The next day, Qi Yuan received his Grade-C Hunter Badge from the Hunter Association and became an official registered Hunter.
Due to the deliberate concealment of the person involved, no one knew that Qi Yuan had become a Grade-C Hunter. However, the disappearance of the Nie brothers and the news of Jia Tao becoming a Grade-C Hunter had spread and caused a lot of discussion.
"You're preparing for a Grade-C Mission today?"
Jia Tao looked at Qi Yuan with a strange expression. He had just gone through a huge battle yesterday and dealt with Nie Xiu and his two brothers. He originally thought that Qi Yuan would rest for a few days, but he did not expect him to be so impatient to accept a C-rank mission the next day.
Other than the bounty missions, most of the Grade-C Missions were to clear the Insectoid Hives between the gray and blue areas. They would often encounter Grade-3 Insectoids and were extremely dangerous.
"An Insectoid Hive that hasn't been formed yet. I'm also familiarizing myself with the surrounding terrain," Qi Yuan explained casually.
There was a checkpoint at the location of the Mission Point. That was why Qi Yuan could not wait to go on the Mission Point.
Qi Yuan had vaguely noticed some changes in the checkpoint in the swamp cave ever since something strange had happened to it.
They were not always there!
Waiting for others to complete their missions and clear the dangers around the checkpoint before going to the checkpoint for free might cause the checkpoint to disappear!
"I'm very familiar with the surrounding terrain. Do you want me to go with you?" Jia Tao probed.
Qi Yuan was about to reject him at first, but he remembered that he was in need of a tool.
Jia Tao was also a Grade-2 and had a powerful mechanical arm. Although it was slower, it could still be of some use. In the end, he nodded in agreement.
After the two of them got on their motorcycles, they went straight to the Mission Point.
Not only were there more Iron Chariots Wilderness Hunters than Blackstone Town, but they were also more powerful. It directly caused the area tens of kilometers around the gathering point to become a forbidden zone for Insectoids.
Even Grade-3 Insectoids did not dare to go near the Iron Chariots.
In the grey area, the Hunters had taken turns clearing out the Insectoids. The Insectoids were no longer able to gather in their nests.
At the border between the gray and blue regions, there would often be patrols by hunting teams. Once they discovered signs of insect beasts gathering in nests, they would quickly report back to the nearby gathering point. The Hunter's Guild would then issue a corresponding mission to clear these nests.
Many of the bugbeasts in the wilderness were quite intelligent. After hundreds of years of fighting for territory with humans, the bugbeasts had gained some experience in fighting against humans.
For example, they should not cross the border that was patrolled by humans.
The other side of the border was the human's territory. It was a forbidden zone for powerful bug beasts. As long as they entered, they would definitely attract the attention of human powerhouses.
For example, the insectoid lairs at the edge of the region needed to be hidden as much as possible to reduce the possibility of being discovered by humans.
Only in the depths of the border far away from human patrols could they gather their nests without fear.
Insectoid lairs were like gathering points for humans. They were strongholds where Insectoids and humans fought for territory. Therefore, even if humans destroyed lairs one after another, Insectoids would still persevere and gather more lairs.
In the wilderness, Qi Yuan stopped his motorcycle and took out his Insectoid Detector to check the location of the mission point.
In the wilderness, not only could the Insectoid Detector detect the number and strength of the bugbeasts, it could also point out the direction.
The Insectoid Detector that C-rank hunters applied for was more useful than the one that Nie Xiu and the rest had. Not only did it point out the directions of the surrounding gathering points, but it also pointed out all the insect lairs that were discovered within hundreds of kilometers.
"We're three kilometers away from the destination. If we go any further, we might encounter bugbeasts at any time."
Qi Yuan looked at the direction of the insect lairs and compared it with the check-in point. He knew that the two locations were basically the same. Just as he expected, the check-in point refreshed at the insect lairs that were about to be formed.
If they wanted to check-in, they would have to go deep into the insect lairs and face the danger directly!
Jia Tao observed the surrounding terrain. The surrounding terrain was flat with only slight ups and downs. It was difficult for the insect beasts to hide. This was good news for the two of them.
"The Insect Beast nests here are usually underground, and the terrain of the caves is complicated. Even if we use a stun grenade, it will be difficult to wipe them all out."
"How many insect beasts can be gathered in an insect beast nest like this?" Qi Yuan asked.
Jia Tao pondered for a moment and said,
"In the border region, there are hives that are not fully formed. Most of them are Rank 1, and there are usually dozens of them. There will also be a small number of Rank 2 insects, but there are usually no more than ten of them. As for Rank 3 insects, I can't tell. If this hive has just started to gather, there might not be any Rank 3 insects inside. If the hive is close to being fully formed, there might be many Rank 3 insects inside."
"There are too many uncertainties in clearing out the Insectoid Beast Lair. That's why there aren't many Hunters who dare to accept the mission even though the reward is high and the points are high."
"Hunters who dare to accept this mission are usually Rank 3, and they will recruit a few Rank 2 Hunters who are not weak. Even so, if they are unlucky, there is still the possibility of being wiped out."
"There are a lot of Rank 1 insects, but we can still deal with them. A few Rank 2 insects are a little troublesome, but we can think of a way to deal with them. If there are Rank 3 insects hiding inside, then it will be dangerous." Qi Yuan said as if he was talking to himself.
Jia Tao opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.
Even Rank 3 Hunters would not dare to say such a thing. How can you be so confident?
"Let's think of a way to detect the strength of the insects inside." Qi Yuan said.
Jia Tao suddenly became nervous.
"The insects around the Insectoid Beast Lair are very sensitive. It will be difficult for us to get close to it. The Insectoid Beast Detector in your hand has an effective range of less than four hundred meters. It will be difficult for us to scan the location of the nest."
"I have an idea." Qi Yuan patted his motorcycle and said, "You drive."
"What are you planning to do?"
Jia Tao suddenly had a bad feeling. He thought that Qi Yuan would go back and recruit other Hunters after measuring the strength of both sides. He did not expect Qi Yuan to be so reckless.
A Rank 1 Hunter and a Rank 2 Hunter barging into the Insectoid Beast Lair. Even Fu Qingqing, who was admired by many Hunters in the Wilderness, had not done such a crazy thing.
"You drive, I'll sit in the back and try to get close to the Insectoid Beast Lair. I want to detect the strength and numbers of the insects inside."
"Don't you want to reconsider?" Jia Tao could not help but gulp.
With the sensitivity of the insects, how could they allow a person to get close on a motorcycle? They might have already been targeted by the insects, and they might even be waiting for them to get close.
"Don't worry, my motorcycle is very fast. Unless you have a Rank 3 Speed Enhancement, the insects won't be able to catch up to us!"
Qi Yuan comforted as he held Death's Reaper in his hand.
If he did not need someone to drive and free his hands, he would not have brought Jia Tao along.
Looking at Qi Yuan's actions, Jia Tao knew that this adventure could not be avoided.
Forget it, you saved my life. If I die here, I'll return it to you!
Jia Tao rode on the modified Iron Wolf while Qi Yuan sat in the back. The two of them sped towards the entrance of the Insectoid Beast Lair.
The roar of the engine woke up the Insectoids hiding underground. One by one, the otter-like Insectoids rushed out of their nests. They stood upright and stared at the approaching motorcycles with their scarlet eyes.
They had brown fur, sharp teeth, and claws. When they stood upright, they were no more than 1.5 meters tall. Their scarlet eyes were filled with hostility.
A Rank 1 Sand Otter!
They could not keep up with the speed of the Iron Wolf!
Jia Tao had just loosened his muzzle when he saw two brown Sand Otters that were more than three meters tall coming out of the cave.
Two Sand Otter Leaders!
Jia Tao almost turned the motorcycle around and ran away.
The Sand Otter Leaders were Rank 2 Insectoids. Most importantly, they had Rank 2 Speed Enhancement. In short sprints, they could even approach Rank 3 Speed Enhancement.
This kind of Insectoid that liked to live in groups and had explosive speed was the most hated species of Wild Hunters.
Without the cooperation of a few Combat Domain evolvers, they would not be able to withstand the attack of a group of Sand Otters.
"Come closer, I'm going to shoot. You better be prepared."
Qi Yuan's voice came from behind.
Jia Tao gritted his teeth and stepped on the accelerator to the maximum. He rushed towards the group of Sand Otters.
Squeak!
Facing the provocation of the two, the Sand Otters bared their teeth and screamed. Without waiting for them to attack, Qi Yuan pulled the trigger of Death Harvest.
Boom!
The roar of the gunshot suddenly echoed in the air above the lair of the Insectoid Beast Lair.
Although he had heard the gunshot of Death Harvest before, when Qi Yuan pulled the trigger beside his ear, Jia Tao was still shocked by the loud gunshot.
The echoes in his ears buzzed as if he had gone deaf. He could not hear anything other than the continuous roar of Death Harvest.
In the next second, Jia Tao, who was still suffering from the ringing in his ears, saw the upper body of a Sand Otter Leader explode. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. The remaining half of the body fell towards the entrance of the lair.
"What a waste!"
Looking at the bloody scene, Qi Yuan said in his heart.
The miserable state of the Sand Otter Leader's corpse proved that there was no need to use the Annihilation Warhead to kill them. The power of Death Harvest was enough.
The group of Sand Otters that had been ready to attack were suddenly in chaos. The rain-like blood and flesh brought about the smell of blood and an inexplicable fear.
Squeak!
The last Sand Otter Leader suddenly bent down and let out a sharp cry to calm the panicked Sand Otters down.
Squeak!
The Sand Otters that came back to their senses all laid down on all fours. Under the leadership of the leader, almost 20 Sand Otters were like brown lightning bolts as they shot towards the incoming Steel Wolf.
"Turn around!" Qi Yuan growled in Jia Tao's ear.
Jia Tao, who had not completely recovered from the ringing in his ears, suddenly turned around and drove the Steel Wolf in a huge arc as he began to flee frantically.
The moment the Steel Wolf made a turn, it was less than 500 meters away from the entrance of the Bug Beast Lair. Qi Yuan decisively pressed the Bug Beast Detector in his hand.
In the direction of the Bug Beast Lair, dozens of green dots were densely marked. Other than the Sand Otter Leader that was chasing after them, there were also five blue dots lurking in the lair.
This meant that the Bug Beast Lair that was not fully formed had already gathered seven Class 2 Bug Beasts. Even if the Sand Otter Leader that was blown to pieces was not included, the remaining six Class 2 Bug Beasts were still a powerful force.
However, what shocked Qi Yuan the most was the red dot in the center of the lair.
There was a Class 3 Bug Beast inside!
It's over!
The modified Steel Wolf was very fast. At full speed, its speed was close to 80 km/h, which was enough to leave most of the Class 2 Bug Beasts in the dust, including the Class 2 Sand Otter Leader that had speed enhancement.
Qi Yuan looked back at the Sand Otters that were gradually pulling away from them. He suddenly said in a deep voice, "Slow down, don't go too far. Keep these Sand Otters in a circle!"
Jia Tao was slightly stunned, but he quickly understood Qi Yuan's intention. He then slowed down slightly.
Qi Yuan turned around in the car. With his back facing Jia Tao and facing the Sand Otters, he raised the Death Reaper in his hand again.
Although the Sand Otters that were chasing after them were in a rage, they had not completely lost their minds. Seeing the muzzle of the Death Reaper aimed at them again, they quickly dodged and stopped moving in a straight line.
"Pretty smart!"
Facing the Sand Otters that were constantly dodging, Qi Yuan tried to fire a shot, but it did not hit. He had no choice but to put down the Death Reaper and give up on target shooting.
Without dynamic vision and aiming enhancement, it was too difficult to hit the fast-moving Sand Otters while they were moving. He could only hope that something with a small probability would happen.
The Sand Otter Leader's speed was obviously faster than the ordinary Sand Otters. As Jia Tao deliberately slowed down, the Sand Otter Leader quickly shook off the Sand Otters behind it and closed the distance between them.
Jia Tao saw the approaching Sand Otter Leader through the rearview mirror. He was about to step on the accelerator to shake it off when he suddenly heard Qi Yuan's voice.
"Don't speed up. Stay like this and wait for it to come over!"
Jia Tao took a deep breath and suppressed the fear in his heart. He controlled the Steel Wolf's speed and said loudly,
"Although the Sand Otter Leader's strength is not very strong, its claws and teeth are very sharp. It can easily tear apart a Class 1 enhanced defense. Moreover, its claws have barbs. As long as it has a target, it will not let go!"
"I know. Maintain this speed and let it continue to come closer!"
Qi Yuan said as he held the Butcher in his hand.
His Steel Defense was the biggest reason he dared to let the Sand Otters get close to him!
Without the support of a Class 2 strength, no matter how sharp the Sand Otters' claws and teeth were, it was impossible to crush Steel Defense!
As long as he could withstand the Sand Otters' first surprise attack, the rest of the battle could be settled with just one shot.
The Butcher was even more powerful than the Death Reaper at close range. Even if it was a Class 2 Sand Otter Leader, it would be able to kill a little kid with one shot.
The Sand Otters were getting closer and closer. Qi Yuan's muscles were tense and his attention was fully focused on the Sand Otter Leader.
When the distance between the two sides was less than five meters, the Sand Otter Leader's body suddenly stopped and bent into a big bow on the ground!
"It's coming!"
Qi Yuan's eyes focused. He only had time to raise his left hand in front of his chest and saw a grayish-brown lightning flash past. His left arm already felt the sharp, hard, and cold touch of the Sand Otter Leader's claws.