Chapter 169: [Modification] Skill, amazing, right? (Revised)

Shen Zexi rubbed his throbbing temple, took a deep breath, tried to clear his thoughts, and asked.

"Ying Duo, are you thinking of taking on mercenary work?"

Ying Duo nodded firmly; since forming a team had no affinity requirements, he couldn't imagine these few people refusing him.

"I've already talked it over with Chen Mo Zhi; this afternoon we'll form the mercenary band at Rust Corrosion Plaza and then go straight to take a mission."

Qi Hengyu, listening on the side, rolled his eyes and couldn't help but complain.

"How is this an invitation? It's clearly a notice! You even got the Chen family on board? How did you manage that?"

He simply couldn't imagine how someone as standoffish as Chen Mo Zhi could be "persuaded" by Ying Duo.

Shen Zexi also hadn't expected Ying Duo's spur-of-the-moment idea to progress so quickly; even the difficult-to-handle Chen Mo Zhi had been successfully roped in by Ying Duo.

But then it occurred to him that both of their wallets had just been lost, so taking on some mercenary work to earn living expenses was indeed feasible...

"Setting up a mercenary corps, especially handling the paperwork to go out on missions as Mitra Academy students—have you taken care of all that?"

Shen Zexi didn't readily agree; instead he cautiously asked a question, trusting Ying Duo's decisiveness but not his brains.

As expected, Ying Duo answered as if it were obvious.

"This afternoon we'll handle it at the mercenary guild in Rust Corrosion Plaza."

Hearing that, Shen Zexi knew this guy hadn't grasped the procedure at all, so he could only explain wearily:

"Going out to hunt aberrant species in the wild is something usually considered only for second-years; first-year freshmen mostly focus on basics, although it's permitted, but it requires extra paperwork."

He paused, then gave everyone a detailed explanation; Ying Duo might not get it, but the others could.

"The proper procedure is, after the team is assembled, you must first submit an application to the school, the most important step being to receive a 'Score Counter'."

"The Score Counter is a device the Academy provides specially for students on outdoor missions; it can record the number of aberrant species killed and even monitor the wearer's vital signs."

"Most importantly, if a mercenary squad loses contact for an extended period, the Academy can dispatch rescue troops promptly based on the last signal from the Score Counter."

Ying Duo listened to this long string of complicated, tedious steps, and a momentary blankness appeared in his hollow eyes.

Honestly, Yang Yixie looking at the dialogue box constantly popping up above Shen Zexi's head felt a headache coming on.

"Such a hassle..."

However, it's fine; Yang Yixie had come to realize one thing with absolute clarity: this game cannot be judged by common sense.

Since forming a team no longer requires affinity, dumping the blame should also be no problem, right?

Ying Duo tilted his head, then naturally assigned the task, his gaze toward Shen Zexi full of trust.

"Then the paperwork is yours to handle."

Shen Zexi: "......?"

"This is your mercenary corps; shouldn't you be the captain?" And shouldn't the paperwork be handled by him as the captain?

Ying Duo, however, spoke with full confidence, even carrying a hint of "I've got high hopes for you," his movements slightly stiff as he approached Shen Zexi and patted his shoulder.

"As the boss, knowing how to employ people is key, so you're now the vice-captain."

Shen Zexi: "......"

I thank you for the promotion!

He looked at Ying Duo's expression saying "I've got high hopes for you, don't let me down," and thought that if Ying Duo himself handled the paperwork, who knows what messy situation might arise.

Weighing the pros and cons, Shen Zexi ultimately sighed helplessly and resignedly agreed.

"...... All right, I'll go handle it."

At least keeping the process in his own hands could minimize the risk Ying Duo brings to the greatest extent.

In the short time it took to talk, the fine bloodstains on Ying Duo's face and arms had mostly clotted and scabbed over, with some shallow spots already flaking off to reveal the intact skin underneath.

This recovery speed is so fast it's hardly human!

Only the dark brown and bright red bloodstains that had set into his clothing still looked menacing.

Seeing Ying Duo actually reach an agreement with Shen Zexi, Luo Jinyou looked at Ying Duo's bloody state and couldn't help but remark.

"Couldn't you at least go take a shower and change into clean clothes before we talk?"

Going out like this, you'll definitely be mistaken for a crime-scene witness or victim.

He simply couldn't believe Ying Duo would actually go to class dressed like that.

Even if the bloodstains dried and weren't very noticeable on the black clothing, you still couldn't do that, could you?

Qi Hengyu also finally recovered from the multiple blows of being forced into the mercenary corps, and looking at Ying Duo's clothes, something suddenly occurred to him.

"Wait...... could it be that you were kicked out of class by the teacher because of all this blood?"

Ying Duo didn't deny it, merely blinked and spoke with a hint of pride.

"He said I don't have to attend his class anymore."

"Is that really something to be proud of?!"

Qi Hengyu couldn't help but snap, "No wonder Ying Duo wanted us to join him for mercenary work—turns out the route of earning credits by attending class has been completely cut off, huh?"

Luo Jinyou, upon hearing that, immediately pressed Qi Hengyu for details about Ying Duo being expelled from the classroom.

Qi Hengyu didn't know much either; he simply recounted what he'd heard when he rushed to the Manufacturing Department classroom: the rumor that "Ying Duo was driven out not long after class started."

In the end, the three reached a provisional decision:

Shen Zexi would immediately go to the school to handle the paperwork and pick up the Score Counter; Ying Duo would promptly go take a shower to clean himself up; Qi Hengyu and Luo Jinyou would be responsible for keeping an eye on Ying Duo, making sure he doesn't run off mid-shower.

After Shen Zexi hurried off, Luo Jinyou suddenly thought of a crucial question.

"Ying Duo, did you bring a change of clothes to school?"

"He seems never to have seen Ying Duo change out of this outfit; it's always the same, and today it's filthy beyond wear."

Ying Duo didn't answer; instead he walked straight into the washroom, proving it with his actions.

Not long after, while Luo Jinyou and Qi Hengyu expected him at least to come out wrapped in a towel, they saw Ying Duo emerge still wearing those black pants originally stained with blood, now clean and dry.

On the clothing there wasn't even a trace of blood, not a speck of moisture—it was as if his whole person had been stuffed into a washing machine, washed clean, then spun and dried.

Ying Duo crossed her hands on her hips and opened with a boastful yet steady tone.

"【Modification】 skill, amazing, right? Even clothes can be repaired!"

This is something your NPCs can only encounter by chance.

Luo Jinyou, Qi Hengyu: "......"

Alright, this is very Ying Duo.

Even laundry can be handled with a skill; to some extent, that could be considered a rare talent.

After Ying Duo finished tidying up, Luo Jinyou glanced at the time and suggested.

"We only gather in the afternoon; there's a class this morning, a lecture from the Church on 'Fundamentals of Theology and Historical Overview.' It's an easy credit; shall we attend?"

Attending class also ensures Ying Duo doesn't wander off, and since the Church doesn't directly oversee Mitra Academy, even if they send someone to lecture, it's pretty lax.

Anyway, as long as no noise is made in class, the Church folks generally won't care what the people below are doing.

That way, it shouldn't cause any trouble...

Right?