The 25,000 credits from the Razor-claw Crab mission were transferred to Lin Ke's account before he even left the industrial canal. The efficiency was intoxicating. He returned immediately to the Guild's Mission Hall, his mind clear and his objective singular: earn more.
He walked past the same group of veteran tamers who had been murmuring skeptically about him just hours before. Their jaws nearly hit the floor when they saw him stride back to the C-Rank board, completely unscathed, and accept another solo mission without a moment's hesitation.
"Mission Accepted: Beast Hunt. Target: Howler Wolf Pack Leader."
For the next week, Lin Ke became a phantom haunting the C-Rank mission board. He was a whirlwind of relentless efficiency. The day after clearing the canal, he was in the foothills of Sector 4. The Howler Wolf pack, known for its cunning pack tactics, was rendered helpless when the Terran Titan Vole simply stomped the ground, using 'Earth Spike' to create an impassable wall of rock, isolating the pack leader for a swift and decisive takedown.
Reward: 30,000 credits.
Two days later, he was in the ancient, abandoned city crypts, a mission most tamers avoided due to the eerie environment. The 'Grave-moss Golems' that animated there were resistant to most physical attacks. The Titan Vole simply used 'Advanced Rock Harden' and walked through their clumsy blows like they were nothing, shattering them one by one with methodical, powerful tackles.
Reward: 40,000 credits.
He took on mission after mission, each one completed with an inhuman speed and decisiveness. His name became a constant presence on the 'Recently Completed Missions' feed. The whispers in the Mission Hall turned from skepticism to disbelief, and then to outright awe.
"He did it again! The 'Grave-moss Golem' quest! A team of three took two days to clear that last month, and he did it solo in half a day!"
"How is he doing it? What in the world is that pet of his?"
"I saw it once. It's not a Rock Vole anymore. It's... something else. Something big."
He earned a nickname among the C-Rank regulars: "The Sweeper." Because wherever a mission was posted, Lin Ke would arrive, and the problem would be swept away cleanly, often within hours. His bank account swelled with each completed quest, quickly soaring past his initial championship winnings and approaching the million-credit mark. He was building his war chest for the 'Starfall Auction' at a staggering rate.
On the eighth day, after turning in the proof for his seventh completed C-Rank mission in as many days, Lin Ke was finally feeling the fatigue. He decided to take a break, planning to head home to his lab to analyze the combat data he had gathered.
As he was walking through the Guild's main atrium, a quiet, polite voice called out to him.
"Mr. Lin Ke, a moment of your time, if you please."
Lin Ke turned. A man in a sharp, impeccably tailored business suit was approaching him. The man's posture was perfect, his smile polite but neutral. He carried a data-slate and exuded an aura of professional competence that set him apart from the rugged tamers in the hall.
"I am," Lin Ke replied, his guard immediately up.
The man gave a slight bow. "My name is Silas. I am an aide to Executive Director Thorne of the Guild's Resource Management Division," he said, his introduction carrying significant weight. An Executive Director was one of the highest authorities in the Mo City Guild.
Silas looked at Lin Ke, his eyes holding a hint of genuine admiration. "Your recent performance has been... unprecedented, Mr. Lin Ke. It has attracted a great deal of attention in the upper floors of this building. My employer, Director Thorne, has taken a personal interest. He would like to have a word with you at your earliest convenience."