CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 101: DIVINE MARROW

Time rewinds to half a day earlier.

After the welcome party ended, Chen Shouyi politely declined the Bureau Chief’s suggestion to host a luncheon in his honor. He didn’t stay long and quickly left the branch office.

He was not used to socializing with middle-aged people around the table with drinks.

As for interpersonal relationships, do Martial Artists really need such things?

As long as they are sufficient, it’s fine.

...

"The fare is one hundred and fifty!"

After paying, Chen Shouyi got out of the taxi.

In front of him was an imposing and majestic five-story building. Past the grand granite steps, two rows of four armed soldiers stood at the entrance.

Silently announcing that idle people should stay away.

"Jiangnan Province Martial Arts Branch."

Chen Shouyi looked up at the seven large gilded characters under the national emblem.

This was the place.

He ascended the steps, and two soldiers immediately stretched out their hands to stop him: "Please present your credentials."

Chen Shouyi took out his Martial Artist Certificate and handed it over.

One of the soldiers carefully checked it, saluted, and immediately allowed him to pass.

Upon entering the hall, he found that there were indeed quite a few Martial Artists inside. A quick glance revealed about thirty to forty people, many of whom were looking at a large TV wall on the right side, which displayed dense information about exploration tasks in other worlds.

"Fog-level Exploration Task 1: Explore within five kilometers around the spatial passage numbered 42324 behind the spatial passage in Qinggang Town, Hangshan City, Jinqing District. Assess the danger level and map the terrain. Task requirements: Able to draw simple maps, able to describe exploration experiences in plain and simple language. Task reward: 1.5 million; 100 Martial Artist merit points."

"Fog-level Exploration Task 2: Explore within three kilometers around the spatial passage numbered 34434 behind the spatial passage in Xiafeng Street, Celestial Transformation City, Ningzhou District. Assess the surrounding danger level and map the terrain. Task requirements: Able to draw simple maps, able to describe exploration experiences in basic language. 1.5 million; 100 Martial Artist merit points."

...

Fog represents the unknown.

Undoubtedly, these tasks are all about exploring the unknown conditions behind these passages.

There were numerous tasks listed, just a single page on the TV wall contained fifty tasks, and it refreshed approximately once a minute. Chen Shouyi watched for a while, and the task information flipped through six pages, with the final task numbered 300, but this was clearly not the final count.

He had even seen the spatial passage numbered 54223 that he discovered in Dongning City among the tasks, and no one had completed the exploration task for it yet.

This was just in Jiangnan Province. If considering the whole country, it might multiply by a hundred.

Looking at the spatial passage number for Dongning City, it was apparent how many spatial passages there were nationwide and how many still remained hidden in some corner, undiscovered.

"If I take on the task for the passage in Dongning City, wouldn’t it be easy to earn 1.5 million and those 100 merit points, especially since those 100 merit points can not only be exchanged for money at a ratio of one point to ten thousand, but also allow you to purchase some precious items only after reaching a certain merit point level?"

After watching for a while, Chen Shouyi withdrew his gaze.

After inquiring at the service desk, he took the elevator to the third floor, where a beautiful staff member in a form-fitting OL outfit quickly came to greet him.

"Sir, may I ask what services you need?"

"I want to apply for an Explorer’s Certificate!"

"Please hand me your Martial Artist Certificate and wait a moment."

Chen Shouyi nodded and sat down on the sofa nearby.

The efficiency here was evidently very high. Within a few minutes, the pretty staff member returned with the certificate and a thick tome:

"This is your certificate and the Explorer’s Survival Manual. With this certificate, you can freely enter and exit spatial passages. The book’s back has the URL for the Explorer’s website, your account is the Martial Artist ID, and the initial password is: 123456, please change it promptly. Through this website, you can accept exploration tasks online.

Additionally, here is a lecture certificate for the ’Basic Intelligence Collection in Other Worlds’ short-term crash course offered by the Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy!"

"Thank you!" Chen Shouyi said as he took the lecture certificate and glanced at it.

"You’re welcome, it’s our duty to serve you!"

They really had thought of everything, preparing everything for him.

Indeed, compared to those formally trained students of the Martial Arts Academy, as a self-taught Martial Artist, he lacked more than just martial skills in other areas.

...

"Chen Shouyi, what a coincidence." Just as Chen Shouyi walked downstairs, someone called out to him.

Turning around, he saw it was a young man, appearing to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, named Wan Shaochun, who was a fellow Martial Artist from the same batch as him.

In the list of Martial Artists who passed back then, Chen Shouyi was ranked first, and he was second.

In that combat assessment, he was decisive and ruthless.

While Chen Shouyi deliberately avoided the Barbarian women and children during his kills, Wan Shaochun had no such scruples. In terms of the number of Barbarians killed, he had the most, leaving a deep impression on Chen Shouyi.

"Yes, are you here to apply for an Explorer’s Certificate too?" Chen Shouyi asked, raising the certificate in his hand.

"No, I’m here to take on tasks, see if I can find others to collaborate with. Online contacts aren’t really reassuring." Wan Shaochun’s usually somber face managed a slight smile. It was his first task, and naturally, he felt nervous. He came here to find an experienced Martial Artist for collaboration.

"That’s true!"

"Wanna team up?" Wan Shaochun invited him.

Though the other one is also a rookie, his strength far surpasses ordinary Martial Artists. Being from the same batch, there’s a sense of trust compared to strangers.

For a moment, Chen Shouyi was indeed tempted. He couldn’t even draw a map; it seemed impossible to complete the exploration task in Dongning City in the short term. Collaborating with others could certainly provide some valuable experience.

But he reconsidered and declined; there were just too many secrets he had.

Chen Shouyi’s main purpose for getting the Explorer’s Certificate was not so much to explore other worlds, but rather to find a secluded place for training, with Shell Lady naturally accompanying him, ruling out any possibility of collaboration.

Chen Shouyi shook his head and refused, "Really sorry, I don’t have any plans for exploration in the short term."

"That’s a pity." Wan Shaochun expressed, slightly disappointed.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before parting ways.

...

After having lunch outside, Chen Shouyi went straight home.

Once the elevator doors opened, he saw a stranger pacing at his door.

His gaze sharpened immediately, "Who are you?"

"Don’t misunderstand, are you Mr. Chen Shouyi? I am an employee of the Special Items Logistics Company, and your ordered goods have arrived." For some reason, as the other looked over, he felt a sudden tightening in his chest and quickly spoke out.

With that, he took a small package and a document from his bag.

Once suspicion abated, Chen Shouyi apologized, "Sorry, I’ve been a bit jumpy. Thank you for waiting."

"No problem, no problem! Our company policy mandates that these special items must be personally delivered to your hands. Please sign here." The man sighed in relief, offering a strained smile.

Chen Shouyi glanced through the document and signed it.

After watching him leave, Chen Shouyi opened the door to his house.

His parents and sister hadn’t returned yet, evidently still looking for a suitable shop.

He walked into his bedroom and tore open the package.

Inside was an exquisite wooden box, and when he opened it, a thick glass bottle, sealed with brown wax and the size of a thumb, lay quietly in the sponge.

He picked up the glass bottle and peered inside, noticing a faint glow seeping out.

"So this is the Divine Marrow!"