Chapter 1669: Making Up the Numbers

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The Thousand Islands Lake was more than a hundred kilometers from Hangzhou, some distance away. The strange thing was, the sea was at least a hundred kilometers away from the Thousand Islands Lake, too. How did the Spiral Shelled Monsters even find their way there?

Nothing was indeed impossible when mating was involved, no matter what living creatures they were!

Mo Fan asked Lingling to accept the quest that Jiang Xia had put up as representatives of the Clearsky Hunter Agency. They were asking for the details of the Tree of Vows in return.

Jiang Xia was reluctant to accept their help at first. He had believed he could handle it himself, but after Zhu Meng’s sudden visit, he quickly asked some experts on demon creatures for their opinions.

They told him that the Salamander Demons were quite tricky to deal with. It was impossible to tell how long it would take the local government to eliminate them all without the help of elite Hunters.

Jiang Xia found out that Lingling’s group was responsible for taking down the Black Vatican on Chongming Island, solving the mystery of the Drowning Curse, and had even completed the quest of the Tear of Medusa. He eventually agreed to sign the Hunter’s Agreement after acknowledging Mo Fan and Lingling’s capabilities as Hunters.

Mo Fan was no longer worried that Jiang Xia would go back on his word only after signing the Hunter’s Agreement. After all, knowing Jiang Xia was the kind of person to haggle over every detail, he might have been reluctant to fulfill his end of the bargain once he knew they were looking for the Tree of Vows without it!

——

Mo Fan put on a disguise and used the name Fan Mo before heading to the Thousand Islands Lake.

There was a half-military outpost to the east of the Thousand Islands Lake, about the size of a small town. It did not have civilians. It mainly consisted of soldiers patrolling in the area to ensure the safety of Hangzhou and the other cities nearby.

There were four squads of soldiers mainly focused on patrolling the area. They were not too impressive in combat.

The rest of the people at the outpost were Hunters. The Thousand Islands Lake was currently a source of treasure. There was a simple Hunter’s Lodge providing the latest updates on the quest to the Hunters. Information was often more important than strength to Hunters!

Minghu Outpost was developing steadily. Everything was in order, and defensive measures were being conducted properly. It had been bustling lately, especially after the government put up the quest asking for the Salamander Demons’ Hearts, which had attracted many Hunters. The outpost was even a little overcrowded already.

Mo Fan noticed many people shouting at the entrance of the Hunter’s Lodge when he walked past.

It was common to see Hunters recruiting members for their parties with the most primitive approach at places like the Hunter’s Lodge. The parties that were recruiting new members would raise banners, leave their contact numbers, or simply yell and shout to attract people’s attention.

“Water Mage, any Intermediate Water Mage looking to join a party? You must be at least an Intermediate Hunter to join our Foehn Hunter Squad! We are led by an experienced Advanced Mage. We guarantee you a high efficiency when it comes to completing quests. Any Water Mage looking for a party here!?” a passionate young man yelled at the entrance of the Hunter’s Lodge.

The young man immediately grabbed Mo Fan when he walked past him. “Friend, are you interested in joining our Foehn Hunter Squad? We will pay you two hundred thousand!”

“I’m not a Water Mage,” Mo Fan said to the passionate young man, who somewhat resembled Zhang Xiaohou.

“It’s fine if you’re not a Water Mage. The Hunter Union has requested that every party have at least seven members. Our party only has six members, so we are short one Intermediate Mage. We have already devised a plan for the quest. It would be best if we can find a Water Mage, but it’s not a must. You can just make up the numbers and cheer for us later!” the young man encouraged him.

“I see. Are you sure you just want me to make up the numbers?” Mo Fan asked.

“Of course, we have strong Mages in our party. You are in safe hands by joining us. Most importantly, we will pay you exactly what we promised!” the young man said.

“Are you familiar with this place?” Mo Fan asked.

“Of course we are! We aren’t that popular, but we’ve been active in the Thousand Islands Lake for around three years. We know the location of the islands, the depth of the water, even the spots where we can find many demon creatures. HAHAHA, what do you say? Are you interested in joining us?” the young man said.

“But… I’m not an Intermediate Mage,” Mo Fan said.

“Huh? Your extraordinary bearing caught my eyes. You must be a student of a famous institute. How are you not an Intermediate Mage? What is your Primary Element? Oh, I should ask, what is your Element?” the young man asked.

“My Primary Element is Lightning,” Mo Fan informed him.

“Lightning? Wait here, I’ll go and ask my captain!” the young man said, and ran into the hall.

Mo Fan had come to inspect the area and familiarize himself with the place. The government had yet to resolve the problem after such a long time. It was unlikely that he could settle the problem in just a few days.

The others were not going to be here any time soon. Mo Fan was planning to follow a party around and learn more about the Thousand Islands Lake. He wanted to take a look at the Salamander Demons first. It was better than roaming about aimlessly like a headless fly.

The young man was quite impatient, so it did not take him long to return.

“Brother, since our party is in a rush as we don’t want the others to get a head start, we are willing to let you join us, even though you are only a Basic Lightning Mage. However, you must be extremely careful. The Salamander Demons are not as weak as you think. Besides, they normally stay in packs,” the young man said.

“I’m an Advanced Mage, I’m not a Basic Mage,” Mo Fan said. He was too lazy to conceal his strength like he usually did.

“Hah, stop bluffing! If you’re an Advanced Mage at such a young age, I’d be a Super Mage by now. Let’s go, we must hurry! The other Hunter Groups have already moved out. We can’t let them take all the profits!” The young man dragged Mo Fan to group up with the rest of the party.

“I’m really an Advanced Mage,” Mo Fan said with a wry smile.

“Sure, you’re an Advanced Mage. We’ll all cheer for you when you take on the demon creatures on your own!” The young man did not treat Mo Fan’s words seriously, clearly not believing him.

It was not his fault. First, it was rare for someone in their twenties to be an Advanced Mage. Second, those people would usually stay in their own clans and enjoy the resources provided by their clans, or have their own hunting bands. Why would he be looking to join a random party at the Hunter’s Lodge?