C48 Exchanging Merit Points
Upon returning to the city gates, Jiao Yuanju was greeted by Jing Le and was suddenly reminded of the contribution points he had yet to redeem for items. His performance on his first mission had been outstanding, the best of the bunch, but his hasty departure had left no time for exchanges. Now that he was here, it was the perfect opportunity to claim his rewards.
Jing Le greeted him with a smile, "Looking to trade your contribution points for some gear? Let me pull up the list for you. You can pick out whatever you want directly!"
With that, he instructed his aide to fetch a highly sophisticated electronic tablet. The display lit up, revealing the "Hunter Rankings."
"What's a Hunter?" Jiao Yuanju inquired.
"Hunters," Jing Le explained, "are a unique profession sanctioned within the Alliance's domain. They might be formidable Combat Pet Masters or human experts who have attained the status of Martial Grandmaster."
He continued, "Given our current predicament, surrounded by Mutant Beasts, resources are scarce. Our military can't deploy in large numbers to scour the Land of the Rising Sun, so we rely on Hunters to track down the resources or Mutant Beasts we need. They work in tandem with the military, earning contribution points by completing missions, which they can then use to claim items from the list. In essence, your Combat Pet Team operates under a similar arrangement."
Jiao Yuanju nodded, his curiosity piqued by this new information.
He scrutinized the list, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of intriguing items. Exchanging contribution points for currency, he noted that one point was worth a thousand Alliance Coins. But it was the item categories that truly broadened his horizons, split between weapons and technological products.
Opening the weapons section, Jiao Yuanju couldn't hide his astonishment. The highlights included Super Armor, the Starfall Sword, a Miniature Personal Advanced Protection Device, the newborn genetic strengthening drug, and the Eagle Combat Jet!
While the first three items were unfamiliar to Jiao Yuanju, he had heard rumors about the latter two. The newborn genetic strengthening drug was reportedly a groundbreaking creation from the distant Whaulor, capable of inducing advanced genetic evolution. As for the Eagle Combat Jet, it was the only aircraft of its kind, capable of flight in any condition and boasting a speed eight times that of former planes.
The required contribution points for those weapons left Jiao Yuanju astounded—the first three weapons didn't even have a price tag, while the last two commanded no less than fifty thousand contribution points each!
He had slain countless elite Mutant Beasts, only to accumulate a mere hundred contribution points. To exchange for one of those weapons, he'd need to single-handedly take down tens of thousands of Mutant Beasts—an impossible feat!
Jing Le remarked wistfully, "These are the crème de la crème of the Alliance's arsenal. To my knowledge, no one in Krukshire has ever had the means to exchange for them."
Jiao Yuanju, puzzled, inquired, "Even the City Lord can't exchange for them?"
Jing Le shook his head, "In the Puwhary Alliance, generals govern nearly every major city established in the new era. Zhen Gaochang is our City Lord, but Krukshire has seen few powerful warriors over the years, and without any life-or-death battles, he lacks significant accomplishments."
Jiao Yuanju pressed on, "If the city governs itself, how does that differ from the old monarchies? It seems like there's still just one person at the helm of the Alliance, right?"
With a chuckle, Jing Le replied, "The Alliance isn't just our people; it includes members of other races too. Circumstances necessitated this setup, but rest assured, we have mechanisms in place to keep the balance of power in check. That, however, is something I can't disclose to you!"
Jiao Yuanju nodded, his gaze lingering on the weapons with a hint of envy before scanning the leaderboard. He had to concede that the military was indeed wealthy, possessing nearly all resources. Yet, his contribution points fell short of securing a formidable weapon, and the ordinary ones were simply inadequate. His own strength, after all, was formidable enough to astonish many.
Then, his eyes caught sight of the Mutant Beast Ranking!
The list detailed over a thousand Mutant Beasts, both adult and juvenile. The contribution points needed varied, but acquiring any of the valuable and rare beasts would cost at least a hundred points—well beyond Jiao Yuanju's reach.
"The poisonous ant is among the mightiest of its kind, about the size of a fingernail with a bite force that can easily puncture steel. The venom it carries has the power to kill a bull."
Jiao Yuanju exclaimed with excitement, "If I could train a pet like this to assist me, I'd be able to gather blood points so much faster!"
Despite the Shadow Tiger's formidable strength, it too could grow weary, yet the power of a collective was fearsome. Jiao Yuanju had previously witnessed the formidable force of an ant tide. Thousands of ants together were an unstoppable force. With such an ant army at his disposal, collecting blood points would be a breeze.
With a smile, Jiao Yuanju turned to Jing Le and asked, "Jing, could you help me exchange for this poisonous ant larva?"
Jing Le was quite taken aback that Jiao Yuanju would opt for something seemingly worthless, but he reassured him, "Don't worry, just leave your home address with me. I'll arrange for someone to deliver it to you later."
"Thank you!" Jiao Yuanju expressed his gratitude as he noted that his merit panel now reflected over forty fewer contribution points.
Having just returned to the city, Jiao Yuanju felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He checked his phone and saw that Jing Haokuo and the others had been trying to reach him. He knew they were concerned, but Jiao Yuanju didn't want to drag them into this situation. He headed home first, finding his father still asleep.
Before long, a soldier handed him a parcel. Jiao Yuanju retreated to his room and eagerly tore open the package. Inside, he found a massive red ant trapped within a small bottle, unable to move. The bottle appeared to be crafted from a special material that even the ant's powerful jaws couldn't damage.