"But this time, I'm afraid it's not something I can get involved in..." Imagining the battle Xia Hanshi participated in previously, his expression fluctuated a few times. "It seems I can only report it in secret."
On the virtual screen that popped up from his wristband, he found the map of Nanfeng City and carefully sensed the approximate location.
"It should be here..." He stared at that area, which was likewise in the Inner City. The label on the map read—Central Trade Depository.
"At this time, Old Sun should be off work," Su Chen calculated. "Let me give you another grand gift."
He immediately leaned over his desk, pulled out a piece of paper, and picked up a pen with his right hand. After thinking about it, he switched back to his right hand to write.
He estimated that this matter was not small. The higher-ups would definitely investigate the source of the letter clearly in the end, so he couldn't tell Old Sun openly.
After finishing writing, he stuffed it into an envelope, temporarily set it aside, rubbed his hands together, and began to settle the 【Path of the Hunt】.
【The target of the Path of the Hunt has been completed. The Gale Hunter is wild with joy, and the profession is undergoing transformation...】
The words for 【Path of the Hunt】 dissipated and gradually merged into the 【Gale Hunter】, which also began to distort gradually.
Crackle!
Indigo lightning arcs burst in the depths of Su Chen's pupils. A fine web-like pattern of electricity surfaced on his eyeballs. Every strand of his hair erected like steel needles, and the tiny lightning arcs dancing between the tips of his hair crackled continuously.
A numbing sensation surged through his entire body. A crisp sound of bones dislocating came from his chest cavity, and his spine felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.
His blood boiled, forming a dark red tide beneath his skin. Su Chen could hear the buzzing sound of electric currents circulating within his muscle fibers. Lying flat on his back on the bed, even Su Chen's cheeks were twitching.
This transformation was different from the changes on the mental plane; the physical changes were exceptionally agonizing, seemingly drilling deep into the marrow and cells.
Bang!
The lightning arcs shooting out from his body shattered the chandelier on the ceiling, and the bedsheets also abruptly burst into flames. Su Chen forcefully endured the pain, restraining himself as best he could.
Fortunately, this kind of change didn't last too long before gradually easing. The surface of Su Chen's clothes was already riddled with charred holes, revealing the cyan scale armor underneath.
【Transformation complete. Wind and Thunder Adept is in position. Due to elemental affinity changes, professional abilities have undergone mutation.】
【Wrath of the Gale has mutated to—Wrath of Wind and Thunder: Attacks can be imbued with highly compressed power of wind and lightning elements.】
【Gale Bastion has mutated to—Wind and Thunder Bastion: Gather wind and lightning elements to form a suit of armor.】
【Shadow of the Hidden Wind has mutated to—Wind and Thunder Shadow Concealment: Conceal one's figure using the power of wind and lightning, increasing speed.】
【Frenzy Hunt shares a similar affinity with the new ability and has fused into—Wind and Thunder Adept: Various abilities receive a substantial boost.】
"Mutation? Fusion?" Su Chen was slightly taken aback. He had thought it would be just like last time, merely undergoing an enhancement and then adding a new professional ability.
He checked carefully; the lightning element had been fused into all these abilities, so without even thinking, they were definitely much stronger.
The 【Wind and Thunder Adept】 resulting from fusing with the new ability seemed to do more than just improve his physical quality.
"The power of wind and lightning..." Relaxing slightly, Su Chen extended a finger, and a flash of lightning arc bloomed.
"Not bad, not bad..." He was very satisfied and leaped off the bed with a kip-up. His body felt increasingly light and agile. Su Chen sensed carefully: "Speed and strength have both been elevated to a certain extent."
"Hmm..." With a mild shift of his mind, lightning arcs crackled on the surface of his body, and the armor that formed was also mixed with the lightning element. "Attached over the scale armor, it can not only defend but also reflect damage."
"As for this Wind and Thunder Adept ability..." Su Chen pondered slightly. Suddenly, electric arcs burst in his eyes. His irises were completely swallowed by silver-white electric currents, and his heartbeat abruptly sped up.
His entire person slowly floated up as the blazing power of wind and lightning surged out wildly, forming an invisible force field around him. His hair fluttered upward and was dyed an indigo color. A transparent membrane of energy surfaced on his skin, beneath which blue veins formed.
"Is this the Wind and Thunder Adept? So strong..." Su Chen's heart couldn't help but feel astonished.
"It should be able to contend against a 3rd-tier profession, right?" Experiencing the endless stream of power welling up within his body, he clenched his fists tightly.
"However, 3rd-tiers also vary in strength. The profession grade, development progress, and even the professional tier achieved during the lower tiers will more or less affect combat strength, so there's no way to universally estimate it..."
Soon, he ended this state and fell onto the floor, panting heavily. "The consumption is so huge. Currently, I can support it for at most a minute or two."
"I'll put this newly acquired Evil God Power aside for now." Su Chen cast a glance at his panel, rested for a bit longer, then picked up the envelope placed on the desk and vanished under the cover of night.
...
"Beep, beep, beep!"
The alarm clock placed by the head of the bed suddenly vibrated, and a plump, tender palm instantly pressed it down.
Sun Tai rubbed his eyes as a pair of hands draped over from beside him. An expression of helplessness appeared on his face as he carefully removed his wife's hands.
Lying beside him was a middle-aged woman who couldn't be considered very beautiful.
The woman mumbled a few words in a soft dialect. A trace of tenderness flitted across Sun Tai's mung-bean-sized eyes as he carefully got out of bed and pulled the blanket back over her.
Walking out of the room, he carefully opened another pink door. Looking at the little girl sleeping soundly inside, he couldn't help but smile.
As always, Sun Tai tidied up, washed his face, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, and prepared to head to the Supervision Department where he had struggled for more than ten years.
But just as he reached the front door, his expression changed.
In the crack of the door, there was unexpectedly a yellow envelope.
"Who is it?" Cold sweat immediately beaded on Sun Tai's forehead. His throat rolled, and he went to the kitchen to grab a pair of chopsticks, carefully picking up the envelope.
Not daring to open it at home, he went out the door.
It wasn't until he put on gloves that he carefully opened it. Sweeping a glance over it, his brows furrowed tightly. "This... this handwriting is way too ugly. What does it even say?"
He widened his eyes, distinguishing the words carefully.
A moment later, his expression changed drastically!
...
"Hmm... Old Sun should have seen it. Hopefully, he doesn't get scared away. As long as he sends someone to take a look, it'll be a great merit..." Su Chen was eating breakfast in the cafeteria, greeting people from time to time.
Suddenly, his actions paused. Over at the stairwell, someone came running up with pounding footsteps. It was none other than Sun Tai.
His face was covered in sweat. Braving the peculiar gazes of others, he looked left and right before finally spotting Su Chen and hurriedly ran over.
"Little brother, something major has happened..." Fatty Sun sat down, his complexion looking very poor.
'Wait... why did he come looking for me?'
Su Chen felt it was strange inwardly, but on his face, he wore a blank expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
Fatty Sun glanced left and right, seemingly not feeling at ease, and forcefully pulled Su Chen back to his room.
"Take a look at this..." After carefully closing the door, he took out the envelope and handed it to Su Chen with a solemn face. "Someone stuffed this in the crack of my room's door last night."
"I checked the neighborhood's surveillance, but didn't find any traces. It's at least a 2nd-tier professional."
Seeing Su Chen's expression fluctuate, he added, "Don't worry, I've already opened it, there's no poison."
'Of course I know there's no poison.' Su Chen was speechless internally. He took the envelope, opened it, and cast a glance over it. As expected, it was his own crooked handwriting.
"...Near the Central Trade Depository in the East City, there's Evil God Cultist activity posing a massive danger. If people aren't sent to investigate, Nanfeng City might be in danger of capsizing..."
"Danger of capsizing?" Su Chen's expression changed drastically. "What, what's going on here?"
"I don't know either." Fatty Sun's face was covered in distress. "I don't know who is playing tricks in the dark, borrowing a knife to kill someone. Why did they borrow my knife?"
"Uh..." Su Chen was speechless. Was this Old Sun really this cautious?
He said probingly, "Since this person... did this, perhaps it really is true. How about we just send people over to that place to take a look first? It doesn't take much effort."
"If only it were that simple." Fatty Sun let out a sigh. "That place is the Central Trade Depository."