Mizuha

"Yeah, I guess," replied Ren.

The woman observed Ren, looking him up and down.

"Are you also a genomancer?" asked the woman.

Ren just nodded his head; he didn't want to disclose important information to a stranger.

"You are a railway construction worker nearby, aren't you? That power is not something you should have; I suspect you might have obtained it illegally," said the woman, making Ren nervous. He wondered if the woman in front of him would punish him.

"But, whatever it is, it's not my concern. I'll keep this a secret; tell the others that Mizuha killed the Hound Hell," she added. She then turned and left just like that.

Ren was genuinely confused by Mizuha's attitude, but he remained grateful for her promise. He decided not to dwell on it further.

Ren then approached Kiyoshi and checked on him. He was slightly relieved to see that Kiyoshi was unharmed. He then shook Kiyoshi's body while calling his name.

After a moment, Kiyoshi finally woke up.

"Ren? What happened? I remember we were chased by a big scary black dog earlier."

"A genomancer has arrived and defeated the dog. Look." Ren pointed to the lifeless Hound Hell's body lying motionless.

"Hii!!" Kiyoshi was frightened, but after a while, he gathered his courage. Slowly, he stood up and approached the monster's corpse, poking it with a stick. After making sure the monster was truly dead, Kiyoshi felt relieved.

Kiyoshi stayed silent for a moment before speaking, "About that, I'll keep it a secret."

"Um, thank you," replied Ren, understanding what Kiyoshi meant.

Ren then added, "Well then, let's go to Suzaku station."

"Do you think we need to bring this monster's corpse? It should be very valuable, right?" Kiyoshi suggested.

Ren remembered that Mizuha seemed not to care about this monster; she only instructed them to inform others that she killed it.

"I think we should. Other monsters should have been taken care of by genomancers; we might be safe for now. No need to rush to the station," Ren agreed with Kiyoshi's suggestion.

Kiyoshi and Ren tried to drag the monster's corpse; both found it to be very heavy. Even in felis ignis mode, Ren himself still struggled to drag the monster. Ren's strength in felis ignis mode was only 1.7 times stronger than an average adult male.

Finally, the two of them brought four wheelbarrows. Ren broke some long branches and tied them into a box shape. Then he placed each corner of the box on the wheelbarrow and tied it again. They then lifted the monster slowly and placed it on the four wheelbarrows before pushing it.

Although it still felt heavy, at least with this assistance, Ren and Kiyoshi could push it more easily than before.

As night approached, Ren and Kiyoshi finally arrived at Suzaku station. They were immediately taken by Sasaki and questioned about the incident. Ren and Kiyoshi told the story they had agreed upon. Sasaki seemed to trust it because it was impossible for him to guess that Ren had become a genomancer.

"You're very lucky; Mizuha is known to be very generous; she often gives the corpses of monsters she kills to others. You'll get at least 20,000 yon for that monster," explained Sasaki.

"Uh, can we get monster gene fluid instead?" Ren asked hesitantly.

"Hahaha, it's not that easy. Our technology is still not advanced enough; a lot of materials are wasted when extracting monster gene fluid. So, it takes about 10 monsters of the same type to get 1 gene fluid," explained Sasaki.

"In that case, isn't the ordinary monster gene fluid sold by Blue Triangle too cheap?"

"Heh, they dilute its content," sneered Sasaki.

Ren nodded, understanding that the monster gene fluid sold by Blue Triangle was somewhat fake. However, upon reflection, it seemed reasonable. Blue Triangle wouldn't want to sell genuine monster gene fluid at a low price. If they did, owners of other conglomerate companies might buy it in large quantities.

Was the monster gene fluid Ren consumed genuine? Ren didn't know, but the felis ignis power within him indicated that the fluid was authentic.

"By the way, the company has accelerated the end of the month's work. Tomorrow, you can collect your salary and the money for the monster's corpse purchase; you can also go home directly. Of course, we won't charge for the return trip. However, Ren, since you said you would join us, you need to stay here with me for a few days. Alright, you can go now."

After a lengthy explanation, Ren and Kiyoshi finally walked out of Sasaki's room. Kiyoshi glanced at Ren and asked, "What did he mean earlier? Are you going to join him?"

"Mercenaries. I will join the mercenaries sponsored by Zoya Group," Ren didn't hide anything about it.

"I see. Well, with your strength, let alone mercenaries, I'm sure you'll become an official genomancer in a few years."

Ren felt a bit uncomfortable. Kiyoshi's gaze and words felt strange, filled with sadness.

"What's wrong with you?" Ren couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking that this is probably the last time we meet."

Ren shook his head. "I'll definitely visit you if I have time. By the way, where do you live?"

"I live in the Oharu district, look for a shop called Sazatomi, it's a small shop, so remember to look for a small shop."

"I'll remember it." Ren promised.

The next day, Kiyoshi left without telling Ren. He only took his salary without taking any money for the monster's corpse payment. Ren could only feel a little sad knowing that his friend who had accompanied him for a month had now parted ways. However, he knew a new journey awaited him.

During the day, Suzaku station became quiet again. Ren was then invited by Sasaki to go to the field near the station.

They faced each other under the scorching sun.

"Ren Kanazawa, although I have accepted your joining the mercenaries I formed. You still need to undergo an internship, about 1 year before becoming an official member. Don't worry, you will still receive a monthly salary."

Sasaki suddenly jumped a few times; he then grinned, saying, "But before that, I'll test your physical abilities."

Ren swallowed his saliva; this time he thought not to use the power of the genomancer. Without that power, Ren, just an ordinary kid, would surely suffer while undergoing physical ability testing under Sasaki Enjiro.