Chapter 39: Waiting by the Tree for the Hare

Lin Xiao’s guess had been correct. Not long after he and Zhou Zhi left, the others dispersed. They had gathered together because the night was too dangerous; only by staying in a group could they keep warm. Now that it was daytime, how could so many people hope to earn points all together?

After a day of adapting, the students had gained a better understanding of the spirit beasts’ strengths. On the first day, so many had been eliminated mainly because they lacked experience in dealing with spirit beasts. Things were different now. As long as they didn’t encounter a whole pack of beasts, handling a single one was no longer a problem.

There would be more and more spirit beasts on the road ahead, which meant everyone would have more opportunities to earn points. At this time, the live broadcast displayed a leaderboard, showing the points earned from killing spirit beasts. First place was Shen Yao, who had only managed eight points so far. The points for those ranked second through tenth were around five. Lin Xiao, after killing one beast, had earned a single point and was ranked sixty-eighth. Zhou Zhi hadn’t killed any, so his score was still zero.

The rankings didn’t mean much yet, since there were still two days left. Those like Shen Yao, who were strong enough to face spirit beasts alone, had started to act independently. Those who were slightly weaker, or who specialized in support, moved in teams instead. Right now, everyone’s main goal was to gather points by killing spirit beasts. Once the scores rose higher, there would likely be incidents of point-stealing.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Lin Xiao. After making a tidy profit, instead of moving forward as the others did, he led Zhou Zhi back quite a distance. Zhou Zhi was a bit puzzled, but he didn’t voice any objections. He had already decided to stick with Lin Xiao, trusting his judgment.

Lin Xiao’s thinking was simple: since he’d chosen to lay low, there was no need to worry about points. He would just find a place free of spirit beasts and get some proper rest.

It didn’t take long for him to find a perfect spot. From here, he could see for hundreds of meters in every direction. If any spirit beasts or other teams approached, he would spot them immediately.

“All right, let’s rest here,” he said.

“Okay!” Zhou Zhi replied enthusiastically.

Waiting around like this was a bit boring, so Lin Xiao asked Zhou Zhi to gather some dry wood nearby, while he began to deal with the corpse of the spirit beast.

If the beast wasn’t dealt with soon, it would spoil in this heat. Lin Xiao would never waste food like that. The spirit beasts in this area had already been mostly cleared out. Even if any stragglers were drawn by the smell, he and Zhou Zhi were more than capable of handling them.

With deft hands, Lin Xiao quickly fashioned a makeshift grill and set a violent hare over the fire. He had all the seasonings he needed, and before long, the aroma of roasting meat filled the air.

Zhou Zhi swallowed hard. Traveling with Lin Xiao meant there was always plenty to eat, but it was always bread and such—his mouth had long since grown bored with it.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be ready soon,” Lin Xiao reassured him. As he roasted the meat, his gaze never left their surroundings. He kept his ability activated, so that even the slightest movement around them wouldn’t escape his notice.

Whether the spirit beasts had truly been cleared out, or luck was simply on their side, Lin Xiao finished roasting the hare without any interruptions from beasts or other teams.

He was perfectly content with this peace and quiet. He tore the roasted hare in half and handed one piece to Zhou Zhi.

Without any hesitation, Zhou Zhi began gnawing on the meat. “Mmm! This is delicious, no question about it! Brother Xiao, I was starving for this. You keep watch first, I’ll eat and digest, then you can eat.”

Lin Xiao understood Zhou Zhi’s concern, but paid it no mind. In fact, under Zhou Zhi’s astonished gaze, he began to eat as well. “No need to keep watch. If it gets cold, it won’t taste as good.”

Zhou Zhi was speechless. If a spirit beast showed up while they were both eating, they’d be eliminated on the spot. But there was nothing to be done—eating took priority!

The two of them quickly finished the hare. Zhou Zhi felt a warm current surge through his body and immediately sat cross-legged to use his inner spirit power to absorb and balance the energy.

Lin Xiao, meanwhile, picked his teeth with a twig. For him, eating a low-level spirit beast like this was nothing; the energy was instantly absorbed by his body. Compared to the higher-level beasts he’d eaten before, this was hardly worth mentioning.

Half an hour later, Zhou Zhi had finally absorbed all the energy from the violent hare. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lin Xiao busily roasting more spirit beast meat.

“Brother Xiao, you finished absorbing it that quickly?” he asked.

Lin Xiao didn’t explain—he couldn’t exactly tell Zhou Zhi that he’d eaten meat from level six or seven beasts before, so a level one spirit beast was nothing to him. “Yes, I’m done.”

“But we’re already full. Why are you roasting more?”

“I’m bored. Who knows, maybe we’ll run into more gullible folk and can sell them some food.”

Zhou Zhi could only shake his head. Lin Xiao was clearly fixated on making money.

“I doubt it’ll work,” Zhou Zhi said. “Even if the food is cooked well, the energy within might still be unsafe. Unless they’re absolutely certain it’s safe, no one would dare eat it.”

Lin Xiao thought he had a point, but it didn’t matter—he’d already made enough profit. In truth, he had another reason for cooking: waiting here was too dull. He hoped the smell would attract a few spirit beasts so he could get some practice. After killing the violent hare earlier, he still hadn’t really stretched his legs, and he wasn’t entirely sure of his own strength.

He wanted to see what his real combat level was. When he’d fought those thugs before, he’d felt he wasn’t weak—some of them had level two abilities, after all. Dealing with level one spirit beasts shouldn’t be a problem.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he roasted, not a single spirit beast appeared.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to give up, his gaze sharpened. He spotted movement several hundred meters away. Thanks to his enhanced ability, he could see that far—otherwise, he might have missed it.

“Zhou, get ready. A spirit beast is coming,” he said quietly.

Zhou Zhi jumped in fright and looked around, but saw nothing. “Brother Xiao, don’t scare me like that. I’m not brave.”

But as he spoke, a spirit beast appeared before them—a Gale Wolf.

Though both the Gale Wolf and the violent hare were level one spirit beasts, their combat power was worlds apart. Zhou Zhi’s face fell.

“Oh no, a Gale Wolf! How could a Gale Wolf show up here? Our luck can’t be this bad.”

Lin Xiao hadn’t expected that, in waiting for rabbits, he’d lure a Gale Wolf instead.

Running was out of the question—the wolf was aptly named, and its speed far exceeded theirs.

So be it! He’d use this opportunity to test himself and see just how strong he truly was.