In the quiet, humming sanctuary of his new lab, Lin Ke stared at the protocol shimmering in his vision. The "Corruption Inversion Catalyst." It was brilliant. It was audacious. And it all hinged on one, brutal detail: the raw material requirement.
The twelve units of essence he'd scraped from that sewer monster? A drop in an ocean. The protocol estimated he would need over one thousand, five hundred units to successfully refine enough catalyst to awaken the egg. The number seemed to burn itself onto the back of his eyes.
He wasn't going to find that kind of supply in the city's plumbing. That first creature had been a lucky break, an anomaly. To find a steady, reliable source of corrupted creatures, he had to go outside. Beyond the walls.
His new C-Rank license was the key. For hours, he was plugged into the restricted sections of the Guild's database, not looking for a quest, but for a hunting ground. His screen was a collage of topographical maps overlaid with energy signature hotspots, lists of confirmed corrupted fauna, and sobering incident reports from Tamers who had ventured out and never come back. He devoured the data, cross-referencing and filtering, searching for the perfect balance. He needed a place with a known, recurring presence of corruption—enough to be a viable farm, but not so much that he'd be overwhelmed on day one.
The data finally converged on a single, bleak location sixty kilometers east of the city: a D-Rank Danger Zone known as the "Blackstone Wilderness." A desolate, rocky expanse infamous for its rough terrain and the territorial, corrupted creatures that called it home. Dangerous, yes, but not impossible. It was perfect.
The next two days were a blur of meticulous, obsessive preparation. This wasn't a reckless adventure; it was a scientific field expedition. He bled a significant portion of his prize money on top-of-the-line survival gear: a lightweight, all-weather pack; a military-grade water purifier; nutrient-dense, high-energy rations; and a kit of sterile, shielded containers for collecting biological samples. He plotted his route on a digital map until he had every landmark, every potential shelter, every escape path memorized. He and the Rock Vole spent hours in their new yard, drilling on uneven, rocky terrain. No more perfectly flat arena floors out there, buddy.
On the morning of the third day, he was ready. He caught his reflection in the hallway mirror and paused. The face staring back wasn't that of a student anymore. Dressed in durable cargo pants and a sturdy, dark utility jacket, his expression was calm and focused. The gaunt, weary look of the orphan from the welfare district had been replaced by something harder, something more resolute.
The Rock Vole, sensing the gravity of the moment, was already perched on his shoulder, its eyes sharp and alert, scanning the room.
They took a silent maglev train to the city's eastern edge. The last stop: Mo City Gate Alpha. It was a monster of steel and reinforced alloy that clawed at the sky, the final, imposing wall between the engineered safety of the city and the raw chaos of the world.
He stepped up to the final checkpoint and swiped his new C-Rank license. A series of green lights flashed.
"Destination: Blackstone Wilderness. Duration: Estimated seven days," he stated clearly to the grim-faced Guild officer. "Purpose: Field research and specimen collection."
The officer gave him a respectful nod. "All clear, Tamer. Good luck out there. Stay sharp."
With a deep, powerful groan that seemed to shake the very earth, a section of the massive gate began to slide open, revealing what lay beyond. The air that washed over him was a physical shock—it smelled of wild, wet earth, of damp, decaying vegetation, and of an untamed freedom that was equal parts thrilling and terrifying. The warm, humid air of the Jamaican night felt different out here, thick with unknown pollens and the scent of distant rain.
He looked back one last time at the closing gate, at the last sliver of the ordered, predictable city. His tiny apartment felt like a memory from another person's lifetime.
Then he turned to face the vast, untamed, perilous wilderness stretching out before him under a bruised-purple sky. The Rock Vole on his shoulder gave a determined squeak, a steadfast partner ready for whatever came next. One person. One pet. Taking their first real step into a world of unknown dangers and untold potential.
He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the dark, rocky horizon.
Alright, he thought, a cold, sharp sense of purpose settling in his chest. Step one of the new plan. Let's go hunt some monsters.
And he walked forward, crossing the threshold from the city he had conquered into the wild that would forge his legend.