Quit While You Are Ahead

When Lin Jie and William withdrew silently from the shadows of the Mechanical Shrine with those heavy, alien Chaos Brass ingots and that roll of peculiar light-absorbing Void Rubber, the "Artisan Leader" in the core of the nest seemed not to have recovered from the rage of losing a combat squad.

It was still frantically hammering away at metal plates with the small hammer in its hand atop the shrine, venting its fury.

This provided the perfect cover for their withdrawal.

"We should go." Lin Jie made the decision decisively. "We have already obtained far more than expected; there is no need to take greater risks to hunt that leader. The location of this nest has been confirmed, and the Association can organize a larger-scale clearing operation at any time."

This rational and clear-headed judgment was immediately agreed upon by William.

For a Caution Rank investigation mission, their harvest tonight was already outrageously bountiful.

If they chose to continue fighting, they would face the siege of dozens of Gremlins and the wrath of an Artisan Leader whose strength likely exceeded Caution Rank.

Knowing when to quit is the most essential quality of an excellent hunter.

The two followed their original path, and with the support of their "bodyguard" on the surface, Marcus, they successfully returned to the surface from that filthy, slippery underground world.

As the first rays of the morning sun pierced through the fog of London, shining on their faces stained with mud and oil, all three felt as if they had returned from another lifetime.

They did not linger in the dock area, but instead took a carriage directly back to the I.A.R.C. London branch beneath the British Museum.

When the three of them, especially Lin Jie and William, appeared on the clean and bright main thoroughfare of the Underground City in such a disheveled state—as if they had just been fished out of a mud pit—they immediately attracted the gazes of everyone around.

The investigators and scholars coming and going all cast curious looks at them.

Their destination was the "Task Settlement and Material Evaluation Office" in the administrative district, a place staffed by several stern-faced appraisers and recorders.

The person responsible for receiving them was an elderly scholar with gold-rimmed glasses and a rigorous demeanor, his name tag bearing the title "Material Appraiser - Level 2."

"Mission ID L-1888-C017, investigation of the cargo theft case in the West India Docks. Executor, freelance hunter Lin Jie; assistant, Level 5 investigator William Keane." William stepped forward and submitted the mission report in his concise, military tone.

"The mission objective has been identified; the perpetrator UMA is a Caution Rank creature, a 'Gremlin.' Its nest is located in the city sewage system beneath Warehouse No. 3 in the West India Docks, and the specific coordinates have been mapped. Four missing Night Watchers have been confirmed dead, three of whom were converted into 'Mechanical Wraiths'."

"My partner and I joined forces to annihilate a squad of the tribe, totaling nine Gremlins. Considering the complexity of the mission exceeded the 'Caution Rank' scope, we did not delve deeper for a full clearing, choosing instead to withdraw after retrieving intelligence and key materials."

William's report was objective and precise.

The Level 2 appraiser recorded the information while signaling for them to place the materials they had brought back onto an evaluation table made of special stone.

William first placed the "claws" and "crystal lenses" collected from the Gremlin corpses onto the table.

The appraiser tested them with various instruments and soon gave his conclusion: "Standard Caution Rank UMA biological materials, medium activity, with slight 'Mechanical Curse' residue. According to standards, each set of complete materials can be exchanged for 2 Association points. Nine sets, totaling 18 points."

This result was within Lin Jie's expectations.

These points were just enough for him to purchase about three alchemy bullets; for a successful mission, it could only be considered a mediocre reward.

Some of the low-level investigators watching from the sidelines also showed expressions of understanding after hearing the evaluation result.

For a Caution Rank mission, this was the normal yield.

However, what happened next caused everyone present to drop their jaws in shock.

Lin Jie took a deep breath and solemnly placed the alien Chaos Brass ingots and the roll of light-absorbing rubber, which he had carefully wrapped in oilcloth, onto the evaluation table.

The moment the package was opened, the hand of the previously indifferent Level 2 appraiser jerked violently, and the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose nearly slid off.

"This... this is..." His voice was filled with incredulous trembling. He didn't use an instrument, but instead put on a pair of white silk gloves and picked up one of the Chaos Brass ingots as if he were touching a priceless treasure.

"This pure yet chaotic spirituality... these perfect curse runes... this is not biological material!" The appraiser's breathing became rapid. He looked at Lin Jie and William, his eyes filled with shock. "This is a product of deep spiritual infiltration! And the degree of infiltration has lasted for at least ten years!"

Once these words were spoken, the entire room was in an uproar!

Everyone knew what "spiritual infiltration" meant; it represented top-tier raw materials that were far more precious and rarer than ordinary biological materials!

Such things could usually only be found deep within powerful UMA nests that had been entrenched for decades or even centuries.

And these two people in front of them had actually brought back treasures of this level from a most basic "Caution Rank" mission?

This was simply a fantasy!

"Yes." Lin Jie met everyone's gaze and replied calmly, "We discovered a shrine built from these materials in the core of the nest. Considering the risks, we only retrieved a few samples with the strongest spirituality."

These understated words stirred up even greater waves in the hearts of the crowd.

Only retrieved... a few samples?

Did that not mean that a massive treasure trove composed of top-tier materials was still hidden deep underground?

The Level 2 appraiser was so excited he was becoming incoherent; he immediately pressed an alarm bell on his desk.

Soon, an elderly man with white hair, whose name tag read "Material Appraiser - Level 1" and whose status was clearly higher, hurried over accompanied by several assistants.

When this Level 1 appraiser saw the items on the evaluation table, the expression on his face was identical to the previous appraiser's, equally filled with immense shock and ecstasy.

"High-quality 'Chaos Brass,' which can be directly used to forge 'Spellbreaker' series armaments capable of interfering with enemy precision weapons! And this 'Void Rubber,' this is the best auxiliary material for making 'Infiltrator' cloaks! The quality of these materials..."

After the Level 1 appraiser repeatedly tested them with the most professional instruments, he solemnly announced his final conclusion: "Comprehensive assessment: the rarity and spiritual purity of this batch of materials have reached the standard of 'High-Quality Town Rank'!"

High-Quality Town Rank!

These five words exploded in the mission settlement hall.

All the newcomers looked at Lin Jie with complex eyes full of jealousy and envy.

Soon, the final settlement results were announced.

[Commission No. L-1888-C017, Task Completion Rating: Exceeded Expectations (A-Rank)]

[Base Bounty: 15 Pounds. Due to exceeding expectations, an additional 10 Pounds has been awarded, for a total of 25 Pounds.]

[Standard Material Exchange Points: 18 points.]

[High-Quality Material Bonus: Based on the value of the materials, a one-time reward of 50 Association points!]

[First-time independent discovery of a high-value material nest, additional special contribution reward: 20 Association points!]

[Total Gains: 25 Pounds and 88 Association points!]

When these numbers appeared on the settlement board, Marcus let out a sharp whistle.

Over eighty points—for many rookie investigators struggling through Caution Rank missions, this was a massive fortune that would take months, or even half a year, to accumulate!

Lin Jie looked at the long string of numbers added to his Hunter's Handbook, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart.

But he knew that more important than the money and points was the recognition he had gained from the entire organization through this mission.

With an impeccable tactical victory, he had proven his worth to everyone.

He had proven that the value an excellent "Interpreter" and "Tactical Brain" could create in a successful hunt was in no way inferior to that of a powerful combatant.

After the Level 1 Appraiser solemnly collected the materials, he walked up to Lin Jie in person and handed him a gold-embossed business card.

"Mr. Lin, I am the director of the Evaluation Department. If you obtain any more interesting 'materials' in the future, please be sure to contact me first. The doors of the Evaluation Department will always be open to you."

This was the most significant recognition of his abilities.