Full-Time Magister: The Ruler of Wind and Rain

After spending almost a month in the training room, Wang Yu mastered the use of wind blades and even figured out how to release water blades using the same method. In fact, all it takes is to draw a star trail in a special shape to release it; wind blades and water blades seem to have no essential difference in magic.

Wang Yu couldn't help but recall the description of shapeshifting magic he had found in the library. The book stated that the star charts, constellations, and orbits of each magic system were not permanent; rather, they were the most efficient ways of using magic, gradually summarized by the founders and refiners of each system over generations. In fact, upon reaching higher levels, most mages would modify and transform their magic to some extent, rarely casting spells according to standard constellations. This was even more true for high-level mages; they seldom depicted "standard" constellations, instead relying on their understanding of magic to twist and transform it according to their own ideas.

This ability to mold magic into different shapes like clay is called transcendental power, and it has almost become the gold standard for distinguishing between newcomers and veterans of the higher-level magic.

However, this doesn't mean that low-level mages lack the ability to alter magic; after all, Wang Yu himself is a prime example. It's just that beginner and intermediate mages generally don't focus their energy on this, as quickly advancing to the next stage significantly improves their strength. Perhaps only an exceptional individual like Wang Yu, who cultivates incredibly fast, would waste their energy on such "irrelevant" matters.

After a month of intensive training, Wang Yu decided to emerge from seclusion and try out his skills. He had anticipated this possibility when he returned to Bo City last time, and when packing, he specifically brought his hunter's badge and certificate. Although he was just a novice hunter with no professional experience, at least he could start with simple quests, right?

The Hunter Alliance in Shanghai is also located in the bustling Lujiazui area. The major forces basically occupy a super tall building in Shanghai's CBD, and the Hunter Alliance is no exception.

After arriving at the building's basement via the subway, Wang Yu took the elevator to the 50th floor. Perhaps for aesthetic reasons, the Hunter's Hall, which serves the many ordinary hunters of the Shanghai Hunter Alliance, is not located on the first floor, but rather spread across the 50th to 60th floors. Even with the functions of one hall distributed across ten floors, the flow of people on the 50th floor was still quite large, with long queues forming in front of more than ten elevators.

Upon arriving at the Hunter's Hall, Wang Yu's first impression was information overload. Huge screens surrounded the hall, displaying scrolling text showcasing bounties from across the country to the hunters. Shanghai, after all, was one of the most prosperous cities in the nation, and the Hunter's Alliance here possessed the most comprehensive and extensive information available. Even many international bounties were posted here, allowing hunters to find suitable bounties and commissions based on their abilities and needs.

However, as mentioned earlier, Wang Yu was experiencing a bit of information overload. He found it difficult to find high-quality bounties that were valuable, easy to complete, quick to execute, and located near Shanghai among the countless others. To improve efficiency, he went to the 53rd floor and spent several thousand dollars to hire a hunter assistant (a price that made Wang Yu lament how hard it is to earn and spend money), letting her filter bounties for him.

"Sir, according to the information you submitted, you have only registered as a hunter in Bo City, but you haven't completed any bounties yet, so you don't have any hunter contribution points. Therefore, the types of tasks you can take on solo are relatively limited, mainly including three categories: outside the borders for drug collection, outside the borders for cargo security, and slave-level monster hunting. You also mentioned earlier that you don't really want to join a hunter team to take on higher-level tasks." The female hunter, who looked like a recent college graduate, said somewhat apologetically, "In your case, you don't really need to contact our hunter assistants. All I can do is help you filter out relatively high-quality tasks."

"When can I take on some more valuable missions?" Wang Yu asked.

"Normally, you need to accumulate Hunter Contribution Points first. Our Hunter Alliance is responsible to our employers and cannot allow unqualified hunter mages to take the bounties. If a mission is not completed, it not only delays the employer but also causes unnecessary losses for hunter mages who could have completed it, and damages the reputation of the Hunter Alliance. After accumulating 100 Hunter Contribution Points and advancing to Intermediate Hunter, you can take on missions with higher risks and rewards. As for another option, if you are confident in your abilities, you can also consider joining some private hunting clubs. If you are interested, I can help you compile information on private hunting clubs and give you a recommendation later."

"Private hunting lodge, tsk tsk..." Wang Yu appeared thoughtful, but his mind was actually already on the Qingtian Hunting Lodge from the storyline. It was the most formidable private hunting lodge in Shanghai. "Then could you please find me some information about the lodge? How long would that take?"

The recent college graduate, whose eyes were still very clear, clearly lacked work experience: "I'm sorry, this is also my first time doing data collection for a private hunting agency. I don't have any readily available data at hand, and it is expected to take about a week."

"Let's say ten days then," Wang Yu said. "Could you please help me select enough tasks for about fifteen days? I'll do a batch of tasks to accumulate contribution points. Also, could you continue to collect information on private hunting lodges for me and give it to me when I return to complete the tasks?"

After paying the hunter's assistant another 10,000 yuan, Wang Yu left with five tasks. Although the hunter's assistant was expensive, he was still useful. These tasks were well-connected. First, he escorted a truck across the road outside Anjie to deliver goods to the seaside outpost north of Qidong City. Then, he collected a kind of herb, hunted sea monsters and collected materials, and captured a special kind of crab near the beach. Finally, he escorted the truck carrying the crab back to Shanghai. The entire task line was quite coherent and could be considered a good side quest design even in a game.

After accepting the mission, Wang Yu quickly made preparations. First, he went to the Zhao Family Magic Auction House next door—the street lined with magical artifacts—and spent 500,000 to buy a black stone shield capable of withstanding two low-level spells. Then, he spent another 100,000 on the cheapest spatial ring, and incidentally bought mage camping equipment, three sets of outdoor clothing, shoes, and hats, enough food and water for twenty days, and a large block of magically enchanted, durable ice. Having made thorough preparations, Wang Yu returned to his dormitory in Mingzhu, packed the materials related to the mission, and then enjoyed his warm bed. After all, starting tomorrow, he would be living like a wild man, sleeping in the open.