Li Wei had heard some rumors about the second floor of "Wild Delicacies."
In Sector 17, there weren't many experts, relatively speaking. Although the overall quality was not high, if one were to look, there were still three or five individuals who had completed extreme training.
The so-called second floor of the tavern was only open to these people. It was said that only on the second floor of the tavern could one qualify for the tasks assigned to real hunters.
The gray-industry tasks on the first floor were, in fact, nothing much.
As Li Wei ascended to the second floor, it was empty. In such a large tavern, there was only one woman with purple hair, wearing leather pants and a leather jacket, sitting at the bar, pouring herself a drink.
Irene made an introduction, "This is Judith, a senior hunter from the Four-Leaf Clover Branch in the Upper District."
Li Wei looked at Irene's ambiguous smile and didn't know what she meant. Nevertheless, since she had introduced her, he politely greeted Judith.
Judith nodded at Li Wei and then focused on her drink without saying a word.
Li Wei scratched his nose; this woman seemed a bit arrogant. However, being a young advanced hunter, she had the right to be proud.
The Hunter's Guild had its own power assessment for its hunters. An advanced hunter meant someone who could independently complete A-rank missions and participate in S-rank missions as part of a team. This also meant that Judith, as an advanced hunter, was someone who was close to or had possibly already achieved manifestation of her innate abilities!
How could such a person be sitting alone on the second floor of a rundown tavern like "Wild Delicacies"?
However, that was not Li Wei's concern.
Turning his head, he saw Irene entering a corner and setting up two glasses of wine and a glass of juice. Li Wei followed her up.
After handing the wine glasses and juice to Li Wei and Yasha, Irene took a sip of her drink and asked, "Proof? Bring it out."
Li Wei took off the cloth bag tied to his waist and placed it on the table, revealing the closed eyes of Zhang Xi.
Irene examined it for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "No problem, no problem. Indeed, I didn't misjudge you. Judith! Judith! Come over here! What are you hiding in the corner for? Just lost five amethysts? So what!"
Judith, who was sitting on the side, walked over helplessly, took out five amethysts from her pocket, and placed them on the table. She grumbled to Li Wei, "It's all your fault!"
Li Wei felt both amused and annoyed. He wasn't foolish; he could see that these two women had made a bet about him.
With a displeased look, Judith said, "That low-level vampire was really weak. He was defeated by a rookie like you who hasn't even completed extreme training. If Irene hadn't given you those Light Rune Bullets in advance, you wouldn't have stood a chance!"
Li Wei smiled without saying a word. Those Light Rune Bullets did provide him with significant assistance. Without the sneak attack, shooting seven bullets into Zhang Xi's body, causing him serious injuries, Li Wei might not have survived the subsequent battle, enduring until he accumulated enough Sword Intent to unleash a swift and fierce Sword Slash.
However, to say that he solely relied on the Light Rune Bullets to resolve the battle was underestimating him.
But regardless, Li Wei understood the situation himself. There was no need to argue with others. In the end, he brought back Zhang Xi's head, successfully completing the mission. That was what mattered most.
Irene, displeased with Judith's biased views, continued, "Judith, your words are not fair. Just five years ago, when you had just completed extreme training, you encountered a low-level vampire and were crying about how terrifying vampires are. Do you remember that?"
Exposed and with a changed expression, Judith angrily retorted, "How can you compare that?"
Irene didn't give her any face, saying, "Why not? At that time, you had completed extreme training, and even your Flame Talent ability had manifested. Yet, you were scared to tears by a low-level vampire. Look at Li Wei here. He's still some distance away from extreme training, and with just a broken gun and twenty-plus bullets, he took down a vampire! What do you have to compare with him?"
Having her past exposed without mercy, Judith didn't know what to say. She walked away angrily, showing no intention of staying.
It seemed Irene's status was not ordinary. Daring to speak to a high-level demon hunter like that, her own status must be on a similar level.
Li Wei was astonished. When did Sector 17 become a place with hidden dragons and crouching tigers?
"Alright, stop looking." Waving her hand, Irene said, "I've taken the vampire's head. For this C-rank mission, the reward should be five amethysts. Considering the Light Rune Bullets I gave you earlier, valued at thirty sapphires, after settling the mission, you still have a reward of four amethysts and seventy sapphires in my hands. Do you want cash or gene fluid?"
This was the advantage of completing tasks for the guild. Gene fluid wasn't something one could buy easily with money, especially through legitimate channels. Organizations like the government, the temple, the academy, and the Hunter's Guild sold gene fluid to the public, but besides money, there were certain qualifications needed. Ignoring other forces for now, in the Hunter's Guild, to purchase a gene fluid, one had to complete a corresponding mission. One mission meant one purchasing qualification. Ten low-level qualifications could be exchanged for one high-level qualification.
Considering Li Wei's completion of a C-rank mission this time, he received a reward of five amethysts and gained a qualification to purchase C-rank gene fluid.
"I'll take the C-rank gene fluid."
"Alright, it's five amethysts for the C-rank gene fluid. You need to supplement me with thirty sapphires."
After some calculations, the price was about right.
A D-rank gene fluid, publicly available, cost around fifty sapphires. Moving up a tier, the price increased tenfold, which wasn't surprising.
If there was something that exceeded Li Wei's expectations, it was the cost of the Light Rune Bullets. Each one cost more than a sapphire, making them a hundred times more expensive than regular bullets.
However, when considering their effectiveness, they were worth the price. Regular bullets, even a hundred of them, couldn't harm supernatural creatures like vampires.
"Supplement you with thirty, here you go. I'll take the gene fluid."
Irene walked behind the bar, took out a small box from a cabinet, and handed it to Li Wei.
In the box was, naturally, the C-rank gene fluid.
With this, the C-rank mission was considered completed.
"Who is this little girl?" With the mission settled, Irene's attention turned to another matter. She pointed at Yasha and asked, "Isn't she your illegitimate daughter?"