CHAPTER 529: CHAPTER 511: NEW RECRUIT REPORTING IN

Meeting again felt like stepping back to the days when I first joined the Exploration Bureau.

As I stepped off the bus, my eyes fell on Yu Ze.

Although he still sported the same sunglasses and bun, his outfit had changed. The previous attire with a Daoist Robe style had been redesigned, seemingly incorporating new technology from the Exploration Bureau.

While retaining the Daoist Robe style, the overall combat suit was primarily black and white.

On the right chest pocket hung the badge symbolizing the Extinction Department (Violent Suppression Department) (a skull embedded in a gear, with crossed scythes beneath).

An armband adorned his arm, with the number "8" embroidered in silver thread.

Just as they met,

Luo Di instinctively prepared to greet him,

Yu Ze placed a hand on his shoulder.

The apparent force didn’t actually push Luo Di; instead, he felt a surge of inner strength spreading within, replenishing much of the energy he’d spent on the island.

"My friend, you’re putting too much pressure on me! I thought I could take it easy upon first joining the Exploration Bureau, but your rate of progress is leaving people far behind.

And it seems you’re indeed more suited to be among monsters, no wonder you’ve already submitted a special request to the General Administration.

Is the Joker dead? If not, we’ll still need to be careful on this trip."

"He’s not dead, but he won’t be troubling me anytime soon."

"It seems a lot has happened; let’s talk as we walk."

Ms. Youzhen didn’t interrupt the reunion of the two friends,

she was carefully observing Luo Di ever since he got off the bus and finally saw his current state clearly.

"Your pituitary not only sprouted, but it also reached the ’Leaf Growth Stage’!?"

"Yes, I completed my insights during my time back in the Human World; it’s just been a week since the leaves emerged."

"You two are really something! No wonder you were recommended by the Special Action Group. At this rate, it won’t be long before you completely leave me behind."

Luo Di just responded with a smile, saying nothing more.

The three-person team walked through the shallowest random sections of the Corner.

Having spent so much time in the Middle Layer, and without the threat of the Joker, the whole journey felt like a stroll, with no sense of being in the Corner at all.

Along the way, they recounted recent experiences, from being saved by the Sisterhood, playing Mr. Question Mark’s games, to shopping at the Black Coffin Supermarket, and finally the amusement park incident led by the Joker.

They explained everything quite clearly, except for the "finger" matter, which was concealed; they only mentioned that the Joker obtained a misty skull.

Upon hearing that the "Carnivorous Family" within the Eight Evil People also had considerable gains, Youzhen felt a pang of anxiety.

Yu Ze, however, remained indifferent, completely unconcerned.

Luo Di took the opportunity to inquire about the monster, "This monster seems to represent an entire family, not just a single individual.

I didn’t encounter this guy head-on during the video incident, nor engaged in any direct confrontation.

It’s said that he’s the strongest among the current Eight Evil People... Back then, I lured the Joker away, so it was Yu Ze and Ms. Youzhen who faced this monster, right? Was he really so strong?"

Yu Ze wore a helpless expression, "Oh, my friend, please don’t remind me! I almost got eaten back then; luckily, reinforcements arrived in time.

Because of this, I had consecutive nights of nightmares of being devoured alive, absolutely terrifying.

However, leveraging the mental impact of this incident, I managed to sort myself out, not wasting a single moment, consistently improving during this period.

My friend, do you have any specific information on this guy? I’d like to try tackling him when there’s a chance."

"Although I’m quite familiar with the Sisterhood, I really don’t have information on the ’Carnivorous Family.’

And another acquaintance among the Eight Evil People specifically warned me to avoid provoking this guy; he’s extremely dangerous."

A glimmer of cold light flashed in Yu Ze’s eyes:

"Indeed, very dangerous, yet not beyond killing.

If we can annihilate this guy and bring the plant from his brain back to headquarters, we’ll gain tremendous benefits."

"Hmm? Can monster plants be processed at headquarters?"

"My friend, you actually weren’t aware of this? You wouldn’t have killed many monsters in the Corner, keeping none of their plants, right?"

"I indeed didn’t keep any~ All absorbed as nutrients to nurture the pituitary, otherwise I couldn’t have sprouted so quickly.

What specific uses do they have?"

"Look at you all tense~ It seems you didn’t miss much.

Plants before maturing have limited utility for the pituitary; if brought back, they can be processed into fertilizer by headquarters using special technology, with higher absorption efficiency than by individuals.

However, the pituitary you got from Mr. Kraft, coupled with the Hell System, probably doesn’t fall too short in absorption efficiency either.

But as for ’mature plants,’ they must be brought back. You haven’t killed a mature monster yet, have you? Surely not that extreme, my friend."

"I haven’t, indeed; what can a mature plant do?"

"This is a privilege we have as humans, a unique privilege within the Corner that monsters lack.

Like how we used to fight the Pseudo-Person by acquiring their systems through their pituitaries, making tools.

If we can kill a mature monster and bring back its plant, we can obtain a ’relic’ retaining the core traits of the original monster.

This relic will fully integrate with the slayer and can be stored in the pituitary space. Some even possess growth traits, developing alongside, which is very important for human exploration.

Moreover, obtaining a top-quality relic can secure a ’Golden Seat’ at headquarters.

Both Youzhen and I currently hold Silver Seats; although the allocated resources aren’t little, there’s still a significant gap compared to above."

Yu Ze pointed to his armband, where the number 8 was embroidered in silver thread, and beside him, Miss Youzhen had the same silver thread.

"Relic?

Is it something like this?"

Luo Di took out the "Metal Bat" he bought from the Black Coffin Supermarket, similar to Jason’s, with a dense aura of fear released upon its appearance.

Yu Ze’s originally squinted eyes slightly opened, as if he sensed the threat within.

"This is a ’Corner Object,’ something produced by the Corner itself, mostly held by monsters.

’Relics’ are not just external tools; they can provide a comprehensive enhancement, affecting the pituitary space and the growth of plants, forming a closer relationship with you.

Especially for our first relic, we should choose as well as possible.

Of course, as long as the quality is good, it’s all good stuff."

"It seems Yu Ze, you’ve already set a target relic."

"Haven’t you also decided early, my fellow countryman? I hope both of us can get it. Well... we’re almost at the General Administration."

After a bit of chatting, the team had safely passed through several shallow areas, currently walking through a deep tunnel with the exit in sight.

[Corner - Shallow to Middle Layer (Human Area)]*

* Areas above the middle layer of the Corner are often presented in the form of intervals or blocks.

* The land in the current area has been entirely purchased by humans, preventing any monsters from reaching this area through regular corner movement.

"Ah? So this is the Investigation Bureau?"

Crossing sections,

in the blink of an eye, Luo Di arrived in a place similar to a county town center from the early 90s.

There were no buildings related to the Exploration Bureau in sight, still in the nostalgic style formed by the Corner emulating the Human World.

The three stood at the crossroads, facing a large department store, surrounded by old residential buildings.

Luo Di was somewhat surprised, "Is this really where the headquarters are located within the Corner?"

"Why? Did you think it was some futuristic city... My fellow countryman, you’ve really stayed with the monsters for too long, almost forgetting the basic rules here.

The Corner is basically ’prohibited from changes.’

Even if you spend a lot of Corner coins to buy the land ownership, you can only use the original buildings on the land.

To rectify it, you first need to find a way to gain the Corner’s approval,

Moreover, building materials from the real world cannot be normally used here; the special environment of the Corner would cause the materials to deteriorate in no time.

To buy Corner materials, the cost is enough to buy more land.

Therefore, buildings rarely change.

I guess the Sisterhood you’ve interacted with is also using an existing building in the middle layer as a base, right? Because the land price in the middle layer is higher, getting materials costs more as well."

"Indeed."

Yu Ze nudged Luo Di in the back with his elbow, pushing him quickly into the department store.

"Luo Di, hurry to the newcomer registration. I can’t wait to see your ’new member test.’ This score will determine the difficulty of your first exploration task and the issue of team assignment."

"Ah? Am I still considered a newbie?

And I already submitted a special application when returning to the Human World, so I shouldn’t need a test, right?"

"Hasn’t the application come through yet? Playing dumb is quite fun.

Besides, at the Exploration Bureau, especially our Eight Departments, strength is what matters, and you’re a special member recommended by the former deputy director.

These people want to see what your capabilities are like.

So, just show yourself, and your special application can get approved faster."

"Alright."

Entering the department store.

The various shops that should have been there had all disappeared, turning into a completely clean hall structure.

Yu Ze, already familiar with the place, quickly helped Luo Di complete his first registration at the hall office, and the related newcomer test was immediately arranged.

"By the way, how’s the test conducted? Instruments or devices?"

"It’s not that complicated~ To confirm whether an investigator is valuable, there are just two points: can they kill the opponent when encountering monsters, and can they perform normally in extreme fear environments.

You will be thrown into a simulated environment filled with Fear Entities.

And there will be a monster captured by the Exploration Bureau, equipped with some restraint devices, to spar with you... This should be your favorite, Luo Di.

Make sure not to hold back, show them the strength of our Huaxia geniuses.

I think Miss Youzhen is also curious about how much you’ve grown."

"Okay."

Ding!

Elevator arrival.

A pitch-black passageway appeared in front, draughty wind brushed through, lifting some discarded newspapers and swaying hanging lamps at the top.

Yu Ze and Youzhen had no intention of going down,

only Luo Di walked towards it alone.