"Oh, Director Jiang, if we complete this mission, do we get any rewards?"
Zhou Fan asked with a perfectly serious expression.
Jiang Canghai said, "No."
Zhou Fan: "???"
"Director Jiang, that's a little stingy of you."
"This mission was supposed to be the Esper Bureau's responsibility. You're asking us to help because your bureau can't handle it."
"How are we supposed to help without any compensation?"
"If you want a horse to run, you've got to feed it."
Beside him, Wang Daochuan's eyes went wide.
Wait, kid, are you really that fearless?
Jiang Canghai was the director of the Southern District Esper Bureau!
A Fifth Tier Esper!
And Zhou Fan actually dared to ask Jiang Canghai for a reward?
"Zhou Fan, don't be disrespectful to Director Jiang."
Jiang Canghai smiled and waved a hand. "I originally planned to offer a reward, but your principal said there was no need, so I didn't prepare one."
Zhou Fan immediately voiced his dissatisfaction.
"We're the ones going in, not him. He doesn't get to decide."
Wang Daochuan cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Zhou Fan, entering the Chaos Secret Realm is a valuable training opportunity in itself. How can you ask Director Jiang for a reward on top of that?"
"Hahaha, it's fine."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting a reward. If you successfully eliminate the Beast King, I can give each of you an Essence Stone," Jiang Canghai said generously.
An Essence Stone could increase an Esper's essence core capacity by 10%.
Essence core capacity determined how much spiritual energy one could store.
Each level had a limit to the amount of spiritual energy it could hold.
For example, a First Tier, one-star Esper could store 100 points of spiritual energy.
After consuming an Essence Stone, that would become 110 points.
The more spiritual energy one had, the longer one could last and the more times one could use one's superpower.
Battles between Espers often came down to who could last longer.
More spiritual energy meant greater stamina, better endurance, and a higher chance of victory.
Essence Stones were extremely valuable. At market prices, a single stone was worth a million!
And they were often unavailable even if one could afford them!
Jiang Canghai had actually offered an Essence Stone as a reward.
That was more than enough to show his sincerity.
"Then thank you in advance, Director Jiang."
"Although our people can't enter, we've used a few methods to get a general picture of the conditions inside the realm."
"Once you're inside, just follow the map to find the area where the Beast King is located."
Jiang Canghai took out a tablet and handed it to them.
"Take this tablet with you. It'll also let us track your location in real time."
"There's one more thing you need to remember."
"Once you enter the realm, eliminating the Beast King is your secondary objective. Your primary objective is to stay safe."
Lin Qianqian and Zhou Fan were the finest students at Tianhai No. 1 High School.
They would surely become outstanding Espers of Xia Country in the future.
Their futures mattered more than eliminating the Beast King.
Jiang Canghai didn't want anything to happen to them.
"Remember, once you're inside, you'll be the only teammates each of you can rely on. Work together, and don't fight alone," Wang Daochuan reminded them as well.
"Got it," Zhou Fan replied casually.
Lin Qianqian didn't respond.
Work together?
More like Zhou Fan should follow my lead.
Their cultivation levels might be the same.
But at the same cultivation level, the higher one's superpower rank, the stronger one was.
The weak followed the strong. Since when did the strong follow the weak?
"Head inside when you're ready."
Then Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian stepped through the gate of mist.
They entered the realm.
A wave of scorching air hit them head-on.
Before them stretched an endless desert, with the sun high overhead and windblown sand sweeping across the dunes.
The moment Zhou Fan entered, the blowing sand ambushed him, filling his mouth with grit.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft... what the hell is this place?"
"Weren't we in a forest when we came in? How did it turn into a desert?"
He hurriedly spat out the sand, only to get another mouthful as soon as he spoke.
"The Chaos Secret Realm is an independent space. It has nothing to do with the outside world," Lin Qianqian said calmly.
The wind tousled her hair, lending her a touch of disheveled beauty.
It took a while before Zhou Fan adjusted to the environment.
He took out the tablet Jiang Canghai had given him. A map was displayed on its screen.
[Please proceed straight for 1 kilometer, then turn right.]
"It even has navigation? Awesome!"
With navigation, things would be much easier.
The two immediately followed its directions.
But after they had traveled just two hundred meters, the yellow sand beneath them suddenly churned, and two giant scorpions burst out.
[Mutant Beast: Man-Killing Scorpion] [Level: First Tier, three-star]
The two Man-Killing Scorpions charged toward them.
They reacted almost simultaneously.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Zhou Fan swiftly formed hand seals and spat an enormous fireball from his mouth, burning the Man-Killing Scorpion to charcoal on the spot.
"Paper Blizzard: Moon Wheel!"
Lin Qianqian swept her slender, pale hand through the air. Countless sheets of paper flew out and formed a rolling paper wheel, slicing the Man-Killing Scorpion in half in an instant!
Two mere First Tier, three-star mutant beasts had actually tried to ambush them?
The nerve!
Lin Qianqian glanced at the Man-Killing Scorpion Zhou Fan's Fire Release had scorched.
He's already this proficient with the Fire Type superpower?
Could his Spirit Eye System give the Fire Type an extra boost?
This was their first time working together.
That was why Lin Qianqian was paying particular attention to Zhou Fan's performance in battle.
During their various training exercises at school, Zhou Fan had performed just as well as she had.
But performance in training and performance in actual combat were two different things.
Doing well at school didn't mean one would perform just as well against the vicious mutant beasts in the wild.
Judging by that brief fight, Zhou Fan had done pretty well.
His Fire Type superpower, in particular, caught Lin Qianqian's attention.
That was because the Fire Type had something of an advantage against her [Divine Paper Art].
Paper was vulnerable to fire and water.
But hers was an S-Rank Superpower.
If she really pitted it against Zhou Fan's Fire Release, his flames might not be able to overcome her paper.
This was a rare opportunity to team up.
Lin Qianqian's goal was simple.
She would observe Zhou Fan's performance during the mission.
Then she would make Zhou Fan recognize the gap in their strength!
She wanted Zhou Fan to understand.
What S-Rank really meant!
Standing beside her, Zhou Fan had no idea what Lin Qianqian was thinking.
He warned her, "This place really is dangerous. Be careful."
Lin Qianqian gave a bland "Mm."
With my S-Rank Superpower, do I really need someone else reminding me?
You should worry about yourself first.
The two continued onward.
There really were plenty of monsters in the Chaos Secret Realm.
Every short stretch of their journey brought another mutant beast attack.
Fortunately, none of these mutant beasts were particularly high-level. They were all First Tier, two-star or three-star.
Both of them could handle the beasts easily.
Of course, they each fought their own battles, with no teamwork to speak of.
Before they entered, Wang Daochuan had told them to work together.
And now they were certainly in sync-both had chosen to fight alone.
Wasn't that a kind of teamwork too?
Before you continue