B-Rank Eerie

The door closed.

Zhou Yan let out a long breath and slumped onto the couch. "That scared me to death... that woman had such an overwhelming presence."

Lin Jin said nothing. He took the business card out of his pocket and looked at it.

Su Qianxue, leader of the Special Action Group.

Although he had not used Appraisal, his perception told him that this Paranormal Bureau group leader should be at the Source Energy Stage.

He withdrew his gaze and put the card in his pocket.

Zhou Yan leaned over. "Little Lin, you're really not joining that Paranormal Bureau? Twenty thousand a month! What more could you ask for?"

Lin Jin glanced at him. "Join if you want to. Don't worry about me."

Zhou Yan scratched his head. "But... without you there, I'd feel a little out of my depth on my own."

Lin Jin sat down on the couch, fell silent for a few seconds, then looked at him.

"I think you should join."

Zhou Yan froze. "Huh?"

"You've only just awakened your Superpower, and you don't know how to train it. The Paranormal Bureau offers systematic guidance. That would be good for you," Lin Jin said. "Besides, they have official backing. Once you join, at least you won't get into trouble over being an Awakened."

Zhou Yan fell silent.

He knew Lin Jin was right. He had only awakened last night and knew nothing. Joining the Paranormal Bureau really was the best choice.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What are your plans?"

"My situation is different from yours." Lin Jin looked out the window. "Besides, some things are easier for me to do alone."

Zhou Yan looked at him for a long time. Since Lin Jin himself did not want to say more, he would not pry. All he could do was nod firmly.

"All right! I'll join the Paranormal Bureau, then!"

"But on one condition."

Lin Jin looked at him.

Zhou Yan grinned. "You have to teach me that Fire Release, or I'll still be at the bottom of the pile after I join!"

Lin Jin nodded. "Sure."

Over the next few days, Zhou Yan reported to the Paranormal Bureau during the day and came back at night to learn Fire Release from Lin Jin.

The Paranormal Bureau gave him a comprehensive examination and confirmed that he was a B-Rank Flame Awakened with good potential, though he was currently only at the early Awakening Stage.

They also assigned him a dormitory unit and issued him a Pay Card, with his first month's salary paid in advance.

Holding the card, Zhou Yan was so excited that he nearly cried.

"Twenty thousand, Little Lin! Twenty thousand!!"

Lin Jin glanced at him. "Have some dignity."

"You don't understand!" Zhou Yan waved the card. "I can finally replace my phone! And I can eat as much as I want at that barbecue place I've always wanted to try!"

Lin Jin ignored him and continued explaining the essentials of Fire Release.

"The Great Fireball Technique is the most basic Fire Release technique. The key is compressing and releasing your Superpower. The harder you compress it, the stronger the burst."

So Zhou Yan could see clearly, they went outside. Lin Jin slowly formed hand seals, opened his mouth, and spat out a fireball half a meter in diameter. It struck a trash can five meters away with pinpoint accuracy, instantly melting it into molten iron. (Paying for it was out of the question.)

Zhou Yan watched, dumbfounded.

"Awesome!"

"C-can I learn to do that?"

"Depends on your talent," Lin Jin said. "Start by practicing the hand seals."

With a miserable expression, Zhou Yan began practicing.

Three days later, he finally managed to spit out a fist-sized fireball, but it went out after just one second.

Lin Jin nodded. "You're improving."

Zhou Yan was so excited that he spun around on the spot.

Two more days passed. Zhou Yan returned from the Paranormal Bureau and sidled up to Lin Jin with a secretive air.

"Little Lin, I heard something today."

Lin Jin looked at him, signaling for him to continue.

"They said they've recently found signs of a B-Rank Eerie." Zhou Yan lowered his voice. "Right in that Abandoned Industrial Zone on the west side of the city."

Lin Jin remained unmoved.

B-Rank.

An Eerie of that rank should only be around Chunin to Jōnin level.

"The bureau plans to send people to investigate," Zhou Yan said. "Group Leader Su will lead the team."

After saying this, Zhou Yan looked eagerly at Lin Jin, waiting for his reaction.

But Lin Jin merely said, "Oh," and continued leafing through the Eerie Records Manual he had swiped from Zhou Yan.

"Oh?" Zhou Yan was stunned. "Just 'oh'? It's a B-Rank Eerie! You've never seen one either, right? Don't you want to take a look?"

"It's only B-Rank." Lin Jin turned a page. "About Chunin level. I'm not interested."

Zhou Yan scratched his head. "What's a Chunin?"

Lin Jin did not answer.

Used to Lin Jin's silence, Zhou Yan did not press him and went on talking. "I heard Group Leader Su is leading the team herself. They're leaving this afternoon. One of the team members said she's already at the Source Energy Stage, and she has an S-Rank Superpower, a Space-Type one. She's incredible!"

"I wanted to tag along and see what it was like, but they said I was too weak and wouldn't let me go."

There was a hint of grievance in his voice as he spoke.

Lin Jin looked up at him.

Space-Type?

Somewhat interesting.

Then he blurted out, "They're right. You're way too weak right now."

Zhou Yan: "..."

"Going there would just be throwing your life away." Lin Jin continued leafing through the book. "Just stay here and practice your Fire Release."

Zhou Yan pouted, but obediently sat back down on the floor and continued practicing the speed of his hand seals.

Lin Jin watched him, thinking silently.

A B-Rank Eerie, at Chunin level, might indeed be a threat to most people in this world.

But it really held little interest for him.

What he needed now was a high-ranking Eerie that could help him unseal his strength.

At least A-Rank or above.

Still, with Su Qianxue leading the team...

Lin Jin recalled that woman. Source Energy Stage, Space-Type-her strength should be decent. Dealing with a B-Rank Eerie should not be much of a problem.

He set those thoughts aside and continued reading.

Meanwhile, in the Abandoned Industrial Zone on the west side of the city.

With Su Qianxue leading them, a party of six was making its way through the ruins.

"Group Leader, the Eerie energy fluctuations are getting stronger," a young team member said quietly, staring at the detector in his hand.

Su Qianxue nodded, her right hand held in a loose grip, ready to activate her Superpower at any moment.

She was at the Peak Source Energy Stage, an S-Rank Space-Type Awakened. That strength placed her among the very best in the Jiangcheng Paranormal Bureau.

The target of this mission was a B-Rank Eerie, which normally would not require her to act personally, but the intelligence indicated that this Eerie was somewhat unusual. That was why she had decided to lead the team herself.

"The factory building ahead. The target should be inside," another team member alerted her.

Su Qianxue raised a hand, signaling the team to stop.

She closed her eyes and extended her perception.

Inside the factory building, there was indeed a cold, chaotic energy fluctuation.

And there was more than one.

There were several weaker ones as well, resembling its duplicates or offshoots.

"Everyone, stay alert." Su Qianxue opened her eyes. "There's more than one Eerie inside."

The six quietly slipped into the factory building.

The interior was dim and filled with an air of decay. In the center, a huge mass of black mist hovered in midair, constantly writhing.

Seven or eight smaller clumps of mist drifted slowly around it.

"A B-Rank Eerie, Nightmare," she said quietly. "It's formed from the accumulation of human negative emotions. It has an independent consciousness and is extremely aggressive. Its ability is to create illusions, trapping its enemies in their most terrifying memories with no way to escape."

Just as she finished speaking, the huge mass of black mist suddenly began churning violently.

A distorted human face emerged from the mist. Its features were indistinct, but its hollow eye sockets stared straight toward Su Qianxue's team.

"Humans..." A hoarse voice echoed through the factory building. "Here to die again..."

The smaller clumps of mist around it swelled at the same time, spewing out great quantities of black mist.

The black mist instantly filled the entire space.