Chapter Five: Enhancement Serum

Stepping out of the car, Murong Xun gazed at the rows of low, modest houses around him. It was hard to imagine that in Tianhai City—a metropolis much like the Magic City of his own world—there could still be such places. Was this desolate area truly part of the land-scarce, immensely valuable Tianhai City?

Perhaps sensing his doubt, Chu Wannian offered an explanation.

“Because of the nature of our work, it's not suitable for us to live among ordinary people.”

“Alright.” Murong Xun nodded indifferently.

“Come in.” After a short walk, Chu Wannian unlocked the door of a house and gestured for him to enter.

Murong Xun followed, finding the interior not much different from any ordinary home. By the window sat an old writing desk with a lamp, a stack of papers, and a fountain pen. Under the desk was a chair missing a leg, propped up by a brick.

The room's arrangement matched its unremarkable exterior. Aside from what met the eye, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He couldn't understand what purpose Chu Wannian had in bringing him here.

With a short laugh, Chu Wannian tapped twice on the wall. To Murong Xun's surprise, the old wall shifted aside twice, revealing a silvery metal door.

“Come in.” With that, Chu Wannian unlocked the door with a key.

Without hesitation, Murong Xun followed him inside. As for why he trusted Chu Wannian enough to follow him into their stronghold without any precaution, there was only one reason.

[Hidden Side Quest: Join the Bureau of Special Affairs]
[Reward: Unlock Personal Attribute Panel]

Thanks to this notification, he knew there was no need for deception.

Inside, Murong Xun discovered the space was quite small—just a few square meters. Once they entered, the door swiftly shut behind them. Where the door had been, there were now two buttons marked with arrows pointing up and down.

Feeling the gentle sway, Murong Xun frowned slightly.

“An elevator?”

“You actually noticed?” Chu Wannian sounded somewhat surprised. “It seems your perception is quite sharp. I wonder what kind of Awakened you are.”

“What is an Awakened?” Murong Xun asked. He knew far too little about this world.

“Awakened are people with spiritual perception talent. Through later training or by chance, they accidentally awaken their gifts and gain special abilities—people like you and me.”

Chu Wannian was not stingy with information.

Murong Xun nodded. He understood spiritual perception—it was what attracted the strange and uncanny to ordinary people. He just hadn’t realized it could also bestow special powers.

“In fact, just as the name suggests, the Bureau of Special Affairs is exactly what you’d expect: we gather Awakened individuals to eliminate those uncanny entities.”

While they spoke, the elevator doors suddenly opened.

“Come, I’ll take you to see our base.” Chu Wannian broke off, stepping out first.

As soon as they left, the doors closed behind them, and the sides of the passage swiftly merged, forming a seamless metal wall. Not a trace of the elevator remained.

“There are many forbidden areas here. Don’t wander, or honestly, even I won’t be able to protect you.” Chu Wannian warned, his tone grave and utterly serious.

“Yes.” Murong Xun nodded. He didn’t need Chu Wannian’s warning; the strict arrangements around them made it clear this place was anything but simple.

In the empty corridor, their footsteps echoed as they walked in silence for several minutes.

“Identity scan approved. Permission granted!” Suddenly, a mechanical voice sounded, and a door opened in the wall to their right.

“Grant temporary access,” Chu Wannian called out.

“Granting temporary access to outsider. Authorization by Captain Chu Wannian, Second Squad, First Operations Division. Authorization successful.”

“Follow me!” The mechanical voice faded, and Chu Wannian hurried in.

Murong Xun, though unsure of what was happening, wisely kept silent and followed closely.

“Old Chu, bringing another rookie in for testing? Looks like your division’s doing well—how many newcomers have you had lately?” A man in a white lab coat approached them inside, greeting them with a friendly smile.

“Not bad, not bad,” Chu Wannian replied perfunctorily. The man said nothing more; as the door closed behind him, he left.

Without further explanation, Chu Wannian led Murong Xun through several more checks before finally stopping before an elderly man.

“Uncle Dong.” Chu Wannian bowed respectfully.

“I’d like to request a vial of Enhancement Serum.”

“Young Chu, you know the rules, don’t you? With your level, you’re only allowed one vial,” the old man reminded him.

“I understand.” Chu Wannian nodded.

Uncle Dong glanced at Murong Xun, seeming to understand, but said nothing more. He pressed his palm to the wall behind him, and after several layers of scanning, the storeroom door opened. A moment later, he returned.

“This is the Enhancement Serum you requested.” The old man handed Chu Wannian a vial filled with blue liquid.

“Thank you, Uncle Dong,” Chu Wannian said, then handed the vial to Murong Xun.

“Don’t forget what I told you. Now you’re officially a member of our Second Squad.”

“Yes,” Murong Xun replied.

[Side quest “Join the Bureau of Special Affairs” completed]
[Player Attribute Panel Unlocked—check categories for details]
[New Mission: Eliminate five Class I or one Class II Uncanny Entities. Progress: 0/5 or 0/1]
[Reward: Enhancement Serum (already delivered)]

A series of notifications left Murong Xun momentarily dazed.

“You’ve just joined us, so strictly speaking, you shouldn’t be sent on a mission right away. But we’re short on manpower. After you use the serum tonight, I’ll assign you a partner tomorrow, and let you familiarize yourself with the mission procedures,” Chu Wannian said, sounding much more relaxed now that Murong Xun was on his side.

Murong Xun could feel that the distance between them had lessened considerably. He guessed it was because he’d completed the faction mission.

But whatever the reason, at this moment, he cared for nothing else—only the vial in his hand.

“Don’t rush to use it!” Chu Wannian, understanding his mood, still cautioned him. “This stuff isn’t for drinking. If you use it incorrectly, it could kill you. Wait a moment—I’ll give you the exact instructions. Just follow them precisely.”