Chapter 31: What is this thing?!

The HR Manager made a sharp note on her file, and Gu Lian, completely unaware of this, walked toward the Female Boss.

Soaking wet, she left a trail of water on the ground with every step.

“Great, we’ll come to work tomorrow.”

The young man and woman bowed deeply with smiles on their faces, preparing to leave.

They couldn’t be more satisfied with this job.

“Sigh, today has been such a tiring day.”

The Female Boss shook her head and sat down somewhat casually on a chair by the pool, gently pinching the muscles on the back of her calves.

“Two young people are really hard to negotiate with…”

“True, young people these days have quite the attitude.”

Gu Lian stood before the Female Boss, her expression still blank.

This voice, which carried almost no emotion, made the Female Boss look up and simply stare at her quietly.

Her gaze swept back and forth over Gu Lian.

She was very curious about this girl.

Setting aside that breathtaking swimming ability, just looking at that face, it was impossible for someone to have such looks unless they were from a wealthy family.

“I’m here to apply for a job, not to be looked at like a monkey.”

The Female Boss’s eyes began to light up.

Gu Lian silently took a step back.

‘Does this old lady have some kind of special fetish?’

‘Or is she into me?’

‘An “auntie” can be nice, and this Female Boss is indeed good-looking, but…’

Gu Lian subconsciously touched her lower half.

‘Dammit, my “tools for the job” were confiscated!’

“Heh-heng~ You’re a rather interesting girl.”

The Female Boss let out a light chuckle while covering her mouth, but she quickly met Gu Lian’s gaze and said, “So, how do you feel about the compensation here?

If the shift seems fine, we’ll start work tomorrow.

How about it?”

“It seems okay, but… how long will this job last?”

“You can work until the middle of October.

Relaxing jobs like this are already hard to—”

Although the Female Boss was the head of this place, she was quite patient with this new recruit.

After detailing various matters, she thoughtfully added, “Is there anything else you need to clarify?”

“Not for now.

I’ll come to work tomorrow.

Do I pay for the work uniform myself, or…?”

Gu Lian didn’t see any uniforms around, but that didn’t stop her from asking.

She was very poor right now.

The money in that card likely had some kind of tracking on it, so unless it was absolutely necessary, she really didn’t want to use it.

During that meeting with the Hunter named Eric, her instincts had told her the man was dangerous.

Specifically, the ring on his hand.

Gu Lian had seen rings on the fingers of Ice Duke and his companions.

They were likely symbols of a Hunter’s identity and rank.

The rings Ice Duke and the others wore were blue with a hint of red, but Eric… if she remembered correctly, the gem in the center of the ring on his finger was red.

This proved that Eric was at least one rank stronger than Ice Duke and the rest.

In that situation, it was practically like bungee jumping over a crocodile pit—she had been asking for death!

But thinking back on it… Gu Lian grinned.

‘That was really damn exciting!’

“Don’t worry, we make them here.

However… tomorrow isn’t for work, but to get you familiar with the situation~”

As the Female Boss spoke, she brushed back her long hair as if she were stroking a rare treasure.

“So, have I passed for now?”

“You passed.”

The Female Boss skillfully pulled a mini camera from her jacket pocket.

After taking a photo of Gu Lian, she put the camera away and waved her hand.

“If there are no other questions, you can go home and rest now.”

“Alright.

Well, Boss… see you tomorrow~”

Out of politeness, Gu Lian smiled and said goodbye to the Female Boss before walking toward the exit.

Just as she stepped out of the Swimming Base, all the lights behind her went out.

‘Honestly… can’t you wait until I’m further away before turning off the lights…?’

Gu Lian looked up at the sky, which had already grown dark.

Various nightclubs were opening up, and the scents of food and drinks mingled together, drifting into her nose amidst the colorful, hallucinogenic lights.

Grumble—

Her stomach protested again.

Gu Lian sighed and walked toward the Old Man’s House.

‘Finding a job these days really isn’t easy.’

It wasn’t that she didn’t work hard to find a job, but she really couldn’t find anything suitable.

Especially the recruitment ads here; every single one had requirements that could only be described as ridiculous.

How could she possibly take those kinds of jobs?!

She still wanted to keep some of her dignity, okay?

Crossing the main street, Gu Lian specifically bypassed the main urban area to avoid smelling those aromas.

As she moved deep into the alleys between buildings, the scent in the air was gradually replaced by a foul stench.

‘This smell is the real deal.’

Taking a deep breath of the murky air, Gu Lian instantly felt like her stomach had successfully negotiated with her body.

Sure enough, whenever she was hungry in the future, she should find a place like this.

One sniff was practically refreshing.

“Heh-ha~”

An abrupt and melodious child’s voice made Gu Lian’s body stiffen.

A cold wind kicked up the fallen leaves on the ground, swirling into the alley entrance and rising in a spiral.

Vaguely, a flickering figure could be seen, raising a finger to point at her.

“Friend… friend…”

The child’s voice echoed through the alley with a dragging, overlapping quality.

A dark current blew past her, tugging at her gray hair.

‘A friend?’

Gu Lian’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

She spread the five fingers of both hands, her fingertips gradually becoming sharp.

Logically speaking, a normal child’s voice couldn’t possibly carry for 10 meters, and even a scream wouldn’t go past 20 meters.

She was currently at least 30 meters from the alley entrance, yet hearing the voice of the dark figure hidden in the leaves, it clearly wasn’t within a normal range.

There was only one possibility: that thing was the same as her… a Weiyi!

But… how could a Weiyi manage to blend into Human Society?

What the hell were those Hunters doing?!

“He-he-he~ Friend…”

“Since we’re friends… why don’t you come out and meet me?”

Gu Lian maintained a cautious tone as she walked toward it.

Her arms, starting from the fingertips, began to turn black.

“Friend…”

“Hmm???”

It seemed this Weiyi lacked the capacity for independent thought.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t keep repeating that word.

‘Is it a Weiyi like Yi Yi and the others?’

Gu Lian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Gray-white patterns spread across her palms, stopping only when they reached her forearms.

When dealing with a Weiyi, it was better to be careful.

She had heard rumors about them before; when you ran into one of these things… it was almost time to announce your end.

“He-he-he~”

The sound came from ahead.

Gu Lian clenched her fists, and black debris fell from her palms.

The Flame of Silent Stillness ignited.

The previously whistling wind vanished, and the swirled-up leaves seemed to freeze, floating in mid-air.

A middle-aged woman who looked to be 50 years old stood among the leaves.

She walked over step by step, pushing through the leaves suspended in the air.

The newcomer didn’t open her mouth, yet she emitted a child’s voice that was severely mismatched with her age.

“Friend… can… I eat you?!”

With a crazed and distorted cry, the woman suddenly stopped right in front of Gu Lian.

Several fleshy sprouts extended from her mouth, revealing rows of backward-facing sharp teeth.

Gu Lian’s expression changed.

‘What the hell is this thing?!’