A few days of rest and dedicated training had solidified the bond between Lin Ke and his newly evolved partner. The Terran Titan Vole was no longer just a pet; it was a powerhouse, and it was time to put that power to use. With his goal of accumulating capital for the 'Starfall Auction' clear in his mind, Lin Ke returned once more to the bustling Mission Hall of the Beast Tamer Guild.
The hall was as loud and crowded as ever, filled with tamers looking for their next paycheck. But this time, Lin Ke walked with a different purpose. He bypassed the large boards displaying the E-Rank and D-Rank missions—the pest control and herb gathering quests he had once considered. His new provisional C-Rank license gave him access to a higher tier of challenges and rewards. He made his way to a smaller, less crowded section of the hall where more seasoned and powerful tamers gathered.
He scanned the C-Rank mission board, his eyes analyzing the tasks with a new perspective. The missions here were a significant step up in difficulty.
[C-Rank Mission: Guard Duty. Escort a high-value geological survey team into the outer foothills. Requires a team of two.] [C-Rank Mission: Beast Hunt. A pack of Howler Wolves has been harassing maglev train lines in Sector 4. Eliminate the pack leader.] [C-Rank Mission: Nest Clearing. A colony of aggressive Razor-claw Crabs has infested the main water intake canal for the city's industrial sector, disrupting operations. Eliminate the nest. Solo mission approved.]
His gaze settled on the last one. It was perfect. A solo combat mission that would allow him to test the Titan Vole's full capabilities without the complication of teammates. He walked to the terminal and accepted the quest.
His action did not go unnoticed. A few of the veteran tamers nearby glanced over, their eyes widening slightly when they saw the young, unfamiliar face accepting a C-Rank solo mission.
"Isn't that the kid who won the qualification exam?" one of them murmured to his companion. "The one with the Rock Vole?"
"Yeah, that's him," the other replied, a skeptical smirk on his face. "Guess the championship got to his head. A fresh-out-of-the-exam Rock Vole, even a strong one, against a whole nest of Razor-claws? He's going to get chewed up."
Lin Ke heard the whispers but paid them no mind. Their information was dangerously out of date.
An hour later, he stood on the edge of a massive, concrete canal, the sound of rushing water filling the air. The infestation was easy to spot. A fifty-meter stretch of the canal wall was covered in a chaotic mess of mud, reeds, and burrows, from which dozens of Razor-claw Crabs emerged. Each one was the size of a large dog, with a thick, armored shell and a pair of massive, serrated claws that could snap through metal pipes.
Lin Ke released his partner. The Terran Titan Vole landed on the concrete with a heavy thud, its powerful form immediately drawing the attention of the entire crab colony. They hissed aggressively, brandishing their claws, and began to scuttle forward, a clattering wave of armored fury.
In the past, facing such a swarm would have required a complex, drawn-out battle of attrition. Now, it was simply a matter of efficiency.
"Don't let them get close," Lin Ke said calmly. "Target the center of the colony. Use Earth Spike."
The Terran Titan Vole planted its feet, its amber runes glowing brightly. It raised its front paw and slammed it down with titanic force.
The effect was devastating.
The entire concrete floor of the canal erupted. A dense forest of sharp, thick rock spikes shot upwards with explosive force, covering the entire area of the nest. The charging crabs were impaled from below, their hard shells offering no resistance to the pure, concentrated earth energy. In a single, overwhelming attack, more than half the colony was instantly annihilated.
The few remaining crabs, terrified and confused, tried to flee, but a second, smaller-scale Earth Spike cut off their retreat. The battle was over in less than a minute.
Lin Ke calmly walked along the canal, collecting the primary claw from a dozen of the defeated crabs as proof of completion. The Gene Editor confirmed they were normal creatures, with no trace of Abyssal Corruption. This wasn't a mission for research; it was purely for profit and experience.
He looked at the mission completion notification on his terminal. The reward: 25,000 credits. A sum that would have taken him months to save before, now earned in a matter of minutes.
"This," he thought, looking at his powerful partner, "is the power of an A-Rank potential. And this is just the beginning."