mid-air, unable to complete its descent!

His movements were not restricted, but at this moment, he dared not even twitch a toe. The sharp aura behind him had locked onto him, and any movement could bring down a storm of lethal attacks.

Focusing his mind and waiting for his opponent to make the first move, he sought an opening under the guidance of the aura. This was a combat instinct he had honed from countless life-and-death battles since the age of seven.

After a few tense seconds, the sharp aura suddenly vanished, and Qian Ye finally completed his step, then slowly turned around.

The three burly men in the hall looked at Qian Ye, their eyes showing a hint of approval.

The old man stood up and said, “Young man, judging by your expression, you must have visited Yi Gun Shop.”

Qian Ye examined the old man and finally noticed a subtle difference.

The old man from the gun shop had the air of a reclusive master, but his face had a few more wrinkles, and there was a sly glint in his eyes when he thought about it later. The old man in front of him had a small scar on his face, which, although unnoticeable, was very clear to Qian Ye, who was trained to recognize faces.

The old man continued, “The owner of Yi Gun Shop is my twin brother, called Yi. I am Er. Here, people call me Elder Er.”

Qian Ye felt his face must have been quite a sight, as he really didn’t know what to say.

“Do you want to become a hunter?” Elder Er asked.

“…Yes,” Qian Ye replied. He felt that Elder Er didn’t seem like a scammer, but the experience at Yi Gun Shop kept replaying in his mind.

No scammer ever looked like one.

Elder Er reached into the counter, pulled out a hexagonal copper badge, and tossed it to Qian Ye, saying, “You’ve passed the test. You are now a hunter, a one-star hunter.”

Qian Ye caught the badge almost unconsciously and asked, confused, “Test?”

“The test was just now, when I looked at you. You did well, so you are now a member of the Hunter’s Den. Keep that badge; it is your token and proof of your status as a hunter.” Elder Er said calmly.

Qian Ye looked at the badge in his hand. It was polished smooth, clearly quite old, yet the rough craftsmanship was still evident. The central star was uneven and distorted, as if the mold had been carved by a child.

“Alright, what can I, a one-star hunter, do?” Qian Ye finally accepted the situation. As long as he didn’t have to pay an entry fee, he didn’t mind joining the Hunter’s Den.

As he thought this, Elder Er said, “First, pay the membership fee for a quarter, one gold coin per month.”

Elder Er spoke nonchalantly, but Qian Ye’s heart skipped a beat.

“What are my rights?”

Elder Er pointed to a tattered book hanging on the wall and said, “They’re all written there.”

Qian Ye opened the book, finding it filled with handwritten rules. Though the book was tattered, the handwriting was elegant and powerful, making Qian Ye’s spirit tremble. He had to circulate his origin power to steady himself.

The rules were simple. The amount of membership fees paid would determine the rank of the hunter. Different ranks had different privileges.

The main rights of a hunter included selling proof of killing dark races to the Hunter’s Den for bounties. They could also purchase special weapons, armor, and materials from the Den. If they were unsatisfied with the items provided, the Den could help them contact craftsmen to customize.

The bounty alone was worth the membership fee, assuming they could kill enough dark races. The maximum bounty varied by rank. For example, a one-star hunter could earn ten gold coins per month, while a two-star hunter could earn twenty. The limit doubled with each rank increase.

But Qian Ye was captivated by the hidden power in the handwriting!

Finally calming down, he asked, “Can I see what kind of weapons and armor I can get?”

“Of course. Xiaomi, take him to the one-star warehouse.”

A clever-looking youth appeared and snapped his fingers at Qian Ye, saying, “Follow me.”

Qian Ye followed the youth to the basement, entering a storage room.

This one-star hunter warehouse was surprisingly well-stocked, even including the regular weapons of the Imperial Mainland’s main army, Hellfire Origin Guns! These were third-level firearms, all brand new!

One of the guns had four stars, indicating it was for four-star hunters only. Besides that, there were complete sets of tactical armor, multi-functional military knives, and all-terrain sights. It was a mini arsenal.

Seeing this, Qian Ye finally dismissed his doubts and returned to the hall, paying the membership fee honestly.

After completing the procedures, Qian Ye couldn’t help but ask, “What if a hunter can’t afford the membership fee?”

“They can pay later, but with an interest of one gold coin per month.” Elder Er said casually.

Qian Ye was shocked. A three-gold-coin quarterly fee, plus one gold coin monthly interest, made the rate quite harsh.

Seeming to read Qian Ye’s thoughts, one of the burly men interjected, “If they can’t afford the fee, they shouldn’t be a hunter. They should go home and tend to their families!”

The burly man made a valid point.

But Qian Ye didn’t want to be so easily swayed. He took out a small pouch and poured out six vampire fangs. These were from the three vampires he had traded with Qi Yue.

He pushed the fangs towards Elder Er, saying, “These should be worth some bounty, right?”

According to the Hunter’s Den’s exchange rates, a regular vampire warrior’s fangs were worth one gold coin. This meant each hunter had to kill at least one low-ranking vampire per month to meet the quota.

Seeing this, Qian Ye understood why the Hunter’s Den seemed so empty. To kill a vampire warrior, one needed to be at least a second-rank soldier, a high threshold, almost as high as Red Scorpion’s recruitment standards. Of course, a first-rank soldier could also be a hunter, but it would be much harder.

These six fangs should more than cover the membership fee, Qian Ye thought.

Elder Er suddenly exclaimed and picked up one fang, examining it closely, “If I’m not mistaken, this fang came from a full member of the Nidechel Clan. This vampire clan has produced counts, and if they develop too many descendants, it could be troublesome. So they are more dangerous than regular fourth-rank vampires. These fangs are worth ten gold coins.”

Qian Ye hadn’t expected the vampire elder he killed to be from such a notable clan. A fourth-rank vampire was worth four gold coins. Now, according to Elder Er, the bounty was more than double.

Elder Er rummaged in the counter, pulled out ten gold coins, and a hand axe, pushing them towards Qian Ye, “You’ve reached the bounty limit for this month. But I think this axe suits you. Consider it a personal gift.”

Qian Ye took the hand axe, weighing it and examining it closely.

The axe was small, no more than half a meter long, with a palm-sized blade. It felt heavy, made of an unknown material, certainly not metal. Qian Ye tried several methods to sense it, but it didn’t react. In a fight, this undetectable axe would be highly valuable.

Qian Ye swung it lightly, feeling very comfortable, as if it were an extension of his arm. He gave it a few hard swings, and the blade cut through the air, emitting a faint whistle!

Pleased, Qian Ye realized this hand axe was more comfortable than a dagger or short sword. It was the perfect weapon for his straightforward fighting style.

Putting the hand axe back in its leather sheath, Qian Ye said, “I like this. I’ll go hunting now.”

Elder Er squinted his eyes, as if about to doze off, and nodded slightly in farewell. The sharpness in his eyes when he saw the axe’s trajectory had vanished as if it never existed.

After Qian Ye left, one of the burly men said, “That kid has potential.”

Another one said coldly, “I don’t like him. He smells like an imperial lapdog.”

The third man shrugged, “Lapdogs come in different ranks. This kid is clearly from a top-tier group.”

“Top-tier lapdogs are still lapdogs!” the first man retorted.

Elder Er pulled out an old pocket watch, checked the time, and said, “This kid is perfect for that mission.”

“Which one?”

“The one involving Miss Qiqi.”

The three burly men shivered, and their gaze towards Qian Ye’s departing figure became sympathetic.