Chapter 15: Initial Display of Talent

"Ye? Good afternoon! The boss is on the second floor!"

The demon hunter, who had frequented this place for a year, was already on familiar terms with the bartenders and security guards. Although surprised by the demon hunter's disheveled state, one of the security guards still pointed out where Old Ward was. Nodding gratefully at the guard, the demon hunter walked upstairs. Just like last night, two burly black men stood guard at the door, not even glancing at the returning demon hunter.

Pushing open the door, a cacophony of noise immediately spilled out, much like the scene on the first floor of Dad's Bar last night. The only thing missing were the provocatively dressed beauties and the drug dealers pushing marijuana and other hallucinogens.

Dad's Bar, serving as the demon hunter branch in the Tallinn district, naturally did more than just provide missions for demon hunters. It often functioned as a base and a meeting place. After all, demon hunters needed to communicate and socialize, and people like them couldn't go to ordinary places. Therefore, the branches in each district became the preferred choice.

Due to the nocturnal nature of dark creatures, demon hunters gradually adopted a nocturnal lifestyle. So, during the day, the branches were bustling with activity, while at night, they were mostly empty.

Thus, most demon hunter branches were outwardly decorated as cafes or other daytime leisure spots. However, there were exceptions. For instance, a greedy old man, defying the norm, decorated his branch as a bar to continuously earn money day and night...

"Ye, were you kidnapped by those unsatisfied, crazy Persian cats downstairs last night? Even though you're young, you still need to think about the future! Otherwise, when you're old..."

The greedy old merchant's eyes were sharp. Even with the room full of people, he immediately spotted Ye Qi, who had just walked in. Eyeing Ye Qi, whose clothes were tattered and his black leather jacket reduced to rags, Old Ward couldn't resist the opportunity to mock him. Normally, Ye Qi would have retaliated immediately. But today, having successfully transitioned to a sorcerer, Ye Qi was in an unusually good mood. Not wanting to ruin it, he ignored the merchant and directly threw the wrapped bat wings onto the counter. Instantly, the bat wings inside the wrapping were revealed.

"Bat wings!"

The noisy demon hunter branch fell silent in an instant, the only sound being the soft thud of the bat wings. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the bat wings on the counter. Each gaze was intense, as if it could melt steel, and they all carried a hint of jealousy, disbelief, and greed.

In the special community of demon hunters, there were also hierarchies. Apart from the three special and powerful categories—Apostles, Holy Relic Bearers, and Saint Markers—ordinary demon hunters were divided into three ranks: Apprentice Demon Hunter, Demon Hunter, and Senior Demon Hunter. Apprentice Demon Hunters were those who had been in the profession for less than two years, Demon Hunters were those who had been in the profession for more than two years, and Senior Demon Hunters were evaluated based on other strict criteria—having hunted a vampire with a title or an equivalent dark creature.

Bat wings were the most obvious mark of a titled vampire! By bringing in the bat wings, Ye Qi instantly moved from the ranks of the rookies to the Senior Demon Hunters. A title that could make so many demon hunters jealous was certainly not just a matter of honor; it came with substantial rewards—each Senior Demon Hunter could receive a subsidy of 100,000 paper bills annually from any demon hunter branch, and they could purchase supplies or information at an 80% discount from any branch. Moreover, at the biennial gathering held by the demon hunter headquarters, some Senior Demon Hunters who had made significant contributions would receive Holy Relics as rewards!

Holy Relics represented a different level of power! Those who wielded this power could transcend the ordinary! However, the number of Holy Relics passed down through the ages was limited, and obtaining one was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. Therefore, obtaining a Holy Relic through the rewards from the demon hunter headquarters was the path chosen by most demon hunters. Even many side-line descendants of families who couldn't rise to prominence would take this path. Thus, the title of Senior Demon Hunter was extremely valuable. While obtaining this title didn't guarantee a Holy Relic, not having it certainly meant no chance of getting one!

Ye Qi was well aware of the implications of the gazes around him. In the past, if Ye Qi had obtained the bat wings, he would have chosen to hand them over to Old Ward when no one else was around. But now, having just transitioned to a sorcerer and gained powers similar to an Apostle—spells—this was no longer a concern.

Because no one understood the rules or, more accurately, the laws of the demon hunter community better than Ye Qi, who lived within it—might makes right!

Indeed, under all the regulations set by the demon hunter headquarters, the essence was still might makes right, the strong preying on the weak! Despite the elaborate facade, this essence never changed. Otherwise, why would powerful Apostles, Holy Relic Bearers, and the legendary Saint Markers have so many privileges?

When Ye Qi first heard John talk about the special privileges of Apostles and others, he clearly understood the essence of the demon hunter community—might makes right, the strong preying on the weak. So, before gaining powerful strength, Ye Qi always behaved conventionally. This was all part of his strategy to hide himself, as he knew that without strong support, any slight overstep would be fatal. Even John couldn't save him!

But now, with powers similar to an Apostle—spells—he could afford to be a bit more "reckless" without provoking the big shots at the demon hunter headquarters—while the power of spells made Ye Qi appear like an Apostle, zero-level cantrips and first-level spells were still too weak. If he had ninth-level spells, Ye Qi wouldn't mind provoking those big shots, even overthrowing them and establishing his own rules.

Of course, that was a matter for when Ye Qi had the strength. For now, Ye Qi just wanted to use the bat wings as a catalyst to draw out some "whetstones" to witness his ascension to Apostle. This way, he could avoid future trouble from other demon hunters once the news of his bat wings submission spread. After all, it was better to resolve issues all at once.

The world was never short of people who couldn't stand to see others succeed or those who wanted to gain without effort. Before the greedy merchant could speak, a figure darted out and blocked the demon hunter's path.

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