Chapter 194: Forming a Team

Chapter 194: Forming a Team

Ji Xinghuo agreed on a meeting place with Jing Ji over the phone, then hung up and opened "Tianlai", the internal software of the Sword Bureau. He sent a message to a supervisor in the Intelligence Division, asking him to investigate Jing Ji.

It's always prudent to be cautious.

Even though Jing Ji was a friend he made back in the Xing Realm, a comrade who he had faced life-and-death situations with, there was still a possibility of unforeseen circumstances, especially since Jing Ji had a daughter, his greatest weakness.

If they were indeed going to Africa, outside the boundaries of Chang'an, he would have to return the Purple Lightning Sword to the Bureau.

That would be the perfect opportunity for their enemies to strike.

In fact, this could all be a trap set up specifically to target him.

Ji Xinghuo took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and entered his study. As he waited for the investigator's report, he went online and immediately found the video. It was first posted on a domestic website the previous week and had garnered over 300,000 views.

In this day and age, mildly popular videos racked up views in the billions.

A few hundred thousand views were hardly noteworthy.

However, this was to be expected.

The mainstream media on Earth always focused on the most powerful nations, and the major social platforms of various countries only paid attention to events occurring in a select few nations.

Africa had always been a neglected continent.

Even when natural disasters, wars, or coups took place in Africa, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties, they rarely attracted as much attention as a street brawl or a piece of celebrity gossip in the major countries.

Life was priceless.

Yet, at times, the value of a life differed greatly depending on nationality and race.

As Ji Xinghuo sighed inwardly, he used keywords to search for and find several more videos, all of them filmed by people in Africa who had caught glimpses of the monster. The earliest one dated back to two years ago, and while the view counts were low, the most recent video from last week was the clearest and closest footage.

He carefully scanned through the comments on these videos, most of which were left by netizens from Africa.

One person claimed to be a resident of the East African Kingdom, and according to local rumors, a man-eating monster had appeared in their area about four or five years ago.

Eyewitnesses described the monster as a massive amphibian, resembling a crocodile or, according to some, a giant lizard.

It could lurk in rivers and underwater, manipulate water currents, release lightning, turn invisible, and move at incredible speeds. It frequently attacked cities and tribes, devouring humans.

There were also accounts of people witnessing it preying on wild beasts in the wilderness.

Some even claimed that this monster could shapeshift and transform into other animals!

Several teams of superhumans had tried to capture it, but all attempts ended in failure. There were countless other bizarre rumors, growing more exaggerated with each retelling, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction.

Ji Xinghuo organized the information he had gathered.

Based on the video uploader's location and some reliable rumors, he marked a circle on the map to indicate the possible areas where the monster had been spotted.

"Such a vast area..."

He couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

The map showed that the monster's appearances were concentrated around Lake Victoria and the Nile River to the north of the lake, as well as its tributaries. Sometimes, it ventured west, crossing the border of the East African Kingdom into the territory of the Chieftain State of Zaire, the former Congo Basin.

This area spanned three to four million square kilometers.

Finding a single monster within this expanse was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, the African wilderness was far from a safe place. Ever since the Stargate opened two centuries ago, ether energy had been pouring into Earth, not only reshaping human society but also drastically altering the natural ecology of the planet.

Africa, already a vast animal kingdom, experienced even richer and more primitive ecosystems.

Countless wild animals absorbed the ether energy, and over generations of reproduction, their genes gradually mutated.

Some devolved, while others evolved.

Nearly all the animals became stronger and more dangerous, with some even evolving into monsters.

Initially, numerous Xing Realm creatures had entered the African continent through its three stargates, coexisting with the wildlife and eventually integrating with them. By now, the African environment was not much different from that of the Xing Realm.

Of course, it wasn't nearly as perilous as the Xing Realm.

Nonetheless, for the average African, surviving in the wilderness was a daunting task.

This was also one of the reasons why the population of African countries remained relatively low. Aside from warlords and constant strife, locals were confined to living within the protective walls of cities, their living spaces severely limited.

For various historical reasons, the major powers on Earth had forced all nations to sign the 'African Nature Conservation Agreement' under the pretext of protecting the environment and wildlife. This agreement prohibited African nations or local powers from using thermal weapons to eradicate dangerous wild creatures on a large scale, only allowing them to develop within specified areas.

This convention had proven effective.

As a result, over 70% of the area south of the Sahara Desert, spanning more than 1.5 million square kilometers, had become a natural reserve, occupying half of the African continent.

However, this agreement had many loopholes. For instance, it didn't prohibit the hunting of monsters, nor did it restrict foreign citizens from entering these areas.

In the face of danger, people had the right to 'emergency escape', justifying the killing of any creature that posed a threat to them.

Many superhumans who dared not venture into the Xing Realm would cut their teeth in this nature reserve, gaining experience before transitioning to the Xing Realm.

Ji Xinghuo compared the information.

Most of the monster's activities were indeed within the nature reserve.

After researching for over two hours, his phone rang, signaling the arrival of the investigation report from the Intelligence Division. It confirmed that Jing Ji was not a suspect, at least not currently.

Ji Xinghuo wasn't surprised.

The video from two years ago, which he had found earlier, was proof enough that the monster was real.

Back then, he wasn't even a superhuman, and it was unlikely that his enemies could travel through time to set up a trap for him years in advance.

Ji Xinghuo went downstairs and left the house.

Moments later,

He met with Jing Ji in a private room at a cafe. The last time they had seen each other was two months ago, and Jing Ji's complexion looked even better now.

"How's your recovery going?" Ji Xinghuo asked as he sat down.

In the battle against the legendary Great Kunman, Jing Ji had been the most severely injured, barely escaping with his life. At the time, it was predicted that he would need a full year to make a complete recovery.

Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Then take a few more months to rest. There's no rush."

"That's what I plan to do."

Jing Ji sized up Ji Xinghuo and broke into a strange smile. "You've been living the good life these past few months, huh?"

"It's been alright." Ji Xinghuo laughed.

"You've hooked up with the global goddess, and every man on the internet is green with envy. And you say it's just been alright?" Jing Ji clicked his tongue in admiration.

Ji Xinghuo knocked on the table. "Let's get down to business."

"Okay."

Jing Ji proceeded to share the information he had gathered, which was similar to what Ji Xinghuo had searched earlier but with more details.

"Actually, quite a few people have already set their sights on this monster," Jing Ji added.

Ji Xinghuo nodded. Given that he could identify the ultra-limit ability of the electrostatic field, others with the same ability would also be able to recognize it.

If the video content was verified, the monster would be confirmed to possess at least two ultra-limit species—invisibility and the electrostatic field—each worth over a hundred million yuan.

A week had already passed.

Undoubtedly, organizations, companies, and hunting teams from all over the world had already begun their search in Africa.

"So, are we going to Africa to join the fun?" Jing Ji asked eagerly. "The nature reserve there is not as dangerous as the Xing Realm. Even if we don't make any gains, we can consider it a wilderness adventure and enjoy the beauty of the African savannah."

"The greatest danger doesn't come from monsters, but from humans," Ji Xinghuo said thoughtfully.

"Indeed."

Jing Ji nodded. "That's why we need to form a team."

"Alright." Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"

"You're the most famous and the strongest among us, so you'll be the team leader, and you can decide on the team members." Jing Ji smiled. "I only recommend Yuan Chongzhen. He's a half-beastman, and in a place like Africa, which is teeming with wild animals, he'll have a significant advantage. We can also trust him."

"Good."

Ji Xinghuo didn't decline out of modesty. "Is Yuan Chongzhen still in the Xing Realm?"

Yuan Chongzhen was single, just like Ji Xinghuo, and was a public child. In recent years, he had spent most of his time in the Xing Realm, accumulating resources to break through to the legendary tier.

He had only returned to Earth once in the past few months to meet with friends, staying for two days before returning to the Xing Realm.

"I'll ask someone to go into the Xing Realm and call him back." Jing Ji said.

"That makes three of us." Ji Xinghuo considered for a moment, then started to contact the others. He picked up his phone and called Chi Zhonglin.

"Hello, Xinghuo." Chi Zhonglin appeared on the screen, with a backdrop of pink flashing lights and blaring music. He seemed half-drunk, shaking his head and swaying as he asked, "Why are you calling me today?"

"I have a hunting target in Africa. Are you interested?" Ji Xinghuo asked directly.

"Africa?"

Chi Zhonglin racked his brains to remember where that was, then shook his head like a rattle drum. "No beauties, no go!"

"You can borrow the Sky Fury Azure Blood Spear during the hunt." Ji Xinghuo said calmly.

"Where are you? I'm coming right now!"

Chi Zhonglin immediately sobered up and shouted excitedly.

Ji Xinghuo hung up and sent him the address, then called Jiang Nan Caiyi. She answered cheerfully, "Good evening, Xinghuo!"

After hearing Ji Xinghuo's intention, Jiang Nan Caiyi's face fell, and she apologized, "Xinghuo, I'm about to undergo the star gland implantation surgery in a few days. I've been preparing for this promotion for a long time, so I can't leave. I'm really sorry." She bowed several times.

"It's alright. I wish you success in your promotion."

Ji Xinghuo hung up after a few more words.

"We have four people now. Since Caiyi can't make it, let's replace her with someone who has healing abilities and is strong in combat."

Before he finished speaking, Chi Zhonglin's voice came from outside the door. "I know someone who's perfect for the job."

Chi Zhonglin stumbled in, still reeking of alcohol.

"You're here so soon?" Ji Xinghuo was a little surprised.

"Hehe, the bar I was at is only about a thousand meters away. I just ran over." Chi Zhonglin sat down and caught his breath, then looked at Jing Ji and asked, "Who's this?"

Ji Xinghuo introduced the two of them to each other.

"Brother Jing."

"Just call me Jing Ji."

After the introductions, Ji Xinghuo asked, "Zhonglin, who's the person you mentioned?"

"He's my friend." Chi Zhonglin smiled slyly. "He's a combat priest, very strong. Just like you, he's a top player on the ladder. When you called me earlier, he was drinking with me, and I almost got drunk from his challenge."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up at the mention of a combat priest.

This was a rare advanced profession, an evolution of the "White Knight" and "Black-robed Bishop" professions. Both of these professions had healing abilities and their own weaknesses, but when they advanced, not only did their healing capabilities improve, but they also complemented each other, resulting in a massive boost in combat power.

"What's he like as a person?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Er..."

Chi Zhonglin suddenly didn't know how to answer. After a moment, he said, "Honest and straightforward? He doesn't have many tricks up his sleeve. His best skill is drinking—he can drink three times as much as I can!"

Ji Xinghuo was speechless. "Can you call him over now?"

"No problem."

Chi Zhonglin immediately made the call and spoke rapidly, "He said he'll be here soon."

After about ten minutes.

A man with a thick build like a wall walked in.

His muscles were well-developed horizontally, and he was about 1.8 meters tall, similar to Ji Xinghuo's height, but his weight was probably twice that of Ji Xinghuo's, straining the fabric of his clothes. With his buzz cut and fierce appearance, he could easily scare children on the street.

However, his voice was surprisingly steady and gave off a sense of reliability. With a hearty smile, he introduced himself, "I'm Zhuoligetu. I've heard a lot about you, Brother Ji."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end