Chapter 140: Not So Easy to Repay

The two most proficient melee fighters, Noon-Horse and Monkey, had been struck down in a single blow by the Stone Beast leader, let alone the others who had been caught in close quarters.

As the Stone Beast leader locked its sights on them, Rat and the others braced themselves for the end, silently lamenting their own demise. They bore no ill will toward Lin Xiao; they simply felt useless. Lin Xiao had asked them to hold off the beast for a while, and it was their own incompetence that prevented them from buying even a fraction of that time.

As the leader’s attack descended, some even closed their eyes, resigning themselves to their fate. Yet, after a long moment, they felt no impact.

What was happening? Had they reached the afterlife? It seemed to be a peaceful passing, as they hadn't felt a shred of pain.

Not everyone had accepted their fate, however. Rat had been preparing to land one final, devastating strike on the Stone Beast leader before his death. Because of this, he witnessed the moment the beast’s chest exploded just as its attack was about to land, leaving a hole nearly a meter wide right where its heart should have been.

The weakness of a Sky-Piercing Stone Beast was its heart. Lin Xiao’s shot hadn't just struck the target; it had obliterated the organ entirely. Even as a Rank 7 spirit beast, there was no chance of survival after such a blow.

The others finally snapped back to reality.

"Pig, you actually did it! I knew trusting you was the right choice."

"But Pig, how on earth did you manage that? Can a sniper rifle really have that much power?"

"Ugh... pfft..."

"This is the first time we've encountered a Rank 7 spirit beast on a mission, and we actually killed it! This is incredible!"

"The beast is taken care of now, Pig. You can come over."

"By the way, did any of you hear a strange sound just now?"

"Pfft...! It’s... it’s me, Horse. I... feel like... I can still... be saved... pfft!"

Rat and the others finally realized there were two wounded comrades on the ground. The intensity of the moment had left them stunned, lost in the relief of their narrow escape.

Rabbit: "I'm coming, I'm coming! Horse, Monkey, hold on!"

"Thank... goodness... you finally... remembered us."

Lin Xiao did not respond to the chatter coming through the communicator. He felt completely drained. He had been the one to suggest that the team hold the line, but having never encountered a Rank 7 spirit beast before, he had severely underestimated its power.

He had almost cost Rat and the others their lives. Fortunately, at the very last second, he had succeeded in finding the Sky-Piercing Stone Beast’s weakness and landing the kill.

Once he saw the beast was truly dead, his exhaustion set in. It was a deep, psychological fatigue; in those few short moments, he felt as if his entire body had been drenched in sweat.

They were all safe. That was what mattered.

Now, his only concern was for Horse and Monkey. Rat and the others had gathered around the two injured members, looking at Rabbit with hopeful eyes. The pair looked truly wretched.

"Rabbit, are they going to be okay?"

"A dozen broken bones and varying degrees of internal injuries, but their lives are not in danger. Let me treat them, and they will recover quickly."

Hearing Rabbit’s words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they survived, the physical injuries were manageable with a Rank 5 healer like Rabbit on the team. Rat had originally intended to use the Rejuvenation Pill he’d bought at auction if they were mortally wounded, but it seemed he could save it for a more desperate time.

"Pig, are you alright? Why haven't you answered?"

At Rat’s question, the others realized Lin Xiao had been silent since the shot. They all began to call out, asking about his condition.

Hearing that Horse and Monkey were only injured, Lin Xiao let out a long breath.

"I’m fine, everyone. Just a bit shaken. I need a moment to recover."

"Good! Once you've caught your breath, come over immediately. We’re waiting for you to help count the loot."

At the mention of loot, Lin Xiao’s spirits instantly revived. He scrambled to his feet. Right! The danger was over, and it was time to collect the spoils.

"Wait for me! I'll be there in a moment!"

Rat and the others chuckled at Lin Xiao’s eager tone. They hadn't realized he was such a little treasure-seeker. It then dawned on them that there were over a hundred spirit beast corpses at the scene—all Rank 5 or higher. They hadn't seen such a haul in all their previous trips combined.

This was a massive windfall. Even though everyone was dying to know how many spirit cores they had gathered, no one dared to touch anything until Lin Xiao arrived. They wanted to process it all together.

Knowing Lin Xiao was on his way, Rat and the others collapsed onto the ground. The thrill of cheating death was exhilarating, but it was an experience they hoped never to repeat.

Rat gestured for everyone to turn off their communicators.

"Once we leave this secret realm, I intend to petition for Pig to be officially inducted into our core team. Does anyone have any objections?"

"I agree with both hands and feet."

"Only a fool would object. Just on this trip alone, Pig has saved us multiple times. He is our savior."

"Exactly. I keep forgetting that Pig is only Rank 2."

"Wait... he’s only Rank 2?!"

"Still, there are many secrets to Pig. You saw that final shot against the Stone Beast leader—that was no simple feat."

"I was just thinking, if he had targeted us, could we have dodged it?"

"What are you talking about? Why would Brother Pig ever turn on us!"

"It’s a good thing we trusted him in the end. If we had listened to the boss and scattered, even if a few of us escaped, some would have certainly been left behind forever."

...

Watching the team chat, a smile crept across Rat’s face. Their eleven-member squad had been training together for a while now. They had visited Rank 5 secret realms before, but this was the first time they had faced such a harrowing ordeal. Past dangers had always been within their control, but this time, they had nearly been wiped out.

It seemed that their survival was entirely due to Lin Xiao.

He felt a sudden sense of gratitude that, on a whim before they set out, he had decided to recruit a cook. Otherwise, they might have all perished here. Rat began to ponder how he could repay such a massive favor—a debt that, he realized, might be quite difficult to settle.