Ch. 05

Mo Fan stood in front of the Hunters' Hall, analyzing it before heading inside. He looked up at the large screen displaying tasks and their rewards. Two men were picking which one they should take but would complaining at the difficulty or amount of enemy.

"Ey, then how about we team up for the one in the northern valley?" a brunette girl -that had half of her face covered- offered. She was accompanied by a girl who was wearing a hoodie and a mask

"You think it's that easy? I don't want to be killed by one-eyed wolves but your welcome to do so if you want"

"Shh, don't you know who they are?! They're the one of the reputable hunting duo, Jiang Si and Zhao Yue"

"I told you not to ask them, but you had to be all friendly. Let's keep the bounty to ourselves" Yue said

"Eh why not try out for the City Hunter Team. An Elite like you would really fit in" the guy tries to flatter them.

Mo Fan eavesdropping at the conversation walked up to them "Is the CHT recruiting new members?" he asked "Yeah, can't you see the long queue over there" the guy pointed at the obviously long line.

"So many people"

"You gonna give it a go? Don't waste your time. You should be thankful if there's even a hunter team who's willing to accept you" he then looks at the ladies "Come to think of it, why haven't you just formed a hunter team"

"It's too much work" was Yue's curt respond

"Hey kid, what's your element?" Jiang Si asked

"Does that matter?" the guy laughed "Of course it does, fire elements are popular pick of hunter teams"

Yue caught a glimpse of Mo Fan's loach "Then what about lightning element?" her eyes darted at him 'Mo Fan?' the man snorted "That element only comes 1 out of 1000. Who wouldn't jump on that?" Mo Fan started walking to the line.

"I don't feel like doing any task today, go home" Yue followed Mo Fan and Wei Si didn't have a say.

"Mo Fan" Yue lightly bumped his shoulder "A-Ah Yue-jie, how do you know me?" he was then dragged to a dark and empty corridor "It's me, Zhao Shengsi" she briefly seperated her mask and his eyes widened "But still! How did you know it was me?!"

"Your eyes, loach, and element, oh also your head on approach"

"Are you going to audition as well? And what's with the name and get up?"

"I could ask you the same thing, what a lousy disguise but no, I'm not auditioning as you've already heard Siyun and I are hunting duo"

"Hey!"

"And Yue a different name duh"

"Oh yeah. The guy recognized you so that means you've been here for a while"

"Yep, this is what I mean when I help out Siyun"

"What element are you known for? You still haven't explained the fire thing you did at Snow mountain"

"Still water element here" she gave a nervous laugh and they started walking to the line "About the fire, I can also use it. The Dancing Flames is one of the things a fire mage and the weapon can do" She explained.

>>

Mo Fan ended up being accepted by the CHT and Shengsi was waiting outside. They were informed about the appearance of monsters in Ming Wen Middle School and a girl has been missing for a week now.

"Huh? Isn't that Xinxia's school?" Shengsi texted her but didn't get a reply, she then started calling hee but still no answer.

The doors burst open to reveal Mo Fan who was obviously worried "Hey! Give me back my phone!" the wind mage yelled after him. Mo Fan was grabbed by Shengsi and took the phone from him 'Is he dumb? He have his own phone' she tossed it to the wind mage "I'll be faster than you, I'm going to check on her. Stay with your team and wait for my call" she whispers to Mo Fan the CHT gave the two weird looks "Ey ey, isn't that Zhao Yue? One of the hunting duo?" Xiao Ke whispers "Who knew he had connections" Cai Tang mused

Shengsi was quick to change clothing and arrived at Xinxia's place. She started knocking on the door "Xinxia?!" just then Xinxia appeared beside her with a basket of groceries.

"Sheng-jie! What brings you here? If I knew you were coming I should've prepared more food"

"It's okay, you're okay. I'm glad your okay" she texted Mo Fan that Xinxia was safe.

They entered her home and helped her put away the groceries "You gave Mo Fan and I a scare. You weren't answering your phone"

"I forgot to bring my phone when I went out. That said, what brings you here in such a rush?"

"We heard about that a girl was missing in your school and we couldn't reach you so we got worried."

Xinxia suddenly had a dark look on her face "Oh you mean Lin Yun'er, from the class next to mine" she recalls "I saw her at the library the day she went missing, she just completely disappeared. Later, when I was leaving the library, I smelled something strange from the cafeteria and felt a shiver ran down my spine...as if someone was watching me. So I rushed home as fast as I could" she stated "Could it be..that Yun'er had already"

"Don't worry Xinxia, your brother joined an urban hunter team. We'll protect you" she smiled "Now I have to go, I need things to attend to. Don't forget your phone and keep safe"

On her way to Xinxia's school, she calls Mo Fan to rely the information she manage to gather from Xinxia and that she's on her way to keep watch from afar.

"Was that the girl at the Hunters' Hall?" Mo Fan nods and explained his speculations "Right, the cafeteria would need to be thoroughly investigated"

"In that case, let's take the school layout into account and split up" Cai Tang suggested

"Um....I want to investigate the cafeteria"

"Are you sure? After all, this is your first mission with us.."

"Leave it to me!"

The captain pats him with unintentional force "Just like how a newborn calf doesn't fear the tiger" he then hands a device to Mo Fan "Push the call button if anything happens, we'll come to you right away. Take good care of it"

"Understood" the team splits up leaving Mo Fan there.

"Still not heading in?"

"Geez! You scared me"

"So much for earlier's bravery"

"You coming with me?"

"I don't want to risk being seen by the CHT but here" Shengsi handed Mo Fan one of her earing "It's a tracking and communication device, just to be sure. I don't want to be clueless in front of Xinxia if you were found dead" Mo Fan pins it on the string of his mask near his ear "Wow, such great faith you have in me" she chuckles "Hurry up and goodluck" she shoved him to the direction of the entrance.

"Hey tha-" when Mo Fan turned around she was already gone "First Ms. Tang and now Shengsi, is it a girl thing?"

>>

Mo Fan was hiding in the cafeteria and surely there was a rancid smell "This smell" he felt like vomiting "Is it that bad?" He hears Shengsi "Yeah, if only you could also smell it" there was a slight quak "WoAh...it's like a construction team is underneath" he then hears squeaking, he peers from his hiding spot "What the fuck, it's a giant one eyed mouse" Shengsi heard him cuss 'Oh then that explains the trembling he felt earlier'

"I need to call for the squad" he press the button on his device.

"No!"

"What-" he ducks on time to avoid the beam from the monster.

"Idiot! They can sense electronic signal. That's why I gave you my earing" Shengsi facepalmed

Mo Fan continued to run and dodge the creature "You could've told me earlier!" he was conteplating on using his defense equipment "I thought you knew. Oh welp, lesson learned"

The rat shot its beam and Mo Fan was going to use his eq "Water Defense: Guard" a water wall had saved him there stood the entire CHT.

The wind mage distracted the rat "Taste my flames" the captain shot at it but it dodged upwards "try to escape? No use..Ignite: Fire Burst!" the fire went after the monster and a bright light suddenly emitted from it making the others shield their eyes.

'Was that a level 3 ignite?' The rat dropped from the ceiling 'So powerful! Instant kill'

"A giant cyclops rat though being weaker than the one eyed wolf, it's still considered a decent demon" Shengsi informs him.

"His single attack actually got it half dead" Wenjie the wind mage analyzed the beast

"It might try to escape by now..Ice Spread" Cai Tang didn't manage to finish her magic release when the rat suddenly jump to her

"Lightning Style: Python Scar!"

"Ah! Water Defense: Guard!"

The water wall didn't form on time luckily Mo Fan struck it dead with lightning.

"Well done, Fan Mo!" The captain praised.

"Seems like everything's fine now thanks to the heroic Mo Fan" Shengsi snickered.

"I'm sorry! It's my fault"

"As the team's water mage, you must have your star path formed and prepared all the time! You're incharge of protecting everyone as a water mage!" Captain Dahuang scolded Xiaoke "I don't want any apologies. Apologizing means someone's life in the team is in grave danger!"

"So this is what you firmly spoke about back then" Mo Fan whispered to Shengsi "Yes, now do you get my point? She was probably just a second late but look at what happened"

"You must thank Fan Mo for this, cover up for your mistake and saved Cai Tang's life" Cai Tang rests a hand on their captain's arm "Give it a rest, we're human, we all make mistakes"

Dahuang sighed "I didn't expect you to react so quickly, to think that you're a newbie. With your performance, I'm sure you'll become a great hunter" he smiled thankfully at Mo Fan "I'll make an exception and accept you as an official member"

"Chaching~ Being official means you get paid full for the job. I have something to do, I'll be turning off the equipment. Meet me tomorrow at the practice area." Mo Fan felt the tiny energy from the equipment vanished.

•~•~•~•~•

"Here's your earing" Mo Fan tried to hand Shengsi the accessory "Keep it, for now. The caller can activate it and it's up to the reciever to answer, I'm sure you felt the bit of energy it emitted since that's how the reciever is alerted of the call" Mo Fan hesitantly nods before pocketing it "Now that you know monsters detect electronic signal, you can call me if something ever happens"

"So why'd you call me out here, especially after last night" Mo Fan yawns, Shengsi dangled her necklace "You'll be training with me from time to time" a surge of excitement woke up his spirit "Really?! You'll let me use that?" she nods and tossed the pendat to him.

"Go on, activate it"

Mo Fan focused on activating the equipment soon after there was a red spear in his grasp "Wow! This is awesome" he lifted the weapon.

"Pretty cool right? Now let's begin!"