《Universal Shelter: I have a gold entry at each level!》 Chapter 1 - A Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland 001: A Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect this¡ªI actually transmigrated into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Is this fate giving me another chance?¡± Mu Liang still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how something as bizarre as transmigration had happened to him. After five days of recuperation, his military training had allowed him to gather some basic intelligence. This world was far larger than Earth, yet it was desolate and ruined. Civilization had all but collapsed. The land was barren, incapable of growing crops, and stretched endlessly into desolation. Rainfall was scarce, and when it did rain, it was acidic. The sky was often covered in dust, allowing sunlight to only occasionally reach the ground. Mu Liang moved his arms, feeling the soreness finally dissipate. After five days of rest, his strength was gradually returning. He pried open a gap in the wooden shack¡¯s door, peering outside. The sun was setting in the west, casting a dim glow over the barren wasteland. Not a single speck of greenery was in sight. Back on Earth, Mu Liang had been an orphan. Unable to afford college tuition, he had enlisted in the military halfway through his studies. Five years as a special forces soldier had left him with lingering injuries, forcing him to retire. He had planned to use the skills he had learned in the military to become a short-video content creator, focusing on wilderness survival. But fate had other plans. A sudden earthquake triggered a ground fissure, and Mu Liang was caught in it. He had thought he was done for. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had awakened in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, his entire body aching and immobile. Luckily, fate hadn¡¯t completely abandoned him. A girl, disguised as a boy, had secretly dragged him back to a camp and hidden him away. Mu Liang sighed helplessly. ¡°Looks like I really am about to start a survival challenge.¡± As a stowaway, if the camp¡¯s people discovered him, he would have to flee immediately. According to Mino, if a stowaway was caught, the consequences ranged from being beaten to death to being worked to death. Neither outcome was something Mu Liang wanted to experience. Mino was the girl who had disguised herself as a boy and had saved him before sneaking him into her home. A faint snapping sound echoed¡ªthe sound of a twig breaking. Mu Liang snapped out of his thoughts, his vigilance kicking in. He pried open a gap in the wooden shack¡¯s door and looked outside. A thin, dirt-streaked figure was cautiously approaching the shack. Mu Liang relaxed. The sneaky figure was none other than Mino. The rickety shack door was carefully pushed open. The next second, the door was quickly shut behind her. ¡°Ah! What are you doing standing there in silence?!¡± Mino, startled by Mu Liang¡¯s sudden presence near the door, clutched her chest as her heart pounded wildly. ¡°How did it go?¡± Mu Liang stepped back, sitting down by the entrance. ¡°Mu Liang, you¡¯re amazing! The trap you taught me worked perfectly!¡± Mino¡¯s excitement was palpable as she eagerly chattered away. ¡°I caught way more lizards today than I ever have before!¡± ¡°How many?¡± Mu Liang asked with a chuckle. After five days together, he had chosen not to expose Mino¡¯s disguise. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re going to be shocked!¡± Mino grinned mischievously and pulled out a small brown lizard, about the size of two fingers, from the cloth bag slung across her body. One after another, she took out seven more flat-bodied lizards, lining them up neatly in front of Mu Liang. ¡°How many stone-press traps did you set up today?¡± Mu Liang glanced at the wounds on her fingers. ¡°Not enough time¡ªI only managed to set up twenty-two.¡± Mino pouted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll definitely set up over thirty!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Be careful not to attract attention,¡± Mu Liang reminded her calmly. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mino suddenly realized the risk. She then bit her lip anxiously. ¡°But if I don¡¯t set up more traps, there are only three days left before the tax is due. What about your share?¡± ¡°How much am I short?¡± Mu Liang frowned slightly. Over the past five days, he had learned the camp¡¯s rules¡ªresidents had to pay taxes in food to stay. ¡°Including today¡¯s catch, you¡¯re still short about thirty lizards.¡± Mino hung her head in disappointment. In these five days, their relationship had evolved from initial wariness to a transactional agreement¡ªMu Liang had traded his survival gear for a safe place to stay. Just last night, he had taught her how to set up stone-press traps. Since then, Mino had begun to develop a sense of reliance on him. For the first time in a long while, she felt the warmth of being cared for. ¡°Did you collect enough for your own tax?¡± Mu Liang asked nonchalantly. Paying the tax wasn¡¯t a big deal for him. Once he was fully recovered, he wouldn¡¯t be catching just small lizards. Mino¡¯s enthusiasm dimmed as she muttered, ¡°I already submitted thirty-five lizards. I just need five more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I don¡¯t have enough, I¡¯ll just leave,¡± Mu Liang reassured her. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re leaving?¡± Mino¡¯s head shot up, her eyes wide with surprise. She didn¡¯t know how to make him stay. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve almost fully recovered.¡± Mu Liang clenched his fist. ¡°But there are still three days! I can definitely gather enough for your tax!¡± Mino blurted out in panic. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before Mu Liang could respond, she quickly rummaged through a pile of stones in the corner of the shack and pulled out a wooden box. ¡°I still have some dried lizard meat saved up. It should be enough!¡± Mino opened the box and took out eight strips of dried lizard meat. ¡°Keep it. That¡¯s your food supply,¡± Mu Liang said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he felt a twinge of emotion. He reminded her in a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡ªI¡¯m an adult. My tax is different from yours.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Mino¡¯s body trembled, her voice shaky with reluctance. ¡°There must be another way¡­¡± Of course, she hadn¡¯t forgotten that adults owed more tax. She just didn¡¯t want Mu Liang to leave. She had secretly planned to set up more traps and gather the fifty lizards needed to cover his share. ¡°Do you remember what you said to me on the first day we met?¡± Mu Liang gazed at her calmly. On the day Mino found him, she had assumed he was dead and had tried to scavenge his belongings. But when Mu Liang suddenly spoke, she had been so startled she nearly jumped out of her skin. In the end, she was too inexperienced and had been easily convinced to strike a deal¡ªhis military knife and canteen in exchange for her help. That day, Mino had said: ¡°I¡­¡± Mino¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She wanted to argue but didn¡¯t know how. Silently, she turned away and pulled out a camouflage backpack from under the wooden bed. With trembling hands, she set it down in front of Mu Liang. ¡°I didn¡¯t take anything. Everything is inside.¡± Mino bit her lip, her eyes filled with pleading. ¡°I¡¯m giving it all back to you. Will you stay?¡± ¡°Why do you want me to stay so badly?¡± Before he could get an answer, Mino suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Wait! I have something that might cover the tax!¡± She scrambled under the bed and pulled out a small turtle. ¡°A turtle?¡± Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind: Chapter 2 - The First Tamed Animal Chapter 002: The First Tamed Animal Before Mu Liang could react, a stream of information flooded his mind. After reading through it, he finally understood what had happened. A high-dimensional world had developed an intelligent system meant to train Beast Tamers. However, during its delivery process, the system was accidentally caught in a spatial turbulence and ended up merging with Mu Liang, who was in the middle of transmigration. Mu Liang sighed internally, focusing on analyzing the purpose of the Divine Beast Tamer System. Currently, the system¡¯s permissions were quite limited, and its function was straightforward. It allowed him to tame animals and facilitate their evolution. As the host, he could also inherit a talent from the animals he tamed. Each day, he would receive one taming attempt, and evolution required evolution points. Evolution points could be obtained from energy-containing objects. Following his gaming instincts, Mu Liang mentally asked the system, A second later, a virtual interface appeared on his retina. Beast Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina: 3 | Speed: 2.6 Strength: 3.2 | Mental Power: 2.7 Lifespan: 24 years / 79 years Taming Points: 10 (refreshes daily, can accumulate) Evolution Points: 0 Abilities: None Tamed Beasts: None The attribute panel was incredibly simple, not even displaying the skills he had learned during his time as a special forces soldier in his previous life. Mu Liang smirked and murmured, ¡°Mu Liang, will you stay?¡± Mino didn¡¯t hear what he said, but when she saw his smile, she assumed he had decided to stay. ¡°I¡¯ll go pay your tax.¡± Before Mu Liang could respond, Mino hurriedly packed up, as if afraid of hearing his refusal. She placed the seven small lizards back into her cloth bag, then took five dried lizards from the wooden box, leaving only three for food. She then glanced reluctantly at the turtle in Mu Liang¡¯s hands. It had been a gift from her sister, meant to help eat the bugs in the shack. One turtle could be exchanged for ten small lizards. Mino quickly did the math in her head, then grinned and said optimistically, ¡°If I set up more stone-press traps over the next three days, I can definitely gather enough for both of us.¡± ¡°Mino, this turtle can¡¯t be used for tax payment.¡± Mu Liang shook his head, interrupting her plan. ¡°Why not?¡± Mino froze for a moment before realization dawned on her. Her face turned pale, and she asked in a low voice, ¡°Mu Liang¡­ are you still planning to leave?¡± ¡°Can you give me this turtle?¡± Mu Liang asked instead. ¡°Huh? You want the turtle?¡± Mino was stunned for three seconds. She hadn¡¯t heard him say he was leaving, so her mood lifted again. Cheerfully, she waved her hand. ¡°Sure! You can have the little turtle.¡± She set down the cloth bag and tilted her head, frowning slightly as she mumbled, ¡°Without the turtle, I¡¯m still short by forty-three lizards¡­ Should I set up traps farther away?¡± Mu Liang watched as the girl clumsily drew a rough map of the surrounding area on the ground, pondering where she could place traps to catch more lizards. He smiled quietly, warmth filling his heart as he looked down at the turtle in his hands. He issued the command in his mind. As soon as the system¡¯s voice faded, the turtle in Mu Liang¡¯s hands began to glow faintly. Its body was slowly expanding, so Mu Liang quickly set it down on the ground. ¡°Step back a little.¡± He grabbed the dazed Mino and moved back a few steps. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mino glanced warily at the shack door. Before she could react, she saw the turtle on the ground glowing softly and rapidly growing larger. She gasped in shock. ¡°The turtle is getting bigger?!¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is it mutating into a beast?!¡± A terrifying thought crossed her mind, and her expression changed instantly. Mino quickly drew the bone dagger at her waist, ready to charge forward and stab the turtle to death. ¡°Don¡¯t! It¡¯s fine!¡± Mu Liang immediately grabbed her arm. It would be ridiculous if the newly tamed turtle got killed by her the very next second. ¡°Mu Liang, kill it now! If it mutates into a beast, we¡¯re both dead!¡± Mino had witnessed the devastation caused by beasts before. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold. ¡°Relax, the turtle is already tamed.¡± Mu Liang reassured her. At that moment, the transformation was complete. The palm-sized turtle had now grown to over a meter in length and width. Its once small and cute appearance had become more rugged and intimidating. The dark brown shell was now uneven, resembling a chunk of solid rock. ¡°* ¡°Tamed?¡± Mino blinked in disbelief. She hesitantly asked, ¡°Really? It won¡¯t bite?¡± ¡°Of course. Let me show you.¡± Mu Liang raised his hand and gestured toward the Rock Armor Turtle, communicating his intent through their newly established mental link. Now that the turtle was tamed, he could feel its friendly emotions toward him. The Rock Armor Turtle lumbered over, nudging its head against Mu Liang¡¯s palm with half-closed eyes, expressing its affection. ¡°See? I wasn¡¯t lying.¡± Mu Liang turned to Mino with a smile, feeling the rough texture of the turtle¡¯s head¡ªit was as if he was touching solid stone. ¡°How¡­ how did you do that?!¡± Mino¡¯s eyes widened as she covered her mouth in shock. ¡°You forgot, didn¡¯t you? Awakened ones can do things like this.¡± Mu Liang said casually. Chapter 3 - Inheriting the Rock Armor Turtle’s Ability Chapter 003: Inheriting the Rock Armor Turtle¡¯s Ability A post-apocalyptic wasteland. Animals and plants had mutated, collectively known as fierce beasts. Humans had also undergone mutations, though not as drastic as other creatures. There were three types of human mutations: Awakened, Mutants, and Enhancers. Awakened: One in ten thousand possessed unique and varied abilities.Mutants: One in a thousand, with strength determined by their mutation talent.Enhancers: Those who used external forces to strengthen themselves, forming the mainstream power system. This basic information was something Mu Liang had learned from Mino. ¡°Huh? Mu Liang, you¡¯re an Awakened???¡± Mino stared blankly, unable to process the shocking revelation. ¡°Yes, my awakened ability is taming animals.¡± Mu Liang nodded lightly. His ability to tame animals would eventually be exposed, so he decided to disguise himself as an Awakened. ¡°Mu Liang, you¡¯re so¡­ so amazing.¡± Mino snapped out of her daze and grabbed Mu Liang¡¯s arm, stammering with excitement, unsure how to express her emotions. Her sister had once told her that their camp had no Awakened, only a few Enhancers and Mutants. ¡°Keep your voice down. Don¡¯t let others hear.¡± Mu Liang reminded her with a smile. ¡°Right, right¡­ We must keep your identity a secret.¡± Mino hurriedly covered her mouth and nodded repeatedly. However, she suddenly found herself troubled by a new worry¡ªif Mu Liang was an Awakened, would he really stay in such a small camp? Mu Liang noticed her sudden silence but chose not to disturb her. Instead, he asked the system in his mind, ¡°Inherit.¡± As the system¡¯s mechanical voice echoed, Mu Liang felt a refreshing coolness deep in his brain, followed by a warm current surging through his body. ¡°System, open my attribute panel.¡± Beast Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina: 6 | Speed: 4.3 Strength: 5 | Mental Power: 8.7 Lifespan: 24 years / 100 years Taming Points: 0 (refreshes daily, can accumulate) Evolution Points: 0 Ability: Earth Rock Spike (Level 1) Tamed Beast: Rock Armor Turtle (Level 1) Talent: Earth Rock Spike (Level 1) After reading his attribute panel, Mu Liang was completely stunned. All his physical attributes had been enhanced, and his lifespan had even increased to 100 years. If he continued evolving the Rock Armor Turtle, would his lifespan reach a thousand years? Even ten thousand? S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It wasn¡¯t impossible. After all, taming points refreshed daily, allowing him to continuously tame new animals. As long as he kept inheriting new talents, his lifespan and attributes would keep improving. Since there was no description on the panel, Mu Liang decided to test it himself. He activated the ability with a thought, and a sharp rock spike, about the length of a palm, suddenly protruded from the ground a few meters away. The Rock Armor Turtle tilted its head, its emerald-green eyes staring curiously at the rock spike in front of it. ¡°The power is decent. If used for a surprise attack on an enemy¡¯s feet, it could render them immobile.¡± ¡°If I knock someone to the ground and then use ¡®Earth Rock Spike¡¯ again, it would definitely be a lethal strike.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s military instincts kicked in, thinking about how to maximize the ability¡¯s combat potential. He checked his attribute panel and noticed that using abilities consumed both stamina and mental power. ¡°I can use it about six times before exhausting my stamina.¡± ¡°To be safe, I should limit it to three uses, leaving some stamina for emergencies.¡± Mu Liang quickly determined his limits. Now, another problem occupied his mind¡ªhow to obtain energy-containing objects. This was crucial for strengthening the Rock Armor Turtle. His first goal: evolve the Rock Armor Turtle to the level of the legendary Black Tortoise. ¡°Mu Liang, if you¡¯re an Awakened, why did you faint that day?¡± Mino suddenly asked. ¡°I was bitten by a venomous beast,¡± Mu Liang casually gave the excuse he had prepared in advance. He could never reveal that he was a transmigrator¡ªnot to anyone. ¡°So¡­ once you recover, you¡¯re going to leave, aren¡¯t you?¡± Mino¡¯s voice was filled with disappointment. After a moment of silence, she figured it out on her own. Mu Liang was an Awakened. Whether or not he stayed in the camp wasn¡¯t really a question¡ªhe had been avoiding the topic from the beginning. ¡°Yes, I will leave.¡± Mu Liang nodded slightly. Sooner or later, he had to leave the camp. Only outside could he tame new animals and obtain energy-containing items. Mino bit her lip and asked bitterly, ¡°When?¡± ¡°In two days,¡± Mu Liang decided. Thanks to his newfound strength, his injuries had not only healed but his body had become even stronger. He chose to stay two more days to investigate whether the camp had any energy-containing objects. ¡°That soon? Can¡¯t you stay a little longer?¡± Mino looked like she was about to cry, but she held back her tears, gazing at Mu Liang pleadingly. ¡°You forgot? The tax is due in three days.¡± Mu Liang raised his hand and wiped a smudge of charcoal from her cheek. To disguise herself as a boy, Mino had smeared charcoal on her face. She also wrapped her head in cloth and wore oversized, tattered gray clothing. ¡°I¡¯ll catch the lizards, I promise. You have to trust me.¡± Mino grasped Mu Liang¡¯s hand tightly, speaking with determination. ¡°Then let me ask you a question.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice was gentle as he asked, ¡°In two days, would you be willing to leave with me?¡± ¡°I w¡ª¡± Mino started to answer but abruptly stopped. She suddenly remembered her sister¡¯s parting words before she left: ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer now. Tell me in two days.¡± Mu Liang reassured her softly. After all, they had only known each other for five days. Asking her to leave behind everything she knew to wander the outside world with him was indeed a difficult request. ¡°Mm.¡± Mino nodded lightly, her small face scrunching up in distress, her heart in turmoil. Should she leave with Mu Liang? Or stay and wait for her sister? If she chose wrong, she might never see him again. If she chose wrong, she might never reunite with her sister. This is so hard!!! Bottom of Form Chapter 4 - Taming the Second Animal Chapter 004: Taming the Second Animal The next day, at the break of dawn. Mino woke up, staring blankly at the wooden roof of the shelter. She had spent the entire night thinking¡ªshould she leave with Mu Liang? The thoughts had kept her awake, and it was only after several hours that she finally drifted off to sleep. ¡°Sniff, sniff¡­¡± Mino wrinkled her delicate nose. A rich aroma of meat filled the air. Turning her head, she saw a few embers still glowing in the fire pit. Above it, a metal pot hung from a wooden frame, and the scent was coming from inside. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Come eat something.¡± Mu Liang stirred the contents of the pot with a ladle. Mino was momentarily dazed. Until now, it had always been her preparing breakfast. She hesitated before asking, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine now,¡± Mu Liang replied lightly. Breakfast consisted of compressed biscuits and boiled lizard¡ªa rather unappetizing meal, but enough to fill their stomachs. The biscuits were one of the few things Mu Liang had brought from Earth when the ground cracked open. ¡°Oh.¡± Mino sat quietly by the fire. ¡°Once we¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s go hunting together.¡± Mu Liang scooped the breakfast into a metal lunchbox and handed it to the girl. Since they were leaving the camp for a while, he needed to stock up on food. There weren¡¯t many biscuits left. ¡°Okay.¡± Mino obediently took the lunchbox. She recognized it¡ªit was from the backpack. Five days ago, she had even considered using it to pay taxes, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Mu Liang noticed her low spirits but didn¡¯t try to comfort her. Instead, he scooped up some lizard meat porridge from the pot and quietly ate his breakfast. ¡°Sizzle~~¡± The two ate in silence. Mino pressed her lips together, stealing glances at Mu Liang¡¯s profile. For some reason, she suddenly felt at a loss for words. It wasn¡¯t as easy to chat as before. ¡°Crunch¡­¡± The Rock Armor Turtle scraped its foot against the ground, its emerald-green eyes fixed on Mu Liang. Seeing this, Mino immediately found something to talk about. ¡°What about the turtle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming with us,¡± Mu Liang replied. He wouldn¡¯t feel at ease leaving it behind in the camp. A Level 1 Rock Armor Turtle wasn¡¯t strong. If discovered, someone might just kill it for its meat. Besides, the turtle needed food too. Out in the wild, it could hunt for itself. ¡°I see.¡± Mino nodded slightly. The conversation ended, and silence settled between them once more. After finishing breakfast, the two packed up any important belongings from the shelter to prevent theft. Mino¡¯s home was just a wooden shack built from dried wood and animal hides. It sat on the edge of the camp¡ªperfect for sneaking away unnoticed. The Rock Armor Turtle moved slowly, no faster than an average walking pace. However, with its shell resembling brown rock, it was naturally camouflaged. Once outside the camp, the two and their turtle headed north. According to Mino, there was a rocky hillside in that direction, home to many small lizards. Along the way, Mu Liang spotted other people, but they all kept their distance. He could guess why¡ªthey were wary of being robbed. After all, in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, survival meant constantly watching your back. Before long, they reached the base of the nearest hill. ¡°Xiao Xuanwu, go find your own food,¡± Mu Liang said, crouching down to pat the turtle¡¯s head. He had named it ¡ªa small wishful hope. ¡°Roar~~¡± The Rock Armor Turtle nuzzled Mu Liang¡¯s palm before choosing a direction and slowly crawling away. ¡°Will it get lost?¡± Mino asked worriedly. ¡°No, I can sense where it is,¡± Mu Liang replied with a smile. Tamed animals could communicate with him through their bond. Mino sighed in relief and pointed ahead. ¡°I set up some traps at the base of the next few hills.¡± ¡°You go check them. I¡¯ll scout around for other prey.¡± Mu Liang decided to split up. Small lizards weren¡¯t what he was after. They didn¡¯t have enough meat to be worth it. ¡°Alright.¡± Mino nodded softly. ¡°If anything happens, just call for me.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mu Liang gave her a slight nod before heading off in the opposite direction of the turtle. ¡°Sigh~~ Why do I feel so uneasy today?¡± Mino exhaled, patting her cheeks to shake off the gloom. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Mu Liang¡¯s footsteps paused momentarily before he walked on. Thanks to his bond with the Rock Armor Turtle, his senses had improved. He could hear Mino¡¯s sigh clearly. Loneliness weighed heavier on someone who had been alone for too long. Now that she had company, she was afraid to lose it. But Mu Liang chose not to comfort her. If she decided not to leave with him, any kindness he gave her now would only make it harder for her later. ¡°This place is so barren¡­ feels just like a desert.¡± Mu Liang stepped lightly, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. He muttered to himself, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how people survive here long-term.¡± ¡°Rustle~~¡± The sound of sand shifting immediately caught his attention. He locked onto a nearby rock wall, scanning carefully. Soon, he spotted the source. A small lizard was climbing up the rock face. ¡°If I see you, you¡¯re not getting away.¡± Mu Liang drew the combat knife from his waist and swiftly stabbed at the lizard¡¯s head. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Squelch¡­ The small lizard was dead. ¡°Rustle~~¡± Another lizard suddenly emerged from the rock wall, scrambling upward. ¡°A chameleon?¡± Mu Liang hesitated for barely a second before reacting. He reached out to grab it. He missed on the first attempt but managed to pin it down on the second. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find a different kind of lizard here.¡± Mu Liang observed the struggling creature in his hand. It was nearly twice the size of the previous lizards. Most intriguingly, its skin was covered in patches of red, green, and blue. ¡°Ding! A tameable animal has been detected. Would you like to tame it?¡± Translator¡¯s Note: : A mythical creature from Chinese mythology, often depicted as a black turtle entwined with a snake. Mu Liang naming his turtle suggests he hopes it will grow into something powerful.: A common military-style survival food, lightweight and calorie-dense, often used in disaster scenarios. Chapter 5 - The Girl with Blue Rabbit Ears Chapter 005: The Girl with Blue Rabbit Ears ¡°Ding! A tameable animal has been detected. Would you like to tame it?¡± The Beast Tamer System¡¯s notification rang in Mu Liang¡¯s mind. He suddenly realized that the chameleon¡¯s ability to change colors was actually quite useful. Plus, his daily Taming Points had already refreshed, meaning he could tame a second animal. Every day, after midnight, Taming Points would reset to 10. ¡°Tame the chameleon,¡± Mu Liang commanded. ¡°Ding! Detecting Level 0 lifeform: Chameleon. Taming in progress¡­¡± ¡°Ding! 10 Taming Points consumed. Taming successful.¡± A soft white glow enveloped the chameleon. It stopped struggling and instead stretched its limbs comfortably. Three seconds later, it underwent a transformation¡ªits body shrinking to palm size, its scales shifting into vibrant red, green, and blue striped patterns. ¡°Ding! Would you like to inherit the Three-Colored Lizard¡¯s talent: Mimetic Camouflage?¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Inherit.¡± Mu Liang nodded. ¡°Ding! Mimetic Camouflage is being improved¡­ Adapting¡­ Inheritance complete.¡± Mu Liang felt a cool sensation spread across his skin, followed by a faint warmth inside his body¡ªso subtle that he wouldn¡¯t have noticed if he wasn¡¯t paying close attention. ¡°System, open my stats.¡± He wanted to check if anything had changed. Beast Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina:2Speed:5Strength:1Spirit:9Lifespan:24 years / 110 yearsTaming Points:0 (Resets daily, can be accumulated)Evolution Points:0Abilities:Earth Rock Spike (Level 1)Mimetic Camouflage (Level 1)Tamed Beasts:Rock Armor Turtle¨C Talent: Earth Rock Spike (Level 1)Three-Colored Lizard¨C Talent: Mimetic Camouflage (Level 1) ¡°So my stats barely increased. The real benefit of the Three-Colored Lizard is its talent, huh?¡± Mu Liang activated , feeling the same cool sensation on his skin. The light around him distorted, blending him into the environment. The whole process took about a second. Turning his eyes downward, he saw that his clothes, shoulders, and even his back had changed to match the rocky terrain¡ªvarious shades of brown and ochre. He remained still. Ten seconds¡­ One minute¡­ Ten minutes¡­ Half an hour passed. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s no time limit for this ability.¡± Mu Liang moved his hands and feet, and as soon as he did, the camouflage faded, revealing his true colors again. ¡°I see. The camouflage works by bending light, but any movement disrupts the effect.¡± Now that he understood the strengths and weaknesses of , a smirk appeared on his lips. ¡°This ability is perfect for stealth and assassinations.¡± ¡°Go on, stay hidden around me.¡± Mu Liang set the chameleon down. At Level 1, the Three-Colored Lizard wasn¡¯t strong. For now, it would just serve as a companion. The lizard glanced at Mu Liang, then scurried up a rock wall, keeping just the right distance behind him. If it stayed still, it would completely vanish from sight. ¡°If it gains an offensive talent later, I could train it into an Assassin¡¯s Creed-style killer lizard.¡± Mu Liang thought with amusement. Pulling his combat knife from the rock, he picked up the dead lizard and stuffed it into his pocket before continuing his hunt. For over two hours, all he managed to catch were small lizards. He also came across some venomous scorpions and insects but had no interest in eating them. Those were last-resort survival food. ¡°These look like rat burrows.¡± Mu Liang found several small holes and inspected the tracks around them. He planned to send the Three-Colored Lizard inside to flush out the rats when¡ª Thump, thump, thump¡­ His sharp hearing caught the sound of footsteps¡ªgetting closer, heading his way. Years of special forces training kicked in instantly. Mu Liang pressed himself against the rock wall, activated , and disappeared from sight. Less than a minute later, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure entered his view. It was Mino. But what was unfamiliar¡­ was the long blue rabbit ears on top of her head. ¡°Get her! Don¡¯t let her escape!¡± ¡°You¡¯re dead, girl! How dare you steal our prey?!¡± ¡°If we catch you, I swear I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Four men shouted threats as they chased after the girl, wielding bone knives and wooden spears. ¡°Shameless bastards!¡± Mino shouted back angrily, ¡°I caught that prey in my trap! Since when did it belong to you?!¡± She was running with enough breath to spare for yelling back¡ªclearly, she wasn¡¯t at her limit. Mu Liang watched her dash past him, not stopping the first three pursuers. But when the fourth one reached him¡ª Mu Liang lunged forward, grabbed the man¡¯s jaw, and used his own running momentum to slam his head into the ground. ¡°Crack!¡± A sharp snap rang out. The man¡¯s neck broke instantly. His mouth was covered, leaving him no chance to scream before he died. The whole thing took less than two seconds. Mu Liang stood up and silently pursued the remaining three. Using the same method, he eliminated the one at the back without a sound. Now, only two were left. Something felt off to them¡ªthere were no footsteps, no breathing, no yelling from their companions. Sensing danger, they stopped running and turned around. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± ¡°What did you do to them?!¡± Gripping their weapons tightly, the two men shouted in alarm. Mu Liang halted four meters away from them. Hearing their voices, Mino instinctively turned her head. ¡°Huh???¡± Her small mouth dropped open in shock. She had deliberately led them away from Mu Liang¡¯s direction¡­ and yet, somehow, she had still run into him. ¡°Mu Liang! Run!¡± Mino shouted. ¡°So, you¡¯re with her!¡± Hearing Mino call his name, the two pursuers relaxed slightly. Their biggest fear was running into scavenger hunters¡ªmerciless killers who preyed on the weak. But since this guy was her ally, that meant he wasn¡¯t some unknown threat. ¡°Kill him first!¡± The man with the wooden spear took the lead, lunging forward to stab Mu Liang in the chest. Mu Liang sidestepped fluidly, dodging the attack. Using the attacker¡¯s momentum, he stepped in close and slammed his elbow into the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Crack!¡± His ribcage shattered. The man flew backward, collapsed on the ground, and coughed up blood. Mu Liang¡¯s physical stats were already three times higher than a normal person¡¯s¡ª And that was before factoring in the enhancements from the Rock Armor Turtle. With just a little force, an ordinary person stood no chance against him. ¡°Y-You¡¯re an Enhancer¡­¡± The last remaining man, gripping a bone knife, paled in fear. He was frozen¡ªunable to advance or retreat. ¡°Mu Liang! Watch out!¡± Mino shouted. She rushed forward and kicked the man hard in the stomach. ¡°Thud!¡± He fell to the ground, eyes darting between his dying comrade and Mu Liang. Trembling, he stammered, ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t kill me! I work for Boss Bloodbeard!¡± ¡ª Translator¡¯s Note: : Likely refers to people who have undergone physical or supernatural enhancements in this post-apocalyptic world.: Possibly a gang leader or local warlord in this wasteland setting. Chapter 6 - Mino – I Am a Mutant Chapter 006: Mino ¨C I Am a Mutant ¡°Who is Bloodbeard?¡± Mu Liang asked expressionlessly. Mino¡¯s face was too dirty to show any emotion, but her voice was heavy. ¡°Bloodbeard is a bandit leader in this area. He often raids small camps and settlements or ambushes travelers on the road.¡± ¡°Heh, you two better let me go.¡± The man holding the bone knife¡ªone of Bloodbeard¡¯s scouts¡ªnoticed their hesitation and immediately became arrogant. ¡°If you don¡¯t, when my boss attacks your camp, you two are dead for sure!¡± From experience, he knew that just mentioning Bloodbeard¡¯s name was usually enough to scare people into submission. Mu Liang¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait¡­ you just said ¡®when they attack our camp¡¯?¡± The bandit scout froze. ¡°Uh¡­ I-I¡­ did I say that?¡± He stammered, realizing his mistake. ¡°So, you four were scouting for them, weren¡¯t you?¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°No! We were just out hunting!¡± The scout panicked and shook his head frantically. If Bloodbeard found out he had leaked information about the raid, he would be tied up and dragged to death on the ground. ¡°When is the attack happening?¡± Mu Liang picked up a bone knife from the ground and pressed it against the scout¡¯s chin. His voice remained unnervingly calm. ¡°I¡¯ll only ask once. If I don¡¯t like your answer, this knife will go straight through your chin and into your brain.¡± ¡°I-I-I¡­¡± The bandit scout stared at Mu Liang in terror. One look at those eyes, and he knew¡ªthis man wasn¡¯t bluffing. Mu Liang smirked. ¡°So, you¡¯d rather take your loyalty to Bloodbeard to the grave?¡± The knife pressed forward. ¡°No! I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk!¡± The bandit scout¡¯s head was forced back as he shouted in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when Bloodbeard will attack your camp! He only decided to do it and sent us to scout the area.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know the timing?¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice grew colder. ¡°I swear! But usually, it wouldn¡¯t take more than three days.¡± Desperate to survive, the bandit even revealed internal gang protocols. Mu Liang continued his questioning. Just as the scout finally relaxed, thinking he might be spared¡ª ¡°Crack!¡± With a sudden twist, Mu Liang snapped his neck. The body collapsed limply to the ground. ¡°Bloodbeard has set his sights on our camp¡­¡± Mino¡¯s small hands gripped Mu Liang¡¯s arm. Her voice trembled. ¡°Mu Liang, what should I do?¡± ¡°How many people are in your camp? And how many of them are women, children, or the elderly?¡± Mu Liang asked. Mino thought for a moment before pressing her lips together. ¡°Around three hundred people¡­ but half of them are women, kids, or old folks.¡± ¡°Tell them to run. They¡¯re no match for a bandit crew.¡± Mu Liang shook his head. From the interrogation, he knew that Bloodbeard had over five hundred men¡ªhardened raiders. A camp with three hundred people, half of whom were non-combatants, wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Even if by some miracle they won, barely anyone would survive. ¡°Run? But¡­ where would we even go?¡± Mino asked blankly. ¡°That¡¯s not my problem,¡± Mu Liang replied. ¡°Tell your camp leader what¡¯s happening. Figuring out the next step is their job.¡± He crouched down and began searching the bandit scout¡¯s body. Mino bit her lip and asked urgently, ¡°But¡­ will they even believe me?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± Mu Liang thought for a moment before answering. After all, a random nobody from the camp suddenly claiming that bandits were about to attack¡ªwho would take that seriously? Maybe they¡¯d believe her at first. But if the bandits didn¡¯t show up immediately, people would start doubting. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t believe me, I still have to try.¡± Mino clenched her jaw. The camp was her home. She couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch it get destroyed. ¡°Alright, leave it to me.¡± Mu Liang interrupted her determination with a calm voice. He had already come up with a plan. He would talk to the camp leader himself¡ªat night. In the past, sneaking in would¡¯ve been tricky. But now, with , meeting the leader undetected would be easy. ¡°Mu Liang, you have a plan?¡± Mino asked excitedly. ¡°Yeah, I have an idea.¡± Mu Liang finished searching the scout¡¯s clothes. All he found was a small piece of dried meat. Then he moved on to the bandit who had been coughing up blood¡ªhe was barely clinging to life. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Mino asked, stepping closer. ¡°You?¡± Mu Liang glanced at her. ¡°Just think about whether you want to leave with me the day after tomorrow.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I will! I¡¯m coming with you!¡± Mino¡¯s face lit up with a smile. With the camp in danger, she had no reason to stay. ¡°What¡¯s with those rabbit ears on your head?¡± Mu Liang finally asked, noticing her long ears twitching. No wonder she always wore a headscarf¡ªshe was hiding them. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m a mutant. The rabbit ears are my mutation.¡± Mino giggled awkwardly and tugged at her long ears. ¡°What abilities do you have?¡± Mu Liang asked curiously. ¡°I can hear really far away.¡± Mino tilted her head and spoke softly. ¡°And I can run faster and jump higher.¡± ¡°Rabbit traits.¡± Mu Liang nodded in understanding. No wonder she had managed to survive on her own, hunting small lizards. Living alone in the wasteland took more than just luck. ¡°I¡¯ll go search the other two bodies!¡± Mino bounced off excitedly to loot the corpses. Mu Liang shook his head and continued searching. ¡°Tch¡­ they¡¯re all broke.¡± All he found was another small piece of dried meat. ¡°Whoa! A beast core!¡± Mino¡¯s excited voice rang out. ¡°Mu Liang, come here! I found something good!¡± Mu Liang glanced down at his own empty hands. Was this just her luck? Walking over, he took the item Mino handed him¡ªa thumb-sized, white, diamond-shaped crystal. ¡°Ding! Energy source detected. Would you like to convert it into Evolution Points?¡± ¡ª Translator¡¯s Note: : Likely refers to humans who have undergone genetic mutations in this post-apocalyptic world, gaining animal-like traits.: Possibly a crystal containing energy, useful for upgrades or abilities. Chapter 7 - The First Evolution Chapter 007: The First Evolution ¡°Ding! Energy source detected. Would you like to convert it into Evolution Points?¡± Mu Liang¡¯s eyes lit up. So, a Beast Core was exactly the kind of energy source his system needed. Without hesitation, he gave the mental command. ¡°Convert.¡± ¡°Ding! Conversion successful. Gained 100 Evolution Points.¡± The moment the system message ended, the Beast Core melted like water, seeping into his palm and vanishing completely. ¡°Huh?? Where did it go?¡± Mino¡¯s bright blue eyes widened as she curiously examined Mu Liang¡¯s hand, flipping it over multiple times. Her face was so close to his palm that she almost pressed her cheek against it, still unable to figure out how the crystal had disappeared. Mu Liang chuckled and tugged her cheek playfully. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just one of my abilities.¡± Hearing the term , he could already guess it came from the bodies of mutant beasts. Now that he knew how to gain Evolution Points, he had a clear goal ahead. ¡°That¡¯s such a cool ability!¡± Mino exclaimed in amazement. ¡°I¡¯m going to check if the other bandits had any Beast Cores!¡± With that, she dashed over to the first bandit Mu Liang had killed. Meanwhile, Mu Liang asked the system, ¡°How many Evolution Points does it take to evolve a tamed beast to the next level?¡± ¡°Ding! Evolving from Level 1 to Level 2 requires 10 Evolution Points.¡± ¡°What about Level 2 to Level 3?¡± ¡°Ding! Evolving from Level 2 to Level 3 requires 100 Evolution Points.¡± ¡°So it increases tenfold each time¡­¡± Mu Liang shook his head. He had initially planned to evolve a beast straight to Level 3, but now he had to reconsider. Instead, he summoned the Rock Armor Turtle to regroup and decided to evolve it to Level 2 first. ¡°Xiao Cai, come here.¡± He called toward the rock wall, and in the next second, the Three-Colored Lizard emerged, sprinting toward him. Mu Liang placed his palm on the lizard and commanded, ¡°System, evolve the Three-Colored Lizard.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolving Level 1 Three-Colored Lizard to Level 2. Consuming 10 Evolution Points.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolution successful.¡± ¡°Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer¡¯s ability to Level 2.¡± Almost immediately, that familiar warm current surged through Mu Liang¡¯s body. His physical strength increased once more. ¡°So, my abilities sync with my tamed beasts when they evolve. That¡¯s convenient.¡± Mu Liang glanced at the Three-Colored Lizard. It hadn¡¯t changed much in appearance, but its body had grown to nearly a meter in length¡ªa significant power boost. If it launched a sneak attack, an ordinary person could be killed in an instant. ¡°All I found was a piece of dried meat.¡± Mino returned with a palm-sized piece of jerky. When she saw the massive lizard in front of Mu Liang, her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. Without realizing it, she licked her lips. ¡°Hisss~~¡± The Three-Colored Lizard tensed up, glaring at the girl warily. ¡°Relax, this one is my pet. It¡¯s not for eating.¡± Mu Liang pinched Mino¡¯s rabbit ears before she got any ideas about turning his lizard into dinner. ¡°Eep~~¡± Her sensitive ears twitched as she let out an embarrassed whimper. Mu Liang quickly let go, coughing awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to grab those ears for a while¡­ didn¡¯t expect such a big reaction.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t pull my ears!¡± Mino¡¯s face turned bright red, and she pouted in protest. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet!¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Mu Liang waved dismissively. ¡­Though he secretly decided he¡¯d grab them again someday¡ªthe texture was just too satisfying. Suddenly, Mino¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Wait¡ªI hear the Rock Armor Turtle¡¯s footsteps!¡± She turned toward the distance, her expression surprised. ¡°It¡¯s coming this way!¡± ¡°I called it over.¡± Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. He had a mental bond with the turtle, allowing them to sense each other¡¯s presence within two to three hundred meters. But Mino? She had heard its footsteps from that far away and even recognized them. That was seriously impressive. A few minutes later, the Rock Armor Turtle arrived. Without wasting time, Mu Liang placed his hand on its head. ¡°System, evolve the Rock Armor Turtle.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolving Level 1 Rock Armor Turtle to Level 2. Consuming 10 Evolution Points.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolution successful.¡± ¡°Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer¡¯s ability to Level 2.¡± As his body absorbed the new power, Mu Liang opened his stat panel. Beast Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina:5Speed:8Strength:6Spirit:16Lifespan:24 years / 260 yearsTaming Points:0 (Resets daily, can be accumulated)Evolution Points:80Abilities: Tamed Beasts: Rock Armor Turtle¨C Talent: Three-Colored Lizard¨C Talent: Both of his tamed beasts had evolved to Level 2, nearly doubling his attributes. Most shocking of all, his lifespan had increased to 260 years. For most people, living this long would be nothing but a fantasy. Yet, Mu Liang had achieved it effortlessly. ¡°T-The turtle¡­ it got¡­ bigger¡­¡± Mino¡¯s jaw dropped in astonishment. Mu Liang turned and finally noticed the change. Originally, the Rock Armor Turtle had been about a meter long. Now? It had grown more than ten times its original size¡ªalmost as big as a ten-square-meter room. ¡°Hooowoo~~¡± The giant turtle let out a happy rumble and pressed its massive head against Mu Liang. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright, alright, easy now.¡± Mu Liang patted its head like comforting a child. Now, if the turtle stood up, it would be over three meters tall. ¡°Mu Liang, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Mino¡¯s blue eyes sparkled with admiration. Who would believe that just yesterday, this massive Rock Armor Turtle was only the size of a palm? ¡ª Translator¡¯s Note: ¨C A valuable crystal found inside mutant beasts, containing energy that can be used for evolution.¨C Likely an earth-based offensive ability used by the Rock Armor Turtle and Mu Liang.¨C Allows Mu Liang and his Three-Colored Lizard to blend into the surroundings like a chameleon. Chapter 8 - A Moving House Chapter 008: A Moving House ¡°Mino, how does Xiao Xuanwu compare to the mutant beasts you¡¯ve seen before?¡± Mu Liang asked as he turned to look at her. He needed a reference point to better understand the strength of a Level 2 Rock Armor Turtle. ¡°Xiao Xuanwu?¡± Mino blinked in confusion before realizing he was referring to the turtle. She bit her lip, thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, ¡°If we¡¯re just comparing size¡­ then Xiao Xuanwu is probably stronger.¡± Mu Liang nodded. The turtle¡¯s main advantage was its massive size. But that was also its biggest weakness¡ªbeing big meant slow movement and lack of agility. Fortunately, its Earth Rock Spike ability helped compensate for that flaw. ¡°Mu Liang, can I climb onto its back and take a look?¡± Mino¡¯s blue eyes sparkled as she asked eagerly. ¡°Of course.¡± Mu Liang chuckled. He sent a mental command to the Rock Armor Turtle, letting it know they wanted to get onto its back. ¡°Hooowoo~~¡± The turtle let out a low rumble. The sharp rock spikes along its shell suddenly retracted, and the ground around it began to shift. Large slabs of stone rose from the earth, forming a staircase leading up to its back. ¡°Wow! Xiao Xuanwu can understand us?!¡± Mino¡¯s eyes glowed with excitement as she gazed at the two-meter-tall rock steps. ¡°It understands me.¡± Mu Liang took the lead, climbing up the stone staircase and stepping onto the turtle¡¯s back. The rock spikes on its shell had all retracted, leaving a flat, seven-to-eight-square-meter area in the center. Meanwhile, the remaining spikes around the edges slanted slightly outward, forming a natural barrier like a fence. ¡°Smart.¡± Mu Liang mentally praised the Rock Armor Turtle. ¡°Hooowoo~~¡± The turtle happily rumbled in response. ¡°Xiao Xuanwu is amazing!¡± Mino climbed up after him and turned to watch as the stone staircase slowly sank back into the ground. She looked around, inspecting the flat turtle shell, then suddenly grinned mischievously. ¡°Mu Liang, do you think we could build a house on its back?¡± Mu Liang froze for a moment. ¡°Wait¡­ that might actually work.¡± His eyes lit up as he considered the idea seriously. After all, the more tamed beasts he had, the harder it would be to live in human settlements. And he couldn¡¯t just sleep out in the open all the time. Especially since the Rock Armor Turtle would only grow bigger with further evolution. With such a large back, it could definitely serve as a mobile base. Mino noticed him deep in thought and hesitantly asked, ¡°Wait¡­ are you actually considering it?¡± ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s still too small for that.¡± Mu Liang snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled. ¡°But for now, we could build a simple wooden shelter.¡± ¡°Are we really going to live on its back?¡± Mino¡¯s excitement grew as she confirmed. ¡°How does having a moving house sound?¡± Mu Liang crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t even have to walk!¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ amazing!¡± Mino jumped in joy, eyes filled with longing. ¡°It¡¯d be like being an explorer, traveling the world!¡± Or¡­ she could travel while searching for her sister. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Mu Liang, if we set up a fire pit on its back, would it burn Xiao Xuanwu?¡± ¡°No, the stone will protect it.¡± ¡°If we load too much stuff onto its back, won¡¯t it feel too heavy?¡± ¡°Even if we added a hundred of you, it wouldn¡¯t even notice.¡± Mu Liang leaned against one of the rock spikes, watching Mino excitedly plan their future home. For the first time, he thought¡ªhaving such a cheerful girl around wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Mu Liang, let¡¯s hurry back to the camp! I want to take down my wooden shelter and move it here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush.¡± Mu Liang shook his head, amused, before reminding her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the bandits attacking the camp.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I got too excited and almost forgot.¡± Mino stuck out her tongue, embarrassed. She walked closer to him, tugging at his sleeve and whispering hesitantly, ¡°If it¡¯s too dangerous¡­ should we just leave tomorrow?¡± She was kind, but also selfish¡ªher concern was only for the people close to her. Now that she had a new dream, she didn¡¯t want Mu Liang to risk his life for others. ¡°There¡¯s no danger.¡± Mu Liang gazed at the gray sky, where a single beam of sunlight broke through the clouds. Moments later, the clouds swallowed it up again. He would warn the camp, but if they didn¡¯t believe him¡­ Then in two days, he¡¯d just leave with Mino. In this kind of world, even kindness had to be given wisely. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your relationship with the people in the camp? Any friends?¡± Mu Liang still wasn¡¯t sure about her social circle. ¡°I get along with a few people I used to catch lizards with.¡± Mino looked into the distance and shrugged. ¡°But mostly, I just avoid people.¡± ¡°So¡­ childhood friends?¡± Mu Liang asked softly. ¡°Mmm¡­ maybe? I guess?¡± Mino scratched her cheek awkwardly, her gaze shifting slightly. She suddenly remembered those few kids she used to hunt lizards with. At first, they got along¡­ but when she started catching more lizards than them, they tried to steal her prey. But as a mutant, the outcome was obvious¡ªshe beat them up and took some of their lizards instead. After that, they started avoiding her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like they¡¯re really your friends.¡± Seeing her expression, Mu Liang immediately understood the situation. It also told him something else¡ª Mino¡¯s life hadn¡¯t been easy. And that meant¡­ he was her first real friend. ¡ª Translator¡¯s Note: ¨C A reference to Xuanwu (ÐþÎä), a mythical black tortoise from Chinese mythology.¨C The turtle¡¯s ability, likely an offensive earth-elemental attack.¨C Mu Liang¡¯s and the Three-Colored Lizard¡¯s stealth ability. Chapter 9 - I Don’t Even Know What It Feels Like to Be Full Chapter 009: I Don¡¯t Even Know What It Feels Like to Be Full As evening fell, Mu Liang and Mino returned to their wooden shelter in the camp. ¡°Today was such a good haul!¡± Mino crouched by the fire pit, happily sorting through their catch¡ªsmall lizards. They had caught forty-five in total. Surprisingly, twenty-three of them were caught by the Three-Colored Lizard. The rest were captured by the two of them. Aside from the lizards, they had also caught three palm-sized rats. Mu Liang sharpened his combat knife and casually asked, ¡°Do you always eat lizards?¡± ¡°Yep. If I¡¯m lucky, I might get some rabbit meat once in a while.¡± Mino didn¡¯t even look up as she spoke, still focused on their haul. Today was an exceptionally good day. Normally, she would only manage to catch two or three lizards at best. Mu Liang¡¯s sharpening motion paused for a moment. ¡°Do you ever eat enough to feel full?¡± Mino tilted her head in thought, then furrowed her brows in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what ¡®full¡¯ feels like.¡± She had never been full before. So how would she know what it felt like? ¡°¡­¡± Mu Liang fell silent. Hearing such a heart-wrenching response from the girl, then seeing her genuinely puzzled expression made him unexpectedly frustrated. Without a word, he tossed aside the sharpening stone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mino blinked her big blue eyes, confused. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m going to walk around the camp.¡± Mu Liang slid his knife back into its sheath. He needed to gather intel on the camp¡¯s situation and spread word about the upcoming bandit attack. ¡­And clear his mind. ¡°Be careful.¡± Mino reminded him as she stayed behind to process the lizards¡ªdrying them into jerky for long-term storage. ¡°Got it.¡± Mu Liang grabbed his backpack and slipped into the shadows between the wooden shelters. By now, the sky had turned completely dark. Without moonlight, the pitch-black environment was perfect for him to move unseen. The aroma of roasted meat drifted through the air. Faint firelight flickered from cracks in some of the shelters. But for the most part, the camp was eerily quiet. In some huts, he could hear the soft breathing of people already asleep. When food was scarce, people moved less and slept more to conserve energy. From Mino, Mu Liang had learned that the camp had a hunting team responsible for catching wild game like rabbits, dryland turtles, and wild dogs. The food they brought back was only distributed to those who worked for the camp leader. As for the others? The leader didn¡¯t care. Living in the camp required paying taxes¡ªa trade for protection from the leader and his hunting team. Living alone in the wilderness was far too dangerous. Wolves could tear you apart, or worse, you could encounter mutant beasts. But in Mu Liang¡¯s opinion, the real reason people willingly paid taxes was because the leader controlled the water supply. Only those who paid could receive a rationed amount¡ªjust enough to keep them from dying of thirst. And one of Mu Liang¡¯s reasons for sneaking out tonight was to stock up on extra water before leaving in two days. The camp wasn¡¯t very big, but it was divided into two sections: The inner sectionwas surrounded by a wooden and stone fence¡ªthis was where the leader and the hunters lived.The outer sectionwas where people like Mino, the taxpayers, resided. The two-meter-high fence was no obstacle for Mu Liang. He effortlessly climbed over it, slipping past the patrolling guards unnoticed. As soon as he entered the inner camp, the rich scent of roasted meat filled his nose. Campfires blazed brightly, providing ample warmth. Mu Liang passed by some wooden houses where he heard sounds best left unmentioned. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Tch. In conditions like these, they¡¯re not even worried about getting sick?¡± He rolled his eyes and plugged the hole in the wall he had peeked through. The leader¡¯s house stood at the very center of the camp. Mu Liang circled around it once and was genuinely surprised¡ª The house was massive, over four hundred square meters¡ªabout the size of a basketball court. ¡°How extravagant.¡± Mu Liang smirked, finally understanding what kind of ¡®work¡¯ the people here did for their leader. Choosing a secluded corner, he scaled the wall and slipped inside. His landing was silent, and thanks to the fire burning in the room, it wasn¡¯t too dark. ¡°This must be one of the side rooms.¡± He listened carefully to the muffled voices deeper inside the house, determining their locations. After observing for a while, he noticed seven or eight servant girls. He discreetly followed one carrying a clay pot, watching as she entered a guarded room. Mu Liang stayed hidden in the shadows, activating Mimetic Camouflage¡ªat just a few meters away, he was practically invisible. The guarded room had no windows. The only way in was the door. Soon, the servant girl emerged, dodging the guard¡¯s wandering hands as she scolded him playfully and walked away. Mu Liang memorized the location of the water storage room. He then tailed the servant girl to a brightly lit hall, where four men were having dinner. She set the clay pot on the table but didn¡¯t pour water right away. Instead, she grabbed a rabbit, slit its throat, and let the blood drip into the pot. Mu Liang immediately lost interest in that water. Just as he was about to leave to search other rooms, the conversation in the hall caught his attention. ¡°You may leave.¡± The middle-aged man at the head of the table waved the servant girl away. He then scooped up a bowl of blood-water and drank it down. As the servant girl left, the other three men began speaking. ¡°Leader, are we really leaving this place?¡± ¡°If we ration the water and stop wasting it on crops, we can last a few more months.¡± ¡°Watering crops is a waste anyway.¡± It turned out the vegetables were only for the leader¡¯s personal consumption. The others barely got any, so naturally, they weren¡¯t happy about it. ¡°Bang!¡± The leader slammed the table, his voice cold. ¡°Stay here and wait to die, then?¡± He poured another bowl of blood-water, chugged it down, then said grimly, ¡°The underground well has only ten days of water left. If we don¡¯t leave by then, everyone will die of thirst.¡± ¡°But finding a new water source is too difficult,¡± one man muttered. ¡°We could move to Moonlake Tribe. They¡¯d probably take us in.¡± Another nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah, we could join their hunting team.¡± But the leader¡¯s face darkened, and he refused outright. ¡°No. That¡¯s not an option.¡± If he joined another tribe, he wouldn¡¯t even be a low-ranked leader. Having tasted power, there was no way he would become someone else¡¯s subordinate. ¡°Then where do we go?¡± ¡°I refuse to die of thirst.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t find water, I¡¯ll take my family and leave for Moonlake Tribe.¡± The three men grumbled their dissatisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to search for water. If they find nothing in five days, then we¡¯ll go to Moonlake Tribe.¡± As he spoke, a flicker of murderous intent flashed in the leader¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll wait five more days.¡± The three men finished their meal and left. Mu Liang remained hidden in the shadows, coldly watching the entire exchange. He hadn¡¯t expected this¡ª The camp was already on the verge of running out of water. And apparently, they were even growing vegetables¡ªsomething he hadn¡¯t expected at all. Chapter 10 - Wealth Comes from Unexpected Fortune Chapter 010: Wealth Comes from Unexpected Fortune ¡°A¡¯Gu.¡± The camp leader called out toward the hall entrance. ¡°Here.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A plain-looking young man stepped inside. The leader¡¯s expression was grim as he asked, ¡°How did the task I gave you go?¡± ¡°Leader, I never saw Bloodbeard¡¯s men.¡± A¡¯Gu clenched his teeth in frustration. ¡°I waited all day at the designated hill, but they never showed up.¡± ¡°Impossible! I personally made the deal with Bloodbeard!¡± The leader abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife. His killing intent surged as he stared A¡¯Gu down. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you really didn¡¯t see them at the hill?¡± ¡°Leader, I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you.¡± A¡¯Gu forced himself to stand firm and not back away. ¡°Hmph! Maybe something delayed them.¡± The leader narrowed his eyes at A¡¯Gu before calming down and giving new orders. **¡±Go to the hill again tomorrow. Tell them the plan has changed¡ªthe attack will happen the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± A¡¯Gu nodded respectfully. ¡°You may go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A¡¯Gu bowed and left the hall. ¡°Bang!¡± The leader suddenly flipped the table, letting out a beast-like roar of rage. ¡°Those damn traitors think they can slip out of my grasp?¡± His hoarse voice dripped with malice. ¡°They want to run off to Moonlake Tribe? Fine. They can all just die.¡± Ever since the underground well dried up, some of his hunters had been talking about defecting to Moonlake Tribe. The three men who had eaten with him earlier? They were all hunting squad captains. During dinner, they had been testing his reaction¡ªfeeling out his stance. Loyal dogs that had once obeyed without question were now thinking of running away. ¡°I had planned to bring them into Bloodbeard¡¯s ranks.¡± The leader leaned back in his chair, lips curling into a mocking smile. ¡°But it seems some of them are no longer worth keeping around.¡± This so-called search for water? Just an excuse. The real plan¡ªwhich he had arranged with Bloodbeard¡ªwas simple: The bandits would attack the outer camp, killing a number of residents.The leader would pretend to be forced into submission, leading his hunting squad to ¡°join¡± Bloodbeard¡¯s gang.With dozens of trained hunters, he would gain authority within the bandit crew.Bloodbeard would expand his forces and get women, while the camp leader secured power as one of Bloodbeard¡¯s top men. Mu Liang¡¯s cold black eyes flashed with murderous intent. It took everything in him to hold back the urge to slice this man¡¯s throat right now. The irony was almost laughable¡ª Bloodbeard wasn¡¯t invading this camp by chance. He had been invited. Mu Liang had originally planned to warn the camp about the incoming raid. But now? After hearing this disgusting scheme? The fate awaiting the weak¡ªespecially women and children¡ªunder the hands of ruthless bandits was too horrible to imagine. And if Mino had never met those four bandit scouts¡­ If she had chosen to stay in the camp instead of leaving with him¡­ Mu Liang shook his head, brushing away unnecessary thoughts. His mind flashed back to Mino¡¯s dirt-streaked but bright smile. Then, he looked at the scheming, muttering camp leader in front of him. His decision was made. This scum was already dead. Moving like a shadow, Mu Liang silently stepped forward, his footsteps ghost-like and soundless. He stayed close to the walls, avoiding the flickering firelight to keep his shadow from being seen. Finally, he stood directly behind the camp leader. ¡°Damn traitors¡­ Why can¡¯t they just be obedient dogs?¡± The leader leaned back in his chair, fuming with anger. Mu Liang glanced at the cloth draped over the chair¡¯s armrest, picked it up, and twisted it into a rope-like strip. ¡°Those captains¡­ Their daughters aren¡¯t bad either. Maybe I should¡ª¡± ¡°Mmph!!¡± Before he could finish, Mu Liang¡¯s cloth gag wrapped around his mouth, cutting off his words. ¡°Mmph! Mmm!!¡± Panic-stricken, the leader struggled to rise, but Mu Liang had already wrapped his arm around his throat, locking him in place. ¡°Welcome to hell.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice was calm, emotionless. The leader¡¯s eyes widened in terror, his hands clawing desperately at the iron grip around his neck. He was a Strengthened Human. And yet, no matter how hard he fought, he couldn¡¯t even budge Mu Liang¡¯s arm. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Crack!¡± Mu Liang tightened his hold¡ª And snapped the leader¡¯s neck with ease. The man¡¯s body went limp, his lifeless head slumping against the chair¡¯s armrest. Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, staring blankly at the hall¡¯s entrance. ¡°Was it worth it?¡± Mu Liang shook out the cloth, tossing it casually over the leader¡¯s head. With that done, he calmly began looting the hall, picking up several iron dining knives from the floor. He wasn¡¯t picky¡ªif it was metal, it was worth taking. It didn¡¯t matter if someone else had used it. He could melt it down and reforge it later. ¡°Not bad. Plenty of good stuff here.¡± Mu Liang unhooked several long knives and swords from the walls, wrapped them in cloth, and secured them to his back. After thoroughly searching the hall, he moved on to the leader¡¯s personal quarters. ¡°Tsk. This bastard really lived in luxury.¡± Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. This room was even more lavish¡ª A thick fur-covered bed, three mounted wolf heads on the walls, and a beautifully crafted long knife resting on the bedside table. Mu Liang shrugged, slinging the ornate knife onto his back before opening the nightstand¡¯s drawer. Inside was a wooden box. Lifting the lid, he saw seven Beast Cores of varying sizes. ¡°Jackpot.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile as he scooped up the Beast Cores. The moment they touched his palm¡ª ¡°Ding! Energy source detected. Convert into Evolution Points?¡± ¡°Convert.¡± Finding Beast Cores had been one of his main reasons for coming here. ¡°Ding! Conversion successful. Gained 340 Evolution Points.¡± Mu Liang shook his head, amused. ¡°Wealth comes from unexpected fortune.¡± With his previous 80 Evolution Points, his total now sat at 420. That was enough to evolve three tamed beasts to Level 3. The night was still young, but for Mu Liang¡ª The real game was just beginning. Chapter 11 - A Horse Won’t Grow Fat Without Night Grazing Chapter 011: A Horse Won¡¯t Grow Fat Without Night Grazing ¡°Tap, tap¡­¡± Mu Liang ran his fingers along the bottom of the wooden box. It sounded hollow. Using his combat knife, he pried open the false bottom and found a cloth bag hidden inside. Opening it, he discovered¡ªseeds. ¡°Vegetable seeds? No wonder they were hidden.¡± Delighted, Mu Liang tied the bag shut and stuffed it into his backpack. In this wasteland of an apocalyptic world, seeds represented one of the few hopes for rebuilding civilization. Continuing his search, Mu Liang opened the wardrobe beside the bed¡ªand found another surprise. Inside were five neatly rolled-up bolts of fabric, each in a different color. ¡°This is a lot of stuff¡­ looks like I need a helper.¡± Mu Liang pulled out the five rolls of fabric, rubbing his chin as he thought about how to transport everything. There were a lot of useful supplies in the camp leader¡¯s room, and he wanted to take as much as possible. After all, he had come to this world with nothing. In this kind of wasteland, even if you had money, there were no shops to buy from. ¡°Xiao Cai, sneak in here.¡± Mu Liang mentally summoned the Three-Colored Lizard, which was currently keeping watch over Mino. As for the Rock Armor Turtle¡­ it was too big. It would probably knock down a wall just trying to get inside. While waiting for the Three-Colored Lizard, Mu Liang packed up everything he planned to take¡ªfive rolls of fabric and a bundle of swords and knives. Digging through the wardrobe again, he found mostly used clothing and blankets. He had no interest in second-hand items. ¡°Hmm? A fresh wolf pelt?¡± Opening the last section of the wardrobe, Mu Liang found a whole, unused wolf hide. He lifted it out and examined it¡ªthe edges were untrimmed, meaning it hadn¡¯t been processed yet. ¡°I was wondering why he had three wolf heads but no wolf hide.¡± Mu Liang rolled up the pelt and set it aside. ¡°Well, at least I don¡¯t have to worry about bedding now.¡± With everything packed, he looked up at the ceiling. The Three-Colored Lizard arrived quickly¡ªunlike Mu Liang, who had to climb walls and dodge guards, the lizard simply crawled across the ceiling. ¡°Come down and help carry some stuff.¡± Mu Liang waved at the lizard. ¡°Hisss~~¡± The lizard tilted its head before crawling down the wall. Mu Liang frowned slightly. ¡°Your body¡¯s too small¡ªyou can¡¯t carry much.¡± The five one-meter-long fabric rolls were about the same size as the lizard itself. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to evolve you to Level 3.¡± Mu Liang placed his hand on the lizard and mentally commanded the system. ¡°Evolve the Three-Colored Lizard to Level 3.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolving Level 2 Three-Colored Lizard to Level 3. Consuming 100 Evolution Points.¡± ¡°Ding! Evolution successful.¡± ¡°Ding! Three-Colored Lizard¡¯s talent has evolved into .¡± ¡°Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer¡¯s ability to Level 3.¡± As the familiar warmth spread through his body, Mu Liang felt another surge of power. ¡°Invisibility? Does that mean I can stay hidden even while moving?¡± Mu Liang focused on his new ability and immediately activated . As he walked, his body blended with the surroundings. ¡°There¡¯s a slight delay¡ªabout one second when transitioning colors. The faster I move, the longer the delay.¡± ¡°But if I move slowly, the transition is almost instant.¡± Mu Liang quickly tested the ability, noting its pros and cons. Still¡ªbeing able to move while invisible was more than enough. Satisfied, he turned his attention to the newly evolved Three-Colored Lizard. The creature had doubled in size, now stretching two meters long. Its scales were no longer striped. Instead, each area of scales had one solid color¡ªgreen, red, or blue, creating a stunningly vibrant pattern. It also had several sharp spikes growing from either side of its head, and its vertical pupils looked even colder than before. Mu Liang patted its head with amusement. ¡°Xiao Cai, if you grow a pair of wings, you could pass for a dragon.¡± ¡°Hisss~~¡± The lizard tilted its head, clearly confused. What¡¯s a dragon? ¡°Stay still. Help me carry these supplies back.¡± Mu Liang tied the five fabric rolls, the wolf pelt, and the bundle of swords onto the lizard¡¯s back. ¡°Hisss~~¡± The lizard wriggled uncomfortably under the extra weight. ¡°Go on. Let Mino take the stuff off when you get there. Then come back for another load.¡± Mu Liang grinned, waving as the lizard climbed out the window. Its sharp claws left marks in the wooden walls as it vanished into the night. ¡°I need to hurry. If someone finds the leader¡¯s body too soon, things could get complicated.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Liang silently left the room and resumed searching the house. At this hour, the servant girls were all waiting in their designated spots, ready to be summoned by their masters. A horse won¡¯t grow fat without grazing at night. Since Mu Liang was already stealing supplies, he might as well take some food too. After all, it wasn¡¯t every day he had such an opportunity. As he moved stealthily, he suddenly noticed a suspicious figure sneaking through the house. ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that A¡¯Gu?¡± Mu Liang recognized the man¡ªhe had been in the hall earlier, talking with the leader. Curious, Mu Liang trailed him to see what he was up to. A¡¯Gu looked around nervously, making sure no one was watching before slipping into a storage room. Peering through a crack in the door, Mu Liang¡¯s eyes narrowed in surprise. ¡°A food storage room?¡± Inside, he saw A¡¯Gu¡ªalong with a servant girl. Stealing food? Or¡­ something else? Mu Liang briefly considered the latter, but quickly dismissed the idea. ¡°A¡¯Gu, are you crazy? You¡¯re taking way too much meat! If the leader finds out, he¡¯ll kill you!¡± The servant girl looked horrified as she watched A¡¯Gu stuff choice cuts of meat into a cloth sack. In the past, she had helped him steal small amounts before. But now? There was no way she could cover for him. ¡°The leader has lost his mind.¡± A¡¯Gu hissed angrily. ¡°He¡¯s planning to work with Bloodbeard to kill off anyone who doesn¡¯t obey him!¡± His voice dropped to a furious whisper. ¡°I skipped today¡¯s meeting at the hill, hoping it would mess up the plan. But instead, the leader decided to contact Bloodbeard even sooner!¡± Yes¡ªhe had lied to the leader. It had been a test¡ªand the result? The leader was more insane than he had imagined. By skipping the meeting, A¡¯Gu had hoped to stir doubt between the bandits and the camp. But he had underestimated the situation¡ª The leader had already secured the deal personally. The bandits wouldn¡¯t second-guess anything. The moment they compared notes, A¡¯Gu¡¯s betrayal would be obvious¡ªand he would be a dead man. So now, he had no choice. He had to escape. ¡°The leader is working with Bloodbeard?¡± The servant girl turned pale, panic setting in. ¡°Go pack your things!¡± A¡¯Gu shoved her toward the door. ¡°O-Okay!¡± The servant girl nodded frantically before running off. Mu Liang let her go¡ªbut kept his cold gaze locked on A¡¯Gu, still stuffing his bag with dried meat. Plans change. It looked like it was time to adjust his strategy. Chapter 12 - Mysterious Stranger, Who Are You? Chapter 012: Mysterious Stranger, Who Are You? ¡°Giving up a decent life to become a bandit¡­ what a joke.¡± A¡¯Gu muttered through clenched teeth as he stuffed more dried wolf meat into his sack¡ªmeat the camp leader had been hoarding for himself. Eventually, he paused and looked at the half-filled bag. ¡°Maybe I took too much.¡± The sack was half his height, easily weighing over a hundred pounds. Just then¡ª The storage room door silently creaked open. A shadow approached from behind. Before A¡¯Gu could react, a hand clamped over his mouth and a cold blade pressed against his throat. ¡°Mmmph¡ª!¡± His first instinct was to struggle, but the icy touch on his neck froze him in place. A low, raspy voice whispered in his ear. ¡°Stay still, unless you want your throat slit.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A¡¯Gu immediately raised both hands, signaling that he wouldn¡¯t resist. ¡°Smart choice.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice remained indifferent. ¡°Listen well, and you might survive.¡± A¡¯Gu nodded frantically. ¡°Good. As a reward for cooperating, I¡¯ll give you a little information.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s calm tone sent a chill down A¡¯Gu¡¯s spine. ¡°The camp leader is dead. I snapped his neck the moment you left the hall.¡± ¡°¡­!!!¡± A¡¯Gu¡¯s eyes widened in horror, his whole body breaking into a cold sweat. The chilling realization hit him like a hammer¡ª If the leader died right after he left¡­ That meant the mysterious man behind him had been in the hall all along! ¡°That¡¯s right. I was watching you the entire time.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s hoarse voice confirmed A¡¯Gu¡¯s worst fear. His interrogation methods, learned from his days as a special forces soldier, were now proving useful. ¡°Mmmph! Mmmph!!¡± A¡¯Gu let out muffled noises, his breathing erratic. ¡°You¡¯re a clever man. Don¡¯t turn around. And don¡¯t make a sound.¡± Mu Liang slowly released his grip, withdrawing his knife. A¡¯Gu barely dared to breathe. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°What¡­ do you want me to do?¡± If the mysterious man hadn¡¯t killed him yet, it meant he had a use for him. But¡ª ¡°Nothing.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s emotionless response made A¡¯Gu freeze in confusion. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A¡¯Gu was completely caught off guard. ¡°Oh, and one more thing¡ª Bloodbeard¡¯s scouts? I killed them too.¡± Mu Liang spoke lightly, as if mentioning the weather. ¡°Since the scouts didn¡¯t report back today, new ones will come tomorrow. When they find your camp leader dead¡­ what do you think Bloodbeard will do?¡± ¡°Gulp.¡± A¡¯Gu swallowed hard, his face going pale. There was only one possible outcome¡ª Bloodbeard would bring his men and slaughter the entire camp, turning its people into spoils of war. ¡°Consider this information a trade for your cooperation.¡± Mu Liang casually grabbed the sack of dried meat, slinging it over his shoulder. When he reached the door, he paused and turned his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you, clever man.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A¡¯Gu stiffened, his face almost turning blue. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Damn it! Can¡¯t you pick someone else?! He wanted to protest, to deny that he was ¡°clever¡±¡ª But he didn¡¯t dare speak. Mu Liang ignored him. If A¡¯Gu wasn¡¯t smart enough to play his role, then¡­ The Three-Colored Lizard would simply pay him a visit later¡ªleaving a deep claw mark somewhere visible. A silent reminder: ¡°I¡¯m watching you.¡± As for the plan itself? It was just a rough idea Mu Liang had come up with on the spot. He was still refining the details. Securing the Last Resource ¡°Food secured. Now for water.¡± Mu Liang slipped into an empty room, waiting for the Three-Colored Lizard to retrieve the sack of dried meat. ¡°Hisss~~¡± The lizard arrived quickly, crawling in through the window. Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Mino¡¯s going to be shocked when she sees this haul.¡± Tying the sack onto the lizard¡¯s back, he sent it on its way. He hadn¡¯t planned to take this much¡ª But somehow, he had ended up looting half the camp leader¡¯s supplies. With the lizard gone, Mu Liang made his way toward the water storage room. The guard at the door? No problem. With , sneaking past was too easy. He tossed a small stone down the corridor, making a soft clatter. The guard turned, distracted. That was all Mu Liang needed. Silent as a shadow, he approached from behind and struck the guard¡¯s neck with a karate chop. Thud. The man collapsed unconscious. Pushing open the door, Mu Liang quickly dragged the body inside and shut it behind him. Inside, torches flickered, illuminating the layout of the room. ¡°So this is where the underground well is.¡± At the center was a two-meter-wide well, its mouth covered by wooden planks. A wooden bucket hung beside it, used for drawing water. Mu Liang removed the planks and peered inside. Darkness. No telling if there was any water left. He dropped the bucket down, listening to the splash. Pulling it up¡ª ¡°Murky.¡± The water was filthy, and mud clung to the bucket¡¯s edges. ¡°As expected¡­ it¡¯s nearly dried up.¡± Mu Liang replaced the planks and turned to the stacked barrels in the corner. Each was about a meter tall, large enough for an adult to wrap their arms around. Giving one a shake, he heard sloshing inside. ¡°Still got some left.¡± With his enhanced strength, Mu Liang hoisted a barrel onto each shoulder. To him, they weighed no more than two loaves of bread. ¡°This should last us a while if we ration carefully.¡± Carrying the two full barrels, Mu Liang left without a trace. A¡¯Gu¡¯s Awakening Meanwhile, A¡¯Gu hadn¡¯t moved an inch. He was still frozen in fear. Then¡ª ¡°Tap, tap, tap!¡± Hurried footsteps. ¡°Bang!¡± The door burst open as the servant girl rushed in, panicked. ¡°A¡¯Gu! The camp leader is dead!¡± ¡°He¡¯s really dead?!¡± A¡¯Gu felt his entire body relax, his tense nerves unraveling. His legs nearly gave out as he grabbed the table for support. ¡°Where? How?¡± ¡°In the hall. His neck was snapped.¡± The servant girl shivered, recalling the gruesome sight. A¡¯Gu¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°So¡­ he wasn¡¯t lying.¡± Everything the mysterious stranger had said was true. Which meant¡ª Bloodbeard¡¯s scouts really were dead. Escape. I have to escape. That was the only thought in his mind. He grabbed another sack, stuffing it with more dried meat. The servant girl hesitated. ¡°A¡¯Gu¡­ should we still run? The leader is dead now.¡± A¡¯Gu¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Wait¡­ the leader is already dead.¡± Did he really need to flee? A new thought struck him. Why did the mysterious stranger go out of his way to tell me about the dead scouts? Unless¡­ He wants me to do something. His mind raced through his entire encounter with the stranger. And then¡ª He remembered the last thing the man had said. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you, clever man.¡± A¡¯Gu¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°If I try to escape alone¡­ will he kill me?¡± Understanding dawned. He turned to the servant girl. ¡°Go gather the hunting squad captains. Now. This is about the survival of everyone in the camp.¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± As she ran off, A¡¯Gu muttered to himself. ¡°Clever man, huh¡­?¡± Then he clenched his fists. ¡°That stranger¡­ Who the hell is he?¡± Chapter 13 - A Dumbfounded Girl Chapter 013: A Dumbfounded Girl A Few Minutes Earlier¡ª Inside a wooden shelter at the edge of the camp¡ª Mino worked quickly and skillfully, skinning the small lizards and three rats, removing their entrails, then tying them up with rope and hanging them over the fire pit to smoke. Once she was done, she rubbed sand between her hands, scrubbing away the blood. With no water to wash up, this was the only way to clean her hands. She glanced at the door, her blue eyes filled with uncertainty. ¡°What¡¯s taking Mu Liang so long? What exactly is he doing?¡± It had already been a while. Mino had spent over an hour preparing the lizards and rats, but Mu Liang was still nowhere to be seen. Now that she had nothing to do, a small worry crept into her heart. Or perhaps¡­ it was loneliness making her feel uneasy. ¡°Ugh! Mu Liang is so strong¡ªhe¡¯ll be fine!¡± She shook her head, trying to push away her nerves. To distract herself, Mino started making a mental list of what she needed to pack. ¡°I need to bring my pillow¡­ and the rabbit-skin blanket.¡± ¡°The wooden planks from my bed too¡ªotherwise, I¡¯ll have nothing to sleep on!¡± ¡°Oh, and the wooden bowls¡­ and this bucket for carrying water.¡± Looking around, she realized she didn¡¯t want to leave anything behind. She even considered taking the door! After all, everything in this shelter was built piece by piece by her sister. Just then¡ª ¡°Scratch¡­ scratch¡­ clunk!¡± The door creaked, then suddenly swung open. A shadowy figure squeezed inside. Mino¡¯s expression hardened instantly. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± She reacted instantly, drawing the bone dagger from her waist and backing up against the wall. ¡°Hisss~~¡± A hissing sound filled the air. The figure shimmered, and its outline became clear¡ª The Three-Colored Lizard had dropped its . Mino stared, stunned. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re Xiao Cai?¡± She hesitated for a moment before saying cautiously¡ª ¡°If you are, nod your head.¡± ¡°Hisss~~¡± The lizard ignored her and began struggling, trying to remove the ropes tied around its belly. Mino blinked, then suddenly realized her mistake. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so dumb. Who else but Mu Liang would have a lizard deliver supplies?¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sighing, she put away her dagger and stepped forward. ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± The Three-Colored Lizard stopped moving, letting her untie the ropes and remove the five rolls of fabric, the wolf pelt, and the bundle of swords and knives. Then¡ªwithout waiting¡ªit turned and left, heading out to fetch another load. ¡°Hey, wait! Where¡¯s Mu Liang?¡± Mino called after it, but the lizard didn¡¯t even look back. Although its intelligence had improved after evolving, it was still only about as smart as a toddler. Naturally, it couldn¡¯t understand her question. Mino sighed again, turning her attention to the supplies it had brought. She ran her fingers over the fabric, her blue eyes lighting up. ¡°This is high-quality beast wool! So soft!¡± She rubbed the material against her cheek, amazed. ¡°But¡­ where did Mu Liang even get all this? Five whole rolls¡ªthis could make dozens of outfits!¡± Reluctantly setting the fabric aside, she picked up the wolf pelt. It was so long that it towered over her when she held it up. ¡°This has to be from a mutant beast.¡± Excited, Mino hugged the fur and rubbed her face against it before pausing. ¡°Where did Mu Liang get all this stuff?¡± Her mind started racing. ¡°Did he¡­ tell the camp leader about Bloodbeard¡¯s attack? Did the leader give him this as a reward?¡± That was the only explanation she could come up with. It made sense¡­ right? Some time later¡ª Mino finished checking the supplies, then picked up a sword from the bundle. ¡°Only the hunting squad uses weapons like these¡­¡± Her suspicion deepened. Maybe her guess was right after all. Then¡ª ¡°Scratch¡­ scratch¡­ clunk!¡± The door creaked open again. A familiar scene unfolded¡ª The Three-Colored Lizard entered, this time carrying a large sack. Mino hurried over, helping it untie the ropes before watching it turn and leave again. Curious, she peeked inside the sack. Then¡ª ¡°Huh???¡± She froze. The entire sack was filled with dried meat. Mino¡¯s mind blanked for a second. Then, doubt crept in. Would the camp leader really be this generous over just a piece of information? A chilling thought hit her like lightning. ¡°Mu Liang¡­ wouldn¡¯t have¡­ stolen all this, would he?¡± She slowly looked from the sack of meat¡­ To the five rolls of fabric¡­ To the swords, knives, and the massive wolf pelt. And finally, she remembered¡ª The camp leader was a stingy bastard. There was no way he would willingly give all this away. Mino gulped. ¡°Mu Liang definitely stole this.¡± What Now? Moving quickly, Mino tied the sack shut, dragged it under her bed, and hid it beneath the wooden frame. If someone came searching, she needed to make sure nothing looked suspicious. ¡°We just need to get through tonight. We¡¯ll leave at first light.¡± She paced back and forth, thinking aloud. ¡°Seriously, Mu Liang¡­ Even if we¡¯re leaving, did you really have to steal much?!¡± She tugged at her hair, flustered. ¡°Should we move everything onto Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s back now?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought¡ª ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll talk to Mu Liang about it when he gets back.¡± Satisfied with her plan, Mino continued pacing, trying to figure out the best way to hide the stolen goods. Returning them? No way. Mu Liang took them fair and square. The idea of giving them back never even crossed her mind. Chapter 14 - A Daring Plan to Rob the Bandits Chapter 014: A Daring Plan to Rob the Bandits Mino was kneeling by the bed, her hips slightly raised, as she stuck her head underneath, rummaging for something. The moment Mu Liang stepped into the wooden shelter, carrying two barrels of water, this was the sight that greeted him. He raised a brow and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± Mino jumped in shock. ¡°Bang!¡± The next second¡ª Her head slammed into the bed frame. She winced, rubbing the back of her head, and crawled out from under the bed with a pitiful expression. Mu Liang¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°You okay?¡± Mino glared at him, her cheeks puffed up. ¡°Where the heck did you go?!¡± There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn¡¯t even know where to start. ¡°Just went to get some supplies.¡± Mu Liang said it as if it were nothing. Mino narrowed her eyes. ¡°Some supplies?¡± Her gaze lowered and finally noticed¡ª Two large barrels sitting on the ground. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, ¡°You call ¡®some supplies¡¯? What, did you rob the camp leader¡¯s house?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Liang denied it without hesitation. Then, after a pause, he added, ¡°There¡¯s still a lot left to take.¡± Truthfully, he was a little tempted to go back for more. But by the time he had left, people were already heading toward the leader¡¯s house. Which meant¡ª A¡¯Gu had done his part. Mino covered her face with both hands. ¡°You actually did it¡­¡± She had thought it was just a wild guess¡ªbut Mu Liang really had robbed the place. She stepped closer, cheeks still puffed up. Her expression turned serious as she warned, ¡°Next time you do something like this, tell me first! I need time to prepare!¡± She had been stressing over how to hide everything, nearly driving herself crazy. Mu Liang shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the plan. I only went to get water.¡± But then¡­ he had overheard the leader¡¯s twisted schemes. So, he had simply dealt with the problem at its root¡ª And took a little extra on the way out. Mino lowered her voice, worried. ¡°They¡¯re going to notice the missing supplies soon.¡± She thought for a moment, then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s hide everything on Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s back. That way, we won¡¯t get caught.¡± Mu Liang shook his head. ¡°No need.¡± Mino stomped her foot, her small frame filled with urgency. ¡°Why not?! They¡¯ll send people to search our shelter!¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s voice remained calm. ¡°The camp leader is already dead.¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± Mino¡¯s blue eyes widened in shock. She stared at Mu Liang, searching his face for any sign that he was joking. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Mu Liang briefly explained how the leader had been working with Bloodbeard to betray the camp. Mino¡¯s expression turned fierce. ¡°Good! That scumbag deserved to die!¡± Mu Liang chuckled softly, watching as her cheeks puffed up with righteous anger. She looked¡­ Surprisingly cute. Mino suddenly felt his gaze and hesitated. ¡°W-What are you looking at?¡± A slight blush crept onto her face. Mu Liang looked away, his tone gentle. ¡°The camp residents will be leaving tomorrow.¡± Mino¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°So we¡¯re leaving with them?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mu Liang shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re staying for two more days.¡± Her smile faltered. ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous! Bloodbeard¡¯s men could attack any time!¡± Mu Liang¡¯s lips curved into a mysterious smile. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re staying.¡± Mino froze. A bad feeling crept up her spine. ¡°Wait¡­ what are you planning?¡± Mu Liang calmly stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to rob Bloodbeard¡¯s base.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Mino¡¯s brain stopped working. She blinked, then blinked again, convinced she had misheard. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hit the bandits¡¯ base and grab some good stuff.¡± Mu Liang had decided the moment he overheard the leader¡¯s plan¡ª If Bloodbeard¡¯s gang was coming to rob this camp, then why not return the favor? Now, he just needed to lure them here¡ª Then slip away and loot their base while they were distracted. A classic bait-and-switch. Mino turned pale, gripping his arm tightly. ¡°Mu Liang, you¡¯re insane!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a gang of over five hundred bandits! If they catch you, you¡¯ll die!¡± Mu Liang raised a single finger, shaking it lightly. ¡°No, there won¡¯t be five hundred people there.¡± He spoke patiently, walking her through his plan. ¡°The scouts we killed today¡ª They never reported back. Which means tomorrow, Bloodbeard will send more.¡± Mino nodded slowly. ¡°But their base is more than a day¡¯s journey from here,¡± Mu Liang continued. ¡°So those scouts won¡¯t arrive until the day after tomorrow.¡± That was the key. Mu Liang had gathered enough intel while interrogating the scouts. ¡°On that day, we¡¯ll make it look like the entire camp just recently fled.¡± He smiled. ¡°Mino, if you were Bloodbeard, what would you do?¡± Mino hesitated, thinking. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯d send people to chase them down?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Exactly.¡± Mu Liang nodded. ¡°So when the scouts see an abandoned camp, they¡¯ll rush back to report it.¡± He spread his hands, his tone lighthearted. ¡°And when Bloodbeard hears that he was tricked by the camp leader, he won¡¯t be happy. He¡¯ll bring his men to ¡®settle the score.¡¯¡± Mino slowly nodded, understanding. ¡°And by the time Bloodbeard arrives, the camp¡¯s people will be long gone.¡± Mu Liang grinned confidently. ¡°And while most of his gang is chasing ghosts¡­ his base will be nearly empty.¡± Mino gulped. ¡°That¡¯s when we strike.¡± Her mind raced. It actually sounded like it could work¡­ But¡ª ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked anxiously. Mu Liang shrugged. ¡°Even if it fails, we¡¯ll just lose two days.¡± This was a calculated risk. If it worked¡ª They would get a huge haul of Beast Cores. Maybe even enough to evolve a beast to Level 4. Chapter 15 - The Level 3 Rock Armor Turtle Chapter 015: The Level 3 Rock Armor Turtle ¡°Move it! Hurry and pack your things!¡± ¡°Forget the useless junk! Just take food, clothes¡­ the essentials!¡± Before dawn, the hunting squad was already waking people up, urging them to evacuate the camp. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Fists pounded on wooden doors, but the hunters didn¡¯t bother waiting for permission to enter. ¡°Bloodbeard¡¯s gang is coming to slaughter us. We¡¯re heading to Moonlake Tribe for refuge!¡± After that one chilling sentence, they moved on to the next shelter. Mino, wrapped snugly in a wolf pelt, was startled awake. She blinked sleepily, feeling a warmth in her chest. ¡°They sure are up early.¡± She stretched, letting out a lazy yawn. Meanwhile, Mu Liang had already been awake for a while. ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± Mino sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. ¡°What time did you even sleep last night?¡± Before falling asleep, she had seen Mu Liang still up, sitting by the fire pit, sketching something on a piece of charcoal-covered wood. She had even debated for a long time whether to invite him to sleep next to her¡­ But in the end, she was too embarrassed to say anything. ¡°Around midnight.¡± Mu Liang stirred the steaming pot of broth over the fire. Today¡¯s breakfast? Dried meat stew. Mino sniffed the air. ¡°Smells so good.¡± Her delicate nose twitched as she peered into the boiling steel pot, her blue eyes sparkling. But then, her expression tightened with concern. ¡°From now on, let me handle cooking breakfast.¡± Mu Liang blinked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You made too much.¡± Mino placed a hand on her hip, waving a scolding finger at him. ¡°We need to ration our food carefully.¡± Mu Liang chuckled, scooping a hefty portion into her metal lunchbox. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The dried meat we have will last us more than twenty days.¡± He passed the full container to her. Last night, she had insisted on eating only dried lizard meat¡ªprobably barely filling a third of her stomach. And judging by her approach to rationing, she¡¯d likely only serve a portion small enough to keep them barely satisfied. Mino frowned. ¡°This is too much. I should save half for dinner.¡± Despite her words, her hands instinctively reached out and took the lunchbox anyway. Mu Liang grinned. ¡°We¡¯re having roasted dried meat for dinner.¡± ¡°Awoo~~¡± Mino had just taken a big bite of hot soup¡ª And immediately opened her mouth, panting to cool down her tongue. Mu Liang shook his head, amused. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hot.¡± He blew on his spoonful, cooling it before taking a slow, measured sip. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mino, meanwhile, had finally swallowed her first bite. Her blue eyes gleamed with joy. ¡°So good!¡± The rich, meaty broth awakened her taste buds, while the warm liquid soothed her throat. One sip, and her hunger seemed to ease. ¡°It¡¯s been so long¡­ since I¡¯ve had meat stew.¡± Her lips trembled slightly, and a faint mist gathered in her eyes. The last time she had eaten something like this¡­ Was when her sister was still around. ¡°From now on, you can drink it whenever you want.¡± Mu Liang reached out, gently wiping away the tear at the corner of her eye. Mino shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s wasteful! We can¡¯t have meat stew every day.¡± Her cheeks puffed up in disapproval. Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, normally, you just drink water?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± She sniffled, rubbing at her nose. Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Well, if we make stew, we still get water¡ªplus food.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a better deal?¡± Mino paused, thinking hard. ¡°Wait¡­ that actually makes sense?¡± But something still felt off¡ª She just couldn¡¯t figure out what. Mu Liang simply waved his hand, urging her on. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t taste as good cold.¡± Mino grinned, her eyes curving into happy crescents. ¡°Mm!¡± She happily dug in, savoring each bite. Outside the wooden shelter, chaos unfolded. While Mu Liang and Mino leisurely enjoyed breakfast, The rest of the camp was frantically packing up. Mino let out a satisfied sigh and patted her stomach. ¡°So full¡­¡± She glanced at the empty lunchbox, feeling a little guilty. Originally, she had planned to save half for later¡ª But one bite led to another¡­ And before she knew it¡ª She¡¯d finished the entire meal. Mu Liang watched her, amusement flickering in his eyes. ¡°How does it feel to be full?¡± Mino¡¯s cheeks turned pink. ¡°It feels amazing. But¡­ it¡¯s too indulgent.¡± This one meal alone was worth nearly ten whole lizards! Mu Liang ruffled her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about food. Leave that to me.¡± She had saved his life¡ª The least he could do was make sure she never went hungry again. Mino¡¯s face turned an even deeper shade of red. She opened her mouth to say something¡­ But no words came out. Mu Liang suddenly tilted his head, frowning slightly. ¡°You¡¯re still wearing that headscarf?¡± He made a grabbing motion, pretending to be disappointed. ¡°I can¡¯t even pat your bunny ears anymore.¡± Mino pouted, puffing up her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet!¡± After hesitating for a moment, she slowly reached up, untying the fabric that hid her ears. Mu Liang¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile. Mino noticed the expression, and her face instantly burned bright red. She turned away sharply, chin lifted. ¡°I¡¯m just letting them breathe. I didn¡¯t do it for you!¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Mu Liang barely held back a laugh. ¡°Hmph!¡± Mino huffed. Then¡ªquickly changing the subject¡ªshe asked eagerly, ¡°Are we moving onto Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s back today?¡± She had been dreaming of their new home¡ªa house that could move anywhere. Mu Liang shook his head. ¡°Not yet. We don¡¯t even have a house built.¡± First, he needed to evolve the Rock Armor Turtle to Level 3. Then its shell would be even larger, making it easier to construct a proper home. Besides, he had no idea how big it would get after evolving. He needed to see its new size first before planning the construction. Mino¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. ¡°Then let¡¯s go build our house!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Liang led the way out of the shelter. Mino paused, suddenly remembering¡ª ¡°Wait! What about all the stuff we brought back last night?¡± With the camp residents leaving, there was a chance looters would break in. ¡°I left Xiao Cai to guard it.¡± Mu Liang gestured to the corner of the room. Mino turned¡ª And saw the Two-Meter-Long Three-Colored Lizard fade into view. She sighed in relief. ¡°Alright, that works.¡± With that settled, the two slipped out of the camp, heading for the wilderness. Nearby, the Rock Armor Turtle was hunting¡ª A single ¡°Earth Rock Spike¡± sent a rat flying out of its burrow. Chapter 16 - The House Blueprint Chapter 016: The House Blueprint By the time Mu Liang and Mino found Xiao Xuanwu, the hills around the area were covered in jagged rock spikes. ¡°Awoo~~¡± The giant turtle let out a pitiful cry the moment it saw Mu Liang. Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ hungry?¡± The message from their mental link was clear, making Mu Liang feel a headache coming on. Mino¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s hungry?¡± She stared at its massive body, her mind going blank. How much food would it even take to fill up a creature this big?! Just then¡ª Ding! [Feeding a tamed beast costs 1 Evolution Point per day, which eliminates hunger.] Mu Liang¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°System, you should¡¯ve told me that earlier!¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How was he supposed to feed something this massive on his own? He¡¯d end up starving instead! The system remained silent. Mu Liang sighed, then motioned at Xiao Xuanwu. ¡°Bring your head over here. I¡¯ll give you some energy to eat.¡± Mino¡¯s blue eyes widened in curiosity. ¡°Energy?¡± ¡°Awoo~~¡± Xiao Xuanwu happily rumbled and lowered its enormous head. Mu Liang placed a hand on its forehead. ¡°System, evolve Xiao Xuanwu¡ªand feed it while you¡¯re at it.¡± Ding! [Upgrading Rock Armor Turtle from Level 2 to Level 3. Deducting 100 Evolution Points.] Ding! [Evolution complete!] Ding! [New ability unlocked: Earth Rock Spike Burst.] Ding! [Syncing with Tamer. Adapting skill: Earth Rock Spike Burst.] Mu Liang felt a familiar surge of warmth spread through his body as his strength increased again. Curious about his progress, he commanded: ¡°System, open my status.¡± ¡ª Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina:22Speed:21Strength:21Spirit:32Lifespan:24 years / 420 yearsTaming Points:10 (Refreshed Daily, Can Accumulate)Evolution Points:219Abilities:Earth Rock Spike Burst (Level 3)Mimicry Stealth (Level 3)Tamed Beasts:Rock Armor Turtle ¨C Earth Rock Spike Burst (Level 3)Three-Color Lizard ¨C Mimicry Stealth (Level 3)¡ª Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Over four hundred years of life now, huh? Never would¡¯ve imagined that before.¡± Before he could dwell on it further¡ª Mino grabbed his sleeve with trembling hands. ¡°M-Mu Liang¡­ l-look at Xiao Xuanwu¡­!¡± Mu Liang turned around¡ª And froze in place. Xiao Xuanwu had grown again. If before, its shell was the size of a small house¡­ Now, it was as large as a full mansion¡ªeasily a hundred square meters in size! ¡°Awoo~~¡± The giant turtle let out a mighty roar, stomping its foot against the ground. BOOM! A rock spike erupted from the ground, then launched forward like a missile¡ª CRASH!! It slammed into a distant cliffside, shattering stone into dust. Mino¡¯s rabbit ears shot straight up in shock. Her blue eyes were completely dazed. Mu Liang, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in approval. ¡°Finally, a long-range attack.¡± Mino slowly came back to her senses. Then, she bounced excitedly, her words tumbling out¡ª ¡°Xiao Xuanwu is AMAZING! SO COOL!¡± She was so excited, she couldn¡¯t even find the right words. Mu Liang mentally commanded Xiao Xuanwu: ¡°Lower yourself. We¡¯re getting on.¡± At over six meters tall, climbing up would be nearly impossible¡ª Especially with rocky spikes covering its shell. ¡°Awoo~~¡± Xiao Xuanwu obediently lowered its massive body, summoning a staircase of solid rock that rose all the way to its back. Mu Liang led Mino up the steps, and soon, they stood atop the giant turtle¡¯s shell once more. ¡°So much space!¡± Mino twirled in circles, marveling at how vast the turtle¡¯s back had become. Mu Liang watched her dart around like a butterfly, then asked curiously: ¡°Mino, how do you want to build our house?¡± Mino froze mid-spin. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°Yeah. What kind of house do you want?¡± She squatted down, her rabbit ears twisting into knots as she thought hard. Mu Liang watched her ears twitch with emotion, fascinated. ¡°Even her ears show her mood¡­ I kind of want to tug them.¡± After a long moment, Mino raised her head hesitantly. ¡°Mu Liang¡­ how about¡­ just building a wooden hut?¡± Mu Liang chuckled. ¡°Think bigger. A wooden hut is too simple.¡± Mino pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to build¡­¡± Mu Liang grinned, then pulled out a cloth with charcoal sketches. ¡°Then come look at what I designed.¡± Mino leaned over, staring at the blueprint on the fabric. The more she looked¡­ The wider her eyes grew. She suddenly snapped her head up, her blue eyes locking onto Mu Liang¡¯s. ¡°This¡­ we can REALLY build this?!¡± Mu Liang smiled confidently. ¡°Of course.¡± The blueprint he had drawn the night before was simple but well-planned: Two bedroomsA living areaA bathroomA small courtyard Mino¡¯s rabbit ears shot up excitedly¡ª Then suddenly drooped down as she realized something. ¡°This is amazing, but¡­ where will we get all the materials?¡± Mu Liang smirked. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something.¡± He stomped lightly on Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s shell. ¡°Who are we standing on?¡± Mino¡¯s eyes widened. Just then¡ª ¡°Awoo~ Awoo~~¡± Xiao Xuanwu rumbled in understanding. The hills around them trembled¡ª As chunks of stone rose into the air and floated onto its back. One by one, large rectangular stone blocks stacked neatly in place. Mino stared in awe. ¡°Xiao Xuanwu¡­ is incredible.¡± Mu Liang rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start placing the stones according to the blueprint.¡± He pulled out a piece of charcoal and began marking guidelines on the shell. Since Xiao Xuanwu couldn¡¯t read blueprints, they¡¯d have to build manually. At least for now. Maybe in the future, if the turtle¡¯s intelligence improved¡­ Mino pumped her fists. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Mu Liang smirked, sending a mental compliment to Xiao Xuanwu. ¡°Good job.¡± Actually, Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s shell spikes could also be used as materials¡­ But that would weaken its defenses, which wasn¡¯t worth it. It was better to gather rocks, shape them, and bind them together with Earth abilities¡ª Essentially eliminating the need for cement. And for Xiao Xuanwu? This extra weight was nothing. A house on its back? Barely noticeable. Chapter 17 - The Moving House is Complete Chapter 017: The Moving House is Complete To build a house, you usually need a solid foundation, steel reinforcement, and concrete. For ordinary people, this process would be long and tedious. But with Xiao Xuanwu, Mu Liang skipped 90% of the work. The foundation? Already provided by the turtle¡¯s massive shell. The cement and steel? Unnecessary¡ªsince Mu Liang could fuse stones together with his ability. All that remained was the simple act of stacking stone bricks to form the walls. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Mino held a stone brick and carefully placed it on a pre-drawn line. The moment she let go¡ª The brick fused seamlessly with the others, leaving no gaps. ¡°Mino, don¡¯t stack that wall too high! We need to leave space for a window.¡± Mu Liang finished drawing the blueprint onto the shell and turned around¡ª Only to find that Mino had already built an entire wall up to her height. He sighed and walked over, using his ability to remove a few bricks, carving out a rectangular window. ¡°Won¡¯t this let thieves crawl inside?¡± Mino¡¯s voice was uncertain. In the wasteland, most homes didn¡¯t have windows¡ªto prevent thieves from sneaking in at night. Mu Liang flicked her forehead playfully. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting¡ªwho would dare climb up here?¡± Mino blinked, then suddenly realized¡ª She wasn¡¯t living in some vulnerable wooden hut anymore. She was on the back of a giant armored turtle! Who would be stupid enough to try stealing from them?! With the windows complete, Mu Liang turned his attention to the doorway. He didn¡¯t bother explaining the structure to Mino¡ª She probably only cared about how the house looked, rather than how it actually worked. The layout was simple but efficient: Two bedrooms, each about ten square meters.A central living area, spanning thirty square meters.A bathroom, positioned in the corner of the courtyard, with a waste drainage systemleading off the shell to prevent odors from collecting inside.The courtyard wall, which was half a meter high, served as a simple barrier.The entrance gatewas placed on the turtle¡¯s side, with a hidden signal system that would let Xiao Xuanwu summon a staircase when needed. Time passed quickly as they worked. By the time they looked up, the sky had turned orange-red from the setting sun. ¡°Is it evening already?¡± Mu Liang gazed at their roofless stone house, feeling a rare sense of accomplishment. ¡°Wow~~ We¡¯re already halfway done!¡± Mino cheered, her blue eyes sparkling. She clenched her fists excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s work harder! We can finish it by tonight!¡± Mu Liang shook his head. ¡°We need wooden beams to support the roof before we can place more stones.¡± Mino froze. ¡°Huh? Then¡­ let¡¯s go find some wood!¡± She was already turning to jump down when¡ª Mu Liang grabbed the back of her collar. ¡°No need. There¡¯s already wood nearby.¡± Mino¡¯s rabbit ears twitched as she thought for a moment. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Liang chuckled. ¡°Think, Mino¡ªdo you think everyone has already left the camp?¡± Mino¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°It¡¯s almost dark¡­ They must have left hours ago!¡± Then, her expression lit up. ¡°Wait! That means¡­ we can take wood from the abandoned houses!¡± Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Exactly. Let¡¯s go back to camp.¡± He patted Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s shell, giving it a simple command. ¡°Awoo~~¡± The massive turtle rumbled and began walking. As the turtle moved, Mino suddenly froze in place. Then, she blinked in shock. ¡°Huh? Xiao Xuanwu is walking¡­ but I can¡¯t even feel it shaking?¡± Mu Liang chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s absorbing the vibrations.¡± The bigger something is, the harder it is to keep steady. To prevent the house from trembling, Xiao Xuanwu automatically balanced itself. Mino¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredible.¡± Though slow-moving, Xiao Xuanwu¡¯s huge steps covered as much ground as several human strides. So, despite its pace, it was actually faster than walking on foot. After ten minutes, they arrived at the edge of the abandoned camp. Three-Color Lizard had already scouted ahead and confirmed: The camp was completely deserted. Mino stared at the empty land. She felt¡­ something. A strange, hollow emotion settled in her chest. ¡°They¡¯re all really gone, huh¡­?¡± She whispered, watching the darkened huts with no signs of firelight. Mu Liang¡¯s voice broke her thoughts. ¡°How far is Moonlake Tribe from here?¡± Mino hesitated before answering. ¡°I heard the hunters say¡­ it takes five or six days to reach.¡± Mu Liang¡¯s black eyes flickered. Then, he asked curiously: ¡°How big is Moonlake Tribe?¡± Mino took a deep breath. ¡°I think¡­ about ten thousand people?¡± Her voice held disbelief. To her, ten thousand people was an unimaginable number. How much food would that even take? How much water? Mu Liang chuckled, then patted her shoulder. ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± Mino blinked. Then¡ª Her eyes lit up. ¡°Wait¡­ you mean¡ªwe¡¯re actually going there?!¡± Mu Liang grinned. ¡°Why not? Do you want to go?¡± Mino met his gaze. In his black eyes, she saw encouragement. Her hands curled into fists. She bit her lip¡ª Then nodded firmly. ¡°Yes! I want to go! I want to find my sister!¡± Mu Liang¡¯s smile widened. He raised a thumbs-up. ¡°Then Moonlake Tribe is our next destination.¡± Mino stared at his smile. For some reason¡­ Her heart suddenly started beating faster. She pressed her hands over her chest, her face turning red. ¡°Stop daydreaming.¡± Mu Liang reached out¡ª And pinched her rabbit ears. ¡°Ahh! Stop pulling my ears!¡± Mino panicked, stomping her foot. Any strange emotional fluttering she had felt¡ª Vanished instantly. A few moments later¡ª They both stood at the camp entrance. Mu Liang turned to her. ¡°Which houses do you want to take wood from?¡± Mino hesitated for only a second¡ª Then, she pointed. ¡°Those ones. Their kids used to steal my lizards.¡± Mu Liang grinned. ¡°Good choice.¡± And so¡ª They began tearing down abandoned homes for building materials. By the time they returned to their house, one corner of the courtyard was stacked with logs. Their moving home was nearly complete. Chapter 18 - How to Tell When Someone Left Chapter 018: How to Tell When Someone Left With enough wood gathered, the only thing left was the roof. Fortunately, Mu Liang had already carved grooves into the walls, making it easier to set up the wooden beams. Thanks to his enhanced strength, the entire process took only ten minutes. ¡°Mu Liang, I¡¯ll handle laying the stone tiles! Just pass them up to me!¡± Mino climbed onto the roof agilely, her rabbit ears twitching with excitement. Mu Liang handed her a brick and reminded her: ¡°Be careful. Watch your footing.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Mino cheerfully arranged the stone tiles, already daydreaming about living in their new home. By the time they had finished half the roof, the sky had gone dark. They lit a bonfire in the courtyard for light and continued working. An hour later¡ª The roof was complete. Xiao Xuanwu used its ability to fuse the stones together, ensuring that even heavy rain wouldn¡¯t cause leaks. ¡°We finally finished!¡± Mino jumped off the roof, eyes sparkling with excitement. She clenched her small fists, feeling a mix of joy and accomplishment. The overwhelming excitement from earlier had settled into a warm satisfaction. Mu Liang patted her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s move in. Time to bring everything over.¡± ¡°Mm!¡± Mino nodded vigorously. Moving didn¡¯t take long¡ª After all, she didn¡¯t have much. Her belongings included: A pillowA wooden bed boardTwo wooden bowlsA wooden bucket And¡­ The wooden door from her old hut. Mino insisted on taking it and planned to install it as her new bedroom door. It was a sentimental piece, a symbol of her past life. Eventually, the only thing left behind was the structure of the old hut itself. Everything else had been moved. Mu Liang stood at the doorway, holding a torch. He silently watched as Mino hugged her pillow, standing motionless in the middle of the hut. But he didn¡¯t interrupt her. Mu Liang had no illusions about finding Mino¡¯s sister. But he understood¡ª Keeping small pieces of their shared past might bring her some comfort. A moment later, Mino bit her lip, turned around, and said softly: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She clutched her pillow tightly, her expression unreadable. Who knew if she would ever return to this place again? Mu Liang didn¡¯t say anything. At this moment, words were meaningless. He simply walked beside her, leading her back to Xiao Xuanwu. Even as the hut disappeared from sight, Mino stole glances over her shoulder several times. But once they arrived at their new home¡ª S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her mood completely changed. Mino beamed, running in and out of her new bedroom, examining every corner. She clutched her pillow and excitedly ran up to Mu Liang. ¡°This whole room is really mine?!¡± Mu Liang laughed and nodded. ¡°Yes. You can decorate it however you like.¡± ¡°Hehe~~ Then I¡¯m going to organize everything!¡± Mino giggled happily and dashed back inside to start setting up her space. Meanwhile, Mu Liang turned his attention to the courtyard. They still needed a proper firepit for cooking. His stomach rumbled, and he decided to set it up immediately. The process was simple: A square firepit, identical to the one from the old hut.A layer of soil, followed by a layer of sand, for insulation.A chimney system, ensuring proper ventilationfor smoke. Once the chimney was secured, Mu Liang dusted off his hands. He grinned. ¡°That¡¯s done.¡± Then, he chuckled to himself¡ª ¡°Looks like ¡®Earth Spike Burst¡¯ has more uses than I thought.¡± He set up a cooking rack, hung the steel pot, and started boiling meat soup. At the same time, he placed skewers of meat over the fire to roast. At that moment¡ª A small nose twitched in the doorway. Mino peeked out, her blue eyes wide with surprise. She stared at the firepit, then at the simmering soup and roasting meat. Her ears twitched in disbelief. Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Why are you just standing there? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m hungry!¡± Mino immediately ran over and sat cross-legged by the fire. She stared eagerly at the meat, but then hesitated¡ª She wanted to remind Mu Liang to ration their food. But¡ª When she looked up and saw his dust-covered face, she swallowed her words. Instead, she simply asked: ¡°Is it ready yet?¡± Mu Liang raised an eyebrow. He had expected her to lecture him on saving food. But instead¡ª She had let it slide. He smiled. ¡°Meat soup takes time to absorb the flavors.¡± Then, he flipped a skewer over the flames. Mino hesitated for a moment, then asked: ¡°You said a group of scouts will come tomorrow, right?¡± Mu Liang glanced at her. ¡°Yes.¡± Mino bit her lip. ¡°So¡­ how do we make it look like the villagers just left?¡± Mu Liang turned a skewer, then asked: ¡°If you were a scout, how would you figure out when people left?¡± He didn¡¯t give her the answer immediately. Instead, he wanted her to think for herself. After all¡ª They were going to survive together in this world. And she needed to learn the skills he knew. Mino pouted in concentration, her rabbit ears tangling together as she tried to think. She looked down at her bare feet and wiggled her toes. Suddenly¡ª Her eyes lit up. ¡°Footprints!¡± She beamed. ¡°You can tell when people left by looking at their footprints, right?!¡± Mu Liang nodded approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s correct. The depth and freshness of footprints can tell you how long ago someone passed by.¡± But then, he added: ¡°However, there¡¯s an even easier way.¡± Mino¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°What is it?¡± Mu Liang smiled. ¡°The condition of charcoal and ash.¡± He explained: ¡°By observing how long charcoal takes to burn out, and how long the ground beneath a fire remains warm, you can estimate how recently someone was here.¡± Mino¡¯s eyes sparkled with understanding. ¡°That makes sense!¡± She nodded eagerly¡ª Even though she didn¡¯t fully grasp it yet, she would learn. Mu Liang handed her a skewer of roasted meat. ¡°Now, eat first. You¡¯ll need energy to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mino took the skewer absentmindedly, still deep in thought. ¡°Snap!¡± Mu Liang flicked her forehead. ¡°Ah! That hurt!¡± Mino yelped cutely. Mu Liang smirked. ¡°Focus on eating.¡± He handed her a bowl of hot soup. Mino pouted but accepted the bowl. Even as she sipped the soup, she kept thinking about what she had learned. Tomorrow, they would put it to the test. Chapter 19 - The Third Tamed Beast Chapter 19: The Third Tamed Beast After dinner. The two of them rested for a while before heading to the camp. Mino held up a torch, glancing nervously at the silent darkness of the camp. ¡°You go that way, I¡¯ll go this way. We¡¯ll meet in the middle.¡± Mu Liang raised his torch and instructed the girl, ¡°Wait a moment¡ªXiao Cai will go with you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mino relaxed immediately upon hearing that the big lizard would accompany her. ¡°Don¡¯t stack too much firewood,¡± Mu Liang reminded. ¡°Got it.¡± Mino nodded and entered the camp with her torch. ¡°I thought she¡¯d be braver.¡± Mu Liang watched her timid figure retreat into the darkness. Turns out, she wasn¡¯t much different from ordinary girls. He stepped into an abandoned house, stacking firewood into the hearth. By preparing the firewood in advance, he could start the fires first thing in the morning. Then, he would wait for the thieves¡¯ scouts to investigate. Whether this would successfully lure Bloodbeard into a pursuit¡­ that would be clear by tomorrow. Time passed as they stacked wood. ¡°This house hasn¡¯t been lived in for a long time.¡± Holding up his torch, Mu Liang entered a room covered in cobwebs. He stopped and was about to turn back when a spider suddenly dropped down in front of him. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ I haven¡¯t used today¡¯s 10 taming points. Why not tame a spider?¡± Mu Liang reached out toward the spider, and the familiar system prompt sounded. Ding! Detecting a tamable creature. Would you like to tame it? ¡°Tame.¡± Ding! Detecting Level 0 Lifeform: Redback Spider. Taming in progress¡­ Ding! 10 Taming Points consumed. Taming successful. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Liang released his hand and saw that the spider, previously the size of a pinky finger, had grown to the size of a palm. The entire spider was black, with red tips on its legs. What stood out the most was the red mask-like marking on its back. Ding! Would you like to inherit the Red Ghost Spider¡¯s talent: Silk Perception? ¡°Inherit.¡± This was Mu Liang¡¯s third time acquiring a new ability. Ding! ¡®Silk Perception¡¯ is being refined¡­ adapting¡­ inheritance complete. Mu Liang felt a slight warmth in his fingers and palms, but that was it. ¡°Is my body already so strong? That¡¯s why fusing with a low-level tamed beast¡¯s ability doesn¡¯t show much improvement?¡± This was the only logical explanation he could think of. He glanced at his system attribute panel and noticed that his enhanced attributes had only increased by a fraction of a point. ¡°System, upgrade the Red Ghost Spider to Level 3.¡± To test his hypothesis, Mu Liang decided to evolve one of his tamed beasts to Level 3. Ding! Evolving Level 1 Red Ghost Spider to Level 3. 110 Evolution Points deducted. Ding! Level 3 Red Ghost Spider evolution successful. Ding! Level 3 Red Ghost Spider¡¯s talent evolved: Silk Manipulation. Ding! Synchronizing ¡®Silk Manipulation¡¯ ability with the tamer. Syncing to Level 3. Mu Liang felt the familiar warm current in his body. The strengthening effect wasn¡¯t significant. He opened the system panel to check his attributes. Tamer: Mu Liang Stamina: 24 Speed: 23.5 Strength: 24.2 Spirit: 35 Lifespan: 24 years / 450 years Taming Points: 0 (Refreshes daily, can be accumulated) Evolution Points: 109 Abilities: Earth Rock Spike (Level 3), Mimicry Invisibility (Level 3), Silk Manipulation (Level 3) (Normal human base stats: 1) Tamed Beasts: Rock Armor Turtle: Talent ¨C Earth Rock Spike (Level 3) Tri-Color Lizard: Talent ¨C Mimicry Invisibility (Level 3) Red Ghost Spider: Talent ¨C Silk Manipulation (Level 3) ¡°As expected, the strengthening effect was minimal.¡± After checking his detailed attributes, Mu Liang confirmed that the enhancement from lower-level tamed beasts was limited compared to beasts of the same level. For every tamed beast, the first enhancement yielded the best and most noticeable results. ¡°I was being greedy.¡± Mu Liang chuckled and shook his head. It was unrealistic to expect every enhancement to be as dramatic as the first. He snapped back to reality and turned to the Red Ghost Spider clinging to his arm. ¡°So¡­ can you get down?¡± Mu Liang twitched his lips. A one-meter-long Red Ghost Spider looked quite intimidating. ¡°Swish~¡± The Red Ghost Spider shot out silk, attached it to the ceiling, and easily climbed up. ¡°Swish~¡± Mu Liang mimicked it, extending his index finger toward a pile of firewood in the corner and shooting out silk. A transparent strand of silk shot forward and instantly stuck to the firewood. ¡°I see¡­ I can sense an object¡¯s weight and even its shape.¡± The feedback from the silk on his fingertips gave Mu Liang an immediate understanding of his new ability. ¡°The toughness is impressive¡ªbetter than ordinary rope.¡± ¡°The adhesive property comes from tiny silk fibers interlocking.¡± ¡°Since the silk is transparent, it¡¯s perfect for setting traps and ambushes.¡± Just from a brief test, Mu Liang realized the spider silk had many potential uses. He looked up at the Red Ghost Spider on the ceiling and conveyed his thoughts mentally: ¡°Little Red, I need you to place some silk traps on the outskirts of the camp. If anyone triggers them, come notify me.¡± ¡°Squeak, squeak~~¡± The Red Ghost Spider emitted a sound like leather rubbing together, signaling its understanding. Mu Liang repeated his instructions mentally: ¡°Don¡¯t capture them¡ªjust notify me if someone enters.¡± He didn¡¯t want the Red Ghost Spider mistaking the thieves¡¯ scouts for prey and trapping them outright. That would be awkward. ¡°Swish~¡± The Red Ghost Spider shot out silk and swung from the ceiling, using its silk to swing away like a certain superhero. ¡°Spider-Man?¡± Mu Liang¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest, itching to try it himself. He glanced at the torch in his hand and dismissed the idea of imitating the chatty superhero from the movies. Mu Liang left the house and continued stacking firewood. ¡°Mu Liang?¡± A nervous voice came from a nearby room. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Mu Liang stepped out of the house. ¡°Just a few more houses to go.¡± Mino jogged over, her tense expression softening with relief. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and finish so we can head back.¡± Mu Liang glanced at the girl¡¯s slightly bent rabbit ears. She must be nervous. ¡°Okay.¡± Mino nodded obediently. Ten minutes later, they finished stacking firewood in all the houses. They walked side by side through the night without speaking, only hearing each other¡¯s breathing. Aside from the faint glow of the torches, everything around them was pitch black. Not a single star was visible in the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back. It¡¯s getting cold.¡± Mu Liang heard Mino exhale sharply in the cold air. He reached out, grabbed her hand, and started jogging toward the Rock Armor Turtle. ¡°Okay.¡± Mino let herself be pulled along, her lips curling into a smile as she tightened her grip on his hand. Chapter 20 - Girls Are Just That Easy to Understand Chapter 020: Girls Are Just That Easy to Understand Sounds echoed in the darkness. ¡°Damn those bastards. Could they have been eaten by the beasts?¡± ¡°Hopefully. If they weren¡¯t, boss would make them wish they were dead.¡± ¡°You think those guys were killed by the people from that small camp?¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Who would dare offend our boss? They must have a death wish.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Three dust-covered men grumbled as they hurried along the road. As scouts for the Bloodbeard Bandit Crew, traveling at dawn was a routine task. As long as they weren¡¯t moving at midnight, they could avoid the beasts¡ªotherwise, their chances of survival would drop to ten percent. Besides, they had special ways to evade some of the creatures. If luck wasn¡¯t on their side and they couldn¡¯t avoid an encounter, they could only resign themselves to death. The Bloodbeard Bandit Crew had no use for the weak. Anyone who wasn¡¯t skilled enough was either sent to work as a slave or left to suffer a fate worse than death. ¡°How much farther?¡± one of them asked. ¡°We should arrive by sunrise.¡± ¡°Why is the boss working with those people from the camp? Why not just kill them and take their stuff?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget what happened last time. We ran into a pack of Moon Wolves and lost a lot of men. The boss probably wants to replenish our numbers.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was bad luck. I heard all the scouts from that trip died.¡± ¡°Keep your voice down. Let¡¯s just focus on moving.¡± The three fell silent, pressing on. Occasionally, they would stop to rest or crouch behind rocks to avoid passing beasts. By the time the sky turned a reddish-orange, signaling dawn, they stood atop a hill, looking toward a camp in the distance¡ªno bigger than a fist from where they stood. ¡°Look! Is that the camp?¡± one of them asked excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± The lead scout gave instructions. ¡°We¡¯ll sneak in from three different directions and meet back here.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± With the plan set, they moved toward the camp. But as they got closer, their expressions darkened. There was no sign of life. Not a single sound. The place felt completely abandoned. ¡°Thud!¡± One of the scouts suddenly tripped and fell. ¡°What the hell?¡± He quickly got up, looking around to see what had tripped him. He checked for a while but saw nothing. ¡°Weird¡­¡± His wariness grew. All three of them tripped as they entered the camp. After investigating, they returned to the hill to share their findings. ¡°The doors were left open, and anything important was gone. They left in a hurry.¡± ¡°The charcoal in their fire wasn¡¯t completely burned out. They must have left before dawn.¡± ¡°Same on my end.¡± The three exchanged uneasy looks. ¡°Damn it! They ran!¡± one of them cursed. ¡°They haven¡¯t been gone for long. Should we track them down?¡± another asked. ¡°You go after them,¡± the leader ordered. ¡°Find their trail and leave markers along the way.¡± ¡°The rest of us will return to report to the boss.¡± ¡°You think the boss will come after them himself?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? Those people dared to fool the boss. With his temper, of course he¡¯ll chase them down.¡± ¡°If they left yesterday, maybe the boss wouldn¡¯t bother. He¡¯d just send some men to hunt them down.¡± ¡°But now? Heh¡­ they¡¯re as good as dead.¡± ¡°Enough about the boss. Let¡¯s rest for a bit before heading back to report.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After eating, the three lay down to rest. About half an hour later, they split into two groups and left. Once they were gone, a massive rock lizard, two meters long, emerged from the cliffside. It had been watching them the whole time from less than five meters away. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The tricolored lizard flicked its tongue, staying still as it received instructions from Mu Liang. Moments later, it crawled down and followed the two scouts. ¡ª Meanwhile, several kilometers away, a Rock Armor Turtle lay dozing between the hills. If one didn¡¯t look closely, they wouldn¡¯t even realize it was a turtle. Ever since it learned to use evolution points instead of food, it no longer worried about eating and became even lazier. ¡°No major deviations from the plan. The setup was a success. Time to move on to the next phase.¡± Mu Liang smiled as he stretched by the fire pit. At around three in the morning, he had gone to the camp and set fire to their wood piles. He had barely slept four hours before the Red Ghost Spider alerted him¡ªsomeone had triggered the silk traps. He had then observed the three scouts, analyzing their movements. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As expected, they had fallen for the ruse. Now, he had sent the tricolored lizard to track two of them back to the Bloodbeard base. Meanwhile, the Red Ghost Spider was tasked with eliminating the third scout to prevent him from realizing something was wrong and doubling back, which would ruin everything. ¡°Crap! I overslept!¡± Mino burst out of her room, her rabbit ears standing straight up, her hair messy, and a wolf pelt clutched in her arms. Seeing Mu Liang, she panicked. ¡°Mu Liang! We have to hurry to the camp and set the fire!¡± ¡°No need.¡± As soon as Mu Liang finished speaking, she looked like she was about to cry. Not wanting to tease her further, he said gently, ¡°I already lit the fire last night.¡± ¡°Really? We didn¡¯t miss the timing?¡± Mino hugged the wolf pelt tightly, sniffling cutely. ¡°The timing was perfect. The scouts have already fallen for it.¡± Mu Liang stepped forward and adjusted her collar¡ªit had nearly slipped off her shoulder. ¡°Eek!¡± Mino¡¯s face instantly turned red. She let out a cute squeak and scrambled back to her room in a flustered panic. A moment later, her voice rang out from inside. ¡°Mu Liang! Why didn¡¯t you wake me when you went to light the fire?¡± Before bed, she had specifically told him to wake her so she could help. ¡°I forgot.¡± In truth, Mu Liang had seen how soundly she was sleeping and hadn¡¯t wanted to wake her. She had spent the entire day helping build the house and stacking wood. Unlike him, her body hadn¡¯t been strengthened multiple times¡ªshe was already exhausted. ¡°Hmph!¡± Mino pouted, knowing full well he was making excuses. She felt a little guilty for not helping. Mu Liang glanced at her door and casually said, ¡°Breakfast is on you today. Think you can handle it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Mino immediately popped out of her room. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll count on you.¡± As Mu Liang turned away, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. Girls really are just that easy to understand. Chapter 21 - Magical Tools! The Elves Have Arrived! Chapter 021: Magical Tools! The Elves Have Arrived! Lin Xuan continued walking forward for some distance. Suddenly, three diverging paths appeared ahead. Each of the three paths led into unknown mine tunnels. From the outside, all of them contained a significant amount of iron ore and stone. Lin Xuan stood still, pondering his options. In the end, he chose the tunnel on the far right. This tunnel was noticeably brighter than the other two. Moreover, upon sensing the surroundings, he confirmed that the three black iron treasure chests were also in the rightward direction. Sure enough! As Lin Xuan walked further inside, the light ahead grew even brighter. Before long, he spotted three black iron treasure chests. The chests were scattered around but not too far from one another. ¡°Hahaha~!¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been this lucky! I actually found three treasure chests at once!¡± Lin Xuan chuckled happily. He stepped forward and picked up the three treasure chests. A flash of light shimmered. The items immediately appeared in his inventory. Lin Xuan was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of rewards in the treasure chests. Among them, he found a Magic Lantern and a Weapon Blueprint. Of course, there were also various other materials and an Elemental Fruit. Although the Elemental Fruit was of no use to him, he could still keep it for the people in his shelter or trade it with other lords. Either way, it was a beneficial find. The Magic Lantern resembled a handheld lantern. At the bottom, there was a control switch that allowed it to be turned on or off and also adjusted the brightness. Lin Xuan promptly turned on the Magic Lantern and set it to its maximum brightness. Instantly, the previously dim mine tunnel became much brighter. ¡°This will make things much easier.¡± Lin Xuan chuckled, placing the lantern on the ground before preparing to mine the stone from the tunnel walls. However¡­ Just as he was about to start, a figure suddenly emerged from the depths of the mine. Lin Xuan was startled, thinking it was an undead monster. Instinctively, he prepared to shoot an arrow. Yet before he could release it, the figure spoke. ¡°Human?!¡± The voice carried a hint of surprise, as if the speaker hadn¡¯t expected to encounter a human here. Lin Xuan furrowed his brows and halted his attack. He lifted his lantern to illuminate the figure. As the light fell upon the person, Lin Xuan was stunned. ¡°Huh? An elf?!¡± The figure before him was not an undead creature. It was a woman¡ªmore precisely, a beautiful elf. From her appearance, elves looked quite similar to humans. However, Lin Xuan knew that while human ears were rounded, elves had pointed ears. Although the difference was subtle, he immediately recognized her as an elf. Perhaps because this was his first time encountering an elf up close, Lin Xuan took a careful look at her. She carried a large bow on her back, wore a flowing green dress, and had long golden hair cascading down. Her fair skin was radiant yet not sickly pale, and her light blue eyes reflected an innocent charm. Lin Xuan¡¯s gaze momentarily lingered on her figure. Hmm. Perfect proportions. Her slender waist seemed small enough to be held with one hand, and her soft, cream-like cheeks made him want to take a bite. But Lin Xuan restrained himself. He wasn¡¯t sure he could defeat her if things went south. [Name]: Aelya Amargil [Race]: Elf [Level]: Tier Three [Description]: Elves are nature¡¯s beloved children. They possess long lifespans and are naturally attuned to elemental forces¡­ ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Being an elf sure is nice. They¡¯re born with elemental affinity.¡± Lin Xuan suddenly felt a little envious. However, he quickly reminded himself that his own elemental affinity was at the highest level. That thought immediately lifted his spirits. At that moment, the elf, Aelya, spoke, her words leaving Lin Xuan puzzled. ¡°Human! I finally found you!¡± Lin Xuan froze. ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°Yes, I am looking for you!¡± Aelya nodded firmly. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This only baffled Lin Xuan further. Why did it feel like everyone was searching for him? People were after him in the real world. Now, even in the game world, someone was looking for him. What was he, Tang Seng? Did everyone want a piece of him?! ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Lin Xuan questioned Aelya, while secretly remaining on guard. If anything seemed off, he¡¯d escape immediately. After all, she was Tier Three, and he was no match for her. That said, he wasn¡¯t too worried since he still had one resurrection attempt left for the day. ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s looking for you. To be precise, our Elven Queen wants to see you¡­ No, that¡¯s not quite right.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s the damn dwarves who are after you¡­¡± Aelya looked at Lin Xuan as she spoke. Little did she know, her words only left Lin Xuan even more confused. How did dwarves get involved in this?! So, he asked, ¡°Why are the dwarves looking for me?¡± ¡°Because you destroyed their graves!¡± Lin Xuan was taken aback. Scenes of yesterday¡¯s abandoned burial ground flashed through his mind. ¡°So¡­ that place was a dwarven burial site?!¡± Chapter 22 - The Elven Princess! Alya Amagil! Chapter 0022: The Elven Princess! Alya Amagil! After a brief conversation, Lin Xuan finally understood the whole situation from Alya¡¯s explanation. It turned out that the graveyard he had visited earlier was actually a dwarven burial site, where the ancestors of the dwarves had been laid to rest. At the time, he had enjoyed himself quite a bit, turning all the tombstones into stone materials. But it didn¡¯t take long for the dwarves to discover what had happened. Given the dwarves¡¯ temper, there was no way they would let him off. Sure enough, the dwarves immediately sent people to report the incident to the Hundred Races Alliance, hoping to mobilize all the forces in the forest to find and kill him. As a result, every member of the Hundred Races Alliance¡ªincluding elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, giants, behemoths, and many others¡ªsoon learned of this news. Each race dispatched a team to search for Lin Xuan within their respective territories. Among them, the elves sent out the most people, because according to the dwarves, after leaving the burial site, Lin Xuan had headed straight toward elven territory. And that led to the current situation. While searching for Lin Xuan with her team, Alya had been separated from the group when the Scourge of Mist suddenly descended upon them. After wandering around aimlessly, she had ended up in this mine, where she encountered Lin Xuan. ¡°Those dwarves really do have a keen nose!¡± After hearing Alya¡¯s story, Lin Xuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Fortunately, it was the elves who found him. If it had been any other race, he would have been dead already. The elves were naturally peace-loving. While the Hundred Races Alliance had ordered Lin Xuan¡¯s execution, the elven leader¡ª the Elf Queen¡ªhad only given instructions to expel him from the Moon Spirit Forest. ¡°Let¡¯s go, human. I¡¯ll take you out of the Moon Spirit Forest now.¡± Alya spoke as she prepared to lead Lin Xuan away. Lin Xuan spread his hands and said, ¡°Are you sure you can actually take me out?¡± Alya thought he was resisting and immediately raised her large bow, aiming it at him. ¡°What? You want to fight back?¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Xuan shook his head helplessly. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re lost in the mist. Do you really think dragging me along will help?¡± Alya froze for a moment, then awkwardly lowered her bow. Lin Xuan added, twisting the knife a little further, ¡°Besides, how can you be so sure that the dwarves are looking for me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re human, aren¡¯t you?¡± Alya responded with a look that clearly said, . Little did she know that in Lin Xuan¡¯s eyes, she was already falling into his trap. From what Lin Xuan had learned, elves had long lifespans, typically living around 800 years. However, elves were also quite naive about the world, especially someone like Alya. Although she looked about twenty years old, in reality, she was already over fifty. For a human, that would mean she was wise and experienced. But among elves, Alya was still just a child, barely comparable to a ten-year-old human girl¡ªan innocent youngster who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. Seeing that this little ¡°girl¡± was taking the bait, Lin Xuan changed his approach slightly and said, ¡°There are many humans in the world. I am a human, but other humans are also humans.¡± ¡°Just like you¡ªyou¡¯re an elf, but other elves are elves too.¡± ¡°So how can you be sure that the dwarves are looking for me, specifically?¡± ¡°For example, if someone is looking for you and simply says they¡¯re looking for ¡®an elf,¡¯ how would they know it¡¯s you they¡¯re after? There are other elves, after all.¡± With this string of reasoning, Alya was completely bewildered. She felt like she understood something¡­ but at the same time, it was as if she had heard nothing at all. Her delicate brows furrowed, and her fair face flushed with frustration as she stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ Anyway, you¡¯re wrong! I am not an elf¡­ wait, no, I an elf.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right either¡­ Anyway! I am Alya Amagil of the Elven Race!¡± Lin Xuan chuckled. ¡°And what difference does that make?¡± Alya puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°Of course it makes a difference! I, Alya Amagil, am the princess of the elves!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just any ordinary elf¡­¡± That last part was muttered so quietly that she barely voiced it aloud. But she didn¡¯t realize that the moment she declared herself as the elven princess, Lin Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up. Lin Xuan had never expected that the beautiful elven girl standing before him was actually the princess of the elves. An elven princess! According to what he had learned, the elven princess was essentially the next Elf Queen. Once the current Elf Queen stepped down, the elven princess would ascend to the throne, and a new princess would then be chosen from among the elves. For countless generations, this was how the elves had determined their ruler. Which meant that Alya Amagil standing before him¡­ was the next Elf Queen! At that moment, Lin Xuan took a deep breath. All of a sudden, he thought of a certain overlord from his past life¡ªthe one who had subdued the Angelic Race. That overlord had been able to remain unshaken in the apocalypse precisely because they had the Angels at their side! Almost instinctively, Lin Xuan turned to Alya and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the elven princess?¡± ¡°Then do you know how many elves your race has right now?¡± Chapter 23 - Bronze Treasure Chest! Ellia’s Friendship! Chapter 023: Bronze Treasure Chest! Ellia¡¯s Friendship! ¡°Of course, I know!¡± ¡°Our elven tribe has over 38,000 elves~!¡± Ellia declared proudly. Hearing this, Lin Xuan¡¯s smile grew even wider. Over 30,000 elves¡ªif viewed from a certain perspective, that was over 30,000 elementalists! If he could somehow bring the entire elven tribe under his command¡­ That would mean effortlessly gaining 30,000 elementalists! ¡°Why do you look so happy?¡± Ellia looked at Lin Xuan, puzzled. Lin Xuan waved his hand, about to come up with an excuse. But just then¡ª A faint ¡°gurgle¡± broke the silence. Surprised, Lin Xuan touched his stomach, but he didn¡¯t feel hungry. Looking up, he saw Ellia clutching her belly, her expression awkward as she explained, ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t eaten all day¡­¡± ¡°Human, do you have any food?¡± Hearing this, Lin Xuan suddenly had an idea. He nodded. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Great! Can you give me some?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ellia was stunned. ¡°I can borrow it! Once I take you to the Queen, I¡¯ll pay you back double. How about that?¡± ¡°No deal.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Xuan rolled his eyes. Even now, she was still thinking about taking him away. But Ellia was clearly an upright person. After all, he was only at the first tier, while Ellia was at the third. If she wanted to, she could simply take his food by force. Yet, instead of doing that, she was politely asking. Lin Xuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The heavens truly were fair¡ªwhen they opened one door, they closed another. ¡°Why not?¡± Ellia was confused. If this had been an elf asking another elf for food, they would have gladly shared it. ¡°Because you¡¯re not my friend.¡± ¡°I only share my food with my friends.¡± Lin Xuan decided to take things step by step, starting with friendship. Opportunities like this were rare¡ªhe wasn¡¯t going to waste it. Sure enough¡ª Ellia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then¡­ can we be friends?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Xuan smiled. [Ding! Congratulations! You have unlocked a special achievement: ¡®Friendship with the Elven Princess!¡¯ You have received 1 Bronze Treasure Chest!] Huh?! A special achievement? Hearing the system notification, Lin Xuan¡¯s smile grew even wider. This was the first time he had unlocked a special achievement! Since Ellia was still in front of him, he decided not to open the Bronze Treasure Chest just yet. Instead, he pulled two pieces of wolf meat from his inventory and handed them to her. ¡°Here, eat up!¡± To his surprise, Ellia wrinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Do you have anything else? We elves don¡¯t eat meat!¡± ¡°Oh? Then what do elves eat?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not meat, we can eat it.¡± Lin Xuan nodded and put the wolf meat away. Then, right in front of Ellia, he activated his system and logged out of the game¡ªvanishing from sight. Ellia¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Spatial magic!¡± ¡°Oh my gods! My human friend has space-element abilities!¡± Ellia was utterly shocked. Her small mouth formed a perfect ¡°O¡± shape. But before she could recover¡ª Lin Xuan reappeared and tossed two packs of biscuits to her. ¡°Here, eat this. It¡¯s a snack from my world.¡± Ellia instinctively caught the biscuits and took a bite. The moment the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s delicious! I never knew human snacks tasted this good!¡± ¡°But what surprises me more¡­ is that you¡¯re a space-elementalist!¡± ¡°Space-elementalist?¡± Lin Xuan froze for a moment. Then, he remembered how he had just logged out in front of her. She must have mistaken his logout ability for space magic. Lin Xuan touched his nose and, while Ellia was busy eating, briefly explained the game and his world to her. After about ten minutes¡ª Ellia finally understood. ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s how it is!¡± ¡°In that case, the one who disturbed the dwarven tombs wasn¡¯t you¡ªit was the other ¡®players¡¯ you mentioned!¡± ¡° That¡¯s right. After all, many humans arrived in Moonshade Forest¡ªnot just me.¡± Lin Xuan coughed lightly, lying with a straight face. He wasn¡¯t a saint. The issue of disturbing the dwarven tombs was serious. From a self-preservation standpoint, he had no problem shifting the blame. And the naive Ellia believed him completely. She even promised to bring him before the Elven Queen and clear his name. Hearing this¡ª Lin Xuan rolled his eyes again. This elf princess was way too honest. She still wanted to take him to see the queen? ¡°Alright, but even if we go to see your queen, we have to wait until the mist clears.¡± ¡°For now, I need to return to my world and rest.¡± With that, Lin Xuan prepared to log out. But just then¡ª Ellia suddenly asked him something completely unexpected. ¡°Wait! Can you take me to your world?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Chapter 24 - Abundant Rewards! The First Resident of the Shelter! Chapter 0024: Abundant Rewards! The First Resident of the Shelter! ¡°You want to go to my world?¡± Hearing Aelya¡¯s request, Lin Xuan was surprised. He instinctively glanced at the stunning elf. He had to admit, with Aelya¡¯s beauty, she could easily outshine any internet celebrity. She was exactly the type that shut-in guys would fantasize about. Forget about other people¡ªLin Xuan himself was already having certain thoughts. After all, he was just a regular guy. And with Aelya¡¯s looks, even a saint would struggle to stay composed. That said enough about how breathtakingly beautiful she was. ¡°Yes.¡± Aelya nodded firmly, then hesitated before continuing in a slow, soft voice: ¡°If¡­ if you leave, I¡¯ll be all alone here¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve never stayed outside alone before¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a little scared¡­¡± The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became. Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I might be a bad person?¡± Aelya shook her head, looking at him with complete sincerity. ¡°We¡¯re friends! My elf friends never lie to me!¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, Lin Xuan nearly broke character. He certainly had no objections to bringing Aelya to his world. If anything, this would only deepen their bond. Who knew? Maybe one day, he¡¯d really be able to win over the entire elf race. With that in mind, Lin Xuan pretended to hesitate. ¡°Hmm¡­ I take you to my world, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Aelya leaned in curiously. ¡°But only those who join my shelter can go to my world.¡± Lin Xuan spoke while inhaling the faint fragrance from Aelya¡¯s presence. He wasn¡¯t lying¡ªNPCs from the game world could only travel to Blue Star if they were part of his shelter. Aelya hesitated. Seeing that, Lin Xuan struck while the iron was hot. ¡°Think of the shelter like your Hundred Races Alliance.¡± ¡°Your alliance exists to resist the dark monsters.¡± ¡°My shelter is also built to resist the dark monsters.¡± ¡°Joining the shelter won¡¯t change anything for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like how joining the Hundred Races Alliance didn¡¯t place any restrictions on you, right?¡± Hearing this, Aelya finally understood. She nodded and said: ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll join your shelter! Let¡¯s fight the dark monsters together!¡± As she spoke, she even raised her little fists in a gesture of determination. At the same time, a notification popped up. [Ding! Aelya Amargil has applied to join your shelter¡­] ¡°Accept.¡± Lin Xuan grinned and accepted her request. And just like that, Aelya became the first official resident of his shelter. Almost immediately, another notification followed. [Ding! Congratulations! You have unlocked a special achievement: ¡®The First Elf of the Shelter.¡¯ You have been rewarded with a Bronze Chest¡­] ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°Aelya really is my lucky charm!¡± ¡°In just a short while, she¡¯s already brought me two Bronze Chests!¡± Lin Xuan was thrilled. He never expected things to go this smoothly. Did he have some kind of hidden talent for luring in innocent elves? That thought made him chuckle. Clearing his throat, he turned to Aelya and said, ¡°Come here and hold onto me tightly. I need to cast a spell to return to my world.¡± Without question, Aelya immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Lin Xuan. With such a beauty in his arms and her soft fragrance lingering in the air, Lin Xuan felt a sudden rush of heat. ¡°Ahem¡­ hold on tighter. If you¡¯re not careful, the space-time turbulence might carry you away.¡± With that, he started muttering nonsense, pretending to chant a spell. After three minutes, Aelya started to grow suspicious. Only then did Lin Xuan stop stalling and focus his mind¡ªlogging out of the game. ¡ª Back in the real world, Lin Xuan gave Aelya a light pat. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here. We¡¯ve arrived in my world.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Aelya looked around in surprise, amazed by Lin Xuan¡¯s mysterious abilities. But her attention quickly shifted. ¡°Wow! So this is a human home?¡± ¡°Ooh! These plush toys are so cute!¡± ¡°Strange¡­ why are those iron boxes outside moving by themselves?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In an instant, Aelya transformed into a curious child, bombarding Lin Xuan with question after question. Lin Xuan didn¡¯t mind. As he prepared dinner in the kitchen, he patiently answered each of her questions. It was already eight in the evening, and after a long day of mining, Lin Xuan was exhausted. Thankfully, his microwave made things easy. All he had to do was heat up some pre-cooked meals. Knowing that Aelya didn¡¯t eat meat, Lin Xuan specifically took out some vegetables from the fridge and steamed a pot of rice. ¡°Mmm! Smells so good!¡± Aelya inhaled deeply, captivated by the aroma of freshly cooked rice. At that moment, she gazed at Lin Xuan, who was focused on preparing food. An unfamiliar feeling crept into her heart. Her pulse quickened, beating like a nervous little deer. Lin Xuan, meanwhile, noticed that Aelya had suddenly gone quiet. Thinking she might be bored, he handed her some snacks and pulled out his phone, directing her to the living room. ¡°Here, you can watch videos to pass the time.¡± This would help her learn more about Blue Star¡ªand also lay the groundwork for him to win over the elves. More importantly¡­ Lin Xuan still had two unopened Bronze Chests. Taking advantage of Aelya¡¯s distraction, he summoned his inventory panel and opened them. [You have opened two Bronze Chests! You obtained: 1000x Wood, 100x Bronze, 3x Elemental Fruits, 2x Magic Potions, 1x Shelter Blueprint, 1x Low-tier Skill Book, 1x Low-tier Equipment Blueprint¡­] Chapter 25 - Abundant Materials! Aiming for Two Consecutive Upgrades! Chapter 025: Abundant Materials! Aiming for Two Consecutive Upgrades! ¡¾Magic Potion (Low-Tier): Slowly restores mana over 10 minutes after consumption¡­¡¿ ¡¾Fireball Spell (Low-Tier): This skill book records the ¡®Fireball¡¯ spell, which allows the user to condense a fireball by consuming a certain amount of mana¡­¡¿ ¡¾Blazing Fire Armor (Low-Tier): This blueprint details the forging method for ¡®Blazing Fire Armor.¡¯ Requires Iron x6, Silk Thread x2, Beast Blood x1 to craft a low-tier armor resistant to fire attacks¡­¡¿ ¡¾Shelter Blueprint: An essential blueprint for upgrading the shelter, containing all crucial details for construction¡­¡¿ After opening two Bronze Chests, Lin Xuan received a wealth of rewards. Among them were various materials, a skill book, an equipment blueprint, and a shelter blueprint. Unfortunately, the skill book recorded a fire-based spell, which he couldn¡¯t use at the moment. However, the equipment blueprint was a great find¡ªonce crafted, it could replace his worn-out armor. As for the shelter blueprint, it was by far the most valuable reward. After all, upgrading the shelter to Level 2 required this blueprint as the key material. ¡°I wonder how many materials I mined today.¡± Lin Xuan glanced at his backpack. ¡¾Backpack¡¿: Wood x1520Stone x2347Iron x1270Bronze x111Iron Axe x7Elemental Fruit x4Magic Potion x2Fireball Skill Book x1Blazing Fire Armor Blueprint x1Tiger Blade Blueprint x1Shelter Blueprint x1Silk Thread x48Wolf Meat x29Wolf Bones x15Wolf Blood x15Wolf Hide x15Centipede Blood x5Venom Gland x3Poison Fang x8Snake Gall x4Rat Claw x204¡­ His backpack was filled with a chaotic assortment of materials, occupying most of its space. Judging by the quantity alone, Lin Xuan had clearly defeated a large number of monsters. Apart from the gathered materials, his upgrade progress had also reached 10%. After doing some quick calculations, he estimated that he needed about 45 Crystal Cores to reach Tier 2, with each core increasing his progress by 2%. Fortunately, according to his estimates, there were still at least three to four hundred Stone-Eating Rats in the mine. If he could wipe them all out, he should be able to level up to Tier 2. ¡°I just need to push myself a little harder and fully explore the mine within four days!¡± Although it was going to be a physically demanding task, Lin Xuan was excited. The mine was simply too rich in resources¡ªif he could clear it out, he would gain at least seven to eight thousand units of stone and iron. At that point, as long as he gathered enough wood, he could level up his base twice in a row. Just as he was thinking about this, Aelya¡¯s voice suddenly called out from the living room. ¡°Lin Xuan, come quickly! Someone¡¯s talking about the Moon Spirit Forest on your phone!¡± Hearing this, Lin Xuan curiously walked into the living room and sat next to Aelya on the couch, looking at the phone screen. The video playing was a news clip. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Hello everyone, this is your host, Uncle Bing!¡¿ ¡¾Today, we received some infuriating news!¡¿ ¡¾Many players reported that in the Moon Spirit Forest, where they spawned, countless game-world natives suddenly appeared and started a ¡®massacre¡¯ against them¡­¡¿ ¡¾According to these fallen players, the natives attacked because someone had dug up their graves, triggering their rage and leading to the slaughter¡­¡¿ ¡¾Foreign players were also among the casualties¡­¡¿ ¡¾So, Uncle Bing urges everyone¡ªplease stop doing such disgraceful things!¡¿ As the video played, the screen filled with bullet comments: ¡¾Damn! I was one of the victims!¡¿ ¡¾I heard foreign players got hit too!¡¿ ¡¾Damn it! I was scared out of my wits when a group of giants showed up and kicked me to death!¡¿ ¡¾I got killed by a Behemoth! I was completely stunned when it happened!¡¿ ¡¾I don¡¯t even know who I offended¡ªjust got caught in the crossfire!¡¿ ¡¾Hahaha! This is hilarious! Glad I spawned in the Human Kingdom!¡¿ ¡°Uh¡­ time to eat!¡± Lin Xuan quickly put away his phone and dashed into the kitchen to bring out the food. Aelya, who was about to chime in on the discussion, instantly forgot about it when the delicious aroma reached her nose. As soon as the dishes were served, she eagerly dug in. Lin Xuan, looking at the half a pig¡¯s head and a roasted duck before him, also felt his appetite surge. He cracked open a bottle of beer and started eating. ¡°Wow! Lin Xuan, your cooking is amazing!¡± ¡°The food in your world is so much better than in mine!¡± Hearing this, Lin Xuan asked, ¡°Is the food in your world bad?¡± Aelya thought for a moment before answering, ¡°It used to be really good, but ever since the dark monsters invaded our world¡­ many plants stopped growing, and even finding enough to eat became difficult.¡± Lin Xuan took a sip of beer and nodded in agreement. In his previous life, Blue Star had faced the same crisis. Many plants mutated, and only shelter farms could grow edible crops. While no one starved to death, food was scarce. Eating delicious meals like this had been nothing but a distant dream. As they continued eating, they also chatted. Lin Xuan learned more about the Elven race from Aelya, while she, in turn, gained insights about Blue Star¡­ Chapter 26 - Promotion to Second Rank! Three Ice Skills! Chapter 026: Promotion to Second Rank! Three Ice Skills! The next two days passed. Lin Xuan didn¡¯t do anything else. Except for eating and sleeping, he spent almost all his time in the mine, digging madly for resources inside. It¡¯s worth mentioning that the mine, which was originally supposed to take four days to explore, was fully explored by Lin Xuan in just two days. And he also killed a second-rank Rat King and found a bronze treasure chest. The main reason for this was the involvement of Alia. At first, Alia was somewhat reluctant. But when Lin Xuan suggested that if she helped him mine materials, he would cook her favorite dishes every day¡ªespecially the stir-fried yam and several vegetarian dishes she loved¡ªAlia agreed. Additionally, Lin Xuan promised to take her to Blue Star for a day of fun after they finished. With that, Alia became very motivated, and together with Lin Xuan, they explored the entire mine in just two days. Although the process was a bit tough, fortunately, the rewards were abundant. First of all, Alia killed around four or five hundred Stone-Eating Rats, allowing Lin Xuan to collect over eighty crystal cores and several other materials. With these crystal cores, Lin Xuan immediately absorbed forty-five of them, instantly leveling up to second-rank strength. The remaining thirty-plus crystal cores were stored for later use, as his base was about to be upgraded to a level two shelter. At that time, these crystal cores would be a vital strategic resource, so he needed to keep some for future preparations. In addition to the above gains, Lin Xuan also collected over 15,000 stone materials and more than 10,000 raw iron. Based on his past experiences, with these materials, all he needed was 30,000 units of wood to upgrade his base from a top-tier safe house directly to a mid-level shelter. Although 30,000 wood was a lot, Lin Xuan had already thought of a way to quickly gather large amounts of wood. Moreover, Bai Ling had contacted him during this time, and according to her, it seemed that the official aid for the Fire Seed personnel was about to be distributed, and she would be sending it to him. Although Lin Xuan didn¡¯t know how much, he was sure it would be the highest level of support based on his Fire Seed rank. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Additionally, Lin Xuan learned three low-rank ice skills. They were: Ice Shield Formula, Frost Speech Curse, and Ice Thousand Slashes. Ice Shield Formula (Low Rank): Creates an ice shield to block attacks!Frost Speech Curse (Low Rank): Freezes all targets in a specified area!Ice Thousand Slashes (Low Rank): Forms multiple ice blades to attack a target! These three ice skills were not obtained by Lin Xuan himself. They were taught to him by Alia. Speaking of which, Lin Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit envious of Alia. In one of their chats, Lin Xuan accidentally learned that Alia actually had affinity with four elements. These four elements were: wood, earth, wind, and ice. Her affinity with wood was superior, while earth and wind were of medium affinity. Her ice affinity was low. This was also why Alia only taught Lin Xuan three ice skills¡ªafter all, her ice affinity was low, so most of her energy was focused on wood and the other two elements. For a low-level affinity like ice, Alia only symbolically learned three skills. Otherwise, with her personality, Lin Xuan could have learned even more ice skills. But even so, Lin Xuan was already quite satisfied. Day Three arrived. Lin Xuan kept his promise. After waking up, he took Alia out for a day of fun. Although Blue Star had been greatly affected by the game, causing some shops to close, certain necessary places were still open by official mandate. However, these places now required game items for payment, such as wood, stone, raw iron, crystal cores, and blueprints. Lin Xuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Humans really are the most adaptable. Survival skills are unmatched!¡± However, this turned out to be a good thing for Lin Xuan too. Unknowingly, he had become a rich man! For example, when buying Alia some designer clothes at the mall, he found that it only cost 150 units of wood, and if exchanged for raw iron, it was only 10 units. A meal at a five-star hotel cost just over 30 units of raw iron, and spending half a day at an amusement park only took a few units of raw iron. In the end, after a day of extravagant spending, Lin Xuan calculated the expenses and found that they had only spent a little over 300 units of raw iron. ¡°This is way too cheap!¡± Lin Xuan thought, amazed. ¡°This is less than one-twentieth of what Alia has contributed to me!¡± Looking at the happy Alia, Lin Xuan decisively took her to the most luxurious hotel in East Sea City for some more indulgence. After they ate and drank to their fill, it was already past seven in the evening. ¡°Lin Xuan, where are we going next?¡± Alia asked cheerfully, holding his hand. Lin Xuan shook his head and said, ¡°Alright, Alia, it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡± Upon hearing this, Alia nodded thoughtfully, linking her arm with Lin Xuan¡¯s without saying another word. Afterward, Lin Xuan hailed a taxi, and they headed to a private estate¡­ Chapter 27 - The Manors Exchange Party! Dream Butterflys Love! Chapter 027: The Manor¡¯s Exchange Party! Dream Butterfly¡¯s Love! Outside of East Sea City, at the entrance to a luxurious manor, four security guards were diligently guarding the estate. Suddenly, a taxi pulled up from a distance and stopped at the entrance. The four security guards froze for a moment, thinking to themselves that strange things happen every year, but this year especially so. In the past, anyone visiting the manor always came in luxury cars with beautiful women by their side. But today¡­ a taxi? As the guards looked on curiously, a man and a woman stepped out of the taxi. The moment they saw the woman, their eyes widened in disbelief. Not because of anything else, but because the woman beside the man looked as though she had descended from the heavens. To describe her as breathtakingly beautiful wouldn¡¯t even be enough. Even the most stunning of actresses would pale in comparison to her, becoming mere flowers beneath a bright moon. Then they looked at the man. Though he wore plain clothes, his aura was extraordinary, and he was undoubtedly handsome as well. For a moment, the four security guards all had the same thought: truly, the rich are so low-key now, they even take taxis. The rich man in their eyes wasn¡¯t anyone else but Lin Xuan and Ailiya. At this moment, Ailiya had put on a pair of headphones, so no one recognized that she was an elf. ¡°It¡¯s the same as before!¡± Lin Xuan thought to himself as they stood at the manor¡¯s entrance. He couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic. He recalled that in his previous life, when he came here, it was around the tenth day of the game. At that time, he lacked an upgrade material. A friend introduced him to this place where he attended a private auction. Looking at the calendar now, it seemed the auction should be starting soon, though not as grand as before. Simply put, this manor was hosting a private auction aimed at allowing people to exchange items they needed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Xuan said to Ailiya. She immediately wrapped her arm around his and followed him into the manor. However, as they reached the entrance, a security guard stopped them. ¡°Wait, sir, do you have an appointment?¡± the guard asked. Lin Xuan replied calmly, ¡°Liu Ziming invited me to attend the auction tonight.¡± The security guard, upon hearing this, did not doubt him and responded, ¡°Okay, sir. Please follow me.¡± With that, the guard ran to the side and called over a special guest vehicle. After Lin Xuan and Ailiya got in, the guard drove them to a villa inside the manor. Minutes later, the security guard opened the car door and said, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, sir!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Lin Xuan nodded and, with Ailiya, entered the villa. Inside the villa¡¯s lobby, the place was crowded, with around a hundred men and women mingling in different corners. On either side of the lobby, there were plenty of seats, food, and drinks. In the center of the lobby, seven or eight beautiful women were dancing, adding to the lively atmosphere. Seeing this, Lin Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡°Liu Ziming still loves to show off. He always wants to make a scene.¡± ¡°Sir, here are your numbers!¡± A servant approached and handed Lin Xuan and Ailiya each a badge. Lin Xuan took the badges and saw that they were numbered 92 and 93. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the 92nd participant in tonight¡¯s auction,¡± Lin Xuan said as he pinned the badge to his chest. He then took Ailiya and moved to a side of the hall. As they passed a table, Lin Xuan casually picked up two glasses of champagne, handing one to Ailiya. He smiled and said, ¡°Feel free to eat, don¡¯t worry.¡± Ailiya nodded but didn¡¯t touch the food. Instead, she clung tightly to Lin Xuan¡¯s arm. Their affectionate display immediately attracted the attention of many in the room. In fact, it was Ailiya who drew most of the eyes. After all, she was stunningly beautiful. Yet, despite her beauty, no one came over to flirt. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to, but from Ailiya¡¯s actions, it was clear she already had someone. Everyone could tell that Lin Xuan was no ordinary man, and they wisely refrained from disturbing them. Lin Xuan, seated nearby, checked the time and noticed it was almost 8:50 PM. He figured Liu Ziming would likely show up soon. Just as he thought this, the voice of a man echoed through the hall. ¡°Ha-ha! Everyone, I apologize for the wait! Our exchange party is about to start.¡± ¡°Please, everyone, calm down!¡± ¡°If anyone would like to exchange game items, please raise your hand and come to the center.¡± Lin Xuan looked up and saw a man in a red suit. The man, with a stylish pompadour hairstyle and around twenty-two years old, was none other than the owner of the manor, Liu Ziming. After giving his opening speech, Liu Ziming began asking if anyone wanted to exchange items. But after several calls, no one stepped forward. In this situation, Liu Ziming was well-prepared. He smiled and said, ¡°Ha-ha! Since everyone is too shy, let me start things off by throwing the first item into the ring!¡± With that, Liu Ziming raised his hand, pulling a bracelet from his bag. It sparkled, and attached to it was a butterfly-shaped charm. Clearly, it was a woman¡¯s bracelet. As expected, the moment he displayed it, the attention of all the women in the room was instantly drawn to it. ¡°This bracelet is a low-tier accessory I scavenged from a corpse,¡± Liu Ziming announced. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Dream Butterfly¡¯s Love.¡¯ Not only does it speed up the release of wood-based skills, but it can also instantly form a protective barrier.¡± ¡°I need stone materials to upgrade my shelter, so I¡¯d prefer to exchange it for stone. The starting price is 100 stones, let the bidding begin!¡± As soon as Liu Ziming finished speaking, over a dozen women shouted out bids. Some men even joined in the bidding. ¡°110 stones!¡± ¡°115 stones!¡± ¡°120 stones!¡± The bidding quickly escalated, and the atmosphere in the room grew intense. At this moment, Lin Xuan, sitting in the corner, raised his hand and called out a price. ¡°300 stones!¡± Chapter 28 - Lin Xuans Wealth Is Like a Golden Mountain! Chapter 028: Lin Xuan¡¯s Wealth Is Like a Golden Mountain! ¡°300 stones!¡± After Lin Xuan announced this price, the room fell silent. Every person present turned to look at him. Everyone was shocked by Lin Xuan¡¯s bidding. Just a moment ago, the price was only 150 stones¡ªand now, he had doubled it to 300! Even Liu Ziming on stage tensed and stared in his direction. After all, that bracelet was his! In other words, Lin Xuan was practically paying him money! ¡°300 stones! Is there anyone willing to offer more?¡± ¡°310 stones!¡± At that moment, a woman¡¯s voice called out. Judging by the tone¡ªalmost through gritted teeth¡ªit was clear that she really adored that bracelet. Unfortunately, mere adoration wasn¡¯t enough; one had to have the means. ¡°400 stones!¡± Lin Xuan casually raised the bid. In an instant, the room fell completely silent, and everyone could feel the awe-inspiring power of Lin Xuan¡¯s wealth! No one dared speak. All that could be heard was Liu Ziming¡¯s exclamations from the stage: ¡°First bid¡ª400 stones!¡± ¡°Second bid¡ª400 stones!¡± ¡°Third bid¡ª400 stones!¡± ¡°Sold!!!¡± ¡°Congratulations to Participant No. 92! You have won our first item tonight, ¡®Dream Butterfly¡¯s Love¡¯!!!¡± Liu Ziming shouted at the top of his lungs. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Immediately, he walked over to Lin Xuan with the bracelet in hand. At the same time, he silently prayed that this guy really had the means¡ªhe hoped it wasn¡¯t just empty talk! Lin Xuan took the bracelet, checked it without finding any issues, and then, under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, waved his hand toward the open space in front of him. In the next moment, 400 stones appeared on the carpet as if by magic. Liu Ziming¡¯s eyes lit up. After counting and confirming the amount, he happily stuffed the stones into his backpack. Only then did he breathe a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted. At the same time, he glanced at Lin Xuan, noting that the man seemed unfamiliar. Liu Ziming muttered to himself before returning to the stage to continue the auction. ¡°Is there anyone else who wishes to exchange items?¡± ¡°Me!¡± As soon as those words fell, a tall man stepped forward from the crowd. He ascended the stage and presented his auction item¡ªa battered dagger. After a brief introduction, under Liu Ziming¡¯s hosting, the bidding for the dagger began. In no time, over a dozen people engaged in fierce competition. Meanwhile, on the other side, Lin Xuan noticed that the item on offer wasn¡¯t something he needed, so he lost interest. He turned to Ailiya and handed her the bracelet, saying, ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± Ailiya was clearly taken aback. ¡°For me?¡± she asked. Lin Xuan nodded. ¡°Of course. Otherwise, why would I go through the trouble of winning it?¡± Even when Liu Ziming had first presented the bracelet, Lin Xuan had noticed that a glimmer of fondness appeared in Ailiya¡¯s eyes. That was why he had bid so confidently. ¡°Th-thank you!¡± Ailiya managed to say, touched and delighted as she accepted the bracelet. Seeing this, Lin Xuan smiled and patted Ailiya¡¯s head affectionately. The auction then continued in an orderly manner. As time passed, one item after another was sold. Many participants managed to exchange for items they were satisfied with. Even Lin Xuan succeeded in winning three items¡ªa stamina potion, an elemental staff, and a skill book. Stamina Potion (Low Tier):Slowly restores stamina over 10 minutes upon consumption.Frostbound Staff (Low Tier):A wand crafted by the elves that can instantly launch an ice spear at a target, though it needs recharging once its energy is spent.Haste (Low Tier):A skill documented in the book that, by consuming stamina, can increase walking speed. Of these three items, Lin Xuan favored the Frostbound Staff the most. With this staff, he undeniably gained an additional means of attack. He also liked the skill book¡ªit boosted his speed, and he learned it immediately. The stamina potion, meanwhile, was stowed in his backpack for emergencies. After a while, as Lin Xuan saw that the good deals had mostly been taken¡ªeveryone was busy exchanging stone for wood and wood for stone¡ªhe took advantage of the lull and stood up. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to exchange items?¡± Liu Ziming called out. At that moment, Lin Xuan¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Me!¡± Hearing someone step up, Liu Ziming quickly looked in that direction. To his surprise, it was the very man who had just bought the bracelet. Liu Ziming remembered Lin Xuan very well. Although he had only participated in bidding four times, each time he successfully won an item¡ªand every time, his formidable financial power left everyone in the room gasping, as if a golden mountain were bearing down on their heads, rendering them silent! Liu Ziming thought to himself. In fact, almost everyone who saw Lin Xuan step onto the stage made the same assumption. After all, Lin Xuan¡¯s financial prowess was so overwhelming that an ordinary item wouldn¡¯t warrant such an extravagant display from a tycoon. ¡°Next, we¡¯re going to auction the 86th item.¡± ¡°Participant No. 92, please come up and introduce the item!¡± Liu Ziming announced. Everyone turned to look at Lin Xuan, eager to see what treasure he was about to offer¡­ Chapter 29 - The Tycoons Move! Every Bit of Meat Counts, Even a Mosquito! Chapter 029: The Tycoon¡¯s Move! Every Bit of Meat Counts, Even a Mosquito! ¡°I¡¯m really curious what this wealthy No. 92 will bring out!¡± ¡°Yeah, every time he bids, he¡¯s so generous. Whatever he brings out must be extraordinary!¡± ¡°Just looking at No. 92, he¡¯s clearly a rich young master¡ªlook at the stunning woman by his side! I¡¯ve never seen anyone that beautiful before!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When Lin Xuan stepped onto the stage, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd. Everyone was filled with curiosity about the item he was about to exchange. Most believed that whatever he offered must be of exceptional quality¡ªafter all, Lin Xuan always exuded such grandeur! Yet, the higher the expectation, the deeper the disappointment. In full view of everyone, Lin Xuan surprisingly produced an iron axe. ¡°This item I¡¯m exchanging is an iron axe¡ªan upgraded version of the stone axe. As for its effect, I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s already familiar: it not only fells trees but also slays monsters!¡± Lin Xuan explained with a smile. However, his words were met with collective silence. Even Liu Ziming¡¯s lips twitched in disbelief, and for a moment, he forgot his role as host. It wasn¡¯t entirely their fault¡ªthe impression Lin Xuan had built up previously was just so magnificent that everyone assumed he¡¯d have something spectacular. But after waiting with bated breath for something extraordinary, they were given nothing more than an iron axe. ¡°Pfft! I thought it would be something valuable, but it¡¯s just an iron axe!¡± ¡°Could it be that in the world of the rich, even extravagance means being thrifty?¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t need an iron axe, I still look down on No. 92 for this¡ªit¡¯s just so¡­ disappointing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The crowd buzzed with criticisms and murmurs. Lin Xuan, however, paid no mind. To him, even the smallest morsel was profit. After all, even a little ¡°mosquito¡± could fetch enough wood to buy Alia plenty of snacks and drinks. Noticing Liu Ziming¡¯s slight hesitation, Lin Xuan gave him a subtle reminder, ¡°Ah? O-okay¡­¡± Liu Ziming stammered as he gathered his composure. ¡°Everyone, please be quiet. Now, we shall start the bidding. The starting bid¡­¡± At this, Liu Ziming paused awkwardly and looked toward Lin Xuan for confirmation. ¡°What¡¯s the base price?¡± he asked. ¡°Let¡¯s say 10 units of wood¡ªwood only, please,¡± Lin Xuan replied casually. Hearing this, Liu Ziming nodded apologetically and proceeded with the auction process. ¡°The starting bid is 10 units of wood. Is there anyone interested?¡± ¡°15 units of wood!¡± No sooner had Liu Ziming finished speaking than someone immediately called out a bid of 15. Not even waiting for further queries, another voice from the other side shouted an even higher price. ¡°18 units of wood!¡± ¡°25 units of wood!¡± ¡°40 units of wood!¡± The atmosphere instantly became lively as many without an iron axe scrambled to join the bidding. This development greatly pleased Lin Xuan. In the end, the iron axe was sold to a young married woman for 70 units of wood. Lin Xuan approached her, handed over the axe, and after both parties confirmed its authenticity, he stowed 70 units of wood in his backpack. Then, amidst curious stares from the onlookers, he returned to the stage. ¡°I have another iron axe!¡± With a flick of his hand, another iron axe materialized in his grasp. This move left many in stunned silence¡ªNo. 92 was practically buying in bulk! And it didn¡¯t stop there. Once the second axe was sold, Lin Xuan immediately pulled out yet another iron axe. ¡°I have another iron axe!¡± At this point, even Liu Ziming began to lose his composure. It wasn¡¯t that he disdained the iron axe¡ªafter all, many hadn¡¯t yet managed to get one. What unsettled him was why Lin Xuan didn¡¯t simply bring out all his stock at once. Didn¡¯t Lin Xuan know that Liu Ziming¡¯s time was valuable?! Despite these thoughts, Liu Ziming obediently carried on with the auction process. ¡°40 units of wood!¡± ¡°50 units of wood!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The bids steadily climbed until they reached 75 units of wood. Judging by the previous transactions, 75 units seemed to be the ceiling. And indeed, after Liu Ziming confirmed the final bid, the third iron axe was sold for 75 units. Shortly thereafter, Lin Xuan pulled out yet another iron axe. ¡°I have one more!¡± Liu Ziming couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes as he cleared his throat and resumed the bidding. Half an hour later, Lin Xuan glanced into his backpack and found that all seven iron axes had been sold. That was his signal that the iron axe stock was finished. He tallied up his earnings¡ªseven iron axes brought in a total of 515 units of wood, a pretty decent haul. ¡°Ah, if only I had enough materials back then¡­ With what I have now, I could forge hundreds of iron axes!¡± Lin Xuan sighed, feeling as though he¡¯d just lost a fortune. Yet there was nothing he could do. At that moment, he had been deep in the mines gathering resources, with no time to return to the shelter. But that wasn¡¯t the end¡ªLin Xuan already had a plan to recoup those losses. With the right strategy, the returns could be hundreds of millions, even billions! Meanwhile, Liu Ziming, upon hearing that Lin Xuan had finished selling the iron axes, exhaled in relief and quickly addressed the crowd, ¡°Is there anyone else who wishes to exchange items?¡± ¡°If so, please¡­¡± ¡°Wait! I still have something I haven¡¯t exchanged yet!¡± Lin Xuan suddenly interrupted Liu Ziming¡¯s announcement. With that, he flicked his hand and produced another item. The surrounding crowd, confused, initially assumed it was yet another iron axe. But in the next moment, when they saw what Lin Xuan held in his palm, they were instantly astounded, exclaiming: ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s really this thing!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s valuable¡ªI never thought someone would exchange such an item!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to have it!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 30 - No. 1 Man! The Elemental Fruit That Shocked the Crowd! Chapter 030: No. 1 Man! The Elemental Fruit That Shocked the Crowd! S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When Lin Xuan produced an elemental fruit, the room erupted in astonishment. Every eye in the hall fixed eagerly on the elemental fruit in his hand. Even those who had been sitting quietly sprang to their feet in shock. Lin Xuan took in everyone¡¯s expressions before speaking slowly: ¡°This fruit in my hand is called an elemental fruit. Once consumed, it awakens the elemental affinity within your body!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still only accepting wood for this¡ªstarting at 1,000 units of wood!¡± After his introduction, Lin Xuan gave a subtle nod toward Liu Ziming. Only then did Liu Ziming react¡ªthough the shock in his eyes hadn¡¯t yet faded. Clearly, Liu Ziming had not expected Lin Xuan to offer an elemental fruit in exchange, let alone for something as common as wood! It was common knowledge that such a rare item would typically be traded only for something equally precious. Few would ever do as Lin Xuan did and use it to exchange for wood. Though puzzled, Liu Ziming didn¡¯t question Lin Xuan¡¯s decision. Instead, he shifted his demeanor and, with a slightly solemn expression, announced the start of the bidding. In an unexpected twist, Liu Ziming himself joined in the bidding. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the bidding now begins.¡± ¡°The base price is 1,000 units of wood!¡± ¡°I, Liu Ziming, bid 2,000 units of wood!¡± At his declaration, no one was surprised. After all, Liu Ziming¡¯s purpose in hosting this exchange event for free was to gather various resources. With his status, one wouldn¡¯t think he was merely playing house¡ªafter all, he was the son of East Sea City¡¯s richest man! ¡°Zi Ming, little sister here is going to steal everyone¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°I bid 2,500 units of wood!¡± At that, a stylishly dressed young woman raised her hand. Liu Ziming waved her off with a chuckle: ¡°Heh, bidding is simply for the highest offer to win. Everyone, feel free to bid!¡± Following Liu Ziming¡¯s remark, the room filled with bids: ¡°2,800 units of wood!¡± ¡°3,300 units of wood!¡± ¡°3,500 units of wood!¡± ¡­ Soon, the price climbed to 4,000 units of wood. By then, it was clear that many were running low on resources. Ultimately, the elemental fruit was auctioned off to Liu Ziming himself for 4,500 units of wood. ¡°Ha ha, thank you all,¡± Liu Ziming announced with a victorious smile as he waved to the crowd. He immediately called over his aides, gathered 4,000 more units of wood, and placed them before Lin Xuan. After both sides verified the tally, the transaction was complete. Then, with a grin, Liu Ziming prepared to stow the elemental fruit in his backpack, planning to consume it after the crowd dispersed. But before he could do so, Lin Xuan interjected. ¡°Heh, since brother Zi Ming has acquired the fruit, why not consume it now?¡± ¡°After all, whether you eat it early or late, the effect is the same.¡± At Lin Xuan¡¯s words, many in the audience chimed in: ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªLiu, you should eat it now!¡± ¡°Exactly! Since we won¡¯t get the pleasure of tasting it, let brother Liu give us a feast for the eyes!¡± ¡°Hee hee¡ªZi Ming, hurry up and eat it!¡± Many of those present were friends of Liu Ziming or friends of friends, and their remarks were casual and teasing. True to his generous nature, Liu Ziming, after a moment¡¯s thought and amid the encouraging cheers, consumed the elemental fruit right then and there. Just as Lin Xuan had predicted, whether consumed early or late, the effect was identical. If one did not awaken their elemental affinity now, it might never awaken later. What Liu Ziming did not know was that, as a reincarnated individual, Lin Xuan clearly remembered that in his previous life, Liu Ziming was a fire-element mage. This meant that Liu Ziming was destined to awaken successfully¡ªspecifically, with a fire affinity. And sure enough, amid the expectant gazes, Liu Ziming¡¯s awakening was a success. He extended his palm, and before everyone¡¯s eyes, his fingertips ignited with small flames that soon spread across his entire hand. Miraculously, despite the fire, he felt no burning. ¡°Ha ha ha! It¡¯s a fire element!¡± ¡°I have awakened successfully!¡± Liu Ziming¡¯s face shone with excitement, and the surrounding crowd quickly offered their congratulations. Their admiring glances made it clear that many envied Liu Ziming¡¯s breakthrough. Standing nearby, Lin Xuan observed the successful outcome. Then, his eyes sparked with mischief as he produced another elemental fruit. ¡°I have another one!¡± This move stunned everyone present¡ªeven the recently elated Liu Ziming looked at Lin Xuan as if he were witnessing a monster. Lin Xuan noted that as soon as he unveiled the second elemental fruit, a man in the far corner, whose face was filled with surprise, stood up. This man was unfamiliar to Lin Xuan, but one thing was certain: he was no ordinary person. His bidding number was 1, and throughout the proceedings, he had not bid even once¡ªeven when Lin Xuan revealed the elemental fruit, he hadn¡¯t made a move. This suggested that either he wasn¡¯t interested in the item or he lacked the funds. However, judging by his bidding number, Lin Xuan didn¡¯t believe this man could be destitute. If anything, the man likely looked down on the auction items¡ªand he might even be an elemental mage himself, or perhaps someone who had failed to awaken his affinity, making the elemental fruit unnecessary for him. While Lin Xuan mulled over these thoughts, Liu Ziming resumed the auction. ¡°Now, let the bidding continue.¡± ¡°The base price remains 1,000 units of wood!¡± And so the auction carried on¡­ Chapter 31 - Dont Play That! The Blueprint That Shocked the Crowd Again! Chapter 031: Don¡¯t Play That! The Blueprint That Shocked the Crowd Again! ¡°3,000 units of wood!¡± ¡°3,500 units of wood!¡± ¡°4,300 units of wood!¡± ¡°¡­¡± After one round of bidding, Lin Xuan¡¯s elemental fruit was quickly snatched up for 4,300 units of wood. In the ensuing commotion, the buyer, much like Liu Ziming earlier, eagerly consumed the fruit with high expectations. However, after a dozen minutes passed, he failed to awaken any elemental affinity. This outcome hit him hard. Soon afterward, amid sympathetic murmurs from the crowd, the disappointed buyer left the scene in a dejected state. ¡°Ah, what a pity¡ªwasting so much wood! How many trees will he have to chop down to make that money back?¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t really blame him. If he doesn¡¯t buy it now, he¡¯ll end up buying one eventually.¡± ¡°Right, knowing the result in advance means that even if he gets another elemental fruit later, he could just sell it. In the end, it¡¯s not a loss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s destiny¡ªthere¡¯s nothing to complain about!¡± As everyone watched him leave, whispers filled the room. On stage, Liu Ziming¡¯s gaze shifted to Lin Xuan. ¡°Anything else?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Another one.¡± Lin Xuan nodded. Earlier, he had acquired four elemental fruits in total. Since he no longer needed them, he decided to trade them all for wood. At that moment, Liu Ziming curled his lips into a knowing smile, as if he¡¯d seen this coming. However, what he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that when Lin Xuan flipped his hand, what emerged wasn¡¯t another elemental fruit¡ªbut a book. ¡°Take it at a fixed price: 3,000 units of wood.¡± Lin Xuan tossed the book over to Liu Ziming. The latter instinctively caught it, pausing in astonishment. Liu Ziming was puzzled¡ªwhat sort of item was so valuable that it demanded 3,000 units of wood?! As Liu Ziming examined the book, his eyes widened in delight once he recognized what it was. Yet, as a scion of a merchant family, he quickly masked his excitement and remarked to Lin Xuan: ¡°It¡¯s a skill book for Fireball, but 3,000 is too steep a price.¡± ¡°After all, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t get one for myself,¡± Liu Ziming tried to haggle. But Lin Xuan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t even try that. Even if you could obtain one, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be today. If you get killed by monsters in the game later, then it won¡¯t matter whether it costs a fortune or not.¡± Few knew the true background of Liu Ziming, but Lin Xuan did. He was well aware that Liu Ziming, behind that ordinary facade, managed a food processing plant that had brought him considerable profits. Initially, the factory had not been very successful¡ªuntil Liu Ziming¡¯s father, wanting to toughen him up, let him run wild. Then, when the game descended upon the world, Liu Ziming transformed his fortunes overnight. Using that very factory, he upgraded his shelter into a top-tier refuge. One must remember that the man had only a basic talent. The only reason for his achievements was that food factory. Even his parents never expected to benefit from his endeavors one day. Liu Ziming¡¯s luck further improved when he inadvertently processed and stored a large quantity of food, which eventually earned him a windfall. Yet, lacking the coveted castle blueprints, his base remained at the top-tier refuge level. Otherwise, his shelter would likely have been upgraded to a castle level. ¡°2,500 units!¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡ªI¡¯ll have someone fetch it for you.¡± In the end, Liu Ziming relented and quickly assembled 3,000 units of wood to pay Lin Xuan. Afterward, Lin Xuan produced another elemental fruit and resumed the auction. Following another round of rapid bidding, the third elemental fruit sold for 4,400 units. However, this time the buyer did not consume the fruit on the spot¡ªa fact that left many disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ve got another one!¡± ¡°This is the last one!¡± Lin Xuan declared emphatically as he presented the final elemental fruit. At this, the crowd grew anxious¡ªsome even made phone calls on the spot to borrow wood from friends. Ever the shrewd operator, Liu Ziming quickly announced a 30-minute postponement for the auction. In no time, everyone scurried off to secure more wood. After half an hour, Liu Ziming resumed the bidding: ¡°4,000 units of wood!¡± ¡°4,200 units of wood!¡± ¡°4,600 units of wood!¡± The auction restarted with bids soaring past 4,000 units and, with successive offers, eventually breaking the 5,000 mark. Finally, the last elemental fruit was sold to a young man for 5,450 units of wood. ¡°Is that all?¡± Liu Ziming asked Lin Xuan. Upon receiving Lin Xuan¡¯s head shake in response, Liu Ziming felt a tinge of disappointment. Yet, as the host, he quickly composed himself and prepared to invite other bidders. But Lin Xuan interrupted him once more. ¡°I¡¯m out of elemental fruits.¡± ¡°But I have something else.¡± With that, Lin Xuan pulled out a blueprint. His action immediately captured everyone¡¯s attention¡ªafter all, tonight Lin Xuan had already delivered shock after shock. ¡°Blueprint?¡± ¡°Is it for weapons, armor, or perhaps potions?¡± Liu Ziming inquired as he examined the blueprint in Lin Xuan¡¯s hand. Although equipment blueprints were not uncommon, given Lin Xuan¡¯s status, this one must be of high caliber. The fact that he unveiled it last spoke volumes about its value¡ªlikely surpassing that of the elemental fruits. This thought echoed in everyone¡¯s mind: ¡°This tycoon strikes again!¡± ¡°It appears to be an equipment blueprint. Could it be worth even more than the elemental fruit?¡± ¡°Possibly¡ªif I had to guess, this blueprint must be of very high quality.¡± ¡°Could it be for mid-tier equipment? If so, it¡¯s indeed rarer than an elemental fruit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amid all the speculation, Lin Xuan slowly revealed the blueprint¡¯s purpose: ¡°This is a blueprint for a shelter¡ªit can upgrade a safe house into a full-fledged shelter!¡± BOOM¡ª! Upon hearing Lin Xuan¡¯s explanation, the room exploded with astonishment. Every face turned toward him in wide-eyed disbelief. Even Liu Ziming, struck by the revelation, shuddered in surprise. Just then, an impatient voice rang out from afar: ¡°I want that blueprint!!!¡± Chapter 32 - Another Elementalist! The Calm Before the Storm! Chapter 032: Another Elementalist! The Calm Before the Storm! Lin Xuan¡¯s shelter blueprint had been obtained from the bronze treasure chest he unlocked after slaying the Rat King in the mine. At that time, in addition to the blueprint, he had discovered 1,000 units of wood, an equipment blueprint, and a spatial ring. He wasn¡¯t planning to sell the spatial ring, and since he already had a shelter blueprint, he decided that today he¡¯d trade it for some wood. Before unveiling the blueprint, he knew very well how precious it was¡ªafter all, it was the key material for upgrading a safe house into a shelter. Yet he had underestimated the crowd¡¯s passion for the shelter blueprint. The very moment he displayed it, pandemonium broke out. Even the man with bidding number 1¡ªwho had been quietly drinking in the corner¡ªlost his composure and leaped to his feet, boldly declaring that he would buy the blueprint. Watching this unruly No.?1 man, Liu Ziming gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Brother Hao. This gentleman hasn¡¯t even placed a bid yet. Since this is an auction¡ªhighest bid wins¡ªyou can join in if you truly want it.¡± Hearing this, the man known as Brother Hao (No.?1) hesitated for a moment before resolutely proclaiming, ¡°No matter the cost, I¡¯m determined to secure this blueprint! Anyone who dares stand in my way will face the consequences!¡± he suddenly whipped his hand behind him. In an instant, a slicing wind blade materialized out of thin air, its howling rush colliding violently with the wine table behind him. With a loud crash, the table shattered into pieces, frightening everyone present. On stage, Liu Ziming¡¯s face shifted in color as he opened his mouth to speak¡ªonly to decide against it after considering the man¡¯s stature. His uncharacteristic silence on his own turf immediately piqued everyone¡¯s curiosity. After all, this was Liu Ziming¡¯s domain, and here was someone so brazen as to slap him down, while Liu Ziming couldn¡¯t even utter a word. That was far from normal! For a moment, everyone in the hall pondered the potential consequences¡ªnone of them wanted to provoke a heavyweight. Just then, witnessing it all, Lin Xuan cast a sideways glance at the No.?1 man and warned, ¡°Friend, I don¡¯t care who you are, but if you obstruct my blueprint exchange and hinder my profits, you won¡¯t get off unscathed!¡± At his words, the temperature in the entire hall dropped suddenly; frost began to cover the surrounding walls. Most remarkably, everything around the No.?1 man was encased in ice¡ªexcept for him. At that moment, a thought flashed through everyone¡¯s minds almost simultaneously: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In that instant, the crowd shared a wry inner chuckle, silently remarking how surreal it was to encounter not one, but¡ªcounting Liu Ziming¡¯s earlier display¡ªthree elemental mages in one evening. ¡°Ah¡­ ahaha, we¡¯re all comrades here. Let¡¯s not spoil the mood,¡± Liu Ziming quickly interjected to defuse the tension. He, too, was astonished¡ªhe hadn¡¯t expected Lin Xuan to be an elemental mage as well. Then again, it made sense: after all, Lin Xuan had just sold four elemental fruits; wielding elemental power was hardly surprising. At that point, the No.?1 man cast a deep, lingering glance at Lin Xuan, letting out a cold snort but remaining silent. Not wishing to let the situation escalate further, Liu Ziming quickly turned to Lin Xuan and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the starting bid for the auction?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set it at 5,000 units of wood¡ªwood only,¡± Lin Xuan replied after some thought, offering a price that was neither too high nor too low. Liu Ziming nodded, then mused, ¡°If we¡¯re only accepting wood, you might end up losing some profit.¡± Lin Xuan shrugged and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help it; I¡¯m not short on alternatives anyway.¡± Hearing these confident words, Liu Ziming devised a plan and suggested, ¡°How about we postpone the auction for two hours? That will give everyone else some time to prepare, and you¡¯ll likely net a higher profit.¡± After a brief moment of contemplation, Lin Xuan agreed. He had calculated that he was still a bit short of the 30,000 units of wood he needed¡ªand if he fell even slightly short at that moment, it would be truly infuriating. Once Lin Xuan consented, Liu Ziming raised his voice to announce: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Due to the sudden appearance of the shelter blueprint, many of you weren¡¯t financially prepared. Therefore, we¡¯re postponing the auction for two hours. When we resume, bidding will continue!¡± ¡°And rest assured¡ªI, Liu Ziming, guarantee that whoever wins this auction will not be put in mortal danger. If anyone dares to have ulterior motives, I¡¯ll stake my entire fortune and see them punished!¡± His final words were clearly directed at the No.?1 man, and thanks to Liu Ziming¡¯s assurance, many felt more at ease. After all, none of them were ordinary¡ªthey all possessed extraordinary powers to varying degrees. Even if they couldn¡¯t defeat the No.?1 man, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be caught dead cowering before him. As Liu Ziming finished his announcement, the hall burst into activity. Some people hurriedly pulled out their phones to call friends for extra materials, others contacted influential connections, and a few even dashed out the door, purpose unknown. Even the No.?1 man made two phone calls from his corner. Before long, the entire hall resounded with the sound of ringing phones: ¡°Hey, is that Tao? Do you want the shelter blueprint? Someone¡¯s auctioning one right now¡ªhurry and bring your wood over if you want in!¡± ¡°Bro, don¡¯t ask questions¡ªlend me 1,000 units of wood first, and I¡¯ll pay you back 100 extra later!¡± ¡°Honey, ask your dad how much wood he¡¯s chopped so far and rush over to XXX to deliver it. Your husband¡¯s about to break into the top hundred elite list!¡± Amid the flurry of calls and chatter, Lin Xuan resettled beside Ailiya. To his surprise, Liu Ziming followed him over and extended his hand: ¡°Let me introduce myself¡ªI¡¯m Liu Ziming.¡± ¡°Lin Xuan.¡± They exchanged a brief handshake. Lin Xuan studied Liu Ziming curiously, wondering why he had come over. With a chuckle, Liu Ziming explained, ¡°That guy earlier is Wu Qihao¡ªconsider him my way of paving the road for the future.¡± He continued, ¡°This man has a purple talent and is part of the Fire Seed project, so he tends to be rather arrogant. But don¡¯t worry¡ªin a little while, no matter how things turn out, I guarantee your safety.¡± Lin Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°A purple talent that impressive? Then your backup plan certainly leaves something to be desired.¡± At Lin Xuan¡¯s teasing remark, Liu Ziming¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly as he retorted, ¡°Heh, don¡¯t underestimate the power of a purple talent. Such individuals have enormous potential in the future¡ªthey¡¯re very likely to secure a top-tier shelter.¡± ¡°Moreover, Wu Qihao is a member of the Fire Seed project with official backing. His future shelter¡¯s level won¡¯t be anything to scoff at.¡± And so the conversation continued¡­ Chapter 33 - The Ranking’s Bare Bones! Fierce Bidding! Chapter 033: The Ranking¡¯s Bare Bones! Fierce Bidding! ¡°Hmph!¡± Lin Xuan scoffed coldly, offering only a dismissive snort instead of words. In his eyes, even Liu Ziming¡ªwho flaunted his high-profile status¡ªwas unworthy of even carrying his shoes. Nearby, Liu Ziming, misinterpreting Lin Xuan¡¯s silence as fear of Wu Qihao¡¯s Fire Seed credentials, beckoned his butler and instructed, ¡°Uncle Meng, notify all our distributors immediately: we urgently need to clear out a batch of food. You have a strict two-hour window¡ªsell as much as you can; after that, the sale is off. And remember, this batch is payable only in wood.¡± Unhesitatingly, the butler nodded and dashed out. Watching Liu Ziming¡¯s maneuver, Lin Xuan chuckled and remarked, ¡°So, you want that blueprint too?¡± Liu Ziming didn¡¯t bother to hide his intent. He nodded, ¡°Of course. To be blunt, your shelter blueprint is practically a ticket into the top hundred elite.¡± ¡°Whoever secures it will be the next top hundred contender.¡± Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Top hundred?¡± Liu Ziming looked at him in surprise, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve seen the ranking board? Right now, only ninety-five players in Longguo have a Level2 shelter.¡± He continued, ¡°If someone gets hold of this blueprint, they¡¯ll become the 96th on Longguo¡¯s ranking. The other materials are not hard to come by¡ªyou just spend some time trading¡ªbut a shelter blueprint? That¡¯s all a matter of luck. If fortune smiles, a single treasure chest might yield one; if not, even a hundred chests might produce nothing! That¡¯s exactly why Wu Qihao is so shameless.¡± Taking Liu Ziming¡¯s explanation in, Lin Xuan discreetly scanned the ranking board. Sure enough, as Liu Ziming had said, positions one through ninety-five were occupied by players with only Level1 shelters. He also noticed that nearly the first ten thousand entries were dominated by top-tier safe houses. This meant that tens of thousands were stuck with safe houses simply because they lacked the blueprint to upgrade to a shelter. Lin Xuan gazed at the ranking list, his thoughts drifting to his past life¡ªback then, he too could only look up at these fortunate few. Shaking off his nostalgia, he checked his own ranking: Your current base ranking: Longguo Rank: 111 World Rank: 1,537 ¡°Rankings have dropped a lot,¡± he muttered, though he wasn¡¯t really interested in the rankings themselves. He believed they were all superficial¡ªno matter how high you rank, there¡¯s no real reward. Besides, the Fire Seed Project hadn¡¯t even kicked in yet; at the very least, the authorities would periodically distribute aid based on one¡¯s Fire Seed level. In truth, the ranking board served a greater purpose: it allowed those who lost their lordship in the game to selectively join a shelter. Thinking further, Lin Xuan noted that the number of players logged into the game had reached 7.5 billion. Shockingly, 2.5 billion of them had already perished, leaving only 5 billion active players¡ªand within Longguo alone, there were over 700 million players. ¡°I bet that in five days, even more will perish!¡± He recalled that in his previous life, five days after the current moment, the Fog Catastrophe would vanish, only for the second calamity to descend. Then, countless players would die¡ªuntil, eventually, only about 100,000 remained. Faced with such grim prospects, Lin Xuan could do nothing but strive to upgrade his base and hope to shelter as many people as possible. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Two hours later, Liu Ziming announced the resumption of the auction, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please quiet down! We now begin the auction for the shelter blueprint. The starting bid is 5,000 units of wood¡ªwood only!¡± At that moment, Wu Qihao immediately raised his hand and declared, ¡°5,500!¡± His bid made the potential bidders hesitate¡ªnot because they were unsure about participating, but because none wanted to be the first to bid and draw Wu Qihao¡¯s attention. Seeing the hesitation, Liu Ziming took a deep breath and broke the deadlock, ¡°5,800!¡± Then Wu Qihao retorted fiercely, eyes narrowing, ¡°6,000! Liu Ziming, you¡¯d better think it through¡ªif you insist on this, once darkness descends, I won¡¯t protect your entire family!¡± Wu Qihao continued raising the bid, his tone venomous. But Liu Ziming was no pushover. Calmly, he declared, Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°6,300! If Brother Wu can¡¯t compete fairly, then after this auction, you can take your business elsewhere. My Liu family temple is small¡ªI can¡¯t support someone of your stature!¡± At those words, Wu Qihao¡¯s face darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected the once-deferential Liu Ziming to speak so boldly. Undeterred, Wu Qihao raised his bid again with a sinister laugh, ¡°7,000!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! Fine, fine¡ªI¡¯m eager to see! With just your ¡®white talent,¡¯ let¡¯s see how you protect your family when the time comes!¡± This fierce exchange dissolved the onlookers¡¯ reservations; no one wanted to miss the chance to secure the shelter blueprint. Soon, the bidding escalated rapidly: ¡°7,100!¡± ¡°7,300!¡± ¡°7,500!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The price soared like a rocket. Before long, it surpassed 10,000 units. Yet even at that lofty price, over twenty people stubbornly persisted. Lin Xuan noticed that among these bidders, seven or eight were simultaneously consulting someone on their phones. Taking advantage of the lull, Liu Ziming explained briefly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ve already confirmed that if these bidders win the auction, you¡¯ll receive the wood within at most thirty minutes.¡± Lin Xuan nodded silently. Then the bids resumed: ¡°11,000!¡± ¡°12,500!¡± ¡°13,500!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the price reached 13,000, only ten bidders remained. As it climbed to 15,000, only six persisted. At 18,000, only Liu Ziming, Wu Qihao, and two women clutching their phones remained. After Liu Ziming pushed the price to 19,000, the two women dropped out, leaving only Liu Ziming and Wu Qihao. ¡°19,500!¡± Wu Qihao challenged, ¡°Liu Ziming, if you quit now, I might consider letting your entire family join my shelter!¡± Clearly, Liu Ziming was nearing his limit. With a defiant snort, he gritted his teeth, raised his bid, and countered, ¡°20,000! With this shelter blueprint, I can protect my family just as well!¡± This time, Liu Ziming was well-prepared. He didn¡¯t believe that Wu Qihao¡¯s wealth could outmatch his own. All he felt now was regret¡ªif only he had known it would come to this, he would never have supplied so many materials to Wu Qihao. To him, it was as if a traitor had appeared when strength finally matters. From then on, the two men exchanged bids in silence. Soon, the hall echoed only with their voices: ¡°21,000!¡± ¡°21,500!¡± ¡°22,000!¡± Wu Qihao pushed the price up to 22,000. At that, Liu Ziming trembled visibly. After several moments of agonizing hesitation, he bid his maximum tolerable price, ¡°22,500!¡± ¡°23,000!¡± No sooner had he spoken than Wu Qihao raised it to 23,000. Liu Ziming¡¯s forehead beaded with sweat; his mouth opened several times, but no further words came. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he relented, ¡°I give up¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Wu Qihao burst into hearty laughter and strode over to Lin Xuan, exclaiming excitedly, ¡°I win! Hand over the blueprint!¡± Chapter 34 - A Sudden Twist on Site! You’ve Got Guts! Chapter 034: A Sudden Twist on Site! You¡¯ve Got Guts! Under Wu Qihao¡¯s expectant gaze, Lin Xuan casually flipped his palm and produced the shelter blueprint. The instant Wu Qihao caught sight of the blueprint, his eyes lit up and he reached out to grab it¡ªonly to have Lin Xuan deftly evade his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Wu Qihao stuttered, momentarily taken aback. Lin Xuan replied coolly, ¡°The blueprint is here¡ªbut where¡¯s my wood?¡± At these words, Wu Qihao¡¯s eyes flickered as he responded, ¡°How am I to know if the blueprint is genuine? I need to inspect it first.¡± ¡°Fine by me, but I want to see the wood first,¡± Lin Xuan countered, not one to be foolish. Wu Qihao grew impatient. ¡°Let me hold it and check the blueprint¡¯s details. If it¡¯s genuine, I¡¯ll obviously give you the wood.¡± ¡°No. I want to see the wood first, then you can inspect the blueprint as much as you like,¡± Lin Xuan stated firmly. As Lin Xuan stood his ground, Wu Qihao felt his anger rising. Considering the impressive strength Lin Xuan had demonstrated, Wu Qihao bit his lip and finally conceded, ¡°Fine!¡± With that, Wu Qihao strode to the center of the hall and swept his hand toward the ground. In the very next moment, a massive pile of wood materialized in the middle of the empty hall¡ªa heap so enormous that it resembled a small mountain, with logs densely stacked together. The sight left the onlookers utterly astonished. Most of the people present were ordinary¡ªaverage in both strength and talent, with unimpressive shelters. They had never seen so much wood in one place. Some couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of greed, but the formidable reputation of Wu Qihao quickly dissuaded them. Nearby, Liu Ziming¡¯s heart ached as he took in the view. Most of that wood had originally been provided by him to Wu Qihao. He had intended to help Wu Qihao upgrade to a Level2 shelter so that he could later protect his entire family¡ªbut instead, he had inadvertently sponsored a backstabber! The thought made Liu Ziming clench his teeth in silent fury, yet he knew better than to confront someone like Wu Qihao. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan¡¯s eyes locked onto the pile of wood. However, a quick mental calculation revealed something was amiss. Being a man who had seen much in his life, he knew exactly how many units 20,000 wood should be. Although the pile looked enormous, it barely reached 10,000 units¡ªcertainly not even 15,000. Shaking his head, Lin Xuan declared coolly, ¡°It¡¯s not enough!¡± At these words, Wu Qihao¡¯s lips twitched into a grimace, and a flash of embarrassment crossed his face. Fortunately, he had anticipated such a scenario. Clearing his throat, he explained, ¡°This is merely a deposit¡ªaround 13,000 units of wood. But rest assured, the rest will be delivered to you¡ªif not by tomorrow, then the day after. And besides, my ¡®Fire Seed¡¯ funding will arrive soon, which will add another 1,000 units for you as interest!¡± Wu Qihao emphasized his Fire Seed status. In his mind, once the other party knew he was a Fire Seed personnel, they would be compelled to show him respect. After all, every Fire Seed member was known to be incredibly powerful¡ªnot only possessing special privileges but also limitless potential. He figured that the other party would not dare offend him. Truth be told, if Lin Xuan weren¡¯t also an elementalist, Wu Qihao might have taken full advantage of the situation. But after careful thought, Wu Qihao abandoned that idea. ¡°Deposit, huh?¡± Lin Xuan laughed. He hadn¡¯t expected such a term to be thrown around. Even if there were various unstable factors and timing issues, he wouldn¡¯t agree to such an arrangement. It was like a starving man finally catching a debt collector¡ªonly for the collector to say, ¡°I¡¯ll let you pay me back in a few days.¡± Even ignoring the uncertainty of when ¡°a few days¡± might be, the very thought of starving today because you can¡¯t get the money immediately was intolerable. So, after hearing Wu Qihao¡¯s words, Lin Xuan laughed, mocking his ignorance and self-importance, then shifted his tone and said firmly, ¡°Pay cash on delivery! Not even half a unit short!¡± At these words, Wu Qihao¡¯s face flushed with anger. In his eyes, he had already shown Lin Xuan ample respect, yet his counterpart refused to budge an inch¡ªleaving him with no face at all. This infuriated Wu Qihao, and as he glanced at the blueprint in Lin Xuan¡¯s hand with deep resentment, he seethed inside. The blueprint was right there; if he could secure it, he, Wu Qihao, would become the next top hundred elite! That honor¡ªthis special glory¡ªwould make the world recognize the name Wu Qihao. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he bellowed, ¡°If you won¡¯t drink the toast, then you¡¯ll pay with punishment! Then, go to hell!¡± Before his words could finish, Wu Qihao dashed out of his bag and pulled a spiked club, charging at Lin Xuan with a determined look¡ªhis target the blueprint! The sudden turn of events stunned everyone around. All eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan. Some of the timid ones covered their eyes, unwilling to witness the scene of Lin Xuan¡¯s head about to be shattered. But at that critical moment, as Wu Qihao neared Lin Xuan and his club was about to crash down heavily, a loud ¡°Bang!¡± rang out! Soon after, the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor echoed¡ªWu Qihao was sent flying! In a dramatic twist, he was kicked by Lin Xuan and flew seven or eight meters before crashing hard onto the ground, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood. The stark contrast of the scene left everyone dumbfounded. ¡°Gah! That No. 92 tycoon is truly fierce!¡± someone exclaimed. ¡°Who would have thought No. 92 wasn¡¯t just imposing with his wealth¡ªhe¡¯s got the muscle to beat a No. 1 man in one blow!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that green shield around him?¡± ¡°It must be that beautiful lady¡¯s bracelet skill¡ªit protected No. 92!¡± ¡°Nonsense! No. 92 wouldn¡¯t need a shield like that!¡± ¡°Indeed, No. 92 is a force to be reckoned with¡ªdaring to strike a Fire Seed personnel. Now he¡¯s really in deep trouble!¡± Amid the excited chatter, everyone marveled at Lin Xuan¡¯s capabilities. Off to the side, Lin Xuan himself looked down at the green shield that now enveloped him and instinctively glanced behind at Ailiya. At that moment, Ailiya¡¯s usually serene, beautiful face was etched with tension. Clutching a longbow that she held unbeknownst to when she had drawn it, she fixed her aim on Wu Qihao, who was not far off. Lin Xuan also noticed that the bracelet he had given Ailiya earlier had been activated¡ªthe elemental energy still pulsed faintly along its surface. ¡°She¡¯s telling me he¡¯s a bad guy!¡± Ailiya frowned and asked Lin Xuan. The implication was clear: if Lin Xuan nodded, then in the next moment, Ailiya¡¯s arrow would fly straight and shatter Wu Qihao¡¯s skull. Lin Xuan never doubted Ailiya¡¯s archery skills¡ªafter all, as an elven princess, she was not only an elementalist but also a master archer! ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI can take him,¡± Lin Xuan assured her with a smile. Ailiya nodded, though she kept her longbow raised. Knowing her simple nature, Lin Xuan decided not to press the matter further and turned his attention back to Wu Qihao with a cold laugh, ¡°Hmph! No money? Fine, but you still dare to try and rob me?! You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± ¡°Your guts are really something!¡± someone exclaimed from the crowd. Amid the murmurs, the crowd buzzed with awe over Lin Xuan¡¯s display of power. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, slightly taken aback himself, gazed at the green shield protecting him and then at Ailiya behind him. He saw that her lovely face was creased with worry and that her hand gripped the longbow as if ready to strike. He also noted that the bracelet he had given her earlier still shimmered with residual elemental energy. ¡°He¡¯s a villain!¡± Ailiya said, frowning as she looked to Lin Xuan. Her words made it clear: a nod from Lin Xuan would signal her to release an arrow aimed straight for Wu Qihao¡¯s head. Lin Xuan, however, smiled reassuringly at her and said, ¡°Relax¡ªI¡¯ll handle him.¡± Ailiya nodded, though she did not lower her bow. Lin Xuan understood her pure heart, so he left her be and turned back to Wu Qihao with a cold laugh. ¡°Hmph! If you don¡¯t have the money, then that¡¯s fine¡ªbut you dare try to steal from me?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really got some guts!¡± someone called out. The tension in the hall was palpable as onlookers continued to murmur. Meanwhile, Wu Qihao, his pride wounded and face flushed with anger, glared at the blueprint in Lin Xuan¡¯s hand, his inner resentment deepening. All he desired was that blueprint; with it, Wu Qihao believed he could ascend to become the next top hundred elite¡ªthe special honor that would make his name known throughout the world. In that moment, a fierce glint appeared in Wu Qihao¡¯s eyes. With a thunderous roar, he bellowed, ¡°If you won¡¯t accept a proper trade, then prepare to die!¡± Before anyone could react, Wu Qihao lunged forward with his spiked club aimed squarely at the blueprint. The hall fell silent as everyone watched the impending clash. Then, with a loud ¡°Bang!¡± the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor rang out. Wu Qihao was flung backwards like a kite with a broken string¡ªkicked several meters away before crashing to the ground and spewing blood from his mouth. The dramatic reversal stunned everyone present. ¡°Wow! No. 92 is truly fierce!¡± someone gasped. ¡°Who would have thought that No. 92 wasn¡¯t just intimidating with his wealth¡ªhis physical strength is equally astounding, defeating a No. 1 man in one fell swoop!¡± ¡°And what is that green shield?!¡± another voice cried. ¡°Some say it¡¯s the skill from that beautiful lady¡¯s bracelet that shielded him!¡± ¡°Nonsense¡ªNo. 92 surely didn¡¯t even need a shield!¡± ¡°True enough, but the fact remains: No. 92 dared to take on a Fire Seed personnel. Now he¡¯s in deep trouble!¡± As the crowd erupted into animated discussion, all eyes turned to Lin Xuan. He noticed Ailiya standing behind him, her beautiful face tense and her longbow still at the ready, aimed at the retreating Wu Qihao. The bracelet she wore, recently activated, shimmered with elemental waves. Lin Xuan shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he remarked, ¡°Hmph! If you don¡¯t have the cash, then that¡¯s one thing¡ªbut to try and snatch my blueprint? You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± The tension was palpable, and amid the murmurs and exclamations of the onlookers, the scene continued to unfold with electrifying intensity. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.