Chapter 68: New Mission—Exterminate the Werewolf Tribe

After advancing to a Level 2 Evolver, although the ability Zhang Ran acquired—“Spatial Box”—was merely a support-type skill that did not directly enhance his combat strength, all four of his physical attributes increased by more than two points. Both his stamina and mental power saw significant improvements, leading to a remarkable leap in his overall capability.

Back when Zhang Ran was still a Level 1 Evolver, his strength could already rival that of a Level 2 Evolver with a D-rank ability. Now, as a Level 2 Evolver, the chip’s assessment indicated that his power was no less than that of a Level 3 Evolver possessing two D-rank abilities.

However, if a Level 3 Evolver wielded a C-rank ability, the gap in power between C-rank and B-rank skills was substantial enough that Zhang Ran would struggle to defeat such an opponent for now—though escaping unharmed would not pose much difficulty.

Alongside the noticeable boost in combat prowess, the quantity and quality of evolutionary energy required for Zhang Ran to continue condensing evolution points after his promotion also increased significantly.

As a Level 1 Evolver, each time Zhang Ran slew a Level 1 mutant creature, he could accumulate roughly 1% toward an evolution point. Killing about a hundred such creatures would allow him to condense a single point.

Now, as a Level 2 Evolver, he needed to kill one hundred Level 2 mutant creatures to form an evolution point—a marked increase in difficulty compared to his earlier days.

Of course, he could still gain evolutionary energy from killing Level 1 mutant creatures.

Theoretically, the evolutionary energy provided by a Level 1 mutant was about one-third that of a Level 2 mutant. However, due to the lower purity of energy from Level 1 mutants, each kill only contributed about 0.1% toward condensing an evolution point.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Zhang Ran made his way toward the guild hall. After advancing to Level 2, he was eligible to accept more difficult assignments, which he also needed to hone his combat skills.

“Mission Name: Exterminate the Werewolf Tribe
Star Rating: 1 Star
Enemy Numbers: One Level 2 Werewolf, nine Level 1 Werewolves (with a Werewolf Priest present), and approximately sixty Level 0 Werewolves
Mission Reward: 15,000 Black Hawk Coins
Proof of Completion: Collect the fangs of all Level 1 and Level 2 Werewolves as evidence of mission completion
Note: Recommended for Level 3 Evolvers or above, or teams of at least three Level 2 Evolvers.”

Upon seeing this mission, Zhang Ran nodded in satisfaction. The difficulty was moderate, with only a single Level 2 mutant enemy—perfect for him to test his skills and acclimate to his new strength.

“Hello, I’d like to accept the ‘Exterminate the Werewolf Tribe’ assignment,” Zhang Ran said calmly as he approached the clerk, pointing to the task in the mission ledger.

“No problem, sir! Please present your identity token so I can register you,” the clerk replied with a professional smile, treating him with utmost respect.

Though Zhang Ran was only a one-star employee, his willingness to take on a mission such as exterminating a werewolf tribe was proof enough of his strength. He was clearly no ordinary Level 1 Evolver, but someone far more formidable.

With the registration process complete, Zhang Ran left the guild hall once more. However, he did not immediately set out from Black Hawk City for the wilderness to begin his mission.

It was already two o’clock in the afternoon—insufficient time to complete the assignment. He decided to rest for the day and set out the next morning. After lunch, Zhang Ran returned to his apartment.

With his promotion to Level 2 Evolver, his mental capacity had grown significantly. Although the chip had not unlocked new features, its computing power had nonetheless increased dramatically, and as a result, the chip’s simulated battle space function had also improved.

Now, the maximum area the simulated battle space could reproduce had reached 1,200 square meters, the strongest enemies it could simulate were at Level 3, and the longest simulation duration was extended to four hours.

Entering the simulated battle space, Zhang Ran spent the session fighting against large numbers of Level 2 mutant creatures and evolvers in simulated combat, adjusting to his new physique and continuously improving his practical combat skills.

The next morning, at dawn.

After a full day’s training in the simulated battle space, Zhang Ran had fully adapted to his enhanced constitution. Brimming with confidence, he left Black Hawk City and set out for the werewolf tribe described in the mission.

This time, his journey was much easier. Once a fair distance from the city, Zhang Ran stowed his field backpack and firearms into the Spatial Box, keeping only a military dagger at his waist, traveling light toward his target.

To speak of the werewolf tribe, one must first mention the werewolves themselves. They belonged to the “mutant humanoid” category, one of the five major types of mutant creatures, and were among the most common. Other typical mutant humanoids included vampires, barbarians, mermen, and lizardfolk.

Werewolves were wolf-headed, human-bodied monsters endowed with strength, ferocity, and a keen sense for battle, as well as considerable intelligence. Though not quite on par with humans, their wits were close enough; they had their own language, social structures, and advancement systems.

Generally, even juvenile werewolves had physical attributes comparable to an adult human male. Adult werewolves were at least as strong as human proto-evolvers, and as long as they consumed enough flesh and blood, they could advance to become Level 1 mutant creatures.

As for their origins, theories abounded.

Some believed that werewolves were born when human and wolf genes fused during the Cataclysm, creating an entirely new species. Others thought that werewolves were the product of pre-Cataclysm human-beast hybridization experiments conducted by various nations. After the Cataclysm destroyed these secret research bases, the first werewolves escaped into the wastelands and continued to evolve, eventually forming the werewolf race as it exists today.

Whichever explanation proved true, the fact remained: werewolves were among humanity’s most common foes. Their organizational discipline and ability to craft and use simple tools made them far more troublesome than other mutant creatures of similar strength and numbers.

The werewolf tribe Zhang Ran was targeting lay eighty kilometers from Black Hawk City—a considerable distance, but no great feat for a Level 2 Evolver like himself.

After nearly two hours of swift travel, Zhang Ran arrived at the designated location. The werewolf tribe was settled deep within a dense forest, and he now stood at the edge of the woodland, ready to begin his mission.