The First Official Commission

After completing the "baptism" of equipment registration with the neurotic craftsman Arthur Conan, the identity authentication process for Lin Jie as a contracted hunter for the I.A.R.C. finally reached its final step.

Barton led him to the Administrative District of the Underground City, a place of rigor and order.

Here, a stern-faced clerk wearing a monocle took a daguerreotype photograph of Lin Jie for his identity file.

In the photo, his gaze was calm and profound, a stark contrast to the image of the vagrant who had previously been drifting through the Whitechapel District.

Subsequently, he was issued a palm-sized Free Hunter Manual with a cover made of hard black leather.

The manual contained detailed records of the Association's basic regulations, the point redemption system, and the procedure for accepting missions.

More importantly, he also received a "startup fund"—ten heavy British Pounds.

This sum, which would have been enough to support an ordinary working-class family for a year at the time, was merely the first investment in his entry into the Underworld.

The feeling of being unconditionally trusted and empowered with resources by such a massive organization made Lin Jie truly feel the heavy weight of the phrase "the value of talent" for the first time.

"Alright, Mr. Lin." Barton watched as Lin Jie tucked the coins and the manual away securely, a formulaic smile appearing on his face. "Your identity authentication is now complete. From this moment on, you are free to accept any missions that interest you from the Mission Board over there. As your guide, my task ends here. Good luck."

Barton's implication was clear: the initial guidance and investment were finished; how far he could go in this world from here on out depended entirely on his own ability.

Lin Jie nodded; he understood the efficiency and coldness of such professional organizations.

Without any superfluous words, he walked straight toward the massive Mission Board he had previously only observed from a distance.

Only when he stood directly in front of this wall did he feel the overwhelming aura of strangeness and danger emanating from all corners of the world.

The hundreds of missions hanging on the wall each represented a mysterious incident hidden beneath the Surface World, and behind every location name, there could be a UMA lurking, waiting to devour its prey.

He saw a mission from Egypt, claiming that pharaonic mummy guards were attacking an expedition team deep within a pyramid; he saw a mission from New Jersey, USA, complaining about bipedal hoofed flying creatures appearing in an ancient cemetery in the Southern Pine Barrens.

These stories, which once would have only appeared in pulp literature or supernatural novels, had all become "jobs" with clear price tags here.

Lin Jie had a good sense of self-awareness.

He directly ignored the high-risk missions marked as "Town Rank" or higher; he knew that with his current strength, actively seeking out those things would be no different from suicide. If it weren't for Marcus and his team appearing in time, he likely wouldn't have survived the Mist Walker.

His gaze searched carefully through the entry-level mission area at the very bottom, marked as "Caution Rank."

He needed a case that was secure enough to allow him to test his own abilities, familiarize himself with the hunter's workflow, and ideally, leverage the advantages of his "tactical brain."

Soon, a mission that had just been posted, its ink not yet fully dry, caught his attention.

[Mission ID: L-1888-C017]

[Mission Rank: Caution]

[Location: UK, London, West India Docks]

[Incident Overview: Over the past month, the No. 3 warehouse belonging to the "United Spice and Textile Company" in the West India Docks has experienced frequent cargo theft. The stolen items are diverse, including but not limited to: brass ingots, high-purity rubber sheets, industrial lubricating oil, and a small amount of mercury.

At the same time, three warehouse night watchmen have gone missing mysteriously, leaving no trace of life or death. Scotland Yard has intervened in the investigation but has no leads; the case has currently been classified as ordinary theft and missing persons, and they are preparing to close the file.]

[Mission Objectives: 1. Determine the truth behind the thefts and disappearances. 2. Confirm if the incident is related to a UMA. 3. If a UMA exists, assess its threat level and, if possible, drive it away or hunt it down. 4. Locate the missing persons (if possible).]

[Mission Reward: Base bounty of 15 British Pounds, 20 points. Additional rewards will fluctuate based on mission completion and the value of submitted materials.]

This was the one.

Lin Jie plucked the mission sheet from the board without hesitation.

He had three considerations for choosing this mission.

First, the location was local in London. This saved him the trouble of a long journey and allowed him to operate in a relatively familiar environment.

Second, this was a typical investigative mission. The core of the case was "puzzle-solving" rather than "combat," which perfectly aligned with his "tactical brain" positioning. He was confident that he possessed an unparalleled advantage in gathering clues and analyzing patterns.

Third, and most importantly, the phrase "stolen items are diverse" in the mission description triggered a sharp association. Those brass, rubber, and lubricating oil... taken individually, they were unremarkable, but combined, they looked exactly like the parts and consumables required for some kind of mechanical device.

This reminded him of a type of UMA recorded in the Cartographer's diary, a small creature with a peculiar obsession for human industrial creations.

Lin Jie took the mission sheet and returned to the administrative service counter.

The stern-faced clerk used a special seal to stamp his Free Hunter Manual, signifying "Mission Accepted," and gave him a more detailed dossier containing all the public investigation reports from Scotland Yard regarding the case.

"As a new hunter performing your first mission, the Association recommends that you seek an experienced investigator to form a team," the clerk reminded him in a tone devoid of emotion. "If you need, I can open the 'Assistant' recruitment list for you."

"Not for now, thank you," Lin Jie politely declined.

He was not being arrogant, but rather acting out of deeper considerations.

He needed a hunt led entirely by himself to thoroughly verify his own ability system.

Moreover, many of his ways of thinking and investigative methods originated from another world, and he did not want to expose them to an unfamiliar "monitor" before he was accustomed to the organization's operational mode.

As he took the dossier and prepared to leave the Underground City to begin his first life as a hunter, Barton called out to him.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Lin." Barton walked over, his face wearing an expression that mixed professional duty with a hint of concern. "I just looked at the mission you accepted. The United Spice and Textile Company... one of its shareholders is an 'external sponsor' of the Association."

"So, headquarters has extra interest in this case. Although you declined to form a team, for safety reasons, the Association cannot allow a newcomer like you to face a completely unknown situation alone."

Lin Jie frowned slightly; he felt that things were not as simple as he had thought.

Barton saw his hesitation and explained: "Don't misunderstand; this isn't surveillance, but a necessary insurance measure. The Association will assign an investigator to accompany you to the scene in a 'non-cooperative' capacity."

"He will not interfere with any of your investigative plans or actions. His only task is to step in and pull you out if you encounter life-threatening danger and the situation spirals completely out of control."

"You can think of him as a 'safety rope' following behind you. Of course, if you ultimately complete the mission independently, all the bounty and credit will still belong to you alone."

This arrangement sounded reasonable and logical, leaving Lin Jie with no room to refuse.

It guaranteed his autonomy while providing him with security, simultaneously satisfying the Association's dual requirements of protecting newcomers and remaining responsible to sponsors.

"I understand. So, who is this 'safety rope' gentleman?" Lin Jie asked.

The corners of Barton's mouth twitched involuntarily.

He beckoned toward the distance, where a burly man had been standing like a silent statue from the very beginning.

"Marcus, it looks like you have a new job."

Upon hearing this, the silent, burly Marcus displayed an incredibly vivid expression on his face.

It was a mix of shock—"Why me?"—disdain—"I don't want to deal with such trivial matters with a rookie"—and the constipated struggle of "but this is an order I cannot refuse."

He eventually walked over to Lin Jie with heavy footsteps and let out a dull grunt from his nose, which served as his greeting.

Looking at this "temporary bodyguard" who was two heads taller than him, built like a bear, and had been hell-bent on dragging him back for interrogation just a few days ago, Lin Jie couldn't help but curl his lips into an intrigued smile.

His first official commission was destined to be anything but boring.