Chapter 146 - 110: The New Bow

Chapter 146: Chapter 110: The New BowJi Xinghuo and the others returned to the Bounty Office to collect their bounty and points. The staff immediately updated the scoreboard, with Ji Xinghuo, Jing Ji, and Yuan Chongzhen each scoring 4318 points for the month, tied for the top three. Alex scored 4260 points, setting a new record, but he could only rank fourth. "It’s a record-breaker!" "A record that stood for over twenty years has finally been broken today, and by four people at the same time, no less. It’s quite rare!" The bounty hunters were astonished. The Bounty Office staff brought out a table and set it up below the scoreboard, placing the head of the legendary Dagon person on it, alongside a small mountain of one hundred million in cash. Ji Xinghuo and the others stood behind the table while reporters and social media bloggers eagerly took photos. After the photo session, Alex immediately announced that he had lost the bet to Jing Ji during this event and would honor his promise by leaving Midpoint Fortress at once. As long as Jing Ji was in Midpoint Fortress, he wouldn’t come back. Jing Ji accepted the victory but was rather indifferent about it. He tried his best to downplay the impact of the bet. It really wasn’t much to begin with, and fortunately, after the killing of a legendary enemy, not many people were concerned about the results of the bet anymore. Leaving the Bounty Office, the four went their separate ways. Ji Xinghuo returned to his room at the inn, washed up, ate, and then had a good night’s rest. The following day. The first day of Night Moon, also the first morning of the cold season, Ji Xinghuo got up early and met with Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen. Alex had already left. Under the guidance of Director Li, they met with General Wang Zhengwu again. The meeting took place at the mountain-top urban area of Midpoint Fortress, at the Fortress Command, where a small-scale commendation ceremony was held by officials for the three of them. In front of a group of military officers, Ji Xinghuo and his companions went on stage to receive a Second Level Heroic Medal, personally awarded by General Wang Zhengwu. The prestige of the Second Level Heroic Medal was much higher than the Third Level. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The difficulty in acquiring the two differed by more than ten times. Jing Ji, having hunted thousands of Beiluo Shimen Clan members at Midpoint Fortress over many years and accumulating over twenty thousand points, had only just received his Second Level Heroic Medal today. The recipient of this medal would receive various privileges and benefits in countries around the world. In the Asia-Pacific Community, the monthly subsidy had risen to 50,000 Ya Yuan, with free use of various official facilities and institutions, eligibility to attend a series of official events, ceremonies, celebrations, public affairs, etc. In short, the benefits were numerous, enough to enjoy for a lifetime while resting on one’s laurels. Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen were both excited to receive the medal. After over a century since the implementation of the bounty hunters’ points system, fewer than a hundred people had received a Second Level Heroic Medal through hunting enemies. Ji Xinghuo, on the other hand, was quite calm, as he had been there for less than two months and didn’t feel as deeply about it. After the award ceremony, General Wang Zhengwu left. Director Li led the three to the reception room and said with a beaming smile, "Gentlemen, this is the purchase list for the month, please have a look." He passed over three lists. Ji Xinghuo briefly glanced over the list and his eyes immediately lit up. Most of the items on the list were similar to last month’s, but the different parts revealed significant insights. There were more than ten Superpower Two Star weapon equipment items alone, sourced from various origins, some made by humans themselves, some as spoils of war, and others traded from the Star Realm nations. There were also various potions to assist in cultivation, which were all extremely precious. The two items that drew Ji Xinghuo’s attention the most were a bow and a capacity-expanding treasure! The bow was named "Invisible Stab," a Superpower Two Star weapon, manufactured by the military weapon research institute of the Asia-Pacific Community. With an extremely limited production, only five had been made to date, none sold externally, with holders being marksmen in the military. Therefore, there was no market value to reference. The price listed for the Invisible Stab was thirty million Ya Yuan, with a twenty percent discount, which would be twenty-four million. "This price must be too low!" As Ji Xinghuo looked over the bow’s data, he thought, securing a purchase would be an incredible steal. The draw weight of the Invisible Stab was 270 kilograms (600 pounds), fifty percent higher than that of the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow, with an effective lethal range of 420 meters and an arrow speed of 350 meters per second! Just these basic performances far exceeded those of commonplace Superpower Two Star bows on the market. Moreover, the Invisible Stab had an additional effect—its sole function was the ability to consume Star Power to shoot an Invisible Arrow! An arrow that’s invisible to the eye! Ji Xinghuo hadn’t had the chance to test out the bow himself, but just the description alone was enough to excite him. The Invisible Stab wouldn’t be far off from a Superpower Three Stars, even if it wasn’t one. He calmed down and turned his attention to the other item he wanted—the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone. This was a capacity-expanding treasure, produced from within the crust of the Star Realm, with unknown origins, typically a byproduct of superconductive ores, and extremely rare. Individuals below Fourth Rank could use the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone to gain an additional opportunity to fuse with an Alien Species, but it was a one-time offer for each person. The Amber Cat’s Eye Stone was generally monopolized by large mining companies, with a limited quantity being sold on Earth. Ji Xinghuo remembered its retail price being around twenty-eight million, about the same as Sister Ren’s Sky Blue Fruit. However, like the Sky Blue Fruit, it was hard to obtain without connections, even with sufficient funds. On this list, the price offered for the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone was only twenty-five million, quite a bit cheaper than the market price. With the discount, it was just twenty million! "The military is very generous. Or is it to say, this is the real reward for killing a legendary enemy?" Ji Xinghuo inwardly praised, feeling that yesterday’s life-and-death struggle was well worth it. He looked at Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen, who were also excited, clearly drawn to the treasures on the list. "Director Li." Ji Xinghuo inquired, "Can I purchase one more item from the list? I am willing to pay the full price, without the discount." He wanted both the Invisible Stab and the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone. If he could only choose one, he would have to give up the Invisible Stab and then head back to Olympia’s Green Field Archery to buy another Dragon Falcon. I had thought it would be difficult, but Director Li said with a smile, "In principle, the top scorer of the month can only buy one item at a discount. However, General Wang specifically instructed that if Mr. Ji makes the request, we should do our best to accommodate it." Something clenched in Ji Xinghuo’s heart. He heard something in Director Li’s words — it seemed that General Wang was paying him special attention. "That’s great!" Ji Xinghuo pretended not to notice and showed a look of joy on his face. At that moment, Jing Ji asked, "I’d also like to buy one more item, Director Li. I wonder if that’s possible?" "Of course, that’s no problem," Director Li readily nodded, "All three of you can get additional chances to buy at a discount." However, Ji Xinghuo read something different in his expression. It seemed that what Director Li truly cared about was only him. Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen were just included to avoid being noticed for differential treatment. But the other party didn’t entirely hide this fact, instead, there seemed to be an intentional leak, hoping he would understand. Ji Xinghuo glanced at the list in Jing Ji’s hand and indeed, it was different from his; the list didn’t include the Invisible Stab. This bow was prepared especially for him! "Interesting." This arrangement was very subtle; combined with Director Li’s words, Ji Xinghuo didn’t need to guess to know that this was arranged by General Wang Zhengwu. "Could he have seen something?" Ji Xinghuo remembered that during the award ceremony, General Wang had not shown him any special favor; everything seemed normal. This must have been an impromptu action by the other party — both an encouragement for the talented younger generation and an opportunity to create a favor. Ji Xinghuo couldn’t quite read him, but he didn’t refuse the goodwill. "I want to buy these two items." The Invisible Stab was 24 million, the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone was 20 million, and with the additional 5 million cash reward for being first in this month’s points, Ji Xinghuo had to pay 39 million. With the bounty accumulated from killing enemies this month, totaling over ninety million, plus the compensation from Ren’s sister for the Toad Spirit Egg, it was fairly easy for Ji Xinghuo to come up with the money. Before long, he had gotten his hands on the two items. The Invisible Stab was packed in a bow case, and Ji Xinghuo, eager to try it out, opened it and took out a black composite bow. Its appearance was that of a standard composite bow, with a black material for both the bow body and limbs, sharp and sleek edges, and a heavy feel in the hand, about 18 kilograms. The bowstring was also made of intertwined metal wires, incredibly sturdy. Yet, at first glance, the bow didn’t stand out and looked similar to the common composite bows. The style of the Invisible Stab was the complete opposite of the Dragon Falcon. One was plain and low-key, the other flashy and exuberant. Ji Xinghuo wasn’t fussy about such things; he only cared about the power of the bow. He tried pulling the bowstring, and it indeed felt much heavier than the Dragon Falcon. Pulling the bowstring made the pulleys rotate, and the limbs compress, bringing with them a significant reactive force on the hand. With such a high poundage, an ordinary person’s fingers would have been severed by the bowstring by now. But for Ji Xinghuo, it was just right. At the same time, his left hand, gripping the bow handle, detected a secret. Suction was developed inside the handle; once Star Power was poured into it, light around the arrow rest twisted. The arrow placed there became optically invisible, nearly completely transparent, leaving only an extremely faint shadow visible. This was even before the arrow was shot. Once the arrow was released and flying at high speeds, even a Mutant with Eagle Eye would find it difficult to see. "What a bow!" Ji Xinghuo released the bowstring, and the arrow reappeared. Jing Ji shook his head admiringly nearby; he knew Ji Xinghuo’s archery skills well. With this bow, it was like giving wings to a tiger. Along with the silent arrows and Stealth Ring, if Ji Xinghuo had someone in his sights, they wouldn’t even know how they died. Yuan Chongzhen looked on with envy. He said with a laugh, "Had I known, I would have chosen the Ranger template too, kill the enemy easily without getting close for melee combat." "If you had chosen Ranger, you wouldn’t have your achievements today," Jing Ji teased. "Indeed..." Yuan Chongzhen was just speaking off the cuff. There were many Rangers on Earth, but he had only seen one as perverse as Ji Xinghuo. Other Rangers, let alone shooting accurately, probably couldn’t even pull the string of the Invisible Stab, and thus couldn’t harness its power. Ji Xinghuo was also very satisfied with his purchase. He stowed away the bow and then received the Amber Cat’s Eye Stone. Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen also acquired their desired items quickly, and the three of them left the mountain-top city district together. On the way back, Jing Ji said, "I’m heading back to Earth soon to recover properly. I won’t be coming to the Star Realm for the next year." He was still very weak and unable to fight. "What about you guys?" Jing Ji asked. "I’m going back to Sword Valley Fortress to continue hunting enemies," Yuan Chongzhen finished. Both turned to look at Ji Xinghuo, who replied, "I’m going back to Olympia first for a few days’ rest. Afterwards, I’ll probably hunt again, but not as frequently as last month. I’ll likely visit the fortresses along the Star Realm defense line and might even go to Sword Valley Fortress." Yuan Chongzhen’s eyes lit up, and he said happily, "That would be great; make sure to look me up when you’re there!" "Sure," Ji Xinghuo nodded. The three said their goodbyes at the train station in First-Level District. Yuan Chongzhen took an airship to Sword Valley Fortress, while Ji Xinghuo and Jing Ji took the train back to Olympia. Ji Xinghuo saw Jing Ji off at the Star Gate and then returned to his villa on Qinghao Street. The villa was empty, but it was still clean because Jiangnan Caiyi would come back from Earth every ten days to clean. Ji Xinghuo looked at the familiar living room and felt pleased. He let Qing Hong out to move around freely. He sat down on the sofa and opened the interface of the Wanxiang Star Pupil.