[Drive away the dragonflies near Yangshan Village]
[Slaying the Fierce Eagle Over Highway 302]
[Clear the benthic fish that have taken over Luming Lake]
[Clean up the iron-toothed rat infestation in Area 2 of the Pinghai City sewer system]
...
Lin Ze checked each task one by one.
It took nearly half an hour to finally select a target.
[Task Objective]: Clear out the Death Knell Beetles in Death Knell Canyon.
[Task Level]: Trainee
[Mission Type]: Bounty/Personal
[Mission Reward]: 1000 Credits per Deathstroke Beetle
[Task Time Limit]: No time limit
[Related Intelligence]: In the past month, the number of Deathstroke Beetles in Deathstroke Canyon has surged and they are showing signs of migrating outwards, posing a certain threat to nearby villages and towns. Please try your best to eliminate the Deathstroke Beetles. The number of kills should be based on the combat log data.
[Important Notes]: The Death Knell Beetles are ferocious beasts that swarm together. Their strength level is between the fifth and seventh stage of the first tier. Each time they are deployed, the number of beetles is no less than double digits. Please be careful, executors.
Of all the available missions, the mission to clear the Death Knell Beetles is the only one where the reward is tied to the number of kills and there is no cap.
In other words, as long as you kill enough people, you can get a lot of rewards in a short period of time.
This task undoubtedly aligns perfectly with Lin Ze's goals.
"There are still half a month left before the college entrance examination. After deducting the time to leave for Ningjiang City in advance and to familiarize ourselves with the environment, there are at most about thirteen days left."
"During this period, we must earn enough money to successfully evolve the Ice Crystal Soul and contract a second pet beast!"
Lin Ze quickly made a decision and decisively accepted the mission.
Then.
He went to the counter to pay a deposit and picked up a combat recorder.
This is a specially made auxiliary equipment from the Beastmaster Association, which has the functions of flexible flight and real-time video recording.
It can record the entire battle and transmit the data back to the association in real time.
Many bounty missions where rewards are tied to the number of kills will ultimately determine the reward based on footage recorded by a dashcam.
After doing all this, Lin Ze left the building without looking back.
...
Camp 12.
This is a civilian camp located in the south of Pinghai City.
It serves as a transit and supply point for those venturing into the wilderness.
Many adventurers replenish their supplies and sell their loot at the camp.
Inside the tall, circular walled enclosure are messy temporary prefabricated houses and street stalls scattered everywhere.
The open space was bustling with noise, filled with adventurous people laughing and shouting, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.
"There are so many people."
Lin Ze clicked his tongue in amazement.
There are probably hundreds of beast tamers in this camp.
It's rare to see so many beast tamers gathered together.
After looking around with great interest, Lin Ze finally remembered the purpose of his trip.
"Let's rent a car first."
Deathknell Canyon is nearly 30 kilometers from Camp 12.
Such a long distance cannot be covered on foot; a means of transportation must be rented.
To Lin Ze's surprise, he contacted three different car rental shops, only to be told that all the vehicles were already rented out.
Is this the usual situation?
No, that's not it.
The shop owner shrugged.
"These past few days have been unusual; there have been many more adventurers heading to Deathstroke Canyon, and vehicles are in short supply. If you had arrived a few hours earlier, you might have been able to find one."
Lin Ze frowned immediately.
This is troublesome.
Are we supposed to walk all the way to Deathstroke Canyon?
By the time we get there, it will be dark.
"It would be nice to have a rideable pet."
Lin Ze sighed inwardly.
Just then, a clear and melodious female voice suddenly came from the side.
"Handsome young man, are you going to Deathstroke Canyon?"
Lin Ze turned around and saw that the person who had spoken to him was a beautiful female adventurer in her early twenties.
He sized the other person up for a few moments: "That's right, you are..."
"My name is Wang Xueyun."
The female adventurer said with a smile:
"Our team has rented a car and we're heading to Deathstroke Canyon anyway. If you don't mind, we can give you a ride along the way."
Lin Ze was slightly taken aback.
What a coincidence! He had just been worrying about how to get to Deathstroke Canyon when someone offered to help him.
only...
Why would someone do something when you've just met them?
Seemingly anticipating Lin Ze's question, Wang Xueyun explained with a smile:
"I can't stand seeing young, handsome guys in trouble, so I couldn't help but want to help you out. It's not that I have any ulterior motives towards you... Wait a minute, if you put it that way, it really does sound like I have ulterior motives towards you."
"..."
Lin Ze felt that this person named Wang Xueyun was a bit eccentric.
However, he did not suspect that the other party intended to harm him.
After all, he was all alone and obviously didn't have any valuable materials on him. Only a fool would try to scheme against him.
Even if there are some fools who don't know what's good for them, Lin Ze is confident that he can make them lose more than they gain.
In the blink of an eye.
Many thoughts raced through Lin Ze's mind.
He nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble you. By the way, how much is the car rental fee? Count me in."
Wang Xueyun smiled and waved her hand in refusal, but under Lin Ze's insistence, she finally agreed.
With the transportation issue settled, Lin Ze breathed a sigh of relief.
The two walked out of the shop together and headed to where Wang Xueyun's teammates were waiting.
On the road.
Lin Ze casually introduced himself.
After hearing this, Wang Xueyun muttered to herself, somewhat puzzled:
"I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before, it sounds familiar."
However, her attention was quickly drawn to other things.
Are you a high school graduate taking the college entrance exam this year?
Wang Xueyun stared in astonishment, her eyes widening.
Although she had already guessed that Lin Ze couldn't be that old, she was still surprised when she learned that he was just a student.
The next second she suddenly realized.
"Your destination is Deathstroke Canyon, so you've most likely accepted a mission to clear out the insect swarm, right?"
Lin Ze nodded.
Upon seeing this, Wang Xueyun suddenly slapped her forehead.
"...This mission is too dangerous for you!"
Those taking the college entrance exam are around eighteen years old.
Apprentice beast tamers in this age group generally only have pets at the first tier, level seven or eight.
With this level of skill, going to Deathstroke Canyon is practically suicide.
Wang Xueyun immediately regretted it.
Although she is carefree, she knows what's important.
If she had known earlier that this young man was still a student, she would never have offered him a ride. Wouldn't that have been sending him into danger?
Thinking of this, Wang Xueyun hesitated, then said:
"Lin Ze, I think the mission to clear out the Deathstroke Beetles is still too dangerous for you..."
He was interrupted by a loud voice before he could finish speaking.
"Wang Xueyun, what have you been doing for so long? Hurry up, we need to get ready to leave!"
Lin Ze looked in the direction of the sound.
Three people dressed as adventurers were striding towards them.