A Surprising Offer

“A non-tamer ability, yet one that can control monsters?”

Fire Finch, having learned everything from Aya Tone, rested her chin on one hand while the fingers of her other hand tapped the desk in a steady rhythm.

Each tap seemed to tug at the heartstrings, stirring an inexplicable unease.

In the current power system of Z country, supernatural abilities dominated, with technology serving as a supplement.

Other power systems also existed within this framework.

Among these diverse systems, monster taming was a closely guarded secret kept by a handful of old masters.

If this ability could be deployed in the military, they could potentially form a “beast tide.”

At the thought, a glimmer of light flickered in Fire Finch’s eyes.

It was indeed a remarkable ability.

It seemed she needed to take a closer look at these reincarnators. But how to find them?

“Stop overthinking it. With a population of billions, trying to find those few people? That’s crazy.”

Aya Tone glanced at Fire Finch and immediately guessed her thoughts. Her mouth was stuffed with snacks, making her words slurred.

To be honest, ever since she had a guaranteed salary, life had suddenly become lively.

No more worrying about three meals a day. Lazing around like this was something she had once only dreamed of.

This was truly—

Awesome!

“True… but what if we could make them come to us?” Fire Finch’s gaze subtly fell on the hamster whose cheeks were already bulging.

Trying to find them herself was ultimately a poor strategy.

Time-consuming, labor-intensive, and not necessarily yielding the desired results.

The world was vast; rather than searching for people, why not let them come on their own?

“Yin, become an idol!”

Aya Tone paused in her eating, looking at Fire Finch as if she were an idiot.

“Huh?”

“Is there something wrong with you, or with me…”

“I already have everything I need now. Why would I sell my body for a few scraps?”

No way, no way.

Fire Finch had expected Aya Tone’s refusal. If she hadn’t refused, it wouldn’t have been her.

…

“Master, are you going to shoot a film?”

“What film? It’s called promoting the guild. If you have something to say, say more. No one thinks you’re mute.” Aya Tone patted Big White’s head in exasperation.

That’s right.

In the end, she agreed to Fire Finch’s proposal.

Well, it wasn’t really for the Awakening Stone, which could let people awaken their abilities early.

Absolutely not!

That Awakening Stone could only nourish the body, enhancing it without any side effects, plus boosting mental strength.

And countless other benefits.

If you thought about it, it was just so-so.

The main reason was to promote the guild. After all, she was a member of the guild, wasn’t she?

The Awakening Stone was just an extra bonus.

Otherwise, the guild leader might get a bad reputation for forcing people to work for free.

“What if the little master sees your photo, then…”

Aya Tone’s tapping hand paused, hesitating. “That probably won’t happen.”

At home, Xiao Jiu only watched cartoons, sometimes accompanying her to watch battle anime.

Surely one day she wouldn’t accidentally turn on the TV and see Aya Tone’s promotional video playing… right?

But the Awakening Stone would be immensely beneficial for Xiao Jiu, no need to elaborate.

If she gave up because of such a minuscule probability…

“We’ll see when the time comes. If it really can’t be helped, I’ll have to trouble you.” Aya Tone patted Big White on the shoulder with a determined gaze.

“This honor is bestowed upon you. Good luck!”

“I knew it would come to this.”

Big White sighed silently. “You really should find the time to tell the little master the truth. Keeping it hidden forever isn’t a solution.”

What Big White didn’t say was that Xiao Jiu already knew Aya Tone’s identity.

When it came to confessing, Aya Tone chickened out, mumbling, “We’ll talk later…”

…

Vermillion Bird Guild.

“The capital actually failed?!” Fire Finch slammed her hand heavily on the table, producing a dull thud.

Did Aunt Bai go easy?

No!

Fire Finch withdrew her hand, pressing it against her lips as she fell into thought.

Given Aunt Bai’s personality, not causing a bloodbath was already a sign of mercy.

“You may leave now.” Fire Finch’s expression returned to calm as she gestured for her secretary to exit.

Some topics shouldn’t be known by too many people.

She opened Bai Xiao’s chat window.

【Which families intervened?】

The waters in the capital ran far deeper than in the south. The only ones who could make Bai Xiao fail were those outwardly glamorous families secretly obstructing her.

Who wanted the capital to descend into chaos the most?

The cult organization topped the list, followed by those families who had built their achievements on countless corpses.

Only in times of turmoil could they reap greater profits.

Time ticked by, second after second.

That message seemed to sink into the sea, receiving no response for a long time.

But!

Sometimes, no response was itself the greatest response.

It also indirectly confirmed Fire Finch’s speculation.

After all, there were some words and some matters that couldn’t be trusted entirely to technology.

“Heh, these people sure have guts, daring to provoke Aunt Bai. Hope they’re still alive.” Fire Finch closed the communication software, a cold smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.

For Bai Xiao, a woman, to earn the recognition of the White Tiger, master of slaughter, her character could not be weak.

The nation had always been wary of these families. And now—

This was the perfect chance to eradicate those tumors!

These families were truly talented—handing the knife straight to the killer. No wonder the country hadn’t made any major moves in recent years, allowing them to harbor unrealistic illusions.

…

Nan’an City, Vermillion Bird Branch Guild.

“What?! There are no low-level dungeons available?!”

Aya Tone leaned over the front desk, staring in disbelief at the computer screen, which showed a blank list of quests.

Just as the receptionist had said, there were no suitable dungeon quests.

There were some resource-type dungeons, but those required professional teams to take on—not the kind for the group of students Aya Tone was leading who hadn’t yet graduated.

To put it bluntly, they weren’t qualified.

“I’m really sorry. Because of the recent surge of adventurers migrating from other cities…”

Meeting the receptionist’s apologetic eyes, Aya Tone immediately understood.

It was all Qian Mian’s fault again!

Yes! All of this was the havoc wreaked by Qian Mian!

She had made a wasted trip, and lost several hundred thousand on top of that.

Hmph!

Truly·Aya Tone·Fiercely grumbled in her heart.

Soon, adventurers roaming the hall stopped to watch.

“Is the guild’s assessment so lax now? How can a minor become an adventurer?”

Aya Tone’s entire body lay across the counter, her feet dangling in the air. To outsiders, she looked no different from an elementary school student.

Moreover, she hadn’t lowered her voice, so others naturally heard clearly.

At an age where she hadn’t even awakened her abilities, she dared to take on quests. What could her parents be thinking?

“Maybe she came to look around and got separated from her parents,” someone tried to rationalize.

“Do you get separated and then come to take quests?”

“…”

These were all external adventurers who didn’t recognize the disguised Aya Tone, and they continued their chatter.

Aya Tone ignored them, took a large bundle of garbage bags from the receptionist, and quickly left.

Since she was already here, she couldn’t just go back without doing anything, could she?