Chapter 18: Departure
Inside the main hall of the Qinshan Hunter Guild, the little commotion just now was, to most hunters, nothing more than a kind of welcoming ceremony from the veterans to the newcomers.
Seeing that Zhou Ming did not make a fool of himself, the hunters who had been watching for amusement withdrew their attention.
Some began to take on the missions they had already selected, some were handing in mission items, while others were searching for suitable teammates.
As for Zhou Ming, this small ripple in the crowd would either fade away quietly, blending into the masses, or stir up a great wave that would once again draw everyone’s eyes to him.
“Hello, may I ask what rank of hunter you are applying for?”
The Hunter Guild staff member, upon hearing Zhou Ming’s request, greeted him with a formulaic tone and asked what hunter rank he wished to apply for.
For someone as young as Zhou Ming, the staff member had seen many like him — most were merely there to obtain the title of “hunter.”
“Whiteboard.”
Hearing Zhou Ming’s answer, the receptionist smiled faintly — just as he had guessed.
This was how he found entertainment in his dull work — guessing what rank each visitor would apply for.
“Please fill out this form.”
The receptionist skillfully took out a form.
The Hunter Guild’s hunter ranks were, from lowest to highest: Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold — corresponding respectively to Beast Tamers ranging from Apprentice to Legendary Saint.
Beyond these four basic ranks, there were two special designations — Whiteboard and Title Rank.
Whiteboard corresponded to ordinary people, while Title Rank referred to Beast Tamers whose strength had reached the level of a Legendary Saint. After completing the highest-level missions, they would be granted a special honorary title jointly issued by the Alliance and the Guild.
At present, the only hunter who had reached Title Rank was the Guild Master himself, Lu Yunxiao, who bore the title of “Dragon Slayer.”
Not wanting to expose his identity as a Beast Tamer, Zhou Ming casually wrote “Whiteboard” in the rank section of the form.
During his year in the library, Zhou Ming had gone through countless books, yet not a single one recorded a case like his.
For his own safety, Zhou Ming had no intention of revealing his identity as a Beast Tamer — at least not for now.
After all, over the past year, Zhou Ming had gained a deep understanding of the development and structure of the Beast Taming profession.
The road of the Beast Tamer was paved with white bones — among them were those who had sacrificed themselves willingly, but far more were unwilling ordinary people forced into it.
After arriving in this world, Zhou Ming had never once thought of becoming a candle to light the way for others, much less paving the grand avenue with his own body.
The process to register as a Whiteboard Hunter was very simple. After Zhou Ming completed the form, the receptionist checked that there were no issues and handed him a badge engraved with the Hunter Guild’s emblem.
From now on, as long as Zhou Ming completed enough bounty missions and maintained a success rate above the standard threshold, he would be eligible to advance to an official Black Iron Hunter.
Except for the first time, when strength needed to be assessed before taking a mission, all future rank promotions within the Guild depended entirely on the number, difficulty, and success rate of missions completed.
Now officially a member of the Hunter Guild, Zhou Ming quickly immersed himself in the atmosphere of the bustling hall, searching for suitable bounty tasks.
Everything went smoothly — no unexpected events occurred.
No one was foolish enough to cause trouble inside the Guild, nor did any talented genius with powerful background suddenly appear to “experience life” or seek companions for an adventure.
To others, a Whiteboard Hunter like Zhou Ming had no value whatsoever. As such, no team or hunting group extended him an invitation.
After wandering around for a while, Zhou Ming gained a general understanding of the main duties of a hunter.
Hunting Ferocious Beasts, collecting rare plants, exploring uncharted lands, and gathering special resources — these were essentially the core of a hunter’s work.
After seeing several long-term purchase missions with no restrictions, Zhou Ming decided to leave the Guild.
He had read plenty of books on wilderness survival.
Venturing into the wild was a process every Beast Tamer had to go through, so of course, he wouldn’t neglect preparing his survival knowledge.
After lunch, Zhou Ming began purchasing the equipment and supplies he needed.
Although his savings were enough to sustain his daily life, the cost of proper hunting equipment was quite steep, leaving him somewhat short-handed.
Still, he managed to buy the essential items — a field jacket, expedition boots, a backpack, rations, a water flask, fire starter, and necessary medicine.
After purchasing everything, Zhou Ming returned to the South City Garden Community.
He planned to rest well for the night and then leave Qinshan Base the next day, officially beginning his journey of wilderness exploration.
……
“Ding, arrival at North City Gate. Passengers getting off, please do so promptly.”
The tram’s broadcast announcement sounded, and the passengers immediately began to exit. It seemed the entire car was heading to the same destination — moments later, the carriage was empty.
Sitting at the rear, Zhou Ming watched the others depart with large bags and luggage before leisurely standing up to leave.
“Brother, renting a gun?”
As soon as Zhou Ming got off the tram, several men surrounded him. If not for the brochures in their hands, he might have thought he was being robbed.
“Little brother, take a look at our company’s classic Thunder God Type II revolver — powerful, smooth, no jamming, one shot for a small Ferocious Beast!”
“Don’t listen to him! Check out our company’s Storm Series rifle instead — firepower is everything!”
Before the first man finished speaking, another squeezed forward, interrupting.
“Look at mine! The Divine Wind Rescue Team — your safety guarantee in the wild! One signal arrow, and help will come charging!”
The last salesman even began reciting his company’s advertisement slogan.
“Enough.”
The word was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced them.
During his time in the Qinshan Library, Zhou Ming had learned a few simple techniques for manipulating Spiritual Power.
“Gentlemen, I don’t need to rent a gun, nor do I need rescue services.”
He then glanced at the man holding up a large billboard and added, “And I certainly don’t need artillery.”
Perhaps it was due to his bond with the Ironthread Snake as his contracted beast — Zhou Ming’s narrowed eyes now resembled serpent pupils, cold and dangerous.
The salesmen immediately realized that the youth before them was no novice — or rather, not an ordinary man.
Forcing awkward smiles, they quickly retreated and went off in search of new customers.
Once they were gone, Zhou Ming adjusted his baseball cap and made his way toward the city gate.
As for those salesmen, Zhou Ming had heard of them before.
They were arms rental agents — or, one could say, arms dealers.
Because firearms could not be brought into the city, aside from storage services, a firearm rental business had naturally emerged.