An invitation from Ling Ling

Su Miu walked into the drink shop and sat down opposite Ling Ling. She handed him four objects that looked like detectors and explained:

"These are detectors. Place them on the ground, and I can get information on the sewer layout and help you find any Bewitching Spiders nearby."

"Got it."

He took the four detection devices, stood up, and headed into the sewers without wasting a moment.

First, he took off his sunglasses and put them away. Then he put on his Night-Vision Goggles and jumped straight into the sewer.

The faint, steady sound of flowing water reached his ears. Everything around him was pitch-black. Su Miu looked around and found two paths ahead of him.

The sewers branched out in every direction, so there were bound to be more passages farther in. He couldn't afford to get lost.

"Bewitching Spiders are psychic-element servant-level demons. Their specialty is making mages lose focus or luring them into their nests for lunch."

"You're alone. If a spider enthralls you and there's no teammate around to call out to you, you could be in serious danger."

"So from now on, you need to answer me every five seconds. That way, I can confirm you haven't been enthralled. Understood?"

Ling Ling explained the demon beasts he would be facing and established a regular check-in schedule to keep him from being controlled.

"Yeah, got it."

He nodded in response, then chose a direction and headed forward. Ling Ling's voice continued to come through his headset.

"There's a crossroads four hundred meters ahead. Stay alert and put down a detector while you're there. I'll check for demon beasts nearby."

"Okay."

Su Miu answered and swiftly made his way to the crossroads with quiet steps. Then he placed the small, block-like device in his hand on the ground.

"Give me a minute."

Her voice came through his headset, asking him to wait, and he stood there quietly. Apart from the flowing water, there wasn't a sound in the sewer. The silence was unnerving.

"Watch out. There's a Bewitching Spider roughly three hundred meters down the passage on your right. Proceed carefully."

"Understood."

With its location confirmed, Su Miu moved toward it with quiet steps. Soon, through his Night-Vision Goggles, he spotted a dark green spider hanging in a corner among the pipes.

At the same time, the spider turned its eight hideous red eyes toward him. A moment later, he felt as though something had brushed against his mind. It seemed to be the Bewitching Spider's mind control.

But his spiritual power had already reached the second realm. He immediately raised his right hand, which blazed with purple light.

He unleashed Thunder Seal: Python Mark. Purple light instantly lit up the pitch-black sewer, striking the Bewitching Spider hanging from a ceiling pipe with perfect accuracy.

A ghastly screech rang out, followed by the thud of something heavy hitting the ground. Su Miu lunged forward and drove the Golden Dragon Spear straight into its head, killing it on the spot.

"Taken care of."

As a remnant soul flew into his body, he touched his headset and reported to the person on the other end.

"That went smoothly. I thought the Bewitching Spider would catch you off guard. Looks like awakening the summoning system at the beginner level gave you much stronger spiritual power than most people."

Ling Ling hadn't expected it to go so smoothly, but on reflection, it made sense. With the summoning system as his first awakened element, his spiritual power had to be higher than other people's.

"I'll head to the next location, then."

He spoke, then headed to the next junction and set down another detector. A minute later, more information came through.

"There are two about five hundred meters ahead of you, and one two hundred meters down the passage on your right."

"Okay."

After receiving their locations, Su Miu approached with the Golden Dragon Spear in hand. He repeated the same process: paralyze it with Thunder Seal: Python Mark, then kill it with a spear thrust through the head. He collected the Essence Remnant and headed to the next passage.

This time, there were two. He raised his hand and unleashed a level-two Thunder Seal. Midway through its flight, the Thunder Seal branched into Wild Strategy, accurately striking the Bewitching Spider on the ceiling that was staring fixedly at him.

With both Bewitching Spiders dead, he collected their Spider Cores and moved on to the next area. Everything along the way was uneventful.

Ling Ling couldn't help marveling at his efficiency. An ordinary Beginner Mage had to put in an enormous effort just to kill a single servant-level demon.

Some hunters even needed a team of seven to hunt one demon beast of their own level, yet this hunter, Master, could face two demon beasts at once on his own.

And with only beginner-level cultivation, he could single-handedly kill advanced-stage servant-level demons. She wondered which major faction this prodigy belonged to.

"By the way, Master, why haven't I heard your summoned beast at all? All I hear is thunder. What's going on?"

Ling Ling pressed him curiously. Surely he couldn't have both the summoning system and the lightning element? Did he have an innate dual element talent?

"...I have two elements. It's an innate talent."

In the end, Su Miu made up a casual lie. Later, he could claim Wind Track came from a Demon Traction Tool, Water Shield from Defensive Magic Equipment, and the Golden Dragon Spear was a Demon-Slaying Tool.

"Innate dual element, huh? You really were born blessed. That's fifth on the innate talent ranking."

Hearing his answer, Ling Ling couldn't help clicking her tongue in amazement. She hadn't expected to happen upon a prodigy with innate dual element.

Come to think of it... the Dongfang Family seemed to have recently produced a prodigy with mutated star seeds, and the Imperial Capital Academy apparently had just admitted a student with an Innate Spirit Seed.

Still, Su Miu hadn't actually lied. He really did have two elements: the summoning system and the sharing element. Ling Ling could fill in the rest herself.

"By the way, Ling Ling, since you're the Azure Sky Hunter Agency's little genius, could I commission you to find me a top-grade lightning-element spirit seed? A water-element one would work too. As for the price... I can pay up to thirty percent above market value."

It suddenly occurred to him that the Azure Sky Hunter Agency seemed to have extensive connections. Perhaps he could get her help finding a spirit seed.

When she heard Su Miu ask her to help find a top-grade spirit seed, her brows furrowed, and she said:

"A lightning-element spirit seed? You're only at beginner level three. You can't absorb a spirit seed yet, so what do you need one for now? You'd be better off getting a Star Cloud Vein."

Hearing this, he immediately explained:

"I already have one of those. All I'm missing is a spirit seed to absorb after I break through to the intermediate level. I'm saving up to get stronger."

After hearing his explanation, she fell into thought. Su Miu wasn't in a hurry. He casually restrained a Bewitching Spider with a Thunder Seal, then killed it instantly with a spear thrust through the head. At the same time, a reply came through his headset.

"I can help, but you have to join the Azure Sky Hunter Agency and go Demon Hunting with me."

Ling Ling's reasoning was simple: she didn't want to go to school. She could pretend to go, pull a switch, and head out to go Demon Hunting with this Master instead.

Besides, this hunter, Master, seemed pretty strong. At the very least, he could solo advanced-stage servant-level demons, so her safety would be reasonably assured. That meant she wouldn't have to attend school, and he could earn money through Demon Hunting. It was a win-win!

P.S. This was the second update for June 19, bringing the total to four thousand characters.