Chapter 110: The Investigator

Chen Qi first asked a few simple questions regarding beast taming.

The two rare-talent players in the White River District were both of the Lantern aspect. Although Seabird was not of the Lantern aspect himself, he held those of the Lantern aspect in high regard:

"Night Traveler, are you planning to raise a pet beast as well?"

Though not all players were Beast Tamers, many kept pets. Trackers might keep hounds, Treasure Hunters might keep money beetles, and Disaster Messengers might raise ravens.

Chen Qi thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, I recently acquired a small pet beast. It is still at a relatively low level."

This was his field of expertise, and Seabird became interested, saying, "A young pet? While they are troublesome to raise in the early stages and lack combat ability, it is a good thing. Just like on Earth, a pet that grows up with you will feel closer to you. Aside from a few special types, trust is the most important thing. Especially with fierce beasts; if they aren't raised from a young age, they are incredibly difficult to tame once they grow into calamity beasts, and they will never truly trust you—you would have to rely solely on contracts to keep them in check."

Seabird downed a shot of white liquor: "By the way, I have a few decent auxiliary scrolls for pet skills that I can recommend. These scrolls help pets learn new abilities. Normally, you wouldn't be able to exchange for them without joining the White Dove Hostel or the Hundred Beasts Guild, but if you want to join, I can figure out a way to get you an invitation code to our group."

An invitation code? One could join the internal group of another organization directly. On the Day-Traveler Association forum, the public trading place for Sun Coins offered only a limited selection of goods. If one wanted truly valuable items, one had to find a way to infiltrate the internal forums of professional organizations.

I'll take it, I'll take all of them...

Chen Qi coughed twice, accepted the invitation code without hesitation, and successfully slipped into the exclusive group of the Hundred Beasts Guild.

Seabird’s face was slightly flushed. He didn't seem drunk, but he was clearly more talkative: "Right, whatever you do, don't tell the Angler. He doesn't like his members messing around on other organizations' forums. There were a few talented players in the White River District who jumped ship, and he hates poachers more than anything. Even though Old Yu is weaker than me now, he was my teacher once, after all."

Chen Qi nodded silently; he would make sure the Angler never found out.

Following this, Seabird shared some beast-taming knowledge: how to subdue fierce beasts, how to train them, and recipes for special food to enhance them. Chen Qi committed these lessons to memory, significantly expanding his knowledge of beast taming. Compared to the insights summarized by ordinary players, Seabird's explanations were far clearer and more precise. He was indeed a master-level Beast Tamer.

As Chen Qi drank, he mused to himself that the Little Lantern Shadow Fox had been with him long enough that it was time for it to "start school and learn skills." He would personally supervise the fox's training!

Feeling the alcohol, Chen Qi switched to a glass of cola: "Thank you, Senior Seabird."

Seabird beamed: "It’s nothing. This is all information you can find if you look; it doesn't cost many Silver Coins. I hope to see the pet you’ve raised one day."

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Chen Qi’s eyes wandered. There was one more thing he wanted to ask this master-level player about: the Weaver Train.

The first time he had heard of the "Weaver Train" was from Seabird himself, and according to him, it wasn't strictly classified information. Unfortunately, he could only find scattered, insubstantial fragments on the forums.

Chen Qi ate a piece of meat and asked, "Senior Seabird, may I ask, do you know about the Weaver Train?"

At the mention of the Weaver Train, Seabird paused, suddenly recalling a white dove. He pulled out a photograph of one: "Are you the one who owns this beautiful white dove?"

It was the white dove from his White Dove Eye. Chen Qi thought for a second and nodded. Seabird had known that the dove was a player’s item, but he had never been certain whose.

So it was you... "That dove is very beautiful."

Seabird considered the question. Among master-level players, the Weaver Train was not obscure information: "The Weaver Train is a train that travels through the Rare Light Land. On board, there are things beyond your imagination, as well as the finest weavers and doctors. People from all districts gather there, and one can find opportunities that defy belief. Of course, it's quite dangerous for the average player, but as long as you don't venture into the deepest carriages, you'll be fine. The real difficulty in entering the regular carriages lies in the timing; the train travels through the Rare Light Land, and without intelligence, it is almost impossible to find."

I see. Still, that wasn't much information. Things beyond imagination? That made Chen Qi itch with curiosity.

Chen Qi pressed on: "What exactly is on the Weaver Train?"

Seabird looked at Chen Qi. Having defeated the Prisoner and felled the Red Ant Moss Tree, Chen Qi’s current strength was indeed enough to enter the rear carriages of the train. However, the Weaver Train was perilous; aside from players, all sorts of monsters and demons from every district flocked there. No one knew what dangers one might encounter along the way.

Seabird was about to speak but suddenly stopped. A contract was preventing him from revealing more information. He shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture: "The intelligence on the Weaver Train is something I paid a high price for, obtained from a master-level investigator. According to the group rules, I cannot leak this information at will. I signed a Shell-aspect contract with the other party; I’d be kicked out of the investigator’s group if I did."

Obtained from an investigator? The Investigator was the codename of a master-level player! Chen Qi had seen the name on the forums—a legendary figure of the Lantern aspect! Gender unknown, abilities unknown, a master-level player shrouded in mystery. He was originally a Disaster Messenger, and his own strength was formidable, but unlike other master-level players, he preferred to travel the world.

Many master-level players gained their great opportunities within the New Sun world to enhance their strength, but the Investigator had found many of his opportunities on Earth. By traveling the world, he had successfully slain rare, weak calamities, acquired powerful materials, and forged many formidable pieces of equipment.

There were many rumors about the Investigator, the most famous being that he ran a paid group that only master-level players could join. Within that group lay all kinds of precious dungeon knowledge! Based on what Seabird just said, that rumor appeared to be true.

Chen Qi was extremely interested in this Lantern-aspect player and asked, "Senior Seabird, may I ask, is it possible for me to join that group?"

According to the rumors, players of the Lantern aspect or those with special professions like Disaster Messenger could be granted an exception to join.

Seabird paused, looking up at the ceiling: "With your Lantern aspect, your current status, and your experiences today, you should be able to join as an exception, but there is one small problem."

Chen Qi blinked, asking curiously, "What problem?"

Seabird stared at the ceiling, his expression complex: "Well... the Investigator is likely not on Earth at the moment. I’m not entirely sure... but at the very least, he’s not on the surface, and I can't get in touch with him."

Chen Qi followed Seabird’s gaze to the ceiling, "looking" past it toward the moon above. Could this Investigator also be a "Moonwalker"?

Seabird saw the curiosity in Chen Qi's eyes and said, "However, if you truly want information on the Weaver Train, there is a better place you could look. The Investigator is also a member of that place."

Chen Qi tilted his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

Seabird patted the small seagull on the table: "The New Sun Mutual Aid gaming chat group. The eccentric experts in there are no fewer in number than those in our master-level player group."