Chapter 59: Peak 2nd-Tier, Grand Perfection, Half-Step 3rd-Tier Armor |
Outside Nanfeng City, at the Ruins garrison post, Yuan Chenyang wore a grim expression. The crimson-iron longblade in his hand radiated a frigid flame.
The surrounding area lay in ruins — smoking craters everywhere, scattered metal debris, punctuated by anguished moans.
Logistics personnel moved through the battlefield, searching for the wounded and collecting bodies.
"Another high-grade ruin. Should contain plenty of good things — hard to say if that's a blessing or a curse." Yuan Chenyang sheathed his blade and gazed at the massive metallic wreckage in the distance, surrounded by overturned construction machinery.
An Exploration Guard on logistics duty approached and reported quietly, "Director Yuan, there's a message for you from Nanfeng."
Yuan Chenyang's brow shifted. He headed to the garrison post and pulled up the message. It was from Sun Tai, sent through official channels — brief:
"Director, Su Chen has advanced to 2nd-tier professional. Please rest assured. All is well."
"2nd-tier?" Yuan Chenyang's eyes blazed. His bald head seemed to gleam even brighter. He did the math and frowned. "Over a month faster than I'd estimated. That kid doesn't eat or sleep, does he?"
"Haah..." He sighed. 'How hard must his earlier life have been to forge that kind of resilience?'
'Who?!'
Yuan Chenyang's pupils constricted. His body reacted before his mind, spinning into an attack stance — but the moment he recognized the visitor, his expression twisted. He frantically pulled back.
"...E-Elder Xia, you — what are you doing here?" Yuan Chenyang's scalp prickled as he faced the stooped old man — white beard, sunken eye sockets, gaze as sharp and pitiless as a vulture. The sight sent ice through his veins.
"Am I not allowed?" The old man replied flatly.
"N-no, that's not what I meant." Yuan Chenyang shook his head rapidly, inwardly cursing the people in Yingfeng. Why had they sent this walking calamity?
"Cursing me again?"
Yuan Chenyang's heart lurched. He looked up and met those piercing, vulture-like eyes. His spine went cold.
"No, no..." He shook his head vigorously.
Xia Hanshi spoke evenly. "...Nanfeng City's been lucky. Just half a year ago you unearthed a 3rd-tier ruin, even discovered a profession with spatial properties, and now this. Who knows what's inside."
"All thanks to your esteemed presence." Yuan Chenyang answered with utmost caution.
"You reported to Yingfeng that you had something to submit?" Xia Hanshi said flatly.
Yuan Chenyang's expression wavered. He did, of course — but he hadn't intended to hand it to this man.
Xia Hanshi's tone was cold: "Your teacher was supposed to come, but since you were the one who lost the Saint Word Stones, I feared he'd cover for you. So I fought him for the assignment. He lost."
"It's... a 1st-tier top-level profession." Yuan Chenyang conceded, defeated.
"Oh?" Xia Hanshi's interest ignited immediately. A withered hand stretched out.
"I..." Yuan Chenyang's jaw tightened.
"You think I'd steal your credit?" Xia Hanshi's voice cut like frost.
Yuan Chenyang bowed his head in resignation, opened his encrypted files, and displayed them for the old terror.
"...Cumulative running time exceeding five years... base forging method at Master rank... twenty extreme breakthroughs minimum... physical-type class... elements of Strongman and Gale Walker... interesting..."
Xia Hanshi rubbed his chin. "What's the higher-tier profession?"
Yuan Chenyang explained, "The higher-tier path isn't known yet, but the 1st-tier profession has extremely broad compatibility. It should synergize with a number of upper-tier physical classes."
Xia Hanshi nodded, then fixed Yuan Chenyang with a piercing stare. "Where did it come from?"
"Discovered by chance." Yuan Chenyang clenched his teeth. His bald head tingled. If this old monster learned about Su Chen's Red Gold mental talent — and that he was a refugee — the boy would be seized without question.
And that wouldn't end well. Xia Hanshi's reputation preceded him. In his relentless pursuit of certain goals, promising talents had been broken under his hand — more than one.
In Yuan Chenyang's view, the right path was for Su Chen to shed his refugee identity, then enter the Adjudication Court through proper channels, and advance step by step.
"Ha ha..." Xia Hanshi laughed abruptly.
Yuan Chenyang felt the temperature plunge. Even his smooth head began to bead with moisture.
"Noted. One merit on your record."
The pressure evaporated. Those weightless words drifted down.
Yuan Chenyang exhaled deeply, then heard the elder ask, "What's happening in Nanfeng City?"
Getting down to business, Yuan Chenyang focused and gave a rapid briefing — from the stolen Saint Word Stones, to the discovery of a Believer of Black Buddha, to the empty Evil God Artifact shell.
Naturally, he glossed over every detail involving Su Chen, keeping things deliberately vague.
"An empty Artifact... interesting." A cold glint flashed in Xia Hanshi's eyes. "Any leads?"
Yuan Chenyang hesitated, then carefully said, "The head of the Internal Affairs Hall — Zhou Xian. His son was the carrier used to transport the Saint Word Stones."
"Have you gotten anything out of him?" Xia Hanshi asked casually.
"Well, he's only a suspect at this point. We don't have concrete evidence yet..." Yuan Chenyang shook his head.
Xia Hanshi sneered. "You upper echelons — always protecting each other. Evidence? Drag him in, chop off his limbs, and you'll have your evidence soon enough."
Yuan Chenyang had entertained similar thoughts, but hearing it aloud still made his heart skip. He hastily interjected, "He also came out of the Adjudication Court."
Xia Hanshi was indifferent. "I don't care where he came from. You say he's a suspect — then I'll haul him in and ask."
"I said that?" Yuan Chenyang broke out in a cold sweat. He'd had limited dealings with this 6th Chief Inquisitor before.
He'd heard the fearsome reputation, but only now understood where it came from.
Xia Hanshi shifted topics. "By the way — you said the Saint Word Stones were recovered because you planted an operative?"
A chill washed over Yuan Chenyang. He steadied himself. "Yes, one of my students. I'd arranged it well in advance."
Xia Hanshi merely nodded. A violent gust erupted, sweeping him into the sky. "Is that so? In that case, you stay put here."
............
Logistics and Internal Affairs were closely connected, and the two section chiefs had a solid working relationship.
Fatty Sun led Su Chen along familiar corridors to the Logistics Division. Quite a few people greeted him along the way, and he acknowledged each with his signature beaming smile.
"So this is the Director's student." Qian Hui, the Logistics Section Chief, welcomed them into his office and poured two cups of tea.
He was a lean middle-aged man with a mild smile. "You really should have come around sooner."
"I've heard Big Brother Sun mention you often — the Supervision Department's grand quartermaster. I've been looking forward to this meeting." Su Chen replied courteously, and the warmth in Qian Hui's smile deepened.
"Has the City Lord's order come through?" Fatty Sun took a sip of tea and shot Qian Hui a look of disdain. "Old Qian, I hear you had someone source a batch of Blue Cloud Dew from Tieyun. Holding out on us?"
"No idea what you're talking about." Qian Hui waved dismissively, cutting Fatty Sun off. "The City Lord's order arrived already — why do you think I'm here waiting? Here's the 2nd-tier weapon manifest." He picked up a thin sheet of paper from his desk and held it out.
Su Chen didn't reach for it. Fatty Sun snatched it first. Su Chen didn't mind. On the walk over, Old Sun had insisted this was his department — trust him, and he'd deliver.
"This is it?" Fatty Sun barely glanced at the list before scoffing. "Emberforged Sword... Frost-Cast Spear... These are antiques."
"That's because most people don't qualify to touch them." Qian Hui shot back irritably. "You're not the one picking. Give that list to Brother Su."
Fatty Sun kept the paper, a sly grin spreading. "I seem to recall... the Research Department sent over a prototype armor recently."
Qian Hui's eyebrow spasmed. He maintained composure. "There was such a thing. The Research Department developed a new type of armor and wanted us to evaluate a production order. Too expensive — I turned it down."
"But that prototype counts as a 2nd-tier weapon, doesn't it?" Fatty Sun's eyes bored into him.
"...It was built to 2nd-tier standards, yes, but the prototype's cost far exceeds anything standard." Qian Hui emphasized. "And I've already sent it back."
Fatty Sun smiled serenely. "Have you forgotten who paid a certain visit to Brother Su's room the other night?"
Qian Hui blanked for a moment, then his face went stiff.
Fatty Sun pressed on. "Shall we have Brother Su call Jiang He right now and ask whether something really was sent back?"
Su Chen was speechless. 'Gossip travels fast around here.'
Qian Hui relented. "Old Sun, stop putting me in a bind. That prototype cost us real money."
"Haah..." Fatty Sun ignored him, turning to Su Chen with a theatrical look of helplessness. "Bro, go back and tell the City Lord you can't take up your post — Logistics is blocking you."
"And when Director Yuan returns, please put in a good word for me. I did my best."
Qian Hui felt the pressure from all sides — the City Lord and Yuan Chenyang.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!" He ground his teeth. "Take it. It's yours!"
"Should've said so from the start." Fatty Sun leaned back, crossed his legs, and sipped his tea with a satisfied grin.
"Just give me a moment, Brother Su." Though Fatty Sun had practically wrung him dry, Qian Hui still managed a smile for Su Chen.
"Much appreciated." Su Chen remained perfectly polite. After Qian Hui left, he whispered, "What exactly is this prototype armor?"
"Word is it uses technology from Yingfeng, but it's too expensive for us to mass-produce. The Research Department built a prototype, but after Logistics ran cost assessments, the project was shelved." Fatty Sun explained quietly. "Among weapons, defensive equipment is the rarest and most precious."
"The same materials could forge two longswords or four daggers. Plenty of people had their eyes on that prototype, but Qian Hui refused to let it go."
"Without the City Lord and the Director backing you, he never would have given it up."
Su Chen nodded in understanding. He hadn't expected being used as bait to come with this kind of perk.
After a short wait, Qian Hui returned carrying one large and one small metal case. Through the office doorway, Su Chen could see numerous Logistics staff staring in wonder.
More accurately, they were staring at the long, black metal case.
Inside the room, Qian Hui's pained expression softened slightly. He set the cases on the table with a resigned shove, keyed in the codes on both sides, and — with a soft click — wisps of white vapor hissed free.
Inside lay a suit of close-fitting armor composed of dense, interlocking azure scales.
"...Constructed from 2nd-tier Azure-Scaled Lion scales, augmented with arcane engravings and semi-nanoscale technology..." Qian Hui stroked the armor like a man saying goodbye. His heart was bleeding. "Its name is the Azure Scale Chainmail."
Fatty Sun's eyes practically popped out of his head. He nudged Su Chen. "Try it on..."
Su Chen looked around. Qian Hui seemed resigned to his fate and waved him over. "You don't need to undress. Come here."
He had Su Chen extend a finger and press it to the armor's surface. The layered scales began to ripple and undulate like water.
As though drawn by an invisible force, the scales slithered up Su Chen's sleeve and spread across his body, forming a skin-tight inner layer of armor.
Pulling his collar aside to look, Su Chen saw azure scales now covering his entire torso, rising and falling gently as if breathing. The individual plates shifted and glided, still calibrating to his frame.
Yet Su Chen felt no discomfort — not even cold. It was surprisingly warm and smooth against his skin.
"Is this really 2nd-tier?" Even Su Chen was astonished.
Qian Hui explained, "This is a prototype. They threw in a hodgepodge of premium materials. A mass-production version would inevitably cut corners on both materials and processes."
"But as it stands — theoretically, its performance sits somewhere between 2nd-tier and 3rd-tier."
"Peak 2nd-tier, grand perfection, half-step 3rd-tier..." Su Chen ran his fingers over the scales on his chest. A profound sense of security welled up inside him.
Combined with his Mystic Artifact Enhancement ability layering Gale Bastion onto the armor, the defensive capability would climb yet another tier.