Chapter 15 New Vision_1

Zheng Yichen had a pleasant conversation with Hunter Arno and then checked out some other places. He discovered that the items the hunters were selling weren't as expensive as he had imagined. Although he was mentally prepared, in the end, he still spent money on...

An extraordinary creature's claw. According to the hunter, this kind of nail could be used to forge weapons, or be integrated into some metals to make bullets, which could cause extra damage to some extraordinary creatures. In a game, it would be considered a top-notch material for demon possession. At that moment, Zheng Yichen wanted to ask the hunter in front of him if he knew how to conjure Fireballs with his hands.

The price of such an extraordinary creature's nail was a little over three thousand. It was this price combined with its effects that tempted Zheng Yichen, who could confirm that the item wasn't fake, as he had sensed it upon contacting the nail of the extraordinary creature.

As dusk fell, ordinary people who had come to the Dusk Cathedral began to leave one after another. Zheng Yichen saw some hunters proficiently pulling out blankets, clearly preparing to find a spot to spend the night there.

Zheng Yichen felt that his own preparations were somewhat lacking. After leaving the Dusk Cathedral, what he saw was a foggy environment, denser than the usual nighttime setting, prompting him to consider returning for an overnight stay.

"Such moments are prone to the occurrence of Alien Phenomena," Arno's voice came from behind Zheng Yichen.

Zheng Yichen looked at the hunter, who was not carrying a big package. Noticing Zheng Yichen's puzzled look, he simply explained, "The cathedral offers a storage service."

"Fine." Zheng Yichen looked back at the sky, now covered in fog and showing not even a speck of starlight: "Does the heavy fog at night make it easy for Alien Phenomena to appear?"

"Of course." Having said this, Arno took an additional look at Zheng Yichen: "Are your sleeping hours very regular?"

"Indeed, for the sake of good health," Zheng Yichen immediately nodded. In this world, there was the internet, video games, and a level of richness not inferior to Earth's. However, back then, he hadn't encountered any anomalies, nor did he understand the anomaly within himself. All he could do was rigidly maintain his own condition.

For years, he almost never saw the midnight sky.

Even now, including the time to get home, he would sleep at most by eleven at night.

"That's a good habit. However, once you become a hunter, such a habit will probably be hard to maintain. See you next time." After saying this, Hunter Arno walked into the fog-covered night; his figure quickly disappeared out of sight.

"All secretive..." Zheng Yichen muttered to himself. He was aware of secrets, such as the worlds linked to Alien Phenomena. From what he learned from the bartender, such links weren't exactly top secret and should be known by quite a few people.

But not many were in the know, naturally because some people couldn't handle the pressure from the anomalies' fissures. Approaching them could lead to fainting due to excessive pressure. Lewis and his group, whom he had encountered before, were completely unaware of this information.

They had been close to anomalies, but their understanding was that getting too close could be life-threatening, and that proximity to anomalies often led to fainting. Since extraordinary creatures frequently appeared near the anomalies, fainting equated to a threat to life, which was certainly true.

Zheng Yichen also started on his way home. With this weather, finding a taxi was out of the question, but the subway could still run, otherwise, he really would have had to rough it at the cathedral for the night.

In the subway, the few passengers looked at Zheng Yichen as he boarded, their gaze lingering on the fishing rod he was holding for a split second before moving away. In their eyes, Zheng Yichen's strong physique made him simply a robust fisherman.

The two attributes were not in conflict and didn't attract much attention from passersby. At this hour, everyone was anxious to get home. Who would care about these trivial matters?

A surge of heavy pressure hit him, and this familiar sensation caused Zheng Yichen's eyes to widen as he immediately looked out the window. In the subway tunnel, he couldn't see anything, but he was sure they must have just passed an area affected by an Alien Phenomenon.

Some people in the train had fainted, but not everyone... The subway was automated, so the operational running would not be affected even if everyone inside fainted. However, it meant some were doomed to miss their stops.

There were many cameras on the train, so it was best not to entertain any other ideas. Wait until the train stops and get off then.

As for hiding? There was no need for that. Or rather, not immediately 'fainting' in sync with those who did at the first opportunity was already too late. Besides, not everyone here had fainted; one more person awake didn't make a difference.

Soon, an announcement rang through the train, informing any conscious passengers not to panic. The train had only passed the edge of an Alien Phenomenon zone. If anyone felt nauseated or unwell, they could find vomit bags under their seats.

The encountered phenomenon was an unexpected incident, and the subsequent route of the subway remained safe. As for the faint passengers, personnel would come to provide assistance at the next stop.

Well... There were railroad police on the train, but the thing is, resistance to the pressure of the anomalies varied from person to person. It wasn't simply a matter of physical strength. It was about the 'adaptability' Dog Head George had mentioned.

Zheng Yichen walked off at the next stop and left. Apart from him, other passengers who hadn't fainted did the same. Subway staff didn't interfere. Since there were hotels nearby, those who felt unsafe taking the subway that night could simply take it the next day.

Upon leaving the subway station, Zheng Yichen hurried back home. There was nothing much to say; it was purely out of curiosity and the pursuit of being an extraordinary individual. Drugs were useless for his condition, and if he wasn't proactive about hunting monsters, how would he live a good life in the future?

He didn't want to wait until the anomaly on his own body became severe and turned him into a withered stump in some research institute, being studied. If everything went as usual, today would definitely be explosive.

The darkness concealed a lot, and as Zheng Yichen jogged back, it wasn't until he got close that he saw the phenomenon hidden by the night. The scene had already been cordoned off, and Zheng Yichen saw some Hunters' figures here. This made Zheng Yichen touch his pocket; if he couldn't get in normally later, maybe he could try using the license he had with him?

"What are you doing?" Before Zheng Yichen could take any action, a stern voice came from the side. Zheng Yichen looked over to see an enforcement officer in a police uniform holding a flashlight towards him.

"I'm a Hunter just passing by," Zheng Yichen said quickly. The customs in Hazy City could sometimes be quite free. Normal places were a bit more rigorous, but it was best to follow the rules in areas where incidents occurred.

He took out his license, and the enforcement officer took a glance, his stern expression softening slightly, "Hunters who have been in the business for less than a month had better not casually approach the Alien Phenomenon zone."

"I can still clean up abnormal animals and the like," Zheng Yichen said. Even if he didn't get the chance to enter the phenomenon and check out the situation, it was still good to move around nearby.

Although some small extraordinary creatures were no longer of direct use to him, killing those things could also serve as additional supplements, right?

Training with them could add some boost to his improvement rate as well.

"Alright then, you can patrol the area with me. Don't hesitate to kill any extraordinary creatures you encounter. Creatures in the Alien Phenomenon zone are very violent," said the young enforcement officer with a nod.

A Hunter who could obtain a license, no matter how poor, was still stronger than an ordinary person who would panic in an emergency. Zheng Yichen wanting to stay and help didn't bother him, as long as he wasn't causing trouble, which was fine. As for the identity, the enforcement officer knew when Zheng Yichen showed his license earlier.

If there were real problems, he would just check Zheng Yichen's personal file when they got back.

Feigning ignorance, Zheng Yichen asked, "I've only recently become a Hunter and have only taken on one commission. I've had one encounter with a phenomenon. Besides the pressure that can make people faint in Hazy City, is there anything special about its characteristics?"

"No comment," Roy said with a straight face. "Just don't get too close to the center of the phenomenon."

"What if something runs out of the phenomenon?"

Roy looked at Zheng Yichen seriously. Zheng Yichen was not bashful; mainly because he had already sold the video of Dog Head George he had filmed earlier. The research institutes and local officials in Hazy City had connections, so this wasn't a secret, and thus, it was okay to ask.

"I've filmed some footage before," Zheng Yichen mentioned.

"Then you are lucky you weren't attacked by the 'thing' that ran out," Roy said with a stern face. "If that kind of situation arises, there will naturally be professionals to deal with it. You, a novice hunter, should not think too much about it. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to learn more about these things later, but not now."

No sooner had Roy finished speaking than rapid gunshots came from the distance. The young enforcement officer didn't hesitate to rush towards the sound, and seeing that Zheng Yichen was sensibly following, he gradually picked up the pace.

Zheng Yichen saw many large rats.

These large rats broke through the covers of the sewers and kept pouring out. There were many, and they were fast. Some were killed the moment they emerged, but others ran off in different directions. With the fog, it was hard to find them once they had run far.

"I felt the pressure when I was on the subway earlier. Is the pressure near the phenomenon the cause of these anomalies?" Zheng Yichen asked, while he swung his fishing rod, accurately piercing the head of a ferocious large rat.

The fishing rod he used could fully extend beyond three and a half meters. In its collapsed state, the fishing rod was also like a short stick. In combat, as long as the last meter and a half of the fishing rod wasn't extended, it could ensure the thing really acted like a long stick - add a spearhead, and it could even be used as a long spear.

"You sure ask a lot of questions," Roy observed as Zheng Yichen efficiently dealt with the situation, cultivating some additional thoughts.

"I'm a novice and need to learn as much as I can."

"...You have good skills. If you really want to learn, why not join us? After an assessment, you can have your questions answered."

"Can I continue being a Hunter then?"

"No."