Spiritual sense made finding girls' stop easy. Spirit-guard artifacts block attacks, not this search; shadow-element ones better for hiding.
Won't awaken shadow element for them, but artifacts fine. No gain for Dark King meddling weak stuff. Different if Mu Ning Xue's Ice Leek type – enhanced version. But even that usable: trade or supplement, not plan key.
Entering hotel, I went up, knocked. Hurried steps; door flew open to worried eyes of my two girls.
"Don't worry. Really all good now," I smiled sincerely, hugged them. They relaxed, clung tighter post-smile.
"…You'll tell what it was?" TuTu asked softly. No demand, pure care. Just offering vent.
"No, not now. Not hiding spitefully; too dangerous info. When you hit High-level, I'll share part," cracked the secret, extra perfection spur.
"High-level's humanity's peak! What info's that?" TuTu half-indignant, half-curious. I just chuckled at her words.
- As long as you believe that High Tier is the pinnacle of humanity, I don't have to worry about your psyche. – I kissed both of my girls on the forehead, including the thoughtful Mu Nujiao after my words.
Today, I didn't feel like intimacy. Realizing that I could lose them, I just wanted to hug my two darlings and not let go. Which is exactly what I did, scooping up the squealing girls and dragging them to bed. It had been a tough day, and it was time to hit the hay.
The next day, the whole team met in the cafe on the first floor of the hotel and started picking our next mission. Ling Ling naturally asked about my condition first, but seeing that I was really okay now, she was satisfied.
Our group had a choice: stick to the theme of the current training, that is, sea monsters, or take on any profitable point-earning tasks. Knowing what lay ahead for us, I insisted on the first option, while Ling Ling leaned toward the second as the most rational in her opinion.
- "Mu Bai, I understand that you want to maintain a certain theme for your current training, but there's a limit to everything. Flying all over the country for such scattered missions is just absurd; we'll spend more time traveling. I love traveling, but in this case, it would be more rational to take on a few profitable tasks in the nearby forest. Among them, there's even a mission to obtain the blood of a specific junior Commander-in-Chief. That's right up your alley." – Ling Ling tried to change my mind. Silly girl, the future survivability of my girls in the battle with sea monsters means far more to me than simple rationality.
- "Ling Ling, the phased nature of training is very important. The girls have already fought land monsters many times and honed their opposition to them to an acceptable level. Now sea monsters are next, and for the following training, I plan to set them against bird ones. I think exterminating a couple of flocks of feathered beasts will greatly improve their adaptability." – I shared my plans with our informal vice-captain.
- "You're molding them into universal fighters? And in such a short time? Don't you think we can wait with that? Many Hunters specialize in one type of monster their whole lives and reach such heights in studying it that even at Mid level, they earn great money." – Ling Ling tried to crush me with arguments.
- "Listen, our argument won't get us anywhere like this. How about this proposal – I have leads on solving the drowning curse. If you follow my plans now, I promise to take you on the team to resolve this issue. I'm 80% sure of success. We just need to wait until the total prize pool for this mission grows another couple of times. Completing it will definitely open the path for all of us to advance beyond Four-Star Master Hunter." – I made her an offer she couldn't refuse.
- "…I agree. Until now, you haven't given me reasons to doubt your honesty. But remember your promise; if you break it, I'll find a way to get revenge." – Ling Ling's eyes flashed dangerously, and I just smiled. She's so cute when she tries to be menacing.
So, we had almost three months left until the end of this training, and in that time, we needed to complete as many sea monster combat missions as possible. First, I think we need to hire a permanent taxi to cut down on travel time between our target points.
Coastal cities were by no means close to each other, and constantly using artifact wings wasn't feasible. So, I posted an urgent mission in the Hunters' League, and three days later, three Mid-level Summoning mages stood before me.
All of them—two women and a man—were around 50 years old. They lacked the talent to break through to High Tier, and age limited their combat mission choices. Luckily, their second element and contract beasts were birds suitable for passenger transport.
They charged a hefty fee, twice what White Eagles riders ask, who already have inflated prices. But they have their clientele among Hunters who urgently need to reach a mission, so they safely earn toward a wealthy retirement.
I hired them for the entire training period, and their last mission was to take us to Shanghai. It cost me a pretty penny, but I secured steady transport. And what are a few bucks to me? We earned enough from one mission in Bird City for several such long-term hires, and that's just the start. Not to mention my personal funds.
Over the next almost three months until the training's end, we raced across our country, driving our poor transport hard and completing Hunter missions in coastal cities. I tried to pick missions so we'd encounter various sea monster types, steadily building the girls' experience against their kind, though it didn't always work out.
During that time, we had to fight Commanders-in-Chief three more times, with only one as an official mission. The other two appeared "out of nowhere." I'm amazed at the coastal cities' intelligence; they seem selectively blind to threats that could wipe them off the map.
Or is it that famous human "It'll probably blow over"? I thought it was unique to one specific nation, but apparently not. People from all corners of the world aren't that different.
And it's not just Commanders-in-Chief. Some cities we visited didn't issue official missions for their problems, but vigilant Ling Ling pieced together scattered facts and rumors, leading us to another spot needing cleanup.
Of course, first applying to the local authorities for an official team mission. We didn't work for thanks. If they refused, we threatened to report them for suspected Black Church membership. Why else would they want to destroy their city? So far, no one refused after that.
Racing across the country like that, we didn't notice how my girls and I advanced to One-Star Master Hunter rank. We only learned when the Hunters' League building notified us upon reward collection.
Well, considering we work as a small group, the tough missions we handle, and our speed, it's no surprise. Not the legendary Mo Fan-Ling Ling duo, who rose fast sharing points just between them, but still a great result.
Now, we were flying to Shanghai with the girls for another cultivation session in the Three-Step Tower. And it would be unusual, as three of us planned to break through to High Tier. Luckily, I had no obstacles. I'd completed the third step of Mid level in the light element during this training, so onward.
I couldn't wait to give TuTu the talent for control improvement. Considering how she drooled over it, I could expect her to try on that costume I'm interested in at night… Maybe give Jiao Jiao a talent too?