Hitting a Wall

Adventuring in the Star Realm, forming teams was the norm.

Recruitment centers were places where teams recruited members. They were established by the Aberrant Guild of ADC, politically neutral and unaffiliated with any nation.

The largest recruitment center was on Earth, existing as a virtual online space.

Most Hunting Teams and Star Realm exploration groups posted announcements at recruitment centers.

Aberrants could also register and edit their own profiles, like public résumés for anyone to view, hoping to catch the eye of major companies and corporations, which might recognize their potential and sign contracts to train them.

However, most of that was completed on Earth.

Olympia lacked the convenience and efficiency of the internet, but it had several hundred recruitment centers. Usually, teams only recruited here when they were temporarily short-handed. Besides recruitment centers, inns, hotels, and bars where Aberrants gathered sometimes also served as recruiting venues.

Then there were teams involved in illegal activities, with questionable identities, or underground missions. Unwilling to leave traces online, they also recruited people in Olympia.

Ji Xinghuo was one of those Aberrants with a rather troublesome identity.

He could not sign a formal contract, so registered teams formed by companies and major corporations were all out of reach.

This recruitment center resembled a restaurant bar.

Ji Xinghuo entered the main hall and swept his gaze around. Dozens of tables stood in neat rows, with nearly half already occupied. Aberrants sat around them, some drinking, some eating, chatting as they ate and drank. The atmosphere was lively.

Whiteboards covered the walls around the hall, each bearing text written in marker. The handwriting varied in size, but the content followed a certain format.

"Urgently recruiting an Iron Guard, Advanced Rank or above. Temporary mission. Spoils Principle plus an additional reward of 100,000. Interested parties, please discuss at Table 20."

"Looking for a shooter for long-term cooperation. At least Intermediate Rank required. Table 17."

"Long-term recruitment for a Plant Witch, Intermediate Rank. Table 8."

"Need a Super Flying Step. Terms negotiable. Ask the lobby manager for details."

"Recruiting a White Knight..."

The notices on the whiteboards varied in length, but all concisely listed the key information: Class Template, Rank, whether it was a temporary mission or long-term cooperation, compensation, contact details, and so on.

Ji Xinghuo sat down at an empty table.

He ordered a specialty set meal from Olympia City, then slowly read the whiteboards while listening closely to the conversations around the hall.

The recruitment notices were mostly alike.

After reading some of them, Ji Xinghuo realized that two types of Classes were in the highest demand.

One was those with healing abilities, such as White Knights, Plant Witches, and Black Bishops. The other was shooters—Rangers and Trackers were more common, while Mechanics wielding steam rifles also possessed formidable ranged firepower.

Both types of Aberrants were scarce, yet indispensable to any team.

However...

Ji Xinghuo felt somewhat helpless. Nearly every recruitment notice required Intermediate Rank, which was the minimum requirement.

And he was only Elementary Rank.

Although he believed his actual strength was in no way inferior to an Intermediate Esper's, and he had even shot a Super Esper to death, others did not know that, nor could he tell them.

Just then, the server brought over his set meal.

Ji Xinghuo ate while continuing to study the recruitment notices on the wall.

Besides notices posted by teams, some Aberrants wrote down their own Classes, abilities, and past accomplishments, waiting for teams to approach them.

Such Aberrants were either very strong, at least Advanced Rank, or belonged to rare and highly sought-after Classes.

By the time Ji Xinghuo finished eating, he had read every recruitment board.

Yet there was not a single opening he met the requirements for.

"Looks like I can only recommend myself." Ji Xinghuo was not surprised. After all, Elementary Espers were still somewhat lacking in strength.

He rose and walked toward a nearby table occupied by four people, three men and one woman.

Ji Xinghuo had noticed them while eating. Their recruitment notice was on the wall; they needed a shooter of at least Intermediate Rank.

"Hello."

The moment Ji Xinghuo approached, the other party noticed him. A man who was clearly the captain stood up.

He was powerfully built, with a heavy two-handed saber strapped to his back. Yet he wore no armor, only a fiber combat uniform that offered limited protection. He had a smile on his face, but his gaze was sharp, as though it could pierce straight into one's heart, carrying an inexplicable oppressive force.

Ji Xinghuo had recognized before coming over that this man was an Advanced Black Bishop.

Black Bishops not only possessed the ability to heal wounds, but were also immensely strong themselves. Their offensive power was no weaker than a Giant General's, and their overall combat capability was extremely high.

"Hello." The man smiled and asked, "Are you here to apply?"

The three Aberrants at the table all looked over.

"Yes." Ji Xinghuo nodded and introduced himself. "I'm a Ranger. I should meet your recruitment requirements."

The Black Bishop gave him a once-over, his brows drawing together slightly. "What Rank are you?"

"Elementary." Ji Xinghuo answered truthfully, then immediately added, "My strength is absolutely no weaker than any Intermediate Ranger's. You can test me—"

Before he could finish, the Black Bishop interrupted him.

"Young man, our team only wants shooters at Intermediate Rank or above. That's the most basic requirement." The Black Bishop clearly had no interest in hearing the rest. He said flatly, "And we don't want beginners. Sorry." With that, he sat back down and turned away.

His three teammates also shook their heads, unwilling to say more.

"Sorry for disturbing you."

Ji Xinghuo could only turn and leave. He had taken just two steps when a contemptuous laugh came from behind him.

He pretended not to hear it.

Next, Ji Xinghuo approached several more teams looking for shooters, but without exception, the moment they heard he was an Elementary Esper, they rejected him.

Even though Ji Xinghuo repeatedly emphasized that his strength far surpassed that of an Elementary Esper, no team was willing to give him a chance.

Instead, he was mocked several times.

Ji Xinghuo knew exactly where the problem lay.

Besides his Rank being too low, his equipment was too new, without any traces left by battle. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was a novice.

A rookie, and only an Elementary Esper at that.

Joining a team would not only hold them back, but might even get him killed and drag the entire team down with him.

Ji Xinghuo left that recruitment center and headed to the next one.

Over an entire star night, he visited five recruitment centers and several inns and bars in succession, but repeatedly hit walls. Not a single team was willing to accept him.

Still, Ji Xinghuo was not discouraged.

The next day.

Ji Xinghuo went out at dawn. From daytime until star night, he spent more than thirty hours visiting over a dozen recruitment centers, yet still got nowhere.

Over the past two days, he had been recommending himself everywhere. Many people saw it as a joke, and word had spread through several nearby blocks.

A few times, he was rejected before he even had a chance to speak.

Ji Xinghuo emerged from a recruitment center and raised his hand to check his mechanical watch. There were still two hours before star night ended and darkness fell.

"I'll eat first."

He could have eaten at the recruitment center, but the mocking glances drifting his way had ruined his appetite.

Entering a restaurant next door, Ji Xinghuo sat down and gazed at the starlight outside the window, unable to stop himself from sighing.

"Do I have to become a lone Aberrant?"

His thoughts stirred.

In truth, while lone Aberrants were relatively few, they were not especially rare.

Those Aberrants who dared to venture, explore, and hunt alone in the Star Realm were all outstanding among their kind, far stronger than others of the same Rank.

The more powerful an Aberrant was, the more they tended to act alone.

But in the early stages, when one's strength was still low, Aberrants were better off operating in teams. Even those powerful Aberrants had joined teams when they first entered the Star Realm. Of those who had gone solo from the very beginning, the vast majority had died.

Ji Xinghuo had great confidence in himself.

As long as he was careful, did not venture too far beyond human-developed regions, and stayed out of high-risk zones, there should not be much of a problem.

But everything feared the unexpected.

He had watched many videos and learned a great deal on Earth.

Wilderness survival skills, Star Realm geography, campsite selection, identifying flora and fauna, hunting techniques and details, Astral Alien Race customs, Ability Seed collection, and more. He had even mastered three Star Realm languages. He had studied and learned everything he should.

But that was all theory on paper.

Once he put it into practice, all kinds of unforeseen and unknown situations would inevitably arise.

If an experienced senior could guide him and teammates were there to help, not only would he improve faster, but he would also be safer.

Ji Xinghuo did not want to die so young.

"There are two options now."

As he ate, he thought, "Tomorrow, I'll keep looking for a team, but I'll switch to another district in the city. If no team wants me after ten days, then I won't go out. I'll cultivate in Olympia and advance to Intermediate Esper."

"Or I can spend money to hire a team to hunt in relatively safe areas around Olympia, build up enough experience, and then act alone."

"I'll decide after ten days..."

Ji Xinghuo suddenly sensed something and turned toward the entrance.

A figure entered through the restaurant door. From her graceful yet athletic silhouette, he could tell she was a woman.

She was a little over 1.7 meters tall and wore a common women's combat uniform. A loose outer top covered her fitted inner clothes, concealing her curves. Below, she wore a short-in-front, long-in-back half-tail skirt over trousers, along with a pair of tall combat boots. Even so, her long slender calves were unmistakable.

She wore a cloth conical hat, with a layer of fine gauze hanging from its brim to conceal her left, right, and rear, leaving only an opening at the front.

But Ji Xinghuo could not see her full appearance.

A green scarf covered her face, hiding most of it and wrapping tightly around her neck. Only her eyes were exposed.

Such attire was not uncommon in Olympia. Many people did not want others to see their faces, especially female Aberrants, since it spared them much trouble.

Yet Ji Xinghuo was stunned the moment he met her eyes.

The eyes were the windows to the soul.

They were also the soul of a person's appearance, capable of conveying complex emotions far beyond mere visual beauty. At times, they spoke more eloquently than a mouth.

Ji Xinghuo also noticed a blooming peach blossom between her brows.

Five pink petals encircled a green pistil, lifelike and vivid, adding several touches of charm to those beautiful eyes.

"This should be some outward manifestation of an ability."

Ji Xinghuo guessed inwardly, unable to stop himself from thinking, She must be a great beauty. Of course, she might also be unattractive. Just like how ordinary people can look better with masks on, the 'partial information effect' might be making me fill in the blanks myself.

The moment he finished looking, he withdrew his gaze.

First, because it was impolite.

Second, Magnetic Field Induction told him that this woman was extremely powerful—definitely a Super Esper.

Moreover, she far surpassed every Super Esper he had encountered, much stronger than any of the Super Espers he had seen over the past few days.

People like that were not to be provoked.

Ji Xinghuo had just turned back to continue eating when he suddenly realized that she seemed to be heading toward him.

He could not help pausing with his chopsticks in hand. He watched her walk to his table and sit across from him. A melodious voice drifted out from beneath the scarf. "Mr. Ji, are you looking for a team?"