My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 59: Peak Tier 2 Great Perfection, Half-Step to Tier 3 Treasure Armor

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Peak Tier 2 Great Perfection, Half-Step to Tier 3 Treasure Armor

Outside Southwind City, at the ruin outpost, Yuan Chenyang’s expression was grim. The Crimson Iron Long Saber in his hand emanated an icy fire.

The surroundings were a complete mess, with smoking craters everywhere. Metal wreckage was strewn about, interspersed with anguished cries.

Logistics personnel moved through the battlefield, searching for the wounded and collecting the dead.

“Another High Tier ruin. It should be hiding some good things, but who knows if it’s a blessing or a curse.” Yuan Chenyang sheathed his saber and looked toward the enormous metal wreckage in the distance, beside which lay a great deal of overturned construction machinery.

Just then, an Explorer Guard from logistics came over and reported in a low voice, “Minister Yuan, you have a message from Southwind.”

Yuan Chenyang’s brow twitched. He went to the outpost and pulled up the message. It was from Sun Tai, sent through an official channel, and was very brief:

“Minister, Su Chen has already advanced to a Tier Two Profession. Please rest assured, all is well.”

“Tier Two?” Yuan Chenyang’s eyes lit up, and his bald head seemed to shine even brighter. He calculated the time and couldn’t help but frown. “That’s over a month faster than I expected. Does the kid not eat or sleep?”

“Sigh…” He let out a breath. ’How much must he have suffered in the past to become so tenacious.’

“…a ruin that’s at least Tier Three, possibly even Tier Four, or maybe even Tier Five…” a voice suddenly said from behind him.

Who!?

Yuan Chenyang’s pupils contracted. His body moved faster than his mind; he spun around, ready to strike. But when he got a clear look at the person, his expression changed drastically, and he hastily reined in his attack.

“…E-Elder Xia, wh-what are you doing here?” Yuan Chenyang’s scalp tingled with fear as he looked at the stooped, white-bearded old man before him. The man’s eyes were deeply sunken, and his sinister gaze was chilling to the bone.

“I can’t be here?” the stooped old man asked faintly.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Yuan Chenyang shook his head frantically, though inwardly he was cursing that group from Ying Feng. ’How could they send this killer here?’

“Cursing me again?”

Yuan Chenyang’s heart leaped into his throat. He looked up and met the old man’s sinister gaze, a chill running down his spine.

“No, no…” He quickly shook his head.

Xia Hanshi said nonchalantly, “…Southwind City has been quite lucky. Six months ago, you discovered a Tier Three ruin and even excavated a Profession with spatial properties. Who knows what’s inside this one.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Elder,” Yuan Chenyang said cautiously.

“You reported to Ying Feng that you have something to turn in?” Xia Hanshi asked coolly.

Yuan Chenyang’s expression shifted. ’Of course I do, but it’s not for him!’

Xia Hanshi’s tone was indifferent. “Your teacher was supposed to come this time, but since you were the one who lost the Holy Word Stone, I was worried he would cover for you. So, I had a fight with him. He didn’t win.”

“It’s… it’s a Tier One Top-level Profession,” Yuan Chenyang said, utterly defeated.

“Oh?” Xia Hanshi’s interest was instantly piqued. He held out a withered hand.

“I…” Yuan Chenyang’s face was taut with tension.

“Do you think I would steal your credit?” Xia Hanshi’s tone turned icy.

As if accepting his fate, Yuan Chenyang lowered his head, pulled up the encrypted information, and showed it to the killer.

“…cumulative running time of over five years… Master Level in the Basic Refining Technique… twenty Limit Breakthroughs… Physical Side… shows traces of Warrior and Gale Walker… Interesting…”

Xia Hanshi stroked his chin and asked, “What is the Upper-tier Profession?”

Yuan Chenyang explained, “The Upper-tier Profession is currently unknown. However, the Tier One Profession is highly compatible and should be a good fit for many Upper-tier Professions.”

Xia Hanshi nodded, then stared directly at Yuan Chenyang. “Where did it come from?”

“I came across it by chance,” Yuan Chenyang said through gritted teeth, his bald head tingling. ’If this guy finds out about Su Chen’s Red Gold Spirit Talent, and the fact that he’s a refugee, he’ll definitely be taken away by force.’

That wouldn’t be a good thing. He had long heard of Xia Hanshi’s reputation; in pursuit of his goals, he had broken more than one promising young talent.

In his mind, the proper path for Su Chen was to erase his refugee status, enter the Judicial Court, and advance step by step.

“Haha…” Xia Hanshi suddenly burst out laughing.

Old Yuan felt the air around him grow even colder, and his bald head began to glisten with sweat.

“I’ll mark this down as a merit for you.”

The pressure suddenly vanished as the light words reached him.

Yuan Chenyang let out a long sigh of relief, then heard the other man ask, “What’s the situation in Southwind City?”

Getting down to business, Yuan Chenyang composed himself and quickly recounted the events, from the loss of the Holy Word Stone to the discovery of the Black Tuo Followers, and finally, the empty shell of the Deceitful Artifact.

Of course, he glossed over any parts involving Su Chen, keeping his words vague.

“An empty Deceitful Artifact… Interesting…” A cold light flashed in Xia Hanshi’s eyes. “Any leads?”

Yuan Chenyang hesitated for a moment before saying, “The Minister of Internal Affairs—Zhou Xian. His son was the vessel used to transport the Holy Word Stone.”

“Did the interrogation turn up anything?” Xia Hanshi asked casually.

“Er, it’s only a suspicion. We don’t have any evidence yet…” Yuan Chenyang shook his head.

Xia Hanshi’s brow furrowed, and he sneered, “You high-level officials are all the same, always protecting your own. Evidence? Just arrest him and tear off his limbs. Then you’ll have evidence.”

Although Yuan Chenyang had considered it himself, hearing it said aloud still made his heart clench. He quickly added, “He’s also from the Judicial Court.”

Xia Hanshi said dismissively, “I don’t care where he’s from.”

Then, he changed the subject. “By the way, the Holy Word Stone was recovered because you sent in an undercover agent, right?”

A chill ran through Yuan Chenyang, but he replied calmly, “Yes. One of my students. I made the arrangements a long time ago.”

Xia Hanshi merely nodded. A fierce wind suddenly kicked up, sweeping him into the sky. “I see. In that case, you just stay put right here.”

…

The Logistics and Internal Affairs departments worked closely together, and their two section chiefs were on good terms.

Fatty Sun led Su Chen to the logistics office, navigating the way with practiced ease. Many people greeted him along the way, and he responded to each with a broad smile.

“This must be the Minister’s student,” Qian Hui said in the logistics section chief’s office, motioning for the two to sit down as he brewed a pair of cups of tea.

He was a thin, middle-aged man with a gentle smile on his face. “You don’t normally come by for a visit.”

“I’ve often heard Brother Sun mention you, saying you’re the one holding the purse strings for the Inspectorate. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time,” Su Chen replied politely, which made the smile on the other man’s face grow even wider.

“Has the City Lord’s order come down yet?” Fatty Sun took a sip of tea, an expression of disdain on his face. “Old Qian, I heard you had someone get you a batch of ’Biyun Fall’ from over in Tieyun. Too stingy to share?”

“Nothing of the sort.” Qian Hui waved his hand, not giving Fatty Sun a chance to continue. “The City Lord’s order has already come down. Why else do you think I’m waiting here?”

“Here’s the list of Tier Two Weapons.” Qian Hui took a thin sheet of paper from his desk and handed it over.

Su Chen didn’t take it. Instead, Fatty Sun snatched it away, but Su Chen didn’t mind.

On the way over, Old Sun had told him to leave this matter in his hands and promised he would get a satisfactory outcome.

“This is it…?” Fatty Sun glanced over the list with disgust. “Fire Condensing Sword… Ice Shaping Spear… these are all antiques, aren’t they?”

“That’s because most people aren’t qualified to wield them,” Qian Hui retorted irritably. “Besides, you’re not the one choosing. Hurry up and give the list to Brother Su.”

Fatty Sun kept the list in his hand and chuckled. “I seem to recall the Research Department sent over a suit of prototype armor a while ago.”

Qian Hui’s eyebrow twitched violently, but he feigned nonchalance. “There was something like that. The Research Department developed a new type of Armor.”

“They wanted to see if we would place an order, but the production cost was too high, so I turned it down.”

“That prototype armor is also considered a Tier Two Weapon, isn’t it?” Fatty Sun stared at him intently.

“…It was built to the standards of a Tier Two Weapon, but the prototype’s cost far exceeds that standard,” Qian Hui couldn’t help but stress. “Besides, I’ve already sent it back to them.”

Fatty Sun said with a grin, “Did you forget who came looking for Brother Su the other night?”

Qian Hui looked blank for a moment, then his expression stiffened.

Fatty Sun continued, “How about we have Brother Su give Jiang He a call and ask if it was actually sent back?”

Su Chen was speechless. ’Gossip spreads way too fast.’

Qian Hui said helplessly, “Old Sun, don’t make things difficult for me. We paid good money for that prototype armor.”

“Sigh…” Fatty Sun ignored him and turned to Su Chen with a troubled look. “Brother, just go back and tell the City Lord that you can’t take up your post because the logistics department is stonewalling you.”

“And when Minister Yuan returns, please put in a good word for me. Tell him I did my best.”

Qian Hui was overcome with frustration. ’First the City Lord, now Yuan Chenyang.’

“Fine, fine, fine!” he said through gritted teeth. “You can have it, you can have it!”

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Fatty Sun leaned back, crossed his legs, and began to leisurely sip his tea with a grin.

“Brother Su, please wait here for a moment.” Although he had been thoroughly cornered by Old Sun, Qian Hui still managed to squeeze out a smile when he looked at Su Chen.

“Sorry for the trouble,” Su Chen remained polite. After Qian Hui left, he asked in a low voice, “What exactly is that prototype armor?”

“I heard it’s based on technology from Ying Feng, but it’s too expensive for us to produce. The Research Department built a prototype, but the project was scrapped after the logistics department’s evaluation,” Fatty Sun explained quietly. “Among all weapons, defensive types are the most precious.”

“With the same materials, you could make two longswords or four daggers. Plenty of people have their eyes on that prototype armor, but Qian Hui refused to part with it, no matter what.”

“If you didn’t have the City Lord and the Minister backing you, he probably never would have let it go.”

Su Chen nodded in understanding. ’I never expected that being used as bait would come with such a nice perk.’

After a short wait, Qian Hui returned carrying two metal cases, one large and one small. Through the crack in the door, Su Chen could see many members of the logistics department staring this way in astonishment.

More accurately, they were staring at the long, black metal case.

Entering the room, Qian Hui’s sour expression eased slightly. He reluctantly tossed the case onto the table, pressed the keypads on both sides, and with a CLICK, wisps of white mist seeped out.

A suit of form-fitting armor, folded upon itself and woven from dense cyan scales, came into view.

“…It’s forged from the scales of a Tier Two Cyan Scale Lion, enhanced with Secret Technique engravings and semi-nanotechnology…” Qian Hui caressed the Armor, his heart bleeding with every word. “Its name is Cyan Scale Armor.”

Fatty Sun’s eyes went wide. He nudged Su Chen beside him. “Try it on…”

Su Chen glanced from side to side. Qian Hui, looking resigned to his fate, waved him over. “No need to take off your clothes. Come here.”

He had Su Chen extend a finger and place it on the Armor’s surface.

[Cyan Scale Armor (Tier Two): A prototype Armor design. Its complex production process allows it to nearly surpass its Tier.]

The stacked scales began to ripple up and down like waves on water.

As if drawn by an invisible force, it shot up Su Chen’s sleeve and gradually spread over his entire body, forming an inner layer of armor that clung tightly to his skin.

He pulled open his shirt to find the Cyan Scale Armor already covering his entire chest. It rose and fell as if breathing, the individual scales shifting as if to conform to his body.

But Su Chen felt no discomfort at all, not even a hint of coldness. It felt gentle and warm.

“Is this really just Tier Two?” Su Chen couldn’t help but ask in amazement.

Qian Hui explained, “This is the prototype. It uses a hodgepodge of materials. If it were to be mass-produced, many of the materials and procedures would have to be cut.”

“But this one, specifically, should theoretically be somewhere between Tier Two and Tier Three.”

“Peak of Tier Two… Great Perfection… Half-Step Tier Three…” Su Chen murmured, stroking the scales on his chest. A profound sense of security washed over him.

’If I use my [Secret Artifact Enhancement] ability to attach [Raging Wind Barrier] to it, its defensive power could probably jump to another level.’

’However, I can only control one Secret Artifact right now. To achieve that kind of synergy, I’ll have to see if my [Secret Artifact Master] profession will let me control more after my next advancement.’