"But..." Su Chen couldn't help muttering again, "It won't be easy to hunt down three more Tier 2 Professionals."
Killing Qi Chuan had looked ordinary enough, but in reality, he had only succeeded with the help of the Inspection Department.
And Tier 2 Professionals were already the backbone of Southwind City. If someone like Hu Xiang died, even the department head would investigate—unless it was someone problematic like Qi Chuan.
[After completing your appointment, you may continue hunting]
The panel answered his question, finally putting Su Chen at ease.
"Strange God's Power... If I want to obtain that kind of power, I'll have to deal with them again in the future." Thinking of this, Su Chen couldn't help feeling wary.
For now, it was the only thing capable of actively triggering a class change.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted, but the danger involved was considerable, and it would be difficult to explain to others.
"I'll take it one step at a time." Su Chen temporarily put it out of his mind.
"Training makes me happy..."
He downed a bottle each of Blackflame Potion and Revitalizing Potion, paired them with Glazed Blood Potion, and entered the gravity room.
"Training makes me happy..."
[Dual Focus] activated. As he assumed his stance, pain began stabbing through every part of his body.
He could see the progress of each training method and class development on the panel. This instant feedback was also a psychological advantage.
Class development was no laughing matter. The hardship and pain involved constantly wore away at one's will.
Killing Qi Chuan and discovering the Strange Artifact seemed to have caused quite a stir.
Yet over the following period, no one came looking for him.
For a full seven or eight days, Su Chen shut himself in his room. Aside from sleeping, he developed his class progress, draining bottle after bottle of potion until every last one was gone.
"Mm..." Su Chen's eyelids twitched. His head turned cold, and his mental power churned without end.
[Mystic Artificer development has reached 50%. Ability awakened—Mystic Artifact Enhancement: Other class abilities may be applied to controlled Mystic Artifacts]
"Mystic Artifact Enhancement?" Su Chen stopped, breathing heavily as he read the panel's description.
His heart stirred, and the cyan iron cable appeared in his hand. He followed the sensation.
Gradually, streams of cyan wind gathered over the iron cable and fused into it.
"So that's how it works..." Su Chen's eyes widened in surprise as he attached the power of [Wind Erosion] to it.
When he tried swinging it, its speed increased by more than a level, and its killing power rose considerably as well.
"Tsk, the two classes are starting to complement each other."
After playing around with it for a while, Su Chen was in a good mood. It wasn't just the Mystic Artificer class—his improvements in other areas were also obvious.
[Sky-Rending Warrior: 76%] [Body-Strengthening Training Method—Proficient: 40%] [Hellflame Meditation Method—Proficient: 60%]
The training method and meditation method were already within reach of the master level. His rapid progress was entirely thanks to the [Glazed Blood Potion].
"No wonder even Yingfeng coveted this stuff."
Su Chen licked his lips. Unfortunately, not only was the Glazed Blood gone, but all his other potions had run out as well.
Without potion assistance, his efficiency immediately slowed. He decided to have a chat with his esteemed teacher.
The moment he left his room, Su Chen sensed that something was off. He ran into quite a few middle and upper management personnel, all rushing about with grave expressions.
"Brother Sun?"
From afar, Su Chen called out to the distinctly recognizable Fatty Sun.
"Little brother?" Fatty Sun's gloomy expression instantly blossomed into a radiant smile. He hurried over. "You finally decided to come out. I've never seen such a tough young man before. The younger generation is truly formidable."
Ignoring his flattery, Su Chen quietly asked, "What's going on? Did something happen?"
"You really don't know?"
Fatty Sun quietly pulled Su Chen into a corner and lowered his voice. "These past few days, the Chief Inspector has practically gone mad. He's turned the Inspection Department, Patrol Department, Exploration Department, and Internal Affairs Hall upside down looking for Strange God cultists."
"People outside are already complaining bitterly."
Su Chen's brows twitched. "Teacher is going that hard?"
Could it be because of that Strange Artifact from last time?
After Old Yuan discovered it was an empty shell, he kept saying Southwind City was doomed. Once he returned, he began conducting massive investigations.
"Isn't that the truth?" Fatty Sun sighed. "The City Lord isn't here, Minister Feng isn't here, and Minister Jiang hasn't said a word. Chief Inspector Yuan is practically the biggest authority around."
Jiang Rong was keeping silent? Su Chen's gaze flickered as he asked, "About Qi Chuan..."
"Shh..." Fatty Sun hurriedly stopped him. "No one knows."
Su Chen understood. It seemed the outside world didn't know about the Strange Artifact.
Fatty Sun changed the subject. "But the others aren't pushovers either. It's only been less than ten days, and Zhou Xian has already joined forces with several deputy ministers to confront him."
"Did they find any Strange God cultists?" Su Chen asked.
"They found a few." There was no joy on Fatty Sun's face. "But they were all small fry. Even normally, they catch a few every year, and some of them had already been watched internally."
Su Chen understood. Old Yuan had made such a huge move but failed to produce the results he should have. Naturally, the others would not let it go.
At the top floor of the Inspection Department, Yuan Chenyang stared coldly at the people before him.
Zhou Xian's face was flushed red as he repeatedly shouted in anger, "What exactly are you trying to do?!"
"The city is already in chaos! Everyone is afraid for themselves!"
"Better that everyone fears for themselves than that we all end up buried together!" Yuan Chenyang said in a deep voice.
"Cut the bullshit. Southwind City isn't yours to carry alone!" Zhou Xian shot back without the slightest fear. "When will this investigation end? If you can't give us an explanation today, then arrest us too!"
"Save the people below from thinking we're all cowards who are afraid of you!"
The deputy ministers and senior officials from several other departments stood behind Zhou Xian, equally displeased.
"You want an explanation?" Yuan Chenyang abruptly rose to his feet. His icy aura forced everyone back a step. "I'll give you one!"
"Come with me!"
He walked straight out. The others exchanged glances, while Zhou Xian snorted and followed close behind.
The group made their way to the deep morgue of the Inspection Department, where eerie white mist filled the air.
Clang!
Yuan Chenyang pulled out a corpse. Zhou Xian frowned slightly, and only after a long while did he hesitantly say, "This is... Qi Chuan?"
He really was dead!
Zhou Xian was far less calm inside than he appeared. Qi Chuan had been missing for days, and he had long suspected as much.
"What's the point of showing us this dead man?" Zhou Xian asked unhappily.
Yuan Chenyang stared at him fixedly. After a long silence, he said, "He isn't important. But he was carrying a Strange Artifact that had already been emptied."
"What?!" Someone behind Zhou Xian cried out in shock. "An empty Strange Artifact?"
Zhou Xian's face changed drastically. His reaction seemed appropriate, yet somehow it also seemed wrong.
How could it be... empty!?
"Can we take a look?"
At once, the deputy ministers no longer seemed as confident as they had when they arrived.
Yuan Chenyang pushed the corpse back in, then led everyone to his office. He casually tossed a metal box out of a drawer.
Thud!
No one dared pick it up after it hit the floor. Their faces twitched.
This was a Strange Artifact, and he had just kept it in a drawer?
"I already said it's an empty shell." Yuan Chenyang sounded unconcerned.
Zhou Xian was the first to pick it up. He examined it carefully, wearing a puzzled expression, but inwardly he grew increasingly alarmed.
What was going on? It really was empty?
The priest had said the holy artifact had vanished. So its power had been drained away—but where had it gone?
What exactly had Qi Chuan done?!
"This was found on Qi Chuan. Where did the power stored inside it go?" Yuan Chenyang swept his gaze over the crowd, his tone pressing. "Perhaps Black Pagoda will sacrifice all of Southwind City in the next moment!"
"And you people are still here demanding answers from me?!"
Everyone fell silent. After being led around by Yuan Chenyang, coupled with the existence of the Strange Artifact, they had completely lost the aggressive momentum they had arrived with.
But someone quickly reacted. "But you've investigated for so long and found no traces. If there really were major actions underway, they couldn't possibly be this secretive."
"Perhaps this thing was empty from the beginning."
"Or perhaps..." Zhou Xian suddenly spoke. "The thief is crying thief."
Yuan Chenyang narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Think whatever you like. This is my evidence. Bring out yours, and I'm willing to surrender without resistance."
"Don't think Southwind City has always been your domain." Zhou Xian gave him a deep look, set down the Strange Artifact, and turned to leave.
The deputy ministers exchanged looks and awkwardly departed as well.
After leaving the Inspection Department, Zhou Xian did not even greet anyone before getting into his car and leaving. His cheeks finally began trembling uncontrollably.
"Su Chen..." He practically squeezed the name out of his throat. When Qi Chuan had been captured, he had received word, but at first he had only thought it was Su Chen taking revenge after rising from obscurity.
Yet somehow, things had reached this point. The Strange Artifact hidden for so long had been uncovered, and it had even become an empty shell.
"What... happened?!"
Yuan Chenyang rubbed his brow, equally confused. "What exactly happened? There isn't the slightest sign of any major operation anywhere in Southwind City."
"They must have used the power inside the Strange Artifact to do something."
A head poked cautiously out from the stairwell. It was Su Chen.
He had no desire to wander around in front of Zhou Xian, so he had only come up after the other man left.
Before you continue