Chapter 22: Su Qi’s Interview

“The teleportation array is ready. Brave Team, please enter. Destination: Lower District, Third Sacred Ruins Plane. Wishing you smooth endeavors and martial fortune on your first venture into the Fourth Sacred Ruins!”

Escorted by adventurers and guided by staff, the Brave Team, including the magical girl, stepped into a dazzling white space infused with spatial abilities.

As the staff’s blessings echoed, the array glowed faintly, and the team vanished.

With their departure, the hall buzzed with chatter.

“The Brave Team looks strong, but the Fourth Ruins? That sounds insanely dangerous. I haven’t even been to the Third!”
“I hope they return safely.”
“Is it just me, or does their rush to the Fourth Ruins feel off? Lately, the spirit creatures in the Ruins seem restless. Could there be a connection?”

As a newbie, Su Qi had been quietly observing the adventurer hall since arriving. The walls plastered with mission posters and the high-tech teleportation array gave off a Western RPG tavern vibe.

But overhearing talk of the Brave Team and the Fourth Ruins, her thoughts drifted to the familiar magical girl, tinged with worry.

‘I hope they’re okay,’ she prayed silently.

A cool, soft hand grasped hers, pulling her from her thoughts. Lin Xue, eyes sparkling red, teased, “Boss Su, I know you’re worried about the Brave Team, but your interview’s the main event today. Don’t forget! Let’s register you first.”

She gently led Su Qi through the bustling hall to a private guild counter.

“Hiss, it’s the Blood Witch! Clear the way!”
“Who’s that beauty behind her? So gorgeous!”
“She’s stunning, but in the Ruins, looks don’t help. Is she just a cheerleader?”
“Such a pretty girl would probably cry from one beast hit!”

Following Lin Xue, Su Qi felt eyes on them. Used to attention in her Crisp Wife form, she still felt a twinge of embarrassment.

But the chatter puzzled her. ‘Lin Xue-jie is called the Blood Witch here? Her playful personality doesn’t scream “witch” at all. Weird.’

Lost in thought, they reached a private counter.

“Wow, Blood Princess, is Cangyou Wildcat Team heading out today? Here are some missions suited for you,” the counter staff, a young woman in a tight OL uniform, said with a professional smile, pulling out mission scrolls.

Peeking curiously, Su Qi saw:

• Minotaur Subjugation (A-rank): Defeat rioting minotaurs in the Third Ruins’ Front Street. Collect heart, horns, and hide. Reward: 500 points.
• Map Drawing (A+): Explore and map the southwest middle layer of the Third Ruins. Reward: 1000 points.
• Riot Investigation (A-): Investigate rampant plant spirit growth in the Third Ruins’ Front Street. Reward: 400 points; 1000–5000 points if a spirit spring is found.

Seeing all missions were for the Third Ruins, Su Qi’s heart sank. The deeper the Ruins’ layers, the denser the aura and stronger the spirit creatures. At Lingwu University, even top students like Li Jian from Class 2 stuck to the Second Ruins, while most tackled safe gathering tasks in the aura-thin First Ruins.

Her research showed Cangyou Wildcat Team was strong, but these Third Ruins missions made her realize she’d underestimated them.

‘Starting with Third Ruins missions? Can I really join this team?’ she doubted, hesitating.

Lin Xue, noticing her unease, wrapped an arm around Su Qi’s slender waist, pulling her forward. “I’m not here for missions today. I’m bringing a newbie for her interview.”

The counter staff, Lu Ran, lit up at Su Qi’s appearance. Despite preferring guys, Su Qi’s radiant beauty—golden hair, porcelain skin, doll-like features, and that soothing “housewife” aura—was captivating. ‘Hmm, maybe yuri isn’t so bad,’ she mused.

Noticing Su Qi’s brief daze and hearing “interview,” Lu Ran snapped into professional mode. “Is this lovely lady the new recruit for Cangyou Wildcat Team, here to register?”

Being called a “lovely lady” made Su Qi blush, but she didn’t protest—it risked exposing her ability. More concerning was “registering.”

The glowing device on the counter was clearly for scanning IDs. Registering would reveal her true identity.

Seeing Su Qi’s hesitation, Lu Ran explained, “Lovely lady, registration is mandatory for Ruins exploration. It’s not for data collection but safety. The Ruins are dangerous—beyond spirit creatures, human greed can lead to malice. The guild issues a recording seal, nearly indestructible and capable of real-time audio logging with a network. It aids in rescuing lost adventurers and deters crimes like murder or theft.”

Su Qi nodded, finding it reasonable. Without legal or moral constraints in the Ruins, chaos could reign.

Satisfied with her agreement, Lu Ran pushed the scanner forward and pulled out a box of trinkets. “Just scan your ID; the system records it, but we can’t view it—it’s for your safety. If you’re missing for seven days, the guild will access your file to investigate. Now, pick a seal you like.”

To reassure her, Lu Ran stood, beckoning Lin Xue and the team away, leaving Su Qi alone.

Relieved and impressed by the guild’s thoughtfulness, Su Qi checked for cameras, then scanned her ID discreetly, hearing “Registration successful.” She chose a heart-shaped brooch as her seal—simple and fitting for a “girl.”

Pinning it to her shirt and pocketing her ID, she left the office.

Outside, the team huddled around a mission board, discussing her interview task. Curious, Su Qi joined them, eyeing the hundreds of scrolls ranked by difficulty.

• Five-Colored Stone (E-rank): Collect common aura-infused colored stones. Reward: 10–30 points per kg.
• Angler (D-rank): Fish spirit fish from Second Ruins’ lakes, but beware ferocious crocodiles and platypuses. Reward: Varies by fish value.
• Fire Red Mushroom (C-rank): Gather sweet-scented mushrooms in thorny jungles; reduces pain, boosts fire abilities, but risks poisoning. Reward: 10–40 points per mushroom.
• Spirit Snake Fruit (B-rank): Collect rare purple fruits resembling snake heads in the Second Ruins’ lower layer; boosts ability EXP but risks attack from docile spirit snakes. Reward: 150–400 points per fruit.
• Holy Gray Rabbit Capture (A-rank): Catch elusive rabbits near Ruins’ hidden caches. Reward: 10,000 points per rabbit.
• Ginseng Spirit (S-rank): Hunt elusive, healing ginseng spirits in the Third Ruins. Reward: 30,000–100,000 points.
• Dragon Egg (SSS-rank): Legendary dragon egg. Reward: Negotiable.

Though daunting, the gathering tasks eased Su Qi’s nerves. Her post-meal strength was only 6—too weak for combat—but her 50 agility gave her confidence in lower-tier tasks. Even if she couldn’t complete them, she could likely escape.

As she scanned the board, Lin Xue’s red eyes gleamed at a mission. Tiptoeing, she plucked a scroll and turned to Su Qi with a playful, predatory smile, licking her lips. “Boss Su, it’s decided. This mission will be your interview.”

Noticing a gap in the mid-to-high tier section, Su Qi shivered.

‘Lin Xue-jie picked something crazy for my interview.’

‘This feels… ominous!’