Chapter Sixty: The Armory of the Demon Suppression Bureau

"This is our primary assault rifle. You've already used it, so you know how it feels—no need for me to explain further."

"You've also tried this shotgun, though I think you only used the red tungsten alloy shells and not the blue electric rounds."

"These electric rounds are something else—the tech department loves them."

"They're wireless, have a flight range of two hundred meters, and are highly accurate within a hundred meters. Originally, they were meant for use against humans, but the balance between shock power and range was never quite right—they were just too deadly, so the design wasn't approved."

"Not suitable for people, but against monsters, they're incredible. In fact, the warriors complained the initial power wasn't enough, so the scientists amped up the voltage—now, if you hit a monster, it's almost certain death. And if it survives, the tech guys will be over the moon."

Sun Congliang gestured to the ammunition beside the UTS-15 shotgun as he explained to Zhou Shu.

They were in the armory of the Demon Suppression Bureau in Dongyuan City. The armory was not above ground, but deep underground, accessible only by a descending elevator.

The arsenal was fully stocked, though all weapons were meant for individual use. There were both cold weapons and firearms—standard guns as well as some that seemed so overpowered, they barely qualified as personal weapons.

There were rotary machine guns, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, plastic explosives, mortars, shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles, and portable anti-aircraft missiles.

Zhou Shu even spotted the latest domestically developed sniper grenade launcher—not the kind mounted on vehicles, but the kind a single soldier could carry into battle and fire sniper shots at will.

Of course, the Demon Suppression Bureau's version was clearly different from the military's—it demanded more firepower and greater accuracy.

Naturally, the recoil was correspondingly greater.

Zhou Shu examined the high-precision, armor-piercing sniper grenades designed for monsters; each one was almost the size of a small soda bottle.

Zhou Shu felt these would pack a far greater punch than the grenades he used on his first monster.

Knowing what the higher-ups wanted, Sun Congliang focused his introduction on the sniper rifles, from precision marksman rifles to heavy snipers and grenade launchers, covering every type.

Zhou Shu nodded throughout, though he offered no comments.

In fact, besides these widely issued practical weapons, there were also some experimental weapons tucked away in the armory's corners.

After all, their adversaries were "monsters," and conventional arms often fell short. So the Bureau's tech division, or sometimes outside institutes, were commissioned to develop weapons and equipment rumored to be especially effective against supernatural threats.

Once these weapons passed lab testing, they'd be distributed to local branches for field trials.

However, only a handful of these new weapons ever proved genuinely useful to frontline fighters.

As the two walked through the armory, they stopped together before a special piece of personal equipment.

"Is this a powered exoskeleton?"

---

Zhou Shu asked, though he already suspected as much; finding a powered exoskeleton in the Bureau's armory was still a surprise.

Previously, he'd thought the Bureau relied solely on human strength to fight monsters and knew that exoskeletons weren't yet practical. Yet here, unexpectedly, was a prototype.

"It is," Sun Congliang replied, eyes filled with regret, longing, and the glimmer of unshed tears.

Wait, was he actually crying?

Zhou Shu was a little taken aback and asked, "Uh, Sun, are you... alright?"

"I'm fine," Sun Congliang said, wiping his eyes. "It's just a pity. This is my faith, you know? Unfortunately, this powered exoskeleton can't be used in standard combat operations."

That piqued Zhou Shu's interest. He looked over the exoskeleton and turned to Sun Congliang. "Tell me more."

"Ah, I love mechs, but our technology is still limited. The first-generation Vanguard powered exoskeleton is actually quite good, but its battery life is short, and the smart assist system is still a bit buggy, so it hasn’t performed ideally in real combat..."

So he's a mech enthusiast, Zhou Shu realized as he listened, learning all about the exoskeleton's testing and performance. He glanced from the exoskeleton to Sun Congliang, his own eyes brightening.

He'd originally planned to build an exoskeleton from scratch, but with this prototype, he could probably cobble together a functional suit in no time.

Once he had this, being called a scientist wouldn't be a stretch, would it?

Ha, his dream of becoming a scientist was about to come true.

First, though, he needed to ask if he could take the prototype apart.

The answer was a firm no.

Even if its practical value was limited, it was sometimes useful, and even the tech department couldn't just take it apart—let alone a new recruit from the combat division.

Still, when Sun Congliang learned Zhou Shu was also a mech enthusiast, he instantly regarded him as a kindred spirit!

Afterward, Zhou Shu chose a domestic 12.7mm sniper rifle as his main weapon and decided he’d also train with the trio of classic firearms: assault rifle, shotgun, and pistol.

Passing through the cold weapons section, he selected one as well—a cold weapon highly popular in the Bureau.

It was a solid engineering plastic baton, eighty centimeters long, with an electric shock mechanism at one end—a weapon capable of both striking and stunning.

At least, that was its outward form.

In fact, it was a straight, baton-shaped broadsword. Draw the blade and it became a slashing weapon for close combat; attach the baton-shaped sheath to the hilt, and it became a one-point-four-meter long polearm, extending its reach.

Add another blade to the opposite end, and it turned into a double-edged weapon, two-point-four meters in length.

---

However, it took considerable skill to wield.

Unlike firearms, this unassuming baton didn't draw attention in public spaces; its appearance was non-threatening, and it had an embedded code for easy scanning, allowing it to be carried on all kinds of transportation.

It's paired with both staff and sword techniques—ancient martial arts specifically adapted for fighting monsters, concise and highly practical.

Staff techniques were famous for their ease of learning, and staffs were everyday items anyone could find—mastering the technique meant that, even without the specialized weapon, picking up any stick could give you an edge in both offense and defense.

This point earned the approval of the Hunter System, which hadn't expected Zhou Shu to take the initiative in learning close-combat skills.

Of course, Zhou Shu was proactive partly because it would be a waste of his physical gifts not to hone some melee techniques. Random brawling and wild slashing were neither elegant nor efficient.

The other reason was the Hunter System itself. The System had recently become more generous, having granted him powered exoskeleton technology—so Zhou Shu felt obliged to "return the favor."

Naturally, he couldn't deny he had a bit of an ulterior motive—appearing cooperative might lull the Hunter System into a false sense of security, making it easier to coax out powered armor tech next time.

After leaving the armory, Sun Congliang took Zhou Shu to check in.

Not to register for taking any weapons, of course—it was only the beginning, and without any missions yet, he wasn’t allowed to take firearms. The baton-sword, being innocuous, was an exception.

The registration was simply to let the higher-ups know which weapons Zhou Shu had chosen, so they could arrange his training schedule. When he had time, he could come back for practice and drills.

Even though he'd joined the Bureau and his maximum brightness had surpassed a hundred, he was still officially a trainee, and training remained his primary duty for now.

As for his request to be a day scholar, they were already having someone handle it—his homeroom teacher, Liu Feiyan, was the perfect person for the job.

With day scholar status, he could come here every evening for study and training, and on Sundays, all four trainees were required to attend important classes—no absences without special circumstances.

As night deepened, the Demon Suppression Bureau fell quiet. Some had already gone to bed, others were out on missions.

Zhou Shu didn’t stay the night, insisting on going home.

But he didn’t go to sleep. He dropped off his bag, changed into dark clothes, and slipped out again.

Standing atop a building in the demolition area beside his residential complex, he gazed out at the dazzling city lights and murmured, "The night has only just begun. How could I possibly sleep now?"

"This is... hunting time."

"I'm in desperate need of primal energy."