Investigation

Ye Xin Xia held nothing back, telling him everything she knew. After hearing the information, Su Miu nodded slightly, then stood up and said:

"All right, I understand. Oh, things might get a little unsettled over the next few days. Take some time off and go home for now. Call Mo Fan over."

Now that he knew the exact location, he was ready to investigate. Things might get dangerous afterward, but that was no big problem. More importantly, he couldn't reveal his abilities in front of other people.

Acting alone would be easier for him. Ye Xin Xia obediently nodded at his words. After all, her life was at stake, so she had to be careful.

About two hours later, Mo Fan, who had received the message, skipped his afternoon classes and rushed over to pick up Xin Xia. He also met with Su Miu.

"Su, so the reason you haven't been coming to school is that you've been working as a hunter mage? And you're already an Advanced Hunter? Damn, you're that good?"

When Xin Xia told him that Su Miu was already an Advanced Hunter, he had been utterly shocked. They were the same age, so how had Su Miu already become an Advanced Hunter?

"It's nothing special. You should hurry up and take Xin Xia home. I've heard things haven't been peaceful lately."

Su Miu leaned against the corner of a wall, his hood and sunglasses concealing his face. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the Main Canteen as he watched the dwindling stream of people and worked out the timing.

"Oh, got it, Su. Say, does being a hunter mage pay well? Do you think I could make money as a hunter mage too? You know my situation. I'm broke."

Mo Fan rubbed his hands together, struck by the idea of riding his friend's coattails. His classmate was an Advanced Hunter, after all. This was the perfect chance to latch on to him.

"It's decent. I make money killing demon beasts. A Giant-Eyed Blood Rat pays about five hundred, and a One-Eyed Demon Wolf about a thousand. If you get exotic bone or exotic hide from them, selling it for tens of thousands is no problem."

"Per month... about two or three hundred thousand."

"Two or three hundred thousand?! Su! Brother Su! Take me with you! I want to make money killing demon beasts too!"

Hearing how much he could earn in a month, Mo Fan's eyes instantly turned into money signs. He immediately began buttering Su Miu up, hoping he would take him along to hunt demon beasts.

"You still have school, so you don't have time to go outside the Safe Zone and hunt demon beasts with me. I'd recommend joining the City Demon Hunting Squad. The work's easy, the benefits are good, and the pay is high."

"Besides, you're a Lightning Element mage. If you reveal that, you'll be in high demand."

Su Miu spread his hands helplessly, but he chose to recommend that Mo Fan join the City Demon Hunting Squad.

"A Lightning Element mage? What's special about that?"

Hearing that the Lightning Element earned preferential treatment, Mo Fan grew curious about the reasons behind it. Su Miu slowly explained:

"There is something special about it. The Lightning Element has top-tier damage and control against most servant-level demons. It's also rare in a small city like this, so it's highly sought after."

Mo Fan looked enlightened. There was so much to learn about being a hunter mage. Having an experienced hunter mage to guide him really did make things easier.

"I see. Are there any requirements for registering as a hunter?"

"You'll have to demonstrate your magic element. You can't lie about it, or you'll be blacklisted. As it happens, the City Demon Hunting Squad is here investigating the disappearances. I can introduce you."

"Holy crap, Brother Su! You've even got connections in the City Demon Hunting Squad? You're that awesome?"

Hearing that Su Miu could introduce him, Mo Fan was stunned. He hadn't expected his friend to have those kinds of connections.

"Don't read too much into it. We've only met and talked once."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're hiding your identity and playing weak to catch people off guard, right? I get you, bro."

Seeing Su Miu being modest, Mo Fan immediately gave him an "I know everything" look, leaving Su Miu speechless.

Afterward, Mo Fan took Xin Xia home, then returned to Mingwen Girls' Middle School in disguise. With Su Miu's introduction, he met Xu Dahuang.

"Captain Xu, this is my friend Fan Mo. He's a Lightning Element mage, and he'd like to join the City Demon Hunting Squad."

"Lightning? A Lightning Element mage?! Master Brother, are you serious?!"

Hearing that a rare Lightning Element mage wanted to join his City Demon Hunting Squad left him dazed. He clearly hadn't expected this.

"That's right, Captain Xu. My friend has family to look after, so he can't go outside the Safe Zone with me on missions. But he wants to become a hunter mage to earn money to support his father and younger sister."

"That's why I'm recommending him to you, Captain Xu. I was wondering whether your City Demon Hunting Squad still needs people, and whether you'd take this Lightning Element mage friend of mine."

As Su Miu finished speaking, Mo Fan raised his hand at just the right moment and demonstrated first-tier novice Lightning Element magic. At the sight, Xu Dahuang broke into a smile and laughed.

"Of course we will! Why wouldn't we? Fan Mo, right? Welcome to the City Demon Hunting Squad!"

"Hello, Captain Xu. I don't really have any demon-hunting experience. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Not at all. Nobody's born knowing how to hunt demon beasts. You can learn as you go."

Mo Fan hadn't expected joining the City Demon Hunting Squad to go so smoothly. Su really didn't steer me wrong. What a bro!

Afterward, Xu Dahuang took Mo Fan to meet the other squad members, including deputy captain Guo Caitang, Li Wenjie, Fei Shi, and Xiao Ke. They were surprised that a Lightning Element mage had suddenly appeared and wanted to join them.

Still, they welcomed him. That evening, they shared a meal at the Guesthouse to celebrate their new member's arrival. Mo Fan, however, seemed to be deliberately avoiding Caitang and copied Su Miu by putting on sunglasses.

Everyone simply assumed the Lightning Element mage had his own little quirks. Soon, curfew arrived, and the members of the City Demon Hunting Squad began searching Mingwen Girls' Middle School.

They mostly worked in pairs: Xu Dahuang with Xiao Ke, and Li Wenjie with Caitang. Fei Shi stayed at the dormitory building to watch for anything unusual, while Mo Fan followed Su Miu straight to the Main Canteen's kitchen.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Su Miu lightly tapped the floor with an iron rod, producing dull thuds. Mo Fan spoke up:

"Say, Su, why didn't you tell Captain Xu about the lead?"

He was curious why Su Miu hadn't shared the lead with Xu Dahuang and the others. Hearing his question, Su Miu explained:

"We don't have enough evidence. We need to find something concrete, or we might send them on a wild-goose chase."

"Besides, we're just checking the place. It's not dangerous, so there's no need for everyone to crowd in here. Who can say the canteen is the only place with a problem? Get it, rookie?"

"Oh, I see. Then why are you tapping the floor?"

Mo Fan understood, but immediately grew curious about why Su Miu kept tapping the floor with an iron rod.

"Xin Xia said something was wrong here. But if there were anything obvious, it probably would've been discovered already. So I'm guessing it's been hidden."

"That means we can tap the walls or floor tiles and listen to find out where the problem is. Understand?"

He explained patiently, and Mo Fan once again looked enlightened, like a rookie who knew absolutely nothing, while Su Miu seemed like a seasoned hunter.

P.S. This is the second update for June 17, bringing the total to four thousand characters.