Containment Bureau's Strict Selection

The young man's experience left Ethan dumbfounded. Wasn't this a new era... no, a wine scammer from the old era!

The era was backward, but the technology was far ahead. It skipped the tedious process of accompanying guests for drinks and only took 1 Gold Lion from the customer in three sentences!

Ethan lingered in the crowd for a while longer as an onlooker. He saw the young man being led away by a group of burly men, led by the wine scammer, to a loan shark. The young man quickly borrowed 1 Gold Lion and, after the wine scammer took the Gold Lion, he became utterly dejected. His eyes were vacant, and he forced a smile like a puppet on strings.

He had given up on himself.

Ethan further realized the horrors of Fireplace Bay, which dampened his mood. It wasn't just for the unknown young man before him, but also for his plan to get skill books for free. He had originally intended to browse books in a bookstore without buying, but given the viciousness of Fireplace Bay's merchants, he suspected he'd be forced to buy a book just by touching its cover.

Forget it.

Ethan moved with the crowd on the merchant ship. After some observation, he roughly understood the layout of the ship. The merchant ship's deck was the area for casual customers, with temporary stalls selling everything from food to alcohol, and even exotic trinkets. The ship's management charged these stall owners a daily venue fee of 10 Gold Lions.

The permanent shops were all located inside the ship's cabins. Compared to the chaotic casual customer area, the formal shops were much more organized.

There were scroll shops, potion shops, and taverns for purchasing information.

Of course, if customers were willing, they could also "pass the time" here. While sightseeing, Ethan was stopped by a young woman wearing a veil and a long dancer's dress.

A glimpse of her true face cost 1 Gold Lion, and there were many additional services inside.

He immediately stated that he was Zero Krypton and walked away under the dancer's disdainful gaze.

Ethan adhered to one principle: he would only browse, and there was no way he would spend money. Even so, when he passed by an Occultism bookstore and saw a notice on the bulletin board that read "Reading Day, Half Price on Everything," he couldn't help but feel tempted.

It was truly wise of him not to bring his savings card.

Mugram's equipment shop was not hard to find, located in the most conspicuous spot within the second ship's cabin.

"Old Mu's Spiritual Shop," when Ethan saw "Containment Bureau Recommended" following the sign, he knew he was in the right place.

Those without connections wouldn't dare to put "Containment Bureau" on their sign.

As soon as Ethan entered, the first thing that caught his eye was the dazzling array of goods on the shelves: potion bottles, sprays, toolkits. These items, which seemed unrelated at first glance, were piled on the same shelf, creating a great visual impact. The shop's layout resembled a library, with shelves placed one after another, leaving only a narrow space between them for two people to pass. Once inside, one would be surrounded by goods on all sides.

"The Bureau is recruiting new members?"

A hoarse voice came from behind the counter at the entrance.

"Hello, I am... a Treant!?"

Ethan exclaimed in surprise, extending his hand towards the Treant standing at the counter as if it were a mascot. The reason he hadn't greeted it upon entering was that it looked nothing like a living creature.

Ivy hadn't mentioned anything about Mugram's race.

With its dry bark and brownish skin, anyone would mistake it for a witchcraft artifact placed in the shop.

Two years after his transmigration, this was the first time he had encountered a Treant, such a rare species.

"You're not a Treant, I am."

This was clearly not the first time he had been called that. "I am Mugram, the owner of this shop. You can call me Old Mu."

Realizing his gaffe, Ethan immediately declared his political stance. "Sorry, it's my first time seeing another race, but rest assured, I support harmonious racial development."

"Don't be so nervous. I used to work at the Containment Bureau, just like you."

The Treant's face couldn't express emotions, but Ethan heard nostalgia in its voice. "That was over ten years ago. I was young like you once."

"Greetings, senior."

Ethan took the initiative to get closer. Although he found a Treant investigator rather incongruous, he still stated his purpose. "I'm here today to purchase basic equipment."

"Hmm, let me see... Ah, the Brookwood Town Intelligence Station. Your order for the Basic Gift Package is ready."

The Treant flipped through a list with its not-so-nimble fingers. "Yes, and you also booked the accompanying user tutorial. Have you had any prior contact with this equipment?"

He bent down and brought out a box filled with the sprays and potions from the shelves.

First, the spray. He unscrewed the cap and gently poked the diaphragm with his slender index finger. "Dark Creature Repellent 3.0 Spray. Compared to version 2.0, it adds two types of Dark Creatures, the Ghost Toad and the Goblin. It represents a major technological breakthrough and can also have a certain effect on humans."

"It's effective on humans too?"

"It won't cause actual harm, but it incorporates a pungent odor. The formula contains the mucus of SI-0733, which is a type of excrement, ten times smellier than human feces. Just a tiny bit will make others think you've fallen into a cesspool."

"Don't point the spray nozzle at me!"

Ethan reacted quickly, dodging behind a shelf. He never expected this first item to be comparable to a biological weapon.

"Hmm? That won't do. You'll have to get used to this smell sooner or later."

"...Why do I have to get used to this smell?"

A sense of foreboding arose in Ethan's mind.

The Treant, unfazed, smiled. "Do you know how to use the spray?"

"When Dark Creatures charge at me, spray it in their faces!"

Ethan's attitude was firm. He was convinced that this spray only had this one use.

"What a complete rookie. If you do that, you'll be dead. The correct answer is to spray it on yourself when they discover your presence, or when you realize Dark Creatures are lurking around.

"Don't underestimate the wisdom of the research department. Data shows that most known Dark Creatures have an aversion to excrement. Therefore, by making your scent resemble excrement, they will instantly lose interest in you. In this regard, they are actually somewhat similar to humans, as no normal human would attack a pile of shit."

Ethan suspected Old Mu of personal attack, but there was no concrete evidence.

Moreover, he pondered the other's suggestion. What was the difference between that and a suicide bomber?

So he made a decision.

From now on, he would never use Dark Creatures Repel 3.0, even if beaten to death, at least not on himself.

"Teach me something else then." Ethan poked his head out. His gaze swept over the potions. The black, viscous liquid inside also exuded an ominous aura. He decided to skip these unknown liquids for now and pointed to an object next to the box that resembled an old pager, initiating the conversation. "What is this used for?"

"Dark Creatures Whereabouts 2.1, it fixed the vulnerability in 2.0 that caused it to become ineffective due to interference from Evil God sacrificial rituals. Simply put, this is a detector. You'll be interacting with it every day from now on."

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. It finally sounded more normal. "Can this detector sense the presence of Dark Creatures?"

"To be precise, it senses the field waves they bring when they appear. Version 2.0 also added a rating system. Blue indicates everything is normal, yellow indicates signs of weak field waves nearby, and red—"

Old Mu's introduction came to an abrupt halt.

This was supposed to be a routine demonstration, but the detector's needle jumped to the very edge of the red zone the moment it was turned on, even showing signs of about to burst the tester.

But this was a Lofick Family merchant ship, how could there be out-of-control Dark Creatures appearing?

"Red, what does that mean?"

Ethan swallowed. He had already vaguely guessed the answer, but he was unwilling to believe it.

His position was directly facing the entrance of Old Mu's Spiritual Shop. He could see a figure approaching with heavy footsteps. With every step she took, the ground trembled. The Mask had eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and her gaze was currently locked onto him.

This pathetic world was about to end. For a moment, Ethan had such a thought.

The figure's clothes were soaked, clinging tightly to her body, outlining her graceful curves. However, Ethan had no time to appreciate the scenery. When the figure stood before him, he spoke with difficulty, "Huh? Why are your clothes all wet?"

The laughter from beneath the Mask sounded like a demon from hell. She raised her hand and gently cupped Ethan's face with her waterlogged leather glove. "Yes, why are my clothes all wet?"

Ethan smelled the scent of the Sea.

It made him feel a little dazed, with only one thought left in his mind.

This uncontrollable rage and hatred...

It was clearly Uchiha Obito coming for revenge!