You're only making a few hundred a month-why risk your life?

The viciousness had vanished from Lu Wanqing's face, leaving only disbelief and confusion in his eyes!

Why?

Why was this happening??

Why could a kid who was only a Primary Mage of the Light Element cast Fire Element magic?

He thought he'd seen wrong, or that some special Magic Tool was responsible. But the crimson flames surging skyward, the magnificent star orbit around his body, and the scorching heat rushing toward him all told him it was real!

"Innate... dual-element?"

Lu Wanqing forced the four words out of his throat.

That yellow-haired kid had awakened the Light Element, and now the Fire Element too! He had a gift even more enviable than an Innate Spirit Seed!

Why?

God, were you blind? Why waste such a terrifying talent on a brat who hadn't even grown hair on his chin? Why not give it to me!?

Why!

His resentment, born of extreme jealousy, was so thick it seemed almost tangible!

In just a few seconds, Xu Fang had become the person he hated most in the world. No contest!

"Do you know how badly I was bullied? Do you know how much people mocked me? All because I awakened the Light Element. I had no money, no connections—I was a goddamn waste!"

Lu Wanqing's eyes were bloodshot. "And just when I finally became an Intermediate Mage and gained the Fire Element, you showed up! You turned me into a joke! A clown!"

"I struggled for half my life—even fell in with the Black Vatican and risked my life every day—just to get what you were born with!?"

"Why do you deserve it!"

"I'm asking you, why do you deserve it!!!"

The humiliation he'd endured in high school and the Judgment Society's disregard for him, on top of joining the Black Vatican, had twisted him into someone even more extreme!

He stopped holding back his mana. He had no intention of sparing Xu Fang anymore. He would burn the damned brat to ashes with his furious flames!

"An inspirational criminal's story? If you turned it into a book of feel-good advice, it might even become a bestseller." Xu Fang sneered. "But let me correct you on one thing. You didn't struggle for half your life—you struggled your whole life. Because today is your last day!"

Feeling wronged, huh?

I, Xu Fang, am best at changing people's minds. After today, I promise you'll never feel wronged again!

Fire Spark against Fire Spark. Like two meteorites colliding, a huge mushroom cloud billowed upward as flames scattered. Nothing remained alive for more than ten meters in every direction!

"How is that possible!"

Lu Wanqing couldn't believe his eyes.

He watched his Fire Spark crumple the instant it touched Fire Spark Burning, as if its backbone had been ripped out. All its expected ferocity vanished without a trace.

Normally, a standard mage's magic had almost the same power regardless of their cultivation. At most, it fluctuated a little depending on their mana.

After advancing to Intermediate Mage, a mage could cast magic much faster than a Primary Mage, but its power remained the same.

Mo Fan's Fire Spark, for instance, wasn't much different from the Fire Spark cast by Xu Dahuang of the City Demon Hunting Squad.

By that logic, even if Xu Fang's Level Two Fire Spark had every trick in the book, it still couldn't beat Lu Wanqing's Level Three Fire Spark.

But there was always the chance of an exception... Xu Fang's flames weren't ordinary Mortal Fire!

"How could a Primary Mage absorb a Spirit Seed..." Lu Wanqing watched the flames sweep toward him. There wasn't a trace of mana in his Spiritual World to support a defensive spell, and he could only turn to ash, his final words left unspoken.

It was the first time Xu Fang had killed someone.

Luckily, Lu Wanqing's body had been charred, so it didn't smell too bad. It also looked nowhere near as grotesque as the One-Eyed Demonic Wolf or the Giant-Eyed Stinky Rat.

Life was short. Better loot the body while you could.

The only thing of value on Lu Wanqing was a Demon Slaying Tool. He'd probably bought it to make up for his lack of offensive options, but it was already broken.

"Damn, an Intermediate Mage and he doesn't even have a decent Magic Tool." Xu Fang was deeply dissatisfied. "You're working two jobs, and you're only making a few hundred a month—why risk your life for this!"

He said that, but still dutifully pocketed the Demon Slaying Tool. However expensive the repairs were, they had to cost less than buying one himself for over a million!

He flipped Lu Wanqing over like a massage parlor attendant. Since this side hadn't taken the flames head-on, the skin was relatively intact.

"What's this?"

Xu Fang frowned at Lu Wanqing's lower back. A black mark, shaped like a centipede, lay there.

He took out his phone. Google it, and you'll know!

"Succubus Yin Mark? No way. This guy looked so respectable—he's into that sort of thing?" Xu Fang shuddered.

If Lu Wanqing had any awareness underground, he'd have jumped up and grabbed Xu Fang by the collar, roaring: You're the succubus! Your whole family's succubi!

This damn thing was a Forgetting Worm! The Black Vatican's exclusive product, a worm that could devour its host's memories and evade the Oath Tree!

But obviously, Lu Wanqing wouldn't get that chance. He could only suffer Xu Fang's malicious misinterpretation.

After looting the body, Xu Fang focused and sensed violent elemental fluctuations in the distant air. Tu Chao and Liu Guifang, the two Intermediate Mages, were locked in a fierce battle.

There was nothing Xu Fang could do about that.

He'd fought Lu Wanqing because they'd happened to crash into each other, and the guy had no real offensive skills. Beating a man when he was down had just been convenient.

Tu Chao was different. He had two Intermediate Elements. Going there would be suicide!

One-on-one, he could only hope the Judgment Society officer put up a good fight...

After killing Lu Wanqing, Xu Fang didn't stop. He hurried toward the city and even hitched a ride with a freight convoy along the way.

After he casually tossed out a Fire Spark, the truck drivers welcomed him aboard with beaming smiles.

Those poor souls hauling freight through the suburbs earned their money by risking their lives. Their only way to fend off Demon Beasts was to slam on the gas, and three or more meant certain death.

They hadn't expected to get so lucky today and find a Great Mage to escort them!

Yangcheng was an ordinary little city, just like Bocheng. An Intermediate Mage could be a local tyrant here.

After asking around, Xu Fang made his way to the local Hunter's Alliance. Inside the hall, Hunter Mages shouted as they looked for teammates and suitable jobs.

"Wind Element support! We need a reliable Wind Element mage for our team!"

"We've been together three years! Looking for a Water Element mage with nerves of steel. Don't freeze up before you can even connect your star orbit when you see a Demon Beast!"

"Flying Tiger Squad is recruiting a Fire Element main damage dealer! We can negotiate the bounty split!"

Listening to them, Xu Fang felt like he'd stepped back into Bocheng. Was every Hunter's Alliance in the world like this?

His goal was to earn a quick buck. It would take a week to replace the bank card destroyed in the train explosion, and that was nowhere near one-tenth as efficient as investing in their financial products.

The Hunter's Alliance was his best option.

In the hall, mages waiting to join teams stood in long lines, holding résumés listing when they'd started working, their bounty success rates, and the ranks of Demon Beasts they'd killed!

Xu Fang asked the front desk for one too.

This place wasn't like Bocheng. There were no high school teachers constantly drilling into him the local Demon Beasts' distribution and weaknesses, so Xu Fang had every reason to look for a reliable squad.

After filling it out, he looked around the hall and quickly found his target.

Flying Tiger Squad. You're the one!