I received my first magic artifact a month and a half after the field practice. As Zhang Kong's subordinates secretly told me, he got it from the army in exchange for a six-month supply of resources. Say what you will, but Zhang Kong is a man of his word. He surely has savings to buy those resources himself, but an artifact like this is a rarity.
The artifact itself is a bone knife with a twenty-centimeter double-edged blade. It ate energy like crazy; my spiritual strength lasted only a couple of minutes. I tried to punch through a wall with it. It worked. But enerfy went to zero. As far as I know, such blades are common only at the Intermediate level; they are also capable of destroying cultivation. But this is not so much the blade's merit as the Shadow energy itself, since energy channels cut by it do not regenerate. A good thing; even if I only have enough for one strike, I can maim or kill an Intermediate Magician. Using it on monsters is possible, but it's pure suicide. After all, there's nothing more dangerous than being out of energy before a monster that is wounded but still alive. I highly doubt the blade's length is enough to kill one in a single blow.
To carry out my next plan, I decided to join the Hunter's Union.
Coming to the reception, I spoke to a pretty girl in her twenties.
"Hello, I'd like to register with the union and become a hunter."
"Hello, how old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"What magic?"
"Shadow magic, second tier."
"Wow, a very rare element for Basic level. Are you studying at Tian Lan school?"
"Yes."
"I heard that several students with rare elements passed the exam there last year, but I didn't think I'd meet one of you. Do you have any questions? I'll help however I can!"
"Thank you very much. Could you tell me more about the organization itself?"
The girl got excited and began:
"Of course! Hunters are divided into several ranks: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite, and Master. To raise your rank, you need to complete a certain number of orders. Reputation points for them are awarded depending on the complexity of the order. If you are in a group, points are awarded based on your role in it. Starting from Advanced level, you can create your own group by submitting an application to the union. If your rank is lower, group members must be recruited independently, or you can join an existing one. The orders you can take also depend on your rank or your group's rank. Also, after a hunt, you can hand over all trophies to the union for realization; we will try to sell everything at the best prices but take a five percent tax. You can find out the list of orders from any of the managers at any time; the union's doors are always open to its members. You can also take training courses, rent a testing ground, or buy information that interests you!"
The girl literally rattled off this entire speech; she must have learned it by heart. Now she stands there looking satisfied that she didn't stumble once.
"Thank you very much, I'd like to register."
"Of course, it will take about fifteen minutes. I also need your identification document. What is your name?"
"Li Kai."
I sat on a sofa in the hall and leafed through a brochure that talked about how cool it is to be a hunter magician. The brochure was quite interesting and easy to read, with bright pictures. Clearly made by a pro.
Suddenly, a man sat down next to me and spoke:
"Hello, Li Kai. My name is Deng Kai, I'm a one-star Hunter Master and the head of the Bo City union."
"Hello, I remember you. You were at the Tian Lan school exam when I took it. Glad to meet you in person."
We shook hands.
"Actually, I'm glad you decided to become a hunter; you impressed everyone with your element back then. We promised your principal not to recruit students until their graduation. But since you came to me yourself, it means you have decided on your future and that makes me happy.."
"Honestly, I'm surprised you remembered me."
"Nothing surprising. Your element is quite rare, even rarer than lightning. I think if it had an attacking form, you would have been an absolute school sensation that day. But even Shadow, though it lacks attacking potential at Basic level, is very useful. It simply has no equal in scouting and concealment, and it just so happens that I need exactly such a person right now."
"Do you have an individual order for me?"
"You could say that. It's more of an order for any Shadow magician, but there are simply none available right now."
It was strange—the city wasn't small, Bo had two hundred thousand people, were there really none in the whole city? I asked Deng Kai this question.
"You see, in the entire union I have only four Intermediate Magicians, and none of them have it. At Basic level, you are the first I know who could awaken Shadow. So at the moment, in our union, you are the only Shadow magician. I think there was someone in the military, but I don't want to ask them myself. Maybe someone will come from another city, but that's unlikely. So the order really does turn out to be individual. Besides, I read about how your practice went; honestly, you surprised me. So I'm confident in you."
"So what's the task?"
"The other day, a student disappeared from the Ming Wen girls' school. This case was investigated by a group of City Hunters. During the mission, they discovered and destroyed a Colossal Rat and also found a tunnel it had dug. They didn't seal it and reported it to the Union. But only a Shadow magician is capable of scouting such a tunnel. How long can you stay in the shadow continuously?"
"If I'm constantly moving, about an hour."
"Good. Scout the tunnel as much as your strength allows. Do not engage in combat under any circumstances, even if you have a strong artifact. Don't forget to save energy for the return. If you don't finish in a day, we'll continue the next. Questions?"
"Will someone be backing me up at the tunnel exit?"
"Yes. I'll send Su Men's group with you. He is an Intermediate Magician of Wind and Light, and his team is strong. If anything happens, he'll cover you."
"I see. When do we start and what's the pay?"
"Tomorrow evening. Su Men will call you. The money will be two hundred thousand."
"I understand. I'll come with a report when I'm done."
"See you, Li Kai. Glad you're with us now."