Chapter 845: Evaluation Mission
Chapter 845: Evaluation Mission (Combined)
It had already been half a year... Qiao Sang began to ponder subconsciously.
Before the flight, she had specifically searched for information. The destination was Changqing City, located in Muten Province on the Hollow Plains. Muten Province comprised a total of 11 municipalities.
Completing 11 evaluations in half a year meant averaging about 16 days per evaluation. Taking travel time into account, it would take roughly half a month to complete an evaluation for each municipality.
Hmm, it shouldn’t be a problem... Qiao Sang put away her ID card and Beastmaster Badge, thanked the staff, and turned to leave.
Her calm expression and graceful turn immediately sparked an excited discussion among the two staff members.
"Did you see that?"
"I saw it!"
"Oh my gosh, she’s not even 18 and already has three Champion-level familiars! I’ve never seen anything like it!"
"When I mentioned the six-month time frame, look at her dismissive expression. She doesn’t seem to think it’s too short at all; she looks so confident."
"If I had her strength at her age, I’d be even more confident."
"Do you think we’ll see her at this year’s Regional Tournament?"
"That’s hard to say. If she registered for the evaluation within the first month, there wouldn’t be any problem. But with only six months left, it’s uncertain. You know, some city evaluations are really frustrating. A Beastmaster blogger I follow recently posted a video saying the Examiners in Sky Ladder City asked him to gather 10 pounds of Wood Gland Grass. That stuff costs 10,000 Alliance Coins per ounce, and if you don’t buy it, you have to go to the 39th Hidden Realm to pick it. The 39th Hidden Realm only opens once a year for a month, and when he received the mission, it was during the opening period, but only one day was left. The Examiners were clearly trying to make it difficult."
"That’s still relatively simple, at least it can be solved with money. I know of one where..." the staff member at Window 19 was about to share some gossip.
At this moment, the person waiting at the window couldn’t hold back: "Are you done chatting?"
The staff member quickly switched to work mode, flashing a standard smile.
"Hello, may I help you with something?"
...
Beastmaster Center.
Third floor.
At the door of the office responsible for evaluations, Qiao Sang knocked twice.
Each municipality’s Examiners were stationed at the local Beastmaster Center, and no prior appointment was needed. As long as it was during working hours, the Examiners were usually available.
"Come in", the voice from inside said.
Qiao Sang pushed the door open and saw a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, a protruding belly, and no distinctive features.
You still look like a kid... The middle-aged man was taken aback by the young appearance of the black-haired girl in front of him.
He knew that the age limit for participating in the Regional Tournament was 40, and even those in their twenties were considered young. However, someone this young was a first for him in his role as an Examiner.
He took her ID card and verified her identity.
"Wow..." The middle-aged man stared at the computer screen, silent for several seconds as he processed the somewhat unbelievable information.
I’m an Examiner; I need to be steady, calm... He took a deep breath, steadied his nerves, and began to search for a suitable evaluation mission.
The evaluation missions for each city were not arbitrarily created by the Examiners. Instead, they were selected from a list of tasks provided by the government and various institutions, or from long-unclaimed missions, to be completed by Beastmasters wishing to participate in the Regional Tournament.
If there are any urgent matters to handle, they should be prioritized as an evaluation mission.
Otherwise, it's up to the Examiner's discretion.
The middle-aged man carefully scanned through the evaluation mission, his gaze finally settling on a particular line. He picked up the ID card and handed it back to Qiao Sang, saying:
"Recently, one of our city's Familiar Artifacts center warehouses has experienced incidents of stolen Artifacts. You are to assist the police in their investigation, or you can act alone. Regardless of the method, capturing the thief will count as completing your evaluation."
"I'll send the contact information of the warehouse manager and the police officer in charge of this case to your Beastmaster Center app. You can contact them directly when you're ready."
Catch a thief... Qiao Sang pondered for a moment and asked:
"How long ago did this case start?"
If anyone else had asked, the middle-aged man would have bluntly replied, "Can't you just ask the manager and the police officer yourself?"
But the one asking was an 18-year-old prodigy who already owned three Champion-level familiars. Without hesitation, he lowered his gaze to the computer screen to check the details.
After about half a minute, the middle-aged man looked up and said:
"The first theft occurred a month ago, with two more incidents in the following weeks. This mission was registered a week ago, and there have been no further reports since then. However, the fact that this evaluation mission is still active means the thief hasn't been caught yet."
He shared all the information he knew and provided an analysis.
Who said Examiners were difficult to deal with? This one seems quite cooperative... Qiao Sang nodded:
"I understand."
Once she left the office and reached the ground floor, she immediately spotted Teacher Migala.
"Have you completed the registration?" Fangy's Flame Wings were too conspicuous, and Migala noticed Qiao Sang through Fangy, walking up to ask.
"Yes." Qiao Sang nodded.
"What about your evaluation mission?" Migala asked.
"I've taken it. It's to catch a thief", Qiao Sang replied.
Hearing this, Migala responded calmly, "This mission being released as an evaluation indicates that the local police haven't caught the thief yet. The thief must have some skills."
Pausing for a moment, she added considerately:
"We just arrived in the Dragon Nation. You should rest for a while. You can start the mission tomorrow."
She didn't want to exhaust this prodigy, who might only appear once in a lifetime, by rushing from the airport to register and take on an evaluation mission.
"I'll skip the rest", Qiao Sang said seriously. "The Regional Tournament is only six months away, and I'm already half a year behind everyone else. I need to complete this mission as soon as possible."
Migala fell silent for a moment, her tone softening as she tried to persuade her:
"You are still in your developmental stage. Rest is important."
Qiao Sang remained serious:
"Don't worry, my Lulu can use Healing Light."
Migala: "…"
…
5:22 PM.
High in the sky.
Qiao Sang sat on Fangy's back, heading towards the Artifacts warehouse.
Just a moment ago, she had contacted the warehouse manager, who sent her the address.
Holding her mobile phone, she began to call the police officer in charge of the case.
After a couple of beeps, the call connected, and a man's voice came through the speaker:
"Who is it?"
"Hello, I've taken the evaluation mission from the Beastmaster Center to investigate the theft at the Artifacts center warehouse. I was wondering if we could meet to discuss the details of the case", Qiao Sang said.
"Have you looked at the time?" the man replied impatiently. "I'm about to leave for the day. If you want to know more about the case, contact me tomorrow when I'm back at work."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Qiao Sang: "……"
No wonder this case ended up in the evaluation mission… Qiao Sang couldn't help but complain inwardly. She stroked Fangy's fur and said, "Looks like it's up to us tonight."
"Ya Ya!"
Fangy let out an excited call and increased her speed.
...
Changqing City, outskirts.
Half an hour later, Qiao Sang arrived at the Artifacts warehouse.
The Familiar Artifacts Center had several warehouses, and the one where the incident occurred was located in a remote suburban area.
As soon as Qiao Sang dismounted from Fangy, she saw a staff member and a crocodile-like bipedal familiar, both dressed in work uniforms, waiting at the entrance.
"Are you Miss Qiao?" The staff member, seeing Fangy's powerful and magnificent appearance, felt reassured and quickly approached, ignoring Qiao Sang's somewhat youthful look.
"It's me", Qiao Sang said, not wanting to waste time. "I need to know when the last theft in the warehouse occurred."
"It was at 9:05 PM yesterday", the staff member said, leading the way into the warehouse. "I was on duty last night, but I didn't hear any noise, and the security cameras didn't capture anyone or any familiar."
"How do you know it was stolen at 9:05 PM?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Because when I reviewed the security footage, the artifact was there at 9:04 PM, but it was gone by 9:05 PM", the staff member explained clearly.
Soon, the two stopped in front of a shelf.
The staff member pointed to an empty spot. "It was here."
He couldn't help but complain, "We reported this a month ago, but since the warehouse mostly contains defective artifacts, the headquarters and the police haven't taken it seriously..."
As the staff member spoke, Qiao Sang picked up the now smaller Fangy and placed her in front of the empty shelf.
"Ya Ya."
Fangy closed her eyes and placed her claws on the empty spot.
The staff member was taken aback and asked, "Are you having your familiar smell the thief's scent?"
Fangy placed her claws, not her nose… Qiao Sang didn't answer him but closed her eyes to synchronize with Fangy.
During the month on the starship, Fangy couldn't train any attack-related skills and had to focus on meditation and sensitivity. She had already smoothly mastered Sensitivity on the way here.
Recalling what happened last night was no problem.
The staff member, seeing this, understood that the unfamiliar familiar was using some skill and kept quiet, not wanting to disturb them.
The scene in front of her changed. The shelf that was empty now held a purple cylindrical artifact.
Then, the artifact suddenly moved and disappeared.
Qiao Sang and Fangy opened their eyes simultaneously.
"Did you find anything?" the staff member asked eagerly.
"It's likely a Ghost Familiar", Qiao Sang said.
The staff member was puzzled. "Ghost Familiars can turn invisible, but how did it make the artifact disappear so quickly?"
You don't even know this… Qiao Sang was a bit surprised and suddenly understood how Vice Principal had viewed her seemingly silly questions back then.
She realized that since becoming a Beastmaster, she had always dealt with the best of her peers. After arriving at Supernest, the people around her were all several years older and highly talented. Her knowledge level was far beyond that of an average Beastmaster.
Living in such an environment, she hadn't noticed any issues and even felt she wasn't learning enough, but in reality, she had accumulated a lot of knowledge that ordinary Beastmasters didn't possess.
"A Ghost Familiar's Invisibility Trait at B-Rank can make any item it touches invisible as well", Qiao Sang explained.
The staff and the crocodile familiar both had looks of realization on their faces.
"But the Ghost Familiar can pass through walls and become invisible. We can't deal with it. I'll contact the police and let them know so they can send someone over." The staff member said, pulling out their mobile phone and preparing to dial the police number.
Qiao Sang recalled the attitude of the police officer in charge of the case and said,
"Let's wait until tomorrow morning to contact them. Right now, we only know it's a Ghost Familiar, and we don't have any solid evidence. The police won't send anyone just because they know the familiar's attributes. I'll do some more investigating on my own."
The staff member put down their mobile phone. "How do you plan to investigate?"
Qiao Sang smiled slightly. "Once we confirm it's a Ghost Familiar and that it was here last night, things will get simpler."
She then looked at the staff member. "Where are the blind spots of the security cameras on this wall?"
A Ghost Familiar must have passed through the wall. Qiao Sang, with her Treasure Seeker, was very familiar with the habits of Ghost Familiars. Most Ghost Familiars would inadvertently reveal themselves when passing through walls, observe their surroundings, and then become invisible again.
Since the security camera footage didn't capture anything, it meant the Ghost Familiar must have entered through a blind spot.
Without a word, the staff member led Qiao Sang to the blind spot and pointed to a corner. "It's right here."
Qiao Sang nodded at Fangy.
"Yah!"
Fangy immediately understood his Beastmaster's intent, placing his claws on the wall and closing his eyes.
Qiao Sang also closed her eyes.
The scene changed, now pitch black except for the faint moonlight filtering through the iron bars of the window.
Soon, a familiar with a nearly purple, gaseous body appeared by the wall.
It glanced around and then disappeared.
This familiar... Qiao Sang suddenly realized something else.
She was well-versed in the familiars on Supernest and the rare familiars from various planets, but she wasn't as familiar with the common familiars on Blue Star outside of Yuhua Region.
It seemed she still needed to learn more about the familiars in the Hollow Plains, especially since most of the participants in the Hollow Plains match were from this region and their familiars were mostly local.
Qiao Sang focused her thoughts and looked at the spot in the air, saying,
"Go to the other side of the wall."
"Xunxun~"
While the staff member looked puzzled, the Treasure Seeker appeared, its eyes glowing blue.
In the next second, Qiao Sang and Fangy vanished from their original spot and reappeared outside the building.
The staff member stared at where Qiao Sang had been, momentarily stunned.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall.
Fangy placed his claws on the wall and closed his eyes.
Most Ghost Familiars would instinctively reveal themselves when passing through walls to observe their surroundings, both when entering and exiting.
The scene changed, and they were back to the previous night.
Under the moonlight, there was no movement around the wall.
Qiao Sang, with her eyes closed, said, "Let's see the time flow to today."
"Yah."
Fangy called out with his eyes closed.
The scene shifted from night to day and back to night. Qiao Sang saw herself, Fangy, and the Treasure Seeker appearing out of nowhere.
Everything came to an abrupt stop.
Qiao Sang suddenly opened her eyes, a thought flashing through her mind:
The Ghost Familiar might still be inside...
(End of Chapter)
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