"She is Yasha."
Li Wei explained Yasha's situation to Irene.
Initially, Irene showed little interest and seemed somewhat indifferent. However, when Li Wei mentioned Yasha's ability to change the mass of objects, Irene's reaction suddenly became serious.
After listening to Li Wei's narration, she said, "Good, Li Wei, you did the right thing. Leave the rest to me."
Li Wei certainly noticed Irene's change in attitude. He didn't know why, but getting rid of a troublemaker was always a good thing.
He said, "Alright, then I'll leave Yasha to you. If there's nothing else, I'll go now."
As he turned to leave, Irene called him, "Wait, Li Wei. Wait here for a moment. I have something to discuss with you later."
"What's the matter? Can't you tell me now?"
Irene waved her hand, "I need to settle the girl you brought first."
Watching Irene take Yasha into a nearby room, Li Wei could only sit and wait.
About ten minutes later, Irene reappeared. She said to Li Wei, "There's something you might not know. In our Sector 17 branch, every few years, there's a quota that allows hunters belonging to our branch to go to the Hunter's Guild headquarters for training. Interested in a trip to the Hunter's Guild headquarters?"
Li Wei thought for a moment and asked, "Can you give me a specific introduction to what this training is all about?"
"Of course, that's my responsibility." Irene took a sip of her drink and began to introduce the details to Li Wei.
The purpose of the training assignments at the guild headquarters was to cultivate elite hunters. Usually, the headquarters held training every three years, with each session lasting six months. For all hunters, especially young ones, each training session was a grand ceremony, and hunters from various branches would fiercely compete for these slots.
The reason hunters fought for training slots was simple—resources.
In this era, to obtain powerful abilities and live a better life, one had to continuously develop the potential within their body. However, it was not an easy task. To reach the top, talent, effort, and resources, these three factors were indispensable. Even if one just wanted to climb a little, they still needed to possess at least two of these factors.
Talent and effort aside, these were personal qualities. But resources were a very objective factor. Some wealthy hunters might not worry about this, but for those from humble backgrounds, obtaining enough resources to advance was a challenging task.
The most crucial resource was gene fluid.
D-rank gene fluid wasn't a big deal, but C-rank and higher-level gene fluids were extremely difficult to obtain. C-rank hunting missions were usually handled by hunters who had completed extreme training. To gain enough purchasing qualifications, hunters had to continuously complete missions. However, higher-level missions were risky, with a very high mortality rate.
Not everyone could be like Li Wei. Furthermore, even he wouldn't have a guaranteed success if he took on another C-rank mission.
Using purchasing qualifications to buy gene fluids from the guild had fair prices. For example, a C-rank gene fluid could be obtained for just five amethysts.
But without purchasing qualifications, buying from the black market was expensive. Prices could easily be ten or twenty times higher. How many hunters could afford that? Not to mention B-rank, A-rank, and higher-level gene fluids, which were nearly impossible to buy even with money. After all, gene fluid was made from a special part of high-level supernatural creatures. In terms of demand, the production was too low.
If one participated in the elite hunter training program, gene fluids would be distributed regularly. For hunters aspiring to further improve their strength, this was a huge temptation.
Moreover, within the training program, various skills would be taught, making it highly valuable for ordinary hunters lacking inheritance.
In other words, participating in this training would comprehensively enhance a hunter's strength in six months.
Based on past experiences, around seventy to eighty percent of the hunters who graduated from the elite training program could successfully unlock their gene locks and become B-rank hunters. Moreover, a considerable number of them could explore within the gene lock chain, ultimately developing elements and becoming elemental masters.
In summary, it was a bright path.
Li Wei found it very appealing.
However, he still had some doubts, "Why is this quota given to me?"
Irene explained, "Previously, the hunting mission for Conradov, or Zhang Xi, had been left unattended for too long, and no one was handling it. So, I tied the training quota to this mission, hoping to motivate other hunters to complete the mission. Many have tried to find trouble with Zhang Xi, but not many came back alive, let alone completing the mission. Since you resolved this mission for me, the quota naturally goes to you, and there's not much for others to say."
"Alright." Li Wei nodded and said, "Since it's such a good opportunity, I naturally don't want to miss it."
"Good." Irene's expression seemed very satisfied. She continued, "Alright, later on, come down with me. Since there are quite a few people at the tavern today, I'll announce this matter publicly."
"Wait! Why announce this publicly?"
Li Wei had a bad feeling about this. Wasn't this just inviting trouble and resentment?
Irene smiled coyly, "There's no room for negotiation in this matter. I've had this quota for three months, and too many people want it. I'm tired of dealing with them. After making it public, it will at least deter those people from plotting in secret. It's a test for you. Obtaining this quota means you'll have to endure the jealousy and hatred of the other hunters in our branch openly."
Although Irene spoke lightly, Li Wei estimated that he might run into quite a bit of trouble.
However, after weighing the pros and cons, it was still worth it.
In a place like the lower district, people would fight for the tiniest benefits, resorting to violence and even causing loss of life. Not to mention a training quota, which was practically worth its weight in gold.
Li Wei couldn't afford to give up such a rare opportunity just because of potential trouble.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Li Wei still felt somewhat unhappy.
Irene said, "Don't put on that expression. This is also a test for you. After all, news of the quota won't stay secret, and it will definitely spread. Instead of letting others use underhanded tactics behind your back, it's better to announce it openly. Face the challenges head-on."
"Fair enough." Li Wei sighed and said, "Okay, let's go down now. I've already prepared myself for the difficulties."