Chapter 84: Conversation (II)

[Mission: Eliminate a corrupted Twin-Headed Lightning Wolf wreaking havoc in the Outer Forest.]

[Reward: 50 contribution points.]

Jackson paused.

He read the description once more before scrolling down.

Several similar missions appeared beneath it.

[Mission: Eliminate corrupted monsters near the Outer Forest’s northern perimeter.]

[Mission: Investigate reports of corrupted beasts attacking hunting parties.]

[Mission: Clear the area surrounding an abandoned outpost of corrupted monsters.]

The further he scrolled, the more missions he found involving corrupted creatures.

At first, Jackson didn’t think much of it.

But as the list continued growing, a strange feeling gradually surfaced in his mind.

Why are there so many missions involving corrupted monsters?

His fingers stopped moving.

Jackson leaned back slightly, his expression becoming thoughtful.

He remembered the situation in the Outer Forest quite clearly.

Only a few weeks ago, he had been an ordinary hunter patrolling that very area. During those days, he had spent considerable time hunting monsters and completing missions alongside other Awakened.

At the time, encountering a corrupted monster had been an exceptionally rare occurrence.

Most hunting parties could spend days in the forest without coming across even a single one.

Yet now, Golden Radiance Academy had issued hundreds of missions involving corrupted creatures.

The difference was simply too noticeable to ignore.

Jackson’s brows gradually furrowed.

There were only two plausible explanations.

Either the population of corrupted monsters had suddenly exploded, or something else was happening behind the scenes.

Perhaps the corruption was spreading faster than anyone had anticipated.

Perhaps the creatures were being driven out of their usual territories by some unknown threat.

Or perhaps there was another factor that Jackson hadn’t yet discovered.

Whatever the explanation, the situation was clearly becoming more serious.

He stared at the mission list for a few more seconds before shaking his head.

There was no point speculating without evidence.

If the academy had issued these missions, then completing them would allow him to earn contribution points while investigating the situation firsthand.

It was an opportunity worth taking.

Jackson began selecting missions in quick succession.

Just as he was about to accept another assignment, a warning suddenly appeared on his screen.

[Warning! It is advisable for students to work in teams when undertaking missions involving corrupted monsters.]

Jackson glanced at the notification.

Then, without much hesitation, he dismissed it.

He had no intention of forming a team for these missions.

Working with others would mean dividing the rewards, coordinating everyone’s movements, and potentially revealing more of his abilities than he wanted to disclose.

Besides, Jackson was confident in his current strength.

Having reached the Third Sequence, he was far stronger than most first-year students. As long as he chose his targets carefully, he believed he could handle the missions on his own.

After browsing through the available assignments, he accepted several missions involving corrupted monsters in and around the Outer Forest.

If he completed all of them, he would earn a total of one thousand contribution points.

That was exactly what he needed to purchase the telekinetic skill.

With his preparations nearly complete, Jackson finally stood up.

Before leaving, however, he remembered something else.

Veronica Green Soul.

She had already informed him that his Rank Three alloy armor was ready. Since he was about to venture outside the academy, it was the perfect time to collect it.

Jackson opened their conversation and sent her a message.

[You said you had some armor, right? If it’s ready, send it over.]

He had barely sent the message when a reply appeared.

The speed was almost suspicious.

It was as though Veronica had been sitting beside her communication device, waiting for him to contact her.

Jackson raised an eyebrow.

Her response was brief.

[What about our match?]

He stared at the message.

Even through those few words, he could practically feel Veronica’s impatience.

Clearly, she had not forgotten their agreement.

Jackson rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

If he wanted to keep delaying the duel, he would need a convincing excuse.

After considering his options for a moment, he began typing.

[Sorry for the delay, but I’m currently occupied with something very urgent.]

The reply came almost immediately.

[How busy can you possibly be? Don’t tell me you can’t spare even a single moment for a match.]

Jackson’s lips twitched.

Another message followed.

[So you admit that you wouldn’t last even a minute against me?]

A smirk spread across his face.

He could almost imagine Veronica sitting on the other side of the screen, her beautiful face twisted into an expression of frustration as she typed those words.

She clearly wanted to provoke him into accepting the duel.

Unfortunately for her, Jackson wasn’t someone who could be manipulated so easily.

He quickly typed his response.

[It’s not my fault if a man can’t last a minute against me...]

The moment the message was sent, Jackson’s expression froze.

He stared at the screen.

For some inexplicable reason, reading that sentence gave him a strange feeling.

His mind briefly wandered in an unexpected direction before he immediately shook his head.

What the hell am I thinking?

He cleared his throat, despite being alone in the room, and quickly dismissed the thought.

Veronica was obviously trying to provoke him.

There was no need to read too much into her words.

Jackson returned his attention to the conversation and sent another message.

[Fine. Let’s schedule our duel before the end of the month.]

This time, he deliberately gave himself a deadline.

That should buy him enough time to figure out how to deal with Veronica’s troublesome talent.

A reply arrived almost instantly.

[Okay. You’ll receive the armor in a few minutes.]

Jackson stared at the confirmation for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

At least that part had gone smoothly.

He had obtained the armor without having to fight Veronica immediately, and he now had several days to prepare before their duel.

For the time being, that was more than enough.

Jackson put away his communication device and glanced toward the door.

It was time to head into the Outer Forest.

He had contribution points to earn, corrupted monsters to hunt, and a telekinetic skill to acquire.

There was no reason to waste another minute.