Versatile Mage

Chapter 3161  Live Life to the Fullest

"But I just started school," said Chen Maiya.

"That's okay. When I first started, Lingling invited me to the Clearsky Hunter Agency. Since then, I've become a diligent hunter there. Learning and practice should go hand in hand. This way, you grow faster and have a clearer direction," Mo Fan shared his experience.

Becoming a hunter helped him grow more effectively. However, it was riskier than just training in school.

Luckily, Lingling was an experienced hunter. With her guiding Chen Maiya, she would be safer.

"In that case… we should start with something simple. After all, I'm still just an Intermediate Mage." Chen Maiya felt encouraged.

"Simple tasks aren't challenging and won't help you improve much. Even after the tide goes out, there are still many waterways in the eastern part of the country that have nests and remnants of Ocean Demons. The World's Hunter Association, security forces, and various community-based magic organizations are working on the river cleanup project, so our main focus will be this project." Lingling had already done her research and possessed a clear direction.

"Lingling, that's amazing!" Chen Maiya, who had just started college, was often confused about many things. As such, she admired Lingling's detailed planning.

"Lingling's best skill is paying attention to small details. Don't underestimate the tasks she's chosen. Even if she's tracking small demons, they are often scary and associated with dangerous situations or plans. Do you know Zhu Meng from the Threat-Elimination Strategy? He often seeks advice from Lingling," Mo Fan explained.

Mo Fan looked at the tasks Lingling had chosen and realized that they were not very difficult.

If Lingling and Chen Maiya were to team up, Lingling would start by helping Chen Maiya practice and get used to certain tasks. Lingling would quickly get into her rhythm, find hidden dangers from small details, and try to prevent big problems from happening.

So, she needed a partner who might not be strong at the moment but had a lot of potential to improve.

Chen Maiya was a good fit, and Lingling was confident that she could help Chen Maiya become highly skilled in a short time.

"That's really amazing! Lingling, I'll work with you from now on!" Chen Maiya nodded. She felt incredibly proud to be Lingling's partner.

"Mo Fan, remember those Salamanders we encountered at Dongting Lake?" Lingling asked.

"Of course. What about them?" Mo Fan nodded.

"What about the White Disastrous Cloud?" Lingling continued to ask.

"Yeah. I remember it too. But aren't they two different species? One lives in inland lakes, while the other in the ocean," Mo Fan replied.

"For a long time, Ocean Demons and River Demons had little interaction. However, according to reports from the World's Hunter Association and investigations by the Demon-Monster Research Institute, oceanic genes have contaminated inland water demons. This contamination has led to a significant increase in demon eggs within inland water systems. These eggs are hybrids of Ocean Demons and inland water demons, and they have evolved into amphibians or even species that can survive in three environments in recent years," Lingling explained.

"Gene contamination?"

"In simpler terms, it's crossbreeding. But calling it 'crossbreeding' doesn't quite capture how serious it is. It's more like a mutation occurring after crossbreeding," Lingling explained.

"That sounds scary! Mutated species are usually tough to deal with. Since we don't know much about them or their abilities, our teams could easily get wiped out when facing them!" Mo Fan expressed concern.

"That's why we can't ignore this. Since you can't join me in my investigation, I'll have to take Maiya along. Besides, this situation is still in its early stages of development. The investigation will take time. Once I'm sure that there's a serious problem, I'll let you know," Lingling said.

"I get it. You don't really want to kick me out of the team. That works for me. You and Maiya can check things out first. If you can handle it, great. But if you find a big problem, report to Zhu Meng. If Zhu Meng can't fix it, let me know." Mo Fan nodded.

Chen Maiya ate her ice cream and listened closely.

It dawned on her that she had entered an extraordinary group. Her actions were not just about benefiting herself anymore. Maybe she could make a difference in the safety of big cities and the entire eastern area.

She would be investigating the mutated species born from Ocean Demons and River Demons!

"I used to wonder why Ocean Demons were so intent on infiltrating inland water systems. But now, it's becoming clear," Lingling said.

"Yeah. It's something we can't ignore. Maiya, this tough task is yours." Mo Fan patted Maiya on the head instinctively.

However, Chen Maiya was not short, and she had grown into a fine woman. So, Mo Fan quickly withdrew his hand.

"I'll follow Lingling's lead." Chen Maiya nodded.

"What about you? What's next for you?" Lingling asked.

"I'm planning to take a few trips to Antarctica. The Antarctic Emperor has regained full strength. The Holy Judgment Court used to think that the Antarctic Emperor was behind the Ocean Godly Horde's worldwide tidal attacks. But it turns out that the Antarctic Emperor was a victim. Now that it's back to full power, it's freezing large areas of the ocean, which is lowering sea levels and giving us some relief along the coast. I need to work on building some ties with it," Mo Fan explained.

"Huh? But don't we usually try to take down these Roof of the World emperors whenever we can? Why would we want to befriend them?" Chen Maiya asked in confusion.

"Maiya, most of the time, the world needs balance. The Antarctic Emperor, the Lord of Sahara, and the Ocean God keep each other in check. If one of them gets too strong, it can lead to big wars between demons or between demons and humans. That's why, sometimes, instead of finishing them off when they're weak, we protect and help them to keep things balanced. But we also can't let them get too powerful," Mo Fan explained to Maiya.

"Oh, I see. I thought once we were strong enough, we could get rid of them," Chen Maiya replied.

"Have you ever wondered why there are fewer wars among humans in this era? It's because demons help keep us in check. Otherwise, countries with their own magic powers would start conflicts. Human wars can be even more brutal," Mo Fan explained.

Chen Maiya nodded, even though she did not completely get it. She had never thought about it that way before.

"Don't worry about these things. We'll handle them," Mo Fan reassured her.

"Okay. I'll focus on training hard. I'll help out in the future," Chen Maiya said.

…

Mo Fan walked into the spicy lobster restaurant and instantly felt happy.

It had previously closed down because of the Ocean Demons' invasion.

Surprisingly, it was back in business after the demons left.

"Old Zhao, you look really tired. Did the yacht party tire you out?" Mo Fan asked Zhao Manyan after he saw his pale face.

"The Galaxy of the Yin Energy God is cursed. Spending so much time there drained my energy," Zhao Manyan replied.

"How are you going to date girls from all over the world if you're so weak?" Mo Fan joked.

"Don't worry. I have a special family remedy. After some time, I'll be back to normal. It's pretty effective. Want to give it a try? While you're not as carefree as me, you've got plenty of female friends. It wouldn't hurt to give yourself a boost. After all, we're not in our twenties anymore," Zhao Manyan suggested.

"I don't need it. I'm pretty healthy. Why don't you ask Mu Bai? Oh, he doesn't need it," Mo Fan said.

"Speaking of which, why isn't he here yet?" Zhao Manyan asked.

They had planned to have beer and lobster together, but Mu Bai was late.

"He said he needed to help out a friend," Mo Fan explained.

"A friend? With his loner attitude, who else would even hang out with him besides us?" Zhao Manyan asked.

"Hehe. It's a married woman from the Mu family," Mo Fan replied.

Zhao Manyan quickly caught on.

"So, he's into that type, huh? Let me guess. It's Mu Xumian, right?" Zhao Manyan grinned mischievously.

"I heard from Mu Ningxue that even though Mu Bai and Mu Xumian aren't blood-related, Mu Xumian is Mu Bai's aunt." Mo Fan also chuckled mischievously.

"Oh, she's his aunt? That's juicy!" Zhao Manyan's face lit up with a bright smile as he took a bite of lobster and listened to the gossip.

"From now on, we can't call him a cunning virgin anymore."

"Call him an aunt's pet," Zhao Manyan suggested casually.

Mo Fan was at a loss for words.

Zhao Manyan really had a way of making things awkward.

"Who's an aunt's pet?" A sweet and lovely voice rang out. It sounded quite captivating.

Mo Fan turned around to see a woman in a black gauzy dress sitting in the empty seat next to them.

Her fair skin was visible through the sheer fabric of her dress. Although some parts were covered, her stunning figure was still noticeable. This sight instantly left everyone hungry for more.

"Ye Cuihua!" Mo Fan exclaimed in surprise.

"It's Ye Meng!" There was hostility in Asha'ruiya's eyes as she corrected him firmly.

Right then, a waitress hurried over with the menu. "Good day, Mr. Mo. How can I help you?" "Get us three more pounds of headless spicy lobster. We have another friend joining us," Mo Fan told the waitress named Ye Cuihua.

"Sure thing!" The waitress took note of the order and went off to the kitchen.

Mo Fan then turned his attention back to Asha'ruiya. He grinned slyly, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Asha'ruiya could not believe that there was actually someone named Ye Cuihua in the restaurant.

She thought Mo Fan was teasing her.

"Come on. Let me pour you a drink. Mu Bai stood us up anyway. I brought some ice-cold malt beer." Zhao Manyan quickly opened a bottle for Asha'ruiya.

"What were you guys talking about earlier? Something about an aunt's pet? Who were you referring to?" Asha'ruiya asked curiously.

"Well, it's a bit complicated. By the way, you should work on your Chinese. It's a fascinating language with a lot of depth. If you get to stay here for a while, you'll get to feel the unique charm of our country," Mo Fan replied.

"Sounds good. I don't have anywhere else to be anyway," Asha'ruiya said with a smile.

"No. You can't stay here." Zhao Manyan shook his head and reminded Asha'ruiya, "Mu Ningxue's around, but she's quite busy. You can wait until she's away on a business trip."

"Old Zhao, don't misunderstand the situation. There's nothing romantic between us. We're just friends. I'll introduce you two later," Mo Fan said calmly.

"Ah, got it. Sneaking around doesn't lead anywhere good. It's better to be open about it. I think Mu Ningxue's quite understanding. Since she's often away on business trips, someone else should keep you company at home."

Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya looked at Zhao Manyan with disdain.

What outrageous comments!

"Old Zhao, why are you like this? Just because you believe men and women can't be friends doesn't mean Ye Meng and I aren't friends. Right, Cuihua?" Mo Fan said.

Asha'ruiya felt annoyed when Mo Fan called her Cuihua, especially after realizing the meaning of the name in this country. But before she could respond, the waitress named Cuihua came over to serve some side dishes.

She added, "Exactly! I'm good friends with Xiao Wu from the kitchen. It's all about who that person is."

Mo Fan nodded enthusiastically and agreed with her perspective.

"Haha. As a friend, my best advice is to use protection. In ancient times, if the mistress had children before the legal wife, she'd often end up dead," Zhao Manyan said.

"Disgusting!" Asha'ruiya commented.

"Despicable!" Mo Fan cursed.

"Gross!" the waitress also chimed in.

Zhao Manyan did not care one bit. He believed that adhering to conventional moral standards, especially regarding relationships between men and women, would only hold him back in life. He wanted to live life to the fullest!